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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7c388a1 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #55778 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/55778) diff --git a/old/55778-8.txt b/old/55778-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 8dcfe35..0000000 --- a/old/55778-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9941 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Historical and descriptive narrative of -twenty years' residence in South America (Vol 3 of 3), by William Bennet Stevenson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Historical and descriptive narrative of twenty years' residence in South America (Vol 3 of 3) - Containing travels in Arauco, Chile, Peru, and Colombia, - with an account of the revolution, its rise, progress, and - results - -Author: William Bennet Stevenson - -Release Date: October 19, 2017 [EBook #55778] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RESIDENCE IN SOUTH AMERICA *** - - - - -Produced by Josep Cols Canals, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -+-------------------------------------------------+ -|Transcriber's note: | -| | -|Obvious typographic errors have been corrected. | -| | -+-------------------------------------------------+ - - -[Illustration: CHILEAN FARMER. - -_Engraved for Stevenson's Narrative of South America._] - - -A - -HISTORICAL - -AND - -DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE - -OF - -TWENTY YEARS' RESIDENCE - -IN - -SOUTH AMERICA, - -_IN THREE VOLUMES_; - -CONTAINING TRAVELS IN ARAUCO, CHILE, PERU, AND COLOMBIA; - -WITH AN ACCOUNT OF - -THE REVOLUTION, ITS RISE, PROGRESS, AND RESULTS. - - -BY W. B. STEVENSON, - -FORMERLY PRIVATE SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT AND CAPTAIN GENERAL OF QUITO, -COLONEL, AND GOVERNOR OF ESMERALDAS, CAPTAIN DE FRAGATA, AND LATE -SECRETARY TO THE VICE ADMIRAL OF CHILE,--HIS EXCELLENCY -THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD COCHRANE, &c. - -VOL. III. - -LONDON: - -HURST, ROBINSON, AND CO. - -CONSTABLE & Co. AND OLIVER & BOYD, EDINBURGH. - -MDCCCXXV. - - - - -CONTENTS OF VOL. III. - - PAGE -CHAP. I.--First Revolutionary Symptoms in South -America....Morales and Quiroga....Character of Morales....Of -Quiroga....Discovery made by Captain Salinas to two -Friars....Their Report to the Government....Imprisonment of -Morales, Quiroga, Salinas, and Riofrio....Character of -Salinas....Of Dr. Riofrio....Liberation of the Prisoners.... -Junto formed at Quito....Advice of to the President, Count -Ruis....Manner in which the Revolution was conducted....New -Oath....Marquis of Selva Alegre....Character of....Dissensions -in the New Government....Count Ruis reinstated....Arrival of -Troops from Lima and Santa Fé....Imprisonment of the -Insurgents....Trial of....Character of the Count Ruis....Of -the Oidor Don Felipe Fuertes Amar....Of the Fiscal Arrechaga -....Of Colonel Arredonda...._Proceso_ sent to Santa Fé 1 - -CHAP. II.--Second Revolution at Quito....Massacre of the -Prisoners....General Meeting held....Spanish Troops leave -Quito....Revolution at Santa Fé....Arrival of Don Carlos -Montufar at Quito....Arredonda invades Quito....Arrives at -Huaranda....Flies from....Montufar marches towards Cuenca -....Desists from attacking the City....Returns to Quito....My -Appointment to Esmeraldas....Capture and Escape....General -Montes enters Quito....Death of Montufar....Quito taken by -General Sucre 26 - -CHAP. III.--State of Lima in 1811....Constitution proclaimed -....Some Effects of....Wishes of the Inhabitants -of Lima....Manifest of Venezuela 45 - -CHAP. IV.--State of Lima....Expedition to Chile under Colonel -Gainsa....Exit of....Regiment of Talavera arrives from Spain -....Part of sent to Huamanga....Revolution of Cusco and -Arequipa....Death of Pumacagua, and the Patriot Melgar.... -Arrival of Flags taken by Osoria in Chile....Viceroy Abascal -superseded by Pesuela....Character of the former....Beginning -of Pesuela's Administration....Arrival of La Serna....State -of Lima to 1817....Battle of Chacabuco in Chile....Extract of -a Journal....New Expedition to Chile under Osoria....News of -Battle of Maypu....Loss of the Spanish Frigate Maria Isabel, -and part of Convoy....Arrival of Lord Cochrane off Callao 120 - -CHAP. V.--State of Lima on the Arrival of the Chilean -Squadron....Arrival of at Huacho....At Supe....Chilean Naval -Force, how composed....Capture of the Maria Isabel by -Commodore Blanco....Arrival of Lord Cochrane....Appointed -Admiral....Leaves Valparaiso....Arrives at Callao, Huacho, -Barranca, Huambacho....Proclamation of Cochrane, San Martin, -and O'Higgins....Description of Huambacho....Paita taken.... -Proceed to Valparaiso....Arrival....Description of....Road -from Valparaiso to Santiago 141 - -CHAP. VI.--Santiago....Foundation....Description of -the City....Contrast between the Society here and at -Lima....State of Chile....Manners and Customs....Revolution -....Carreras....O'Higgins....Defeat at Rancagua....Chileans -cross the Cordillera....Action of Chacabuco....Of Maypu.... -Death of Don Juan Jose, and Don Luis Carrera....Murder of -Colonel Rodrigues....Formation of a Naval Force....Death of -Spanish Prisoners at San Luis....Naval Expedition under -Lord Cochrane....Failure of the attack on Callao....Attack -at Pisco....Death of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles....Capture -of Vessels at Guayaquil....Squadron returns to Chile 169 - -CHAP. VII.--Passage from Guayaquil River to Valdivia....Lord -Cochrane reconnoitres the Harbour....Capture of the Spanish -Brig Potrillo....Arrival at Talcahuano....Preparations for -an Expedition to Valdivia....Troops furnished by General -Freire....O'Higgins runs aground....Arrival off Valdivia.... -Capture of Valdivia....Attempt on Chiloe fails.... Return of -Lord Cochrane....Leaves Valdivia for Valparaiso....Victory by -Beauchef.....Arrival of the Independencia and Araucano.... -O'Higgins repaired....Return to Valparaiso....Conduct of Chilean -Government....Lord Cochrane resigns the Command of the Squadron 211 - -CHAP. VIII.--Lord Cochrane and the Chilean Government.... -Preparations for the Expedition to Peru....Captain Spry -....Charges presented by the Admiral against Capt. Guise -....Lord Cochrane throws up his Commission....Letters from -the Captains and Officers....Commission returned by the -Government....Offer made by San Martin to the Foreign -Seamen....Embarkation of Troops for Peru....Announcement -of Sailing of the Expedition....Force of the Squadron 243 - -CHAP. IX.--Sketch of O'Higgins, San Martin, Lord Cochrane, -Las Heras, and Monteagudo....Sailing of the Expedition, and -arrival at Pisco....Debarkation....Occurrences at Pisco.... -Colonel Arenales, with a division of the Army, marches to -Arica....Troops embark, and proceed to Ancon....News of the -Revolution of Guayaquil....Capture of the Spanish Frigate -Esmeralda....Army goes down to Huacho....Head Quarters -at Huaura 275 - -CHAP. X.--Battalion of Numancia joins the Liberating Army -....Victory at Pasco by Arenales....Route of Arenales from -Ica....Courts Martial held in the Squadron on Officers.... -Conduct of General San Martin....Viceroy Pesuela deposed.... -Expedition to Pisco....To Arica....Action at Mirabe under -Lieutenant-Colonel Miller....Description of Arica....Of -Tacna....Of Ilo....Armistice celebrated by Generals San -Martin and La Serna....Prorogation of....Lord Cochrane -leaves Mollendo, and arrives at Callao 303 - -CHAP. XI.--Lima evacuated by La Serna....Occupation of by the -Liberating Army....Loss of the San Martin....Arrival of Lord -Cochrane at Lima....Conduct of the Spaniards after leaving -Lima....Independence of Peru sworn....San Martin constitutes -himself Protector of Peru....Interview between Lord Cochrane -and San Martin....Announcement of the views of the Spanish -Army....State of the Squadron....San Martin takes the Field -....Arrival and Departure of Cantarac....Proclamation -of San Martin....Treasure taken at Ancon by Lord Cochrane -....Surrender of Callao....Tribunal of Purification -established at Lima....Lieutenant Wynter arrested at Callao -....Paroissien and Spry visit the Squadron at Midnight -....Squadron leaves Callao, arrives at Guayaquil 339 - -CHAP. XII.--Revolution and State of Guayaquil....Squadron -leaves....Island of Cocos....Bay of Fonseca....Visitors from - the Shore....Leave Fonseca....Volcano....Arrive at Acapulco -....General Waevell and Colonel O'Reilly....Letter from -Iturbide....Leave Acapulco....Description of....Gale of Wind -off Tehuantepec....Tacames or Atcames....News of the Enemy -....Arrive at the Puná....Guayaquil....Lord Cochrane hoists -the Chilean Flag in the Vengansa....Conduct of the People at -Guayaquil....Treaty with the Government....Letter from General -La Mar....Leave Guayaquil, and arrive at Huambacho....Callao 396 - -CHAP. XIII.--Commercial Code at Lima....Provincial Statutes -announced....Liberty of the Press....Foreigners declared -amenable to the Laws....Institution of the Order of the Sun -....New Commercial Rules....Titles changed....Order to convene -the Constituent Congress....San Martin delegates his Authority -to the Marquis de Torre Tagle....San Martin leaves Lima and -returns....Army defeated under Tristan at Ica....State of -Lima on our Arrival....Visit of Monteagudo to Lord Cochrane -....San Martin annuls the Treaty at Guayaquil....Exile of -Spaniards from Lima....Lord Cochrane leaves Callao for -Valparaiso....Spanish Vessels that surrendered to the Chilean -Squadron....Convention of Chile meets....Monteagudo exiled -from Lima....Disturbances in Chile....San Martin arrives at -Valparaiso....O'Higgins abdicates....Lord Cochrane leaves -the Pacific 423 - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - First Revolutionary Symptoms in South America....Morales and - Quiroga....Character of Morales....Of Quiroga....Discovery made by - Captain Salinas to two Friars....Their Report to the - Government....Imprisonment of Morales, Quiroga, Salinas, and - Riofrio....Character of Salinas....of Dr. Riofrio....Liberation of - the Prisoners....Junta formed at Quito....Advice of to the - President, Count Ruis....Manner in which the Revolution was - conducted....New Oath....Marquis of Selva Alegre....Character - of....Dissensions in the New Government....Count Ruis - reinstated....Arrival of Troops from Lima and Santa - Fé....Imprisonment of the Insurgents....Trial of....Character of - the Count Ruis....Of the Oidor Don Felipe Fuertes Amar....Of the - Fiscal Arrechaga....Of Colonel Arredonda...._Proceso_ sent to Santa - Fé. - - -Shortly after the arrival of his Excellency the Count Ruis de Castilla -at Quito, the capital of his government, the collegians of San Fernando -presented him with four theatrical representations, at which the whole -of the nobility attended as spectators. The pieces chosen were Cato, -Andromacha, Zoraida, and the Auraucana, the whole of them tending in -their design and argument to inculcate a spirit of freedom, a love of -liberty, and principles of republicanism. However, as is often the case -with people who visit public exhibitions with a predetermination to be -pleased, this tendency passed unobserved by the president and the other -members of the government. Inattentive to what the state of affairs in -the mother country might produce in the colonies, the American rulers -judged that they themselves were surrounded by the same obedient vassals -whom their predecessors had governed, without ever dreaming that the -people were awake to what was actually passing in the parent state; for, -although the opportunity of deriving information from the press was -prevented by the government, yet the Americans who resided in Spain at -this period were very actively employed in communicating to their -friends in America the true state of affairs, and the natives were -generally better informed of what passed in the mother country, than the -Spaniards resident in America or even the government itself; because -Spanish correspondents being loath to place their property in America in -jeopardy, or judging that the colonists had only to obey whatever orders -they might receive, either gave indistinct or favourably exaggerated -accounts; or else treated the Americans with that contempt which as -their superiors they fancied they had a right to exercise. - -After the performance of the pieces, I became gradually acquainted with -the individuals who had selected them--Dr. Quiroga and Don Manuel -Morales; the former an advocate of some respectability, a native of -Arequipa in Peru, married in Quito; the latter, a native of the city of -Mariquita in the Viceroyalty of Santa Fé de Bogotá, had been secretary -to the government when the Baron de Carondelet was President; but having -offended him, Morales was discarded from his situation by the orders of -the Baron. He hoped to have been restored on the arrival of the Count -Ruis; but this chief having in his suite a young advocate of the name of -Don Tomas Arrechaga, whom he had educated, and for whom he wished to -provide, the claims of Morales were disregarded, and Arrechaga was -nominated secretary to the government. - -Morales was possessed of a strong mind, had received a liberal -education, and having been employed many years in the secretary's -office, had obtained a knowledge of the affairs of the government and an -insight into the intrigues of the Spanish court. He considered himself -unjustly dealt with by the Baron de Carondelet, and more so by the Count -Ruis, who could only know his failings through the too often distorted -medium of report: he saw his situation filled by a stranger, himself an -exile, and was determined to be revenged on those whom he regarded as -the supporters if not the authors of his disgrace. To this end -circumstances that could not possibly escape his observation aided him; -and had not rashness prompted him to execute his designs prematurely, he -might have succeeded, and have lived to receive the thanks of his -countrymen; whereas, his ashes can only be revered by them, his name can -only dwell in their memories with painful regret, or gratitude drop a -tear at the recollection of his untimely death. - -Quiroga was of an unquiet aspiring disposition, rash and undaunted in -his undertakings, but very self-opinionated: unable to brook controul in -any shape, but open to conviction when persuasion was the medium. He was -successful as a pleader at the bar, loquacious and eloquent, but even -here his hasty temper drove him into difficulties; he was repeatedly -reprimanded by the tribunal, and at length was not only mulct, but even -suspended from the exercise of his office as an advocate. In one -instance, when a fine was imposed upon him, he declared that he could in -no manner pay it, because the tribunal was not competent to levy it; -that the Regent and Oidores had taken possession of their seats on the -bench contrary to law, or held them contrary to justice; and he proved -his assertions by stating the cases, quoting the laws, and citing the -regulations of the tribunal. This necessarily drew down upon him the -hatred of the members, and obliged him to leave the bar. Quiroga was the -constant companion of Morales, and, like him, expected that on the -arrival of Count Ruis, an appeal to his Excellency, as President of the -royal audience, would restore him to the exercise of his profession; but -a report from the Regent Bustillas prevented the fulfilment of his -expectations, and this circumstance drove him to despair. - -These two disappointed individuals chose the dramatic pieces which were -performed at the college of San Fernando in October, 1809, selected -perhaps in order to probe the government; if so, the result was -completely satisfactory to their views, for not the least suspicion was -evinced, nor any alarm taken. - -In February, 1809, Captain Salinas, who was commander of the infantry at -Quito, informed two friars, Father Polo and another, of a plan that was -about to be formed to depose the Spanish authorities in Quito, and to -elect others from among the most respectable citizens, as substitutes. -The information was immediately reported by the friars to the President, -and a secret commission was given to the Oidor Fuertes Amar to proceed -against all suspected individuals according to law. Don Pedro Muños was -appointed to act as privy secretary, but this man had no other -qualification than that of being a native of Spain. Quiroga, Morales, -and the parish priest of Sangolqui, Dr. Riofrio, and Captain Salinas, -were apprehended, and placed under an arrest in the convent of La -Merced. Their declarations were taken down in writing by Muños, and -every possible means employed to prevent the people from becoming -acquainted with the state of the _proceso_; no person was allowed to see -the prisoners, and they were deprived of the means of communicating to -their friends any particulars relating to their situation; the secretary -was not allowed the assistance of an amanuensis, and every inquisitorial -practice was brought into action. In the beginning of April, when Muños -was going in the evening to the palace to report on the proceedings to -the President, the papers were stolen from him. This accident produced -considerable confusion; many who were really concerned in the plot were -assured that their names had never been mentioned by the prisoners, who -uniformly denied having any knowledge of it; and Salinas protested -against having mentioned any thing concerning it to the friars. Thus by -a fortunate accident the plans of the government were frustrated, the -prosecution ceased, and the prisoners were liberated. This occurrence, -however, taught them to be more on the alert, and to be more careful in -future; but the torch was lighted, and although the flame had been -smothered for a short time, it was not extinguished. - -The character of Salinas was well known to Morales and Quiroga. He was a -true Quiteño, volatile and variable, embracing every novel object with -avidity, without reflection, or discrimination; the pursuit of any new -scheme was as ardently begun by Salinas, as it was easily abandoned the -moment it ceased to be new, or the moment that another was suggested; -but as this officer was at the head of the infantry, which consisted of -about four hundred men, with part of which he had been formerly -stationed at Panama, and which in their opinion was considered a -campaign in a foreign country, he had become the idol of the soldiers; -so that it was absolutely necessary that Salinas should be brought over -to second the plans of Morales and Quiroga; and this was easily -effected--the plan was novel, and promised a succession of what was most -congenial to his feelings. - -Dr. Riofrio was a secular clergyman, of a sullen morose temper, ready to -coincide with any set of men whose plans were calculated to bid defiance -to any thing that did not please him; yet, whether from natural -imbecility, or natural cowardice, he seemed to be only an instrument, -and probably became acquainted with the plans in agitation by being a -frequent visitor at a house in Quito where Morales had lived, and on -account of his own house being sometimes the residence of Morales, when -he was estranged from Quito by the President Carondelet. This man and -Salinas were both natives of Quito, but neither of them of families of -rank or fortune, although from the situations which both had held they -were very respectable. - -After the release of the four denounced conspirators, Salinas and -Riofrio returned to their former occupations; Quiroga to his home, more -injured than ever; and Morales went into the country, without having -reaped any advantage except experience. The government now appeared -quite satisfied in having declared the acquittal of the prisoners -honourable; they were pleased that no act of injustice had been -committed, and flattered themselves that the papers lost by Muños had -fallen into the hands of some pick-pocket, or that having been dropt in -the street, they had ceased to exist in a shape which might betray their -intentions. But they were deceived; the papers found their way into the -study of Quiroga, who drew such conclusions from them as best suited his -own ends, and disseminated their contents among such individuals as he -judged most proper to entrust them with. From April to August, 1809, -nothing particular occurred, except new advices from Spain; so that the -abdication of Carlos, the accession of Fernando, the imprisonment of the -King, and the invasion of the country by the French, were the subject -matter of every conversation. But still tranquillity reigned in every -part of the colonies, and their inhabitants seemed to vie with each -other in enthusiastic demonstrations of loyalty and attachment to their -_amado Fernando_. Every new advice from Spain served to increase the -apprehension and the dismay of the governments and Spaniards residing in -America; and their whole attention was so engrossed with the state of -affairs in the country to which they belonged, that they had not time -to meditate on the effects which might be produced by it in the country -in which they were stationed--satisfied that the colonies must follow -the fate of the parent state, just as if it had been annexed to it by -the ties of nature, instead of being attached to it by the most -unnatural connexions. But the bubble burst when and where it was perhaps -least expected to happen, and although the effects of the explosion were -soon repressed, yet it rent the veil, and laid the foundation of that -emancipation which the whole of the heretofore enslaved nations of the -new world now enjoy. - -On the morning of the 10th of August, 1809, at an early hour, two -natives of Quito, Ante and Aguire, waited on the president with a -letter. The orderly who was at the door of the antechamber objected to -carry any letter or message to his Excellency at so unusual an hour; but -Ante persisted in the necessity of its immediate delivery, saying, that -it contained matters of importance from the JUNTA SOBERANA, sovereign -junta, a name as new in the ears of the orderly as was the body itself -new in America. The orderly awoke the president, delivering the letter, -and repeated the words which he had heard, as an excuse for his untimely -errand. The president having read the superscription--"From the -sovereign junta to the Count Ruis, ex-president of Quito," dressed -himself, and read the following: - -"The present unsettled state of Spain, the total annihilation of the -lawfully constituted authorities, and the dangers of the crown of the -beloved Ferdinand VII. and his domains falling into the hands of the -tyrant of Europe, have impelled our trans-atlantic brothers to form -provincial governments for their personal security, as well against the -machinations of some of their traitorous countrymen, unworthy of the -name of Spaniards, as against the arms of the common enemy: the loyal -inhabitants of Quito, resolved to secure to their legitimate King and -Master this part of his kingdom, have established a sovereign junta in -this city of San Francisco de Quito, of which, and by the command of his -Serene Highness the President and the vocal members, I have the honour -to inform your lordship, and to announce to you, that the functions of -the members of the old government have ceased: God preserve your -lordship many years. Hall of the junta in Quito, August 10th, 1809: -Manuel Morales secretary of the interior." - -After reading this unexpected epistle, his Excellency entered the -antechamber, and walked towards the messengers, who inquired whether he -had received the note, and on being answered in the affirmative, they -bowed, turned round, and retired. The count followed them to the outer -door and attempted to pass it, but he was prevented by the sentry. He -now sent his orderly to call the officer of the guard, who politely -answered, that he could not consistently with the orders he had -received, speak with the _Count_, pronouncing the last word with -considerable emphasis. A great number of people began to assemble in the -square before the palace, at six o'clock, when a royal salute was fired, -and the military music, stationed on the esplanade in front of the -palace, continued playing some national airs till nine o'clock. At this -time the members of the new executive government met, the Marquis of -Selva Alegre, president, the vocal members, the Marquis of Orellana, -Marquis of Solanda, Count of Casa Guerrero, Marquis of Miraflores, Don -Manuel Zambrano, Don Manuel Mateus, and Don Pedro Montufar, the two -ministers. Morales and Quiroga: the declaration of the installation was -published, and the form of the oath to be administered to all persons -employed under the new government was drawn up. The Bishop of Quito was -elected vice-president, but he refused to assist at this or any -subsequent meeting. - -The whole of the revolutionary change was effected in the night of the -ninth. Morales came to Quito, and, with Quiroga, convened a meeting; he -informed the members of the risk in which the country at large stood, -set forth the intention of the government to acknowledge Napoleon as -their sovereign, because the Kings of Spain had ceded their sovereignty -to him, and exhorted them at the same time to preserve themselves and -this part of the Spanish dominions from the fate that awaited the rest; -and this he told them could only be done by establishing a provincial -government in the name of Fernando, and of removing all suspicious -persons from their offices. This harangue was nothing but a matter of -form, because all the preliminaries had been agreed on beforehand. -Salinas, being present, was deputed to bring over the soldiers, which he -immediately did; he went to the barracks, and having formed the infantry -in the square or patio--he informed them that their beloved King was a -prisoner in France; expatiated on his sufferings; told them that the -existing governments in America were determined to deliver up the -country to the common enemy, and concluded by asking them, whether they -would defend their beloved Ferdinand, or become the slaves of Bonaparte? -The deluded soldiers immediately shouted Viva Fernando Septimo! Viva -Quito! The commandant of the cavalry, Don Joaquin Saldumbide, received -orders for the same purpose, and executed them in the same manner. On -the return of these two individuals to the junta, they were commanded to -give the necessary orders to the different guards, and to administer to -the troops the following oath: - -"I swear by God and on the cross of my sword, to defend my legitimate -King, Ferdinand VII.; to maintain and protect his rights; to support the -purity of the holy Roman Catholic Church; and to obey the constituted -authorities." - -After the conclusion of this ceremony, the necessary orders were given -to the officer of the guard at the president's palace, barracks, and -prisons: a guard was placed at the door of each suspected person, -particularly at those of the Regent and Oidores; and the members of the -government retired to their houses. - -An express was immediately sent to Chillo, an estate belonging to the -Marquis of Selva Alegre, with the news of what had taken place, and a -request that his lordship would immediately come to Quito, and take -possession of the supreme command of the government of the kingdom. -Thus, in one night, without bloodshed or even without any popular -commotion, a government which had been established for more than three -centuries was displaced, and a new one erected on its basis. - -The Marquis of Selva Alegre arrived on the morning of the tenth, and was -visited by the members of the new government, while the two ministers -proceeded on their duty to place new officers and clerks in the -secretary's office, and to take charge of the archives belonging to the -royal audience. - -The character of Selva Alegre is almost indefinable. As a private man he -was extremely kind and polite, having more of the polished courtier -about him than might be supposed to exist in an individual born in what -may be termed a sequestered country. Both in his town and country house -a great deal of taste and splendour were exhibited, in a manner somewhat -uncommon at Quito; yet neither his income nor his popularity could in -any way be compared to those of Miraflores nor Solanda. As a public -character Selva Alegre was extremely unfit; wavering and timid, wishing -rather to reconcile the two parties than to support either; fond of -show and parade, but frightened at his own shadow, as if it mocked him. -At the gaze of the people he would, like a peacock, have allowed his -gaudy plumage to fall to the ground; he would have endeavoured to hide -himself, or, as the most enthusiastic Quiteños expressed themselves, -"his shoes did not fit him." - -On the thirteenth the new government visited the church of the Carmen -Alto, the different members dressed in their robes of ceremony; His -Serene Highness in the full costume of the Order of Charles III., of -which he was a knight; the members of the junta in scarlet and black; -the two ministers were distinguished by large plumes in their hats; the -corporation, officers of the treasury, and other tribunals, in their old -Spanish uniforms, and the military in _blue_, faced with _white_ instead -of _red_, as heretofore. - -After the thirteenth of August, anarchy began to preside at all the -meetings of the junta. Morales insisted on a reform in the regulations -of the tribunals; Quiroga, that preparations offensive and defensive -against the neighbouring provinces which did not follow the example of -Quito should be made; Selva Alegre and the members wished that every -thing might remain as it was. However the army was increased, and -detachments sent to Guallabamba against the Pastusos, and to Huaranda, -to prevent an invasion by the Guayaquileños. The people began to shew -marks of discontent, particularly dreading a scarcity of salt, which -article was procured from Guayaquil. The governor of Guayaquil first -threatened to invade the provinces, next the Viceroy of Santa Fé, and -lastly the Viceroy of Peru. Advices arrived that troops from these -different quarters were absolutely on their march, and to complete the -consternation of the people, the Count Ruis retired from his palace into -the country, to a small _quinta_, or country seat, two leagues from the -city, where he remained, till on the night of the eighth of November a -deputation from the sovereign junta waited on him with proposals for his -reinstatement in the presidency, to which he acceded. On the part of the -president the condition was, that the members of the junta should retire -to their respective homes, and become quiet citizens, as before the -tenth of August; and on the part of the junta, that what had passed -should be referred to the central junta in Spain, and that no -prosecution should take place against them until the resolution of the -representative authority of Spain should be known. These simple -preliminaries being agreed to, his excellency the Count Ruis entered -Quito on the following morning, and was received with the most -enthusiastic demonstrations of joy; the inhabitants and the members of -the ex-junta presented themselves, and made a tender of their several -titles, which were accepted by the president, and with all the acts and -other papers belonging to the intrusive government, as it was stiled, -were ordered to be burnt; but Arrechaga, instead of obeying the order -given to him, kept them with the most depraved intention for the most -execrable purposes. - -On the second of December the auxiliary troops arrived from Lima and -Guayaquil, composed of five hundred infantry, and fifty artillery men, -under the command of Colonel Arredonda. The inhabitants of Quito, -relying on the fulfilment of the conditions agreed to by the Count Ruis, -erected triumphal arches to receive them, and strewed flowers along the -streets as they passed; but scarcely had they taken quiet possession of -the city, and disbanded the native troops, than Arrechaga, who had been -appointed fiscal on the death of Yriarte, advised Arredonda to solicit -of the president an order for the apprehension of all persons who had -taken an active part in the late revolt, grounding his solicitude on -the law of power, that good faith ought not to be kept with traitors. -The count had the weakness to accede to the request of Arredonda, and an -order was immediately issued commanding Don Manuel Arredonda, Colonel of -Infantry, and Commandant of the Pacifying Troops, _tropas -pacificadoras_, to arrest all the persons who had been concerned in the -late rebellion, the names of whom were subministered by Arrechaga, and -on the twelfth of December upwards of fifty of the most respectable -inhabitants of Quito were dragged from their homes, and immured in cells -in the barracks. Judge Fuertes Amar was again appointed to form the -_proceso criminal_. Every succeeding day brought new victims to the -prison, for not only those who had taken an active part in the affair -were apprehended, but many individuals also to whom letters had been -written by the insurgents; and some because they had not declared -themselves hostile to the revolutionary government; however the Regent, -Oidores, Fiscals, and other persons who had remained neuter, and some -Spaniards in office who had kept their places during the administration -of the junta, were not included in the number; but the Bishop, who, -being an American, was included in the list of insurgents, and accused -of having connived at the treason of his flock, because he did not -anathematize them, interdict the places of public worship, and sentence -to everlasting torments all schismatics to royalty and passive -obedience. - -Two hundred more soldiers arrived from Santa Fé de Bogotá, and brought -with them a greater security to the ministers of despotism, and the -whole of the provinces of Quito groaned under their tyranny. Many of the -most wealthy inhabitants fled to their estates in the country, and many, -although totally unconnected with the affairs of the junta, were afraid -of being swept away by the torrent of persecution. Among those who -fortunately absconded, and eluded the vigilance of the government, was -the Marquis of Selva Alegre: the Marquis of Miraflores died of grief in -his own house, and a guard of soldiers was placed over him even till he -was interred. - -Not content with imprisoning those persons who might be termed the -ringleaders, the soldiers were taken into custody, and placed in a -separate prison, called the presidio. This alarmed the lower classes, -who began to steal into the country, and seek in the mountains and woods -an asylum against the systematic persecution that now pervaded the -miserable hut of the labourer as well as the residence of his -employer--the cabin of the indigent as well as the mansion of the -wealthy. Provisions became daily more scarce in the city, the soldiery -in the same ratio became more insolent, when, to crown the state of -desperation among all classes of the inhabitants, except the natives of -Spain who resided here, the examination of the prisoners was concluded, -and the _vista fiscal_ was drawn up. This horrible production, worthy of -its author, Arrechaga, divided the prisoners into three classes, but -sentenced them all to death: their number was eighty-four, including the -prisoners and the absent, who were outlawed; even the Bishop was not -excluded, although, according to the laws of Spain, he could only be -tried by the council of Castile. Distress, affliction, and grief now -reigned triumphant: mothers, wives, and daughters filled the air with -their cries for mercy on their sons, their husbands, and their brothers, -who had been torn from them and immured in dungeons, where they were not -allowed to visit them; and who lay under sentence of an ignominious -death, no hopes being left, except that the president would not confirm -the sentence, and in this hope they were not deceived. - -When the proceso was concluded, and required no more than the veto of -the president, it was presented to him; but instead of concurring in the -opinion of the fiscal, and giving way to the entreaties of Colonel -Arredonda, he ordered the papers to remain in his cabinet. The agitation -of the old count was now truly distressing, and he frequently said to -me, that he would prefer signing his own death-warrant to the -sacrificing of so many deluded victims, the greater part of whom had -only committed an error of judgment, founded, perhaps, on a mistaken -sense of loyalty; at last he determined to refer the case for revision -to the Viceroy of Santa Fé, to the inconceivable chagrin of Fuertes, -Arrechaga, and Arredonda, who all founded their hopes of preferment in -Spain on the execution of the prisoners, who had been denominated -traitors. - -The Count Ruis was at this time eighty-four years of age; he had resided -in America upwards of forty; first in the capacity of Corregidor of -Oruro, then of Governor Intendent of Huancavilica, afterwards as -President of Cusco, and lastly of Quito. When at Huancavilica he -commanded the troops, in 1780, against the unfortunate Tupac Umaru, who -was taken prisoner, and quartered alive in the plasa mayor at Cusco, by -being tied to four wild colts, which were driven to the four opposite -angles of the square. - -When President of Cusco, the unhappy victims of Spanish jealousy and -cruelty, Ubalde and Ugarte, in 1796, were executed on an ex-parte -evidence. This proceso was conducted by the Oidor Berriosabal, -afterwards Count of San Juan and Marquis of Casa Palma, and who was -afterwards, in 1821, proscribed in Lima by San Martin. The Count Ruis as -a private individual was remarkably kind and familiar, and excessively -charitable: in his public capacity he was too easily overruled, -especially by persons in authority under him, and when he could be -induced to believe them to be actuated by motives of justice; but he was -obstinate in the greatest degree if he once suspected their integrity. -The court of Spain was so well convinced of the virtuous character of -this nobleman, that in 1795 a royal order was issued inhibiting him from -a residenciary investigation at the expiration of his first government -of Cusco: an honour which I believe was never conferred on any other -governor in the Spanish colonies. - -The Oidor Don Felipe Fuertes Amar was remarkably timid, in fact he was a -complete coward, and this weakness brought him to the gallows, during a -commotion of the indians in 1810. - -The Fiscal Don Tomas Arrechaga was a native of Oruro, said to be the -offspring of a friar of San Juan de Dios and a mestisa of Oruro. The -Count Ruis took him when a boy under his protection, educated him, and -brought him to Quito to establish him in the profession of the law, -which he had studied. Arrechaga was brutal in his looks, his manners, -and his actions; he was possessed of all the subtle cruelty peculiar to -the caste of chinos, which is a mixture of African and indian blood: his -mother was of the latter race, and his father was not entirely exempt -from the former. Arrechaga would have waded through the blood of his -countrymen to secure promotion; and from the first discovery of the -country this had been too often the means of obtaining it. - -Don Manuel Arredonda was the son of the Viceroy of Buenos Ayres, and -nephew to the Regent of the Royal Audience of Lima; he was in search of -reputation, fame, and promotion--not in the cannon's mouth--no, for -indeed he was the original fop described by Hotspur, he was effeminate, -proud and cruel, the general qualifications of a coward soldier; an -imperious tyrant when in prosperity, but the most abject of all -wretches when in adversity. - -The person chosen to convey to Santa Fé the whole of the proceso was Dr. -San Miguel, a young advocate who had become the constant companion to -Arrechaga. Not less than six reams of written paper formed the important -charge, for the safety of which a piquet of horse was ordered to escort -San Miguel as far as Pasto, lest some of the outlaws might surprize him -on the road. The prisoners expected no favour at the hands of the -Viceroy, because he was the uncle of the Oidor Fuertes who had tried -them. It was natural to suppose that he would not extend his mercy -against what he would consider the justice of the law as expounded by -his nephew; for, although it may appear very strange in England, that -the inclinations of persons in such elevated situations should be -biassed by personal interest, this was too frequently the case in South -America. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - Second Revolution at Quito....Massacre of the Prisoners....General - Meeting held....Spanish Troops leave Quito....Revolution at Santa - Fé....Arrival of Don Carlos Montufar at Quito....Arredonda invades - Quito....Arrives at Huaranda....Flies from....Montufar marches - towards Cuenca....Desists from attacking the City....Returns to - Quito....My Appointment to Esmeraldas....Capture and - Escape....General Montes enters Quito....Death of Montufar....Quito - taken by General Sucre. - - -After the departure of San Miguel for Santa Fé many of the soldiers who -had belonged to the insurgent army returned to the city, supposing that -the prosecution had closed; but they were apprehended, and sent to the -presidio. Several individuals also who came from different parts of the -country were apprehended on suspicion, and, although they were liberated -after examination, the alarm flew from one place to another, so that -none would bring their produce to market, and a consequent dearth of -provisions began to be experienced in the city. This, instead of -producing conciliatory measures for procuring them, enraged the Spanish -soldiers, who committed several depredations, and the injured -individuals through fear abstained from complaining to the officers, or -if they ventured to do it, they were insulted with the epithets of -rebels, insurgents, and traitors. Thus the evil increased daily till the -second of August, 1810, when some of the soldiers confined in the -presidio surprized the guard, and depriving them of their arms, and -putting on their uniforms, ran to the barracks at one o'clock in the -afternoon; the disguise prevented all suspicion on their approach, and -they succeeded in driving the sentry from his post at the door, and -securing the officer of the guard: at this moment a bell was rung in the -steeple of the cathedral, as an alarm: the officers who had just sat -down to dinner in the palace rushed into the plasa mayor, and observing -a considerable degree of commotion at the door of the barracks not fifty -yards from that of the palace, the guard was ordered to fire on those at -the barracks, which firing was returned by the opposite party. This -lasted about ten minutes, when, all being silent, an officer ran to the -barracks to inquire into the cause of the disturbance: on being informed -of what had taken place, as well as that all was then safe, he returned -with the report to his commandant, Arredonda. Another officer was -immediately sent to inquire into the state of the prisoners, and he as -briefly returned with the news, that they were all dead. Some had been -shot during the uproar by the sentries placed over them, and many had -been murdered by a zambo boy, one of the cooks to the soldiers, who had -entered their cells, and despatched them with an axe. Terror and -consternation for a moment were visible in the countenances of the -president and officers, when, on a sudden, the Spanish soldiers rushed -from the barracks into the streets, shouting revenge! revenge! our -captain is murdered. Scarcely was the alarm given, when the infuriated -soldiers abandoned their posts, and running up and down the streets, -murdered every individual they met with, without distinction either of -age or sex: the drums in different parts of the city beat an advance, -and murder and pillage raged in this horrid manner till three o'clock, -all the officers standing on the esplanade of the palace, without making -any effort to check the massacre: at length, the soldiers having -expended their stock of cartridges began to return to the barracks, some -of them so laden with plunder, that they had left their arms they knew -not where. - -The number of prisoners confined in the cells, many of whom were secured -with irons, and who fell a sacrifice to the insubordination of the -soldiery, and the imbecility of the officers, was seventy-two; a -clergyman of the name of Castelo, and an individual of the name of -Romero, were the only prisoners that escaped, and they saved their lives -by feigning to be dead. Morales, Quiroga, Riofrio, and Salinas perished; -but to the memory of these, and their fellow sufferers, the government -of Venezuela ordered a day of mourning to be kept annually; thus paying -to them the greatest possible respect; they also afterwards determined -to call them the martyrs of Quito. In the streets of Quito about three -hundred individuals perished, including seven of the Spanish soldiers, -who were killed by some indian butchers, whom they had repeatedly -insulted. Such was the fury displayed by the pacifying troops, that a -party of them having met a captain in his uniform, who belonged to the -Guayaquil cavalry, a soldier seized the sword of his captain, and ran -him through the body with it, laying him weltering in his gore not fifty -yards from the door of the barracks. - -No powers of language can describe the anxiety which this dreadful -affair excited in the minds of the inhabitants, who, ignorant of the -origin, considered it as an unprovoked slaughter of their countrymen, -and consequently dreaded that it might be again repeated in the same -manner. Only five of the soldiers who left the presidio entered the -barracks--had twenty entered, they would doubtlessly have succeeded in -liberating the prisoners; but these were murdered while those were -engaged with the guard at the door. - -The streets of the city were entirely deserted; groups of people were -scattered about on the neighbouring hills, looking wistfully at their -apparently desolated town; dead bodies were strewed about the streets -and squares, and all was horror and dismay. During the night the bodies -of the prisoners were conveyed to the church of San Augstin, and those -that were murdered in the streets, to the nearest churches. The two -succeeding days, the third and the fourth of August, the inhabitants -kept within their houses, and, except the soldiers, not an individual -ventured into the streets. The government now began to fear that the -whole of the provinces would rise _en masse_; and as the news of the -revolution at Caracas, which took place on the nineteenth of April, -1810, had reached their ears, this, with their ignorance of what was -passing in the mother country, except that Bonaparte had taken -possession of Madrid, suggested to them an effort at reconciliation, but -without in the least reflecting on their own baseness and treachery, in -having violated the conditions which had replaced the president in his -authority, and thus branded themselves with the name which they most -justly deserved, that of _infames traidores_, INFAMOUS TRAITORS. - -On the fifth an order was published for the heads of all the corporate -bodies, officers, and principal inhabitants to meet at the palace, and -resolve on such means as were most likely to restore peace, -tranquillity, and confidence to the country. Accordingly the persons who -were summoned met; the president took the chair, having the Bishop on -his right, and Colonel Arredonda on his left, the Regent, oidores, -fiscals, attorney-general, and other officers and persons of distinction -took their seats. The president rose, and in very few words expressed -his sorrow for what had happened, and his sincere wish to restore peace -and unanimity among the people. The Bishop in a short speech answered, -that he was afraid such wishes would never be fulfilled, until those -persons who had advised his Excellency to forget his promises made to -the people were removed from that part of the country. Arrechaga rose -and observed, that his lordship recriminated on his conduct; to which -the prelate replied, that years and dignity precluded any recrimination -on Don Arrechaga from him. This debate induced the president to request, -that Arrechaga would leave the hall, which request was reluctantly -complied with; although such a rebuff from the Bishop would only four -days before that of the meeting have shewn him the way to a dungeon. - -Dr. Rodrigues, a secular priest, greatly revered for his wisdom and his -virtue by all who knew him, rose from his seat, and, advancing to the -centre of the hall, delivered a most eloquent and animated speech, which -lasted for more than an hour. He portrayed the character of the Quiteños -in general, explained the causes of the late revolution with evangelical -charity, and dwelt on the fatal results with the truest symptoms of -grief, in such a manner, that, not through sympathy but sensibility, -conviction, shame, and remorse, the big tear flowed down the cheeks of -his hearers. He concluded by repeating what his prelate had said, and -added further, that the people of Quito could no longer consider their -lives and property secure, unless those individuals who had so lately -forfeited their title of pacificators were removed from the country. "I -allude," said he, "to the officers and troops; they have already made -upwards of three hundred unoffending fellow-creatures, as faithful -Christians and as loyal subjects as themselves, the peaceful tenants of -the grave, and, if not stopped in their career of slaughter, they will -soon convert one of the most fruitful regions of the Spanish monarchy -into a desert; and future travellers, while execrating their memory, -will exclaim, 'here once stood Quito!'" - -Don Manuel Arredonda, trembling for his personal safety, now rose. He -observed, that he was fully convinced the government of Quito ought to -rely on the loyalty of the Quiteños, and allow _him_ to retire with the -troops under his command. This was immediately agreed to, and the act of -the meeting having been drawn up, was signed by the President, the -Bishop, the Commander of the troops, and several other members. -Preparations for the evacuation of the city immediately commenced, and -the troops under the command of Arredonda began their march on the -following morning, leaving the two hundred soldiers from Santa Fé and -the government to the mercy of a populace driven almost to despair by -their cruel and murderous conduct. - -A few days after the departure of Arredonda and the soldiers, Dr. San -Miguel returned from Santa Fé, bringing tidings of an insurrection -having taken place in that city. It commenced on the twenty-third of -July, 1810, the day before the arrival of San Miguel with his cargo of -papers. When he presented himself before the new authorities at Santa -Fé, he was commanded to repair to the plasa mayor with his papers, and -here he was ordered to deliver them into the hands of the hangman, who -immediately committed them to the flames. Thus a trial was concluded, -which, perhaps, in point of infamous intrigue was unparalleled in any -age or nation; and had the conductors of it suffered a similar fate at -the same time, numbers of Americans would have had just cause to have -been satisfied. The return of San Miguel only served to throw the -government of Quito into greater consternation, and the citizens who had -lost their relatives or their friends on the second of August into -deeper sorrow. - -The insurrection of Santa Fé was conducted, like that of Quito, without -any bloodshed; the news of the commission conferred on Villaviencio by -the central junta of Spain, to visit his native place, and to make any -such alterations in the form of the government as might appear necessary -for the preservation of the country, had arrived at Santa Fé. The -friends of this American wished to prepare a house for his reception; -one of them begged the loan of a chandelier of a European Spaniard, who, -chagrined at the idea of a royal commission having been conferred on a -colonist, insulted the borrower; this conduct produced an altercation -between the parties, a mob collected at the door, the Spaniard attempted -to drive the people away with threats and insults, which at last -produced a cry of _Cabildo Abierto!_ an open meeting at the City Hall. -Scarcely had the shout been re-echoed by the mob, when it was extended -to every part of the city, and Cabildo Abierto became the watchword. -Crowds of people flocked to the plasa mayor, the doors of the town hall -were thrown open, and several individuals, all natives, ranged -themselves round the table. At this juncture some one advanced to the -door, and asked the populace why they had collected in that manner, at -this particular time? Some one answered, _queremos gobierno nuevo, fuera -Españoles!_ We want a new government--out with the Spaniards! Nariño was -then sent to request the presence of the Viceroy Amar, as president of -the meeting. His excellency refused; a second message was sent, and met -with the same refusal: this conduct exasperated the people, and the cry -of fuera Españoles! _fuera chapetones!_ again resounded from every -quarter. A third messenger was shortly after sent to inform Don Antonio -Amar, that his functions, with those of all European Spaniards in the -government, had ceased. Amar now volunteered to go and preside at the -meeting; but he was told, that only his baston of command was requested; -this, after a little altercation, he delivered up. The new government -took possession of the barracks, the park of artillery, and the -government stores. The ex-viceroy and some of the ex-oidores were sent -to Carthagena to be embarked for Spain. In one day the change in the -government was completed, and on the following the people retired to -their several homes and occupations in the most perfect order, after -witnessing the public burning of the papers brought by San Miguel. - -In the month of September of the same year, Don Carlos Montufar, son to -the outlawed Marquis of Selva Alegre, who with several others had again -presented himself publicly in Quito, arrived, bringing with him powers -from the central junta of Spain, to establish such a government, or make -such changes in the one existing, as might ensure the allegiance of the -country to Ferdinand on his restoration. The joy which this arrival -would have occasioned a short time before it took place was -considerably damped by the recollection of the second of August. -However, to support, and as it were to exculpate the conduct of the -government with respect to the treatment of the unfortunate victims who -had perished on that day, Montufar and his friends determined on -re-establishing the junta. A meeting was convened at the hall of the -university, at which the Count Ruis presided; the commission conferred -on Montufar was read, and the formation of a junta proposed, which was -immediately agreed to. The Count Ruis was nominated president, and the -Marquis of Selva Alegre vice-president; the members for the city were -elected by the five parishes, and those for the country by the parishes -of the heads of the provinces. - -Don Carlos Montufar, desirous of preserving tranquillity, and -maintaining a good understanding with the Viceroy of Peru in particular, -immediately forwarded to his Excellency Don Jose de Abascal his original -commission; but the innovation was so great, and the decrease of Spanish -authority so alarming to the Viceroy, that he returned the papers with -an assurance, that he "should exert himself in the support of his own -authority, and that of all the faithful subjects of the crown of Spain." -This imprudent and ill-timed answer, accompanied by a knowledge of the -present state of affairs in Santa Fé and Venezuela; of the revolt of San -Miguel and el Valle de los Dolores in Mexico, which took place on the -nineteenth of August; of that of Buenos Ayres on the twenty-sixth of -May, 1819; together with the condition of the mother country--distracted -the attention of the Spaniards, and first disseminated the whisper of -Independence: a whisper which was confined to private conversations, and -was heard only among the higher classes. - -Colonel Arredonda and his troops were at first ordered to remain at -Guayaquil; but on the arrival of the news communicated by the -newly-established government of Quito, he was commanded to invade the -territory belonging to that jurisdiction, and to declare war against the -newly-established authorities, as being traitors to the Crown of Spain. -At the same time that Arredonda began his march, Montufar collected the -armed force of Quito, began to discipline new troops, and proceeded with -them to Riobamba. Popayan and Pasto, under the influence of Samano the -governor of the former place, declared their adherence to the old -government, and avowed their intention of invading Quito to the -northward, while Arredonda should attempt the same to the southward. A -few troops placed by Montufar at Guaitara precluded all fear with -regard to Samano, and Montufar waited at Riobamba the advance of -Arredonda. - -A sentinel placed at an advanced post at the Ensillada was alarmed early -one morning by a sudden report, caused by the ice on Chimboraso, which, -when the rising sun first illumes it, sometimes cracks with a tremendous -report. Alarmed at what he heard, he abandoned his post, and -communicated intelligence of the approach of Montufar with a train of -artillery. Arredonda was now filled with the greatest possible -consternation, and without waiting to inquire into the cause of the -alarm, or to investigate the report, he mounted his horse, and fled: the -officers and soldiers followed the example of their chief, and, leaving -every thing behind them, placed their safety in their heels. Montufar, -being immediately apprised of what had passed at Huaranda, Arredonda's -late head quarters, went and took possession of the abandoned stores, -consisting of eight hundred muskets, six field-pieces, a quantity of -ammunition, the military chest, and all the public as well as private -property belonging to the tropas pacificadoras. - -The city of Cuenca declared its attachment to the royal cause, as it -now began to be called, in opposition to the insurgents, and Montufar, -flushed with his good fortune at Huaranda, marched towards that city; -the Bishop, Quintian Aponte, who with a crucifix in one hand and a sword -in the other had marshalled the natives, and exhorted them with more -than pastoral eloquence, fled on receiving advices that the insurgents -were within ten leagues of the city, and left his flock at the mercy of -the very man whom he had described the day before as a ravenous wolf. - -In this state of affairs, when every thing seemed to promise success to -the insurgents, a post arrived from Spain, bringing the news of the -dissolution of the junta central, and the formation of a Regency and -Cortes, and commanding all his Majesty's faithful subjects to abjure the -traitorous junta, and to take the oath of allegiance to the -newly-constituted authorities. An order of the Regency commanded that -every thing in the colonies should remain in the same state in which it -might then be, until the Regency and the Cortes should decide. Carlos -Montufar, on the receipt of this intelligence, communicated to him by -the Viceroy of Peru, answered his excellency, that as a loyal subject, -and trusting that the conduct of his excellency would evince equal -loyalty and deference to the supreme order received, he should -immediately retire to Quito with the troops under his command. - -A small detachment of soldiers continued on the heights of Guaitara, and -every thing in Quito remained tranquil until the middle of November, -when General Molina arrived at Cuenca, and, by the order of the Viceroy -Abascal, peremptorily insisted on the dissolution of the junta, which -was objected to. Captain Villavicencio arrived from Guayaquil to treat -with the government on the proposals made by General Molina, and such -was the spirit of party, and the dread of again being oppressed by -pacifying troops, that on the arrival of Villavicencio, a woman, named -Salinas, a servant to Captain Salinas, who was murdered on the second of -August, collected a body of females, who armed themselves with lances, -and escorted Villavicencio to the house prepared for him, where they -remained on guard till he quitted the city. Nothing could be more -ridiculous than the appearance of this naval hero when he had to attend -the meeting of the junta, marching along the street with an Amazonian -guard, composed of twenty-five females with lances, who conducted him to -and from the hall. - -During the time that Montufar was absent from the city with the troops, -several popular commotions took place, particularly of the indians; -these were principally excited by a native of the name of Peña, who had -had a son slain in the massacre of the second of August. During this -time, the Oidor Fuertes and the postmaster-general attempted to escape, -with an intention of proceeding down the Marañon, but they were seized -by the indians, brought back to Quito, and before the respectable part -of the inhabitants could relieve them from the danger in which they were -placed, the indians erected a temporary gibbet in the plasa mayor, and -hanged them: being in the street myself, the indians seized me also, and -were hurrying me along towards the place of execution, but I was -providentially rescued by the interference of an old clergyman, to whom -I was known, and to whom I undoubtedly owe the preservation of my -existence. - -The adherence of Popayan and Pasto to the Spanish governors precluded -all communication between Quito and Santa Fé, Venezuela, and other -places. The junta determined to open a communication by the coast with -Cali and Buga, and also with those parts of the country which had -established the same form of government as themselves. Owing to the -knowledge which I had acquired of the coast, the title of governor of -Esmeraldas, and military commander of the coast, with the rank of -lieutenant-colonel of artillery was conferred on me; and on the fifth of -December I left Quito with fifty soldiers, took possession of my -command, opened the communication, and secured the depôt of arms -belonging to the Spaniards at Tumaco. - -During my residence on the coast of Esmeraldas, nothing particular -occurred in the capital, except preparations for defence: General Molina -died at Cuenca, and the Bishop of Cuenca at Guayaquil. Aymerich, the -governor of Popayan, solicited a brig of war, which was sent by the -governor of Guayaquil; with this assistance Esmeraldas was invaded, and -I was taken prisoner in May, 1811; but with the permission of Captain -Ramires I made my escape from the brig. Don Toribio Montes was appointed -by the Regency president of Quito, and immediately took the command of -the troops stationed at Guayaquil and Cuenca, and began his march on -Quito. The president, Count Ruis, retired to a small convent in the -suburbs of Quito; but a popular commotion of the indians in the city -occurred, a party of them went to the convent and dragged the venerable -good old man into the street, where they murdered him. Montes had a few -skirmishes with the Quiteños; but he entered the city, and caused -several of the principal individuals who had been concerned in the late -transactions to be put to death. Among these was Don Carlos Montufar, -who, being sentenced as a traitor, was shot through the back, his heart -taken out and burnt. Some of the indians who had been the ringleaders in -the death of the Count Ruis were hanged, and their heads placed in iron -cages in different parts of the city, where they remained until taken -down by order of General Sucre. - -From the year 1811 Quito continued to be governed by the Spanish -authorities, till May, 1822, when General Sucre entered by force of -arms, and at that time it became a part of the republic of Colombia. