, 1879-08-08
NAVAL FIGHT.

The luascar Attacks tho Gillian Squadron,
auu Tiian Isuup Away.
PANAMA, July 223.-Fur soma time 1t }las been
tho polirY OF thu Chillan ships Of thu block
alng squadron ut 14uiauc which at present
consis.s Of oue irop-clAd ai,l two coryettcs, to
remain In the purt during tho day mud 10 crui6o
about during the night, 80 as to avoid any
possible at.aek from land by torpcdo,boats,
which could easily advance usdor cover
Ut darkness. On tho arrival OF tho Iluascar as
Artea lately, thu commander was told a differ
cut ssory,-that the isou-clad ana ono corvette
'only cTu!scd oussitle, leaving auotl!er corvctts
aud any transports there might be in the bar
ut anchor during the night: ]o. accordingly
received orders to proceed to lqutquc and
tnake another raid, destroying, BY ranln1fnE,
any ships At anchor, mud avoiding. By tho uii-
pcr!or sprcd Of bis vessel, the risk Ut m eu-
counter With Tho iro,i-clnds. On the night Of
thc 9th he appeared in the Bar Of 1quiquc, and
10 l,le surprse found no ships there. On run,-
the whole Chilian .ssnuadron had gono out at
nighsfall, and would probably be iound few
miles to the s0uthward. lie accordingly steamed
out, expecting to Ind sotno Ut thu waskcr yes-
sels tlrht. In lc2s than an hour he sighted tie
siaslas Cousins, an unarnied transport. Ranging
up close, he salutcd her with voltcy Of tnuHkct-
ry, 1usnan1ing her surrender, to which tho
commando: Of tie Cousins, mn Engiishman, Mt
otltt !E{uICA tIAt Nv H04A Hut H4ottt!Ils
to saerihcu h!s .ncn, and knowing TINT less than
u tnlc behind were advancing the other vessels
Of the squadron. which would prcyent tic rcalf-
zatlon Vt tie capture. The lluascar lowered
buats to put prizG crcM OIL board, but scArcclY
had they touched the watcr before the Abtas
hoye In sIght, n.il Capt Grau ordered the boats
to be hO!hled on board, a,id directed the Captain
at tlle Coustna to take care Of his crew, us to
WAS going to sink tho ahp In about ten minutes
llo fired couple of 30ol0unl Bhota ut her, nnd
steamed ahcaA to meet tic advancing encmy.
The first vessel, which ras advancing IN .
tc!suru!y manncr, ha cnleayorcd to ram, but
his ttcaigu HnB perceived, the Absns WIS nut to
the top Of her speed aru slid past the llua.car,
receiving only = atght CHANGING blow on thu
quarter, which lld IN special damage. shots
lluascur wns, Us usual, bud No hrayy shots
struck th1 Abtas, which, however, received some
eiiRht hninAEe from nuskntrY md tic small
gllnB IN deck, Two 15U-puunii shots from tue
Abtan' r!led guns struck tle Hussrar, o,le rip
pfng np hct dcck aud the other rnssns through
her four.ul,u.a-holf-incl arnlor ahout midway
between the deck am the wate1.Iuc. At that
moment the sfagoEaues n,ti the Almtrapto
Cochrnu sppcareu, and, after tlrng couple of
rounds more, the lluascar stcnncA away to The
north, runuinE away from lhe Chtlian squadron
with perfect cuse. kulatnuge OF spcclal moment
was duno On either side. Three days aftcrwartl
the squadron was at 1qutqus as usual, tho
Matlas Cousins mud tho Abtas apparently lulu-
shtps and preparing for her return to the mines
Ut l4ota for u fresh suupty. AZ the encounter
tuok ti!aco ut about 3 O'Clock III tho morning.
the Peruvian coMmanlcr May be excused fus
hia claim that ho ta1ictcd serIuus datuagc on
the TRANSPORT Qtlu tie .ARtRa.