lant Iglesias to surrender; this, too, despite the fact that he had at last been tardily supported by Recabárren and Caceres, who brought about three thousand men to the hill.
The Chilean loss is given at from two thousand to three thousand ; the Peruvians lost in killed and wounded over four thousand men, with as many more taken prisoners.
The Chileans occupied Chorrillos and the men soon became utterly demoralized with drink; so much so, that Pierola might have rallied his army and defeated them while engaged in their orgies. For this reason, perhaps, Baquedano may have thought it best not to push forward immediately to the second line of defenses at Mirailores. A vast amount of property was detroyed or plundered by the soldiery, and Chorrillos laid waste.
During the two days following the battle efforts were made by the foreign diplomats in Lima to arrange an armistice, with a view of averting further bloodshed and destruction of property. Pierola had requested this, and two foreign officers went with a flag of truce to General Baquedano and obtained his consent to a conference. An armistice was arranged to extend until midnight of January 15th. But during the afternoon, while making some changes of position, the Chilean third division was brought near the Peruvian lines, and quite close to the place where the Peruvian men-of-war were anchored. Not understanding the exact terms of the armistice, a few shots were fired by the marines; soon the firing became general, to the great surprise of both commanders.
The Chileans and Peruvians both were thus taken by surprise. The former were at the time preparing their