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - State of Lima in 1811....Constitution proclaimed....Some Effects - of....Wishes of the Inhabitants of Lima....Manifest of Venezuela. - - -On my arrival in Lima I found the same spirit of revolutionary -principles disseminated among all ranks of creoles, excepting some few -individuals who possessed lucrative employments under the government. -The Viceroy Abascal endeavoured to check the spirit of rebellion by the -mildest measures possible, avoiding all acts of persecution; he -established a regiment, called _de la Concordia_, of concord, from the -respectable inhabitants of the city, constituted himself the colonel of -it, and nominated the officers from among the more leading individuals, -whether Spaniards or creoles: this for a short time lulled the spirit of -insurrection. The victory of Guaqui, gained by General Goyoneche over -the army of Buenos Ayres, was welcomed with feasts and rejoicings; but -the scarcity of wheat, the ports of Chile being closed, began to be very -apparent. - -In 1812 the constitutional government was proclaimed, and copies of the -constitution of the Spanish monarchy were the only books that were read, -consulted, and studied by all classes. The formation of a constitutional -corporation, cabildo, and the election of constitutional alcaldes, -caused some uproar in the city; but the measures became alarming to the -Spaniards when the election of deputies for the cortes took place. The -Spaniards, accustomed to consider the natives as inferiors, and almost -as intruders in their own country, had now to brook their contempt in -return, to bear with their opposition, and sometimes with their -reproaches. The poll was conducted in the patio, or principal cloister -of the convent of La Merced; several collegians of San Carlos placed -themselves on the hustings, and, according to the _Ley de Partido_, no -native of Spain is permitted to reside in the colonies without a special -license of the Casa de Contratacion of Seville, or in the employ of the -government, and the latter were declared by the constitution, tit. 2, -cap. IV. art. 24, to have no vote. Thus as no Spaniards in Lima could -produce a license, or passport, they were not allowed to vote; and this -excited in them the most frantic rage and chagrin. One Spaniard -presented himself with his passport, and insultingly advanced towards -the hustings to vote; but one of the collegians, looking over the -paper, found that the voter was a native of the Canary Islands, which -being African islands, and all Africans, or descendants of Africans, -being declared by art. 22, tit. 2, cap. IV. of the constitution, as not -having an elective vote, unless they had obtained a letter of -denizenship from the cortes, he was obliged to retire amid the shouts of -the creoles, and the curses against the cortes of the Spaniards. - -Nothing could possibly be more favourable to the colonies than the -publication of a constitutional form of government, and the liberty of -the press, as it was sanctioned by the cortes. The restrictions were -such as would have produced a clamour in England, but to a slave an hour -of rest is an hour of perfect freedom, and to men whose pens had been -chained by political trammels and inquisitorial anathemas, a relief from -such restrictions was hailed as an absolute immunity. Those colonies -that still remained faithful to the mother country had an opportunity of -reading the periodical papers, a thing unknown at this time, unless we -except the government gazette; and although such news as was -unfavourable to the Spanish system did not appear in print, yet the -barefaced falsehoods of the old ministerial paper were checked in their -exaggerations, by the appearance of authentic intelligence in the new -papers, and the public were informed of such facts as had taken place: -they were apprised of the establishment of republican governments in -Mexico, Colombia, Buenos Ayres, and Chile--facts that would have been -disguised by the old established authorities, and the people would have -been stigmatized by the name of banditti, of discontented indians, a -gang of traitors, or a horde of highwaymen and freebooters. - -The inhabitants of Lima wished for a change in their form of government -as ardently perhaps as those of any other part of America; and for not -having established one, they have been considered by many as a race of -effeminate listless cowards, and have been reported as such--but most -undeservedly. Although in a cause adverse to their own interest, for -many years they sustained the brunt of the war against all the forces -that could be brought to the field by those whom they were taught to -consider as enemies. Soldiers are instructed by the precepts and the -examples of their commanders, and rarely reflect on what is right or -wrong; otherwise history would not present us with such numberless -instances of armed forces acting in open hostility against their very -homes, their friends, and their parents; wherever a city is garrisoned -by a military force, the inhabitants as well as the soldiers must submit -to the will of the commanders. Such was the state of Lima: many of the -soldiers it is true were Limeños, but many were from different parts of -Peru, and nearly the whole of the officers were Spaniards, and those who -were not were under the suspicious eye of jealous masters. - -At first, the several provinces that revolted, and which had established -new governments, most solemnly declared, that it was not their intention -to separate from the crown of Spain, but to govern themselves in such a -manner as would secure to that crown the possession of America. The -Regency of Spain, however, invested with the authority to govern the -peninsula, insisted on the prerogative of governing the American -colonies, forgetting that the famous grant of America made by Pope -Alexander VI. annexed America to the crowns of Castile and Arragon, and -not to the nation nor to any representative body belonging to that -nation. Every individual that was apprehended during the first years of -commotion was treated as a traitor. At Quito the words "constituted -authorities" contained in the oath which was administered were -converted into high treason, and there is no doubt but Arrechaga would -have solicited the sentence of capital punishment on all those who had -taken it, had not their number included many of his friends. - -Declarations of independence, and manifestos containing the motives for -at once separating from the mother country, now began to circulate among -the natives of Peru; and although some of them contained exaggerations, -and the government of Lima became possessed of copies of them, yet such -was the apathy or the timidity of the chiefs, that no attempt at -refutation was ever made. The following are translations of papers from -Venezuela, which fully express all the grievances of which the -Hispano-Americans complained. They were drawn up for the purpose of -instilling into the minds of their countrymen a determination to shake -off those grievances, and to convince the world at large that the -insurrection of the Spanish colonies had become a matter of necessity -and not of choice: - -"Manifesto made to the world by the confederation of Venezuela in South -America, of the reasons on which it founds its absolute independence of -Spain, and of every other foreign power. Done by the general Congress of -the United States, and ordered to be published. - -"Spanish America, condemned for more than three centuries to exist only -for the purpose of increasing the political preponderance of Spain, -without the least influence in, or participation of her greatness, -would, according to the order of events in which she had no other part -than that of sufferance, have been the victim and the sacrifice of the -disorder, corruption, and conquest, which have disorganized the nation -her conqueror, if the instinct of self-preservation had not dictated to -the Americans, that the moment of action had arrived, and that it was -time to reap the fruits of three centuries of patience and forbearance. - -"If the discovery of the new world was to the human race an occurrence -highly interesting, the regeneration of this same world, degraded from -that period by oppression and servitude, will not be less so. America, -raising herself from the dust, and throwing off her chains without -passing through the political gradations of other countries, will in her -turn triumph over the world, without deluging it in blood, without -enslaving it, without brutifying it. A revolution most useful to mankind -will be that of America, when she shall constitute her own authorities -and govern herself, opening her arms to receive those people of Europe -who may be trampled on by policy, wish to fly from the evils of war, or -escape the persecution and the fury of party. The inhabitants of one -hemisphere will then cross the ocean to the other in search of peace and -tranquillity; not with the lust nor perfidy of conquest, like the heroes -of the sixteenth century--as friends, not as tyrants: as men willing to -obey, not as lords to command--not to destroy, but to save--not as -ravenous tigers, but as human beings, who, horror-struck at the account -of our past misfortunes, were taught to estimate them by their own--who -will not convert their reason into a spirit of blind persecution, nor -wish to stain our annals with blood and misery. Then shall navigation, -geography, astronomy, industry, and trade perfected by the discovery of -America, though until now the source of her debasement, be converted -into the means of accelerating, consolidating, and making more perfect -the happiness of the two worlds. - -"This is not a flattering dream, but the homage of reason to prudence, -whose ineffable wisdom designed that one part of the human race should -not groan under the tyranny of another; consequently, the great fiat of -what should precede the dissolution of the world could not take place -before one part of its inhabitants had enjoyed their inherent rights. -Every thing has long been preparing for this epoch of felicity and -consolation. In Europe the shock and the fermentation of opinions, the -contempt and the inversion of the laws; the profanation of those bonds -which ought to have held states together; the luxury of courts, the -cessation of industry, the consequent unproductiveness of lands, the -oppression of virtue, and the triumph of vice accelerated the progress -of evil in one world, while the increase of population in America, of -the wants of foreign countries dependent on her, the development of -agriculture in a new and fertile soil, the germ of industry under a -beneficent climate, the elements of science under a privileged -organization, the means of a rich and prosperous trade, and the strength -of a political adolescence, all, all contributed to accelerate the -progress of good in the other. - -"Such was the advantageous alternative that enslaved America presented -to her mistress, Spain, on the other side of the ocean, when oppressed -by the weight of every evil, and undermined by every principle -destructive to society, America called upon her to ease her of her -chains that she might fly to her succour. Fortunately prejudice -triumphed, the genius of evil and disorder seized on the government, -goaded pride usurped the seat of prudence; ambition triumphed over -liberality, and substituting deceit and perfidy for generosity and -integrity, those very arms were turned against us which we ourselves -used when impelled by fidelity and good faith; we taught Spain herself -the way to resist her enemies, under the banners of a presuming king, -unfit to reign, and void of all title except the generous compassion of -the people and his own misfortunes. - -"Venezuela was the first in the new world to pledge to Spain that -generous aid which she considered as a necessary homage; Venezuela was -the first to pour the consoling balm of friendship and fraternity into -her wounds when afflicted; Venezuela was the first that knew the -disorders which threatened the destruction of Spain; she was the first -to provide for her own safety, without severing the bonds that linked -her to the mother country; the first to feel the effects of her -ambitious ingratitude; she was the first on whom war was declared by her -brethren; and she is now the first to recover and declare her -independence and civil dignity in the new world. In order to justify -this measure of necessity and of justice, she considers it an incumbent -duty to present to the universe the reasons which have urged her to the -same, that her honour and principles may not be doubted, nor endangered -when she comes to fill the high rank which Providence restores her to. - -"All those persons who are aware of our determinations know what was our -fate previous to the late inversion of things, which alone dissolved our -engagements with Spain, even granting that these were legal and -equitable. It would be superfluous to present again to impartial Europe -the misfortunes and vexations she has so often had cause to lament, at a -time when we were not allowed to do so; neither is it necessary to -assert the injustice of our dependence and degradation, when every -nation has viewed as an insult to political equity, that Spain -unpeopled, corrupted, and plunged into a state of sloth and indolence by -the measures of a despotic government, should have exclusively usurped -from the industry and activity of the rest of the continent, the -precious and incalculable resources of a world constituted in the fief -and monopoly of a small portion of the other. - -"The interest of Europe cannot oppose the liberty of one quarter of the -globe, which now discovers itself to the interest of the other three; -yet a mere peninsula is found to oppose the interests of its government -to those of its nation, in order to raise the old hemisphere against the -new one, since the impossibility of oppressing it alone for any longer -period is now visible. In opposition to these endeavours, more fatal to -our tranquillity than to our prosperity, we will disclose to the world -the causes which operated on our conduct on the fifteenth of July, 1808, -and the acts that have wrested from us the resolutions of the nineteenth -of April, 1810, and of the fifth of July, 1811. These three epochs will -form the first period of the glories of regenerated Venezuela, when the -impartial pen of history shall record the first lines of the political -existence of South America. - -"Our manifests and public papers testified almost all the reasons that -influenced our resolutions, as well as our designs, and all the just and -decorous means that were employed to realize them; it might be supposed -that an exact and impartial comparison of our conduct with that of the -late governments of Spain would of itself suffice to justify not only -our moderation, not only our measures of security, not only our -independence, but also even the declaration of an irreconcilable enmity -to those who directly or indirectly have contributed to the unnatural -system now adopted against us. Nothing in truth should we have to do if -good faith had been the spring of action, used by the partisans of -oppression against liberty; but, as the last analysis of our -misfortunes, we cannot extricate ourselves from the condition of slaves -without being branded with the disgraceful epithets of ungrateful -rebels. Let those therefore listen and judge us who have no part in our -misfortunes, and who are now desirous of having none in our disputes, in -order not to augment the prejudices of our enemies, and let them not -lose sight of the solemn act of our just, necessary, and modest -emancipation. - -"Caracas was apprised of the scandalous scenes which took place at the -Escurial and Aranjues at a time when she was already convinced of what -were her rights, and the state in which they were placed by those -extraordinary occurrences; but the habit of obedience on the one hand, -the apathy that despotism had produced on the other, and in fine our -fidelity and good faith, were at that moment paramount to every other -feeling. After the communication of Murat, the kingly substitute of -Joseph Bonaparte, had reached the capital of the monarchy, the -authorities did not even hesitate respecting the reception of it, the -people only thought of being faithful, consistent, and generous, -without premeditating on the evils to which this noble and gallant -conduct would expose them. Without any other view than that of honour, -Venezuela refused to follow the opinions of the leading characters in -Madrid, some of whom, in support of the orders of the French Regent of -the kingdom, exacted of us the oath of allegiance to the new king; -others declared and published that Spain had received a new existence -since her old authorities abandoned her, since the cession made by the -Bourbons and the entrance of the new dynasty; that they had recovered -their absolute independence and liberty, and that they offered the same -alluring terms to the Americans, who by the same means might procure the -same rights. But the first step we took for our own security convinced -the junta central that there was something in us besides habits and -prejudices, and they began to change their tune respecting liberality -and sincerity; they perfidiously adopted the talisman Ferdinand at first -practised in good faith; they suppressed, but with cunning and suavity, -the plain and legal project of Caracas in 1808 to form a junta, and to -imitate the representative system of the governments of Spain; and they -began to set up a new species of despotism under the factitious name of -a king, acknowledged only from a principle of generosity, and destined -to oppress and tyrannise us by those who had usurped the sovereignty. - -"New governors and judges initiated in the new system projected by Spain -against America, decided in the support of it at our expense, and -provided with instructions for even the last political change which -might occur in the other hemisphere, were the consequences resulting -from the surprize that our unparalleled and unexpected generosity caused -to the central junta. Ambiguity, artifice, and disorder were the springs -employed to keep in motion this short-lived administration: as they saw -their empire exposed and tottering, they wished to gain in one day what -had enriched their ancestors for many years; and as their authority was -backed by that of their parasites, all their endeavours were directed to -the support of each other under the shadow of our illusion and good -faith. No statute or law against these plans was effective; and every -measure that favoured the new system of political freemasonry was to -have the force of law, however opposed it might be to the principle of -equity and justice. After the declaration of the Captain-general Emparan -made to the _audiencia_, that in Caracas there was no other law nor -will but his own, and this fully demonstrated in several arbitrary acts -and excesses, such as placing on the bench of the judge the King's -accuser-general; intercepting and opening the papers sent by Don Pedro -Gonsales Ortega to the central junta; expulsing from the provinces this -same public functionary, as well as the captain, Don Francisco -Rodrigues, and the assessor of the consulate, Don Miguel Jose Sanz, who -were all embarked for Cadiz or Porto Rico, as well as sentencing to -labour in the public works without any previous form of trial a -considerable number of men, who were dragged from their homes under the -epithet of vagrants; revoking and suspending the resolutions of the -royal audience, when they were according to his caprice and absolute -will, after naming a recorder without the consent of the corporation; -creating and causing the assessor to be received without either title or -authority for the same, after he had supported his pride and his -ignorance in every excess; after many scandalous disputes between the -audience and the corporation, and after all the law characters had been -reconciled to the plan of these despots, in order that these might be -more inexpugnable to us, it was agreed to organize and carry into -effect the project of espionage and duplicity. - -"Of all this there remains authentic testimony in our archives, -notwithstanding the vigilance with which these were examined by the -friends of the late authorities: there exists in Cuenca an order of the -Spanish government to excite discord among the nobles and among the -different branches of American families. There are besides many written -and well-known documents of corruption, gambling, and libertinism -promoted by Guevara, for the purpose of demoralizing the country; and no -one can ever forget the collusions and subornings publicly used by the -judges, and proved in the act of their residencia. - -"Under these auspices the defeats and misfortunes of the Spanish armies -were concealed. Pompous and imaginary triumphs over the French on the -peninsula were forged and announced; the streets were ordered to be -illuminated, gunpowder was wasted in salutes, the bells announced the -rejoicings, and religion was prostituted by the chanting Te Deums and -other public acts, as if to insult Providence, and invoke a perpetuity -of the evils we groaned under. In order to allow us no time to analyze -our own fate, or discover the snares laid for us, conspiracies were -invented, parties and factions were forged in the imagination of our -oppressors, every one was calumniated who did not consent to be -initiated in the mysteries of perfidy; fleets and emissaries from France -were figured as being on our seas, and residing among us; our -correspondence with the neighbouring colonies was circumscribed and -restricted; our trade received new fetters, and the whole was for the -purpose of keeping us in a state of continual agitation, that we might -not fix our attention on our own situation and interests. - -"When our forbearance was once alarmed, and our vigilance awakened, we -began to lose all confidence in the governments of Spain and their -agents; through the veil of their intrigues and machinations we -perceived the horrid futurity that awaited us; the genius of truth, -elevated above the dense atmosphere of oppression and calumny, pointed -out to us with the finger of impartiality the true fate of Spain, the -disorders of her governments, the unavailing energy of her inhabitants, -the formidable power of her enemies, and the groundless hopes of her -salvation. Shut up in our own houses, surrounded by spies, threatened -with infamy and banishment, scarcely daring to bewail our own -situation, or even secretly to complain against our vigilant and cunning -enemies; the consonance of our blinded sighs exhaled in the moments of -the most galling oppression, at length gave uniformity to our sentiments -and united our opinions. Shut up within the walls of our own houses, and -debarred from all communication with our fellow-citizens, there was -scarcely an individual in Caracas who did not think that the moment of -being for ever free, or of sanctioning irrevocably a new and horrid -slavery, had arrived. - -"Every day discovered more and more the nullity of the acts of Bayonne, -the invalidity of the rights of Ferdinand, and of all the Bourbons who -were privy to the arrangements; the ignominy with which they delivered -up as slaves those who had placed them on the throne in opposition to -the house of Austria; the connivance of the head functionaries in Spain -to the plans of the new dynasty; the fate that these same plans prepared -for America, and the necessity of forming some resolution that might -shield the new world from the calamities which from its relations with -the old were about to visit it. All saw their treasures buried in the -unfathomable disorders of the peninsula; they wept for the blood of -Americans spilt in defence of the enemies of America, in order to -support the slavery of their own country. Notwithstanding the vigilance -of the tyrants, all saw the very interior of Spain, where they beheld -nothing but disorder, corruption, factions, misfortunes, defeats, -treacheries, dispersed armies, whole provinces in the hands of the enemy -and their disciplined troops, and at the head of all a weak and -tumultuary government formed out of such rare elements. - -"Dismay was the general and uniform impression observed in the -countenances of the people of Venezuela by the agents of oppression sent -from Spain to support at any hazard the infamous cause of their -constituents; a word might cause proscription, or a discourse banishment -to the author; and every attempt to do in America what was done in -Spain, if it did not shed the blood of the Americans, it was at least -sufficient to occasion the ruin, infamy, and desolation of many -families, as may be seen by the act of proscription of several officers -and citizens of rank and probity, decreed on the twentieth of March, -1810, by Emparan.[1] Such a miscalculation could not fail to produce or -multiply the convulsions, to augment the popular reaction, to prepare -the combustible, and dispose it in such a manner that the least spark -would kindle it, and create a blaze that would consume, and even efface -every vestige of so hard and melancholy a condition. Spain needy and -almost desolate, her fate dependent on the generosity of America, and -almost in the act of being blotted out from the list of nations, -appeared as if transported back to the sixteenth or seventeenth -centuries, she again began to conquer America with arms more destructive -than iron or lead; every day gave birth to some new proof of the fate -that awaited us, a fate that would place us in the sad alternative of -being sold to a foreign power, or obliged to groan for ever under a -fresh and irrevocable bondage, whilst we alone were expectant on the -happy moment that might bring our opinions into action, and join us in -such a manner that we could express them, and support them. - -"Amidst the sighs and imprecations of general despair, the entrance of -the French in Andalusia, the dissolution of the central junta brought -about by the effects of public execration, and the abortive institution -of another protean government, under the name of regency, reached our -ears. This was announced under ideas more liberal, and on perceiving the -efforts of the Americans to avail themselves of the opportunity which -the vices and nullities of so strange a government presented to them, -they endeavoured to strengthen the illusion by brilliant promises, by -theories barren of reform, and by announcing to us that our fate was no -longer in the hands of viceroys, ministers, or governors; at the same -time that all their agents received the strictest orders to watch over -our conduct, and even over our opinions, and not to suffer these to -exceed the limits traced by the eloquence that gilded the chains forged -in the captious and cunning promise of emancipation. - -"At any other period this would have sufficed to deceive the Americans, -but the junta of Seville, as well as the central junta, had already gone -too far in order to remove the bandage from our eyes, and what was then -combined, meditated, and polished to subject us again with phrases and -hyperboles, only served to redouble our vigilance, to collect our -opinions, and to establish a firm and unshaken resolution to perish -rather than remain any longer the victims of cabal and perfidy. The eve -of that day on which our religion celebrates the most august mystery of -the redemption of the human race, was that designated by Providence to -be the commencement of the political redemption of America. On Holy -Thursday, April nineteenth, 1810, the colossus of despotism was thrown -down in Venezuela, the empire of law proclaimed, and the tyrants -expelled with all the suavity, moderation, and tranquillity that they -themselves have confessed, so much so in fact, as to have filled with -admiration of, and friendship for us the rest of the impartial world. - -"All sensible persons would have supposed that a nation recovering its -rights, and freeing itself from its oppressors, would in its blind fury -have broken down every barrier that might place it directly or -indirectly within the reach of the influence of those very governments -that had hitherto caused its misfortunes, and its oppression. Venezuela, -faithful to her promises, did no more than ensure her own security in -order to comply with them, and if with one strong and generous hand she -deposed the authors of her misery and her slavery, with the other she -placed the name of Ferdinand VII. at the head of her new government, -swore to maintain his rights, promised to acknowledge the unity and -integrity of the Spanish nation, opened her arms to her European -brethren, offered them an asylum in their misfortunes and calamities, -equally hated the enemies of the Spanish name, solicited the generous -alliance of England, and prepared to take her share of the success or -misfortunes of the nation from whom she could and ought to be separated. - -"But it was not this that the regency exacted of us, when it declared us -free in its theories, it subjected us in practice to a small and -insignificant representation, believing that those to whom it considered -nothing was due, would be content to receive whatever was granted to -them by their masters. Under so liberal a calculation the regency was -desirous of keeping up the illusion, to pay us with words, promises, and -inscriptions for our long slavery, and for the blood and treasure we had -expended in Spain. We were fully aware how little we had to expect from -the policy and intrusive agents of Ferdinand, we were not ignorant that -if we were not to be dependent on viceroys, ministers, and governors, -with greater reason we could not be subject to a king, a captive and -without the rights of authority; nor to a government null and -illegitimate, nor to a nation incapable of holding sway over another, -nor to a peninsular corner of Europe, almost wholly occupied by a -foreign force. Nevertheless, desirous of effecting our own freedom by -the means of generosity, moderation, and civic virtues, we acknowledged -the imaginary rights of the son of Maria Louisa, we respected the -misfortunes of the nation, and officially announced to the regency that -we disowned, that we promised not to separate from Spain so long as she -maintained a legal government, established according to the will of the -nation, and in which America had that part given to her, required by -justice, necessity, and the political importance of her territory. - -"If three hundred years of former servitude do not suffice to authorize -our emancipation, there has been sufficient cause in the conduct of the -governments which arrogated to themselves the sovereignty of a conquered -nation, which never could have any property in America declared an -integral part of the same, whilst they attempted to involve it in -conquest. If the governors of Spain had been paid by her enemies, they -could not have done more against the felicity of the nation, bound in -its close union and correspondence with America. With the greatest -contempt of our importance, and of the justice of our claims when they -could not deny us the appearance of a representation, they subjected it -to the despotic influence of their agents, over our municipalities, to -whom the election was committed; and whilst Spain allowed even for the -provinces in possession of the French, the Canaries and Balearic -islands, one representative for each 50,000 souls, freely elected by -these, in America a 1,000,000 scarcely sufficed to have the right of one -representative, named by the Viceroy or captain-general, under the -signature of the municipality. - -"At the same time that we, strong in the right of our own justice and -the moderation of our proceedings, hoped that if the reasons we alleged -to the regency to convince them of the necessity of our resolution did -not triumph, at least that the generous disposition with which we -promised not to become the enemy of our oppressed and unfortunate -brethren would be successful, dispositions which the new government of -Caracas was desirous should not be limited to barren promises; and the -unprejudiced and impartial world will know, that Venezuela has passed -the time which intervened between April 19th, 1810, to July 5th, 1811, -in a bitter and painful alternative of acts of ingratitude, insults, and -hostilities on the part of Spain; and of generosity, modesty, and -forbearance on ours. This period is the most interesting of the history -of our revolution, so much so, that its events present a contrast so -favourable to our cause, that it cannot have failed to gain over for us -the impartial decision of those nations that have no interest in -disparaging our efforts. - -"Previous to the result of our political transformation, we received -daily new motives sufficiently strong for each to have caused us to do -what we have now done, after three centuries of misery and degradation. -In every vessel that arrived from Spain new agents with fresh -instructions came to strengthen those who supported the cause of -ambition and perfidy. For the very same ends, those Europeans who wished -to return to Spain, and assist in the war against the French, received a -refusal to their request. On the tenth of April, 1810, the schools were -ordered to be closed, to the end, that under the pretence of attending -solely to the war, both Spain and America might be sunk deeper into a -state of ignorance. It was also ordained, that rights and rewards should -be forgotten, and that we should do nothing but send to Spain our money, -our men, provisions, productions, submissions, and obedience. - -"The public press teemed with nothing but triumphs and victories, with -donations and acknowledgments wrested from the people, as yet uninformed -of our resolution; and under the most severe threats of punishment, a -political inquisition with all its horrors was established against those -who should read, possess, or receive papers, not only foreign but even -Spanish that were not issued at the manufactory of the regency. Contrary -to the very orders of the self-constituted sovereignty, previously -issued to deceive us, every bound was over-leaped in the re-election of -ultramarine functionaries, whose only merit consisted in swearing to -maintain the system contrived by the regency. In the most scandalous and -barefaced manner, that order which favoured our trade and encouraged our -agriculture was annulled, condemned to the flames, and its authors and -promoters proscribed. Every kind of aid was expected of us; but we were -never informed of its destination, inversion, and expenditure. In -contempt of even a shadow of public faith, and without any exception -whatever, all epistolary correspondence from these countries was ordered -to be opened, an excess unheard of even under the despotism of Godoy, -and only adopted to make the espionage over America more tyrannical. In -fine, the plans laid for the purpose of perpetuating our bondage now -began to be practically realized. - -"In the mean time, Venezuela, free, and mistress of herself, thought of -nothing less than imitating the detestable conduct of the regency and -its agents: content with having secured her fate against the ambition of -an intrusive and illegitimate authority, and shielded it against the -blackest and most complicated plans, was satisfied with shewing by -positive acts her desire for peace, friendship, correspondence, and -co-operation with her European brethren. All those of this class who -were among us, as such were considered, and two-thirds of the political, -civil, and military employments, both of the high and middle classes, -remained or were placed in the hands of Europeans without any -precaution, but with a sincerity and good faith that nearly proved fatal -to our own interests. - -"Our treasures were generously opened to our enemies, that they might -enjoy every convenience and profusion in their passage from our country: -the captains of the packets, Carmen, Fortuna, and Araucana were received -into our ports, and assisted with money to enable them to proceed on -their voyage, and fulfil their respective commissions, and even the -insolence and crimes of the captain of the Fortuna were referred to the -judgment of the Spanish government. Notwithstanding the junta of -government of Caracas made manifest the motives of precaution which -obliged them not to expose the public funds which were destined to -recover the nation, to the veracity of government they allowed and -exhorted the people to be generous, and use their fortunes according to -the impulse of their own sensibility, by publishing in the public papers -the mournful statement of the regency, in which was portrayed the -agonizing state of the nation, with the view to solicit our aid, and the -same time that they represented it, through the medium of their public -prints, as vigorous, organized, and triumphant; but these were destined -to deceive us. The commissioners of the regency sent to Quito,[2] Santa -Fé, and Peru were hospitably received, treated as friends, and their -pecuniary wants supplied to their own satisfaction. But we lose time in -thus analyzing the dark and cunning conduct of our enemies, as all their -endeavours have not sufficed to warp the imperious and triumphing -impression of ours. - -"The arrogant mandataries of our country were not, however, the only -persons authorized to support the horrid plans of their constituents; -the same uniform and universal mission was brought out by all those who -inundated America from the sad and ominous reigns of the junta of -Seville, the central junta, and the regency, and under the system of -political freemasonry, founded on the Machiavelic pact; they all -accorded in mutually substituting, replacing, and assisting each other -in the combined plans against the felicity and political existence of -the new world. The island of Puerto Rico was immediately made the haunt -of all the agents of the regency; the place of equipment for all the -expeditions; the head quarters of all the anti-American forces; the -workshop of all the impostors, calumnies, triumphs and threats of the -regents; the refuge of all the wicked; the rendezvous of a new gang of -bucaniers, in order that there might not be wanting any of the -calamities of the sixteenth century in the new conquest of America in -the nineteenth. The Americans of Puerto Rico, oppressed by the bayonets, -cannons, fetters, and gibbets which surrounded the bashaw Melendes and -his satellites, had to add to their own misfortunes the painful -necessity of contributing to ours. Such was the fate of the Americans; -condemned not only to be galley-slaves, but to be the drivers of each -other. - -"The conduct observed by Spain to America is harder and more insulting -than that which she appears to exercise towards France. It is well known -that part of the dynasty, still resisted by part of the nation, has had -decided partizans in many of those who considered themselves the first -national dignitaries, for their rank, offices, talents, and knowledge; -among these may be counted Morla, Azanza, Ofarrill, Urquijo, Masarredo, -and many others of every class and profession; but still there has not -appeared one of those who so much desire the liberty of independence and -regeneration of the peninsula, that has raised his voice in favour of -the American provinces. These, therefore, adopting the same principles -of fidelity and national integrity, have of their own accord been -ambitious of preserving themselves independent of such intrusive, -illegitimate, weak, and tumultuary governments, as have been all those -that have hitherto called themselves the agents of the king, or -representatives of the nation. It is vexing to see so much liberality, -so much civism, and so much disinterest in the cortes with regard to -disorganized, exhausted, and nearly conquered Spain, and full of so much -meanness, suspicion, prejudice and pride, towards America; tranquil, -faithful, generous, decided to assist her brethren, when she alone can -give reality, at least in the most essential point, to the theoretical -and brilliant plans which make the Spanish Congress so arrogant. How -many treasons, murders, assassinations, perfidies and convulsions have -appeared in Spain; these have passed by as the inseparable misfortunes -of circumstances, yet not one of the provinces that surrendered, or was -attached to the French domination, has been treated like Venezuela; -their conduct must however have been analyzed, and characterised -according to reasons, motives, and circumstances that dictated it; this -must have been judged in conformity to the rights of war, and the -sentiments of the nation must have been pronounced according to the -statements laid before it, but not one of them has yet been declared -traitorous, in open rebellion, and unnaturalized as was Venezuela; for -none of them has been created a public commission of diplomatic -mutineers, to arm Spaniard against Spaniard, to fan the flame of civil -war, and to burn and annihilate all that cannot be held in the name of -Ferdinand VII. America alone is condemned to endure the until now -unheard of condition of being warred upon, destroyed, or enslaved with -the very means of assistance which she destined for the liberty and -common felicity of the nation of which she was led to believe for a few -moments that she constituted a part. - -"It appears that the independence of America creates more irritation to -Spain, than the foreign oppression that threatens her, for against her -are in preference employed measures that have not even been adopted -against the very provinces that have proclaimed the new king. The -incendiary and turbulent talent of a minister of the council of Indies -could not have a more dignified employment than that of again conquering -Venezuela with the same arms as those of the Alfingers and the Welzers, -those first tyrants of Venezuela, authorized by Charles V., and the -promoters of civil war amongst her primitive inhabitants, now re-assumed -in the name of a king placed on the throne against the pretensions of -the family of him who let out these provinces to the German factors. -Under this name of Ferdinand all the sluices of iniquity are opened upon -us, and the horrors of conquest are renewed, the remembrance of which -we had generously endeavoured to blot out from the memory of our -posterity; under this name we are treated with more severity than those -who abandoned it before we did; and under this name it is attempted to -continue the system of Spanish domination in America, which has been -looked upon as a political phenomenon even in the times of the reality, -energy and vigour of the Spanish monarchy. And can there be found any -law that obliges us to preserve it, and to suffer in its name the -torrent of distresses heaped upon us by those who call themselves the -agents of the peninsula? By their means this very name obtained the -treasures, the obedience, and acknowledgments of America, and by means -of their flagitious conduct afterwards, in the exercise of their powers, -the name of Ferdinand has lost every consideration amongst us, and -consequently we ought to abandon it for ever. _Ex qua persona quis -lucrum capit, ejus factum præstare tenetur._ - -"The tyrant of Borrigum (primitive name of Puerto Rico) not content with -constituting himself a sovereign, to declare war against us, and with -insulting and calumniating us in his flimsy, mean, and self-flattering -papers; not satisfied with creating himself the gratuitous gaol-keeper -of the emissaries of peace, and confederation sent to him by his -comrade Migares from the castle of Zapáras de Maracaibo; because they -overturned the plans he had received, and accepted from the regency and -the new king of Spain, in exchange for the captain-generalship of -Venezuela, purchased at a cheap rate of the regents; not considering -such superior merit sufficiently rewarded with the honour of faithfully -serving his king; in the most barefaced manner plundered upwards of a -hundred thousand dollars from the public funds belonging to Caracas, -that had been embarked in the ship Ferdinand VII. in order to purchase -stores and military clothing in London, where the insurance was -effected; and in order that his insult might be the more complete, he -alleged that the Spanish government might waste and misapply them, that -England might appropriate them to herself, disowning our resolution, so -that in no place they could, or ought to be more secure than in his -hands, negociated by means of his partners in trade, as in fact they -were in Philadelphia, adding that an account should be given in when -Puerto Rico had conquered Venezuela, when the latter should deliver -herself up to the regency, or when Ferdinand VII. should return to reign -in Spain. Such it appears were the periods that the governor of Puerto -Rico imposed upon himself to render an account of so atrocious and -scandalous a depredation; but this is not all that this worthy agent of -the regency has done in favour of the designs of his constituents. - -"Notwithstanding so much insult, robbery, and ingratitude, Venezuela -maintained her resolution, not to vary the principles she had traced out -for her conduct; the sublime act of her national representation was -proclaimed in the name of Ferdinand VII.; under his phantasmagorical -authority all the acts of our government and administration were -maintained, though they required no other origin than the people who had -constituted them. By the laws and regulations of Spain a horrible and -sanguinary gang of European conspirators were tried, and these laws were -mercifully infringed to save their lives, in order that the -philanthropic memory of our revolution might not be stained with the -blood of our brethren, although they were perfidious. Under the name of -Ferdinand, and through the interposition of the bonds of fraternity and -patriotism, endeavours were used to inform and reduce the imperious -mandataries of Coro and Maracaibo, who kept separated from our interests -our brethren of the west; under the auspices of reciprocal interests, -we triumphed over the oppressive acts of Barcelona, and under the same -we will conquer Guayana, twice snatched from our confederation, as was -Maracaibo, against the general wishes of its inhabitants. - -"It would appear as if nothing now remained to be done to secure a -reconciliation with Spain, or the entire and absolute separation of -America, equally as ruinous and calamitous to the one, as it was -ungratefully despised by the other party; but Venezuela was desirous of -draining every means left within her reach, in order that justice and -necessity should leave her no other alternative than that of total -independence, which ought to have been declared on the fifteenth of -July, 1808, or on the nineteenth of April, 1810. After appealing to -sensibility and not to vengeance, in the horrid scenes that took place -at Quito, Pose, and La Pas; after beholding our own cause supported by -the uniformity of opinions in Buenos Ayres, Santa Fé, the Floridas, -Mexico, Guatemala, and Chile; after obtaining an indirect guarantee on -the part of England; after having our conduct applauded by impartial -individuals in Europe; after seeing the same principles triumph from the -Orinoco to the Magdalena, and from Cape Codero to the Andes; we have -still to endure fresh insults, before we fly to the extreme of breaking -with our brethren for ever. - -"Caracas, without having done more than imitate the conduct of many of -the provinces of Spain, and practised the rights that the regency -declared to appertain to America; without having had in this conduct -other designs than those inspired by the necessity of not being involved -in an unknown fate, and to relieve the regents from attending to the -government of countries as remote as they are extensive, at the same -time they protested to attend to nothing but the expulsion of the French -from Spain; without having rent her unity and political integrity with -Spain; without having disowned as was possible and proper the lame -rights of Ferdinand; the regency, far from applauding on the right of -convenience, if not of generosity, so just, modest and necessary a -resolution, and without even answering or submitting to the judgment of -the nation our complaints and our claims: Caracas is declared in a state -of war, her inhabitants are proclaimed rebels and unnaturalized, every -communication with her brethren is cut off, England is deprived of her -trade, the excesses of Melendes are approved of, and he is authorized to -commit whatever the malignity of his heart may suggest to him, however -opposed to reason and to justice; all this is proved by the order of -the fourth of September, 1810, unparalleled for its enormity even among -the despots of Constantinople or Indostan; and not to deviate in the -least from the plots of the conquest, a new _encomendero_ is sent out, -under the title of a pacificator, (pacificador) who with more -prerogatives than conquerors and settlers themselves, was to fix his -residence in Puerto Rico, and thence to threaten, rob, pirate, promise, -deceive, excite civil disturbances, and all in the name of the beloved -Ferdinand VII. - -"Till then the progress of the system of subversion, anarchy, and -depredation, which the regency proposed to itself on hearing of the -movements of Caracas, had been but slow; now the principal fears of -civil war being transferred nearer to us, the subaltern agents acquired -more strength, the flames of passion were increased, as well as the -efforts of the parties guided by the directions of Cortavarria and -Melendes. Hence originated the incendiary energy acquired by the -ephemeral sedition of the west; hence the flame of discord, newly formed -by Myares, rendered vain and arrogant by the imaginary and promised -captain-general-ship of Venezuela; hence the American blood spilled in -spite of ourselves on the plains of Coro; hence the robberies and -assassinations committed on our coasts by the commissioned pirates of -the regency; hence that miserable blockade, intended to reduce and -disaffect our settlements on the coast; hence the insults committed on -the English flag; hence the falling off of our trade; hence the -conspiracies of the valleys of Aragua and Cumaná; hence the horrid -perfidy in Guayana; and the insulting transportation of its leading -characters to the Moorish dungeons of Puerto Rico--dungeons constructed -like those of Tunis and Algiers; hence the generous and impartial -offices of reconciliation sincerely interposed by a representative[3] of -the British government in the Antilles, and rejected by the pseudo -pacificator; hence, in fine, all the evils, all the atrocities, and all -the crimes which are and ever will be attached to the names of -Cortavarria and Melendes in Venezuela, and which have impelled her -government to exceed what was proposed when it took upon itself the fate -of those who honored it with their confidence. - -"The mission of Cortavarria in the nineteenth century, and the state of -Spain which decreed it, compared with America, against whom it is -directed, evinces to what an extent the illusion of ambition blinds -those who found all the origin of their authority on the depravity of -the people. This act alone sufficed to authorize our conduct. The spirit -of Charles V., the memory of Cortes and Pizarro, and the names of -Montesuma and Atahualpa, are involuntarily reproduced in our -imagination, when we see the _adelantados_, the _pesquisadores_, and the -_encomenderos_, officers peculiar to the first settlement of America, -renewed in a country which, having suffered three centuries of sacrifice -and debasement, had promised to continue faithful on the only condition -of being free, in order that accidents of slavery might not tarnish the -merit of fidelity. The scandalous plenitude of power conferred on a man -who is authorised by an intrusive and illegitimate government, under the -insulting name of pacificator, to tyrannize and plunder, and to crown -the vexation, that he might pardon a noble, generous, tranquil, innocent -people, who were masters of their own rights, could only be credited in -the impotent delirium of a government that tyrannizes over a -disorganized nation, stunned by the fury of the tempest that reaches -her; but as the evils of this disorder, and the abuses of such an -usurpation might be considered as not derived from Ferdinand, already -acknowledged in Venezuela, at the time that he was unable to prevent -such accumulated insults, such excesses, and so much violence, committed -in his name, we consider it necessary to retrace the origin of these -rights, that we may descant on the nullity and invalidity of our -generous oath, by which we acknowledged him conditionally; -notwithstanding, we have in spite of ourselves to violate the -spontaneous silence we had imposed upon ourselves respecting every thing -that occurred prior to the affairs at the Escurial and Aranjues. - -"The fact, that America does not belong to the territory of Spain is -self-evident, and it is equally evident that the right which the -Bourbons justly or unjustly exercised over it, and notwithstanding this -was hereditary, yet it could not be disposed of without the consent of -the people, and particularly of those of America, who, on the election -between the French and Austrian dynasties, might have acted in the -seventeenth century as they now have done in the nineteenth. The bull of -Alexander VI., and the titles which the house of Austria alleged in the -American code had no other origin than the right of power and conquest, -partially ceded to the conquerors and to the settlers for their -assistance rendered to the crown in extending its dominion in America. -Without taking into consideration the scanty population of the country, -the extermination of the natives, and the emigration which the -self-called mother country sustained; it appears that when the fury of -conquest had ceased--when the thirst for gold was satisfied--when the -continued equilibrium was declared in favour of Spain, by the -advantageous acquisition of America--the feudal government destroyed and -rooted out from the time of the Bourbons in Spain, and every right -extinct that did not originate in the new concessions or commands of the -prince, the conquerors and the settlers then became absolved of theirs. -As soon as the faultiness and invalidity of the rights which the -Bourbons have arrogated to themselves are demonstrated, the titles by -which the American descendants of the conquerors possessed these -countries revive--not to the detriment of the natives and primitive -proprietors, but to equalize them in the enjoyment of liberty, property, -and independence, which they always held by a right stronger than that -of the Bourbons or any other person or persons to whom they may have -ceded America, without the consent of its natural owners, the Americans. - -"That America does not belong to the territory of Spain is a principle -of natural, and a law of positive right. No title just or unjust which -exists of American slavery can belong to the Spaniards of Europe, and -all the liberality of Alexander VI. could only declare the Austrian -kings promoters of the faith, in order to find out for them a -preternatural right by which to make them lords of America. Neither the -pre-eminence of the parent state, nor the prerogative of the mother -country, could at any time constitute the origin of lordship on the part -of Spain. The first was lost the moment the monarch who was acknowledged -by the Americans left his country and renounced his rights; and the -second never was more than a scandalous abuse of words, as great as that -of calling our slavery felicity; that of calling the fiscals protectors -of the indians; and that of saying that the sons of Americans were -divested of every right and civil dignity. By the mere act of even -passing from one country to another to settle in it, those who do not -leave their homes acquire no property, nor do they expose themselves to -the hardships of emigration. Those who conquer and obtain possession of -a country by means of their labour, industry, cultivation, and -connection with the natives thereof, are the individuals who have a -right of preference in preserving it, which right they transmit to their -posterity born therein; for if the country where one is born possessed -the origin of sovereignty, or gave the right of acquisition, the general -will of nations, and the fate of the human race, would then be riveted -to the soil, as are the trees, mountains, rivers, and lakes. - -"Neither could it ever be considered as a title of property to one part -of a nation, the other having gone to another country to settle in it; -for by such a right Spain would belong to the Phoenicians, or their -descendants, or to the Carthagenians, wherever these may be found; even -the whole of the nations of Europe would have to change their abodes to -make room for and re-establish so singular a territorial right; home -would then become as precarious as are the wants and caprices of men. -The moral abuse of the maternity of Spain, with regard to America is -still more insignificant, for it is well known that in the natural order -of things, it is the duty of the father to emancipate the son, so soon -as his minority expire, and he is able to use his strength and reason in -providing for his subsistence; and also that it is the duty of the son -to emancipate himself, whenever the cruelty or extravagance of the -father or tutor endanger his welfare, or expose his patrimony to become -the prey of a miser, or an usurper. Under these principles let a -comparison be made of the three hundred years of our filiation to Spain; -and even when it is proved, that she was our mother, it still remains to -be proved that we are yet her minors or pupils. - -"At any period when Spain has entertained any doubt of the rights of the -Bourbons, or of any other dynasty, the only source, and that not a very -clear one, of the Spanish dominion in America, it would appear that the -Americans were excluded from alleging any reasons that might destroy -such claims, though doubtful from their very origin; but as Venezuela -may hereafter be reproached for the conditional oath by which the -representative body that now declares its absolute independence of any -foreign power previously acknowledged Ferdinand VII., the same august -body feels anxious that no room should be left for scruples of -conscience, for the illusions of ignorance, and for the malice of -wounded ambition, whereby to discredit, calumniate, and weaken a -resolution, taken with such maturity and deliberation as best suited its -magnitude and importance. - -"It is well known, that the promissory oath in question is no more than -an accessory bond, which always pre-supposes the validity and legitimacy -of the contract ratified by the same. When in the contract there is no -defect that may render it null and illegitimate, it is then that we -invoke God by an oath, believing that he will not refuse to witness it, -and guarantee the fulfilment of our promises, because the obligation to -comply with them is founded on an evident maxim of the natural law -instituted by the divine author. God can at no time guarantee any -contract that is not binding in the natural order of things, nor can it -be supposed that he will accept any contract opposed to those very laws -which he himself has established for the felicity of the human race. It -would be insulting his wisdom to believe that he would listen to our -vows when we implore his divine concurrence to a contract that is -opposed to our own liberty, the only origin of the right of our -actions--such a supposition would inculcate an idea that God had an -interest in multiplying our duties by means of such agreements, to the -prejudice of our national liberty. Even in case the oath could add any -new obligation to that of the contract thereby confirmed, the nullity of -the one would consequently be inseparable from the nullity of the -other; and if he who violates a sworn contract be criminal, and worthy -of punishment, it is because he has violated good faith, the only bond -of society, without the perjury being more concerned than to increase -the crime, and to aggravate the punishment. That national law which -binds us to fulfil our promises, and that divine one which forbids us to -invoke the name of God in vain, do not in any manner alter the -obligation contracted under the simultaneous and inseparable effects of -both laws, so that the infraction of the one supposes the infraction of -the other. For our good we call on God to witness our promises, and when -we believe that he can guarantee them, and avenge their violation, it is -only because the contract has nothing in itself that can render it -invalid, illicit, unworthy of or contrary to the eternal justice of the -Supreme Arbiter to whom we submit it. It is according to these -principles that we are to analyze the conditional oath by which the -congress of Venezuela has promised to preserve the rights legally held -by Ferdinand VII., without attributing to it any other which, being -contrary to the liberty of the people, would consequently invalidate the -contract, and annul the oath. - -"We have seen that the people of Venezuela, impelled by the government -of Spain, became insensible of the circumstances that rendered the -tolerated rights of Ferdinand void, in consequence of the transactions -of the Escurial and Aranjues, as well as those of all his house, by the -cessions and abdications made at Bayonne; and from the demonstration of -this truth, follows, as a corollary, the invalidity of an oath, which, -besides being conditional, could not subsist beyond the contract to -which it was added as an accessory bond. To preserve the right of -Ferdinand was all that Caracas promised on the nineteenth of April, at a -time when she was ignorant that he had lost them--_Judicio caret -juramentum, incantum Div. tom. 22, p. 80, art. 3. Si vero sit quidem -posibile fieri; sed fieri non debeat, vel quid est per se malum, vel -quia est boni impeditivum, tunc juramento deest justitia, et ideo non -est servandum_. Quest, cit. art. 7. Even if Ferdinand retained them with -regard to Spain, it remains to be proved, whether by virtue of the same -he was authorized to cede America to another dynasty, without the -concurrence of her own consent. The accounts which Venezuela, in spite -of the oppression and cunning of the intrusive government, was enabled -to obtain of the conduct of the Bourbons, and the fatal effects that it -was likely to entail on America, have constituted a body of -irrefragable proofs, evincing that as Ferdinand no longer retained any -rights, the preservation of which Venezuela promised, as well as the -oath by which she confirmed this promise, consequently are, and ought to -be cancelled--_Jurabis in veritate, et in judicio, et in justicia_. From -the first part of the position, the nullity of the second becomes a -legitimate consequence. - -"But neither the Escurial, Aranjues, nor Bayonne were the first theatres -of the transactions which deprived the Bourbons of their rights to -America. By the treaty of Basil, made July fifteenth, 1795, (by which -Godoy obtained the title of Prince of the Peace), and in the court of -Spain the fundamental laws of the Spanish dominion were broken. Charles -IV., contrary to one of them (Recopil. de Indias, law 1. tit. 1.) ceded -the island of Santa Domingo to France, and disposed of Louisiana to the -same foreign power, which unequalled and scandalous infractions -authorised the Americans, against whom they were committed, as well as -the whole of the Colombian people, to separate from the obedience, and -lay aside the oath by which they had bound themselves to the crown of -Castile, in like manner as they were entitled to protest against the -imminent danger which threatened the integrity of the monarchy in both -worlds, by the introduction of French troops into Spain previous to the -transactions at Bayonne, invited no doubt by one of the Bourbon -factions, in order to usurp the national sovereignty in favour of an -intruder, a foreigner, or a traitor; but as these events are prior to -the period that we have fixed on for our discussion, we will return to -those which have authorised our conduct since the year 1808. - -"Every one is aware of the occurrences that took place at the Escurial -in 1807, but perhaps all are not acquainted with the natural results of -those events. It is not our intention to enter here into the discovery -of the origin of the