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342 A HISTORY OF CHILE again attacked the enemy at Huaraz, the revolution- ists, in the meantime, taking advantage of the absence of the garrison to establish themselves in Iquique. At Huaraz the government forces were successful ; the enemy was sent flying toward Iquique, with such of the troops as escaped the slaughter. Colonel Soto pursued and carried Iquique by assault, with a detachment of government troops. Colonel Robles should have fol» lowed with reinforcements, making sure of this impor- tant point, but that he failed to do, with subsequent disastrous results. There were over five thousand gov- ernment troops at different points within from one to four days' march of Iquique, with not more than two thousand revolutionists to oppose them, yet Soto was left with a handful of men to defend the town against a furious bombardment by the enemy's fleet. Colonel Soto pounded his field-pieces against the ironclads during the day, February 17th, until his force was reduced to fort}' men. Rear Admiral Hotham was in the harbor with the British man-of-war, "Warspite." Seeing the havoc made of English property in the town, he proposed an armistice to arrange the matter. Colonel Soto, despairing of receiving reinforcements, agreed to this, and on the next da}' a conference took place on board the "Warspite;" there the arrangement agreed upon was, that Iquique should be surrendered. A detachment sent by Colonel Robles arrived late enough to be taken in at the surrender. Two million rounds of ammunition fell into the hands of the revo- lutionists. The revolutionists determined now to hold Iquique at all hazards. Hold it they must or the congressional stake would soon be lost, for Robles, Gana, Arrate and Camus had five thousand government troops in the vi- cinity. Therefore, all the men in Iquique able to bear