I had, however, other reasons for quitting Callao. The newly-arrived
Spanish frigate _Prueba_, was at large, and as I had reason to believe,
was sheltering at Guayaquil, from which port I made up my mind to
dislodge her. The Government had not sent any of the promised supplies
for the squadron, which was running short of provisions, so that it was
necessary to resort to my former practice of compelling the Spaniards to
furnish them; whilst as no troops had been supplied, it was clear that
there had never been an intention of sending any; the assurance of the
Minister of Marine that they were waiting for me at Coquimbo being only
a _ruse_ on his part to get me to sea without a military force.

We now received intelligence that the _Prueba_ had been accompanied from
Spain by two line of battle ships, and that these were daily expected at
Arica, whither I proceeded in quest of them, but was disappointed in not
finding them. It was subsequently learned, that although they had sailed
from Cadiz, in company with the _Prueba_, they never reached the
Pacific, one of them, the _Europe_, being pronounced unseaworthy on
crossing the line; and the other, the _Elmo_, foundering on the passage
round Cape Horn!

On the 5th of November, three hundred and fifty troops--now brought by
the experience and zeal of Lieut.-Col. Charles into a tolerably
soldier-like condition--were distributed on board the _Lautaro,
Galvarino_, and the remaining fire-ship, and were despatched to Pisco,
under the command of Captain Guise, for supplies to be taken from the
Spaniards, the troops being under the orders of Lieut.-Col. Charles, and
the marines under the direction of Major Miller.

As it was not improbable that the expected Spanish ships would make for