discord that existed in the family of Charles IV.; -let England and France attribute it to themselves, both governments have -their accusers and their defenders; neither is it to our purpose to -notice the marriage agreed on between Ferdinand and the daughter-in-law -of Napoleon, the peace of Tilsit, the conference at Erfuhrt, the secret -treaty at St. Cloud, and the emigration of the house of Bragansa to the -Brasils. What most materially concerns us is, that by the transactions -of the Escurial, Ferdinand VII. was declared a traitor to his father -Charles IV. A hundred pens and a hundred presses published at the same -time in both worlds his perfidy, and the pardon which at his prayer was -granted to him by his father; but this pardon, as an attribute of the -sovereignty and of paternal authority, only absolved the son from -corporal punishment; the king his father had no power to free him from -the infamy and inability which the constitutional laws of Spain impose -on the traitor, not only to prevent him from obtaining the royal -dignity, but even the lowest office of civil employment; Ferdinand -therefore never could be a lawful king of Spain, or of the Indies. - -"To this condition the heir of the crown remained reduced till the month -of March, 1808, when while the court was at Aranjues, the project that -was frustrated at the Escurial was converted into insurrection, and open -mutiny, by the friends of Ferdinand. The public exasperation against the -ministry of Godoy served as a pretext to the faction of Ferdinand, and -as an indirect plea to convert to the good of the nation what was -perhaps allotted to other designs. The fact of using force against his -father, instead of supplication and convincing arguments; his having -excited the people to mutiny; his having assembled the mob in front of -the palace, in order to take it by surprise, to insult the minister, -and force the king to abdicate his crown, which, far from giving -Ferdinand any title to it, tended to increase his crime, to aggravate -his treachery, and to complete his inability to ascend the throne, -vacated by violence, perfidy, and faction. Charles IV., outraged, -disobeyed, and threatened, had no other alternative suitable to his -decorum, and favourable to his vengeance, than to emigrate to France to -implore the protection of Bonaparte, in favour his offended royal -dignity. Under the nullity of the abdication of Aranjues, and contrary -to the will of the people of Spain, all the Bourbons assembled at -Bayonne, preferring their personal resentments to the safety of the -nation. The emperor of the French availed himself of this opportunity, -and having under his controul, and within his influence the whole family -of Ferdinand, and several of the first Spanish dignitaries, as well as -many substitutes for deputies in the cortes, he obliged Ferdinand to -restore the crown to his father, and then the latter to cede it to him, -the emperor, in order that he might afterwards confer it on his brother -Joseph. - -"When the emissaries of the new King reached Caracas, Venezuela was -ignorant or knew but partially what had happened. The innocence of -Ferdinand, compared to the insolence and despotism of the favourite, -Godoy, directed the conduct of Venezuela when the local authorities -wavered on the fifteenth of July, 1808; and being left to choose between -the alternative of delivering himself up to a foreign power, or of -remaining faithful to a king who appeared to be unfortunate and -persecuted--the ignorance of what had occurred--triumphed over the -interests of the country, and Ferdinand was acknowledged, under the -belief, that by this means, the unity of the nation being maintained, -she would be saved from the oppression that threatened her, and the king -ransomed, of whose virtues, wisdom, and rights we were falsely -prepossessed. But less was requisite on the part of those who relied on -our good faith to oppress us. Ferdinand, disqualified, and unable -legally to obtain the crown--previously announced by the leaders of -Spain as dispossessed of his right of succession--incapable of governing -in America, and held in bondage by a foreign power--from that time -became by illusion a legitimate but unfortunate prince. As many as had -the audacity to call themselves his self-created heirs and -representatives became as such, and taking advantage of the innate -fidelity of the Spaniards of both worlds, and forming themselves into -intrusive governments, they appropriated to themselves the sovereignty -of the people, under the name of a chimerical king, began to exercise -new tyrannies, and, in a word, the commercial junta of Cadiz sought to -extend her controul over the whole of Spanish America. - -"Such have been the antecedents and consequences of an oath, which, -dictated by candour and generosity, and conditionally maintained by good -faith, is now arrayed against us, in order to perpetuate those evils -which the dear-bought experience of three years has proved to be -inseparable to so fatal and ruinous an engagement. Taught as we are by a -series of evils, insults, hardships, and ingratitude, during the -interval of from the fifteenth of July, 1808, to the fifth of July, -1811, and such as we have already manifested, it became full time that -we should abandon it, as a talisman invented by ignorance, and adopted -by a misguided fidelity, as from its first existence it has constantly -heaped upon us all the evils that accompany an ambiguous state of -suspicion and discord. The rights of Ferdinand, and the legitimate -representation of them on the part of the intrusive governments of Spain -on the one side, demonstrations of compassion and gratitude on the -other, have been the two favourite springs alternately played on to -support our illusion, to decrease our substance, to prolong our -degradation, to multiply our evils, and ignominiously to prepare us to -receive that passive fate prepared for us by those who have dealt with -us so kindly for three centuries. Ferdinand VII. is the universal -watch-word for tyranny, as well in Spain as in America. - -"No sooner was that vigilant and suspicious fear, produced among us by -the contradictory acts and artificious falsehoods of the strange and -short-lived governments which have succeeded one another since the junta -of Seville, made known to these governments, than they recurred to a -system of apparent liberality towards us, in order to cover with flowers -the very snare we had not perceived while covered by the veil of -candour, which was at length rent asunder by mistrust. For this purpose -of deceit were accelerated, and tumultuously assembled, the cortes, so -wished for by the nation, and opposed by the commercial government of -Cadiz, but which were at length considered as necessary to restrain the -torrent of liberty and justice, which on every side burst the wounds of -oppression and iniquity in the new world; it was even still supposed -that the habit of obedience, submission, and dependence, would be in us -superior to the conviction which at so high a price we had just -obtained. - -"It is most strange by what kind of deception, fatal to Spain, it has -been believed, that the one part of a nation which crosses the ocean, or -is born under the tropics, acquires a habit united to servitude, and -incapable of bending to the habits of liberty. The effects of this -strong-rooted prejudice, as notorious to the world as they are fatal, -were at length converted into the welfare of America. Without it Spain -would perhaps not have lost the rank she held as a nation, and America -in obtaining this blessing would have had to pass through the bitter -ordeal of a civil war, more ominous to its promoters than to ourselves. - -"Our public papers have already sufficiently demonstrated the defects -under which the cortes laboured respecting America, and the measures as -illegal as insulting adopted by that body to give us a representation -which we could not but object to, even though we were, as the regency -had loudly boasted us to be, integral parts of the nation, and had no -other complaints to allege against their government than the scandalous -usurpation of our rights at a moment when they most required our aid. -They have, no doubt, been informed of the reasonings we used with their -perfidious envoy, Montenegro, at a time that the former missions being -frustrated, the great shipments of newspapers filled with triumphs, -reforms, heroic acts, and lamentations, being rendered useless; and the -inefficacy of blockades, pacificators, squadrons and expeditions, made -known; it was thought convenient to dazzle the self-love of the -Americans, by seating near to the throne of the cortes deputies whom we -had never named, and who could not be chosen our substitutes by those -who created them such, in the same manner as they did others for the -provinces in possession of the French, submitting to, and alleging -themselves content under their domination. In case this puerile measure -of the prolific genius of Spain should not produce a due effect, the -envoy (and for this purpose an American, a native of Caracas, was -selected) was ordered, that in case the energy of the country, now -called rebellion, should prevail against fraternity, (the name given to -perfidy), he was to add fuel to the flame already kindled in Coro and -Maracaibo, and that discord, again raising her serpent head, might lead -the herald of the cortes by the hand under the banner of rebellion -through those deceived districts of Venezuela that had not been able -to-triumph over their oppressing tyrants. - -"Stratagems and artifices were repeatedly forged, in order that -duplicity and cunning might prepare the road for the sanguinary armies -of the chiefs of Coro, Maracaibo, and Puerto Rico; and when the cortes -were convinced that the conduct of Ferdinand, his bonds of affinity with -the emperor of the French, and his influence over all the Bourbons -already placed under his tutelage, began to weaken the insidious -impressions, which fidelity, sustained by illusion, had produced in the -Americans; preventatives were employed to stop the flame already -kindled, and limit it to what was yet necessary for their vast -complicated and dark designs. For this purpose was written the eloquent -manifest which the cortes on the ninth of January directed against -America, worded in a stile worthy of a better object; but under the -brilliancy of diction the dark side of the argument, designed to -deceive, was discovered. Fearing that we should be the first to protest -against the whole of these nullities, they began to calculate on what -was already known, not to risk what was yet hidden. The misfortunes of -Ferdinand were the pretexts that had obtained for his -pseudo-representatives the treasures, submission, and slavery of -America; and Ferdinand seduced, deceived, and prostituted to the designs -of the emperor of the French, is now the last resource to which they fly -to extinguish the flames of liberty which Venezuela had kindled in the -south continent. We have discovered and published the true spirit of the -manifest in question, reduced to the following reasoning, which may be -considered as an exact commentary:--'America is threatened with becoming -the victim of a foreign power, or of continuing to be our slave; but in -order to recover her rights, and to throw off all dependency whatever, -she has considered it necessary not violently to break the bonds that -held her to this country. Ferdinand has been the signal of reunion which -the new world had adopted, and we have followed; he is suspected of -connivance with the emperor of the French, and if we give ourselves up -blindly to him, we afford the Americans a pretext for believing us still -his representatives; and as these designs already begin to be understood -in some parts of America, let us previously manifest our intention not -to acknowledge Ferdinand, except under certain conditions; these will -never be carried into effect, and whilst Ferdinand neither in fact nor -right is our king, we shall reign over America, the country we so much -covet, which although so difficult to preserve in slavery, will not then -so easily slip through our fingers.' Such are the expressions -illustrative of the opinions of Spaniards, agitated in the cortes, -respecting the allegiance to Ferdinand. - -"The above brilliant appearance of liberality is now the real and -visible spring of the complicated machine destined to excite and stir up -commotions in America; at the same time that within the walls of the -cortes justice towards us is overlooked, our efforts are eluded, our -resolutions are contemned, our enemies are supported, the voices of our -imaginary representatives are suppressed, the inquisition is renewed -against them, when the liberty of the press is proclaimed, and it is -controversially discussed whether the regency could or could not declare -us free, and one integral part of the nation. When an American, worthy -of that name, speaks against the abuses of the regency in Puerto Rico, -endeavours are made to silence his just, energetic, and imperious -claims, that distinguish him from the slaves of despotism, and by means -of a short, cunning, and insignificant decree, they strive to avoid the -conflict of justice against iniquity. Melendés, named by the regency -king of Puerto Rico, is by a decree of the cortes left with the -equivalent investiture of a governor, names synonymous in America, -because it now appeared too monstrous to have two kings in a small -island of the Spanish Antilles. Cortavarria only was capable of eluding -the effects of a decree dictated merely by a momentary fit of decency. -It happened that when the investiture, granted by the regency to -Melendes was declared iniquitous, arbitrary, and tyrannical, and a -revocation was extended to all the countries of America, then situated -as was Puerto Rico, nothing was said of the plenipotentiary Cortavarria, -authorized by the same regency against Venezuela, with powers the most -uncommon and scandalous ever registered in the annals of organized -despotism. - -"After this decree of the cortes the effects of discord promoted, -sustained, and denied at the fatal observatory of Puerto Rico were more -severely felt; it was after this decree that the fishermen and coasters -were inhumanly assassinated in Ocumare, by the pirates of Cortavarria, -after the report of which Cumana and Barcelona were blockaded, -threatened, and summoned. A new and sanguinary conspiracy against -Venezuela was formed, and organized by a vile emissary, who perfidiously -entered the peaceable bosom of his country, in order to destroy it; -deceptions were successively practised on the most innocent and -laborious classes of the imported colonists of Venezuela, principally -emigrants from the Canary Islands, and in spite of our endeavours the -chief instigators were led to the block as a sacrifice to justice and to -tranquillity. By the suggestions of the pacificator of the cortes, and -posterior to their said decree, the political union of our constitution -was lacerated in Valencia; attempts were made in vain to reduce other -cities of the interior; a false summons was sent to Carora, by the -factious leaders of the west, to the end that Venezuela might on the -same day be deluged in blood, and sunk in affliction and desolation, and -be hostilely assaulted from every point within the reach of the -conspirators, who were scattered amongst us by the same government that -issued the decree in favour of Puerto Rico and of all America. The name -of Ferdinand VII. is the pretext under which the new world is about to -be laid waste, if the example of Venezuela does not henceforward cause -the standard of our unshaken and established liberty to be distinguished -from the banners of a seditious and dissembled fidelity. - -"The bitter duty of vindicating ourselves would carry us still further, -if we did not dread splitting on the same rocks as have the governments -of Spain, by substituting resentment for justice; at the same time that -we can charge her with three centuries of acts of injustice, we have -opposed three years of lawful, generous, and philanthropic efforts to -obtain what it was never in our power to dispose of, although by nature -ours. Had gall and poison been the chief agents of this our solemn, -true, and candid manifest, we should have begun by destroying the rights -of Ferdinand, in consequence of the illegitimacy of his origin, declared -by his mother at Bayonne, and published in the French and Spanish -papers; we should have proved the personal defects of Ferdinand, his -ineptitude to reign, his weak and degrading conduct in the court at -Bayonne; his inefficient education, and the futile securities that -offered for the realization of the gigantic hopes of the governments of -Spain; hopes founded in the illusion of America, nor any other support -than the political interests of England, much opposed to the rights of -the Bourbons. The public opinion of Spain, and the experience of the -revolution of the kingdom, furnish us with sufficient proofs of the -conduct of the mother, and the qualifications of the son, without -recurring to the manifest of the minister Azanza, published after the -transactions of Bayonne, and the secret memoirs of Maria Luisa; but -decency is the guide of our conduct, to which we are ready to sacrifice -even our reason. Sufficient has already been alleged to prove the -justice, necessity, and utility of our resolution, for the support of -which, nothing is wanting but the examples by which we will strive to -justify our independence. - -"It were necessary for the partizans of slavery in the new world either -to destroy, or to falsify history, that unchangeable monument of the -rights and of the usurpations of the human race, before they could -maintain that America was not liable to the same changes that all other -nations have experienced. Even when the rights of the Bourbons had been -incontestible and indelible, the oath that we have proved never did -exist, the injustice, force, and deceit with which the same was exacted -of us would suffice to render it null and void, so soon as it was found -to be opposed to our liberty, grievous to our rights, prejudicial to our -interests, and fatal to our tranquillity. Such is the nature of an oath -made to the conquerors and to their heirs, at the same time that the -crown holds them in oppression by means of the same additional strength -that it obtained by means of the result of their conquest. It was in -this manner that Spain herself recovered her rights, after she had sworn -allegiance to the Carthagenians, Romans, Goths, Arabs, and almost to the -French; nevertheless she yet disowns the rights of America, no longer to -depend on any nation when she is capable of throwing off the yoke, and -following the example of Spain and of other nations. - -"It would be superfluous to remind our enemies of what they already -knew, and in what they have themselves founded the sacred right of their -own liberty and independence; epochs so memorable, that they ought not -to have been tarnished with the slavery of the greater part of a country -situated on the other side of the ocean. But unfortunately it is not -they alone whom it is necessary to convince by palpable examples of the -justice and common resemblance that our independence bears to that of -all other nations which had lost and again recovered it. The illusions -of slavery, kept alive by the candour of the Americans, and supported by -the most criminal abuse that superstition can form of the established -belief and religion, which one would suppose were only dictated for the -happiness, liberty, and salvation of the people, namely, by the -excommunications denounced against the people of Caracas for changing -their government, render it necessary to tranquillize the deceived piety -of some, to instruct their unwary ignorance, and stimulate their apathy, -that had slumbered since the unusual tranquillity of the new order of -things: in short, it is time to inculcate, that governments never had -nor ever can have any other duration than the utility and happiness of -the human race may require; that kings are not of any privileged nature, -nor of an order superior to other men; that their authority emanates -from the people, directed and supported by the providence of God, who -leaves our actions to our own free-will; that his omnipotence does not -interfere in favour of any peculiar form of government; and that neither -religion nor its ministers can anathematize the efforts of a nation -struggling to be free and independent in the political order of things, -and resolved to depend only on God and his ministers in a moral and -religious sense. - -"The very people of God, governed by himself, and guided by such -miracles, portentous signs and favors as will perhaps never again be -repeated, offer a proof of the rights of insurrection on the part of the -people sufficiently satisfactory to the orthodox piety of the friends -of public order. The subjects of Pharaoh, and bound by force to obey -him, collect round Moses, and under his guidance triumph over their -enemies, and recover their independence without being blamed by God or -his prophet and legislator, Moses, for their conduct, or being subjected -by them to the least malediction or anathema. This same people being -afterwards subjected by the forces of Nebuchadnezzar; first--under the -direction of Holofernes, Judith was sent by God to procure their -independence by the death of the Babylonian general. Under Antiochus, -Epiphanes, Mattathias and his sons raised the standard of independence, -and God blessed and aided their efforts till he obtained the entire -liberty of his people against the oppression of that impious king and -his successors. Not only against the foreign kings who oppressed them -did the Israelites resort to the right of insurrection by breaking -through the obedience to force; but even against those whom God had -given them in their own country and of their own nation do we behold -them claim this imprescriptable right wherever their liberty and their -advantage required it, or when the sacred character of those facts by -which God himself bound them to those he chose as their governors, had -been profaned. David obtained the allegiance of the Israelites in favour -of his dynasty, and his son Solomon ratified it in favour of his -posterity; but at the death of this king, who had oppressed his subjects -by exactions and contributions to support the splendour of his court and -the luxury and sumptuousness of his pleasures, then the tribes of Judah -and Benjamin alone acknowledged his son, and the other ten, availing -themselves of their rights, recovered their political independence, and -in excuse thereof deposited their sovereignty in Jereboam, the son of -Nabath. The momentary and passing hardships of the reign of Solomon were -sufficient for the Israelites to annul their obedience sworn to his -line, and to place another on the throne without waiting for an order -from the Deity, informing them, that their fate no longer depended on -the kings of Judah, nor on the ministers, chiefs, or priests of Solomon. -And shall the Christian people of Venezuela and of all Spanish America -be still in a worse plight, and after being declared free by the -government of Spain after three hundred years of captivity, exactions, -hardships, and injustice, shall they not be allowed to do what the God -of Israel, whom they equally adore, formerly permitted to his people -without being spurned, and without vengeance being hurled upon their -heads? It is his divine hand that guides our conduct, and to his eternal -judgments our resolution shall be submitted. - -"If the independence of the Hebrew people was not a sin against the -written law, that of a Christian people cannot be such against the law -of grace. At no time has the apostolical see excommunicated any nation -that has risen against the tyranny of those kings or governments which -had violated the social compact. The Swiss, Dutch, French, and North -Americans proclaimed their independence, overturned their constitution, -and varied their forms of government without having incurred any other -spiritual censures than those which the church might have fulminated for -the infringements on the belief, discipline, or piety, but without their -being connected with political measures or alluding to the civil -transactions of the people. The Swiss were bound by oath to Germany, as -were also the Dutch to Spain, the French to Louis XVI., and the North -Americans to George III.; yet neither they nor the princes that favoured -their independence were excommunicated by the Pope. The grandfather of -Ferdinand VII., one of the most pious and catholic kings that ever -filled the throne of Spain, together with his nephew, Louis XVI., -protected the independence of North America, without dreading -ecclesiastical censures or the anger of heaven; and now that the order -and succession of events more justly place it within the reach of South -America, those who call themselves the authorized agents of the grandson -wish to abuse that same religion so much respected by Charles III., in -order to prolong the most atrocious and unparalleled usurpations. Just, -omnipotent, and most merciful God! Till when will fanaticism dispute the -empire of that sacred religion which thou sent to the uncorrupted -regions of America for thy glory and her felicity. - -"The events which have accumulated in Europe to terminate the bondage of -America, beyond doubt entered into the high designs of Providence. -Placed at a transatlantic distance of two thousand leagues, we have done -nothing in the three years which have elapsed since we ought to be free -and independent, till the period when we resolved to be so, than pass -through the bitter trials of stratagems, conspiracies, insults, -hostilities, and depredations on the part of that same nation whom we -invite to partake of the good of our regeneration, and for whose -welfare we wished to open the gates of the new world, heretofore closed -to all communication with the old one, now wasted and inflamed by war, -hunger, and desolation. Three distinct oligarchies have declared war -against us, have despised our claims, have excited civil dissensions -amongst us, have sown the seeds of discord and mistrust in our great -family, have planned three horrible conspiracies against our liberty, -have interrupted our trade, have suppressed our agriculture, have -traduced our conduct, and have sought to raise against us an European -power, by vainly imploring its aid to oppress us. The same flag, the -same language, the same religion, the same laws, have till now -confounded the party of liberty with that of tyranny: Ferdinand VII. as -liberator, has been opposed to Ferdinand VII. as oppressor; and if we -had not resolved to abandon a name at the same time synonymous with -crime and virtue, America would in the end be enslaved by the same power -that is exercised for the independence of Spain. - -"Such has been the nature of the imperious impulse of conviction, -tending to open our eyes, and to impel Venezuela to separate eternally -from a name so ominous and so fatal. Placed by it in the irrevocable -alternative of being the slave or the enemy of her brethren, she has -preferred the purchase of her own freedom at the expense of friendship, -without destroying the means of that reconciliation she desired. The -most powerful reasons, the most serious meditations, the most profound -considerations, long discussions, contested debates, well analyzed -combinations, imperious events, imminent dangers, and the public opinion -clearly pronounced and firmly sustained, have been the precursors of -that solemn declaration made on the fifth of July, by the general -congress of Venezuela, of the absolute independence of this part of -South America; an act sighed for and applauded by the people of the -capital, sanctioned by the powers of the confederation, acknowledged by -the representatives of the provinces, sworn to and hailed by the chief -of the church of Venezuela, and to be maintained with the lives, -fortunes, and honour of all the citizens. - -"Freemen, companions of our fate! Ye who have known how to divest your -hearts of fear, or of hope; give from the elevation on which your -virtues have placed you an impartial and disinterested look on the -portrait that Venezuela has just traced out to you. She constitutes you -the arbitrators of her differences with Spain, and the judges of her new -destinies. If you have been affected by our evils, and are interested -in our felicity, unite your efforts with ours, that the artifices of -ambition may not any longer triumph over liberality and justice. - -"To you it belongs to convince Spain of what an unfortunate rivalship -places beyond the reach of America. Refrain the giddiness that has -seized on her new governments; point out to them the reciprocal -advantages of our regeneration; unfold to them the soothing prospect -that they are prevented from beholding in America by that monopoly which -has hardened their hearts; tell them what threatens them in Europe, and -point out to them what they may expect in America, tranquil, -uncorrupted, and already covered with all the blessings of liberty; nay -swear to them in our name, that Venezuela awaits her brethren with open -arms to share with them her happiness without asking any other sacrifice -than that of prejudice, pride, and ambition, which for three centuries -have produced the united misery of both countries." - - "Juan Antonio Rodriguez Dominguez, _President_." - - "Francisco Isnardy, _Secretary_." - - "_Federal Palace of Caracas, July 30th, 1811._" - -FOOTNOTES: - -[1] The occurrences at Quito also bear testimony to this. - -[2] Montufar, Villavicencio, Goyoneche. - -[3] Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - State of Lima....Expedition to Chile, under Colonel Gainsa....Exit - of....Regiment of Talavera arrives from Spain....Part of sent to - Huamanga....Revolution of Cusco and Arequipa....Death of Pumacagua, - and the Patriot Melgar....Arrival of Flags taken by Osoria in - Chile....Viceroy Abascal superseded by Pesuela....Character of the - former....Beginning of Pesuela's Administration....Arrival of La - Serna....State of Lima to 1817....Battle of Chacabuco in - Chile....Extract of a Journal....New Expedition to Chile under - Osoria....News of Battle of Maypu....Loss of the Spanish Frigate - Maria Isabel, and part of Convoy....Arrival of Lord Cochrane off - Callao. - - -The preceding manifest from Venezuela, shewing the principal grievances -of the Americans in that particular part of the country, was equally -applicable to the colonists in general; but many of the provinces -laboured under peculiar disadvantages and oppressions, particularly -those situated on the western side of the continent; nor were the -creoles the first nor the loudest in their clamours. The Spanish -merchants felt very severely the decrease of their monopoly, by the -non-arrival of vessels from Cadiz, as well as by the arrival of several -vessels, under Hamburgh colours, with British cargoes and masters, -under the protection of passports from the constituted sovereignties of -Spain; the large planters also felt the want of new importations of -slaves, and although the Creoles suffered equally with the Spaniards, -yet accustomed to suppress their feelings, they remained silent, while -the former were loud in their deprecations. The sugar planters began, -under the sanction of the new laws of the constitution and the cortes to -manufacture rum, to the detriment of the owners of vineyards at Pisco -and Cañete, many of whom were Spaniards. Secret meetings were held in -every part of the city; those of the Spaniards were permitted by the -government under the pretence that they were innocent or virtuous, while -those of the natives were called seditious and unwarrantable. Every -opportunity was taken to lull the people with stories of victories -obtained against the insurgents in Upper Peru, and the most tyrannical -espionage was set on foot by the government, for the purpose of -thwarting any communication of the true state of affairs in America, -when the government of Peru could only expect support from the native -troops. Every thing seemed to augur to the government in Lima the fate -of those of the other capitals of South America; indeed Mexico and Lima -were the only two capitals that preserved their ancient authorities; -the other two viceroyalties, Buenos Ayres and Santa Fé, and the -captain-generalships and presidencies of Chile, Chuquisaca, Quito and -Caracas, with the greater part of the governments of South America, were -under the protection of their own constituted authorities, and declared -by the Spanish Viceroys in open war with the mother country. - -Colonel Gainsa was sent with an expedition against the revolted Chileans -in 1812, and having landed at Talcahuano, he marched towards the -capital: his successes were the continued boast of the Spaniards in -Lima, who insulted with taunts the creoles respecting their inferiority, -forgetting that the army of Gainsa was almost exclusively formed of -natives; however, in 1813 it was found that the career of Gainsa was at -an end, and that he had come to terms with the insurgents, the principal -import of which was, that things should remain as they then were, until -the decision of the cortes in Spain; for the purpose of obtaining which -the Chileans should send their deputies. This treaty was guaranteed by -Captain Hillyer, and sent to Lima for the ratification of the Viceroy, -who, expecting troops from Spain, deferred its signature. In April, -1813, the regiment of Talavera arrived, and Abascal followed the example -of the Count Ruis; he declared that Gainsa had no powers to capitulate, -and prepared another expedition against Chile. - -The arrival of Spanish troops made the resident Spaniards more imperious -and insolent than ever; but they had soon cause to regret having -solicited the assistance of an armed force from Spain, for all the -expenses incurred in the equipment of the expedition at Cadiz were -ordered to be defrayed by the merchants of Lima. The officers and -soldiers were also of the worst character, the former having been -expelled from different corps in the mother country for crimes which -they had there committed, and the latter were taken from the common -gaols, places of exile, and the galleys. The insolence of these -protectors was not limited to any class of people in Lima: they had been -informed in Spain, that the booty or plunder of the insurgents in -America would make them as rich in the nineteenth century as that of the -indians had rendered their forefathers in the sixteenth; thus robberies -and even murders were committed under the sanction of rich promises; and -it was dreaded by the government, that the very force sent to protect -them would cause a revolution, or perhaps head one in Lima; however an -opportunity presented itself to dispose of two hundred of the nine that -had arrived. The Cacique Pucatoro revolted at Huamanga, deposed the -Spanish authorities, and declared himself in favour of the Buenos Ayres -army: this blow so near to Lima called for an immediate remedy. Two -hundred soldiers of Talavera were sent to quell the rebel Indian, who -led them into a narrow ravine, and ascended the mountains on each side, -where large piles of stones had been so artfully placed, that by -removing one, placed as a key-stone, the whole mass rolled down the -sides of the mountains, and not one of the Spaniards escaped. The -victorious indians then continued throwing and rolling down pieces of -rock till they had completely buried their enemies. This patriotic -Cacique was afterwards taken prisoner by a party of troops sent from -Cusco, and was hanged and quartered at Huamanga. - -This disgraceful expedition only tended to render the Spanish soldiers -more insolent; and it became a difficult matter to prevent an open -revolt. - -Early in July, 1813, the transports for a new expedition to Chile were -ready, and, on the thirteenth, Colonel Maroto and the troops of Talavera -embarked for Talcahuano. Lima resumed her tranquillity, with what she -considered her safety, and the departure of the protecting force was -hailed as that of an insolent and oppressive enemy. But the calm was not -of long duration. The news from the north, of the conquests in Quito by -General Montes was accompanied by that of the revolution of Cusco in the -south, and the possession of Arequipa by the Cacique Pumacagua; this -threatened the most fatal consequences to Lima; however, General Ramires -was sent from Upper Peru with a division of the army, then under the -command of General Pesuela, and retook Cusco and Arequipa, where he put -the old Cacique and upwards of a hundred of his followers to death, -among whom was my particular friend, Jose Maria Melgar. - -Friendship and admiration demand of me a short account of this virtuous -youth. He was a native of Arequipa, and educated for the bar at Lima: he -had retired to his native city, and was on the eve of marriage with a -female whom he loved. Pumacagua arrived at Arequipa, and took it; Melgar -was a patriot, he offered his services to the Cacique-general, they were -accepted, and he was appointed judge advocate to the army. On the -capture by Ramires, Melgar was apprehended, tried, and sentenced to be -shot. His parents, his relations, and his friends solicited his pardon, -which was promised, on condition that he would publicly recant: to this -he objected, and he was led to the place of execution. - -The assisting priest seated himself on the stool, and Melgar knelt to -confess his sins, invoke a pardon, and receive absolution; but he -suddenly rose from his knees, and, in a state of agitation, said to his -confessor, "Is it possible that you should here speak to me of things of -this world! It was your duty to speak to me of those in the next, which -I am on the verge of witnessing: this world must soon cease to exist for -me, and I had hoped to have left it in peace; but your request and -promises have unsettled my mind, and agitated my soul. I took a part in -the cause of my country; I believed it to be my duty, I did it, I -considered it just; I embraced it, and I die for having done my duty, -and only regret at this moment that I shall not die so calmly as I -expected. You, father, who ought to have endeavoured to create -tranquillity in my soul in my last moments, have destroyed my -peace!"--He then asked the adjutant if he might be allowed to smoke a -segar, which being granted, he turned round and said, "will any one for -the love of God give me a segar?" A soldier handed him one; he sat down -on the stool, and smoked about half the segar, knocked off the ashes, -and threw it aside; he then thanked the adjutant and the soldier, and -said "thank heaven I am again calm and resigned; now, Sir, do your -duty." The bandage was ordered to be tied over his eyes, but he begged -that this ceremony might be omitted: "I am not afraid to die," said he, -and clasping his hands over his eyes, he exclaimed, "this will do!" The -fatal signal was then given--the soldiers fired, and the virtuous -patriot Melgar fell! The executioners muttered, "so may the enemies of -Spain perish;" but the genii of American liberty sang for joy, and the -response was--so may the sons of America evince to posterity, that no -sacrifice is too great for a true PATRIOT! - -The arrival of new troops from Spain in 1814, the defeat of the -Chileans, and the occupation of Santiago by General Osorio; the victory -of Vilcapugio in Upper Peru by Pesuela, all seemed to threaten American -independence, and the Spaniards grew more insolent and haughty. The -colours taken by Osorio in Chile were brought to Lima and carried in -procession to the church of Santo Domingo, where they were presented at -the altar of the Rosary, and there deposited. The new president and -captain-general of Chile, Don Casimiro Marcó arrived, and proceeded to -his presidency. The finances began to be insufficient for the payment of -the troops, and those from Spain marched from their barracks in la -Recoleta, and took possession of the citadel, Santa Catalina, where they -declared, that unless the government paid them their arrears, they would -pay themselves; assuring the natives at the same time, that no -hostilities should be committed against them. The alarm was so great, -that the Viceroy Abascal sent a message to the soldiers, declaring, that -their request should be complied with; but he received for answer, that -they would not alter their determination until the money due was -actually paid to them. The Viceroy then went in person, and harangued -the troops; but he received only a repetition of the former answer; nor -did they desist until their arrears were paid. - -In 1815 the Viceroy Abascal was superseded by General Don Joaquin de la -Pesuela, when he immediately retired to Spain. On the arrival of the new -Viceroy, the city was entertained with the _entrada publica_, public -entry, balls, feasts, and bull-fights, with all of which his predecessor -Abascal, had dispensed on his arrival, not wishing to oppress the city -with such unnecessary expenses. - -It is due to the Viceroy Abascal to say, that his prudence preserved -the capital to the crown of Spain; and although no Viceroy of Peru had -ever more accidental duties to attend to, or more critical affairs to -manage, yet Lima is indebted to him for the foundation of the college of -San Fernando, instituted for medicine and surgery; the pantheon or -general cemetery, and the absolute prohibition of burying within the -walls of the city; the rebuilding of the college del Principe, for the -study of Latin; the thorough repair of the city walls; as well as -several excellent police establishments; and notwithstanding the public -feeling at this time in Lima, he was accompanied to Callao by all the -respectable inhabitants, and his departure was a day of mourning in the -city: such are generally the sentiments, even towards an enemy, when -moderation has presided at his councils, and justice has guided his -actions. - -Pesuela, the hero of Huiluma and Vilcapugio, on taking cognizance of the -treasury, discovered what was too well known to his predecessor--the low -state of the funds: many plans were proposed for replenishing them; -donations were at first solicited, and afterwards contributions were -exacted; but these were incompetent to support the expenses of the -government and the army, which, during the first years of warfare, -levied large sums of money, as well on friends as on enemies, and -derived some support from the different royal treasuries at Arequipa, at -Cusco, Charcas, and other cities in Upper Peru; but, notwithstanding -these temporary resources, the means continued to fail, and the -exigences continued to increase. The equipment of expeditions to Quito, -Upper Peru, and Chile; the demand of arrears by the troops that arrived -from Spain, and the necessary remittances for the support of the royal -armies, preyed heavily on the national funds, so much so, that the -treasury dreaded a bankruptcy. The pay of all civil officers was reduced -one-third, and at last a viceregal decree was issued, augmenting the -tithes from ten to fifteen per cent.: this impost caused the greatest -consternation throughout the country, and met with strong opposition -from the inhabitants; many of the provinces refused to pay, and the -governors were unable to exact it for want of an armed force to protect -them against the fury of the people. - -General Ramires was left by Pesuela in the command of the army of Upper -Peru; but he was soon superseded by General Don Jose de la Serna, who -landed at Arica, and proceeded direct to head quarters. This general was -sent by the king to command the army, and with power to act -independently of the Viceroy, at a time when any change in the -established order of things was likely to be most productive of injury -to the Spanish cause, and to this may be attributed the inactivity of -the army under La Serna. - -The tranquillity experienced in Lima till the beginning of 1817 induced -the Spaniards to believe that all was well: Chile was quiet, the enemy -made no advances in Upper Peru, Quito was under the dominion of Spain, -Morillo victorious in Venezuela and Santa Fé; the Mexican insurgent -chief, Morelos, had ceased to exist; Ferdinand was restored to his -throne; the constitution was abolished; the inquisition was -re-established, and monarchical despotism had resumed its seat; new -auxiliary troops were preparing in Spain to give the last blow to the -patriots in America, and the most sanguine American began to droop for -the cause of his country. But a change, unexpected by the Spaniards, and -unhoped for by the Americans, took place in Chile on the twelfth of -February, 1817, the news of which reached Lima on the ninth of March. -This was no less than the entire defeat of the Spanish army at -Chacabuco by General O'Higgins: the victory has generally been -attributed, but most unjustly, to General San Martin, who was not even -present in the action. The following is an extract from the journal of a -Spaniard with whom I was acquainted in Lima. - -"February 4th, Don Miguel Atero, chief of the staff, informed the -government of Santiago, that the enemy had surprised the guards of the -Andes, placed about twelve leagues in advance of Santa Rosa, -(twenty-five leagues from the capital) and that of seventy-five men, -thirteen only had escaped, bringing with them the news, that the enemy -was advancing; at the same time Major Vila reported to the government, -that the advanced guard at the paso de los Patos had reconnoitred the -enemy, and requested a reinforcement. Atero immediately sent a company -of Talavera infantry, and then retreated with the division of the army -stationed at Santa Rosa, to Chacabuco, leaving behind him two pieces of -artillery, ammunition, baggage, and warlike stores: the force stationed -at Santa Rosa amounted to about four hundred men. - -"February 5th, the Captain-general Marcó ordered Colonel Quintanilla to -join the army at Chacabuco, with the battalion of carabiniers; they -arrived on the 6th, when Quintanilla immediately advanced to the convent -of Curimon to reconnoitre the enemy in Villa Vieja, and having reported -to Atero that their number did not exceed six hundred, an attack was -immediately ordered, which took place on the morning of the seventh. - -"The cavalry engaged that of the enemy in a place called de las Comas; -the crafty enemy retired towards the Cordillera, and halted at Putendo, -where they were joined by an ambuscade of a hundred horse. Our infantry -did not advance with the cavalry, so that as soon as they were -overpowered by the enemy they fled in the greatest disorder towards our -infantry for support; on their return, to their great surprise they -found that the infantry also was in a disordered retreat, without having -taken part in the action, and also that the commander in chief, Atero, -had fled. Colonel Quintanilla now took the command, and collected the -dispersed soldiers; he placed the infantry in the centre, and flanked it -with the cavalry, although harrassed in the rear by the enemy in his -retreat. Having at length reached Villa Vieja, a council of war was held -by the officers, and it was resolved to continue their march to Curimon; -on their arrival they learnt that the enemy was about to renew the -attack; on hearing which, Colonel Marqueli, to whom Atero had given the -command, continued his march to Chacabuco. The victorious army took up -its quarters in Villa Vieja: our loss was about thirty carabiniers. -There is no doubt that the whole of our loss is to be attributed to -Atero, who, observing a party of the enemy's cavalry on an eminence to -the right, exclaimed, "we are cut off!" when he immediately mounted his -horse and fled. At ten o'clock at night the news arrived at Santiago, -and the greatest confusion began to prevail. - -"On the morning of February 8th, the two judges, Pereyra and Caspi, and -the general of brigade, Olaguer Feliu, fled to Valparaiso. - -"On the 9th, Colonel Barañao arrived at Santiago with Colonel Eloriga, -and 360 hussars. - -"On the 10th, Lieutenant-colonel Morgado arrived with 450 dragoons; at -ten o'clock at night Brigadier-general Maroto was appointed by Marcó to -take the chief command: our whole force consisted of 1000 cavalry and -1100 infantry. - -"On the 12th, at six o'clock in the afternoon, an officer arrived at -Santiago with a verbal communication from General Maroto, declaring, -that he had suffered a total defeat. This was confirmed on the 13th by -the arrival of Maroto and Quintanilla; Marcó had left the city with -about 1500 men, and resolved on renewing the attack; but after more -private conversation with Maroto, he returned to the capital, and -summoned a council of war. After a long conference nothing was -determined on, and the sub-inspector-general Bernedo, the judge advocate -Lescano, and the commandant of artillery, Cacho, fled to Valparaiso. -From the 13th at noon to the evening of the 14th, officers, soldiers and -civilians continued to arrive at Valparaiso, where they embarked on -board several vessels then at anchor in the bay, and fled to Lima; but -it was not known till our arrival at Callao, that the president Marcó -was left behind at the mercy of Bernardo O'Higgins, to whom the -insurgents owe their victory, and we our disgrace." - -The most astonishing difference in the behaviour of the Spaniards was -now observable. The haughty Maroto, who, when in Lima with his regiment -of Talavera, despised and insulted every one, now that he had neither an -officer nor a soldier left, was humbled, and the bow of a negro or an -indian was most courteously answered by this vaunting coward. - -New insurrections in the provinces of Upper Peru began to break out; -the victories of General Bolivar in Colombia became known, and although -reports from the mother country were flattering, yet the repeated -requisitions for money were distressing. - -Notwithstanding this state of affairs, the Viceroy Pesuela determined on -another expedition to Chile, the command of which was again given to -General Osorio. The Spanish troops consisted of a battalion of hussars -and the regiment of Burgos, the best troops that had arrived from -Europe. Their destination was to Talcahuano, which place, as it had been -fortified by the Spaniards, was still held by them, with the auxiliary -troops of Chile. For the equipment of this expedition, the Viceroy took -possession of the treasury belonging to the commissariat of the -crusades, money, which in the opinion of all the lower classes, could -only be appropriated to the support of war against Turks, Moors and -Infidels, and the greatest clamour was raised when it was applied to the -purpose of waging civil war with Christians. This treasure being -insufficient, that called of the holy places, _santos lugares_, at -Jerusalem, was also added to that of the bulls. - -After many difficulties had been surmounted, the expedition left Callao -in October, 1817; and calculating on its success, the Spaniards again -resumed their arrogance, which in some was carried to such an extreme as -to enter into a bond with one another of two thousand dollars never -again to employ a creole. A Spaniard said to me one evening, that he had -six children, but if he thought that they would ever be insurgents, he -would go to their beds and smother them. - -This chivalrous fanaticism had risen to such a height, that a Peruvian -officer, Landasuri, said, in the presence of Pesuela, that he hated his -father and mother, because he was born in America, and that if he knew -in what part of his body the American blood circulated, he would let it -out; however Pesuela reprimanded him severely for such unnatural -expressions. - -Nothing but reports of victories arrived from Chile, the bells scarcely -ever ceased ringing in Lima, and the choristers were hoarse with -chanting Te Deums; the haughtiness of the Spaniards became -insupportable; they paraded the streets in triumph, and, forming -themselves into groups, insulted every creole who chanced to pass them. -But their insolence was at its highest pitch in April, 1818, when the -news of the victory over San Martin and O'Higgins at Cancha-rayada -arrived; they considered Osorio more than a human being; his wisdom and -valour were the theme of the pulpit, the palace, the coffee-house, and -the brothel. The hero Osorio was at Santiago; he would soon cross the -Andes, and release his virtuous and brave countrymen from their dungeons -at San Luis and las Bruscas, and with the reinforcements expected from -Spain, in a convoy under the protection of the Spanish frigate Maria -Isabel, he would conquer the Buenos Ayreans, and return to Lima with the -heads of San Martin, O'Higgins, and those of all the other chiefs of the -banditties. - -This ferment of insolence and insults continually increased till the -evening of the fourth of May, when about ten o'clock at night a -_valancin_, post chaise, drove up to the gates of the viceregal palace, -bringing the hero Osorio, and the news of his total defeat at Maypu. On -the morning of the fifth a creole was allowed to pass the streets -unmolested, and might even presume to seat himself in a coffee-house at -the same table with a Spaniard. Confusion and dismay were visible in the -countenances of the royalists, the great Osorio suddenly became an -ignorant coward, who had sacrificed his countrymen, and indecently fled -to save his own life; even the Americans were now courted to join the -Spaniards in declamations against the late demi-god Osorio, and no hope -was left but that the arrival of the expedition from Spain would -retrieve the losses occasioned by the dastardly conduct of this chief. - -The first news, however, which they obtained of the issue of the boasted -expedition was, that the soldiers of La Trinidad, one of the transports, -had murdered their officers, taken possession of the vessel, and carried -her to Buenos Ayres; this was seconded in November, 1818, with the news, -that the Maria Isabel and part of her convoy had been taken at -Talcahuano and the island of Santa Maria by the insurgents of Chile; and -this blow was aggravated with the abandonment of Talcahuano, the strong -hold of the Spaniards in Chile, by General Sanches, who took the command -after Osorio fled. Still there was gall in reserve for the humbled -Spaniards. The Chilean squadron, commanded by the Right Honourable Lord -Cochrane, made its appearance off Callao on the twenty-eighth of -February, 1819, his lordship's flag waving at the main of the -ex-Spanish frigate Maria Isabel, now the Chilean flag ship O'Higgins. - -It became impossible for me to remain longer in Lima, so I left that -city for the Barranca, where I arrived on the first of March. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - State of Lima on the Arrival of the Chilean Squadron....Arrival of - at Huacho....At Supe....Chilean Naval Force, how composed.... - Capture of the Maria Isabel by Commodore Blanco....Arrival of Lord - Cochrane....Appointed Admiral....Leaves Valparaiso....Arrives at - Callao, Huacho, Barranca, Huambacho....Proclamation of Cochrane, - San Martin, and O'Higgins....Description of Huambacho....Paita - taken....Proceed to Valparaiso....Arrival....Description of.... - Road from Valparaiso to Santiago. - - -The arrival of the Chilean squadron on the coast of Peru produced at -once a dread that this part of South America would become the theatre of -war, and that retaliating fate would inflict on this part of the -colonies all the distresses which had been so universally spread among -the others: it was feared, that the calamities produced by invasion -would now be wreaked on it in return for those that had been experienced -in the provinces of Upper Peru, Quito and Chile. War was at the very -door, and the system of offence had almost rendered that of defence -nugatory. It was believed that an army accompanied the squadron; and -the patriots of Lima busied themselves in surmising which would be the -point of debarkation. On Wednesday, the third of March, a rumour arrived -at the capital, that the land forces would debark at Ancon, five leagues -to the northward of Lima; at midnight the report of rockets was heard in -the large street in the suburbs of San Lasaro, called Malambo; this was -supposed by the patriots to be a signal for reunion; and by the -royalists, of the landing of the army: upwards of a thousand of the -former immediately repaired to Malambo, and so completely filled the -street, that the cavalry sent by the government could not pass the mob, -and they retired to the bridge: both parties were anxiously inquiring -the cause of the reports, and both retired without obtaining any -satisfactory information: had the squadron landed five hundred more, and -marched to the city, there is not the least doubt but that with the -assistance of the native inhabitants, they would have entered and taken -possession of Santa Catalina and the different barracks, as the number -of Spanish troops at that time did not exceed three hundred. - -On the 29th of March, part of the squadron anchored in the bay of -Huacho, for the purpose of obtaining news from the patriots on shore, -and also of landing two spies, sent down by the Chilean government, as -well as for the distribution of proclamations and other papers. Lord -Cochrane here received the intelligence, that a quantity of money, -belonging to the Phillipine company, had been sent down to Huarmey to be -embarked in the North American schooner Macedonia, and that another -considerable sum was on the road to the same destination; and as the -port of the Barranca was better calculated for the purpose of -intercepting the treasure than that of Huacho, the O'Higgins and the -brig Galvarino dropped down to it, and a party of marines were sent -ashore, and took the money in the river of the Barranca before the -muleteers could cross it. This was effected without any opposition from -the Spanish soldiers that were sent to protect it as a guard. Mr. -Eliphalet Smith, of the United States, at first claimed the money; but -he afterwards signed a document which specified the names of its true -owners; this was also corroborated by several documents which Mr. Smith -delivered to his lordship. - -During the few days that the Chilean vessels of war remained at Huacho, -the indians were at first allowed by the governor to take down to the -beach their fruit and vegetables, and sell to them; but the commandant -of the county militia having collected about two hundred of his troops, -ordered the Indians to desist, and in the most insolent manner commanded -Lord Cochrane to depart, unless he wished to be driven out of the port. -On receiving this message his lordship immediately ordered the marines -to land and march to Huaura, which was done, and the town taken: indeed -the troops never attempted to defend it, but fled with their chief at -their head: the property belonging to the government at the custom house -and the _estanco_ of tobacco were taken on board: no private property -was touched. After this the trade with the indians was resumed; however, -on the departure of the squadron, five young indians were apprehended, -tried by a court martial, without their even having been soldiers; and, -contrary to the laws of the country, they were sentenced to death and -shot, without any other reason being assigned to their -protector-general, Manco Yupanqui, in Lima, than that it was necessary -to set such an example, because it might deter others from having any -communication with the insurgents. - -Such were the feelings of the people in this part of Peru, that the -inhabitants of the village, called Supe, deposed the alcalde, who was a -Spaniard, and declared themselves independent; but after the departure -of the squadron, the principal ringleaders, Villanueva and Aranda, -retired to a farm in the interior, where they bade defiance to the -Viceroy and his powers. These two, with Reyes, a respectable farmer, -Franco, Requena, a priest, and myself, were summoned to a court martial; -but having embarked in the flag ship, we could not appear, in -consequence of which we were sentenced to death, declared contumacious, -and all justices were authorized to apprehend any or all of us, and put -the sentence into immediate execution. - -Before I proceed with the operations of the Chilean squadron, I shall -give some account of its origin, and the arrival of Lord Cochrane to -take the command. - -The brig Pueyrredon of fourteen guns was the first vessel of war that -the state possessed: the brig Araucana of sixteen, and the sloop -Chacabuco of twenty-two, were afterwards purchased. Captain Guise -brought out the brig Galvarino of eighteen guns, formerly in the British -service, and sold it to the government; the San Martin of sixty-four -guns, and the Lantaro of forty-four, were two East Indiamen, purchased -by the state, and converted into vessels of war. When Chile was -possessed of this force, the news arrived of the sailing of the -expedition from Cadiz, under the convoy of the Maria Isabel, and having -obtained possession of the orders given to the captains of the -transports from the Trinidad that entered Buenos Ayres, and of their -rendezvous in the Pacific, Don Manuel Blanco was appointed to command -the Chilean vessels of war, San Martin, flag ship, Captain Wilkinson, -commander; Lantaro, Captain Worster; and the Araucana: they had the good -luck to take the frigate, Maria Isabel in the bay of Talcahuano on the -twenty-eighth of October, 1818, and four of the transports off the bay -and at the island of Santa Maria. On the seventeenth of November the -victorious Blanco entered Valparaiso with his prizes, amid -manifestations of joy in this port. The government of Chile, to -commemorate the action, ordered a badge of honour to be presented to -Commodore Blanco and each of his officers: this was a scutcheon of a -pale green colour, having a trident in the centre, with the motto, "this -first essay gave to Chile the dominion of the Pacific"--_este primer -ensayo dió a Chile el dominio del Pacifico_. - -The naval force of Chile having a native as commander in chief, and the -captains, officers, and crews composed principally of foreigners, must -of course have been conducted in a very irregular manner; and as Don -Manuel Blanco had never served in a situation higher than that of an -ensign, alferes, in the Spanish navy, it could not be expected that he -was competent to fill that of a commander in chief, and to conduct with -either honour to himself or profit to his country the operations of a -body composed of such discordant materials as the squadron of Chile then -was. It must be recollected, notwithstanding, that he added a page of -glory to the annals of South American naval triumphs by the capture of -the Maria Isabel of forty-eight guns, and part of her convoy. - -For the future success of the Chilean navy, the welfare of the state, -the progress of independence, and the consummation of South American -emancipation, LORD COCHRANE arrived at Valparaiso, on the twenty-eighth -of November, 1818. The known valour of this chief, his love of rational -liberty, and the voluntary sacrifice which he had made by accepting a -command in the new world, had reached Chile before the hero himself, and -his arrival was hailed with every demonstration of jubilee by the -natives. Before his arrival, however, Captain Spry, an Englishman, and -Captain Worster, a North American, both in the Chilean service, had -been very loud in declaiming against him; without alleging any other -reason, than that it was quite contrary to all republican principles to -allow a "nobleman" to retain his title in the service; but the true -motive was too visible to escape the most blunted apprehension. -Commodore Blanco had then the command of the squadron, and these -gentlemen had assured themselves that they could controul him just as -they chose, on account of his indifferent knowledge of his duties as -commander in chief, and especially as he had to manage British seamen. -This with all possible delicacy had been mentioned to Blanco, together -with many whispers detrimental to the character of Lord Cochrane. On the -arrival of his lordship, Commodore Blanco was one of the first to hail -him as the preserver of the liberties of his country, and to offer his -services under the command of his lordship; and thus the patriotic -Chilean smothered dissention in the bud, and left its cultivators to -feel the rankling of those thorns which they themselves had planted. - -A few days after the arrival of Lord Cochrane he received from the -government of Chile his commission as Vice-admiral of Chile, Admiral and -Commander in Chief of the naval forces of the Republic; and on the -twenty-second of December he hoisted his flag at the main of the -ex-Maria Isabel, now the O'Higgins, which flag Chile can exultingly say, -was never hauled down until the last Spanish flag in the Pacific had -acknowledged its empire, and either directly or indirectly struck to it. -At the close, when the fleet had finished its career of glory, it was -lowered by the same individual who hoisted it; it dropped like the sun -in the west, while the descendants of the Incas blessed it, for the -benefits they had received, with songs of heartfelt gratitude. - -On the sixteenth of January, 1819, Lord Cochrane left the port of -Valparaiso on board the O'Higgins, Captain Forster, with the San Martin -bearing the flag of Rear-admiral Blanco, Captain Wilkinson, the Lantaro, -Captain Guise, and the Galvarino, Captain Spry; the Chacabuco, Captain -Carter, followed, but a mutiny taking place on board, he entered -Coquimbo, where the principal mutineers were landed, sentenced by a drum -head court martial, and shot. - -Lord Cochrane chose the first day of the carnival for his first entrance -into the bay of Callao, suspecting that the whole of the inhabitants -would be engaged in the follies of the season--but he was deceived. The -Viceroy Pesuela had chosen that day for one of his visits to Callao, -and was sailing about the bay in the brig of war Pesuela; when the -Chilean squadron appeared off the headland of San Lorenzo, the captain -at first mistook the Chilean vessels for Spanish merchantmen expected -from Europe; however, fortunately for himself and the party, he -immediately came to an anchor under the batteries. The circumstance of -the visit of the Viceroy had caused the whole of the military force to -be under arms, and the whole of the batteries were manned. A thick fog -coming on, the San Martin, Lantaro, and Galvarino, lost sight of the -flag ship; however, without waiting for them, the admiral stood close in -under the forts, and dropped his anchor; a very brisk cannonading -immediately commenced, and the dead calm that followed obliged his -lordship to remain alone nearly two hours, under the continued -cannonading from ashore, besides a brisk fire from the two Spanish -frigates Esmeralda and Vengansa, brigs Pesuela and Maypu, and seven -gun-boats. As soon as the breeze sprang up, the O'Higgins stood out, -having sustained very little damage either in her hull or rigging, and -without a single person on board having been killed. The north corner of -the Real Felipe was considerably shattered by the shot from the -O'Higgins, and thirteen persons were killed on shore. - -His lordship next entered into a correspondence with the Viceroy, -concerning the treatment which the prisoners of war (Chileans and Buenos -Ayreans) had received, and were actually receiving in the Casas Matas of -Callao; the Viceroy denied that they had received any ill treatment, -asserted that they were considered as prisoners of war, although rebels, -and traitors to their king, and concluded by expressing his surprise, -that a nobleman of Great Britain should so far have forgotten his -dignity, as to head a gang of traitors against their legitimate -sovereign, and his lawfully constituted authorities. To this his -lordship replied by saying, that the glory of every Englishman was his -freedom, and that this had entitled him to choose to command the vessels -of war of a free country, in preference to that of a nation of slaves--a -command which had been offered to him by the Duke de San Carlos in the -name of his master, Ferdinand VII. - -The following proclamations were distributed along the coasts of Peru, -and sent also to the Viceroy. - -Lord Cochrane to the inhabitants of Lima, and other towns of Peru: - -COMPATRIOTS! I flatter myself, that ere long I shall address you more -cordially with this epithet. The repeated echoes of liberty in South -America have been heard with pleasure in every part of enlightened -Europe, and more particularly in Great Britain; I, not being able to -resist the desire of joining in the defence of a cause that was -interesting to all mankind, the felicity of half the new world to -thousands of generations, have determined to take an active part in it. -The republic of Chile has confided to me the command of her naval -forces. To these the dominion of the Pacific must be consigned; by their -co-operation your chains of oppression must be broken. Doubt not but -that the day is at hand, on which, with the annihilation of despotism, -and the infamous condition of colonists which now degrades you, you will -rise to fill the rank of a free nation; that august title to which your -population, your riches, your geographical position in the world, and -the course of events naturally call you. But it is your duty to -co-operate in preparing for this success, to remove obstacles, and to -pursue the path to glory: under the assurance that you will receive the -most efficacious assistance from the government of Chile, and your true -friend, - -COCHRANE. - -Don Jose de San Martin, to the soldiers of the army of Lima: - -Soldiers of the army of Lima!