▁ ▁Forces ▁ ▁</ div > ▁ ▁Battle ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁May ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 8 7 9 , ▁the ▁look out ▁of ▁Es mer al da ▁sp otted ▁two ▁ships ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁north . ▁These ▁were ▁the ▁Per uv ian ▁Indep endencia ▁and ▁Hu á scar . ▁Att empt ing ▁to ▁escape , ▁the ▁Cov ad ong a ▁head ed ▁south , ▁but ▁Es mer al da ▁experienced ▁engine ▁problems . ▁By ▁this ▁time , ▁the ▁battle ▁was ▁in ev itable : ▁while ▁Hu á scar ▁engaged ▁Es mer al da , ▁Indep endencia ▁purs ued ▁Cov ad ong a ▁south . ▁ ▁Captain ▁Cond ell ▁of ▁the ▁Cov ad ong a ▁realized ▁that ▁the ▁quick er ▁but ▁heav ier ▁Indep endencia ▁had ▁a ▁deeper ▁draft ▁than ▁his ▁sch oon er . ▁He ▁kept ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁coast , ▁with ▁Indep endencia ▁in ▁purs uit , ▁while ▁both ▁ships ▁ex changed ▁fire . ▁The ▁Indep endencia ' s ▁lack ▁of ▁trained ▁g unn ers ▁and ▁the ▁Cov ad ong a ' s ▁accurate ▁sni per ▁fire ▁prolong ed ▁the ▁ch ase ▁for ▁over ▁three ▁hours . ▁Chile an - Map uche ▁sni per ▁Juan ▁Bra vo ▁was ▁ha iled ▁after ▁the ▁battle ▁for ▁taking ▁down ▁numerous ▁Peru vi ans . ▁Captain ▁More ▁of ▁the ▁Indep endencia ▁decided ▁to ▁take ▁a ▁risk ier ▁approach ▁and ▁ram ▁the ▁Chile an ▁ship . ▁Const antly ▁sound ing ▁the ▁depth , ▁he ▁attempted ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁twice , ▁only ▁to