The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-03-08
letter from Paul ROytOu.

| y leSlUtnl OF DdlltHolc HAS ItCtNtu Il
letter from Paul BOyton, the noted swim
mcr, dated Lima, Peru. February 1th. Mr..
| Bovton had been IN the employ OF the Peru
vian Government for several months, en-
gagged IN improving its torpedo service, and
writes a graphic description Of the dis Isters
which befel the PeruvianS at The hands OF
the ChIlian forces. Mr.. B0yton had some
halrbrcadlh escapes. aud is quite ready to
abandon The torpedo business in that quar-
ter for something that will pay better and al
the same time prove less perilouS. The fol-
loving extracts from Mr.. BoytOnS letter 20
hi> Baltimore friend VIII be read with in
, tcTcSt:
cone night | sailed across the Island Ct
! san Lorenzo, and dropped anchor under
the chfi at the head oi il. The island was
occupied by 4 small garrison Of Chi'ians,
and their fleet anchored at the other end
| dGrine the day. Taking a torpedo and my
! dress padded ashore for t6e purpose OF
making a reconnpitre:: Before leaving
ordered the men on the sloop not to move
until / returned, which said would be
! in about one hour. ! was detained for over
three hour, on account OF a guard, which |
bad TO flank. and when did get bacG, 20
my horror and surprise, found
THE SLOOP HAD LEFT MI.
At that time could not start for the main
| land, aS daylight would reveal NE to The
enemy before | was three miles from The
| island, 80 was compelled 10 seek hiding
! place. which J found in a cave under the
! elf, which was well inhabited by sea-li0nS.
sells, and Others. They raised irjgbtful
! row at NY appearance among them. which
/ caused my hair 10 stand rs straight up on my
| head a. II could get in my rubber suit.
succeeded in getting upon piece Of
rock, where | held possession until
brighter dll light showed me better
place. The >ca-lionS made no attempt TO mo-
lest me, but the seals were more inquiSi-
tive, and moIe Than once | had 10 knock
them over the nose with my paddle. | sat
there all day long, without a mOuthfu 10
caS or a drop Of water TO drink. Night
came at last, and then | started on my yOy-
age home. | got 10 Calla0 4 little before )
O'Clock i'm the morning, where | came near
being shot full OF holes by the guar d on the
mole. Thank Heaven, they were not good
marksmen, or would not be now telling
Won nv story. When found the men on
the soop the only explanation they could
give was That they thought bad been cap
| tured, ana so concluded TO get
OUT OF HARMS WAY.
We made attempt after attempt, but all
ended in the same way. | proposed an eX-
edition 10 PiScO, where the enemy was
about TO land troops. but was ordered not
to 90 by the chief. His order had to obey,
| but he was the only man in Pelu whose
order would obey. Well, we were driven
| frcm post TO post aS the ChilianS closed in,
until at last we bad TO take refuge underline
guns at Calao. There, at the request of the
chief, ! took command OF the submarine
boat. but after three days trial | went
! 10 Lima and informed the chief that it
was failure. and begged him 10 release me
from It's command. He declined, and asked
me 10 stand by her, j. size was the only hope.
Soon after the ChllanS lIndcd at Luvin, and
| then the chief went suddenly 10 the front
to superintend in person the disposition
Of the Peruvian army. At last, when things
began to look serious, abandoned the sub
marine boat and went TO ChOrsellas. That
night | could not see Don Nicolas, and the
next morning before daylight the Chlians
! had
SURPRISED THE TOWN,
and the battle Of January 18th commenced
! Il was hot work, assure YOU. / was sure
| the chief had been captured until II O'Clock,
when | saw him and few officers riding
| along the beach 10 BlrancO. ! followed
and stood by him the balance OF the day.
He exposed himself i'm the most reckless
manner, and his example had a good eff ct
on the Choices. The next day there was
truce to bury the dead. On Saturday. Jan
uary 10Th, flag OF truce was brought INTO
our camp, and an agreement was made for
an armistice until IL O'Clock that night for
the purpose of having meelin@ Of
the officers 10 see if terms of peace could
be agreed on. The meeting took place
about noon, and at O'Clock, while the
officers were still debating, shelf came fly-
ing over the camp. In an instant firing
coma enced all along the line, and in quicker
time than il takes me to tell YOU the battle
had begun. \ more fierce and bloody one
never witnessed. Well, you must know
by the papers long ere this how il ended.
Ii proved to be
THE GRAVEYARD OF PERU.
That evening l saw the chief for the last
time, as he rode past, blachened with
smoke, on hi, way to the mountains. ! fol.
lowed the thoroughly. dlsol ganized army
into Lima. Here we found the city in the
hands Of mob, who pundcied and burned
TO their hearts content. Bullets flew
through the streets a thick as hail; the yells
OF woaDded men. the shricks Of frightened
womea, the RED glare OF a hundred fircs-aIl
went 10 form about a. perfect picture OF
hell rs one could well imagine. On the
night q the l7lh you could not walk ten
steps w5thout stumbling over dead man.
At last the Chilans marched in, and order
was 10 ssnae extent restored. hope II will
never lre lRy lot 10 witness such sights again.
"On tine 22d was arrested by the Chilli
ans as tee torpedo.man,' aud after a little
delay was g'eleaseG on parole, but not at lib-
erty TO iefN@ Lima. So at present | am
prisoner Os war. was Slightly wounded
in two pisees, but they do not amount ts
anything. Most OF my baggage fell INTO the
hands Of the 1sOb, but | was satisfied that
anything was Iest me'