--The object of my march towards the -capital of Peru is to establish an eternal reconciliation for the -happiness of all. Nine years of horror have inundated America with blood -and tears. You have been oppressed and fatigued with the evils of war, -undertaken by the proud agents of Spain, to satisfy their own passions, -and not for the good of the nation. The opinions and the arms of this -part of the world will soon be presented before Lima, to put an end to -so many misfortunes. You will only prolong the sterile sacrifice, if, -blind to the irresistible force of the general will, you attempt to -support so rash an enterprize. Each of you has belonged to the cause of -the people; each of you belongs to the cause of humanity; the duties of -a soldier cannot alter those of nature. The soldiers of the Patria, as -faithful in the path of honour as in that of victory, are terrible only -to the enemies of liberty. They set a higher price on the value of a -victory, more from the injustice which it prevents, than for the glory -they acquire. Fly then from the ignominy of perishing with your -detestable tyrants. In the ranks of your brother patriots you will find -the path to honour, to felicity and peace. A general who has never -asserted a falsehood ensures this to you.--Head quarters, Santiago de -Chile, 30th December, 1818. - -Jose de San Martin. - -The Supreme Director of Chile, to the inhabitants of Peru: - -Liberty, the daughter of Heaven, is about to descend on your fertile -regions; under her shade you will occupy among the nations of the globe -that high rank which awaits your opulence. The Chilean squadron, now in -sight on your coasts, is the precursor of the great expedition destined -to establish your independence. The moment desired by all generous -hearts approaches. The territory of Chile, and her adjacent islands are -free from the yoke of the oppressor. Our naval forces may compete with -those of Spain, and destroy her commerce; in them you will find a firm -support. - -It will be an inexplicable enigma to posterity, that enlightened Lima, -far from aiding the progress of Columbian liberty, shall endeavour to -paralyze the generous efforts of her brothers, and deprive them of the -enjoyment of their imprescriptible rights. The time is arrived for you -to wash out the stain, and in which to revenge the innumerable insults -you have received from the hand of despotism, as the reward of your -blindness. Fix your eyes on the havoc occasioned by the tyrants in your -delightful country; at the sight of them engraved in its depopulation, -want of industry, monopoly and oppression; observe the insignificancy -under which you have so long groaned; fly to arms, and destroy in your -just indignation the standard of that despotism which oppresses you, and -you will then soon arrive at the summit of prosperity. - -Believe not that we wish to treat you as a conquered country; such an -idea never had existence except in the heads of our enemies--of your -common oppressors; we only aspire to see you free and happy. You[4] -shall establish your own government, selecting that which is most -analagous to your customs, situation, and inclination; you shall be your -own legislators, and of course you will constitute a nation as free and -independent as we are. - -Peruvians! why do you hesitate? Hasten to break your chains; come and -sign on the tombs of Tupac Amaru and Pumacachua, the illustrious martyrs -of liberty, the contract that must ensure _your_ independence, and _our_ -everlasting friendship. - -Bernardo O'Higgins. - -On the twenty-sixth a Spanish merchant ship, called la Victoria, laden -with cedar planks and horses, from Chiloe, was taken by the San Martin, -and on the twenty-eighth the attack was made on Callao, and two of the -gun-boats were taken, after which his lordship dropped down to Huacho, -and ordered rear admiral Blanco to continue in the blockade of Callao -with the San Martin and Lantaro, and any other vessels that might arrive -from Chile; but Blanco, after remaining a few days, raised the blockade, -and sailed to Valparaiso, where he was immediately placed under an -arrest by the government until the arrival of the admiral, when he was -tried by a court martial for a dereliction of duty, but acquitted. Lord -Cochrane proceeded from Huacho to Barranca, and thence to Huarmey and -Huambacho, where he found a French brig that had received on board part -of the money belonging to the Phillipine company, and which the captain -immediately delivered up. - -The bay of Huambacho, about fifteen miles to the southward of Santa, is -one of the most convenient on the western shores of America: it is -completely land-locked: the anchorage is capital, and the landing is -very good: a small river of excellent water enters the bay, and in the -valley abundance of fire-wood may be procured. This valley formerly -belonged to the ex-Jesuits; but on account of the decrease of water in -the river at certain periods of the year, there not being sufficient for -the ordinary purposes of irrigation, the government has never yet found -a purchaser for it. - -The soil is sandy, with a mixture of vegetable mould; but like the -generality of the lands cultivated in Peru it is extremely productive -when irrigated. This is evinced at the small indian hamlet of Huambacho, -about two leagues from the sea, and it would doubtlessly be a very fit -situation for a cotton plantation, which does not require so much water -as the sugar-cane or lucern. The hills that surround the valley are -covered with the remains of houses belonging to the indians before the -conquest; great numbers of huacas are found here, and probably much -treasure is buried in them. - -Lord Cochrane, after the O'Higgins and Galvarino had wooded and -watered, proceeded down the coast to Paita, where having anchored, he -sent a flag of truce on shore, by Don Andres de los Reyes, a Peruvian, -who embarked at la Barranca, stating that the town and inhabitants -should receive no injury, and that nothing but the treasures belonging -to the government should be taken, as had already happened at Huaura. He -requested that no resistance should be made, as it would be unavailing, -and only subject the town to the destructive effects of war. The answer -was, that the town and the lives and property of the inhabitants -belonged to the king, and that all should be sacrificed in defence of -the Spanish flag. The same individual was sent a second time, to request -that the military force would not expose the town and its inhabitants; -but instead of receiving the message they fired on the flag, and opened -their battery on the Galvarino. This insult was immediately resented; -the marines were landed, and soon drove the Spaniards from the battery -and the town, which was then pillaged; the artillery was embarked, and -the fort blown up. The O'Higgins and Galvarino went to the port of -Barranca, and took some cattle, sugar, and rum from the farm of San -Nicholas, belonging to Don Manuel Garcia, a Spaniard. It was the -constant practice of Lord Cochrane to quarter on the common enemy, and -nothing was ever taken from a native by force, or without paying for it. -Hence we proceeded to Callao, and thence to Valparaiso, where we arrived -on the fifteenth of June. - -Valparaiso, situate in latitude 33° 1´ 45´´ S., and longitude 71° 30´ -56´´ west of Greenwich, is the principal port in Chile. The natives -flatter themselves, that this name was given to the port by the first -Spaniards who visited it, and that it is a syncope of Valle del Paraiso, -valley of Paradise; but it is equally possible, that the Spaniards, who -had received exaggerated accounts of the country, comparing it to -Paradise, on their first approaching this part of the coast, might have -exclaimed, valde Paraiso! vain Paradise! which designation its -appearance at present would better justify. The bay is of a semicircular -form, surrounded by very steep hills, which rise abruptly almost from -the edge of the water, particularly to the southward and about half of -the range to the eastward; the other half forms a kind of recess, and -the hills are not so perpendicular. During the winter season they are -covered with grass, with some stunted trees and bushes, such as molles, -myrtles, espino, and maytenes; but the soil being a red clay, the -verdure soon disappears when the summer sun begins to shine on them and -the rain ceases to fall. - -The principal part of the town is built between the cliffs and the sea, -forming a row of houses, or rather shops; a few good houses stand also -in a narrow street, but they cannot be seen from the bay, because a row -of low houses with their backs to the sea prevent the prospect. The -greater number of the inhabitants of this part of the town, called the -port, to distinguish it from the suburbs, called the Almendral, reside -in the ravines of San Francisco, San Augustin and San Antonio, where the -houses rise one above another, forming a species of amphitheatre; in -many of them a person may sit in his parlour, and look over the roof of -his neighbour's house; at night the appearance of this part of the town -is pleasing, the lights being scattered about the hills in every -direction. The Almendral, or suburbs, stands in a kind of recess in the -hills, on a sandy plain, and most probably was in times past a part of -the bay of Valparaiso; indeed it is now often inundated by the spring -tides. Some regularity begins to be adopted here in the formation of -streets, and some of the houses are neat. At the bottom of the Almendral -there is a small rivulet. - -Valparaiso is defended by a fort on the south side of the harbour, one -at the residence of the governor, and one on the north side of the bay: -a citadel on the hill behind the governor's palace on an extensive scale -is and will perhaps remain unfinished. The places of worship are the -parish church, the conventuals of San Francisco, San Augstin, La Merced -(in the Almendral) Santo Domingo, and the hospital chapel of San Juan de -Dios. Some of the principal houses are built of stone, but the greater -part are of adoves; all of them are covered with tiles, and those that -have an upper story have a balcony in front. - -Since the revolution many English conveniences and luxuries in dress and -furniture, as well as improvements in the manners and customs of the -inhabitants, have been adopted, and almost any thing _a la Inglesa_ -meets with approbation. - -The market of Valparaiso is well supplied with meat, poultry, fish, -bread, fruit, and vegetables at very moderate prices and of good -quality. The climate is agreeable except when the strong winds prevail. -In the months of June and July the winds from the northward are at times -very heavy; on this account the anchorage is insecure, because the bay -is not sheltered in that quarter. - -From the time of the discovery to the year 1810 this port was only -visited by vessels from Lima, bringing sugar, salt, tobacco, a small -quantity of European manufactured goods, and some other articles of -minor importance; shipping in return wheat, charqui, dried fruits, and -other produce of Chile and Peru. The population amounted to about five -thousand souls; the commerce was in the hands of four or five merchants, -Spaniards, and the annual duties at the custom-house amounted to about -twenty-five thousand dollars. After the victory obtained by the Chileans -at Chacabuco almost two-thirds of the population of Valparaiso abandoned -their homes, or were forced on board Spanish vessels and taken to Peru, -and the town was nearly depopulated; but since the revolution it has -been constantly increasing in size, population, and riches. In 1822 it -contained about fifteen thousand souls, three thousand of whom were -foreigners. From 1817 to 1822 upwards of two hundred houses were built; -at the latter date there were thirty-one established wholesale -merchants, besides an incalculable increase of retail dealers: there -were also twenty-six inns, coffee-houses, &c. Besides the vessels of war -belonging to the state, forty-one traders bear the national flag; and -the bay, formerly empty more than half the year, contains on an average -fifty foreign vessels either of war or commerce during the whole year. - -The hospital of San Juan de Dios has been transferred from the centre of -the town to the suburbs, and a Lancasterian school is established in the -old building. - -A general cemetery for catholics is building by subscription, and -upwards of two thousand dollars have been collected for another for the -dissenters. As a proof of the increase of trade and speculation, a daily -post is established between the port and the capital. - - - DOLLARS. - The receipts at the custom-house in - 1809, Chile being then a Spanish - colony, were 26738½ - - Do. in 1821, being a free port 464387¾ - - - Number of vessels that entered and left - Valparaiso in 1809, all Spanish 13 - - Do. that entered and cleared out in 1821 142 - - That is:--Vessels of war 21 - of commerce 121 - - -It is quite unnecessary to dwell on the advantages of commerce to any -nation; but here the result is peculiarly apparent, not only among the -higher and middle classes, but among the lowest: the peasant who at the -time of my residence in Chile, 1803, if possessed of a dollar, would -bore a hole through it, and hang it to his rosary--the same peasant can -now jingle his doubloons in his pocket. Those who in 1803 wore only the -coarsest clothing, of their own manufacture, are now dressed in European -linens, cottons, and woollens; those who were ashamed to present -themselves to a stranger or who dared not even speak to a master, now -present themselves with confidence, as if conscious of the importance of -their civil liberty; they boast too of Christian patriotism, generosity, -and valour. The monopolizing Spanish merchants who purchased the wheat -and other produce before it was ready for market at almost any price, -especially if the owner were necessitated, or who lent the farmer -money, to be paid in produce at his own price--such merchants have -disappeared, and a regular market is substituted, where the natives of -every class enjoy an opportunity of speculating and of reaping the -advantages of experience. Labourers of every class have a choice of work -and of masters, and this secures to them a just remuneration for their -labour. The higher and middling classes now know their importance as -citizens of a free and independent country, in the prosperity of which -they are interested, because they are aware, that with it their personal -prosperity is connected; they can express and discuss their political -opinions, and in short, from the lowest order of colonial vassals they -have become the subjects of an elective government and citizens of the -world. - -The road from Valparaiso to the capital, Santiago, crosses the first -range of mountains at the northern extremity of the Almendral, and after -passing over very uneven ground for about five leagues, a dismal looking -plain presents itself; the grass is entirely parched in summer, and in -winter the water forms itself into several small lakes or swamps; and -scarcely a tree is to be seen in the vicinity. A small number of horned -cattle is fed, but the prospect is cold and dreary. After crossing this -plain more uneven ground presents itself, but being covered with grass, -brushwood, and trees, forming several small ravines, quebradas, with a -few cottages straggling in different directions, the country appears -beautifully romantic. - -The plain of Casa Blanca next presents itself, having the town of the -same name nearly in the centre.[5] The plain is perfectly level, about -two leagues broad, and two and a half long; it has the appearance of -having been at some remote period a large lake, but as the race of -Promaucian indians, who inhabited this part of the country before the -conquest, has become extinct, all oral traditions have been extinguished -with them. The soil is a hard clay, scantily covered with grass, and the -only trees are a considerable number of espinos. The town contains about -two thousand inhabitants, who are generally employed in the cultivation -of the surrounding farms. Having slept here I proceeded on the following -day to Bustamante, passing the cuesta de Prado, and the small town and -river of Curucavé. Some parts of the road are remarkably picturesque; in -the ravines or valleys the view of the mountain scenery is grand; from -the mountains the prospect of the ravines and valleys, as well as the -distant view of the snow-topped Andes, is magnificent. The myrtle, of -three or four varieties, the different species of cactus, the arrayan, -the peumos, the boldos, and the beautifully drooping mayten adorn the -sides of the ravines, offering a shade and rich pasture, on which a -considerable number of horned cattle, horses, and mules, are seen -feeding. - -Bustamante is a post house, where travellers often pass a night when on -their journey to or from the capital; the accommodations are -indifferent, but a few years ago nothing of the kind existed: it must -therefore be considered an improvement. After leaving Bustamante the -road gradually ascends, and at the distance of about a league from the -house the cuesta de Zapata commences. From the top of this eminence the -view of the Andes is most enchanting; the snow-covered mountains rise -majestically, one range behind another, until their summits are lost in -the clouds, or, when the sky is clear, till they are most exactly -defined in the azure vault of heaven. When nearly at the foot of the -cuesta, the city of Santiago, the capital of Chile, makes its -appearance; it is situated in a large plain, having a small rocky -mountain, called Santa Lucia, almost in the centre of which is a small -battery. - -The excellent road from Valparaiso to Santiago was made by the order and -under the direction of Don Ambrose Higgins, when president of Chile. -Before the formation of this road all goods were carried to and from the -capital or the port on the backs of mules, but the greater part is now -conveyed in heavy carts, _carretas_, drawn by two or three yokes of -oxen. A coach was established in 1820 by Mr. Moss, a North American; it -went from Valparaiso to Santiago, and returned twice a week. The -distance is thirty leagues. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[4] From the very first proclamation this promise was made to the -Peruvians; but we shall soon see how it was fulfilled by San Martin. - -[5] This town was completely destroyed by the earthquake in 1823. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - Santiago....Foundation....Description of the City....Contrast - between the Society here and at Lima....State of Chile....Manners - and Customs....Revolution....Carreras....O'Higgins....Defeat at - Rancagua....Chileans cross the Cordillera....Action of - Chacabuco....Of Maypu....Death of Don Juan Jose, and Don Luis - Carrera....Murder of Colonel Rodrigues....Formation of a Naval - Force....Death of Spanish Prisoners at San Luis....Naval Expedition - under Lord Cochrane....Failure of the Attack on Callao....Attack at - Pisco....Death of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles....Capture of Vessels - at Guayaquil....Squadron returns to Chile. - - -SANTIAGO, the capital of Chile, was founded on the 24th February, 1541, -by the Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia. Its situation is in an -extensive valley called de Mapocho, bounded on the east by the -Cordillera, on the west by the hills or mountains de Prado and Poanque, -on the north by the small river of Colina, and on the south by the river -Mapocho, or Topocalma, which passes the city on one side, and feeds many -_asequias_, small canals for irrigation; it also supplies the city with -water. - -About the year 1450 Chile was invaded by the prince afterwards the Inca -Sinchiroca, who, more by persuasion than by force, possessed himself of -this valley; it was called at that time, Promocaces, the place of -dancing, or merriment. The Peruvian government was not established here -on the first arrival of the Spaniards, owing perhaps to the opposition -made by the Promaucians, who resided between the rivers Rapel and Maule, -and whom they never subdued; thus, although Garcilaso de la Vega Inca -places the boundary of the territory governed by the Incas on the river -Maule, it is more probable that it was on the Rapel, for near the union -of the Cachapoal with the Tinguiririca, taking the name of Rapel, there -are some ruins of a Peruvian fortress, built in the same manner as those -of Callo and Asuay, in the province of Quito; these apparently mark the -frontier, and especially as none are found more to the southward. - -Santiago is divided into squares or _quadras_, containing in the whole, -if we include the suburbs, about a hundred and fifty, which are marked -out by the streets; but many are incomplete, wanting houses to finish -the boundaries. The principal public buildings are the mint, the palace -of the supreme director, and the cathedral, which, like that of -Conception, is in an unfinished state. The mint is a very handsome -edifice, vieing in elegance with any other in South America, and equal -to many of considerable note in Europe. It was built by Don Francisco -Huidobro, at the expense of nearly a million of dollars: he presented it -to the king, and in return received the title of Marquis of Casa Real; -but this and all other titles are declared extinct by the independent -government. The palace of the supreme director is incomplete; the right -wing, which should correspond with the left, is entirely wanting. In it -are the different offices belonging to the government, and also the -public gaol. The unfinished state of the cathedral is likely to -continue; for large funds are wanting to finish so extensive a building. - -The bridge across the Mapocho is a handsome structure of brick and -stone. The _tajamar_, breakwater, serves to preserve the city from being -inundated by the river when the waters increase, either by heavy rains -in the Cordillera, or the melting of the snows in the summer, at which -time this stream, though at other times insignificant, becomes a rapid -torrent. Here is a public promenade, like the Alamedas at Lima, having a -double row of Lombard poplars on each side, forming a shady walk for -foot passengers, while the middle one serves for carriages and horses. -The tajamar is formed of two walls of brick-work, and the interior is -filled with earth; a very agreeable promenade is made on the top, having -several flights of steps to ascend it; some seats are also placed in the -parapet which fronts the river; the whole being two miles long. The -snow-covered Andes are about twenty leagues from the city, yet they seem -to overhang it, and the view of them from the tajamar is very majestic. - -Santiago is divided into four parishes; San Pablo, Santa Ana, San -Isidro, and San Francisco de Borja. It has three Franciscan convents, -two of the Dominicans, one of San Augustin, and two of La Merced: those -belonging to the Jesuits were five. Here are seven nunneries, two of -Santa Clara, two of Carmelites, one of Capuchins, one of Dominicans, and -one of Augustinians; a house for recluse women called el Beaterio, and a -foundling hospital. - -Santiago was made a city by the king of Spain in 1552, with the title of -very noble and very loyal; its arms are a shield in a white ground, in -the centre a lion rampant holding a sword in his paw, and orle eight -scallops, Or. It was erected into a bishopric by Paul IV. in 1561. It -was the residence of the President, and Captain-General of the kingdom -of Chile, and counts fifty governors from Pedro de Valdivia, the first, -to Don Casimiro Marcó del Pont, the last; also twenty-three bishops, -from Don Rodrigo Gonsales Marmolijo to the present Don Manuel Rodriguez. -Here was also a tribunal of royal audience, one of accompts, a -consulate, or board of trade, treasury, and commissariate of bulls. The -whole of the territory extends from the desert of Atacama to the -confines of Arauco, and was subject to the above-mentioned authorities -from the foundation of the government in 1541 to the beginning of the -fortunate revolution in 1810. - -The contrast between the society which I had just quitted in the capital -of Peru and that which I here found in the capital of Chile was of the -most striking kind. The former, oppressed by proud mandataries, -imperious chiefs, and insolent soldiers, had been long labouring under -all the distressing effects of espionage, the greatest enemy to the -charms of every society: the overbearing haughty Spaniards, either with -taunts or sneers, harrowing the very souls of the Americans, who -suspected their oldest friends and even their nearest relations. In this -manner they were forced to drain the cup of bitterness to the last -dregs, without daring by participation or condolence to render it less -unpalatable; except indeed they could find an Englishman, and to him -they would unbosom their inmost thoughts, believing that every Briton -feels as much interest in forwarding the liberty of his neighbour, as he -does in preserving his own. In Lima the tertulias, or chit-chat parties, -and even the gaity of the public promenades, had almost disappeared, and -_quando se acabará esto?_ when will this end? was the constantly -repeated ejaculation. In Santiago every scene was reversed; mirth and -gaity presided at the _paseos_, confidence and frankness at the daily -tertulias; Englishmen here had evinced their love of universal liberty, -and were highly esteemed; friendship and conviviality seemed to reign -triumphant, and the security of the country, being the fruits of the -labour of its children, was considered by each separate individual as -appertaining to himself; his sentiments on its past efforts, present -safety, and future prosperity were delivered with uncontrolled freedom, -while the supreme magistrate, the military chief, the soldier, and the -peasant hailed each other as countrymen, and only acknowledged a master -in their duty, or the law. - -Another prominent feature in Chile is the state of her commerce, -entirely formed since the revolution; it has rendered her not only -independent of Spain, but of Peru also. Formerly the fruits and produce -of this fertile region of the new world were entirely indebted to Peru -for a market; but with the spirit of freedom that of speculation arose, -and markets and returns were found in countries, of whose existence ten -years ago (1819) even the speculators themselves were ignorant. Several -of these provinces were conceived to be so situated, that no one -attempted to visit them, judging that such a journey would be attended -with almost insurmountable difficulties; dangers as great as the -majority of the inhabitants of Europe supposed were to be encountered by -a visit to the coasts of Peru. - -The manners and customs of the inhabitants of Santiago are now very -different from those of Conception in 1803, which was at that time -nearly as affluent as the capital; the estrado is almost exploded; the -ladies are accustomed to sit on chairs; the low tables are superseded by -those of a regular height, those on which the family, who at that period -crossed their legs like turks or tailors, sat on a piece of carpet, are -now abolished; formerly all ate out of the same dish, but now they sit -at table in the same manner as the English, and their meals are served -up with regularity and neatness. The discordant jarring of the old half -strung guitar has given place to the piano, and the tasteless dance of -the country to the tasteful country-dance. In many respects, indeed, the -Chileans here appear half converted into English, as well in their dress -as in their diversions and manners. - -The following brief statement of the revolution in Chile, extracted from -official documents, and faithful reports, will I flatter myself be found -interesting to all classes--its details, however, must necessarily be -confined within short limits. - -One of the peculiar features in all the South American revolutions was -the accomplishment of the principal object, which consisted in deposing -the constituted authorities without bloodshed. This was the case at -Caracas, Santa Fé de Bogotá, Quito, Buenos Ayres and Chile; and at a -later period at Guayaquil, Truxillo, Tarma, and even at Lima; for the -Spanish forces quitted the city, and the Chilean entered without the -occurrence of a skirmish either in the capital or its vicinity. - -The same causes which operated in Venezuela and Quito, and have been -already stated, were felt in Chile, and produced similar effects. On the -18th July, 1810, the president Carrasco was deposed by the native -inhabitants, under the plea of his incapacity of preserving this part of -the Spanish dominions for Ferdinand, when he should be freed from his -captivity, and a junta which was formed of the Cabildo took upon itself -to govern according to the old system, but with the secret intention of -following the course and example of Buenos Ayres in declaring her -independence. In 1811 Don Juan Jose Carrera, the son of Don Ignacio -Carrera of Chile (who had been sent to Europe, and in the continental -war had attained the rank of a lieutenant-colonel and commandant of a -regiment of hussars) crossed the Atlantic to succour his native country, -which he was considered by his friends as the only person capable of -saving from the impending ruin which threatened it from the result of -the steps taken; and he was in consequence nominated by the junta -supreme president of the congress which was convened, besides which he -was appointed general in chief of the army about to be formed. The first -step which Carrera took was to establish a defensive army, which he -immediately began to recruit and discipline, choosing his officers from -among the most zealous friends of liberty. He constituted himself -colonel of the national guards, appointed his elder brother, Don Jose -Miguel, colonel of grenadiers, and his younger, Don Luis, colonel and -commandant of artillery. At this time the principal military force of -Chile was at Conception; indeed the whole of the force, excepting two -companies, which had always been on duty in the capital, and about fifty -stationed as a garrison at Valparaiso, was employed on the frontiers of -Arauco. On hearing of what had taken place in the capital, the troops at -Conception declared themselves in favour of the cause of liberty. The -inhabitants of Conception pretended that their city was better -calculated to be the seat of government than Santiago; and as the troops -were principally composed of Pencones, natives of the place, they were -persuaded to join in the request, which occasioned some difficulties to -Carrera, and it was feared that this untimely pretension would be the -cause of a civil war; but it was finally adjusted that, for a specified -time, the troops of Conception should remain to the southward of the -river Maule, and those of Santiago to the northward. This gave Carrera -an opportunity to gain over the troops, which he did by sending -emissaries to Conception, when a general reconciliation took place, and -the whole of the troops were placed under the command of Don Juan Jose -Carrera. - -The Spanish troops from Lima, Coquimbo and Chiloe, under the command of -Colonel Gainsa, began hostilities in the south of Chile; various actions -and skirmishes occurred between them and the undisciplined Chileans, the -result being favourable to the latter. In 1812, Don Bernardo O'Higgins -(then a captain of militia) joined Carrera, who bestowed on him the rank -of lieutenant-colonel of the line, and shortly afterwards raised him to -that of brigadier general, for the important services he rendered with -the Guerilla parties. - -In 1813, the three Carreras, with a considerable number of their -officers, were retaken prisoners by the Spaniards, and confined at -Talca. The command of the army devolved on O'Higgins, he being the -senior officer. He availed himself of this opportunity, assumed the -civil power, caused himself to be proclaimed president, and appointed a -substitute in the capital to govern during his absence. The Carreras -being possessed of money bribed the soldiers at Talca and made their -escape. O'Higgins instantly offered a reward for their apprehension. The -three Carreras immediately set off to Santiago, disguised as peasants, -and made themselves known to some friends; Don Luis was apprehended and -imprisoned; Don Juan Jose went in his disguise to the artillery -barracks, and having entered, discovered himself to the officers and -soldiers, who welcomed his arrival, and promised to support him; in -consequence of which he marched with the soldiers to the plasa, and -liberated his brother Luis. The citizens promptly reinstated the -Carreras, and the news being conveyed to O'Higgins, he marched his army -towards the capital, leaving the enemy to avail himself of the civil -discords of the Chileans. Carrera proposed to unite their respective -forces, proceed against the common enemy, and leave their private -quarrels to be decided by the fortune of war, or by the suffrages of the -people. To these proposals O'Higgins objected, and the two generals -prepared for action. Carrera chose the plain of Maypu, when O'Higgins -soon began the attack, and was repulsed; the peasantry, under the -command of Carrera, although victorious, called on their countrymen to -desist, not to fly, but to surrender to their first and best chief; this -they did, were generously received, and forgiven. O'Higgins and his -principal officers were made prisoners. They all expected that their -offended general would bring them to judgment as traitors; but they were -pardoned, restored to their former situations in the army, and -O'Higgins was reinstated in the command of the van-guard, and received -orders to march towards Rancagua, where Carrera soon afterwards repaired -with the remainder of the army. The Spaniards profited by the -dissentions of the patriot chiefs, recruited and disciplined more -troops, and invested the town of Rancagua on the first of October, 1814. -Carrera and his troops defended themselves here forty-eight hours, and -when their ammunition was expended and they were obliged to evacuate the -place, they cut their way through the ranks of the Spanish soldiery -sword in hand. General Carrera and his two brothers, O'Higgins, -Benevente, the unfortunate Rodrigues, and several of the more wealthy -citizens, crossed the Cordillera, leaving General Osorio in possession -of the whole of Chile. - -The Spanish regime being thus re-established in Chile, the different -functionaries who had been deposed resumed their offices, and a new -tribunal called _de la purification_ was established, through which -ordeal all those natives who wished to be considered as loyal subjects -to Spain had to pass. It was composed of Spaniards, principally -officers, having the celebrated Major San Bruno as president. Nothing -can be imagined more arbitrary than the conduct of this tribunal; its -assumed duties were to examine the proceedings of the inhabitants, and, -independently of any established laws or set forms, to sentence or -acquit. The prisons were filled with the objects of persecution, the -places of exile were crowded with the victims of this political -inquisition, and Chile groaned under the unwise administration of -Osorio. This tyrannical general and Marcó, instead of pursuing -conciliatory measures, which would have attached the mal-contents to -their party, adopted every kind of persecution, and cultivated distrust; -until enmity, which ripened in secret, at the first favourable -opportunity produced conspiracies and all the fatal effects of revenge. - -General Carrera pursued his route to Buenos Ayres, where he embarked for -the United States to solicit assistance; while O'Higgins, Rodrigues, -McKenny, and Calderon began to recruit and discipline a new army for the -re-occupation of Chile: the command of the army was given to San Martin; -it crossed the Cordillera, and the battle of Chacabuco was fought on the -twelfth of February, 1817, the result of which has already been stated. -On the arrival of the patriot troops in Santiago an elective government -was formed, of which General San Martin was nominated the supreme -director; but he declined the offer, and recommended his friend, General -O'Higgins, to fill the place. - -The refusal of San Martin to accept the first and highest post of honour -in Chile was misunderstood at the time; it was construed into a -deference to the superior abilities of O'Higgins, and to modesty on the -part of the hero of Chacabuco; whereas some who knew him better were -persuaded, that he intended to govern the government, and to make it -subservient to his own purposes. Besides, a wider field for the ambition -of San Martin now presented itself. He began to look forward to Peru, -which afterwards became the theatre of his warlike virtues. - -The Spaniards kept possession of Talcahuano, as well as the southern -provinces, and received supplies from Peru, principally composed of the -regiment of Burgos, one of the finest bodies of troops ever sent from -Spain. General Osorio again took the command of the army, and marched -towards the capital, while the patriots mustered all their forces to -oppose him. The Spanish force was composed of about five thousand -regulars, and it gained several advantages, particularly one at -Cancharayada, where they surprised the Chilean army in the night, and -completely dispersed it; and had Osorio continued his march, he might -have entered the capital without any opposition; but he remained at -Talca, and allowed the patriots to collect their scattered forces. This -they were not slow in performing, for on the fifth of April they -presented themselves on the plain of Maypu about seven thousand strong, -including the militia; indeed very few of them could be called veterans, -except in their fidelity to the cause of their country. O'Higgins having -been severely wounded in his right arm at Cancha-rayada, could not take -the field, but remained in his palace at Santiago. San Martin and Las -Heras commanded the patriots, and Osorio the royalists on this memorable -day, which sealed the fate of Chile. The conflict was obstinate and -sanguinary during the greater part of the day; in the afternoon fortune -appeared to favour the Chileans, when lieutenant-colonel O'Brian -observed, that the regiment of Burgos were endeavouring to form -themselves into a solid square; he immediately rode up to General San -Martin; and begged him to charge at the head of the cavalry and prevent -the completion of this manoeuvre, stating, that if it were effected -nothing could prevent their marching to the capital. San Martin, instead -of charging at the head of the cavalry, ordered O'Brian to charge, -which he did, and completely routed the Spaniards, and gave the victory -to the patriots. Osorio on observing the fate of the regiment of Burgos -fled with a few officers and part of his body-guard. When O'Brian -returned to the commander in chief and reported to him the news of the -victory, he was answered by a bottle of rum being offered to him by the -hero of Maypu, accompanied with this familiar expression, _toma!_ take -hold! - -Of the five thousand men commanded by Osorio two thousand fell on the -field, and two thousand five hundred were made prisoners, with one -hundred and ninety-three officers, who were immediately sent across the -Cordillera to the Punta de San Luis and Las Bruscas; General Osorio, -with about two hundred followers, escaped from the field of action and -fled to Conception. - -This victory over the Spaniards gave to the Chileans that complete -independence for which they had been struggling ever since 1810; but the -glory of the achievement was tarnished by what took place as well at -Mendosa on the east side of the Cordillera as at Quillota on the west. -On the return of General Carrera from the United States, bringing with -him several officers and some supplies of arms, for the purpose of -equipping an expedition for the liberation of his country, he found, on -his arrival at Buenos Ayres, that his two brothers were on their parole -of honour in this city, and were not allowed to return home nor to join -the army. This proceeding astounded Carrera, but he had scarcely time to -inquire into what had taken place, when he was himself arrested and -placed on board a gun brig belonging to Buenos Ayres; at which time his -two brothers, fearing the same fate, fled, Don Luis on the nineteenth of -July, 1817, and Don Jose Miguel on the eighth of August: on the -seventeenth they were apprehended near Mendosa, and thrown into prison, -when they were in hopes of having been able to cross the Cordillera and -again to serve their country. - -It appears that Don Jose Miguel Carrera when at Rio Janeiro had obtained -a copy of the negociation which had been carried on in France by Don -Antonio Alvares Jonte, the agent of the supreme director of Buenos -Ayres, Pueyrredon, for the purpose of establishing a monarchy in this -place, and of giving the throne to Charles Louis Prince of Lucca, the -son of Don Louis of Bourbon, heir apparent to the Dukedom of Parma, and -Dona Maria Louisa of Bourbon, daughter to Charles IV. of Spain, -afterwards called the king and queen of Etruria. The possession of these -documents, and a knowledge of all that had transpired, rendered Carrera -an unwelcome visitor at Buenos Ayres, and a suspicious character to -Pueyrredon, who, to provide for his own safety, determined on the -destruction of this individual, but he escaped from the brig and fled to -Monte Video. - -Don Jose Miguel and Don Luis were equally dangerous opponents to the -vices of San Martin, who on hearing of their being arrested sent over -his arch-secretary Don Bernardo Monteagudo to bring them to their trial; -and as it was necessary to forge some ostensible motive for their -execution, as that of having disobeyed the orders of a government to -which they had never promised fealty could not be accounted sufficient, -Don Juan Jose was accused of having murdered the son of the postmaster -of San Jose in the year 1814, of which act, however, Monteagudo himself -says, in his _Extracto de la Causa seguida contra los Carreras_, _p. 7_, -"although from the nature of the circumstances the murder could not be -proved by evidence, yet the whole of the procured evidence was such, -that the probability of the aggression was in the last degree -approaching to a certainty." As this accusation did not include Don -Luis another plan was laid that should inculpate the two brothers. Some -of the soldiers then on duty at Mendosa were directed to propose to the -prisoners the means of escaping, to which they acceded, and on the 25th -of February, 1818, Pedro Antonio Olmos informed the governor of Mendosa -that Don Juan Jose and Don Luis Carrera had formed a plan to escape from -prison on the following night, and brought in Manuel Solis to support -the information. This put the machine in motion, and five other soldiers -were adduced as evidence against the unfortunate brothers. On the 10th -of March the examinations closed, on the 11th they were requested to -appoint their counsel, and on the 4th of April the Fiscal solicited the -sentence of death; on the 8th the solicitation was approved of, as being -according to law, by Miguel Jose Galigniana and Bernardo Monteagudo, to -which was subjoined the following order: "let the sentence be -executed--Don Juan Jose and Don Luis Carrera are to be shot this -afternoon at five o'clock." (Signed) Toribio de Lusuriaga. The two -unhappy brothers heard their sentence at three o'clock in the afternoon, -and they were slaughtered at six. They left the dungeon arm in arm, -walked to the place of execution, and having embraced each other, sat -themselves down on a bench, and ordering the soldiers to fire, they -again embraced each other in death. The conduct of General San Martin in -this affair may perhaps be defended by his friends and partisans; but -the prevalent belief is, that on finding a considerable party in Chile -in favour of the Carreras, he was determined on their destruction, and -that the order for the execution of Don Juan Jose and Don Luis was sent -by him to Lusuriaga the governor. Nothing however can be conceived more -brutal than what occurred at Santiago after the execution of the two -brothers. San Martin sent to their unhappy father an account of the -expenses incurred on their trial and execution, with an order for -immediate payment, or that the father should be committed to prison. The -venerable old man defrayed the bloody charge, and two days afterwards he -expired, the victim of malice and of persecution. I was at Santiago at -the period, and followed the corpse to the grave. - -At the same time that this tragedy was performed on the eastern side of -the Cordillera, another, which for its midnight atrocity exceeds even -the fabulous legends of cold-blooded cruelty, was performed by the same -manager on the western side: an act that would curdle the milk of -sympathy into a clotted mass of hatred. Don Manuel Rodrigues obtained -the rank of colonel in the service of his country; he crossed the -Cordillera after the defeat of the patriots at Rancagua, remained with -O'Higgins, and assisted to discipline the army commanded by San Martin; -the battle of Chacabuco added honour and glory to his name, and the -field of Maypu crowned him with laurels. His conduct as a soldier and -his manners as a gentleman had endeared him to all who knew him; but the -record of his virtues was the instrument of his destruction; the -jealousy of San Martin could not brook a rival in those glories which he -considered exclusively his own, and that the popularity of Rodrigues -might withdraw for one moment the attention of a single individual from -contemplating the greatness of the hero of Maypu. Rodrigues was -apprehended, and sent to Quillota, where after he had remained a few -days, San Martin sent a corporal and two soldiers, with an order for -Rodrigues to be delivered up to them; he was conducted along the road -leading to the capital, and not permitted to stop at night at a house -which they passed, and where he requested they would allow him to rest. -The morning dawned on the everlasting resting place of this gallant -Chilean--he was murdered at midnight by his ruffian guard, and buried -at a short distance from the high road. Inquiries were afterwards made -by the relatives of Rodrigues, but no satisfactory accounts could be -obtained at head-quarters; the soldiers who were the only persons -capable of giving information were not to be found; this was easily -accounted for; General San Martin had sent them to the Punta de San -Luis, to be taken care of by his confidant Dupuy, who was at this time -under training for another scene of bloodshed, more horrible, if -possible, than the past. - -After the expulsion of the Spaniards, the supreme director, O'Higgins, -knowing the importance of a naval force, which might protect the shores -of Chile and its commercial interests against the Spanish vessels of -war, applied himself seriously to the acquisition not only of vessels -but of officers and crews. The two East-indiamen, the Cumberland and the -Windham, afterwards the San Martin and the Lautero, were purchased; the -Chacabuco and the Pueyerredon were equipped; the Galvarino was -purchased, and the Maria Isabel was taken. But after all this the -possession of vessels would have been attended only with expense, had -not the good fortune of South America been supported by the devoted -services of Lord Cochrane, to whom the western shores of the new world -owe their emancipation, and England the commerce of this quarter of the -globe. - -O'Higgins being desirous of lightening the burden of the administration -which had been confided to him, nominated five individuals as consulting -senators; but he unwarily granted to them such powers as made them -independent of his own authority, and consequently rendered himself -subservient to their determinations. This caused innumerable delays in -the despatch of business, and prevented that secresy which is often -indispensably necessary in the affairs of state; indeed these two -defects of tardiness and publicity were often visible in Chile, for by -such delays the enemy was informed of the designs of the government, and -prepared to thwart their execution. - -After the squadron had sailed from Valparaiso on the fifteenth of -January, 1819, under the command of Lord Cochrane, the whole attention -of the Chileans was engrossed with the expectation of decisive victories -which were to be obtained over the Spaniards in Peru; they felt -themselves secure under the protection of the fleet, and congratulated -each other on having now transferred the theatre of war from their own -country to that of their enemy; but a new scene of horror presented -itself, sufficient not only to astonish the inhabitants of this part of -the new world, but to call down on the head of its author universal -execration. The following extract is from the ministerial gazette of -Santiago of the fifth of March, 1819:-- - -"On the eighth of February last, between eight and nine o'clock in the -morning, my orderly informed me that some of the Spanish officers -confined here wished to see me. I ordered him to allow them to enter; I -was at this time conversing with the surgeon Don Jose Maria Gomes and my -secretary Don Jose Manuel Riveros. Colonel Morgado, Lieutenant-Colonel -Morla, and Captain Carretero entered; Carretero sat himself down on my -left hand, and after a few compliments, he drew from his breast a -poignard, and struck at me with it, but I fortunately parried the blow. -Carretero exclaimed at the same time, "these are your last moments, you -villain, America is lost, but you shall not escape!" I drew back to -defend myself against Colonel Morgado, who attempted a second blow, at -which time General Ordoñes, Colonel Primo, and Lieutenant Burguillo -entered; Gomes, the surgeon, immediately left the room, calling for -assistance, and my secretary Riveros endeavoured to do the same, but -was prevented by Burguillo. For a considerable time I had to defend -myself against the six assassins, who began to desist on hearing the -shouts of the people that surrounded the house, and were using every -effort to enter it; I requested they would allow me to go out and quiet -the populace, to which they consented; but the moment I opened the door -leading from the patio to the plasa, the people rushed in, and put the -whole of them to death, except Colonel Morgado, whom I killed, and thus -the attack on my person was revenged. - -"I immediately discovered that a plot had been formed by the whole of -the officers confined here, to liberate themselves, and to pass over to -the Guerilla parties under the command of Carrera and Alvear; however, -the populace and the soldiery took the alarm, and several of the -prisoners have paid with their lives the temerity of the plan they had -laid. I immediately ordered Don Bernardo Monteagudo to form a summary -process, which on the fourth day after receiving the order he informed -me was finished, and I agreeing with his opinion, ordered the following -individuals to be shot: captains Gonsales, Sierra and Arriola; ensigns -Riesco, Vidaurazaga and Caballo; privates, Moya and Peres. The number of -enemies who have ceased to exist is, one general, three colonels, two -lieutenant-colonels, nine captains, five lieutenants, seven ensigns, one -intendent of the army, one commissary, one sergeant and two privates." -This was signed by Vicente Dupuy, lieutenant-governor of San Luis. - -Many other statements of the transaction were circulated by the friends -of each party. I received the following from a person entirely -independent of both, and who had no motive for furnishing me with an -exaggerated account: - -"On the night of the seventh of February, 1818, when the Spanish field -officers confined at San Luis were playing at cards with Don Vicente -Dupuy, this lieutenant-governor happened to lose some money, and -immediately seized what was lying before Colonel Ribero; Ribero -expostulated, and notwithstanding the entreaties of his friends, at -length struck Dupuy on the face, whose friends immediately seized some -arms, which had been placed in the room, and the Spaniards also availed -themselves of part of them. The uproar that was formed alarmed the -guard, and the Spanish prisoners, fearful of the result, laid down their -arms and begged Dupuy's pardon; it was granted, and he pledged his word -and honour, that if they would allow him to go out, he would pacify the -tumult made by the guard and populace; the Spaniards believed him; he -went out; but instead of quieting the disturbance he spread the alarm, -and called upon the people to revenge the insults he had received from -the Godos (Goths, the name by which the Spaniards were known); Dupuy -re-entered the house with some soldiers and other armed individuals, and -General Ordoñes, Colonel Morgado, with six other officers were -immediately butchered by them; Colonel Primo seeing that he could not -escape, took up a pistol and shot himself; every Spaniard found in the -streets was also massacred at the same time, and many were murdered in -their houses; in all fifty Spanish officers were massacred, and only two -escaped of the whole number, which at that time were at San Luis. For -this memorable action Dupuy was created a colonel-major, and a member of -the Legion of Merit of Chile. - -"Dupuy was afterwards tried, by order of the government of Buenos Ayres, -for several acts of assassination and cruelty which he had committed, -and he defended himself by producing written orders from San Martin for -the assassination of Raposo and Conde, as also for the murder of the -unfortunate Rodrigues--these orders were very laconic--_pasará por San -Luis, tiene mi pasaporte, recibale bien, pero que no pase el monte al -atro lado de San Luis. Prontitud, y silencio, asi, conviene para el bien -de la Patria_: will pass through San Luis, he has my passport, receive -him politely, but allow him not to pass the wood on the other side of -San Luis.