ner, and took him
out to the Punta del Mar Bravo, where fortifications were located, and
calling his attention to some American parrot guns, patted one of them
and smilingly remarked:

"These are some compatriots of yours."

With that, the General gave orders to fire at the Chilean fleet which
was then laying near San Lorenzo, an island several miles out from
Callao and so high are its cliffs that they penetrate the clouds. Four
or five shots were fired at the blockading vessels; but they were too
far off, as the iron balls could be seen throwing spray in the air at
some distance to the landward of them. "That is a salute in your honor,"
remarked the General.

That evening, after having overhauled every available craft in the
harbor, General Astate gave Paul a little sloop, the only thing that
could possibly be used in torpedo attacks; but far from being the
powerful little steam launch that had been promised. The Peruvian
steamers at that time were all corralled in the harbor at Callao. They
were not strong enough to grapple with the powerful men-of-war of the
Chileans that so saucily watched the port, hence they remained inside
under the protection of the guns at the fort and at the point, while
great piles of sand bags were erected to the seaward of the docks as a
shield against Chilean cannon balls.

Paul was therefore compelled to enter upon his torpedo work, terribly
handicapped by the poor equipment of the Peruvians; but determined to
make the best use of the means at hand. The little sloop was called the
Alicran. She was quickly provisioned and a crew shipped. Before
embarking on her, Don Nicholas sent for Boyton and commissioned him as
Captain in the Peruvian Navy. She was then sailed around to Chorrilos,
as Paul considered that the best point from which to begin operations on
the Chilean fleet. There he made his headquarters at a hacienda which a
wealthy Peruvian turned over to him and anchored the sloop close in
shore under the shelter of the cliffs, and began the manufacture of
torpedoes. One thousand pounds of dynamite had been sent down to him in
wagons from Lima, and under his directions, the crew was soon engaged
in stowing it away in the rubber cases.

When the torpedoes were ready, he began cruising to the seaward in order
to reconnoiter the movements of the blockading squadron, which every
night would trip anchor and stand off to sea. The Chilean's fear of
torpedoes