Two weeks before Coronel the Admiralty was informed that German trade had revived between Valparaiso and P Arenas, so Cradock sent Glasgow, Monmouth and Otranto to Valparaiso to check out the information. They found no movement on the coast, however while at Valparaiso it was strongly rumoured that Spee was near (at the time he was at Eater Island), and being no match for the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau they fell back to joined with Cradock at Vallenar Roads.

While at Valparaiso the crew had the chance to send letters to their loved ones at home, George Henry Holdaway ( J/20336, Boy 1st Class) was one of those who took this opportunity to send a few words. My thanks go to his niece Joyce Maddock for allowing me to reproduce it here.