--Promptitude and silence, this is necessary for the good of -the country. However, Dupuy was exiled to La Rioja, whence he escaped, -and followed San Martin to Peru. He also proved, that the order for the -execution of the Carreras was a verbal one given by San Martin before he -left Mendosa." - -With respect to General San Martin, it may be observed, that as his -character and actions have been so grossly mis-stated by other writers, -it becomes necessary that some traits which have hitherto been withheld -should be published, as well for the purpose of historical truth, as for -that of dissipating the cloud which envelopes the conduct of several -individuals who have lent their assistance to the cause of American -liberty. The presence of Monteagudo at Mendoza for the execution of the -Carreras, and of his being employed on a similar mission at San Luis, -are rather strange coincidences; with the additional circumstance, that -he was arrested in the house of an English merchant residing at -Santiago, and in the supposed character of a prisoner, was sent by the -order of San Martin to San Luis, where he was considered a prisoner -until called upon to form the process, and draw up the sentence of death -against the Spanish officers, which sentence appears to have decreed his -own liberation, for he immediately recrossed the Cordillera, and -remained with his patron. - -In 1819 the Spaniards under the command of General Sanches evacuated -Conception and Talcahuano, crossed the Biobio, and proceeded through the -Araucanian territory to Valdivia. Sanches plundered the city of -Conception of every valuable which he could take with him; the church -plate and ornaments, and even many of the iron windows belonging to the -houses; he also persuaded the nuns to leave their cloisters and to -follow the fortunes of the army: they did, and were abandoned at -Tucapel, and left among the indians. - -A native of Chile named Benavides was left by Sanches at the town of -Arauco, for the purpose of harassing the patriots at Conception, and -several Spaniards of the most licentious characters chose to remain with -him. Benavides was a native of the province of Conception, and served -some time in the army of his country, but deserted to the royalists: at -the battle of Maypu he was taken prisoner, and, among other -delinquents, was ordered to be shot, in the dusk of the evening. -However, Benavides was not killed, although his face was stained with -the gunpowder, and having fallen, he made some motion, which the officer -observing, cut him across the neck with his sword, and left him for -dead; but even after this he recovered sufficient strength to crawl to a -small house, where he was received and cured of his wounds. It is said -that after his recovery he held a private conference with San Martin; I -have been perfectly satisfied on this head, and I am certain that no -such interview ever took place; indeed San Martin is not the man for -such actions, nor would it have been prudent for any chief to have -risked his existence with a desperado like Benavides. This monster fled -from Santiago, joined General Sanches at Conception, and was left by him -in the command of the small town of Arauco, where the most atrocious -hostilities commenced that have ever disgraced even the war in America. - -The attention of the government was employed in fitting out a second -naval expedition to the coast of Peru, for the latest advices from -Europe confirmed the former, which stated, that a naval force preparing -in Cadiz, and composed of the two line of battle ships Alexander and -San Telmo, the frigate Prueba, and some smaller vessels, was destined to -the Pacific. The Chilean squadron was by no means competent to cope with -such a force; besides which, two frigates, the Esmeralda and Vengansa, -three brigs of war, and some small craft, as well as armed merchantmen -at Callao, being added to what was expected from Spain, the force would -have been overwhelming. It was therefore determined, that the squadron -should attempt the destruction of the vessels in Callao, by burning -them. Mr. Goldsack, who had come to Chile, was employed in making -Congreve's rockets, of which an experiment was made at Valparaiso, and -which answered the expectations of Lord Cochrane. - -Every necessary arrangement being completed, the squadron, consisting of -the O'Higgins, San Martin, Lautaro, Independencia, (which arrived on the -23rd May, 1819, having been built in the United States for the -government of Chile) the Galvarino, Araucano, the Victoria, and -Xeresana, two merchant vessels which were to be converted into -fire-ships if necessary, left the port of Valparaiso on the twelfth of -September, and having first touched at Coquimbo, arrived in the bay of -Callao on the twenty-eighth. Lord Cochrane announced to the Viceroy -Pesuela his intention of destroying the shipping in the bay, if -possible; but he proposed to him terms on which he would desist; namely, -that he would diminish the number of his vessels by sending part of them -to leeward, and fight the Spanish force man to man, and gun to gun, if -they would leave their anchorage, and this, said he, might be the means -of preserving the property of individuals then in the bay. His -excellency, however, declined the challenge, observing, that it was of a -nature which had never been before heard of. The preparations for -throwing rockets among the shipping immediately commenced, and on the -night of the first of October several were thrown, but without effect: -the firing from the batteries and shipping began at the moment the first -rocket was thrown, which appeared as a signal to the enemy. From our -anchorage we could distinguish the heated shot that flew through the air -like meteors in miniature; however, little injury was sustained on -either side: our loss consisted in Lieutenant Bayley of the Galvarino -and one seaman. One of the rafts under the direction of -Lieutenant-colonel Charles was protected by the Independencia; the -second by two mortars under that of Major Miller, now (1824) General -Miller, was protected by the Galvarino; and the third under Captain -Hinde was defended by the Pueyrredon. By accident Captain Hinde lost his -lighted match rope, and sent on board the brig for another, which the -soldier dropped on stepping from the boat to the raft; it fell among the -rockets, and an explosion took place, but no serious injury was -experienced. - -In the nights of the second, third, and fourth several more rockets were -thrown, without particular success: some damage was done to the enemy's -vessels, but on the fourth they were completely unrigged, which was -undoubtedly a wise precaution. Several of the rockets exploded almost -immediately after they were lighted, others at about half their range, -others took a contrary direction to that in which they were projected, -and it became evident that some mismanagement had occurred in their -construction. On examining them, some were found to contain rags, sand, -sawdust, manure, and similar materials, mixed with the composition. -Colonel Charles, who had been commissioned to superintend the making of -the rockets, was at first incapable of accounting for this insertion, -but at length he recollected, that the government of Chile, with a view -of saving the wages of hired persons, had employed the Spanish prisoners -to fill the rockets, to which mistaken policy the whole squadron might -have fallen a sacrifice; for had the vessels which were expected from -Spain arrived, the Chilean forces would never have been able to cope -with the Spanish, especially when joined by what was in the bay of -Callao. - -On the fifth a large vessel was observed to windward. It proved to be -the Spanish frigate la Prueba, part of the expected squadron: advices -which we received from shore informed us, that the Alejandro had -returned to Spain, and the general belief was, that the San Telmo had -been lost off Cape Horn, which was afterwards proved to be the case. - -The fire-ship being ready was sent into the bay under the direction of -Lieutenant Morgel; an unceasing cannonade was kept up both from the -batteries and the shipping; the wind died away, and such was the state -of the fire-ship, that Lieutenant Morgel was obliged to abandon her, and -she exploded before she came to a position where she could injure the -enemy. Owing to the news which we received the following day, the -admiral determined not to send in the second fire-ship, but to proceed -to the northward, to procure fresh provisions and water, as well as to -obtain news respecting the Spanish frigate. The crew of the San Martin -being unhealthy, his lordship ordered her, the Independencia and -Araucano to Santa, and the Lautaro and Galvarino to Pisco, to procure -spirits and wine, the royal stores being full at this place. A military -force being stationed at Pisco, part of the marines were sent from the -O'Higgins and Independencia, and the whole were placed under the orders -of Colonel Charles. On the 14th of October we anchored in the harbour of -Santa, and immediately began to drive the cattle from the farms -belonging to the Spaniards down to the beach; but whatsoever was -received at any time from the natives was always punctually paid for; -this so enraged a Spaniard, Don Benito del Real, that he headed some of -his own slaves and dependents, and came from Nepeña to Santa, where he -surprised one of our sailors, and took him prisoner; he immediately -returned, and reported by an express to the Viceroy Pesuela, that he had -secured Lord Cochrane's brother in disguise. This news made its -appearance in the Lima Gazette, and nothing could exceed the -disappointment of the royalists in Lima, when they discovered that their -noble prisoner was only a common sailor. - -On the 15th the Lautaro and Galvarino arrived from Pisco, and as -nothing can give a better account of what occurred at this place than -the official dispatch of the admiral to the Chilean government, the -following translation is subjoined: - -"The absolute want of many indispensable articles in the squadron, as I -have already informed you, left me no other alternative than to abandon -the object of the expedition, or to take the necessary provisions from -the enemy. I adopted the latter, and sent the Lautaro and the Galvarino -to Pisco for the purpose of procuring spirits, wine, rice and some other -articles. - -"The result of this expedition has been glorious to the arms of Chile in -the valour shewn by her officers and soldiers when fighting hand to hand -with the enemy, and in the assault on the city of Pisco, and the fort to -which the forces of the Viceroy retired. It is my painful duty -notwithstanding to inform you, that the unfortunate Lieutenant-Colonel -Charles closed in this action his career in the cause of liberty, to -which his soul was devoted, at a moment when it promised to be the most -brilliant which the human mind could desire. The courage and judgment of -Charles were not more visible than the talent and general knowledge -which he possessed; such as could only receive an additional lustre -from his peculiarly agreeable suavity of refined manners, and from that -diffidence in his behaviour, as if he considered that he had not arrived -at the portal of wisdom, when all who surrounded him saw that he was one -of the inmates of the temple. - -"Would to God that that sword, the companion of his travels over the -greater part of the globe, in search of information, in the day of -danger, and in the hour of death, be employed by his brother, to whom in -his last moments he bequeathed it, with equal zeal in the just and -glorious cause, in which my ever to be lamented friend Charles has -prematurely fallen. - -"Lamenting the loss which the cause of liberty and independence has -suffered in the death of Charles, as well as all those who knew this -able and meritorious officer, I subscribe myself with an anguished -heart, your most obedient servant, (signed) Cochrane." - -"To the minister of marine of Chile, November seventeenth, 1819." - -The Spanish force at Pisco was composed of six hundred infantry and two -hundred cavalry, part veteran and part militia; six pieces of eighteen -pound calibre in the fort, and two field pieces, mounted and served in -the city. The force under the unfortunate Charles consisted of two -hundred and eighty marines. After taking the fort they advanced on the -city, and took it. Colonel Charles fell about a hundred yards from the -town, and was immediately conveyed on board the Lautaro, where he died -on the following day. His last expressions were, "I hoped to have lived -longer, and to have served Chile; however, fate decrees the contrary; -but, Captain Guise, we made the Spaniards run!" Major Miller took the -command of the troops, and having arrived at the plasa, he was severely -wounded by a musket shot passing through his body, but he recovered, and -has continued to serve the cause of liberty in the new world. A -considerable quantity of spirits and wine was embarked, but the seamen, -owing to the facility of obtaining their favourite beverage on shore, -became so unruly, that Captain Guise was obliged to burn the stores, -consisting at that time of about fourteen thousand eighteen gallon jars -of spirits and wine. - -Health being in some degree established among the crew of the San -Martin, she, with the Independencia, was ordered to Valparaiso, and his -lordship with the O'Higgins, Lautaro, and Galvarino, proceeded to the -river of Guayaquil, in the hopes of falling in with the Prueba. On the -twenty-seventh we entered the mouth of the river, at eleven P. M., and -at five the following morning, to the astonishment of the natives, we -were at the anchorage of the Puná, where we found two large Spanish -merchant ships. La Aguila and La Begoña, almost laden with timber; after -some resistance the crews cut their cables, and allowed them to drop -down the river, as the ebb tide had begun to run; however the boats from -the O'Higgins, the only vessel that had arrived, manned them before they -received any damage. The Spaniards took to their boats, and fled up the -river. - -A slight dissention happened here between Lord Cochrane and Captain -Guise, who asserted, that the prizes had been plundered by the officers -of the flag ship; but on being questioned by his lordship respecting the -assertion, he denied having ever made it. A report was afterwards -circulated by Captain Spry, that it was the intention of the Admiral not -to allow the Lautaro and Galvarino to share in the prizes, they not -having been in sight when the vessels were captured, nor until the boats -from the flag ship had taken possession of them; however, Captain Spry -declared to the admiral, "on his honour," that the report was absolutely -false. Spry being now convinced that no objection would be made to the -vessels that were not present at the capture, sharing in the prizes, -next circulated a rumour, that Lord Cochrane had no right to share in -the double capacity of admiral and captain; but he also declared, "on -his honour," that he had neither made nor even heard such a report. -These trifling circumstances would be unworthy of detail, were they not -connected with future transactions in the squadron of serious -importance, which it will be my painful duty to relate. - -The Spanish frigate la Prueba had arrived at the Puná on the fifteenth -of October; and having placed her artillery on rafts, she went up to the -city, where, for want of pilots, it was impossible for us to follow. -Having watered, and purchased a large stock of plantains and other -vegetables, we left Guayaquil river on the twenty-first of December. The -vessels of war and the prizes received orders to proceed to Valparaiso; -the O'Higgins appeared to have the same destination; but having made the -island of Juan Fernandes, the admiral gave orders to stand towards -Valdivia instead of Valparaiso, saying, that he wished to examine that -port, because the Viceroy of Peru had assured the Peruvians, that one of -the line of battle ships had entered Valdivia, and was there refitting, -for the purpose of making an attack on Valparaiso. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - Passage from Guayaquil River to Valdivia....Lord Cochrane - reconnoitres the Harbour....Capture of the Spanish Brig - Potrillo....Arrival at Talcahuano....Preparations for an Expedition - to Valdivia....Troops furnished by General Freire....O'Higgins runs - aground....Arrival off Valdivia....Capture of Valdivia....Attempt - on Chiloe fails....Return of Lord Cochrane....Leaves Valdivia for - Valparaiso....Victory by Beauchef....Arrival of the Independencia - and Araucano....O'Higgins repaired....Return to - Valparaiso....Conduct of Chilean Government....Lord Cochrane - resigns the Command of the Squadron. - - -One peculiarity which accompanied our voyage was, that having the -larboard tacks on board at our departure from the mouth of the Guayaquil -river, they were never started until our arrival off Valdivia, the -difference of latitude being 36° 27´. The currents which run from the -southward seem to decrease in about 92° west longitude, and at 98° in -33° of south latitude they are scarcely perceptible. Here also the wind -gradually draws round to the eastward, and in twenty-seven Spanish -journals which I have examined of voyages made at all seasons of the -year, this has been universally observed. - -On the seventeenth of January, 1820, we made Punta Galera, the south -headland of the bay of Valdivia, having the Spanish flag hoisted. Early -on the morning of the eighteenth the admiral entered the port in his -gig, and returned on board at day-break, having examined the anchorage, -and convinced himself that the Spanish ship of war was not there, the -only vessel in the harbour being a merchantman. - -For an excursion of this nature the spirit of enterprize of a Cochrane -was necessary. When the strength of this Gibraltar of South America is -considered, the number of batteries, forming an almost uninterrupted -chain of defence, crowned with cannon, the shot of which cross the -passage in various directions; under such circumstances, the resolution -to brave all danger for the advancement of the Chilean service reflects -the highest possible honour on the admiral; besides, to this brief and -perilous survey South America owes the expulsion of her enemies from -this strong hold. - -At half-past six o'clock a boat with an officer, three soldiers, and a -pilot, came alongside, having been deceived by the Spanish flag which we -hoisted; they were detained, and proved an acquisition of considerable -importance. Immediately afterwards a brig hove in sight, which we -chased and captured; she proved to be the Spanish brig of war the -Potrillo; she had been sent from Callao with money for the governments -of Chiloe and Valdivia, and was at this time on her passage from the -former to the latter place. After the capture I was most agreeably -surprised to find, that two of the daughters of my kind friend Don -Nicolas del Rio, of Arauco, were on board; and that, at the expiration -of seventeen years, it was in my power to return part of the kindnesses -which I had received from their family, when a forlorn and destitute -captive in Araucania. - -On the 20th we anchored in the bay of Talcahuano, and in the course of -two hours General Freire, the governor of the province and suite came on -board to welcome the arrival of Lord Cochrane. I availed myself of this -opportunity and solicited permission for the two Miss Rios to return to -their home, to which the general immediately acceded; although, said he, -with the exception of their brother Luis, all the family have been -determined enemies to the cause of their country. Late at night an -officer came on board and informed me, that two soldiers were under -sentence of death at Conception, that they were to be executed on the -following morning for the crime of desertion, and that he had been -deputed by some of his brother officers to solicit the intervention of -the admiral in their behalf. I reported this to his lordship, and a -letter was sent in the morning, to which the following answer was -received: - -"My Lord--Chile and Chileans are every day more and more indebted to -you; the favour which you have this day done me, in relieving me from -the necessity of enforcing the execution of another sentence of death, -is equal, in the scale of my feelings, to the pardon. I shall send the -two deserters to thank your lordship, for I have impressed on their -minds what they owe to your lordship's goodness. I have to beg that they -be incorporated in the marines, where, fighting under your immediate -orders, they may evince their love of the patria, and erase the stain -with which they have soiled a cause which has the honour of counting -Lord Cochrane among its most worthy defenders &c.--Ramon Freire." - -On the day after our arrival, Lord Cochrane had a private conference -with General Freire, and proposed to him an attempt on Valdivia, which -his lordship offered to undertake with four hundred soldiers, if the -general would place them at his disposal, secresy being a positive -condition. This truly patriotic chief immediately acceded to the terms, -and pledged himself not to communicate the plan even to the supreme -government, until the result should be known. It is impossible not to -admire this generous conduct of Freire. He lent part of his army, when -he was on the eve of attacking Benavides, and exposed himself, by thus -weakening his division, to the displeasure of his superiors, should Lord -Cochrane not succeed. But his love for his country, and the high opinion -which he entertained of the admiral, overcame every objection. The -generosity of Freire is equally praiseworthy in another point of view: -he gave part of his force to another chief, for the purpose of obtaining -a victory, in the glory of which he could not be a participator, except -as an American interested in the glorious cause of the liberty of his -country. - -Orders were immediately given to prepare for a secret expedition; but as -this proceeding was so novel, a _secret_ was put in circulation, that -the destination was to Tucapel, in order to harass the enemy's force at -Arauco; and the distance being so very short, neither officers nor -privates encumbered themselves with luggage. All was ready on the -afternoon of the 28th, and two hundred and fifty men, with their -respective officers, under the command of Major Beauchef, were embarked -on board the O'Higgins, the brig of war Intrepid, and the schooner -Montezuma, which were at Talcahuano on our arrival. We got under weigh -in the morning, because the wind continued calm during the whole of the -night. - -About four o'clock in the morning his lordship retired to his cabin to -rest, leaving orders with Lieutenant Lawson to report if the wind should -change, or any alteration should take place. As soon as his lordship had -left the quarter deck, Lawson gave the same orders to Mr. George, a -midshipman, and also retired to his cabin. The morning was so remarkably -hazy, that it was impossible to see twenty yards ahead of the ship, and -a slight breeze springing up, the frigate ran aground on a sand-bank off -the island Quiriquina, and so near to it, that the jib-boom was -entangled among the branches of the trees on shore. This accident -brought the admiral on deck, half-dressed, when to his astonishment he -saw large pieces of sheathing and fragments of the false keel floating -about the ship. A kedge anchor was immediately carried out astern, and -in a few minutes we were again afloat. The carpenter sounded, and -reported, "three feet water in the hold:" the men at the pumps were -almost in despair, all imagining that the expedition had failed at its -very outset: in half an hour the carpenter reported, no abatement in the -depth of water: well, said his lordship, but does it increase? no, said -the carpenter, and orders were immediately given to stand out to sea. - -On the second of February, to the southward of Punta Galera, the whole -of the troops, including the marines of the O'Higgins, were placed on -board the brig and the schooner; his lordship embarked in the latter, -and proceeded to the bay of Valdivia; having anchored at sunset near to -a small bay, called Aguada del Yngles, English watering place, Major -Beauchef took the command of the troops, embarked at Talcahuano, and -Major Miller, having recovered of the severe wounds which he received at -Pisco, took the command of his brave marines, and assisted in adding new -lustre to the arms of Chile. - -An advanced party of six soldiers and a sergeant was despatched under -the command of the Ensign Vidal, a young Peruvian, having as a guide one -of the Spanish soldiers, who came off to the O'Higgins in the boat on -our first appearance off Valdivia: they drove the Spaniards from the two -guns stationed at the avansada, and following their footsteps, arrived -at the battery of San Carlos, but not before the gate was closed. - -This battery is formed on the land side by placing pieces of the trunks -of trees one upon another to the height of ten feet; and Vidal finding -it impossible to scale the wooden wall exerted himself in dragging out -two of the logs, and then crept through the hole, followed by his -piquet. Having entered, he formed his veteran gang and began to fire on -the Spanish soldiers, who not being able to distinguish either the -number or situation of their enemy fled in disorder, some clambering -over the palisade, while others opened the gate and fled in less -apparent disorder. Two officers came to Vidal, and said to him, why do -you fire on us, we are your countrymen, we do not belong to the -insurgents? I beg your pardon, answered Vidal, you now belong to the -insurgents, being my prisoners of war. The two astonished officers -immediately surrendered their swords. At this moment Captain Erescano, a -Buenos Ayrean, arrived with forty marines, and without any hesitation -butchered the two officers, heedless of the remonstrances and even -threats of Vidal, who told him, that at another time he should demand -satisfaction: he now immediately left Erescano, and with his brave -soldiers followed the enemy. The batteries of Amargos and the two -Chorocamayos fell in the same manner that San Carlos had fallen, and -Vidal had passed the bridge of the Castle del Corral when Captain -Erescano arrived with forty marines: thus in five hours all the -batteries on the south side of the harbour were in our possession. - -At nine o'clock in the morning of the third, the O'Higgins laid to at -the mouth of the harbour, under Spanish colours. The Spaniards at Niebla -were a second time deceived; for believing her to be a vessel from -Spain, they made the private signal, which not being answered by the -frigate, the soldiers immediately abandoned the battery, and fled in the -greatest disorder. After the O'Higgins was brought to an anchor, -detachments of troops were sent to Niebla and the battery of Mansera on -the small island bearing the same name. The vessel at anchor, in this -port was the Dolores, formerly under the Chilean flag; but in November, -1819, part of the crew took possession of her at Talcahuano, and having -slipt her cables, sailed her to Arauco, where Benavides landed those of -the crew who were accused of being insurgents, and immediately ordered -them to be shot on the beach: a boy who witnessed this horrid spectacle -began to cry, which being observed by Benavides, he immediately beat out -his brains with his baston. This murderer not knowing what to do with -the ship, sent her to Valdivia, where she became our prize; the -ringleader, a native of Paita, was also secured, sent to Valparaiso, -tried and executed. - -The important strong hold of Valdivia was thus annexed to the republic -of Chile by one of those inexhaustible resources in war which have -marked the career of the hero under whose immediate directions and -unparalleled intrepidity the plan was formed and executed. Lord Cochrane -having personally attended to the landing of the troops, and given his -final orders to Miller and Beauchef, took his gig, and, notwithstanding -the shot from the battery of San Carlos, rowed along the shore, watching -the operations of the troops, and serving as the beacon to glory. - -In fifteen hours from our landing we were in possession of the advanced -posts of Aguada del Yngles, el Piojo, de la Boca, and de Playa Blanco; -of the batteries of San Carlos, Amargos, Chorocamayo alto and bajo, -Mansera, and Niebla; and of the Castle del Corral, mounting on the whole -one hundred and twenty-eight pieces of artillery. - -In the magazines there were eight hundred and forty barrels of -gunpowder, each weighing one hundred and twenty-five pounds, one hundred -and seventy thousand musket cartridges, about ten thousand shot, many of -copper, besides an immense quantity of all kinds of warlike stores. Our -loss consisted of seven men killed, and nineteen wounded; that of the -enemy of three officers and ten soldiers killed, and twenty-one wounded; -besides six officers prisoners, among whom was the Colonel of Cantabria, -Don Fausto del Hoyo, and seventy-six Spanish sergeants, corporals, and -privates. - -Every thing being secured in the port, his lordship went with part of -the troops to the city, which had been sacked by the Spaniards, who had -fled towards Chiloe. A provisional government was immediately elected by -the natives who were present, at which, by his lordship's orders, I -presided, and received the elective votes; the person chosen being -afterwards confirmed in his situation as governor _ad interim_ by the -admiral. On examining the correspondence in the archives, I found that -many serious complaints had been made by Quintanilla, the governor of -Chiloe, to Montoya the ex-governor of Valdivia, stating his fear of a -revolution at San Carlos, the principal town. This induced his lordship -to appear off Chiloe, and even to land part of the force that could be -spared at Valdivia. He gave orders to prepare for embarkation on the -12th, but unfortunately the brig Intrepid was driven from her anchorage -by a strong northerly wind, and wrecked on a sand-bank that stretches -into the bay from the island of Mansera. This very serious loss was -regarded by the admiral like our former accident at Talcahuano, and -orders were immediately issued for the soldiers to embark in the -Montezuma and Dolores. The short respite from active duty allowed his -lordship to inform the supreme government of Chile of his success at -Valdivia; which he effected by sending a small piragua, with orders to -touch at Talcahuano, and to report to General Freire the result of the -expedition. - -The receipt of the unexpected news at Valparaiso was a moment of -exultation to the friends of Lord Cochrane, and a very severe check on -the tongues of his detractors; some of these had been busily employed in -forming matter wherewith to tarnish the rocket expedition; and they -generously attributed its failure to the unskilfulness, not of those who -had prepared the missiles, but to the persons who had used them. His -absence from Chile was adduced as a proof of his disobedience to the -orders of the government. Now, however, all was hushed, and every one -exclaimed, "we knew that our admiral would not return to Chile without -adding new laurels to his brows." This was re-echoed in Valparaiso; and -long live Cochrane! was the general cry; long live the hero of Valdivia! -resounded in every street. - -On the 13th, Lord Cochrane went on board the schooner Montezuma, and -sailed with the Dolores for Chiloe, where the troops were landed, and -two small batteries taken, and afterwards demolished. The young Ensign -Vidal was again appointed to command an advanced party of twenty-four -soldiers, and when, ascending the hill on which the Castle de la Corona -is built, he lost eleven of his men by a volley of grape from the -battery, he immediately ordered the drummer to beat a retreat: that is -impossible, said the boy, knocking the sticks together, for my drum is -gone. In fact it had been shattered to pieces by a shot; however Vidal -retired, carrying three wounded men with him, and Miller being wounded -at the same time by a grape shot which had passed the fleshy part of his -thigh, the retreat to the boats was immediately ordered. The resistance -made at this place by the natives, headed by several friars, was a -convincing proof that they were determined supporters of the cause of -Spain, and as the patriot force was not sufficient to attempt a conquest -of the town, the soldiers were re-embarked. - -During the absence of the admiral with the marines, part of the troops -embarked at Conception were left on duty at the Castle del Corral, under -the command of Ensign Latapia, who in cold blood, and without the -slightest provocation, ordered two of the prisoners, a corporal and a -private, to be shot. I immediately ordered four officers who were on -shore to be sent on board the O'Higgins, fearful that they might be -treated in the same manner. On the return of his lordship on the -twentieth, Latapia was placed under arrest on board, and the necessary -declarations were taken, according to the Spanish forms, for his trial -by a court-martial. He was conveyed to Valparaiso as a prisoner; his -conduct, together with that of Erescano, was reported to the government, -and when we expected to hear of their being sentenced to some kind of -punishment, we were surprized to find that they had been promoted. These -two individuals were afterwards employed by San Martin, and by him they -were again promoted in Peru. - -His lordship having given orders for the O'Higgins to be overhauled and -repaired, considering it unsafe to venture again to sea in her, he -embarked on the twenty-eighth in the Montezuma for Valparaiso, taking -with him five Spanish officers, and forty privates, prisoners, leaving -directions with me to superintend what was going on here, until I should -receive orders from the supreme government. - -Major Beauchef having collected all the force he was able, which, -including the troops embarked at Conception, and some volunteers of -Valdivia, amounting only to two hundred and eighty individuals, marched -to the Llanos, having received information that the Spaniards who fled -from Valdivia had sworn at Chiloe that they would return and either -conquer or die in the attempt. The two armies met near the river Toro, -on the sixth of March, and after an engagement of less than an hour, the -Spanish officers mounted their horses and fled, leaving the soldiers to -their fate. On the tenth Beauchef arrived at Valdivia, bringing with him -two hundred and seventy prisoners, with all the arms and baggage -belonging to the Spaniards. - -The Independencia and Araucano arrived on the twelfth, with the -necessary workmen and tools for the repairs of the O'Higgins; after she -was hove down, it was discovered that besides a great quantity of -sheathing, she had lost nineteen feet of her false keel, and about seven -of her main keel. On the eleventh of April the repairs were finished, -and we embarked for Valparaiso, where we arrived on the eighteenth. - -The Spanish force stationed at Valdivia consisted of part of the -regiment of Cantabria, part of the Casadores dragoons, artillery, -pioneers, marines, infantry of Conception, artillery of ditto, battalion -of Valdivia, dragoons of the frontier, and lancers of the Laxa; these -were the remains of the Spanish army which left Conception, under the -command of General Sanches, in 1819, besides the regular garrison of the -port, amounting in all to about one thousand six hundred, while the -expedition under Lord Cochrane amounted only to three hundred and -eighteen. - -The government of Chile ordered a medal to be struck in commemoration of -this important victory, and it was distributed to the officers. His -lordship expected some remuneration for his men as prize-money, but the -government could not understand how prize-money could be due to a naval -expedition for services done on shore. The Dolores had been laden with -warlike stores at Valdivia; the admiral requested that the value of -these might be decreed to the captors, but the answer to this request -was an order for the stores to be disembarked in the arsenal at -Valparaiso, and the following paragraph from the pen of the hireling -Monteagudo made its appearance in the Censor de la Revolucion, which was -conducted by this patriotic scribbler:-- - -"We are informed that Admiral Lord Cochrane is determined not to allow -the debarkation of the warlike stores brought from Valdivia in the ship -Dolores, on the plea of their being a prize to the squadron which has -restored that province from the hands of the enemy to Chile. We cannot -persuade ourselves that his lordship does not acknowledge, that all the -stores existing at Valdivia at the time of its restoration belong to the -state of Chile in the same manner as those in the provinces actually -forming the state, without any other difference than that these were -restored to the free exercise of their liberty before that was. Even if -Valdivia did not belong to Chile, we do not make war on every section of -America, but on the Spaniards who hold a domination over it: these are -the principles which have always regulated the conduct of our armies; -and nothing save the exclusive property of the Spaniards has been -subjected to the rights of war. It would also be a pernicious precedent -to future operation if whatever was found in a conquered territory -should belong exclusively to the victors. We are persuaded that some -misunderstanding has taken place respecting these warlike stores brought -by the Dolores: Admiral Cochrane is well acquainted with public rights, -and the high opinion which we entertain of his honourable character -obliges us to doubt that which we are not inclined to believe." - -Lord Cochrane afterwards asked Monteagudo if he believed what he had -published was just or according to law; no, said he, certainly not, but -I was ordered to write and to publish what appeared in the Censor. His -lordship being convinced that the government was determined not to -reward the services of the squadron, assured them, that this would -certainly be the last service of the kind which they would receive from -it: he also warned them against expecting that men would risk their -lives, after undergoing the greatest privations, without any -remuneration: he told them, moreover, that as he considered the -proceedings on the part of the government as most unjust, he should -never request of his officers or men any sacrifice, except when the -means of rewarding them were in his own hands. The government wishing -to conciliate the Admiral, made him a present of a large estate in the -province of Conception; but his lordship immediately returned the -document, stating, that it was the services of the men which ought to be -rewarded, that his own were amply repaid by the glory of the -achievement. All his pleadings, however, were in vain, and no reward was -ever given to them by the government for the capture of this most -important fortress; nay more, it was questioned whether Lord Cochrane -ought not to be tried by a court-martial for having fought and conquered -an enemy without the sanction of the government! a fair proof of what -would have been the consequence had not the result been favourable to -his lordship. - -A series of plots now began to take place one after another, which -seemed to threaten even the stability of the government: the regiment -number one, stationed at Mendosa, revolted, Benavides entered -Conception, and committed several most daring outrages; and a conspiracy -was said to have been formed in the capital against the government by -the Carrera party, and the supreme director was so thwarted by the -senate, that he could not act with that promptitude and decision which -circumstances required: the greatest possible evils, publicity and -procrastination, where secresy and despatch were necessary, counteracted -in the most essential points the wishes of the supremacy. The persons -who were accused of being conspirators were apprehended, among whom were -included the last remains of the Carrera family, and other individuals -who were obnoxious to O'Higgins: these were all embarked on board the -brig of war, Pueyrredon, and sent down to the coast of Choco, where it -was expected that they would shortly die, and where in fact the uncle of -the Carreras did die; but, contrary to the expectation and even the -request of the Chilean government, that of Colombia received them as -friends, and some of the exiles being officers, Bolivar incorporated -them in his army, with a promotion; for which act of justice he never -had any reason to complain. The fluctuations in the designs of the -government are well portrayed in the following letter from Lord Cochrane -to the supreme director: - -"Most Ext. Sir--Being at present indisposed with a palpitation of my -heart, which at times afflicts me most severely, and which would be -increased with a journey to Santiago, were I to undertake it according -to the request of the government, I feel myself obliged to solicit an -excuse; persuaded as I am, that the following exposition, which contains -all that is necessary to remind you to reflect on what is past, and to -anticipate what is to come, will be sufficient. I also hope that my -exposition will be ascribed to the sincere desire that I have of serving -your excellency, to whose interests I am most sincerely attached, as -being the august representative of the sacred cause of your country's -welfare. - -"Touching on what is past, you will do me the honour to recollect, that -I recommended to you the indispensable necessity of removing among the -seamen all kinds of distrust with respect to their pay and prize-money: -the first of which they have not yet received, and of the second they -have been totally defrauded; your excellency promised me that they -should be regularly paid, and that whatever prizes were taken should be -entirely appropriated to these two objects; the moiety belonging to the -captors should be immediately distributed, and the other, appertaining -to government, should be applied to the payment of arrears, and -equipment of the vessels of war. I am well aware of the lowness of your -funds; but having, according to your promise made to me, informed the -crews of the different vessels what would be the course pursued, the -men expect a fulfilment of the promise made, and will consider me to be -the author of the deception if they discover that what has been promised -to them is applied to other purposes. Your excellency will allow me to -assure you, that if I had not supported the promise made to the seamen, -the real squadron would not have now existed, and that if the promises -are not fulfilled, the squadron will now cease to exist. - -"Nothing is more difficult than to manage a mass of such heterogeneous -materials, as that of which the squadron is composed--men of different -nations, manners, and religions--men whose suspicions are easily -alarmed, and whose interests cannot be contradicted with impunity; they -may be reconciled if duly attended to, and incorporated with those of -the state: but if this is not done, they will become opposed to its -welfare. - -"The experience which I acquired during the first cruize, convinced me -most completely, that in addition to the punctual payment of the crews, -it was necessary for their health and comfort, as well as for the -cleanliness of the vessels, which contributes so much to these objects, -that proper clothing and beds should be provided. With respect to the -means for procuring these articles themselves, the poverty of some, and -the relaxed habits of others, are obstacles, besides which the -temptations met with at Valparaiso, generally deprive them of the power -before they leave the port. For the acquirement of this desirable -object, I made several applications to the different departments of the -government, requesting that such articles might be purchased and -distributed to the crews, according to the practice observed in all -naval countries. The treasury not being able to pay the value of the -articles, this was done with part of the prize-money taken during the -cruize; at the same time that the money so employed ought to have been -applied to the payment of the captors of the Montezuma; and although -frequent applications have been made, this, like the debts of the crews -of the squadron, has never yet been attended to; but, on the contrary, -such sums as were destined, according to the promise of your excellency, -to the sole purpose of liquidating such debts, have been applied to -other purposes, while part of the seamen who have fulfilled their -contract, are wandering about the streets in a state of despair; others, -naked and clamorous, remain on board; the invalids are begging alms, and -all are cursing the authors of their misfortunes. The result of this -conduct on the part of the government is, even at present, that not only -the seamen and soldiers, but even some of the officers, avail themselves -of every opportunity to dispose of prize goods, as well as of the naval -stores belonging to the vessels of the squadron; and when they are -discovered, the infliction of punishment is prevented by their alleging -that they neither receive pay nor prize-money, and that they despair of -ever receiving either. - -"On my return from the first cruize, your excellency will also be -pleased to recollect, that I reported the necessity of marking each -barrel, or package of provisions, with the weight or quality which it -contained; making the purveyor responsible both for the quantity and -quality of the contents, in order to prevent all kinds of fraud; -because, from the purser's reports, I should then have been able to know -for what period the squadron was victualled. I was compelled to make -this request, because I found that the purveyor had reported at the -commissariate that he had delivered twenty-one quintals of beef to the -Independencia, when in fact only eleven had been received. Thus the -state was charged with the value of ten quintals which had not been -delivered, for the purpose of filling the purse of an impostor, whose -nefarious conduct might have frustrated the object of our expedition, -or even have involved part of the squadron in inevitable ruin. For the -purpose of counteracting such iniquitous proceedings, no order has, as -yet, been issued, nor am I authorised to correct such as punishable -crimes. - -"On my return to Valparaiso, after the first cruize, I hoped to find the -manufacture of rockets completed, according to the promise of the -government, made to me before I sailed; but I found that even the -manufactory was not finished; that notwithstanding the various -solicitations made by the late Lieutenant-colonel Charles, for the -necessary materials, that these were retained, or denied through -jealousy, or some other criminal motive; this might have involved the -whole of the squadron in complete ruin, had the forces arrived at -Callao, which were expected from Spain. As it was, the operations of -that expedition became a reproach to the officers and crews employed in -it, and allowed the enemy to call it imbecility in them, and ignorance -of their undertaking; but, in reality, the neglect or treachery lay in -those appointed by your government to construct those missiles, on whose -speculations the persons employed in the expedition were induced to -rely. The unexpected result of this expedition obliged me to raise the -blockade, to the apparent disgrace and positive injury of the interest -of the squadron; although it had been destined for the purpose of -contending with the enemy before a re-union could be effected between -the vessels in Callao, and the expected reinforcement from Spain. - -"My orders were limited to impracticable operations, by the concurrence -of unexpected accidents, which deprived me of destroying at once the -force of the enemy in the Pacific. Our provisions were exhausted; the -ships of war had neither rice, cocoa, sugar, wine, spirits, nor any -substitute for those articles; with the addition of a considerable -number of sick on board. In this dilemma, it was once my intention to -return to Valparaiso; but not wishing to provoke the indignation of your -excellency, and bring down condign punishment on those persons who had -been the cause of this state of the squadron, I determined on taking -from the enemy at Pisco spirits, wine, and other necessaries, although -my orders expressly forbade such a procedure, I being limited by them to -take only water, and that in a case of necessity. But the government of -Chile inadvertently believed that foreign seamen would be content with -putrid water, a short allowance of beef and bread, a total want of -wine, or grog, when they were on an enemy's coast, where those articles -might be procured in abundance. - -"On being informed that the Spanish frigate la Prueba had sailed for the -Puná, and that she was the only vessel of the expedition which had -doubled the Cape, I again found myself either obliged to abandon the -attempt to capture her, or to take upon myself the responsibility of -violating my instructions, by taking provisions from the enemy on the -coast of Peru. I determined on the latter, and although a large quantity -of cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar, and other valuable articles, belonging -to Spaniards, were collected at Santa, they were all abandoned for the -purpose of following the enemy with all possible despatch; although I -was fully convinced, and still remain so, that nothing is obtained by -excluding the enemies of liberty from contributing to support the -defenders of so just a cause;--for the purpose of exacting from them the -whole of the sacrifice. - -"Your excellency must be completely satisfied, that our efforts in the -river of Guayaquil to take the Prueba were rendered nugatory by the want -of soldiers; there I requested that they might co-operate with the -squadron, when the efforts of the squadron alone were of little avail; -my request was opposed; but why the opposition was made, or on what -principles it was founded, I am totally ignorant, and more so of the -reasons that exist for communicating such strange determinations of the -supremacy to any one except myself; because, if any difficulties -presented themselves in what I had the honour to propose to your -excellency, why was I not requested to explain them, and to do away with -what were accounted obstacles; but the conduct observed implies a want -of confidence in my knowledge, as to the proper application of such a -force, or a conviction on the part of my opponents in your councils, -that they could not support their opposition, because their arguments -are founded on unsound principles. Perhaps what took place at Paita may -have been quoted by some of your senators, who did not recollect the -assurance given by the flags of truce which I sent in, that nothing, -except the property of the king of Spain, would be touched. The enemy -fired on the flag, and now, allow me to ask, if I had any other -alternative, than, like a coward, to submit to such an insult offered to -the flag of Chile, or permit the indignant and provoked soldiers to -obliterate the outrage? - -"When I had the honour to see your excellency last, at Santiago, a plan -was established, and as I then believed, a secret one, the only persons -present being your excellency, General San Martin, and the minister of -marine; this to my utter astonishment, soon became as public as if it -had been given to the gazette, or the town crier; the detail was in the -possession of every speculator, who calculated solely on his private -gain. I was ordered to equip the transports Aguila, Begona, Dolores, and -Xeresana, and my orders for the accomplishment of this object were -scarcely issued, when I was officially informed, that these being prize -vessels, were to be sold immediately; and the orders given by the -government to me were unexpectedly abolished, for the purpose of placing -the fate of the expedition in the hands of mercantile speculators, who -to the present moment have only finished the equipment of one vessel, -which has been allowed to sail from this port, when declared under an -embargo; and this for the purpose of conveying merchandize belonging to -one of the contractors to Coquimbo. This happened at the very moment -when I was assured that the expedition was about to be verified. This -conduct of the government most positively evinces that a mercantile -speculator enjoys more of the confidence of the supreme authority than -I have the honour to deserve. I had subsequent orders for the San Martin -to sail, and to cruize off Talcahuano, she being the only efficient -vessel of war in Valparaiso; that the Montezuma should sail for Callao -for the purpose of obtaining a correct account of the state of the -enemy; next that the San Martin should cruize in the mouth of this port. -I was shortly afterwards informed, that instead of an expedition of two -thousand men that should be ready to sail within fifteen days, that one -of four thousand would be ready within the same time; this led me to -inspect the naval preparations made by the contractors, which I found to -consist of one new rigged ship. I next visited the provision store, and -found there no preparations whatever; there was not even a sufficient -quantity for the consumption of the crews of the vessels of war for one -month. - -"These circumstances, and many other similar ones, oblige me to adopt a -line of conduct which my duty to your excellency, to the States, and to -myself, most imperiously prescribes; this is, to solicit your acceptance -of the important commission with which I have been honoured, and which I -now beg leave to resign. - -"I have detailed some of the motives which oblige me to abandon the -service of a state, in which I have been so highly honoured, -particularly by your excellency; but my firm conviction is, that if I -agree to the tardy and procrastinated measures of the government, I -shall make myself tacitly instrumental in forwarding that ruin which -cannot but be the result of the plans of the advisers of your -excellency. - -"Allow me to offer to your excellency, &c.--Valparaiso, May 14th, 1820." - -The official answer to this note consisted of a mere list of excuses -from the minister of marine, indicating any thing but the real cause of -the inconsistency of the government; indeed, the real cause was -enveloped in mystery for a considerable time afterwards. However, the -determination of Lord Cochrane, not to continue in the command of the -squadron unless that part of the management of it which was not under -his control was placed on a better footing, seemed to rouze the -government from the state of apathy which they now began to perceive -would soon lead to a state of imbecility. - -O'Higgins and San Martin addressed private letters to his lordship, -begging his continuance in the command of the naval forces of Chile, -and assuring him, that the most active measures would be immediately -adopted for the realization of the grand expedition; the success of -which, they were well aware, depended in many very material points on -the character and efforts of Lord Cochrane. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - Lord Cochrane and Chilean Government....Preparations for the - Expedition to Peru....Captain Spry....Charges presented by the - Admiral against Captain Guise....Lord Cochrane throws up his - Commission....Letters from the Captains and Officers....Commission - returned by the Government....Offer made by San Martin to the - Foreign Seamen....Embarkation of Troops for Peru....Announcement - of....Sailing of the Expedition....Force of the Squadron. - - -Lord Cochrane, whose whole soul was engaged in the total emancipation of -the Spanish colonies, desirous of contributing to the acquisition of -this interesting object, re-assumed the command of the squadron, relying -on the fulfilment of the promises made by the government of Chile, -supported by the guarantee of General San Martin; who, however -extraordinary it may appear, pledged himself not only to sanction but -also to fulfil the promises made by a government in whose _employ_ he -was himself engaged. - -The supreme director, in the name of the republic, again made to Lord -Cochrane a donation of an estate in the province of Conception, as a -token of gratitude for those important services which the country had -received from him; this was again rejected, and his Lordship, wishing to -give an unequivocal proof of his attachment to the country, and of his -intention to establish his residence in it, purchased an estate called -Quintero, about eight leagues to the northward of Valparaiso. On -visiting Quintero, Lord Cochrane examined the bay called de la -Herradura, and made a report to the government, accompanied with a plan, -stating that this harbour had many advantages which that of Valparaiso -did not possess; he solicited that it might become an establishment for -the vessels of war belonging to the state, pointed out many important -results that would accompany the adoption of such a plan, with respect -to the discipline, order and regulation of the squadron; and concluded -with an offer to the state, of all the land that might be necessary for -an arsenal and general marine depôt; when, to his utter astonishment, -the answer to this signal generosity and sacrifice of private property, -for the good of the service, was a notification, that "in consideration -of the peculiar advantages of the harbour of Herradura, and the estate -of Quintero, advantages of the highest importance to Chile, Lord -Cochrane is ordered not to continue any improvements on the said -estate, as they will not be paid for by the state, to whom Quintero and -Herradura are declared to appertain, on condition that Lord Cochrane -shall be paid by the state the purchase money, and improvements made." -This blow affected Lord Cochrane more than any other which the -government could have given him; at a moment when he had been entreated -to continue in the command of the squadron, and an estate in the country -had been presented to him, when he became the proprietor of another, by -purchase, wishing to convince all parties that he adopted Chile as his -home, he tacitly received an order to abandon such ideas. His lordship -immediately addressed to the supreme director an answer to this -unexpected notification, which produced an apology, and an assurance -that the proceedings were founded on the old Spanish laws, which as yet -had not been repealed; and that the notification rested only on the -_vista fiscal_, the solicitude of the attorney general. It was very -apparent, at this time, that something was brewing in the Chilean -government; but it was impossible either to comprehend the matter, or to -foresee the effect; all parties seemed to endeavour to conciliate the -good will of the Admiral, yet something occurred daily, which tended to -alienate him even from the cause of the country; and although, upon -inquiry, the most polite excuses were given, and apologies often -tendered, yet some busy hand seemed always to be employed in feeding the -flame of provocation and mischief. - -Nothing but the active preparations of the government for the grand -expedition to Peru, and the repeated solicitations of General San -Martin, would have prevented Lord Cochrane from resigning the command of -the squadron, and of embarking for England. San Martin visited the port -of Valparaiso in June, for the purpose of inspecting the transports; and -the troops began to move from their encampments at Rancagua to Quillota, -twelve leagues from Valparaiso, for the purpose of embarking. Every -thing appeared at first to contribute towards the accomplishment of this -most important object, and all persons concerned to act in unison, as if -animated by one spirit, that of extending to Peru the happiness enjoyed -by Chile, the fruit of her emancipation from the Spanish yoke. At this -period, quite unexpected by all concerned, Captain Spry was promoted to -the rank of Capitan de Frigata, and appointed flag captain to Lord -Cochrane, at the same time that his lordship had solicited the -appointment of Captain Crosbie; and to add to this irregular proceeding, -the minister of marine informed his lordship, that although Don Tomas -Crosbie had held the command of the Araucano, and had been treated as a -captain, and addressed as such by the government, that as yet he had not -received a commission appointing him to that rank, nor was he as such -placed on the navy list. His lordship was also informed, that the -appointment of Captain Spry must be acceded to. This order received from -the Admiral a positive denial, and he wrote in answer, that Captain Spry -should never tread the quarter-deck of the flag-ship as captain of her, -so long as he held the command of the squadron; not because his lordship -had any personal objection to Captain Spry, but because he would not -consent to any encroachment on the privileges he enjoyed as admiral and -commander in chief. - -This affair was stated by Cochrane to San Martin, who merely answered, -it shall be as you choose, _sera como V. quiera_, and on the following -morning Crosbie was appointed flag captain, and Spry ordered to continue -in the command of the Galvarino. Scarcely had this matter been thus -adjusted, when Lord Cochrane was obliged to place Captain Guise of the -Lautaro under an arrest, and to forward to the government charges -against him, requesting that he might be tried by a court-martial. The -charges were for repeated acts of neglect of duty and insubordination; -they were arranged under thirteen heads, finishing with "endeavouring in -the various acts of disobedience herein mentioned to set at defiance, -and bring into contempt the authority of his superior officer, the -commander in chief, in the execution of his duty, to the subversion of -discipline, and in violation of the articles of war on the foregoing -heads, made and provided." This act of the admiral astonished the -government; the principal part of which was now at Valparaiso, for the -purpose of forwarding as much as possible the equipment of the -expedition. It met with their most determined opposition, and after some -very warm correspondence, the following note was addressed by his -lordship to the minister of marine:-- - -"Sir,--The apparent determination of the supremacy to support a junior -officer in the commission of the most outrageous breaches of his public -duty, and of acting not only contrary but in direct opposition to the -orders communicated to him by his commander in chief, not only -encourages his dereliction from duty, and is a precedent of the most -pernicious character for the imitation of others, but brings my -authority into contempt, and renders my exertions in the service of the -republic nugatory. I have nothing to add at present to what I have -already stated to you, except that you will place in the hands of his -excellency the supreme director my resignation of the command of the -squadron of Chile, and express to him my sincere wish, that, whoever may -be appointed to supersede me, his endeavours to serve the cause of -liberty in the new world may be crowned with greater success than mine -have been; and that he may be better qualified to preserve that -discipline in the squadron which is not only essentially necessary, but -indispensably requisite, for the honour of himself, the success of his -operations, and the welfare of the cause he serves. I have to request -you will inform me at the earliest period of the acceptance of my -resignation, that I may order my flag to be struck, as also, whether it -would be agreeable to the present views of the supreme government that I -should continue to reside as a citizen of Chile, among those persons -who, after having exerted themselves in the support of her sacred cause, -have retired to enjoy the fruits of their labours; if not, I request -permission to leave the country; and my passport constituting my -ultimate request, I remain, &c." - -"Cochrane." - -"Valparaiso, July 16th, 1820." - -The first tender of his commission which Lord Cochrane made was -unexpectedly kept a profound secret by the government; indeed at that -time the greatest danger would have attended a disclosure of the matter; -the greater part of the foreign seamen were unpaid, and the natives, -both seamen and marines, were more clamorous on this head than the -foreigners, and all seemed determined on some desperate proceeding, if -their claims were not directly satisfied. The present act of the -commander in chief became known immediately; and the following -invitation was on the 17th laid on the capstern-head of the flag-ship: - -"It is reported that Lord Cochrane, wearied out by the illiberal -treatment of the government, has at last been forced to resign the -command of the squadron, because their jealous policy no longer enables -him to hold it with honour to himself or benefit to the state. - -"It is requested that all who feel themselves attached to his lordship, -or who are aware how much the HONOUR, SAFETY, and INTEREST, not only of -the navy, but of the state of Chile, depend on his continuing in the -command, will to-day meet on board the Independencia, at one o'clock, -for the purpose of taking into consideration what steps it may be most -proper to adopt." - -On the 18th, Lord Cochrane received the following letter from the -captains of the fleet, which received the subjoined answer: - -"My Lord,--It being very currently reported, and generally believed, -that your lordship has resigned the command of the squadron of Chile, -and as our views are so closely connected with those of your lordship, -we beg leave most respectfully to solicit your information on this -subject. (Signed.) Robert Forster, W. Wilkinson, Cladius Charles, T. -Sackville Crosby, James Ramsey." - -"Gentlemen,--I have been favoured with your letter of this date, and -assure you, that whether I remain in the command of the squadron or not, -is a matter of perfect indifference so far as I am personally concerned. - -"My object in proceeding from England to this quarter of the globe was -to promote the furtherance of liberty and independence, more than any -private object, or to promote the views of others inconsistent -therewith. - -"I have only to add, that my desire is to be permitted to surrender the -command of a squadron which I can no longer hold with benefit to the -state nor credit to myself, since the orders which appeared necessary to -be given, and the limited powers vested in me, are disobeyed with -impunity, and not only disobeyed, but made the objects of persevering -scorn and ridicule, by persons who ought to be under my authority, but -who for their personal views wish by insinuations, falsifications, and -detraction, to overthrow all that stood in the way of their vain -ambition. Under this impression, I tendered my commission to the -government three days ago, but am ignorant of the result, which I -expect, however, to learn to-morrow. Believe me, gentlemen, with -feelings of gratitude for your anxious inquiries on the subject, yours, -&c." - -"Cochrane." - -"My Lord,--Your lordship's reply to our letter has created feelings of -the deepest regret in our breasts, and it behoves us to act in a manner -which will stamp our characters, not only as true patriots, but as men -looking up to your lordship, as the only man capable of commanding the -naval forces of Chile with effect, against the enemies of liberty and -independence. We, the undersigned, have come to the resolution of -resigning the commissions we respectively hold in the service of Chile; -we have therefore to request that your lordship will be pleased to -acquaint us with the result as soon as you are aware that the government -of Chile have accepted your resignation of the command of the squadron. - -"We avail ourselves of this opportunity of expressing our confidence in -your lordship's talents, and our determination to act hand in hand with -your lordship; in doing which, we are persuaded that we are most -effectively and faithfully serving the Republic of Chile, and acting -honestly and sincerely towards you, our commander in chief." Signed by -the same five captains. The only two who did not sign it were Guise and -Spry. On the same day, the eighteenth of July, the following was -addressed to his lordship, by the officers of the squadron: - -"My Lord,--The general discontent and anxiety which your lordship's -resignation has occasioned among the officers and others of the squadron -afford a strong proof how much the ungrateful conduct of the government -is felt among those serving under your command. - -"The officers, whose names are subscribed to the inclosed resolutions, -disdaining longer to serve under a government which can so soon have -forgotten the important services rendered to the state, or treat with -indignity a character the most implacable of the enemies of his own -country have been forced to respect, beg leave to put into your hands -their commissions, and to request you will be so kind as to forward them -to the minister of marine for the state. At the same time that we are -thus forced to withdraw ourselves from the service, our warmest wishes -continue to be offered up, not only for the prosperity and liberty of -the country, but that of the whole world. - -"We pray your Lordship all health and happiness, and have the honour to -remain, &c." (Signed by twenty-three commissioned officers.) - -"Resolutions entered into at a meeting of the lieutenants, and other -officers of the same class, belonging to the squadron of Chile, held on -board the Independencia, the eighteenth of July, 1820, for the purpose -of taking into consideration the resignation of the commander in chief: - -"Resolved, that the HONOUR, SAFETY and INTEREST of the navy of Chile -entirely rest on the abilities and experience of the present commander -in chief. - -"That as the feelings of unbounded confidence and respect which we -entertain for the present commander in chief cannot be transferred to -another, they have induced us to come to the resolution of resigning our -commissions, and of transmitting the same to government, through the -hands of the Admiral. - -"That our commissions shall be accompanied by a letter, expressive of -our sentiments, signed by all those whose commissions are inclosed." -(Signed by the same twenty-three officers as the foregoing letter.) - -Although his lordship was convinced of the inability which the whole -expedition would labour under should his resignation be accepted, he -still left the government at liberty to act according to their own -discretion. In the public duties on board the vessels of war no -relaxation took place; the preparations were carried on with the same -alacrity, and the unremitting attention of the commander in chief to -their speedy equipment suffered no diminution; the determination of the -captains and officers of the squadron was not forwarded to the -government, lest the threatening danger might force them to adopt a -measure contrary to their wishes; however, as some of the captains and -officers had not joined the others in their resolutions, and were aware -of their proceedings, the government soon became acquainted with the -whole transaction, and General San Martin, on the night of the 19th, -when in conversation with Lord Cochrane, expressed his astonishment and -disapprobation of the proceedings of the government, and pretended to be -totally ignorant of what had taken place. This assertion was entirely -void of truth, as was proved on the following night, when he said, that -"he only wanted to be convinced how far the supreme director would allow -a party spirit to oppose the welfare of the expedition." It was moreover -corroborated by the subsequent conduct of this chief. San Martin -concluded on the 19th, by saying, "well, my lord, I am general of the -army, and you shall be admiral of the squadron; _bien, mi lord, yo soy -general del exercito y V. sera almirante de la esquadra_." After this -expression. Lord Cochrane shewed to him the letters he had received from -the captains and officers, at which San Martin was very much astonished, -for he was not aware of the positive determination of those individuals -not to continue their important and indispensable services, except under -the command of their present admiral; a determination which was -certainly as honourable to themselves, as it was fraught with danger to -the government and to the state. San Martin asked Lord Cochrane if he -would consent to the suspension of the arrest of Captain Guise, and -delay his trial to a future and more convenient time, should such be the -request of the government; to which his lordship assented, on condition -that the supremacy should confess that the accusations furnished and -charges exhibited were just, and that the conduct of Captain Guise was -highly reprehensible, as being not only prejudicial to the necessary -discipline of the squadron, but in every other point of view injurious -to the general cause of America. In consequence of this agreement, the -admiral received on the twentieth, the following official note from the -government: - -"My Lord,--At a moment when the services of the naval forces of the -state are of the highest importance, and the personal services of your -lordship indispensable, the supremacy with the most profound sentiments -of regret has received your resignation, which, should it be admitted, -would involve the future operations of the arms of liberty in the new -world in certain ruin, and ultimately replace in Chile, your adopted -home, that tyranny which your lordship abhors, and to the annihilation -of which your heroism has so greatly contributed. - -"His excellency the Supreme Director commands me to inform your -lordship, which I have the honour of doing, that should you persist in -resigning the command of the squadron, which has been honoured by -bearing your flag, the cause of terror and dismay to our enemies, and of -glory to all true Americans; or should the government unwisely admit it, -this would be indeed a day of universal mourning in the new world; the -government, therefore, in the name of the nation, returns you your -commission, soliciting your re-acceptance of it, for the furtherance of -that sacred cause to which your whole soul is devoted. - -"The supremacy is convinced of the necessity which obliges your lordship -to adopt the measures which placed Captain Guise of the Lautaro under an -arrest, and of the justness of the charges exhibited against this -officer of the state; but being desirous of preventing any delay in the -important services on which the ships and vessels of war are about to -proceed, it is the pleasure of his excellency the supreme director, that -the arrest of Captain Guise be suspended, as well as his trial by a -court-martial on the charges exhibited, which will remain in the -archives of the marine department, to be postponed till the first -opportunity which does not interfere with the service of the squadron, -so important as at the present epoch.