On the 28th of May the _Huascar_ appeared off the port of Iquique. Her boats disembarked a portion of her crew, and after a fight with the Peruvian troops, they captured the town. A few hours after that the Peruvian squadron, consisting of the ironclad _Independencia_, the corvette _Unica_ and the gunboat _Pilsomayo_, arrived, and it was resolved to engage the _Huascar_. The fight lasted for an hour and a half, and then darkness came on and the _Huascar_ steamed away. The next morning she met the _Shah_ and the _Amethyst_. Admiral Horsey sent an officer on board the _Huascar_ to demand her surrender. Pierola refused, and upon the return of the officer to the _Shah_, the battle at once commenced. The _Huascar_ was built for the Peruvian Government by Messrs. Samuda, and was a turret-ship mounting two 300-pounder guns in her turret. She had also two 40-pound pivot-guns. The _Shah_ and _Amethyst_ were unarmoured cruisers, but in point of number of guns they were superior to the ironclad. The fight lasted for three hours. The _Huascar's_ smoke-stack was pierced, and damage done to her deck beams, but the metal of the British guns were not heavy enough to pierce the armour. In the course of the fight the _Shah_ launched a Whitehead torpedo against the ironclad, but it failed to strike her. The British ships were ably handled, and received no serious damage in the encounter; and after a three hours' engagement the _Huascar_ steamed away and made for a Peruvian port. As this was the first time that unarmoured vessels had ventured to engage an ironclad of modern type, every credit is due to the gallantry of our seamen, although they were unsuccessful in their attempt to capture or sink their opponent. CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. GALLANT DEEDS PERFORMED BY NAVAL MEN. DEATH OF CAPTAIN BROWNRIGG--1881. This officer had greatly distinguished himself by the energy and success with which he had carried on operations against the slaving dhows during the term of his command on the Zanzibar coast. On the 27th of November 1881 he started in the steam pinnace of the _London_, accompanied by his steward, a native interpreter, and a writer, with a crew consisting of a coxswain, Alfred Yates, three seamen, and three stokers. Captain Brownrigg was going upon a tour of inspection among the boats engaged in repressing the slave trade, and the various depots. On his way he examined any dhows he met which he suspected to contain slaves. On the 3rd of December a dhow was sighted flying French colours. In such cases it was not Captain Brownrigg's custom to board, but only to go alongside to see that the papers were correct. He therefore ordered the boat's crew to be careful not to board without direct orders, intending a mere cursory examination, and no detention whatever, as he did not arm the boat's crew, and directed the time alongside to be noted.