Two monitors purchased from the United States at the end of the civil war cannot be classed among the sea-going ships of Peru, as they were permanently stationed, one at Callao and the other at Arica.
In land forces, the armies of the two countries were proportionately the same as their navies, Chili being superior in numbers, drill, discipline, effectiveness, and equipment. Chili had provided herself with Krupp breech-loading field-guns, while Peru had nothing else than the old-fashioned muzzle-loading smooth-bore cannon, of a range far inferior to that of the Chilian Krupps. At the outbreak of the war Bolivia was very poorly provided for active operations. Her army, small in numbers, had only 1,500 Remington rifles, the rest of her small-arms being old-fashioned flint-lock muskets.
In February, 1879, the Chilians seized the Bolivian port of Antofagasta, and from there sent a force to the silver mines of Caracoles. On receiving news of the invasion, the President of Bolivia declared war against Chili, and prepared to defend his territories as best he could. The first encounter of the war was on the 23d March at Calama, a small village about eighty miles from the coast, and nearly due north of Caracoles. The Chilians attacked it with 600 men, the defence being in the hands of about one fourth that number. The defenders fought for about three hours, killing several Chilians, but were compelled to retire, owing to the superiority of the assailants in numbers and equipment.
Immediately after the declaration of war between Peru and Chili, on the 5th April, the Chilian fleet appeared off the Peruvian forts, occupying those that were undefended and blockading others. Wherever there was any show of resistance, the towns were bombarded, and some of them were laid in ruins. For some weeks the war was conducted principally by the navy; one of the Chilian corvettes was destroyed by the Peruvian iron-clad Huascar, and shortly