--(Signed) Jose Yguacio Zenteno, -minister of marine. Valparaiso, July 20th, 1820." - -Lord Cochrane immediately discharged Captain Guise from his arrest by -the following note: - -"Whereas certain charges had been exhibited by the commander in chief, -touching the conduct of Martin George Guise, of the C. S. S. Lautaro; -and whereas his excellency the Supreme Director has been pleased to -order, that the investigation of the same by court-martial shall be -suspended, in order to prevent delay in the important services on which -the ships and vessels of war are about to proceed: it is the pleasure of -his excellency, signified to me under his sign-manual, that the said -Captain Martin George Guise shall be replaced in the command of the -Lautaro, and (as in justice due) shall be deemed innocent of the said -charges during the suspension of his trial. - -"July 24th, 1820. (Signed) Cochrane." - -On the same day his lordship returned the commissions to the different -officers, with letters addressed to them, thanking them for their -personal marks of esteem and support in the performance of an unpleasant -public duty, and assuring them, that he was convinced that their -conduct had been governed by their zeal for the true interests of the -public service. - -I consider any comment on these extraordinary proceedings unnecessary at -present, as the spirit which dictated them will become too visible to be -mistaken in the course of these pages. Had General San Martin observed a -different line of conduct to that which marked his operations in Peru, -when he could not shield himself by any specious pretext, importing that -they were regulated by a superior authority, or that they emanated from -a source over which he had no direct control, the government of Chile -might have been considered the authors; whereas, they were only the -agents of the machinations of the general in chief of the expedition, -who foresaw, that in Lord Cochrane he should have a rival, to whose -merits South America could not be blind: he also knew, that the opinions -of his lordship in council would not be overawed by those of a superior, -be biassed by hope or fear, nor be led away by subserviency: however, -his excellency expected to be as implicitly obeyed as a Dey of Algiers, -and as universally flattered as a Sultan of the East; and to those two -over-ruling passions may be attributed part of the disgrace of his -administration in Peru. - -The following announcement appeared in the last number of the Censor on -the tenth of July: - -"To-day the staff officers of the liberating army leave Santiago for -Valparaiso. We have authentic advices, that the expedition will leave -that port for its destination on the twenty-sixth of the present month. -The presence of the supreme director and of the general in chief has -given in Valparaiso a most extraordinary impulse to the last -preparations. At all events, the sun of August will behold the -expedition on its march. Valparaiso is at this moment the most -interesting point in America: it contains as in outline her destiny: the -time will arrive in which its name will be the register of the most -renowned epoch of our history. The army anxiously awaits the moment to -embark on the Pacific, and to present a spectacle entirely new, a -spectacle which has never been seen since the Continent was laved by its -waters. Happy are those who shall partake of this enterprize! their lot -shall be the envy of all those whom the love of glory inspires with a -passion for great designs. Follow me in the path of my fame. Equal my -deeds in the war." - -A new difficulty unexpectedly presented itself, and which the -government at first thought beneath their consideration--the want of -foreign seamen in the vessels of war. The delay on the part of the -presidency in the fulfilment of their contract had weaned this class of -individuals from the service of the state; that great stimulus to -exertion, prize-money, had been and was witheld, and despair instead of -confidence had been so ripened in their breasts, that although many were -unemployed and wandering about the streets of Valparaiso, few would -enter themselves at the rendezvous opened for this purpose. The evil -began to be most serious, and the supremacy consulted the admiral if -coercion ought not to be used; but this insinuation met with just -opposition from his lordship; he expressed to the government his total -abhorrence of impressment, and stated to them, that such a proceeding -would also meet with the lawful opposition of the senior British officer -then in the port. Captain Sherriff would be compelled by his duty to -interfere in the protection of British seamen, however interested he -might personally feel himself in the cause of liberty and the views of -Chile, which it was well known to every individual acquainted with the -sentiments of Captain Sherriff, he regarded as of the first magnitude. - -The day destined for the embarkation of the troops approached, still the -vessels of war were deficient in their complement of seamen, and those -who could not remain ashore preferred to serve in the transports, in -which service greater pay was offered than in the squadron. General San -Martin being convinced that the most energetic measures were necessary -to man the vessels of war, subjoined his name to a proclamation dictated -by Lord Cochrane, stating, among other things--"on my entry into Lima, I -will punctually pay to all such foreign seamen who shall voluntarily -enter the service of Chile, leaving the port of Valparaiso in the -vessels of war belonging to the state, the whole arrears of their pay, -to which I will also add to each individual according to his rank one -year's pay over and above his arrears, as a premium or reward for his -services, if he continue to fulfil his duty to the day of the surrender -of that city, and its occupation by the liberating forces." - -This proclamation, with the subjoined signature of Lord Cochrane, as a -guarantee for the fulfilment of the promise, had the desired effect, and -the crews of the ships were immediately completed. - -On the twentieth of August the expedition left the port of Valparaiso. -The following account of it was published by order of the government: - -"The fortunate day to Chile has at length arrived; a day on which, by an -extraordinary effort which almost elevates her above herself, she -presents to both worlds an example of unheard of constancy and pure -patriotism. Never did any people exert themselves with greater energy, -nor obtain such rapid progress in the brief space which Chile measures -of real and stable emancipation. The liberating expedition which to-day -leaves our port to re-establish independence, and diffuse civil liberty -among the oppressed children of the ancient empire of the Incas, will be -an imperishable testimony of this truth, and a monument as lasting as -time itself, in the history of the age of achievements. - -"A brief view of the successes which have paved the way to this -memorable event will demonstrate to the most disinterested observer, the -great and heroic sacrifices that it has cost. Chile abandoned to her own -resources, without arms, without money, and without the other elements -sufficient to oppose force to force, was burthened from 1812 with a -desolating and ferocious war in her own territory, carried on to the -degree of involving the whole of the country in its calamities. She -succumbed for a moment; for her last resources which at some future -period might give re-action to her social body seemed to fail; the -bowels of the country were torn to pieces by the implacable fury of her -enemies; but in the midst of these disasters, oppressed with the most -direful tyranny, and threatened with universal ruin, Chilean valour and -constancy opened the path to that honour and glory, which in 1817 -crowned the army of the Andes, the restorer and preserver of Chile. The -immortal action of Chacabuco marked the epoch of the aggrandizement and -prosperity of the republic. - -"From that time the state and the government conceived the sublime -object of advancing to the very throne of Spanish tyranny, the enormous -weight of which oppressed Peru. They were aware that for the subversion -of this colossal power, where, although it trembled, the principles of -motion still existed, which vomited hostilities among us--it must be -sought for and destroyed in its origin. But exhausted of all the means -that could animate so arduous an enterprize, it was necessary that time, -and an unexampled decision should overcome these great obstacles. -Soldiers of all classes were formed, to constitute a national army. Arms -and ammunition of all kinds were purchased in almost indefinite -quantities. Every resource was drained, and every effort employed to -form a military depôt, that should excite the attention even of Europe. - -"In the mean time our territory was inundated with the disasters of war, -as with a torrent. Her adverse fortune seemed to threaten with total -ruin our very existence, till we obtained the renowned victory of Maypu; -this victory cost us nearly as much blood as the unfortunate result at -Cancha-rayada, when we lost a treasure in money and implements of war, -now recovered. That triumph was really and truly crowned with all the -circumstances of a decisive action: but our republic did not reap the -benefit of our advantageous state. Our resources were annihilated; the -greater part of private fortunes was ruined; the capital was oppressed -with an immense number of emigrants, who had arrived even from the other -side of the Biobio, searching for security within her walls. The -enormous and inevitable expenses necessary for the preservation of a -sedentary army which occupied the centre of the state, and of a -belligerent army employed in the south against the last, but desperate -relics of our enemies, who were yet invincible under the protection of -the fortifications of Talcahuano. These were the afflicting -circumstances that pervaded Chile, and which would have made many others -despair of saving the Patria, especially if they were not her children. -Notwithstanding, to this unpromising epoch belongs the first intimation -of the great enterprize of sending an expedition to Peru. We now saw the -squadron appear, as if it had sprung from the waves, rather than as the -results of human efforts, attending to the absolute nullity of means by -which we might procure its formation. We were without the necessary -materials, destitute of any relations with foreign states; we had only -one port, where by extraordinary efforts something might have been -effected, and this was blockaded; and lastly, we were in absolute want -of every thing but boldness and resolution. One vessel (the Lautaro) -little better than a hulk, and manned in a moment by determined patriots -rather than seamen, hoisted triumphantly the national flag, and obliged -our blockading enemies, the national marine of Spain, to betake -themselves to a shameful flight. A prodigious rapidity of circumstances -favourable to our navy were the immediate results; the enemy was driven -from Talcahuano; the excellent frigate Maria Isabel, and several -transports from Cadiz, sent to assist in devastation and extermination, -were captured; in fine, our navy obtained the dominion of the sea from -Guayaquil to Chiloe, and deprived Spain of Valdivia, her most important -bulwark in the Pacific ocean. - -"Chile now contemplated, not without surprize, the progress of her -operations; but it was necessary to advance them with greater -endeavours, for such were required at the altar of liberty. It was yet -necessary to recruit troops, to re-equip the squadron, and to procure a -large quantity of materials, for the purpose of forming an expedition -that should carry with it the necessary resources for a campaign of -indetermined duration. It was also necessary to stifle the machinations -of some anarchists, who more iniquitous than the Gracchi or the -Catalines, opposed obstacles almost insurmountable to the government, in -the transaction of the public business. - -"At last all difficulties were overcome, the desires of the virtuous -have been fulfilled, and the nation has arrived at that pitch of power -and respectability, to which perhaps none ever arrived under similar -circumstances. For the acquisition of this, our sacrifices have been of -a most extraordinary class; there scarcely exists a town, a river, or a -valley in our territory, which has not vibrated with the report of -cannon, or been the witness of some obstinate encounters; but according -to the opposition and deformity of the conflicts, the civic virtues of -our citizens have shone with greater brightness. The most compromised -personal services, donations, and erogations from all classes have been -so repeated, and so heroic, that it is impossible to transfer to paper -the expression of their just value; time will do that justice to us -which is due to such marked and indelible actions of the most ardent -patriotism. Our government would not have acted gratefully to its -fellow-citizens, had it not proclaimed and published them to all -freemen; because to such efforts the realization of the liberating -expedition, whose description we have proposed to give, is due. - -"After twelve or fifteen days had been employed in embarking the -necessary depôt of articles for the immediate service of the expedition, -it was announced in the general orders of the thirteenth inst., that the -different corps of the army, including the troops of the Andes and those -of Chile, should begin to move from their encampment at Quillota, and -embark on the eighteenth, as follows:--At eight, ten, and twelve, a. -m.; and two and four, p. m., the regiments No. 7, 11, 5, and 4 of -infantry, and the mounted casadores: on the nineteenth at eight, ten, -twelve, a. m. the artillery, regiment No. 8, of infantry, and the -mounted grenadiers; the companies No. 6, of infantry, squadron No. 2, of -dragoons, the companies of sappers, the workmen and implements; the part -of the beach between the castle San Jose and the arsenal was chosen for -this purpose, as being the most convenient. - -"The spectacle presented by the different bodies in the progressive -order of their march was as interesting and imposing as was the -enthusiasm and joy of all concerned: the spectacle was sublime, and -every individual from the general in chief to the lowest of the soldiers -seemed to rejoice. They had scarcely left the land of their birth, and -which had been a grateful witness to their victories, when the -spontaneous and simultaneous shout was heard, "Viva la Patria!" "Viva la -Libertad!" was re-echoed by the spectators, and produced a most -interesting, soothing, and consoling effect, the best prognostic of -their future triumphs, which were destined to fix the liberty of the -south. - -"On the nineteenth, at nine, a. m., the national flag of the republic -was displayed: it was saluted by every battery and every vessel of war -with twenty-one guns. At this time the Captain-general Don Jose de San -Martin visited the vessels of war and transports, enlivening the jubilee -of his brave soldiers. - -"To-day, the twentieth, the expedition weighed, and left the port in the -following order: the flag ship, O'Higgins, with the hero of Valdivia on -board, the commander in chief of the squadron, the Right Honourable Lord -Cochrane (whose illustrious talents promise the most flattering results, -as well with respect to the expedition, as the future glory of our navy) -led the vanguard, with two other vessels of war. Then followed, in -column, the transports, flanked by three other vessels of war: the rear -was closed by eleven gun-boats, following the Independencia and San -Martin, bearing the general in chief and his staff. - -"These are the happy effects which order, constancy, and valour have -achieved; their progress in a great measure is owing to the existence of -the squadron: its establishment, increase, and superiority over that of -Lima is the result of firmness and boldness: Chile has the glory of -owing this to herself, and may call it the child of her sacrifices, her -resolution, and her valour. The time will come when America will offer -to Chile demonstrations of her acknowledgment, and pay to her the homage -which is due: this they will do in return for her laudable and -meritorious services, because they, more directly than any others, have -been serviceable to the common welfare of the Continent. And should the -fates be adverse, even in despite of every probability, should the -precious expectations of this formidable expedition be disappointed, -neither calumny, nor envy, nor all the vicissitudes of time will be -sufficient to wrench from us the glory of having realized the most -liberal project which the history of infant states can present. (Signed) -Zenteno, Minister of war and marine." - -The supreme director of Chile, O'Higgins, addressed the following -proclamation to the liberating army, at the moment of sailing from -Valparaiso: - -"Soldiers,--I have repeatedly witnessed your courage, and know full well -what may be expected from you in the most important campaign of the -revolution. The general who commands you is the same who conducted you -to the field of battle at Chacabuco and Maypu; remember what ye there -did, and think of the glorious destiny that awaits you. - -"_Soldiers of the Andes!_ you gave liberty to Chile; go now to Peru, -and enrol your names with the blood of its oppressors! - -"Chileans! your intrepidity, with that of the auxiliary troops, saved -the Republic a second time, in the action of the fifth of April; go on -in your career of glory, and deserve the gratitude of the inhabitants of -Peru, as you have even that of your patria. - -"Expeditionary Army! march to victory; go and close the calamities of -warfare, and seal the fate of rising generations--these are the wishes -and the hopes of your friend and comrade. (Signed) O'Higgins." - -The number of troops destined to the liberation of Peru was four -thousand seven hundred; fifteen thousand stand of arms were embarked for -the purpose of raising troops in Peru, and the whole equipment was -highly honourable to Chile, and truly the fruit of the most patriotic -sacrifices. Chile, ten years before this memorable epoch, was considered -as little more than a province dependent on Peru, and supported by the -sale of her productions in the markets of this country; her inhabitants -were looked upon as ignorant boors, and the term _huaco_, the epithet -given in Chile to the farmers and people who resided in the country, was -synonymous in Peru, with loon, or booby; but the sincere patriotism, -the steady and unremitting efforts, and the undaunted valour of these -people, triumphed after having resisted the efforts of the Spanish -expeditions, sent both from Peru and the mother country. Having -struggled under, and thrown off the yoke of oppression at home, they -prepared a new offering at the altar of liberty, and united their -persons and fortunes to make Peru a partaker of that glorious state of -freedom and independence which at the point of the bayonet they had won -for themselves and their descendants. - -The naval force under the command of Lord Cochrane, consisted of-- - - - The frigate O'Higgins, flag ship, of 48 guns. - San Martin 64 - Lautaro 44 - Independencia 26 - brig Galvarino 18 - Araucano 16 - Pueyrredon 14 - - -These had on board 1600 individuals, 624 of whom were foreign officers -and seamen, chiefly English. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - Sketch of O'Higgins, San Martin, Lord Cochrane, Las Heras, and - Monteagudo....Sailing of the Expedition, and arrival at - Pisco....Debarkation....Occurrences at Pisco....Colonel Arenales, - with a division of the Army, marches to Arica....Troops embark and - proceed to Ancon....News of the Revolution of Guayaquil....Capture - of the Spanish Frigate Esmeralda....Army goes down to - Huacho....Head Quarters at Huaura. - - -Few things are more irksome, or perhaps none more difficult, than to -pourtray living characters, especially those of great men. -Misapprehension, flattery, or odium, generally constitute the _chiara -obscura_ of the painting; however, as this task has at this period of my -narrative become indispensable, I shall endeavour to fulfil it with -impartiality, hoping that at its conclusion my readers will confess that -the colours have not been carelessly selected, nor in any way -misapplied. - -Don Bernardo O'Higgins, the supreme director of Chile, possesses a -considerable share of real courage; is resolute in executing a -determination, but tardy in forming it; diffident of his own abilities, -he is willing to take advice from any one, but always inclined to -consider the last as the best. Thus, without forming his plans on the -judicious analysis of the counsels offered, by eschewing the good, and -rejecting the evil, he has often been led into difficulties in his -political administration. These waverings were highly injurious to the -furtherance of Chilean prosperity, which was, no doubt, the idol of his -soul; and this same want of determination often produced evils of no -less moment in the military department. His love of his country was -doubtless sincere, and perhaps his earnest desire to be always right -sometimes led him into errors; but in this case it is more just to judge -of the motive, or the cause, than of the action, or the effect. The -establishment of the _senada consulta_ was in itself a virtuous measure; -but the expectation of finding five individuals who should see the good -of the country, and the advancement of its true interests, through the -same medium as himself, was one of the virtuous mistakes of O'Higgins, -which placed him under the control of his own creatures, and often -retarded the execution of plans of vital importance to the state, and -rendered their execution either abortive or nugatory. - -The private character of O'Higgins was truly amiable. He was kind and -condescending; apparently more at home at his evening tertulias than -when under the canopy of the Supreme Directorship. In the whole of his -conduct it might be truly said, that - - - "E'en his vices lean'd to virtue's side." - - -Being the son of an Irishman, Don Ambrose Higgins, who died in the high -situation of Viceroy of Peru, he was passionately fond of the countrymen -of his father, and I believe an Irishman was never deceived in his -expectations of support and protection in O'Higgins. In short, the -character which a Chilean gave to me conveys a very accurate summary of -his general outline. "There is too much wax, and too little steel in his -composition; however, there are few better, and many worse men than Don -Bernardo." - -The character of General San Martin will be best drawn from the conduct -which he has observed. He was first known while in a military capacity -in Spain, where he served as Edecan de Policia to General Jordan, with -the rank of Captain. At this time a majority became vacant, which he -solicited of General Castanos, but meeting with a refusal, he abandoned -Spain and her cause, came over to England, where he took shipping and -proceeded to Buenos Ayres in 1811. He there received the command of a -division of the patriot troops, and defeated a party of 500 of the enemy -at San Lorenzo. He was afterwards appointed commander in chief of the -army of Buenos Ayres, in Upper Peru, where nothing transpired to render -an account of his command of any importance. When superseded, he went to -Mendoza, and there met O'Higgins and the Chilean refugees; a plan for -the restoration of Chile was formed, San Martin took the command of the -army. The success of the patriots at Chacabuco and Maypu has already -been related, from which time nothing of importance occurred till 1820, -when he was appointed by the Chilean government general in chief of the -forces sent to Peru, called the "liberating expedition." I shall abstain -from making any comments on the character of General San Martin, leaving -my readers to form their own opinions concerning him, founded on the -facts which I shall present, authenticated by the circumstances as they -arose. - -Lord Cochrane is too well known to require any encomium from my pen. His -services to his native country entitled him to the honour of knighthood -in the military Order of the Bath; being the only captain in the -British navy, who enjoyed this distinguished badge of national glory. In -the new world, when his services were not needed in the old, his career -of glory has been as brilliant as his most important services were -necessary; and I do not hesitate in asserting, that but for his -assiduity and unremitting attention, his military knowledge, and -determined valour, the western shores of America would have still been -in the possession of Spain; her fleet would have now commanded the -Pacific, and "British Commerce" would have been excluded from the -extensive market which it enjoys. Chile, Peru, and Columbia have -repeatedly expressed their gratitude, the high sense they entertain, and -the just appreciation which they hold of the merits of this hero; this -supporter of their rights; this defender of their liberty--and if the -name of Cochrane can ever be forgotten in the old world, or his services -not duly requited, it will be found enrolled in the imperishable -archives of the new, enshrined in the gratitude of the present and -future generations. "Lord Cochrane is such a miracle of nautical skill -and courage; his cause of banishment from his country is so -lamentable--his adventures have been so romantic--and his achievements -so splendid, that no Englishman can read them without pride, that such -things have been done by his countryman; and without solemn concern that -such talents and genius should be lost to the land that gave them -birth."[6] - -Don Juan Gregorio de las Heras, Major-general, and second in command of -the army, had established his character as a soldier and a commander, by -his boldness and intrepidity at Talcahuano, in 1817. This general -merited the applause of every one, and his conduct in Peru endeared him -to every soldier, and every lover of the cause in which he -fought;--there can be no doubt that had he been the commander in chief, -those torrents of blood which have been shed in Peru since 1820, would -most certainly have been spared. In his actions Las Heras was mild, -affable, and unassuming, and in his manners he was a perfect gentleman. -In his general character he was sincere and candid; uniting always such -qualities as made him beloved by his friends, and feared by his enemies; -in fine he is an ornament to society, and an honour to his birth-place, -Buenos Ayres, where his patriotic virtues have been rewarded with the -Supreme Magistracy. - -Don Bernardo Monteagudo was one of those individuals who too often -appear on the stage in revolutionary times, who "without feeling mock at -all who feel." He is a native of Upper Peru, of the lowest rank in -society, of spurious offspring, and African genealogy; he applied -himself to the study of the law, and his mind is composed of the very -worst materials which characterize the sullen zambo; his imagination is -active and aspiring, like that of the mulatto, a composition which is -formed to fulfil the Spanish adage, "_tirar la piedra, y esconder la -mano_, throw the stone, and hide the hand." He had been repeatedly -employed by his master San Martin to gild over, under the forms of law, -such proceedings as even he, with a blushless cheek was ashamed to avow. -The murder of the two Carreras at Mendosa, and that of the Spanish -officers confined at San Luis, are examples of what one monster can -execute, and another defend. His subsequent conduct in Peru will better -serve to define his true character than what I dare even venture to -attempt--for fear it should be supposed that prejudice has acted as a -stimulus. - -The talents and literature of Monteagudo have been held up as possessing -considerable perfection; but it was justly said by Un Limeño[7] in his -_Alcance al Postillon_, printed at Santiago, September 5th, 1822, "that -his productions were impertinent comparisons, formed for benumbed and -monotonous newspaper paragraphs." - -The expedition having left Valparaiso, the O'Higgins entered the bay of -Coquimbo, where the Araucano and a transport had been sent to embark -some troops; these joined the rest, and we proceeded to our rendezvous, -Pisco, and entered the bay on the seventh of September. On the eighth -the troops began to disembark, but such was the prudence of General San -Martin, that they were not allowed to proceed towards the town of Pisco, -until about three thousand were landed; these advanced on the ninth, -formed in three solid squares, under the command of Major-general las -Heras, while San Martin ran down the coast of the bay, in the schooner -Montezuma, to observe the operations of the enemy, which was composed of -forty regulars, and two hundred militia, commanded by the Count of -Monte-mar. This extraordinary prudence gave the inhabitants of Pisco -time to retire, which they did, and took with them even the furniture -from their houses, while they drove before them their slaves and their -cattle into the interior. San Martin, not willing to attribute the -absence of the inhabitants, and the loss of provisions, to his own -tardy movements, but to the inimical feelings of the Peruvians, was very -much chagrined, and stated it as his belief, that he had been deceived -with respect to the accounts he had received from different parts of -Peru; and, in fact, he began to doubt of the success of the expedition. -What a contrast was this to the landing of the gallant -Lieutenant-colonel Charles, about a year before; who, with less than -one-tenth of San Martin's troops, disembarked, and in three hours -possessed himself of the battery and town of Pisco. But this was -considered an imprudent act, and a want of generalship: and so it was, -if the greatest skill consists in avoiding danger, and in sparing both -friends and enemies for a more convenient occasion, to which may be -added, that Charles lost his life. - -On the day on which the expedition arrived at Pisco, the constitutional -government had been restored in Lima, and the Viceroy was at the theatre -when he received the first news: he immediately retired, after having -heard the old Spanish adage frequently repeated, "_a cada cochino gordo, -le llega su San Martin_--for every fat hog, San Martin, will arrive;" -alluding to the fairs held in Spain on the day of Saint Martin for the -sale of hogs. The idea, that "all was not right in Denmark," induced -Pesuela to send immediately for the manager of the theatre, and to -examine the prompter's book; when convinced that there was no collusion -between the South American hero and the clown of the Lima stage, his -excellency dismissed the manager, stating, that being a native of Spain, -he could not doubt his loyalty. Had he been an American, he would -perhaps have been sent to prison for the prophetic crimes of Calderon, -the author of the comedy. - -On the fourteenth, part of the convoy which had been separated from us -at sea arrived; and in the evening a Spanish vessel of war, bearing a -flag of truce, having on board a Spanish officer, was sent by the -Viceroy to San Martin to solicit a cessation of hostilities, and to -appoint commissioners to conciliate the interests of Spain and America. -On the twenty-sixth, the deputies met at Miraflores, two leagues to the -southward of Lima, and signed an armistice of eight days; but at their -conferences nothing was agreed to, the Spanish deputies requesting an -acknowledgment of the constitutional government of Spain, and the -evacuation of the Peruvian territory by the Chilean forces; and the -patriots that of the absolute independence of the country. Such being -the respective basis on which the conciliating deputies were ordered to -insist, the conference ended on the fourth of October, and on the fifth -hostilities again commenced. - -On the arrival of the expedition at Pisco, several proclamations were -issued: that of the supreme director of Chile contained the following -paragraph: - -"Peruvians,--behold the pact and conditions on which Chile, in the face -of the Supreme Being, and calling on all the nations of the earth as -witnesses and revengers of a violation, faces fatigues and death to save -you. You shall be free and independent; you shall constitute your own -laws by the unbiassed and spontaneous will of your representatives; no -military nor civil influence, either direct or indirect, shall be -exercised by your brethren in your social dispositions; you shall -discharge the armed force sent to protect you at the moment you choose, -without any attention to your danger or security, should you think fit; -no military force shall ever occupy a free town, unless it be called in -by a legitimate magistracy; neither by us nor through our assistance -shall any peninsular or party feelings, that may have preceded your -liberty, be punished: ready to destroy the armed force which resists -your rights, we pray you to forget, on the day of your glory, all past -grievances, and to reserve the most severe justice for future obstinate -insults." - -On the thirteenth of October, San Martin issued the following paragraph -from the army press: - -"People of Peru,--I have paid the tribute which, as a public man, I owe -to the opinion of others: I have shewn what is my object and my mission -towards you: I come to fulfil the expectations of all those who wish to -belong to the country that gave them birth, and who desire to be -governed by their own laws. On that day when Peru shall freely pronounce -as to the form of her institutions, be they whatever they may, my -functions shall cease, and I shall have the glory of announcing to the -government of Chile, of which I am a subject, that their heroic efforts -have at last received the consolation of having given liberty to Peru, -and security to the neighbouring states." - -The sequel will shew how these solemn promises were forgotten; and how -the dreadful results which followed such a system of duplicity and -deceit are characteristics which blacken the name of a private -individual, and blast the honour of a "public man." - -On the fifth of October, hostilities having recommenced, Colonel -Arenales, with a division of twelve hundred men and two pieces of -artillery, left Pisco for Ica, where he arrived on the sixth, and was -received by the corporation and inhabitants of the city with the -strongest marks of the most sincere enthusiasm in the cause of liberty. -Colonel Quimper and the Count de Monte-mar, with a force of eight -hundred men, fled from Ica, but two companies of infantry, with their -officers, returned and joined Arenales. Part of the division under -Arenales was sent to La Nasca on the twelfth, where they entered, and -completely routed the enemy. Quimper and Monte-mar made their escape, -owing to the fleetness of their horses; but all the baggage, consisting -of arms, ammunition, and equipage, was taken, together with six officers -and eighty privates. - -On the fifteenth, about a hundred mules laden with stores belonging to -the enemy were also captured; and Arenales having established an -independent government at Ica, proceeded on his route towards Guamanga. - -The troops of the expedition were distributed on the different estates -in the neighbourhood of Pisco, Chincha, and Cañete, which either -belonged to Spaniards, or Americans who had proved themselves inimical -to the object of the liberating forces, particularly on those belonging -to the Count of Monte-mar. All slaves capable of bearing arms, and -willing to serve in the army of San Martin, were declared free; however, -the number that presented themselves did not accord with the sanguine -expectations of the chief, and his uneasiness at what he considered -lukewarmness in general in the sacred cause began to produce impatience -bordering on despair. He informed Lord Cochrane that he should remove -his head quarters to Truxillo; but his Lordship fortunately advised him -to desist from a plan which would undoubtedly at once have ruined all -his hopes. Truxillo being at the distance of a hundred leagues to the -northward of Lima, it would have been almost impossible for his troops -to have marched across a country such as I have already described -without experiencing the greatest privations; and for want of the -necessary stores they could not possibly have returned by sea; besides, -the division under the command of Arenales would have been abandoned to -its fate, and almost delivered up to the enemy. The only temptation that -such a position could hold out to San Martin was, that Truxillo is a -walled city, easily tenable, and at a short distance from the sea-port -of Huanchaco; however it was determined to remove the head quarters to -the north of Lima, and on the twenty-second the troops began to embark. - -On the twenty-sixth, the whole of the liberating expedition left the bay -of Pisco, and on the twenty-ninth it arrived off Callao, where the -vessels anchored under the island of San Lorenzo, presenting at once to -Lima a view of the forces sent to free the metropolis of South America -from the chains of colonial thraldom. On the thirtieth, the transports, -under convoy of the San Martin, dropped down to the bay of Ancon; the -O'Higgins, Lautaro, Independencia, and brig Araucano, still remaining in -the bay of Callao. - -On the third of November, his Lordship astonished the inhabitants of -Callao, by sailing through the narrow passage that lies between the -island of San Lorenzo and the main, called the Boqueron. Never had the -Spaniards known a vessel of more than fifty tons attempt what they now -saw done with a fifty gun frigate. Expecting every moment to see us -founder, the enemy had manned their gunboats, and formed themselves in a -line ready to attack us the instant they should observe us strike; to -witness which, the batteries were crowned with spectators; but to their -utter astonishment we passed the straight, leaving them to ruminate on -the nautical tactics of the Admiral of the Chilean squadron. - -Having passed the Boqueron, a ship and a schooner hove in sight; the -ship proved to be English, the schooner to be the Alcance, from -Guayaquil, bringing the news of the revolution and declaration of -independence of that city and province, and having on board the -ex-governor and other Spanish authorities. Guayaquil followed the -example of the other South American cities in the manner in which she -threw off the colonial yoke; the Spanish mandataries were deposed, and a -new government established on the ninth of October, without any -bloodshed, or even insults offered to the individuals deposed. - -The adventurous spirit of Lord Cochrane immediately formed the project -of performing the most gallant achievement that has honoured the -exertions of the patriot arms in the new world. The two Spanish frigates -Prueba and Vengansa had left the coast of Peru, and the only vessel of -respectable force left at Callao was the frigate Esmeralda. She was at -anchor in this port, guarded by fifteen gunboats, two schooners, two -brigs of war, and three large armed merchantmen, besides the protection -of the forts and batteries on shore, and a floating boom surrounding -all the vessels, open only on the north side, lying close to the shore -of Bocanegra. His lordship determined on cutting out the frigate, the -brigs and schooners, and as many of the boats and merchantmen as might -be possible. This daring enterprize was to be executed by volunteers -alone; but when the act was proposed on the third of November to the -crews of the different vessels, the whole of them wished to share in the -glory of the undertaking. On this account it became necessary to issue -the following proclamation, which was received with that enthusiasm -which the voice of a hero causes, when he speaks to those who know his -character: - -"Soldiers and sailors,--To-night we will give a mortal blow to the -enemy; to-morrow you will present yourselves before Callao, and all your -companions will look on you with envy. One hour of courage and -resolution is all that is necessary to triumph; remember that you are -the victors of Valdivia, and fear not those who have always fled before -you. - -"The value of all the vessels taken out of Callao shall be yours; and, -moreover, the same sum of money offered by the government of Lima to the -captors of any vessel of the Chilean squadron, shall be distributed -among you. The moment of glory is at hand. I hope, Chileans, you will -behave as you have hitherto done; and that the Englishmen will act as -they are accustomed to do both at home and abroad. Nov. 4th, 1820. -Cochrane." - -On the fourth of November, fourteen boats belonging to the Chilean -vessels of war were manned, and left the ships, filled with volunteers, -at half past ten o'clock at night; but this was only intended by his -lordship to exercise the men. On the fifth, being the day determined on -by the admiral for the gallant enterprize, the signalman of the -flag-ship was sent to the signal staff erected on the island of San -Lorenzo, where he hoisted two or three flags, and was answered by the -O'Higgins; the Lautaro, Independencia, and Araucano immediately weighed -anchor, and stood out of the bay, leaving on board the O'Higgins the -boats and volunteers. This _ruse de guerre_ completely succeeded, and -the Spaniards were persuaded that they had nothing to fear that night, -for they supposed that some strange sail had appeared in the offing, and -that our vessels had gone out in pursuit of it. All being thus ready, at -ten o'clock at night we again embarked in the boats, and proceeded -towards the inner anchorage, on the outside the boom the United States -frigate Macedonia, and the English frigate Hyperion, were at anchor; -and, as we passed the former, after being hailed by the sentry at the -gangway, who was immediately hushed by the officer on deck, many of her -officers hung over the bulwarks, cheered us in whispers, wishing us -success, and wishing also that they themselves could join us. Not so the -Hyperion; although not so near to her, the sentries continued to hail -the boats till we had passed. - -The boats containing two hundred and forty volunteers proceeded in two -divisions; the first under the command of Captain Crosbie, of the flag -ship, the second, of Captain Guise of the Lautaro, both under the -immediate direction of his lordship. At midnight we passed the boom; -Lord Cochrane being in the first boat, was hailed from a gun boat, but, -without answering, he rowed alongside her, and standing up, said to the -officer, "silence! or death; another word and I'll put you every one to -the sword!" Without waiting a reply, a few strokes of the oars brought -the boats alongside the Esmeralda, when his Lordship sprang up the -gangway and shot the sentry; the one at the opposite gangway levelled -his musket and fired; his lordship returned the fire, and killed him, -when turning round to the boats he exclaimed, "up my lads, she's ours!" -The soldiers and sailors now boarded her in every direction, and -possession of the quarter deck was immediately taken. The Spaniards flew -to the forecastle, where they defended themselves, and kept up a -continued fire of musquetry for seventeen minutes, when they were driven -below, and obliged to surrender. We had scarcely obtained possession of -the quarter deck, when a gunboat close astern of the frigate fired a -shot into her; the shot tore up the deck under the feet of Captain Coig, -the commander of the Esmeralda, and wounded him severely; it also killed -two English sailors, and one native; but the officer and crew of the -boat immediately abandoned her. - -The frigate was in an excellent state of defence, and her crew under -good discipline; the men were all sleeping at their guns, and the guard -of marines on the quarter deck; and so prompt were the latter, when his -lordship jumped up the gangway, that they appeared as if they had been -ordered out to receive him; indeed had not the boats under the command -of Captain Guise boarded at almost the same moment, behind the marines, -the admiral and many others who boarded her on the starboard side must -have fallen by their fire. His lordship at this time received a shot -through the thigh, but, until the ship was ours, he paid no attention to -the wound, except binding a handkerchief round it; after which he stood -on one of the guns of the quarter deck, and laid his leg on the hammock -netting, where he remained till three o'clock in the morning, and then -went on board the O'Higgins to have it dressed by the surgeon. - -The following order was issued by the admiral to the captains on the -first of November, 1820: - -"The boats will proceed, towing the launches in two lines parallel to -each other, which lines are to be at the distance of three boats' length -asunder. - -"The second line will be under the charge of Captain Guise, the first -under that of Captain Crosbie. Each boat will be under the charge of a -commissioned officer so far as circumstances permit, and the whole under -the immediate command of the admiral. - -"The officers and men are all to be dressed in white jackets, frocks, or -shirts, and are to be armed with pistols, sabres, knives, tomahawks, or -pikes. - -"Two boat-keepers are to be appointed to each boat, who, on no pretence -whatever, shall quit their respective boats; but are to remain therein, -and take care the boats do not get adrift. - -"Each boat is to be provided with one or more axes or sharp hatchets, -which are to be kept slung to the girdle of the boat-keepers. The -frigate Esmeralda being the chief object of the expedition, the whole -force is first to attack that ship, which, when carried, is not to be -cut adrift, but is to remain in possession of the patriot seamen, to -ensure the capture of the rest. - -"On securing the frigate, the Chilean seamen and marines are not to -cheer as if Chilenos; but, in order to deceive the enemy, and give time -for completing the work, they are to cheer, Viva el Rey! - -"The two brigs of war are to be fired on by the musketry from the -Esmeralda, and are to be taken possession of by Lieutenants Esmond and -Morgell, in the boats they command; which being done, they are to be cut -adrift, run out, and anchored in the offing as quickly as possible. The -boats of the Independencia are to busy themselves in turning adrift all -the outward Spanish merchant ships; and the boats of the O'Higgins and -Lautaro, under Lieutenants Bell and Robertson, are to set fire to one or -more of the headmost hulks; but these are not to be cut adrift so as to -fall down upon the rest. - -"The watchword, or _parole_, and counter-sign, should the white dress -not be sufficient in the dark, are '_Gloria_,' to be answered by -'_Victoria_!' (Signed) Cochrane." - -It was the intention of Lord Cochrane to clear the bay, according to the -instructions given; but being wounded, and the resistance made by the -Spaniards on board proving much greater than was expected, Captain Guise -ordered the cable to be cut; which being done, the frigate began to -drift from her anchorage. The batteries were pretty active during the -engagement, and when the Hyperion and Macedonia sheeted home their -topsails and began to move out of the way of the shot, the firing -increased. These ships shewed two lights, one at the mizen peak, the -other at the jib boom, as distinguishing signals, which being observed -by Lord Cochrane, he immediately ordered the same to be shewn on board -the Esmeralda: thus she was brought out of the anchorage with less -damage than either of the other two sustained. Indeed, excepting the -shot from the gun boat, the Esmeralda sustained none whatever. - -From the lists that were found on board the prize it appeared, that she -had three hundred and twenty persons on board, besides some visitors, -who, from what had been observed, imagined that nothing uncommon would -take place that day. On the following, when the prisoners were mustered, -their numbers only amounted to one hundred and seventy-three; thus their -loss was one hundred and fifty-seven, besides several wounded, who at -nine o'clock on the sixth were sent ashore with a flag of truce. Our -loss amounted to eleven killed, and twenty-eight wounded. His lordship -immediately proposed to the Viceroy an exchange of prisoners; which -being acceded to, ours were immediately sent ashore, and those from the -dungeons of Casas-matas were ordered to join the army under San Martin. -The loss of the Esmeralda was a death blow to the Spanish naval force in -the Pacific, and created a most extraordinary effect in Lima; the -natives looked congratulations to each other, but dared not to speak, -while the Spaniards indulged themselves with every kind of useless -vociferation. To such a degree of frenzy were they wrought up in Callao, -that on the sixth, when the market boat belonging to the United States' -ship Macedonia went ashore, the crew was murdered by the infuriated -Spaniards, who fancied that they had assisted the patriots on the -preceding night. - -Of this achievement of Lord Cochrane, Captain Hall says, "the skill and -gallantry displayed by Lord Cochrane, both in planning and conducting -this astonishing enterprize, are so peculiarly his own, and so much in -character with the great deeds of his early life, &c." - -Captain Downes, of the Macedonia, in a letter to General San Martin, -says, "I do most sincerely congratulate Lord Cochrane upon the capture -of the Esmeralda; the exploit was executed in a gallant stile never -surpassed." - -The bulletin of the army presented, in the report of the capture of the -Spanish frigate, a specimen of the jealous feelings of the general in -chief. The first statement is, "before the general in chief left the -vice-admiral of the squadron, they agreed on the execution of a -memorable project, sufficient to astound intrepidity itself, and of -itself to make the history of the liberating expedition of Peru -eternal."--Again: "those valiant soldiers who for a length of time have -suffered with the most heroic constancy the hardest oppression, and the -most inhuman treatment in the dungeons of Casas-matas, have just arrived -at our head quarters. Flattering promises of liberty and the threats of -death were not sufficient to destroy their loyalty to their country; -they have waited with firmness the day on which their companions in -arms should rescue them from their misery, and revenge the insults which -humanity has received in their persons. This glory was reserved to the -liberating _army_, whose efforts have snatched from the hands of tyranny -these respectable victims. Let this be published for the satisfaction of -these individuals and that of the army, to whose _arms_ they owe their -liberty. (Signed) San Martin." - -Were the character of Lord Cochrane not known in the world, it might be -believed that the plan and execution of this action were the offspring -of the wisdom of San Martin; but how the liberty of the prisoners of war -confined in Callao could be owing to the efforts of the army is quite -paradoxical. Indeed the first assertion is as void of truth as the -second, and it would be as easy proved to be so, were it necessary. - -The only way to praise the hero of this enterprize is to leave here a -blank: all those who contemplate this achievement must pay the tribute -due to the friend of rational liberty, the advocate of South American -emancipation, the supporter of the civil rights of the new world, the -true friend of the oppressed. - -On the ninth of November the army left the bay of Ancon, and dropped -down to Huacho, where the troops immediately began to disembark, and -head quarters were established at Huaura on the twelfth. - -At Ancon General San Martin distributed several proclamations. In one -addressed to the Spaniards residing in Peru, he says "Spaniards, your -destiny is in your own hands; I come not to declare war against the -fortunes and persons of individuals; the enemy of the liberty and -independence of America alone is the object of the vengeance of the arms -of the PATRIA.--I promise you in the most positive manner, that your -property and persons shall be inviolable; and that you shall be treated -as respectable citizens, if you co-operate in the great cause." To the -Spanish soldier who wishes to abandon his arms, he promises a "safe and -commodious passage to Europe should he request it," or wishing to remain -as a soldier, or as a private citizen, "the same enjoyments and -securities as the defenders of the country." - -Similar promises were repeated at Huacho by a decree. "I. The goods and -property of all Spaniards, excepting those who have publicly endeavoured -to prolong the evils of the war by their seditious writings, shall be -under the protection of the liberating army of Peru, in the same manner -as the property of Americans. II. Those Spaniards who after we have -taken possession of Lima (if the fortune of war favour us) shall solicit -letters of citizenship, shall receive them, and shall be declared -citizens of the state of Peru." - -Had not General San Martin compromised himself in this solemn manner, -his subsequent conduct in Lima could only have been called arbitrary; -but when acting in direct violation of such public assurances, it is not -harsh to call it dishonourable and unjust. - -FOOTNOTES: - -[6] Sir James Mackintosh, in the House of Commons. - -[7] Dr. Don Jose Cabero y Salasar, Peruvian Charge d' Affairs in Chile. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - Battalion of Numancia joins the Liberating Army....Victory at Pasco - by Arenales....Route of Arenales from Ica....Courts Martial held in - the Squadron on Officers....Conduct of General San - Martin....Viceroy Pesuela deposed....Expedition to Pisco....To - Arica....Action at Mirabe, under Lieutenant-Colonel - Miller....Description of Arica.... Of Tacna....Of Ilo....Armistice - celebrated by Generals San Martin and La Serna....Prorogation - of....Lord Cochrane leaves Mollendo, and arrives at Callao. - - -On the third of December the battalion of Numancia, being six hundred -and fifty strong, left the service of the Viceroy of Lima, and passed -over to that of the Patria, joining a detachment of the liberating army, -sent to meet them at Retes in the valley of Chancay. This corps, which -was entirely composed of Colombians, had retained the name of a regiment -sent from Spain under General Morillo, and was considered the stay of -the viceregal authority in Peru. A private correspondence had been held -between San Martin and the officers of this battalion, and promises made -to them by San Martin, which, like many if not all similar ones made by -this great man, were never fulfilled. The loss of so important a part of -the Spanish army was a severe blow to Pesuela and the Spaniards in Lima, -and a great addition to the physical strength of the liberating army. -The arrival of officers and private individuals from Lima increased -daily; on the eighth, thirty-six officers, and a greater number of -persons of respectability in Lima, arrived at Chancay, and joined the -patriot forces. - -On the eleventh, the news of the victory at Pasco, obtained by Colonel -Arenales over General O'Reilly and a division of the royal army of -twelve hundred men, arrived at Huaura. After the action at Ica on the -sixth of October, Arenales marched with his division into the interior, -and on the thirty-first he entered the city of Huamanga; but the Spanish -authorities had fled, carrying with them the public funds. The -inhabitants of Huamanga welcomed the arrival of the patriot forces, and -voluntarily declared their independence of Spain and her mandataries. On -the sixth the division left the city, and continued their march towards -the district of Tarma; and the advanced guard arrived at Jauja, thirty -leagues from Lima, at the same time that the Spaniards were abandoning -it; a skirmish took place, and the Spaniards lost eight killed and -twenty-one prisoners, including four officers. On the twenty-second a -division advanced on the city of Tarma, and entered it on the -twenty-third. Tarma immediately proclaimed itself independent of Spain. -On the sixth of December the action was fought at Pasco; the loss of the -enemy consisted in fifty-eight killed in the field of battle, nineteen -wounded, three hundred and forty-three prisoners, including twenty-eight -officers, two pieces of artillery, three hundred and sixty muskets, -flags, ammunition, baggage, and utensils of war; but General O'Reilly -made his escape to Lima. On the arrival of the news of the victory -obtained at Pasco over the royalists, the city and province of Huanuco -declared their independence, and the cities of Cueñca and Loxa, in the -jurisdiction of Quito, advised General San Martin of their having also -abjured all foreign domination, and enrolled their names in the list of -free and independent states. On the fourth of January, the news arrived -of the revolution of Truxillo, under the direction of its Spanish -governor the Marquis of Torre Tagle. - -Such a concatenation of successful events was certainly more than the -general of the liberating army could have anticipated. From the fifth -of November to the fifth of January the Spaniards had lost the whole of -their naval force in the Esmeralda, the Prueba and Vengansa having -disappeared: Numancia, considered the flower of their army and the prop -of their authority, had deserted their cause; the division under the -command of their trusty general, O'Reilly, had been defeated by a minor -force; all the provinces to the northward of Lima had declared their -independence, and were contributing with men and every other necessary -to support the army then encamped within thirty leagues of the capital -of Peru; every thing save hope seemed to have abandoned them, while -every thing appeared to favour the cause of the liberating forces, and -to invite them to crown their career of glory by entering Lima, which at -this moment was the pandemonium of oppression and despair. - -The incomparable prudence of San Martin, however, revolted at the -effusion of blood which must necessarily be the precursor of so much -glory: he felt more sympathy at knowing that both his own and the -enemy's troops were falling victims almost hourly to the ravages of the -tertian fever and other diseases, for want of proper medicines, care, -and rest. - -The situation occupied by the royal troops between Lima and Ancon, at a -place called Asna Pugio, is very swampy, and the number of men who -became affected with intermittent fevers increased daily; the hospitals -in Lima were filled with them, and their decrease by death, as well as -by desertion, was alarming to the Viceroy. The desertions would have -increased if the distance of the head quarters of San Martin had not -been so great, for several deserters were apprehended, and shot by the -royalists. - -On the second of February the officers of the ex-Esmeralda, named by -General San Martin the Valdivia, in commemoration of the important -victory gained by Lord Cochrane over this place, addressed the following -letter to Captain Guise: - -"Sir,--We have heard with regret and disappointment, that his excellency -General San Martin has been pleased to order that the name of this ship -shall be changed, and that she shall henceforward be known under the -appellation of the Valdivia. We regret that in the squadron of Chile the -immortal memories of Lautaro and Galvarino, who have, ages past, been -sacrificed on the ashes of the aspiring liberty of their country, and -the names of their surviving countrymen, O'Higgins and San Martin, (the -avengers of their wrongs, and the restorers of their rights) should be -associated with 'Valdivia,' a Spaniard who has shed such torrents of -American blood, the conqueror and enslaver of Chile, and founder of the -city which bears his name; and we are disappointed to find nothing in -the new name commemorative of the capture of the Esmeralda, but that it -has been made subservient to the celebration of another victory over the -enemy, which, although we had the misfortune not to participate in it, -yet claims our admiration and gratitude, but which bears no more -relation to the capture of this ship, than the battle of Chacabuco does -to that of Maypo; and, what would the victors of Maypo have thought had -that memorable event borne the name of Chacabuco! It is further to be -remembered, that very few of the captors of the Esmeralda took part in -the affair at Valdivia.