?«S CIVTL WARS IN SOUTH AMERICA.

IN the South American Republics, civil war is a recognised move in the game of politics. A leader of a party who is beaten at theelections has always the chance of a military prejiutnciamento to to raise an army. Theygot possession ofIquique in the middle of February, after a hard fight with the small Balmacedist garrison under Colonel Soto, and they then made it the temporary capital. reverse the verdict of the polling stations. Often, however, what is called an attempted revolution is really nothing more than an election riot on a large scale. There is no need of cataloguingthese minor disturbances, and, leaving them out of account, it may be said that, on the whole, South America has been abnormally peaceful during the"nineties.

There have, however, been two civil wars of importance, one in Chili, the other in Brazil,both of them chiefly remarkable for their naval incidents.

The Chilian civil war broke out in The conditions of the struggle were now very curious. The Balmacedists held Valparaiso and the south with their army,but hadpractically no fleet, their naval forces being representedby a fewvery small and oldfashioned torpedo and a couple ot armed merchant steamers, one ol which, the M was carried off by her crew early in the war to join the Congressists. But therewere a number of fine ships ready, or nearly ready, for the Chilian Government in European shipbuilding yards. If Balmaceda could obtain delivery of these, and hold out PRESIDENT KALMACEDA till they arrived, he might attack the Congressist fleet. It was thanks to that fleet that the Congressists heldIquique and the north. They had only the beginnings of an army. Their hope was that they might be able to organise an effective land force before Balmaceda was in a position to dispute with them the command of the sea. In that case they would be able to convey it to the south in transports under the escortof their fleet,landit near Valparaiso, and attack the Balmacedistsby sea and land.

The President received his first naval reinforcementon March 21st, when two fine torpedo gunboats of high speed,the.4lmiraute Lynchand January, 1891. The President,Balmaceda, had been endeavouring to extend his powers and make his office practically a dictatorship. On New Year's Day the majority of the Congress formally declared that he had violated the Constitution. The Chilian navy declared for the Congressists,as they werecalled,but the greater part of the army, about 40,coo strong,stood by the President. With their help he was master ofSantiago, thecapital,and Valparaiso, the most important city in Chili. The Congressist leaders made use of the fleet to seize the nitrate districts in the north of the country. They established a provisionalgovernmentthere and began 50