Even with the approach of the Chilean troops, Nicolás de Piérola showed no disquiet. "I have my plan" he would say, "and in whatever happens, we have before up the example of Bolognesi." (Colonel Bolognesi perished in the defense of the port at Arica in June of 1880.)
Piérola relied heavily on military officers and technical assistance from foreign countries, such as France and Germany. Possibly because of the way in which he took control, he held a certain distrust of Peruvian officers under his command. While rejecting the strategic ideas of some of these trained officers, except for one reconnaissance through the Atocongo Pass, he remained behind the lines of his forward guard.
The foreign fleets moved their ships further north. On November 20, 1880, General Baquedano with 23,000 Chileans landed at Pisco, known for its grape vineyards and Pisco brandy. With the cry of "On to Lima!", his army marched north, burning towns and destroying property.
The Chileans Land at Pisco
Augusto Berns found Machu Picchu before Hiram Bingham
AFP: German adventurer found Machu Picchu decades before American: June 5 2008. August Berns, a German businessman, arranged with President Balta of Peru in 1867 to set up a lumber mill at the foot of the mountain on which Machu Picchu is located. Berns also traded in gold.
'We found that Berns and his colleagues extracted gold from archaeological remains at Machu Picchu using a company that had won a mining concession for extracting wood and gold, in the area where the citadel is located,' Peruvian historian Carlos Carcelen told reporters. Carcelen did his research with American cartographer Paolo Greer, French archaeologist Alain Gioda and British historian Alex Chepstow-Lusty. They researched archives in Peru and Spain questioning the idea Bingham 'discovered' Machu Picchu in 1911. 'Sadly, we demonstrated that there was a major looting of gold objects which later were sold to European museums and universities,' Carcelen added."
Peru Guards Its Guano as Demand Soars Again - NYTimes.com
Peru Guards Its Guano as Demand Soars Again - NYTimes.com: In May of 2008, Peru's guano trade resurfaces as an important economic asset.
"The dung will probably never be the focus of a boom as intense as the one in the 19th century, when deposits were 150 feet high, with export proceeds accounting for most of the national budget. The guano on most islands, including Isla de Asia, south of the capital, Lima, now reaches less than a foot or so. But the guano that remains here is coveted when viewed in the context of the frenzy in Peru and abroad around synthetic fertilizers like urea, which has doubled in price to more than $600 a ton in the last year."
Nicolás de Piérola Takes Charge in the Field
Possibly around November 18th, 1880, Paul Boyton dispatched an officer to meet with the Peruvian dictator, Nicolás de Piérola. Paul wanted to take his torpedo crew down to Pisco where he expected the Chileans would attempt to land troops. Piérola reportedly responded "Impatience is a bad counselor. Wait for orders." Meanwhile, the Chilean General, Jose A. Villagran, landed at Curayaco and then seized Chilca.
Piérola left the government in Lima to Senor La Puerta and took command of the army in the field, his headquarters located in Chorrillos. Piérola would soon realize the results of his year's preparation for war. Theodorus Mason, an American observer, said that Piérola was not wanting in zeal or in personal courage.
Piérola's troops numbered 20,000 combatants, with half of them native Indians without any military education, and the other half volunteers answering a patriotic call. The Chileans on the other hand were describe as an organized body of men led mostly by foreign officers, well drilled and disciplined.
The Peruvian army lacked suitable equipment, partly because of the blockade of Callao. Clothed poorly, many wore homemade sandals of raw leather. With the Peruvian Navy decimated or captured, the army could not move swiftly by sea.
The Peruvians resorted to making their own cannons, designed by Grieve, an engineer. They carried rifles from Europe and the United States...Remington’s, Peabody-Martinis, Evans, and Winchester rifles, often rusted and badly oiled. The better-equipped cavalry rode poor quality mounts. The artillery units struggled with obsolete or recently manufactured and untested guns. The military defeats in the south created poor morale and rumors circulated that the army would not fight or would flee.
Refugees flooded out of Lima, a city with poor defenses. Only a few redoubts armed with heavy guns, and a few batteries located on the hills to the south of the city afforded any protection.
Resources
Mason, Theodorus B. M. 1885. The War of the Pacific Coast of South America Between Chile and the Allied Republics of Peru and Bolivia. 1879-'81. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.
Paul Boyton Hides From the Chilean Soldiers
During the day, Paul Boyton continued hiding in the cave, waiting for twilight, when he planned to attempt to cross the harbor and reach Callao. One enormous seal lay heavily on a ledge directly below him, surrounded by several small ones. Restless, the seal raised his head, looking about with bloodshot eyes. Finally he lay down again. He edged over to the edge of the ledge and plunged into the water. He appeared again on the far side of Boyton’s ledge, gave a loud snort, and sank into the water.