--We are fully aware, that there are instances in -the squadron of ships being named after particular victories, (viz. -Chacabuco) but these were bought into the service by the property of the -state; the Esmeralda was purchased by the blood of her subjects.--If the -Esmeralda be destined to lose the name under which she was captured, we -express a hope that she will bear one more consonant to the feelings of -those by whom the service was achieved, than that which has been -selected. We have not had an opportunity of communicating with our -brother officers of the squadron, and these remarks are to be understood -as individually our own; we trust however that they will not appear to -yourself or to the commander in chief irrelevant with the interest which -we must always take in every thing in which the glory and prosperity of -the navy of Chile are concerned.--May we beg, therefore, that you will -take the earliest opportunity of bringing the subject before the admiral -and his excellency general San Martin, for their consideration. -(Signed.) Robert Bell, Lieutenant, H. C. Freeman, Lieutenant, J. M. -Michael, Surgeon, James L. Frew, Purser, Hugh Jerome Kernan, Assistant -Surgeon." - -This letter, and the subsequent behaviour of the officers, obliged the -admiral to order them under an arrest, and to exhibit charges against -them for their trial by a court martial, which was held on the second of -March. The charges were "For having, by their letter bearing date the -second of February, 1821, addressed to Martin George Guise, Esq., -combined falsely to represent to the said Martin George Guise, Esq., -captain in the naval service of Chile, and on divers other occasions, -that the appellation of the 'Valdivia,' given to the frigate Esmeralda -was in disrespect to, and derogation of, the names of O'Higgins and San -Martin, and thereby to excite dissatisfaction against the admiral and -commander in chief, in commemoration of whose service in the capture of -the fortifications of 'Valdivia' the said name was given to the -'Esmeralda.' For attempting to excite dissatisfaction against their -aforesaid superior officers, by misrepresenting the name of the fortress -of 'Valdivia,' so given in commemoration of useful services, as the name -of a man whom the said officers further, with the intent aforesaid, have -pronounced to be a Spaniard who shed torrents of American blood; and -moreover, that the said officers did further, with the intent aforesaid -to create dissatisfaction against the superior officer, falsely -represent the person named Valdivia to have been the enslaver of Chile. -That the said officers did hold various conversations derogatory to the -vice-admiral of Chile, their commanding officer, and unnecessarily and -impertinently did interfere in the matter of naming the 'Esmeralda,' -contrary to the rules and subversive of the discipline of the naval -service of the state." - -The sentence given by the court was, that "James M. Michael, Surgeon, -and James Frew, Purser, be dismissed the naval service of the state; and -Robert Bell, Lieut., Henry C. Freeman, Lieut., and Hugh J. Kernan, -Assistant Surgeon, be dismissed their ship, to be severely reprimanded -and admonished by the court, but to be recommended by the court to the -commander in chief for other appointments. (Signed) Robert Forster, -President, W. Wilkinson, T. Sackville Crosbie, William Prunier, Henry -Cobbett." - -During the arrest of the officers of the Valdivia, Lord Cochrane wished -to make an attack on the vessels of war, blockships, gunboats, and -fortifications of Callao, and communicated the order for the same on the -twentieth of February, which order to Captain Guise was answered by a -private note to his lordship, stating, that he could not think of -entering on this service with any officers except those under arrest, -and that in case they were not permitted to rejoin their ship for this -attack, he must resign the command of her, and begged Lord Cochrane to -appoint another person to the command. The admiral answered Captain -Guise, that he could not appoint another person to the command of the -Valdivia, nor admit the resignation of Captain Guise on a private -solicitude, nor even on an official one, without some reasons being -alleged. Captain Guise now wrote officially, stating the refusal of Lord -Cochrane to be a sufficient motive for his resignation, and expressing a -request to be permitted to accompany his officers to head quarters, and -tender his commission to General San Martin. His letter was also -accompanied with one from the petty officers of the Valdivia, who -refused to serve under any other commander than himself. After some -further correspondence Captain Guise informed Lord Cochrane that he had -given the command of the Valdivia to Lieutenant Shepherd, and considered -himself superseded. The admiral, for the fourth time, sent Captain Guise -an order to act as commander of the Valdivia, requiring a categorical -answer to "whether he would or would not obey his orders, and signal to -weigh, made four hours previous to this communication," again requesting -some grounded reason for his resignation. The order to weigh was on -service of importance, and Captain Guise refused to obey it, repeating, -that his officers having been separated from his ship, he could not act, -and had given over to Lieutenant Shepherd the command of the Valdivia. - -On the twenty-second of February Lord Cochrane ordered Captain Spry to -proceed in the brig Galvarino to the rendezvous off Chorillos, which -order was answered by Captain Spry, who requested leave to resign the -command of the Galvarino, as "his friend Captain Guise had been obliged -to resign that of his ship," and alleging that he held no appointment -from the Chilean government. Lord Cochrane demanded his motive for this -letter, and why, without the appointment alluded to, he had exercised -the authority of commander of the brig. The answer was, that "I (Captain -Spry) entered the Chilean navy conditionally, to serve only during the -period of the services of Captain Guise, under whose patronage and -protection I left England;" that his appointment was a verbal one from -the governor of Valparaiso, when he received his commission of Captain. -He added a desire to be permitted to go to head-quarters at Huacho, and -explain his conduct to General San Martin, concluding "if Captain Guise -is compelled to resign the command of the Valdivia, I am determined no -longer to hold that of the Galvarino." Captain Spry was placed under an -arrest on the twenty-second of February, on charges to be exhibited, and -such was the state of mutiny on board the Galvarino, that Captain -Crosbie, of the flag-ship, was ordered to anchor her in a safe -situation, which induced Captain Spry to write to the Admiral, stating, -that as he had been superseded by Captain Crosbie, he considered himself -on half-pay, and free from the jurisdiction of the martial law. His -letter was answered by an assurance, that he was not superseded; but -that having disobeyed the orders given, and declared his determination -not to hold the command of the Galvarino, Captain Crosbie had been -ordered to anchor her on the starboard beam of the O'Higgins, this -appearing necessary from the state of the crew of the brig, and that he -was not superseded in consequence of his said determination, nor had he -gone through the usual forms of delivering up the brig. Captain Spry -again insisted on his exemption from martial law; but finding the -Admiral determined to bring the affair to the decision of a -court-martial, of which he was aware that if the sentence were consonant -with the crime, and according to the ordinances of the navy, he would -never leave the deck of the brig, he now expressed no objection to being -tried by his brother officers, who were "neither prejudiced nor -interested." - -The charges exhibited by the commander in chief were "for neglecting or -refusing to proceed on service in the Chilean state brig Galvarino, -pursuant to an order of the commander in chief, both verbally, and in -writing, given on or about the twenty-second of February, 1821, in -breach of the 14th article of war, made and provided.--For having -contrary to his duty as an officer written or caused to be written, a -certain letter to his commander in chief, signed John Tooker Spry, -further declining, or refusing to proceed on the duty so ordered, or -longer to serve than during the period of the services of Captain Guise, -under whose patronage and protection he had left England, and for -setting forth in the said letter, that if Captain Guise was compelled to -resign the command of the Valdivia, he the said John Tooker Spry would -no longer hold the command of the Galvarino; thereby delaying and -discouraging the service, in breach of the 14th article of war.--That -the said John Tooker Spry did by his conduct aforesaid, hold forth an -evil example to his ship's company (who immediately thereafter did in -writing and otherwise, refuse to weigh anchor until certain grievances, -which they did not set forth in the said writing, should be redressed), -the same being subversive of all discipline and subordination, and in -violation of the 14th article of war, made and provided." - -The sentence of the court-martial was, that "John Tooker Spry be -dismissed the command of the brig Galvarino, be placed at the bottom of -the list of captains, and be severely reprimanded by the court." - -On the fourth of March Captain Guise communicated to Lord Cochrane, that -Captain Spry having been dismissed the service by sentence of a -court-martial, he requested permission to accompany him in his own boat -to Huacho, which Lord Cochrane informed him he could not allow at that -critical moment. On the sixth the two captains and the officers went -down by the O'Higgins to head-quarters, where Ld. Cochrane on the -twelfth again offered to Captain Guise the command of the O'Higgins, -which he refused, as also ever to serve under Lord Cochrane again. - -The whole of this affair was the result of what had passed at -Valparaiso, before the expedition quitted that port; and from several -circumstances connected with the conduct of these officers, and their -publicly asserting, that General San Martin would not swerve from his -promises made to them, their firm reliance on his support and patronage, -as well as the subsequent behaviour of the general himself, evinced that -he had been the entire instigator of what had passed at Valparaiso in -July and August, 1820, both on the part of the Chilean government, and -on that of the different officers who then and there misconducted -themselves. He well knew that he could not tamper with Lord Cochrane, -whose honourable feelings would not allow him to deviate from that line -of conduct which had marked the whole tenour of his public life: and had -not the officers of the squadron stood forth in support of their -commander in chief, his tender of his commission would have been -accepted by the government. - -On the arrival at head-quarters of Captains Guise and Spry, the latter, -in defiance of decorum and example, was appointed by General San Martin -his naval adjutant, Edecan Naval, as if to gall the feelings of Lord -Cochrane, and bring into supreme contempt the sentence of a -court-martial, by protecting in the most public manner the individual -who had merited the chastisement of the law. So elated was Captain Spry -with his new appointment, that in the house of Colonel, now General -Miller, he conducted himself towards Lord Cochrane in the most -ungentlemanly manner, so much so, that the honourable feelings of Miller -were wounded, and he apologized to the Admiral for the conduct of Spry. - -On the fourth of March, General San Martin sent Captain Guise and his -officers with a request to the Admiral to reinstate them in their former -appointment: his lordship again offered Captain Guise the command of any -vessel in the squadron with such officers as might at the time belong to -the vessel, and to those officers who had not been dismissed the -service, appointments to the vacancies in the squadron, according to the -recommendation of the court-martial; but Captain Guise again refused to -act with any other officers than those who accompanied him, and the -officers returned their appointments, with the assurance that they would -only serve under the orders of Captain Guise; they therefore all -returned to the head-quarters of the army, where they remained until the -surrender of Callao. - -At the same time that the Chilean squadron was a scene of -insubordination and irregularities among those officers whose duty it -was to obey the orders of their commander in chief, not only for the -good of the service of Chile, but to the end that they themselves might -meet with that deference and obedience in their subalterns which -constitute the very essence of military discipline, Lima was the theatre -of anarchy and confusion. On the twenty-ninth of January a revolution -took place in the Spanish army at Asnapugio, founded on the plea of -inability in the Viceroy Pesuela to conduct the affairs of the -viceroyalty, during such critical circumstances as the present. The -result was, that an official communication was made to Pesuela, stating -the absolute necessity of his abdication, and that it must take place -within four hours. Pesuela answered, that the time specified was -insufficient for him to deliver up the authority, but Cantarac, -Caratalá, Valdes, Ricafort, and the other officers at the head of the -insurrection replied, that the answer of his Excellency did not -correspond with their expectations, and that "the troops were under -arms, with all their officers, without a single exception, and that they -would not lay them down until they had obtained an order to acknowledge -General La Serna Viceroy of Peru, and were assured that a similar order -had been given to the different tribunals and authorities. In -consequence of this intimation, Pesuela issued the order, and La Serna -was proclaimed Viceroy and Captain General of Peru. This change only -proves the right of power, which admits of no interpretation, nor leaves -any subterfuge to obedience. The similarity of the fate of the first -and last of the Spanish Viceroys as governors general is rather -remarkable. The first, Don Francisco Pizarro, was murdered in his own -palace at Lima, by his subaltern officers; the last, Don Joaquin de la -Pesuela, was forced to abdicate his authority in the viceregal palace at -Lima, by his subalterns, and to nominate an usurper as his successor. On -the seventh February La Serna addressed the following proclamation to -the royal troops:-- - -"Soldiers!--Your will and support has placed me at the head of the -government of the viceroyalty!"--A declaration more rebellious than any -one presented by the insurgent chiefs of America, until the conduct of -the Spaniards forced them to declare their independence of Spanish -domination. - -On the thirteenth February Capt. Carter, in the brig of war Araucano, -arrived at Chancay, with the Spanish schooner of war Aransasu, which he -had taken on the ninth. The Aransasu was from Panama, bound to Callao, -having on board three officers belonging to the regiment of Numancia, -and several Spanish merchants, as passengers. - -On the thirteenth March part of the squadron left the bay of Huacho, -having on board a division of the patriot forces, under the command of -Lieut.-colonel Miller, destined to cause a diversion in the Spanish -troops, by landing at Pisco. This object was effected on the -twenty-first; but owing to the written instructions given by General San -Martin, and from which Lord Cochrane was determined not to swerve, the -result was what might have been anticipated: nothing of importance to -the cause of America. - -After the abdication of the Viceroy Pesuela, he retired to a country -residence at the small village of La Magdalena, and wishing to send his -lady and family to Europe, he solicited the necessary passport of -General San Martin, well knowing that they could not escape the Chilean -vessels of war employed in the blockade of Callao; but the permission -was refused. Lady Cochrane and family having arrived at Callao in the -British frigate Andromache, for the purpose of seeing his lordship -before she left South America for England, Dona Angela, the Vicequeen, -supplicated her ladyship to interpose her influence with the general, as -the only means by which she could expect to obtain leave to embark for -Europe. Lady Cochrane, actuated by that sincere philanthropy which so -eminently distinguishes and adorns her, went immediately to Huaura, and -obtained of General San Martin the favour she solicited, on condition -that her ladyship would remain on shore in Peru one month, which was -agreed to; but being the "better half" of a sailor, her ladyship -declined remaining at head quarters among soldiers, and spent the whole -of the time at Huaito, a plantation belonging to Doña Josefa -Monteblanco, highly gratified with the kind and hospitable treatment of -her host. The Viceroy's lady took her passage on board the Andromache, -and Lord Cochrane was honoured by an introduction to her by Captain -Sherriff. After some conversation. Doña Angela declared, that his -lordship was a polite _rational_ being, and not the _ferocious brute_ -she had been taught to consider him--a compliment which his lordship -received with all due respect to her Vicequeenship. - -On the return of Lord Cochrane to head quarters, it was determined by -General San Martin, that a second division under the command of -Lieutenant Miller should embark, and act according to the discretionary -instructions of the admiral. The admiral left the bay of Huacho, and -proceeded to Pisco, where some minor skirmishes took place with the -enemy. The troops were re-embarked at Pisco on the twenty-second of -April: his lordship hoisted his flag on board the San Martin, and with -the schooner Aransasu proceeded to Arica, where with the assistance of -uncommonly favourable winds we arrived on the fifth of May. - -The landing in the bay of Arica is attended with almost insurmountable -difficulties; indeed sometimes it is not practicable, except on the -balsas made by the natives. These are composed of seal-skins inflated: -two are generally sewed together end to end, and the balsa is formed by -lashing two of these side by side, laying some canes on the top. The man -who manages the balsa sits astride on the aftermost part, and impels the -balsa with a double paddle, broad at each end, which he holds by the -middle, and so dexterous are the natives, that there is not the least -danger of being upset, or even of being wetted with the surf. On these -original and apparently precarious rafts, all the merchandize is landed -at Arica, and all the specie brought to the vessels, except the sea be -very calm and the surf run low. - -Immediately on our arrival at Arica, a flag of truce was sent on shore -with a summons to surrender, accompanied by an assurance that all -persons and personal property would be respected, except those and such -as belonged to those who by their present conduct should prove -themselves enemies to the cause of South American liberty. This was -answered by an assurance that the persons and property at Arica were -all under the protection of the arms of his Most Catholic Majesty, whose -rights would be defended by his faithful vassals against his rebel -subjects and foreign pirates. Nothing was now left but to enforce -obedience, and the situation in which the San Martin had anchored not -being a commanding one, she was hauled nearer in shore on the sixth, and -a few shells thrown over the town; but as this had not the desired -effect of intimidating the enemy, a landing of the troops was determined -on, and in the night a convenient place was sought for to the southward, -but the search proving fruitless, part of the troops were embarked on -board the schooner Aransasu, under the command of Major Soler, and -ordered to proceed to the northward to Sama, to land and march upon the -town. On the eighth Lieutenant-colonel Miller followed with the -remainder of the troops, to join Major Soler. A few shots and shells -were occasionally thrown into the town, to keep the Spanish troops on -the alert as to the movements of the ship, while our troops should make -their appearance on shore, which happened on the morning of the -eleventh, when the whole of the inhabitants and troops abandoned the -town. Captain Wilkinson with the marines landed with considerable -difficulty, and hoisted the Patriot flag on the staff at the small -battery. Major Soler captured from the enemy fifty-eight thousand -dollars and six bars of silver, under the protection of a guard of -soldiers on their way to Arequipa. - -On the fourteenth the whole of the troops and the marines belonging to -the San Martin, amounting to two hundred and seventy men, under the -command of Lieutenant-colonel Miller, left Arica, and marched towards -Tacna, twelve leagues from Arica, where they arrived on the fifteenth, -and without any opposition took possession of the town; they were here -joined by two companies of infantry, who deserted the cause of the king. -Lord Cochrane ordered that these should form the base of a new regiment, -to be called the first independents of Tacna, and as the particular flag -for the troops of Peru was not determined on at head quarters, his -lordship presented them with one having a sun in the centre on a blue -field. - -From original papers found in the custom-house at Tacna, it appeared, -that the quantity of European goods in the stores at Arica belonged to -Spanish merchants residing at Lima; consequently an order was issued -for their being embarked in the San Martin. - -Immediately on the landing of Lord Cochrane, he called upon the -inhabitants to form a civil government, for the protection of their -property against many individuals who began to come into the town from -the country for the purpose of plunder, assuring them at the same time, -that, although they had not attended to his invitation to remain in -their houses, it was not his intention to deliver up the town to be -sacked, nor had he done it, but at the same time he could not be -answerable for thefts committed, unless the inhabitants would assist in -the protection of their houses and property, and in apprehending all -suspicious and disorderly persons; he also promised them that all -private property belonging to Americans, the friends of the cause of -their country, should be returned if claimed, and, consequent to this -promise, the schooner Dos Amigos, and other property seized, were -delivered to their owners. - -Colonel Miller advanced with his division towards Moquegua, and had a -sharp engagement with a party of royal troops at Mirabe, commanded by -Colonel Sierra, who was taken prisoner. On the morning after the -engagement, which took place in the night, another detachment of troops -arrived to join the one stationed at Mirabe; but on hearing the fate of -their comrades they thought it better to retreat than to enter into any -dispute with the victorious troops, and their valiant leader. On the -arrival of this news, and that the troops were at Moquegua, Lord -Cochrane dropped down to Ilo, with the San Martin, for the purpose of -being nearer to Colonel Miller's head quarters. - -The town of Arica is the capital of the province of the same name; it is -situated in a small valley, and stands close to the sea. It was -anciently a place of considerable importance and size; but since the -year 1605, when it was destroyed by an earthquake, it has gradually -decreased, the more respectable inhabitants having retired to Tacna; -their departure was also hastened by its being sacked in 1680 by the -pirate John Warren. Arica has at present a parish church, and three poor -convents, San Francisco, La Merced and San Juan de Dios. The population -is composed of whites, indians and a few slaves. Owing to some low -swampy ground, produced by the annual overflowings of the river and the -want of proper drainage, intermittent fevers are very common here, of -which many _serranos_, people from the interior, die, when they come -down on business. All our people who slept on shore at Arica, including -the admiral, suffered by them, and some died. The climate is similar to -that of Lima, it seldom rains, but the fogs are very heavy. - -The valley of Arica is small, but at the distance of a mile from the -town it is pretty, owing to the relief which the eye feels when resting -on vegetable productions, after being fatigued with the barren sandy -scenery which surrounds the town. The principal produce of the valley is -_aji_, capsicum, and olives, which are remarkably large, and finely -flavoured; plantains, bananas, camotes, yucas, and other vegetables, are -cultivated in the gardens, and some tropical fruits. - -The town of Arica will doubtless become of considerable importance with -the changes that have taken place in South America. Indeed it always -would have been so, had not the colonial laws declared it a close port, -_no abilitado_. It is the key to the provinces of Upper Peru, Arequipa, -La Pas, Potosi, Chuquisaca, &c., being a better landing place than Ilo, -Mollendo, or Quilca; it possesses also the advantage of fresh water for -shipping, which is extremely scarce at the other ports. Arica is -situate in 18° 28´ 40´´ south latitude, and 70° 13´ 30´´ west longitude. - -The town of Tacna stands in a very pleasant and fruitful valley, it is -considerably larger than Arica, and has a much better appearance; some -of the houses are large, commodious, and well furnished; thus, among -other articles, I saw several piano-fortes. The principal wealth of the -inhabitants consists in their large droves of mules, for the purpose of -conveying the merchandize from Arica into the interior, and from some -parts of Upper Peru to Lima. Tacna is to Arica what Piura is to Paita. - -On the twenty-seventh of May we came to an anchor in the bay of Ilo, and -immediately supplied Colonel Miller with everything that he wanted; he -had removed his head-quarters from the town of Moquegua to a farm called -Rinconada, judging that the climate of this place was better for his -troops, as it was cooler here than in the town. - -Ilo is an indifferent anchorage, and a bad landing place; the village is -composed of miserable huts, and a few houses which indicate the -residence of penury; a scarcity of water prevails, and consequently of -fruit and vegetables. Col. Sierra and Capt. Suares were here embarked, -having been sent down by Colonel Miller; but they were soon afterwards -liberated at Mollendo on their parole of honour, having sworn not to act -hostilely until they should be exchanged according to the regulations of -war. - -At the moment when Colonel Miller was about to advance into the -interior, having disciplined a number of recruits from different parts -of the adjoining provinces, and when everything promised a general -revolt in favour of the cause of independence, he transmitted to Lord -Cochrane the original communication which he had received from the -governor of Arequipa, announcing a cessation of hostilities for twenty -days, from the date of the receipt of the communication. This armistice -was ratified by General San Martin and the Viceroy La Serna on the -twenty-third of May, and sent express by the latter to Ovalle, the -governor of Arequipa. - -The armistice had been personally formed by the contending chiefs, who -met at Punchauca, and agreed on appointing new deputies for the purpose -of conciliation; they were to hold their conferences on board of a -neutral ship in the bay of Callao, for which purpose the Cleopatra was -chosen. - -Such was the state of Lima at this period, that the cabildo addressed -the following official note to the Viceroy La Serna: - -"Most Excellent Sir,--No title is more glorious, nor more amiable, than -that of a Pacificator. Augustus, when stifling the volcano of civil war -among the Romans, and giving peace to the universe, was the greatest of -mortals, and almost a God upon earth. It is the duty of every prince to -imitate this example, if he be desirous of, and interested in the health -and prosperity of the people committed to his guardianship. Whoever -knows the great advantages and feels what it is to reign over grateful -hearts, will find more charms than in the most fortunate and prosperous -warfare. - -"Your Excellency, placed at the head of the junta of Pacification of -Peru, has gained the love, the veneration, and the confidence of this -city. The hope of this great felicity has caused us to suffer with -resignation, losses and privations of every class. The end of the -armistice is fast approaching, and we do not yet perceive one ray of -this celestial gift. Why is it so long retarded, while Lima suffers such -a train of evils that fill her with consternation? - -"To the distance of twenty-five leagues round the city, the most -frightful devastation every where reigns. Our cattle, our grain, and -our fruits are the victims of military fury. The richest and most -opulent of our provinces have succumbed to the prepotent force of the -enemy, and the rest are threatened with the same fate; while this -suffering capital experiences the horrible effects of a rigorous -blockade, hunger, robberies, and death. Our own soldiers pay no respect -to the last remains of our property, even our oxen, indispensably -necessary for the cultivation of the land, are slain. If this plague -continue, what will be our lot--our miserable condition! - -"The soldier must be supported as well as the citizen, but not to the -injury of the latter: they must both be guided by the same laws, and -must both be equal. Both compose the state, and the support of both is -necessary; founded on the same right of nature and of society. But let -us abandon these melancholy relations, and confine ourselves entirely to -those of peace. - -"Peace is the general wish of the people: they have laboured since the -year 1815 under the grievances of war, and have not force to support it -any longer. Without the money, without the provisions, without the -desire, and without the means of supporting an opposition, the people -flock to the standard of General San Martin; hundreds of men leave our -walls, that they may not die of hunger. A swarm of robbers infest our -roads and intercept our provisions, insult us, and plunder our houses. -The public speak loudly against our apathy and silence, and evils worse -than those usually produced by war must soon be the result. The -happiness of the capital and of the kingdom depends on peace, and this -depends on the "yes" of your excellency. The corporation of Lima hopes -to see it established, and promises to your excellency the constant and -everlasting gratitude of the people. God preserve your excellency many -years. Hall of the corporation of Lima, June 7th, 1821. (Signed) The -Count of San Isidro, and all the members of the body corporate." - -To this note the Viceroy gave the following answer: - -"Most Excellent Sir,--Unquestionably war is the exercise of the right of -force, and the most terrible of all the plagues that destroy the human -species: it does not pardon even the victorious, and the most fortunate -partake of its effects. - -"As a philanthropist I love and desire peace; but as a soldier and a -public man, I cannot accede to a peace which is indecorous: thus, if -the general in chief of the invading army will agree to an armistice -honourable and fair to the arms of the Spanish nation, you and every one -of you may remain assured that my vote shall be for peace; but if he -will not, no! for I never will assent to any thing derogatory to the -honour of the Spanish nation, in which case it would be better to die -than to live. I believe that these are also the sentiments of the -individuals who compose the body corporate; and of this city, which is -called heroic, whose inhabitants are well aware, that to deserve this -epithet valour, patience and the other virtues, not common, are -necessary. - -"In fine, although I am at the head of the junta of pacification, in it -I have only one vote, so that the corporation is deceived in supposing, -that peace depends on my "yes;" but I repeat, that if it did, I would -prefer war to an indecorous peace; and even supposing that preponderance -which your excellency actually gives to the forces of General San -Martin, you must be aware, that war is a game where more or less is -risked according to the passions of the gamblers: at one time one wins, -and another loses; and when much is won, it generally happens that the -winner continues gambling in the hope of increasing his store; or he -who loses will not desist, in hopes of regaining what he has lost; at -last fortune varies, and the winner not only loses what he had won, but -also what he had when he began. - -"This is what I have to say in answer to your note of yesterday. God -preserve your excellency many years. (Signed) Jose de la Serna." - -From the number of deserters who daily arrived at Huaura, the head -quarters of general San Martin, the state of Lima was well known. The -officers of the army were divided in their opinions; the cabildo in open -war with the viceroy; the opinion of the people in favour of liberty; -the troops disserting or dying in the hospitals; hunger parading the -streets, and every one, high and low, general and soldier, master and -slave, convinced that the idea of resisting the patriot forces was the -chimera of a madman. Hence it followed that when La Serna proposed to -San Martin an armistice of sixteen months, under the pretence that both -parties should refer the decision to the court of Madrid, the latter -declined acceding to it. - -Notwithstanding the favourable appearance of things, the army of San -Martin was tired of their inglorious inaction, knowing full well that -to take the capital of Peru only required them to enter it, and this -opinion was supported by every new arrival from Lima. The consummate -prudence of San Martin, however, did not allow him to risk the firing of -a shot, lest the ball might slay "a brother;" at the same time that his -Guerilla parties were actively engaged in committing all the cruelties -incident to predatory warfare. But the presence of the general was not -necessary in such skirmishes, nor his humanity compromised; the truth -is, his person was in no jeopardy. Complaints began to be every day more -loud in the army, and dissention more visible, so much so, that it -became a daily task at the tables of the officers, to drink to "those -who fight for the liberty of Peru, not those who write, _a los que -pelean por la libertad del Peru, no los que escriven_." San Martin, -aware of the state of his army, embarked in the schooner Montezuma, in -order to re-establish his health, and a prorogation of the armistice for -twelve days more was ratified. - -During this cessation of hostilities, his lordship dropped down to -Mollendo, where a neutral vessel was taking in wheat, for supplying the -city of Lima. The admiral immediately wrote to the governor of -Arequipa, expressing his astonishment that neutrals should be allowed -to embark provisions during an armistice, for the purpose of supplying -one of the belligerents, to the injury of the other, and contrary to the -Spanish colonial laws; to which the governor answered, that the whole of -the wheat at Mollendo belonged to Spanish merchants residing at Lima, or -Arequipa, and that no part of it whatever belonged to neutrals, and that -if any had been embarked since the celebration of the armistice, it was -in violation of the orders of the government, to correct which he had -again issued the most positive orders against such an infraction of the -stipulations of Punchauca. With this answer his lordship retired from -Mollendo, but sent in a boat with a lieutenant belonging to the San -Martin, to watch the actions of the enemy at Mollendo; on being assured -that the embarkation of the wheat was persevered in, the San Martin -returned to Mollendo on the nineteenth of June, and shipped the -remainder of the wheat found on shore. - -When every thing was ready for Colonel Miller to proceed into the -interior, the news arrived, on the fifth of July, of the prorogation of -the armistice. This with the news received from the army, through -private letters, induced his lordship to equip and victual some of the -prizes taken at Arica, and leave them for the reception of the troops -under Col. Miller, in case of any emergency, and repair to Callao, for -the purpose of learning the true state of affairs at head-quarters. We -arrived at Callao on the eighth of July, 1821. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - Lima evacuated by La Serna....Occupation of by the Liberating - Army....Loss of the San Martin....Arrival of Lord Cochrane at - Lima....Conduct of the Spaniards after leaving Lima....Independence - of Peru sworn....San Martin constitutes himself Protector of - Peru....Interview between Lord Cochrane and San - Martin....Announcement of the views of the Spanish Army....State of - the Squadron....San Martin takes the field....Arrival and Departure - of Cantarac....Proclamation of San Martin....Treasure taken at - Ancon by Lord Cochrane....Surrender of Callao....Tribunal of - Purification established at Lima....Lieutenant Wynter arrested at - Callao....Paroissien and Spry visit the Squadron at - Midnight....Squadron leaves Callao, arrives at Guayaquil. - - -On the arrival of Lord Cochrane in the bay of Callao, on the eighth of -July, General San Martin came on board the flag ship, from the schooner -Sacramento, bringing with him the welcome news of the fall of Lima, or -rather of its evacuation by the Spanish troops. - -On the sixth of July, 1821, the Viceroy La Serna informed the Marquis of -Monte-mira that it being convenient, he should retire with the troops -under his command from the capital of Peru, leaving only a few companies -of the regiment of La Concordia, militias, to preserve order and -tranquillity, under the command of his excellency the political and -military governor. - -On the same day La Serna informed San Martin of his determination; as -also that he had deposited in the castles at Callao such warlike stores -as he had thought requisite for his ulterior operations, leaving the -rest in Lima as he found them. La Serna solicited that such sick as he -had been obliged to leave in the hospitals might be kindly treated; he -requested, too, that none of the inhabitants might suffer any -persecution for their past political opinions and conduct, assuring -General San Martin that his conduct should be subject to every rule of -reciprocity. - -A detachment of horse entered Lima on the evening of the seventh, but -without any orders from General San Martin, and on the eighth the -liberating army took possession of the city, but the general in chief -judged it most prudent to remain on board his schooner in the bay of -Callao, till the night of the ninth, when he made his private entry into -Lima. - -On the fourteenth an announcement appeared in the ministerial gazette of -Lima, that, on account of the great scarcity of wheat in the city, -General San Martin had directed that two thousand fanegas, then on board -the flag ship of the Chilean squadron, should be landed at the -Chorrillos free of duty; and for this purpose, the San Martin was -ordered to the said port, which she entered on the sixteenth: she was, -however, unfortunately run aground by Captain Wilkinson, and, although -every endeavour was made to save her, she was completely lost, owing to -the uncommon swell of the sea at the time. - -On the fourteenth a note was addressed by General San Martin to the -cabildo of Lima, requesting the convocation of a general meeting, that -the opinion of the inhabitants might be made public, with regard to -their determination on the independence of the country. This request was -immediately complied with; and on the fifteenth the members of the -corporation, his excellency the archbishop, the prelates of the -conventual orders, the titles of Castile, and many other individuals, -met at the city hall, and the following act was signed by the whole of -them: - -"The general will is decided on the independence of Peru with respect to -the Spanish or any other foreign domination; and to this effect let the -form of the necessary oath be drawn up and administered." - -On the seventeenth Lord Cochrane entered Lima amid the loudest -acclamations of the inhabitants. The Marquis of Monte-mira had sent his -carriage for Lord Cochrane to Chorrillos; but a deputation from the -cabildo and others from different corporations having met his lordship -on the road, he alighted from the carriage, and mounted a horse, brought -for the occasion. - -The inhabitants of Lima being desirous of seeing the naval hero of the -expedition, a levee was held on the same evening at the palace, where -the Admiral received the compliments of the principal personages of the -city; but General San Martin judging it more decorous to be absent when -a "subaltern" received the thanks of the cabildo of Lima, and the -compliments of its inhabitants, remained at la Legua, half-way between -Lima and Callao, where he had established his head quarters. On the -eighteenth in the morning the archbishop visited his lordship, which -visit was immediately returned; when Lord Cochrane left the city to wait -upon the general in chief at his head quarters. - -On the seventeenth an order was published for the abolition of the -Spanish royal arms in any part of the city where they had been placed; -and this proclamation was accompanied by another, as follows: - -"Having been informed, with great horror to my delicate sentiments, and -in violation of my humane principles, that some passionate individuals -vex and insult the Spaniards with threats and taunts, I order and -command, that all persons who shall commit such kind of excesses, in -opposition to American gentleness of manners, to decorum, and to good -and rational education, be denounced to the political and military -governor of the city, that, the fact being proved, he may be punished -for such reproachful conduct." - -On the eighteenth a civic guard was ordered to be formed, to supersede -the Spanish regiment de la Concordia, and the gran mariscal Marquis of -Torre Tagle was appointed colonel of it. - -On the twenty-second of July a proclamation was issued, ordering that -the public act of the declaration of the independence of Peru should -take place on the twenty-eighth of the same month, with all the -solemnity due to so memorable a transaction. - -After the Spanish troops left Lima on the sixth, their march into the -interior was marked with the most horrid outrages: from Lurin to Bujama, -a distance of nine leagues, thirty-four dead bodies were left on the -road; some had died of disease, others had been shot; and, according to -the uniform statements of the deserters from the Spaniards, Colonel -Rodil was the executioner of the greater part of these victims. On the -thirteenth, thirty-nine sick and five dead men were found near to -Bujama, and carried to a temporary hospital. From the village of Huaycan -advices were received on the twenty-first that La Serna had issued an -order imposing capital punishment on every individual belonging to, or -under the protection of the Spanish army, who should leave the route -assigned a distance of twenty yards; notwithstanding which, upwards of -three hundred deserted at Huaycan, and at Lunaguaná upwards of six -hundred. In a skirmish near the latter place the Spaniards lost twenty -killed, and more than fifty prisoners, and La Serna was completely -surrounded in the ravine of Pilas. The efforts of the Guerilla parties -in harassing the Spanish troops were constant and successful; and had a -division of the liberating army been sent to co-operate with the -Guerillas, it is most probable that the entire Spanish army would have -been annihilated; but the whole of the army was disposed of in the -barracks of Lima, or at Bellavista, where they were stationed to watch -the operations of about eight hundred men, under General La Mar, in the -batteries of Callao. A small division under General Arenales stationed -in the province of Yauyos was ordered to Lima, and the whole of the -interior was abandoned to the protection of the Guerilla parties, who -had to act against the organized Spanish army, so that the towns which -had declared their adherence to the cause of independence, when they -believed themselves under the protection of the liberating forces, were -abandoned, to experience all the rigours of their constituted enemies, -the Spaniards, and thus pave the way to the state of affairs which -subsequently took place in Peru. - -[Illustration: INDIAN MULETEER OF MEXICO. INDIAN OF SAN PEDRO, western -shore of Mexico. - -_Engraved for Stevenson's Narrative of South America._] - -Lord Cochrane having retired from Lima, on board the O'Higgins, in the -bay of Callao, received on the twentieth the following invitation from -the cabildo of Lima: - -"Lima, the capital of Peru, is about to solemnize the most august act -which has been performed for three centuries, or since her foundation; -this is, the proclamation of her independence, and her absolute -exclusion from the Spanish government, as well as that of any other -foreign potentate; and this cabildo, wishing the ceremony to be -conducted with all possible decorum and solemnity, considers it -necessary that your Excellency, who has so gloriously co-operated in the -consecution of this highly desired object, will deign to assist at the -act, with your illustrious officers, on Saturday the twenty-eighth -inst." - -On the twenty-eighth the procession, composed of General San Martin, -Lieut.-General Marquis of Monte-mira, the staff officers of the army, -the university and four colleges, the prelates of the religious orders, -the military chiefs, the judges, many of the nobility, and the members -of the cabildo, left the palace, mounted on richly caparisoned horses, -and were followed by the body guard of the ex-viceroy, the escort of the -general in chief, and the battalion No. 8, with the flags of Chile and -Buenos Ayres, and proceeded to a stage erected in the plasa mayor. -General San Martin ascended the stage, and displayed the national flag -of Peru, pronouncing at the same time--"Peru is from this moment free -and independent, by the general vote of the people, and by the justice -of her cause, which God defend!" - -The cavalcade then paraded the principal streets of the city, and -returned to the palace where Lord Cochrane was waiting in the balcony, -whence medals commemorative of the act were distributed; but even these -evinced the ambition of the general, who, from the very outset of the -expedition, had endeavoured to monopolize every species of credit: for -this purpose, the inscription chosen for the medals was, "Lima secured -its independence on the twenty-eighth of July, 1821, under the -protection of the liberating army, commanded by San Martin." - -On the following Sunday a solemn Te Deum was chanted at the cathedral, -and high mass was celebrated by the archbishop; after which the -individuals who on the twenty-eighth had formed the procession advanced -separately to the high altar, and took the oath, on the sacred gospels, -to "defend with their opinions, property and persons, the independence -of Peru, against the Spanish government, and any other foreign power." - -On the twenty-ninth Colonel Miller, having been obliged to abandon the -province of Arica on the twenty-second, landed at Pisco, having -increased his division to nine hundred and sixty men. - -On the thirtieth Lord Cochrane reported to General San Martin, that on -the twenty-fifth he had ordered Captain Crosbie to enter the anchorage -at Callao, and to cut out as many of the enemy's vessels as he could -conveniently bring to anchor outside the range of the batteries, which -he did in the most gallant manner, bringing out the San Fernando and -Milagro, the two largest merchantmen, and the Resolucion, armed as a -sloop of war; besides several launches and boats, burning at the same -time two hulks within musket shot of the enemy's batteries. - -After the ceremony on the Sunday at the cathedral was concluded, a -deputation from the cabildo waited on General San Martin, with the -request, that he would take upon himself the political and military -superintendence of Peru, which in the name and on the behalf of the -capital they had the honor to offer to him. To this communication, with -such a smile as few but San Martin can express, he informed them, that -the offer was quite unnecessary, for that as he had _taken_ the command -he should keep it so long as he thought proper, and that he should -moreover allow no juntas, nor assemblies for the discussion of public -matters during his pleasure. This was an answer not very congenial to -the feelings of men who had just been called on to swear, in the -presence of the Almighty, to their _liberty_ and _independence_! - -On the fourth of August fresh advices of the atrocities committed by -the Spaniards on their march into the interior were published at Lima; -one piece of intelligence was, that at the town of Tauripampa a hospital -had been formed of the church, and that at the time that La Serna left -the town the doors of the church were closed, and the whole set fire to, -when the miserable soldiers who could not accompany the Spanish army -were burnt to death, as well as great numbers of the inhabitants of the -town in their houses, Rodil at the same time declaring, that it was more -honorable for them to die than to serve in the ranks of the rebels. - -On the third of August the following proclamation was issued at Lima: - -"Don Jose San Martin, &c.--When I took charge of the important -enterprize of the liberty of Peru, I had no other motive than a desire -of forwarding the sacred cause of liberty in America, and of promoting -the felicity of the people of Peru. A considerable part of this is -already realized; but this work would remain incomplete, and my feelings -little satisfied, if I did not establish for ever the future security -and prosperity of the inhabitants of this region. - -"After my arrival at Pisco I announced, that owing to the imperiousness -of the circumstances, I was invested with the supreme authority, and -that I was responsible to the patria for the exercise of it. These -circumstances yet exist, because Peru has yet to combat with her -enemies, and consequently it is necessary that the supreme command -should continue in my hands. - -"I hope, that because I thus act, you will do me the justice to believe -that I am not induced by any ambitious views, but by public convenience -alone. It is abundantly notorious, that I only aspire to retirement and -tranquillity, after a life so greatly agitated as mine has been; but I -hold a moral responsibility which requires the sacrifice of my most -sanguine desires. The experience of twelve years of revolution in -Venezuela, Cundinamarca, Chile, and the united provinces of Rio de la -Plata have given me a knowledge of the evils attending the untimely -convocation of congresses, while the enemy yet exists in the country; -independence must first be secured; we must afterwards think of the -solid establishment of liberty. The religious scrupulosity with which I -have always in my public life fulfilled my promises gives me the right -to be believed; and I compromise myself most solemnly with the people of -Peru, that at that moment in which the territory is free, I will resign -the command, to make room for such a government as they may think fit -to elect. The frankness with which I speak ought to serve as a guarantee -for the sincerity of my intention. I might have ordained that electors -named by the citizens of the free departments should nominate the person -who was to govern until the reunion of the representatives of the -Peruvian nation. The simultaneous invitation of a great number of -persons of elevated character and decided influence in this capital who -have requested that I should preside at the administration of the state, -ensures to me the popular appointment; besides, as I had obtained the -assent of the people under the protection of the liberating army, I have -judged it more decorous and convenient to follow this loyal and frank -conduct, which must tranquillize all those who are jealous of their -liberties. - -"When I have the satisfaction to deliver up the command, and to give an -account of my operations to the representatives of the people, I am -confident that they will not find in the epoch of my administration any -of those strokes of venality, despotism, or corruption, which have -characterized the agents of the Spanish government in America. To -administer strict justice to all, rewarding virtue and patriotism, and -punishing vice and sedition wherever it may be found, is the model by -which I shall regulate my actions, so long as I am placed at the head of -this nation." - -After this most fascinating description of what a chief magistrate ought -to be, but in which the duties of a general are not even hinted at, San -Martin declares himself the Protector of Peru, and Don Juan Garcia del -Rio, Don Bernardo Monteagudo, and Dr. Don Hipolito Unanue, his three -ministers of state. It is almost unnecessary to say how ill this -self-constituted authority agrees with the promises made by the Supreme -Director of Chile in his proclamation to the Peruvians; and in that of -General San Martin issued after his arrival in Peru. I merely hint at -these things, that my readers may not be surprized when they find that -his promises were just as binding in one case as in the other. - -On the following morning, the fourth of August, Lord Cochrane, -uninformed of the change which had taken place in the title of San -Martin, visited the palace, and began to beg of the general in chief to -propose some means for the payment of the foreign seamen, who had served -their times, and fulfilled their contract. To this San Martin answered, -"that he would never pay the Chilean squadron unless it were sold to -Peru, and then the payment should be considered as a part of the -purchase money." To this Lord Cochrane replied, that by such a -transaction the squadron of Chile would be transferred to Peru by merely -paying what was due to the officers and crews for services done to Peru. -San Martin knit his brows, and turning to his two ministers, Garcia and -Monteagudo, who were in the room, ordered them to retire; to which his -lordship objected, stating that as he was not master of the Spanish -language, he wished them to remain as his interpreters, fearful that -some expression, not rightly understood, might be considered offensive. -San Martin now turned round to the Admiral, and said, "are you aware, my -lord, that I am Protector of Peru?" "No," said his lordship. "I ordered -my secretaries to inform you of it," returned San Martin. "That is now -unnecessary," said his lordship, "for you have personally informed me: -but I sincerely hope that the friendship which has existed between -General San Martin and myself will still continue to exist between the -Protector of Peru and myself." San Martin then, rubbing his hands, said, -"I have only to say, that I am Protector of Peru!" - -The manner in which this last sentence was expressed roused the admiral, -who advancing, said, "then it now becomes me, as the senior officer of -Chile, and consequently the representative of the nation, to request the -fulfilment of all the promises made to Chile, and the squadron, but -first, and principally, the squadron." San Martin returned--"Chile! -Chile! I will never pay a single real to Chile! and as to the squadron, -you may take it where you please, and go when you choose: a couple of -schooners are quite enough for me: _Chile! Chile! yo nunca pagare un -real a Chile! y en quanto a la esquadra, puede V. llevarla donde quiere, -e irse quando guste, con un par de goletas me basta a mi_;" and snapped -his fingers in the face of the Admiral. On hearing this, Garcia left the -room, while Monteagudo walked to the balcony. San Martin paced the room -for a short time, and, turning to his lordship, caught his hand, and -said, "forget, my lord, what is past!" The admiral, dashing away the -tear with which surprize and indignation had suffused his eye, replied, -"I will, when I can," and immediately left the palace. His lordship was -now undeceived by the man himself: the repeated reports he had heard of -his past conduct crowded on his distracted imagination, and knowing what -might be attempted, from what had already been done, his lordship agreed -with me, that his life was not safe ashore; he therefore immediately -took horse, rode to Boca Negra, and went on board his frigate. - -This conversation has been denied by some of San Martin's partizans; but -were it necessary more fully to substantiate the fact, the subsequent -official correspondence between the protector of Peru and the admiral of -the Chilean squadron would fully prove the truth of what I have stated. - -San Martin, reflecting that the batteries of Callao were yet in the -hands of the enemy, and that should the Chilean naval force raise the -blockade, he did not possess the means of driving them out, nor of -forcing them to surrender, exerted himself in conciliatory measures, -heaping promise upon promise, both as to the payment of the arrears of -the crews and premiums and rewards. He endeavoured to soften down his -expressions of the fourth, stating that he only said, or meant to say, -that "it might be interesting to Chile to sell some of her vessels of -war to Peru, because this latter wanted them for the protection of her -coasts." But even this subterfuge was exposed by his saying further, -that "the government of Chile would at all times devote their squadron -to the furtherance of the cause of Peru." - -San Martin, on finding that official correspondence did not produce the -desired effect of bringing Lord Cochrane to agree with him that the -squadron was under his controul, even after he had assumed the supreme -authority in Peru, and constituted himself an independent chief, at the -head of a separate government, whose views were seemingly opposed to the -interests of Chile, now addressed the following private letter to his -lordship, which on account of its uncommon expressions I give in -Spanish: - -"Lima, Agosto 13 de 1821.--Mi Lord,--De oficio contesto a V. sobre el -desagradable negocio de los buques de la esquadra, que a V. y a mi nos -causa disgustos impresindibles, porque no es posible hacer quanto se -desea. Nada tengo que añadir si no es la protesta que no he mirado, ni -miraré jamas con la menor indiferencia quanto tenga relacion a V. yo le -dije en Valparaiso que su suerte seria igual a la mia, y ereo haber dado -pruebas de que mis sentimentos no han variado, ni pueden variar, por lo -mismo que cada dia es mayor la trascendencia de mis acciones. No, mi -lord, yo no veo con indiferencia los asuntos, de V. y sentiria no poder -esperar que acabe de convencerse de esto mismo. Si a pesar de todo V. -deliberase tomar el partido que me intimó en la conferencia que tubimos -ahora dias, esto sería para mi en conflicto a que no podria substraerme. -Mas yo espero que entrando V. en mis sentimientos, consumirá la obra que -ha empesado, y de la que depende nuestro comun destino. Adios, mi lord! -se repite de V. con el mas sincero aprecio su eterno amigo. (Signed) -José de San Martin." - -Omitting the preamble of this letter, let us analyze the expressions -from "Si a pesar: if in despite of every thing, you are resolved to -observe the conduct which you intimated to me, in the conference which -we had a few days ago, this would be to me a conflict from which I could -not extricate myself. But I hope that, agreeing with my sentiments, you -will consummate the work that you have begun, and on which depends our -common destiny." The conference here mentioned, alluded to the delivery -of the Chilean vessels of war to the Protector of Peru, on the condition -of his paying to the officers and crews their arrears, and rewarding -them according to his solemn promise made at Valparaiso, before the -expedition left that port; and the agreement of sentiment cannot signify -any thing more, than that Lord Cochrane should deliver up the squadron -to San Martin, which would have been a most honourable "consummation of -the work" to his lordship, and a most melancholy one to Chile; but -_she_ was to have been forgotten in the common destiny. - -On the fourth of August Don Jose de la Riva Aguero was nominated -President of the Department of Lima, with the authority of the -ex-Intendente. On the same day the high chamber of justice, _alta -camarca de justicia_ was established in Lima, with the powers and -attributions of the ex-Audiencia. On the same day San Martin issued a -proclamation, not of the most flattering nature, to Spaniards resident -in Lima and the independent provinces of Peru, but which served as the -precursor to his future conduct. He here repeats, "I have promised to -respect your security and property, I have fulfilled my promise, and -none of you can doubt my word. Notwithstanding this, I know that you -murmur secretly, and some of you malignantly circulate the idea that my -designs are to surprize your confidence. My name is of sufficient -celebrity not to stain it with the infraction of my promises, even -though it be conceived that as an individual I might fail in their -fulfilment. Spaniards! you well know that the public opinion is such, -that even among yourselves there are many who spy and observe your -conduct; I am informed of every thing that passes, in the most retired -parts of your houses; tremble if you abuse my indulgence!" - -Whether the system of espionage established by San Martin was in this -state of activity, like a volcano ready to burst and to destroy with its -ignited lava the peaceful habitation and the innocent inhabitant, who, -confiding in its harmless appearance, ventured to dwell within its -destructive range, it may be impossible to determine; but it seems -somewhat derogatory to the character of a supreme chief, guarded by -twelve thousand armed men, that he should thus threaten two or three -hundred unarmed individuals, who, relying on his assurances, had sworn -to follow the fortunes of the country, and live subject to the -newly-established system of government. Besides, such a manifestation -was calculated to do away with the apparent object of the proclamation -of the seventeenth of July, already quoted, and to fan the flame of -civil discord and dissention--the greatest enemies to public -tranquillity. - -The twelfth of August produced the publication of the act in Lima, which -in all free parts of the ex-Spanish colonies so highly distinguishes, -and justifies in such a particular manner the revolution in those -countries. The voice of reason and of nature announced, that all -children born of slaves on or after the twenty-eighth of August, 1821, -were to be free, and that they were to be inheritors of the same rights -and privileges as the rest of the citizens of Peru. - -On the eighteenth the news arrived, that the divisions of the Spanish -army under Cantarac and Caratalá had formed their head quarters at -Jauja, thirty leagues from Lima; and that La Serna was at the town of -Carania on the twenty-ninth of July, advancing with the troops towards -the same point. Still the liberating army remained quiet in their -barracks at Lima, or were employed in the siege of Callao. - -One of the first acts of the arbitrary disposition of the Protector of -Peru was the expulsion of the archbishop. The following is a copy of the -correspondence: - -"Ministry of War, Lima, twenty-second August, 1821.