Kammala jumla mai zuwa: Shiga cikin rundunar sojan ruwa a 1837, yana da shekaru 12, ya shiga cikin yakin Socabaya (1838), a lokacin
Yaƙin Kungiyar da ya haifar da faduwar Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz. Na gaba, ya nemi filin da ya fi girma, kuma ya ga aiki a cikin Yakin Opium na farko a kan jirgin ruwan Birtaniya HMS "Calliope" da kuma jirgin ruwa na uku na HMS "Blenheim". An ambaci shi a cikin sakonni don ƙarfin hali, kuma ya sami digiri na midshipman a cikin Royal Navy.