The first act of the Chilean army was to break in and rob the custom house.

An attempt was made to restrain the men, but some awful scenes were enacted before it was done.
During this time, Paul and some friends had a chance to visit the battle-fields of Miraflores and Chorrillos.

And the sights they witnessed! The gallant, young soldiers who had left Lima in brilliant uniforms, with high hopes of success, and gay songs on their lips, lay a confused mass of bloated corpses.

Four days of tropical sun had made them burst, and the stench was horrible.

Dreading contagion, for the field of death lay near to Lima, the Chileans had forced the Chinamen of that city to gather the dead, cover them with kerosene and fire.
After nightfall, the blue glow rising from these awful funeral pyres, lit up the whole field.