304 A HISTORY OF CHILE hospitals. The Chileans were now masters of the sea, the entire Bolivian coast and a rich province of Peru. Soon after the fall of Arica several naval incidents worthy of mention occurred in the neighborhood of Callao, where the blockading squadron still maintained a rigorous blockade. On the afternoon of the 3rd of July, a Huacho packet, or small coasting vessel, was observed to quit the harbor and sail northward. The "Loa, " which had arrived from Arica shortly before, gave chase. Three men were seen to leave the coast- er and take to the shore, as the "Loa approached. Captain Pena commanded the warship; he sent Lieu- tenant Martinez to examine the abandoned vessel, which was found to have on board a cargo of vegeta- bles and poultry. The little craft was towed alongside the Chilean vessel, and the transfer of the cargo had been nearly completed, when a terrific explosion tore open the "Loa's" side at the water-line causing her to instantly fill and sink. Some kind of infernal machine, charged with more than two hundred pounds of dyna- mite, had been arranged in the bottom under the chick- ens. Captain Pena, three officers and fifty men, went down in the ill-fated craft ; thirty-eight of the crew were saved. Two months passed, during which both sides were preparing actively for the final struggle. In the last days of August, the "Angamos" engaged the batteries in Callao harbor at a distance of three and four miles. On the last day, September ist, some damage was done to the "Union." Two days afterward the batteries were again engaged by some of the vessels of the fleet, but with no other result than the sinking of a tug. On the 13th of the month, another successful attempt was made by the Peruvians to blow up Chilean men- of-war. This time it was the "Covadonga, " which had
