Easter Island--which was von Spee's original base--is approximately 2,300 miles from Valparaiso, and therefore out of range of wireless communication, although it is possible he might occasionally be able to take in a message under favourable conditions. However, it is known from an officer survivor of the _Gneisenau_ that on October 19th the German Admiral received a message--possibly through a German supply ship--stating that a British Squadron consisting of "_Good Hope_, _Monmouth_, and _Glasgow_ was to the south." Now we know that this squadron was at Punta Arenas on September 28th, and leaving on that date was employed searching inlets and bays round Tierra del Fuego for some days. The _Good Hope_ then returned to the Falklands, finally leaving them on October 22nd, whilst the others went on to the coast of Chile and were there from October 11th onwards, making use of a sequestered spot as a base. The _Glasgow_ was at Coronel on October 14th and at Valparaiso the day following, so the fact of a British Squadron being "south" was well known, though the information did not reach von Spee till the 19th. On receiving this news von Spee sailed immediately. He knew he was in superior force to Cradock's squadron, and the presumption is that he went over to prospect and, if possible, to force an action. He went straight to Mas-a-Fuera, only remained two days to coal, and then on to a position off Valparaiso to pick up further information. Immediately on hearing that the _Glasgow_ was at Coronel on the 31st, he proceeded south to cut her off, and, as was likely to be the case, to meet Cradock. He must have judged that the rest of the squadron could not be far behind the _Glasgow_. The probability was that he received information of the _Good Hope_ passing through the Straits about the 24th or 25th, and he might also have heard of the _Canopus_ doing so a day or two later, in which case he would have calculated that the latter could scarcely be so far north by this time. There is no indication that by this date von Spee had made up his mind to quit the South Pacific. He had hardly had time to make his arrangements for so doing, and there is no doubt that they were not then completed. Von Spee was at his full strength, having recently added the _Dresden_ and _Leipzig_ to the squadron while at Easter Island, he possessed the advantage of homogeneity, and his squadron was far more modern. The result we know, our ships were out-gunned and completely outclassed. Fate played right into the hands of von Spee on this occasion.