r ative ▁enter prise ▁across ▁the ▁Pacific , ▁its ▁national ▁currency ▁abund antly ▁circul ating ▁throughout ▁Pol yn esia ▁and ▁its ▁mer ch ants ▁trad ing ▁in ▁the ▁mark ets ▁of ▁T ah iti , ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁Tas mania , ▁and ▁Shang hai ; ▁moreover , ▁negoti ations ▁were ▁also ▁made ▁with ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Philippines , ▁and ▁alter c ations ▁reported ly ▁occurred ▁between ▁Chile an ▁and ▁American ▁wh al ers ▁in ▁the ▁Sea ▁of ▁Japan . ▁This ▁period ▁ended ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁Chile an ▁merchant ▁fleet ' s ▁destruction ▁by ▁Spanish ▁forces ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁during ▁the ▁Ch in cha ▁Islands ▁War . ▁ ▁Chile ' s ▁Pol yn esian ▁asp ir ations ▁would ▁again ▁be ▁aw ak ened ▁in ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁decis ive ▁victory ▁against ▁Peru ▁in ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific , ▁which ▁left ▁the ▁Chile an ▁fleet ▁as ▁the ▁dominant ▁mar itime ▁force ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁coast ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas . ▁Val para í so ▁had ▁also ▁become ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁port ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁coast ▁of ▁South ▁America , ▁providing ▁Chile an ▁mer ch ants ▁with ▁the ▁capacity ▁to ▁find ▁mark ets ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific ▁for ▁its ▁new ▁min eral ▁wealth ▁acquired ▁from ▁the ▁At ac ama . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁the ▁Chile an ▁intellectual ▁and ▁politician ▁Ben j am ín ▁Vic u ña ▁Mack en na ▁( who ▁served ▁as ▁sen ator ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Congress ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 6