had at first been
supposed. The _Canopus_ had accordingly been sent to join his squadron.
But she was a battleship, and much slower than the cruisers. She could
travel no faster than at eighteen knots. Cradock proceeded northwards,
ahead of the _Canopus_, made a rendezvous off Concepcion Bay for his
colliers, and went into Coronel and on to Valparaiso to pick up news and
receive letters. The squadron then returned to the rendezvous and
coaled. This completed, the Admiral directed the _Glasgow_ to proceed
again to Coronel to dispatch certain cables. Captain Luce duly carried
out his mission, and left Coronel at nine o'clock on Sunday morning,
November 1, steaming northwards to rejoin the other ships. A gale was
rising. The wind was blowing strongly from the south. Heavy seas
continually buffeted the vessel. At two o'clock a wireless signal was
received from the _Good Hope_. Apparently from wireless calls there was
an enemy ship to northward. The squadron must spread out in line,
proceeding in a direction north-east-by-east, the flagship forming one
extremity, the _Glasgow_ the other. It was to move at fifteen knots. At
twenty minutes past four in the afternoon, smoke was observed upon the
horizon. The _Glasgow_ put on speed and approached. Officers soon made
out the funnels of four cruisers. It was the enemy. The Germans, their
big armoured cruisers leading, and the smaller behind, gave chase.

[Sidenote: The squadrons approach.]

The _Glasgow_ swept round to northward, calling to the flagship with her
wireless. Von Spee, anticipating this move, at once set his wireless in
operation, in order to jamb the British signals. Captain Luce soon
picked up the _Monmouth_ and the _Otranto_, and the three ships raced
northwards towards the flagship, the _Glasgow_ leading. At about five
o'clock the _Good Hope_ was seen approaching. The three ships wheeled
into line behind her, and the whole squadron now proceeded south. Von
Spee, coming up from that direction in line ahead, about twelve miles
off, changed his course and also proceeded south, keeping nearer to the
coast. The wind was now blowing almost with the force of a hurricane. So
heavy was the sea that small boats would have been unable to keep
afloat. But the sky was not completely overcast, and the sun was
shining. Firing had not opened. The washing of the seas and the roaring
of the wind deafened the ear to other sounds. The warship of to-day,
when her great turbines are w