The baby seals cavorted around Paul. Some of them crawled up on his ledge. A mother seal swam in and bellowed, then settled down to rest. At nightfall, the rest of the seals returned, snarling and bellowing as they settled down in the cave.
Hungry, Paul looked eagerly toward nightfall. With the sun setting, he slipped off the rock, and slid out of the cave. He swam steadily, reaching the coast a little before five in the morning. Near the fortification of Callao, he saw a sentinel with a gun trained on him. Boyton shouted “Peru, Peru” and the guard lowered his gun.
Boyton immediately went to Lima to report to the Dictator and hurried back to take charge of the sloop once more.
Resources:
Boyton, Paul. 1892. The story of Paul Boyton: voyages on all the great rivers of the world, paddling over twenty-five thousand miles in a rubber dress. Milwaukee: Riverside. 358 pp.
Paul Boyton Ascends San Lorenzo
Paul Boyton took two torpedoes and paddled across the narrow channel to the main island, struggling against heavy waves. Finally reaching the shore, he pulled the torpedoes up on a beach and hid them under a shelf of rock. He took off his rubber dress and his boots. Climbing over the guano beds and broken rocks in his bare feet, he began to sweat heavily. He reached the top of the island, where a cool breeze was blowing. He gasped with pleasure as he sat down to cool off.
Suddenly, a dark figure popped up only 30 yards from him. Boyton saw a flash, heard a report and a bullet whistled by his head. He drew his pistol, but decided not to shoot. The figure disappeared from sight. Gunshots came from several quarters. With a general alarm sounding, Boyton descended rapidly in an avalanche of guano and frantically looked for his rubber suit.
He raced up and down the beach until he saw one of the pantaloons sticking out from under a rock. Quickly, he pulled the suit on and swam across the narrow strait, looking for the sloop. Finally, he saw the sloop in the distance, its canvas spread as it headed for the mainland.
Boyton would not be able to swim all the way back to the coast before daybreak. Finding no shelter on El Fronton, he crossed back to San Lorenzo, apprehensively expecting a torpedo boat to appear at any moment.
On San Lorenzo, he found a cave at sea level. Hot salty air greeted him at the entrance to the cave. He heard the sound of breathing and the stirring of the seals as he disturbed their rest. He drew himself up on a slippery ledge, being careful not to cut the dress on the sharp edges of shells wedged into the rocks. From a back wall, a seal growled, followed by heavy breathing, snapping, snarling, and growling. Unable to sleep, Boyton lay awake throughout the night.
At sunrise, he saw the rock ledges covered with seals and sea lions. They stretched their flippers and yawned, and then, one by one, dropped into the water in search of breakfast. A young seal turned his great round eyes on Boyton, circled his ledge, but then with a flip, darted out to the fishing grounds. Some returned later, with fish in their mouth. Boyton spent the day in the cave surrounded by baby seals.
Resources:
Boyton, Paul. 1892. The story of Paul Boyton: voyages on all the great rivers of the world, paddling over twenty-five thousand miles in a rubber dress. Milwaukee: Riverside. 358 pp.
Paul Boyton's Reconnaissance of San Lorenzo
Author's Note: The following is based on Paul Boyton's version of what happened.
As evening fell, the Alicrán (a Peruvian sloop loaned to Paul Boyton by the Peruvian navy) approached El Fronton, an island separated by a channel from the larger island of San Lorenzo, just beyond the harbor at Callao. Boyton planned to anchor the sloop off El Fronton, then paddle across to the larger island with two 100 pound torpedoes. As silent as possible, the anxious crew sailed the sloop toward the island through heavy fog. Ahead, they heard the sound of oars. Boyton told them to get ready, but at the same time he directed them to hold their carbines at ease.
Fear overcame the Peruvians. Someone whispered that the Chileans would hang those who served in the torpedo service. Boyton grabbed one of the carbines. He whispered forcefully "The first person who refuses to fire will get a bullet in his head."
The boat came into view. "A que venga?" Boyton demanded. From the other boat, a trembling voice responded in Spanish, "Fisherman, fishermen: , don't shoot"
After the anxiety of this encounter, the heartened crew bustled about to complete the mission. The fisherman took up their oars again, passed towards the harbor and back into the fog.
The Alicrán reached El Fronton and set down its anchor. Boyton eased out of the boat into the water. The sloop was to stay until 3 in the morning, giving them ample time to sail back to the safety of the guns at Chorrillos before morning. Boyton planned to hide some torpedoes on the island for later use. If he wasn't back by the designated time, they were to head for land.
Resources:
Boyton, Paul. 1892. The story of Paul Boyton: voyages on all the great rivers of the world, paddling over twenty-five thousand miles in a rubber dress. Milwaukee: Riverside. 358 pp.
Posts