--Most Excellent -Sir,--Nothing is more conformable with the religious ideas of his -excellency the Protector of Peru than to promote in every possible -manner which prudence dictates those pious establishments which serve as -a prop to public morals. But it is at the same time his duty to avoid -those evils which, under a zeal for religion, might cause a spirit of -opposition to the general vote of America. In this dilemma are those -houses of spiritual exercises in this city; where (his excellency has -been informed) abuses of the most serious tendency to the cause of the -country are committed by the venerable influence of the priesthood. - -"In attention to this, his excellency the Protector commands me to -inform your most illustrious excellency, that the spiritual exercises be -suspended for the present in those houses, until they be placed under -the direction of patriotic clergymen, who may merit the confidence of -the government, who consult the spiritual welfare of the faithful, and -the support of the new institutions to which his excellency is called to -Peru. I have the honour, &c. (Signed) Bernardo Monteagudo." - -(Answer by the archbishop.) - -"Ever since the establishment of the houses of spiritual exercises they -have been protected and supported by the popes and other prelates of the -church, fully aware of their utility to the faithful. Those founded in -this city are deserving of credit for the copious harvest they have -produced, in attention to which, without scruples of conscience, and a -risk of public disgust, it is impossible for me to order them to be -closed. If in them any excess be committed, or any confessor should -pretend to disturb the peace or public order, the moment that such is -known the necessary measures shall be adopted for his punishment, which -is my reply to your note of the twenty-second.--God preserve, &c. Lima, -August 26th, 1821. (Signed) Bartolomé, Archbishop of Lima." - -(Second note from the government.) - -"Most Excellent and most Illustrious Sir,--On the twenty-second instant -his excellency the Protector of Peru ordered, that you should be -informed of the necessity that existed of closing for the present the -houses of spiritual exercises. In that note, after expressing those -religious sentiments which filled his bosom, and which he never can -belie, you are informed, that it was not his intention to close them for -any considerable length of time, to the detriment of the faithful, who -derived from them spiritual consolation, but that it was only for the -present, because this was necessary to public tranquillity. Thus his -excellency observes with regret that your most illustrious excellency -resists the fulfilment of his order, and he commands me to inform you, -that you are to lay aside all scruples of conscience in obeying this -order of the government, and those scruples which may afterwards present -themselves with respect to other orders, the fulfilment of which will be -equally necessary. It is convenient that your excellency should meditate -on the evils that would follow, should the most perfect harmony not -exist between the civil and ecclesiastical authorities, and that you -decide on that line of conduct which you intend to adopt, in the -intelligence that the orders of his excellency the Protector are -irrevocable. By superior order I communicate this to your excellency for -your guidance, and present my sentiments of respect and veneration, &c., -&c. Lima, August 27th, 1821. (Signed) J. Garcia del Rio." - -(The archbishop's reply.) - -"I have read with the greatest attention your note of the twenty-seventh -of August, in which you communicate to me, by order of the Protector of -Peru, that his excellency has observed with regret my resistance to the -fulfilment of his order, to close the houses of spiritual exercises: to -resist, and to remonstrate submissively are not the same thing: the -first is the effect of arms and violence; the second that of veneration -and respect, when the inconveniences which present themselves are -expressed: in this manner my note was written. I have, moreover, other -reasons for thus explaining myself--his excellency in his religious -goodness had promised me that in ecclesiastical matters, and points of -religion, he would agree with my opinion, to the end that nothing should -be done in violation of the rules of the church. - -"I hope these reflections will save me from the irksome epithet of -having resisted the orders of the government, and that consequently the -contents of my answer will not be read with regret. I cannot omit -saying, that with the greatest anguish, and a heart swimming in -bitterness, I have read that the government has several orders to give; -and if to them I have scruples of conscience to oppose in their -fulfilment, I decide on that line of conduct which I intend to follow, -in the intelligence that the decrees which will be issued are to be -immutable. This advice carries with it a very elevated spirit, if we -suppose that the orders to be given should relate to religious or -ecclesiastical matters; for in civil affairs, and those of the -government, I have signified my opinion by my prompt obedience: and what -may those commands contain? will they in any manner violate the existing -discipline of the church? will they be prejudicial to morality? or will -they oppose the maxims of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Because, for these -cases, GOD has constituted bishops as the pastors and guards of that -flock which Jesus Christ purchased at the price of his blood, who are to -shout, to whistle, and restrain the ill conduct: he tells us, that we -are not to be cowards in the presence of the greatest potentates of the -earth, and that, if necessary, we should shed our blood and lay down -our lives in so just a cause; anathematising us on the contrary as dumb -dogs that did not bark when the spiritual health of his flock was in -danger. - -"Behold, then, that one of the principal obligations of a bishop is to -defend with rigour the deposit of doctrine and faith which has been -confided to him; and if the threatened danger be from any great -potentate, to remonstrate, with respect and submission, to the end that -he be not their accomplices and participators in the crime, by a -cowardly condescension. This was practised by Saint John Chrysostom, -with the emperors of the east; by Saint Ambrose, with those of the west; -and by Saint Augustine with the pro-consuls of Africa; those were the -great lords on earth; but notwithstanding; those bishops remonstrated -when they commanded any thing that might injure religion or the church; -and is it possible that the supreme government of this city shall inform -the archbishop that he is blindly to obey, and execute the decrees that -may be given in religious and ecclesiastical matters, even though they -disturb his conscience, and appear to him to be opposed to orthodox -doctrines, because such decrees are to be irresistible? Oh! -"irresistible decrees"--this expression appears to me to be very -strong, and little used by jurists and theologians; they opine that all -human authority, however great it may be, and however vast and profound -its acquired knowledge, can never arrive at a degree of infallibility in -its decisions; it may always be deceived or deceive: consequently its -resolutions ought never to be invariable--this privilege the Supreme -Being alone possesses. Fenelon and other politicians assert, that it is -more glorious, and a proof of a more elevated soul in that monarch or -government who, convinced of having committed an error against religion, -reason or justice in their decrees, shall revoke them, than it is never -to err; indeed to insist on the execution of an order, merely because it -has been given in despite of the inconveniences and obstacles that have -been shown to exist; it being opposed to morality, evangelical doctrine, -and the dispositions of the church, is a most oppressive yoke. With -respect to myself, I can assure you, that I have often remonstrated and -even exclaimed against the decrees of my superiors; who, being satisfied -with the justness of my arguments, have ordered them to be revoked, or -varied. When a prelate of the church speaks on spiritual or -ecclesiastical points, he is worthy of being listened to, and his -reasonings examined, because God himself, by his evangelist St. -Matthew, says, that those who hear him hear the divinity, and that those -who despise him despise the Supreme Being. - -"Notwithstanding this doctrine, you say in your note that I am to obey -the decrees of the government, without replying or remonstrating, -because they are irrevocable; or that I choose the line of conduct I -intend to adopt; this I did on the twenty-fourth of July last, when I -put into the hands of his excellency my written resignation of the -archiepiscopal dignity, begging his acceptance of it, for the reasons -therein alleged; I also begged that he would grant me a passport to -Europe by Panama, as my advanced age of eighty years, and consequent -debility, would not enable me to bear the hardships of a passage by Cape -Horn; his excellency acceded to my solicitude, and even promised to -procure me a vessel for my passage. - -"If I then made a tender of my dignity, founded on the motives there -alleged, I now repeat it, adding to those causes that of not being able -to exist in a country where the prelate of the church is forced to keep -silence, and stifle the strongest sentiments of his conscience, and -obliged to act in opposition to them--I was born to become a citizen of -a celestial country; this is my only aim, and every thing that opposes -it, is, to me, disgusting. I hope that as soon as possible my -resignation will be accepted, that I may be relieved from a charge which -has become insupportable.--Our Lord preserve your life for many years. - -"Bartolomé Maria de las Heras." - -"Lima, Sept. 1st, 1821." - -The answer to this note set forth, that the urgency of public business -did not allow time to answer with "victorious arguments" the -archbishop's reasonings; but that the whole correspondence should be -laid before the public for their opinion. This, however, never took -place, but the Protector accepted the resignation of the archbishop, -ordering his excellency to leave Lima within the term of forty-eight -hours, and to wait at Chancay, fourteen leagues from Lima, the -determination of the government. - -On the thirteenth of November the archbishop embarked at Chancay for Rio -de Janeiro; the Protector, as in many other cases, forgetting to fulfil -his promise of preparing a vessel to conduct him to Panama. - -Before leaving Chancay, the archbishop addressed the following letter to -Lord Cochrane: - -"My Dear Lord,--The time is arrived for my return to Spain, the -Protector having granted to me the necessary passport. The polite -attention which I owe to your excellency, and the peculiar -qualifications which adorn and distinguish you, oblige me by this -measure to manifest to you my most sincere esteem and regard. - -"In Spain, if God grants that I may arrive in safety, or in any other -part where I may exist, I request that you will deign to command me. On -leaving this country, I am convinced that its independence is for ever -sealed. This I will represent to the Spanish government and to the papal -see, and I will also do every thing to abate their obstinacy, and to -preserve the tranquillity, and to further the views of the inhabitants -of America, who are dear to me. - -"Deign, my lord, to receive these sentiments as emanating from the -sincerity of my heart; and command your obliged servant and chaplain, -Bartolomé Maria de las Heras. November, 2nd, 1821." - -On the ninth of November the bishop of Guamanga, a native of Piura, then -residing at Lima, was ordered to leave Peru within eight days, without -any reason being assigned for his exile, by the autocrat of Peru. - -Although the Chilean squadron was at this moment of the most vital -importance to the operations of San Martin against the batteries of -Callao, yet the crews remained unpaid, and the supply of provisions was -so scanty, that, added to the general want of clothing, they were in a -state fast approaching to open mutiny, which was repeatedly made known -to the government at Lima, but the knowledge of the circumstances -produced no relief; it appeared as if San Martin, having failed in -gaining possession of it through the commander in chief, was determined -to starve it into submission, or to drive it to some more desperate act. -This his lordship reported to the government, as also, that he could not -be answerable for the conduct of those serving under him, unless the -government fulfilled their part of the contract. - -On the seventeenth of August a decree appeared in the ministerial -gazette, ordering, that one-fifth of the duties collected at the -custom-house should be applied to defray the arrears and to the pay of -the army and navy. Instead of quieting the crews, this news drove them -almost to desperation, for although they were not aware that the money -assigned them was absolutely incompetent to supply the deficit, yet the -idea, that even when the time had arrived for the fulfilment of the -promise made to them before leaving Valparaiso, a new promise was made -to them, the fulfilment of which must depend on the receipts of the -custom-house, was incomprehensible to men whose only argument is, you -owe me money, and you must pay it me. The same decree also stated, that -the officers belonging to the Chilean squadron were equally officers of -Peru, and were to be considered as such: yet this step was taken without -ever consulting the will of the said officers; and certainly had they -accepted the honourable distinction, it must have been at the expense of -their oath of fidelity to Chile; but the object was to induce them to -consider themselves subject to the order of the Protector of Peru, for -the purpose of forming a plan yet in embryo. - -The Spanish army at Jauja, in the beginning of September, spread some -alarm in Lima, from advices received of their movements. It appeared -that they were determined to attack the capital, and on the fifth the -following proclamation was issued at head quarters, by the Protector of -the liberty of Peru: "Inhabitants of Lima! It appears that the justice -of heaven, tired of tolerating for so long a time the oppressors of -Peru, now guides them to their destruction. Three hundred of those -troops who have desolated so many towns, burnt so many temples and -destroyed so many thousands of innocent victims, are at San Mateo, and -two hundred more at San Damian. If they advance on this capital, it will -be with the design of immolating you to their vengeance; and to force -you to purchase at a high price your decision, and enthusiasm for -independence: vain hope! The valiant who have liberated the illustrious -Lima, those who protect her in the most difficult moments, know how to -preserve her against the fury of the Spanish army. Yes, inhabitants of -this capital, my troops will not abandon you; they and myself are going -to triumph over that army which, thirsty of our blood and property, is -advancing, or we will perish with honour, for we will never witness your -disgrace. In return for this noble devotion, and that it may receive the -favourable success of which it is worthy, all we require of you is, -union, tranquillity and efficacious co-operation; this alone is -necessary to ensure the felicity and splendour of Peru.--San Martin." - -The night before this proclamation was published, the Protector rose -from his seat at the theatre, after the performance was concluded, and -in words similar to those contained in the proclamation, spoke to the -people; the greatest enthusiasm was displayed, and the national hymn was -sung three times by all present, when the Protector retired, and was -followed to his palace by the music and an immense concourse of people. - -On the seventh the army under San Martin took the field at Mansanilla, -to the eastward of Lima; the Protector occupying the farm house of the -same name, about a league from the city. All the Spaniards residing in -Lima were immediately collected in the convent of La Merced, to prevent -any insult from being offered to them; but a false alarm being given to -the inhabitants, that the Spanish troops were about to enter the city, -they immediately surrounded the convent, where they were with difficulty -prevented from entering and putting the Spaniards to death. After order -had been restored, the prisoners were sent down to Ancon, and placed on -board two of the transports lying there at anchor. The state of Lima on -the seventh was the most evident proof of the determination of the -inhabitants to defend their city; men, women, and children of every age, -colour, and condition, paraded the streets with such arms as they could -procure; these however were very useless ones, for San Martin had -collected the arms belonging to private individuals a few days after his -arrival in Lima. Many persons had carried to the tops of their houses -quantities of stones, while others prepared pans and wood, for the -purpose of heating water, and all were determined to give a _warm_ -reception to the enemy, should they enter the streets of Lima. - -On the evening of the ninth, Lord Cochrane received on board the -O'Higgins an official communication, informing him that the enemy was -under the walls of Lima, and repeating the request, that his lordship -would send to the army every kind of portable arms then on board the -squadron, as well as the marines, and all volunteers; because the -Protector was "determined to bring the enemy to an action, and either -conquer or remain buried in the ruins of what _was_ Lima." This heroic -note, however, was accompanied by a private one from Monteagudo, -containing a request, that the boats of the vessels of war might be kept -in readiness, and a look out on the beach of Boca Negra, for the service -of those who might escape, in case of a defeat. - -On the morning of the tenth Lord Cochrane, believing that at such a -moment the mind of San Martin would be too much employed with public -affairs to think of private resentment, and that he might partake in the -glories of the day on shore, landed at Boca Negra; but not wishing to -pass through the capital, he chose the road leading to La Magdalena, for -the purpose of crossing the fields to head quarters at Mansanilla. -Passing near some mounds of earth, called las huacas, three officers on -horseback were observed standing on one of them, and his lordship, -supposing them to belong to the American army, would have gone and asked -them the news; but as there was no opening in the tapial, or wall-fence, -we rode forward and took a path leading across the fields, about three -hundred yards from the mounds. His lordship would not then return, but -said to Capt. Crosbie, let us haste to head quarters; when, on looking -to the right, we saw the Spanish infantry defiling into the lane, about -five hundred yards from us; Lord Cochrane immediately pressed forward to -San Martin's camp, where being immediately recognized by several -officers, a murmur of congratulation was heard, and even Guise and Spry -exclaimed, "we shall have some fighting now the Admiral is come." -General las Heras, acting as general in chief, saluting the Admiral, -begged of him to endeavour to persuade the Protector to bring the enemy -to an action. His lordship then rode up to the house, and alighting, -was received by San Martin. Lord Cochrane immediately took the Protector -by the hand, and in the most earnest manner entreated him to attack the -enemy without losing a single moment; his entreaties, however, were in -vain, the only answer he received was, "my measures are taken, _mis -medidas están tomadas_." Notwithstanding this apathy, his lordship -remonstrated, stating the situation in which he had not five minutes -before observed the enemy's infantry, and begged of the Protector to -ascend an eminence at the back of the house, and convince himself how -easily the victory might be obtained; but he only received the same cold -reply, "mis medidas están tomadas." At this instant the clamour of the -officers in the patio of the house roused San Martin; he called for his -horse and mounted. In a moment all was bustle, and the anticipated glow -of victory shone in every countenance; the order "to arms" was given, -and instantly obeyed by the whole army, which amounted to about twelve -thousand men, including the Guerilla parties, all anxious to begin the -fight, and all determined either to conquer or to die. The Protector -beckoned to the Admiral and General las Heras, who immediately left the -group of officers with whom they were conversing, and rode up to the -Protector, hoping that he was either about to consult them respecting -the attack, or to inform them how it was to be conducted--but, at this -moment, a peasant entered the patio, and walked towards San Martin, who -with most unparalleled composure lent an attentive ear to his important -communications. He told the Protector of the liberties of Peru, that on -the preceding day he had seen the enemy, that they were a great many, -but that he did not know their exact number, not being able to count -them. These and other such important advices were received; his -excellency also questioned him as to his situation in life, and the -particular employment he followed; whether or not he was married, how -many children he had, and other things equally interesting to a general, -when the enemy was in sight. As an irrefragable proof of the patriotism -of this Peruvian peasant, he took from his pocket a piece of dry bread, -and assured his excellency that he had travelled from his home to -Mansanilla, to report what he knew of the enemy without having tasted -it; this was an opportunity not to be lost, in which the greatness of -the hero of South American independence might display that coolness in -the face of an enemy so peculiarly characteristic of great men; he -praised the patriotic virtues of the peasant, and promised him his -protection. The Admiral being disgusted with this mummery, and highly -exasperated at so unnecessary a waste of time, half unsheathed his -sword; he bade the peasant be gone; adding, "the general's time is too -important to be thus employed in listening to your fooleries." At this -indecorous interruption, San Martin frowned (as when he chooses he _can_ -frown) on the Admiral, and riding up to the door of the house he -alighted, went in and gave audience to some old women who had come to -solicit the discharge of their sons or nephews, to all whom his -excellency listened with his accustomed dignity and condescension. - -Lord Cochrane and a great number of the officers again ascended the hill -at the back of the house, and his lordship afterwards requesting a -private conference with San Martin, (which was the last time he ever -spoke with him) he assured him that it was not too late to attack the -enemy; he begged and entreated that the opportunity might not be lost, -and offered himself to lead the cavalry; but to all this he only -received the cold reply, "I alone am responsible for the liberties of -Peru, _yo solo soy responsable de la libertad del Peru_;" when the -Protector retired to an inner apartment of the house, to enjoy his -customary _ciesta_, afternoon nap, which was however disturbed by -General las Heras, who came to receive orders, and inform his excellency -that the army was still under arms. San Martin observing that it was -four o'clock, the supper hour for his soldiers, ordered that they should -receive their rations. - -When San Martin assured Lord Cochrane that "he alone was responsible for -the liberty of Peru," his lordship, convinced that any future attempt -would be attended with the same success, mounted his horse; but Captain -Crosbie, still hoping that something would take place, requested -permission to remain at head quarters, which being granted, we rode down -to Boca Negra, and embarked. - -The British ship of war the Superb was at this time in the bay of -Callao, and several of the officers, expecting to see the decisive blow -struck in Peru, repaired to San Martin's head quarters, and were -astounded at the coolness of a general, who, commanding twelve thousand -men, should first abandon a favourable position in which he might have -intercepted the march of the Spaniards, and then see an enemy composed -of three thousand two hundred men pass without any hinderance, nay, -without a single shot being fired, or without one attempt being made to -bring them to action. - -After Cantarac had led his troops into the batteries of Callao, in a -manner that would have done honour to a Napoleon, the rejoicing was -announced by the firing of guns, and other demonstrations, which would -have harassed the soul of any leader, excepting that of the prudent San -Martin. The American army marched to their old camp at the Legua, -between Lima and Callao. - -On the morning of the eleventh, Don Fernando Maso, who had been -permitted by Lord Cochrane to land at Callao from the English brig -Colonel Allen, came on board the O'Higgins, and asked his lordship, "if -on the preceding day he had observed some officers on the huacas?" -"Yes," returned his lordship. "They were," said Maso, "General Cantarac -and his two edecans." Thus it was evident, that had the admiral rode up -to them, as he at first intended, he would in all probability have been -taken prisoner, for neither himself nor any one with him had any other -arms than their swords. On the evening of the eleventh Lord Cochrane -received an official communication from San Martin, stating, "I have -taken such measures, that not one of the enemy can escape; by shutting -themselves up in the batteries of Callao, they have delivered themselves -up to me, and not one of them shall escape." But, to the surprise of all -unacquainted with the consummate prudence of the Protector, Cantarac -left the batteries on the seventeenth early in the morning, and having -crossed the Rimac, marched without any molestation into the interior; -nothing was done or attempted, except that eight hundred men were -ordered to follow him and harass his rear, and protect such soldiers as -might desert. - -Thus General Cantarac, with three thousand two hundred men, passed to -the southward of Lima, in sight of the protecting army of Peru, composed -of twelve thousand, entered the batteries of Callao, where he refreshed -and rested his troops for six days, and then retired, taking with him -arms and treasure, and retreating with his booty on the north side of -Lima, leaving the victorious San Martin to publish the following -proclamation, which appeared in the ministerial gazette on the -nineteenth: - -"It is now fifteen days since the liberating army left the capital, -resolved not to permit that even the shadow of the Spanish flag should -again darken the illustrious city of Lima. The enemy haughtily -descended the mountains, filled with the calculations they had formed in -their ignorant meditations; they fancied, that to come and to view our -camp was enough to conquer us; but they found valour armed with -prudence; they acknowledged their inferiority; they trembled at the idea -of the hour of battle, and profited by the hour of darkness; [from -eleven to three o'clock in the day!] and they sought an asylum in -Callao. My army began its march, and at the end of eight days of -uncertainty, the enemy has had to fly precipitately, convinced of their -impotency to try the fortune of war, or to remain in the position which -they held. - -"The desertion which they experience ensures us, that, before they reach -the mountains, there will only exist a handful of men, terrified and -confounded with the remembrance of the colossal power which they had a -year ago, and which has now disappeared like the fury of the waves of -the sea at the dawn of a serene morning. The liberating army pursues the -fugitives; they shall be dissolved or beaten. At all events the capital -of Peru shall never be profaned with the footsteps of the enemies of -America: this truth is peremptory: the Spanish empire is at end for -ever: Peruvians, your destiny is irrevocable; consolidate it by the -constant exercise of those virtues which you have shewn in the epoch of -conflicts. You are independent, and nothing can prevent your being -happy, if you will it so to be. San Martin." - -It would be an act of injustice not to mention here, that General las -Heras, wounded to the very soul at the conduct of San Martin, which -cannot possibly bear any other epithet than that of cowardice, left the -service of Peru, or rather of the Protector of Peru, and requested his -passport to Chile, which was granted. His example was followed by -several officers of the army, who, disgusted with what had taken place, -preferred obscurity, and even poverty, to that odious title which every -true soldier and patriot detests. - -Had the force under General Cantarac been attacked, it must have been -beaten: the inferiority of it in every point, except discipline, ensured -success to the patriot arms: these were treble the number of the enemy, -fresh, vigorous, and enthusiastic; enjoying the opportunity of choosing -the most advantageous positions, and in sight of the capital of the -country, whose liberty they had sworn to defend; while the Spanish -division was harassed with a long march, without any personal -incitement, and nothing before them but the prospect of a few days' -rest, and a return to the interior, in which they knew, that beside the -ground they trod on, no one in that part of the globe acknowledged their -domination, or obeyed their commands. If it be asked, who is blameable -for this dereliction of duty to the cause of American liberty? I must -answer, San Martin! The Spaniards themselves confess, that had the -division under Cantarac been destroyed on the tenth of September, they -should have lost all hopes of re-conquering the country, and should have -immediately negociated in the most honourable terms possible for -themselves, and abandoned America. Consequently, the torrents of blood -which have been shed in Peru since the tenth of September, 1821; the -miseries and privations of thousands in that portion of the new world; -the disaffection of the natives to the just cause of their country, and -their services to their Spanish leaders; the necessity of an army from -Colombia to save Peru from an ignominious subjection to her ancient -oppressors; all owe their origin to the success of the Spanish division -on this day, which, although they obtained no decisive victory, -accomplished the object which brought them from the interior. - -Fearing a reverse at Lima, on the approach of the Spanish troops under -General Cantarac, the treasures belonging to the government, as well as -the property of many individuals, had been sent down to Ancon and -embarked, not on board the Chilean frigate Lautaro, then at anchor in -that port, but in several merchant vessels, to prevent them falling into -the hands of the enemy. On the fifteenth of September Lord Cochrane -received a letter from Captain Delano, who commanded the Lautaro, -informing him that the state of insubordination in the remains of the -crew of the Lautaro had risen to a very high pitch; for they observed -the daily embarkation of money in the different merchant vessels, and -this indicated, as they supposed, the jeopardy in which San Martin was -placed with the army; that they saw no probability their arrears would -ever be paid; that should the enemy be successful they would be -constrained to continue in the service, under a prolongation of the -sufferings they had already experienced; and that on this account he -dreaded a mutiny, and consequent plunder of the vessels in the bay. - -On hearing this Lord Cochrane went down to Ancon in the O'Higgins, and -personally, before witnesses, sent on board the flag ship all the -treasures found on board the different vessels, belonging _apparently_ -to the state of Peru, leaving all such as had been embarked by -individuals, having the customary documents, and for which his lordship -took the necessary certificates to prove that such sums had remained -untouched. His lordship at the same time informed such persons as -claimed any property, and many others at Ancon, that his only object was -to possess himself of such money or treasures as belonged to the -government of Peru; and that whatever belonged to private individuals -should be restored, on application being made by the owners; as was the -case with Dr. Unanue, Don Juan Aguero, Don Manuel Silva, Don Manuel -Primo, and several others. After having given up all the claimed money, -two hundred and eighty-five thousand dollars remained on board the flag -ship. They were immediately applied to the payment of one year's arrears -to every individual excepting the Admiral, who declined receiving any -part of what was due to him; the surplus was reserved for the repairs of -the squadron, and its equipment, and the most rigid account was kept of -the several disbursements, and given in to the Chilean government. - -After the return of his lordship to Callao, a long correspondence took -place with San Martin respecting the property taken at Ancon. The -General requested, and entreated in the most urgent terms the -restoration of the treasure, promised the faithful fulfilment of all his -former engagements, and that the return of this money was merely -insisted on to save the credit of the government. The Admiral answered, -that the means for the fulfilment of his engagements were now ready, and -that by sending a commissioned officer on board to be a witness to the -proper distribution; that this being public would certainly save the -credit of the government with those individuals to whom it was most -indebted, and that the landing of the money would only be an increase of -labour, because the persons to whom it was due were not on shore. - -San Martin then asserted, that the money taken at Ancon was all that the -government was in possession of, for the most indispensable daily -expenses; but to this his lordship replied, that had he known that the -treasure placed on board the schooner Sacramento, for the admission of -which, in silver, the captain asserted that he had to throw overboard -part of his ballast, besides seven surrones (bags made of hide) of -doubloons, and a quantity of brute gold, was not the property of the -government but of his excellency, he should certainly have seized it, -and retained it until properly claimed. San Martin, after availing -himself of every possible argument with the Admiral, addressed a -proclamation to the seamen and marines, which by his lordship's order -was distributed on board the vessels of war; but producing no favourable -effect, the Protector, knowing that the payments had begun, wrote to the -Admiral, saying that "he might employ the money as he thought most -proper." - -After the departure of Cantarac from Callao on the seventeenth, Lord -Cochrane was informed of the state of the batteries, and proposed to the -Governor General La Mar terms of capitulation; they were, that the -fortifications of Callao should be surrendered to the Chilean flag; that -one third of the private property in the batteries should be given up, -for the purpose of paying the arrears of the crews of the Chilean -vessels of war; that the owners should be allowed to leave the batteries -with the remainder, and that at their own expense vessels should be -procured to carry them either to Europe or to any other place. - -When these terms were on the point of being acceded to, the Protector -(who had also been negociating with the governor) was informed of the -terms offered by the Admiral; and on the morning of the twentieth -Colonel Guido was commissioned to accede to such as General La Mar -should propose, which were naturally the most honourable and most -profitable to the Spaniards. At ten o'clock on the morning of the -twenty-first the American troops entered the castles, and the Peruvian -flag was hoisted. On the same day the name of the Real Felipe was -changed into that of Castilla de la Independencia; that of San Miguel, -into Castillo del Sol; and that of San Rafael into Castillo de Santa -Rosa. - -Although the tribunals of purification, established by General Carátalá -in Upper Peru, and in Chile by the President Marco, had been so -oppressive, and had been so reprobated as unjust and tyrannical by the -Americans, one was established in Lima by San Martin on the -twenty-seventh of September, for the purpose of examining the past -conduct of the Spaniards, who relying on the promises repeatedly made by -San Martin, had remained in Peru, and taken the oath of independence. -This proceeding was aggravated on the twenty-seventh by a proclamation, -stating that "no Spaniard should leave his house, under any pretence -whatever, after sunset (oraciones) under the penalty of confiscation of -his property, and exile from the country:" some few exceptions however -were added to this protectoral decree. - -The foreign seamen who were all paid at Callao, except the crew of the -Valdivia, who deserted their ship at Ancon, preferring a reliance on the -promises of San Martin to the certainty of being paid out of the money -taken for this purpose, were allowed to go on shore, and after waiting -for a few days his lordship sent Lieutenant Wynter to engage such as -were willing to continue in the service of Chile, when, to the utter -astonishment of every one, he was arrested by the order of San Martin, -and sent to the castle, but owing to the energetic official -communication of the Admiral he was liberated on the following day. - -The same persevering spirit to destroy the Chilean squadron was still -visible in the conduct of the Protector of Peru. Every officer who -abandoned the vessels of war was received under the flag of Peru, and -many were promoted, amounting in the whole to sixteen, being four -captains, three lieutenants, two masters, three pursers, two officers of -marines, and two surgeons; besides the captains of the Valdivia and -Galvarino, with five officers belonging to the former. The seamen who -had been paid were allured to remain on shore, in hopes of the year's -pay as a premium; and when an officer from the very vessels of war whose -co-operation had placed San Martin at the head of the Peruvian -government went ashore for the purpose of recruiting foreign seamen for -the future operations of the squadron, against the two Spanish frigates -still in the Pacific, he was incarcerated. But the most infamous -transaction that can possibly blacken the character of a ruler took -place on the night of the twenty-sixth. - -At midnight Lord Cochrane was informed that Colonel Paroissien and -Captain Spry had been on board the brig of war, Galvarino, and shortly -afterwards Captain Simpson of the Araucano came on board the flag ship, -and delivered to his lordship the paper which he had received from these -two honourable gentlemen; stating, that the squadron of Chile was under -the command of the General in chief, and not under that of the Admiral, -who was an inferior officer in the service; and that, consequently, it -was the duty of the captains and commanders to obey the orders they -might receive from San Martin. After leaving the Araucano, the two -edecanes, military and naval, went on board the Valdivia, where they -found Captain Crosbie of the flag ship, on a visit to Captain Cobbett of -the Valdivia. - -After delivering to Captain Cobbett a paper similar in import to the one -left with Captain Simpson, the two gentlemen began to expatiate on the -munificence and liberality of their employer; the preference which an -officer ought to give to the service of a rich and extensive state to -that of Chile, which must necessarily dwindle into its former -insignificance, and become tributary to Peru for its support; that the -authority of the Protector of Peru over the whole of the Chilean forces -was unquestionable, and it consequently became the duty of every officer -belonging to the expeditionary forces to obey the orders of their -general in chief. On being asked, if, for disobedience of orders or -mutinous conduct, they should subject themselves to a court martial by -the order of the Admiral, whether the authority of the Protector would -ensure to them a favourable sentence or an honourable acquittal, they -became silent. This was bringing the argument too close, and perhaps the -idea of a trial and a sentence were not very congenial to the feelings -of the nocturnal commissioners, at that time "in or belonging to" the -squadron of Chile. Perceiving that the result was not likely to answer -their expectations, and that Captain Crosbie had left them on board the -Valdivia and gone to the flag-ship, they judged it more prudent to visit -the Admiral, than to run any risk of being compelled to do it. At one -o'clock the boat came alongside, and Colonel Paroissien requested an -interview with his lordship, which was granted; but Captain Spry justly -thought himself more secure in the boat, and remained there. After some -extraordinary conversation between Lord Cochrane and Paroissien, who -regretted and lamented in the most pathetic manner, "that the present -unlucky difference between the two chiefs should deprive his lordship of -the enjoyment of the command of the Peruvian navy, (which did not exist) -and the possession of property in Peru, which it was the intention of -the Protector to present to him," his lordship put a stop to the -harangue, and said, smiling, "I do not doubt your wishes for my -prosperity, Paroissien, but at present I know you would rather join me -in a bottle of wine than be obliged to continue in your regret and -lamentation." After drinking a glass or two of wine, Colonel Paroissien -embarked in his boat and pulled ashore, more happy no doubt when under -the guns of the batteries of Callao than alongside the O'Higgins. - -San Martin having failed in this last honourable attempt to seduce the -officers belonging to the state of Chile, and fearing that the publicity -of the act might induce the people of Peru to be on the alert, ordered -Lord Cochrane, in the most peremptory manner, to leave the bay of -Callao, with the vessels under his command, being persuaded, that, for -want of European seamen, it would be impossible to do so; but on the -sixth of October, eight days after his notification, the whole of the -vessels of war, with two prizes, weighed simultaneously, and stood out -of the bay. - -Having come to an anchor at Ancon, his lordship ordered the Lautaro and -Galvarino to proceed on the eighth to Valparaiso; and the O'Higgins, -Independencia, Valdivia, Auraucano, and prizes San Fernando and Mercedes -weighed and sailed for Guayaquil, where the Admiral had determined to -repair, and refit for a cruize on the coast of Mexico, in search of the -two Spanish frigates. - -On the fifteenth we reached the Puná in the river Guayaquil, and on the -eighteenth came to an anchor close to the city, where the squadron was -saluted with twenty-one guns, and the compliment was returned with an -equal number. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - Revolution and State of Guayaquil....Squadron leaves....Island of - Cocoa....Bay of Fonseca....Visitors from the Shore....Leave - Fonseca....Volcano....Arrive at Acapulco....General Waevell and - Colonel O'Reilly....Letter from Iturbide....Leave Acapulco.... - Description of....Gale of Wind off Tehuantepec....Tacames or - Atcames....News of the Enemy....Arrive at the Puná....Guayaquil - ....Lord Cochrane hoists the Chilean Flag in the Vengansa.... - Conduct of the People at Guayaquil....Treaty with the Government - ....Letter from General La Mar....Leave Guayaquil, and arrive at - Huambacho....Callao. - - -Guayaquil, early in the morning of the ninth of October, 1820, effected -her glorious revolution. The officers belonging to the Peruvian -garrison, and many of the principal inhabitants, had, during the -preceding night, formed the plan, and at daybreak the governor and -several other Spaniards were embarked on board the schooner Alcance, and -sent to the head quarters of the army under General San Martin. - -During the first month after the revolution Guayaquil experienced the -oppression of its governor Escobedo, who, being at the head of the -military force, constituted himself the supreme political and military -chief; but the cabildo circulated the necessary convocation for a -meeting of the deputies of the different towns: they met, and Escobedo -was deposed, and sent to San Martin's head quarters. A Junta was now -formed of three individuals, by the general vote of the deputies; at the -head, as president, was placed Dr. Olmedo, the other two being Ximena -and Roca, who were governing the province on our arrival; but the people -were very much divided in their opinions. Some were in favour of an -incorporation with Peru, under San Martin; others with Colombia, under -Bolivar; while a third party were equally loud in favour of absolute -independence, and seemed to support their opinions with the most solid -arguments. - -A division of the Colombian army was stationed, at this time, at -Babaoyo, commanded by General Sucre, with the view of invading Quito as -soon as the season should permit; yet, excepting such troops as had been -sent from Guayaquil, and placed under the command of General Sucre, the -armed force was under the direction of the government; but the fear of -being invaded by the Spaniards under Aymerich, the president of Quito, -was very visible, and, as a defence to the city, a large fosse had been -cut to the northward of Cuidad Vieja. - -The arrival of the Chilean vessels of war gave the government of -Guayaquil an opportunity of addressing themselves to the Quitenos, -"assuring them, that Peru was entirely free, and that the liberating -naval force had arrived at Guayaquil for the protection of that part of -the new world." This was a ruse de guerre not uncommon in the new world, -and under similar circumstances practised even in the old. On our -arrival General Sucre sent Colonel Ibarra to compliment Lord Cochrane, -as the hero of the Pacific, the magnanimous supporter of Colombian -liberty. - -The repairs of the vessels of war being completed so far as they could -be, on the first of December we left Guayaquil, but to our great -annoyance we found, that the leak in the O'Higgins was as bad as ever; -indeed, such was the state of this frigate, that ever since our arrival -at Pisco a hundred and fifty men had been constantly kept at the pumps. - -It may be asserted, that no expedition ever left port under such -peculiarly disadvantageous circumstances as the present. The flag-ship -was as rickety as an old basket; indeed it need only be told, that she -was a Russian built fir vessel, nine years old, and was one of those -presented by the Emperor to the King of Spain. Scarcely a bolt could be -found that was not loose, her foremast and bowsprit were both rotten in -the step, the dry rot had taken possession of the greater part of her -timbers; and, it may be added, her crew was composed of every thing but -sailors; for we had only thirteen men on board who could be said to -merit the name, especially if we except the officers. Such was her -state, that when his lordship was asked at Guayaquil, by a gentleman, if -he would come into action with the Spanish frigate Prueba?--"yes," he -answered, "I will lay the O'Higgins alongside the Prueba, and tell our -crew that on board the enemy there are no pumps; this will be quite -sufficient to secure the victory." The crews of the Independencia, -Valdivia, and Araucano were composed of the same materials as that of -the O'Higgins. They had just a sufficient number of seamen to steer -them, natives of different parts of America, marines and runaway -negroes, with about half their complements of officers; yet such was the -persevering spirit of the Admiral, and such his determination to -extinguish the last remains of the Spanish naval force in the Pacific, -that his only wish was to come to close quarters with them. - -Having left the Guayaquil river, we touched at a small port in the -province of Guayaquil, called Salango, where we watered the ships, not -having done this before because his lordship wished to drop down the -river as light as possible; besides, at the Puná it is very difficult to -procure a sufficient quantity of _good_ water. On the eleventh, we -reached the small island of Cocos, so called from the abundance of palms -which grow there. Lord Cochrane landed, and a Felucca hove in sight; a -signal was immediately made to the Valdivia to chase, and having -captured her, she proved to be a deserter from Callao. The men on board -informed his lordship, that after the departure of the Chilean vessels -of war, San Martin not only objected to pay them their arrears, even -those who left the Valdivia at Ancon without the year's pay given to the -rest, and the reward or premium promised, but the foreign seamen at -Callao, who had served in the Chilean fleet, were pressed into the -service of Peru. - -The felucca had been thus manned and sent to the Chorillos, to prevent -all kinds of smuggling; but she had taken up a cargo of contraband -goods, part of which were still on board. When the captain was on shore, -the crew rose and took possession of the vessel, which they immediately -named the Retaliation, and went to sea. Their pretence was, that they -were in search of the squadron; this was ridiculous; but as they had -committed no depredations his lordship did not feel himself justified in -punishing them, but allowed them afterwards to escape from the vessels -of war. On the fourteenth we made the coast of Mexico, the leak of the -O'Higgins increasing daily, and on the nineteenth we fortunately entered -the bay of Fonseca or Amapalla, with five feet water in the hold, the -pumps choaked and worn out, without a carpenter on board, without -buckets to bale her, and without a cooper; some beef casks were slung, -and by using every exertion, the frigate was brought to an anchor under -a small island in the bay. Two pumps were now taken out of the Valdivia, -but they proved to be too short for the O'Higgins. Under these -circumstances his lordship ordered two holes to be cut through her -sides, on a level with the birth deck, and two old pumps were placed in -them to carry off the water. She was thus kept from sinking; but on -examining the magazine a great part of the powder had been damaged by -the water, and the remainder was taken on shore and exposed in the sun -to dry. - -While at anchor here, a canoe came to the island, having two indians on -board, and a young man of a respectable appearance, who informed me, -that every thing was in the most perfect state of tranquillity in -Mexico, and all under the regularly established royal authorities. The -fact was, the young man had been sent from San Miguel, to learn who and -what we were; but of this, by order of the Admiral, I kept him ignorant, -and he began to fear, on hearing the Spanish language spoken, that ours -was a Spanish force sent from Manilla. After conversing a considerable -time, and having been repeatedly assured by him that all was under the -kingly authority in Mexico, I asked him why he bore the tri-coloured -ribbon in his hat; he blushed, hesitated, and then said, "it is too late -to deceive you, the whole of Mexico is independent of Spain; Mexico -declared its independence on the thirteenth of June last, Guadalaxara on -the fourteenth, Tepec on the seventeenth, and San Blas on the -nineteenth; the provinces of Guadalaxara, Tlascala, Guanajuato, Puebla, -Zacatecas, Oajaca, Valladolid, Bajio, Purnandia, and Vera Cruz, have -also declared themselves independent of the capital." - -All things being ready, we left the bay of Fonseca on the twenty-eighth -of December, and on the following night and the five successive ones, we -were delighted with the sight of a volcano in its greatest state of -activity. The streams of ignited lava rolled down the sides, and at -intervals enormous masses of fiery matter were thrown into the air, and -falling on the sides of the mountain rebounded and fell to the bottom. - -We calculated that our distance from the mountain was about thirty -miles; we were sometimes nearer to it. From its situation we conceived -it to be San Miguel el Viejo, but of this were not quite certain. We -sailed along the coast, which is generally very bold; in some parts the -forests extend to a considerable distance from the sea side, and near to -the coast are a great abundance of coco-nut palms; from some of them we -procured nuts, but they were very small, perhaps from a want of salt at -the roots of the trees. This supposition is founded on the fact, that I -have seen at different places, where the palms do not grow near the sea, -that the proprietors had occasionally put a quantity of salt to the -roots, without which they produced no fruit. In other parts the coast -was intersected with small ravines, having generally a stream of water -in each, and some few huts were scattered about on the sides. At one of -these places, called San Pedro, two indians came on board in their -canoe, and brought us some eggs and capsicum pods; for which they were -presented in return with biscuit and tobacco, and they seemed highly -pleased with the exchange. They were both of them low in stature, but -very muscular; their features and complexion much resembling those of -the indians on the coast of Peru; but they could neither of them speak a -word of Spanish, nor could we understand any part of their dialect. - -On the twenty-seventh of January, 1822, we made the mouth of the port of -Acapulco, where we found the brig Araucano, and schooner Mercedes; the -former having been sent ahead to watch the entrance to the harbour, and -the latter to Realejo to obtain information respecting the Spanish -frigates; but unfortunately no intelligence had been received, except -that they had sailed from Acapulco on the third of December, with a -secret destination. On the evening of the same day we entered and came -to an anchor, and his lordship was honoured with a visit from a -deputation sent by the governor in the name of his most serene highness -Don Agustin de Iturbide, then President of Mexico; and of the bishop of -Guamanga, who had been exiled from Peru by the Protector, San Martin, -and who fortunately had been appointed by the government of Mexico to -the see of Puebla de los Angeles, having exchanged a bishopric of twelve -thousand dollars a year for one of forty. The President Iturbide had -been apprized of the arrival of Lord Cochrane on the Mexican coasts by -General Waevell and Colonel O'Reilly, two officers whom the government -of Chile had promoted, and to whom they had given passports, judging -that their services to the state were not tantamount to their pay. - -When at Guayaquil we met with these two gentlemen. They had impressed -the government with the hoax, that they were ambassadors from Chile to -the newly-established authorities in Mexico; but unfortunately the dates -of their passports by the Chilean government were prior to the news of -the establishment of the new authorities in Mexico. After this -anachronism was discovered. Lord Cochrane requested the government to -close the port until the Chilean vessels of war should be ready to sail, -to which they agreed: this was done to prevent any intelligence being -given to the common enemy. The ambassadors remonstrated, and the -government, not wishing to offend that of Chile, was intimidated; but, -when Lord Cochrane requested that they would shew their credentials, -the whole hoax became public. Owing to our delay on the coast they had -arrived first at Acapulco, and, in revenge for the disclosure made at -Guayaquil, they had reported both by letter and personally to the -Mexican government, that Lord Cochrane had possessed himself, in a -mutinous manner, of the Chilean squadron, plundered the vessels -belonging to the government of Peru, committed innumerable piracies at -sea, and was coming on the coast of Mexico to repeat such atrocities; -however, at Amapalla I met with her excellency Doña Gregoria Gainsa, the -lady of the present Captain-general of Guatemala, who was at Guayaquil -when the disclosure was made, and when I informed her that I suspected -they would arrive first, her husband had reported the whole of the -transaction to the Mexican government. The information given by Waevell -and O'Reilly had, to our surprize, when we arrived at Acapulco, caused -the fort to be strictly guarded, and afterwards a subsequent -reinforcement entered the town. Thus notwithstanding the politeness of -the governor a suspicious reserve was at first visible. This, however, -in a short time wore off, and the most solemn assurances were given by -the governor of the wish of his Serene Highness Iturbide to cultivate -the friendship of the governments on the southern continent of -emancipated America. - -On the third of February, after the squadron was under weigh, his -lordship received the following note from the president of Mexico: - -"Most Excellent Sir,--The governor of Acapulco has informed me, by note -dated the twenty-eighth of January, of your happy arrival, and that of -the squadron you honour by commanding, at that port, one of those -belonging to this empire, and adds, that every respect has been paid to -yourself and those who have the glory to serve under you, who have been -treated as friends, ready to assist us in the sacred cause--the -protection of our liberty. Interested, as I am, in the prosperity of my -country, I feel the greatest pleasure in the generous offer of your -excellency, and the liberal determination of our brethren of Chile. I -have ordered the governor of Acapulco to offer to your excellency, on -the behalf of this government and my fellow citizens, our most grateful -acknowledgments. - -"Two commissioners will leave this capital, with orders to communicate -to your excellency matters of high importance to the state: I hope you -will receive them as freemen--the representatives of this great empire, -and with that goodness which is so characteristic of your excellency. - -"I should feel extremely gratified at having the honour of presenting -to you my respects personally, that we might discuss some points which -would contribute to the glory of this empire, in addition to the many -and interesting services you have rendered to other free states; but a -multiplicity of business deprives me of this honour, which my -commissioners will enjoy, unless your excellency can allow me the -pleasure of accepting our sentiments of gratitude in this court, where -you would be received in the honourable manner you deserve, and every -care would be taken to render your journey and residence as comfortable -as possible. - -"I remain with all due respect, &c., (Signed) Agustin Iturbide. Mexico, -February 1st, 1822." - -The news obtained from a vessel which entered the port on the second of -February, and the day of the arrival of the commissioners, not being -mentioned, his lordship determined to follow the Spanish frigates, -composing the last relic in the Pacific, and on the destruction of which -he was fully determined. - -Acapulco lies in 16° 36´ north latitude, 99° 53´ 45´´ west longitude: -the port enjoys every advantage that can possibly be imagined: it is -capacious, has a good anchorage, and is completely land-locked; so that -from the vessels when at anchor, or from the town, the sea cannot be -observed; however, the extreme heat is highly disagreeable. The town is -composed of a parish church, two convents, and about forty houses, with -many huts built of reeds and rushes. The inhabitants are a mixture of -Spaniards, Negroes, Indians, and Chinese, which in several families that -I noticed seems to have produced almost a new race of mortals; for a -great sameness exists in their colour and features. The tinge or colour -of these people is similar to that of the Malay tribes: their foreheads -broad, eyes small and black, rather prominent cheek-bones, small but -tolerably well shaped nose, large lips, and beardless chin; their hair -black and long, their form slender, yet muscular, but none are of a high -stature. A kind of wild ferocity was visible in their countenances, and -rather a haughty independence in their manners, heightened a little, -perhaps, with the idea of being now imperialists; indeed, every thing -here was imperial: the town, the port, the flag, the market, nay, even -the language was imperial. The greater part of the inhabitants wore a -species of uniform, mostly composed of a blue nankeen, or stuff jacket -with a red collar, blue trowsers, and a cap; but without shoes or -stockings. The lower classes of females wore full petticoats, and a -chemise, with a long blue and white shawl: their hair is platted in long -slender tresses, and they have no other covering on their heads. Some -indians from the interior had a kind of short shirt, not reaching down -to their waists, breeches, and sandals of raw hide, with a hat, the -crown of which is about three inches high, and the skirts more than -thirty inches in diameter: it is made of the leaves of a tree. - -Some of the muleteers from the interior wore a very picturesque dress; -over an under shirt they had a short one, like the indians, sitting -close to their bodies and arms, blue breeches, the seams being -tastefully embroidered with coloured silks; the calves of their legs -wrapped in buff-coloured leather, carefully tied on, and hanging loose, -with laced boots of the same material and colour; a coloured sash round -their waists, and large black hats on their heads, with a thick roll of -different coloured cloths for a hat-band. - -All the people seemed to be particularly clean both in their clothes and -persons; but this is generally the case in hot climates. - -The market is but indifferently supplied, and provisions on the whole -are scarce, dear, and of an inferior quality. - -The appearance of the country in the neighbourhood is extremely sterile -and naked; scarcely any vegetables are to be seen, the sandy mountains -rising almost abruptly from the water's edge. - -The climate is excessively hot, the access of cool air being precluded -by surrounding mountains, and very little benefit is derived from the -cut or opening made at the north end of the town, called _la ábra de San -Nicolas_, for the admission of the sea-breeze: the winter or wet season -is so unhealthy, that few of the white inhabitants remain in the town, -almost every one retires into the interior. - -A large battery stands on an elevation at the southern extremity of this -place; it mounts thirty-one pieces of heavy artillery, and is called the -fort of San Diego. It contains barracks, magazines, and dungeons, named -the gaol, carcel. - -The town was formerly of commercial notoriety, on account of the vessels -which arrived here, commonly from Manilla, called naos de la China; but -as this traffic will now cease, and on account of the mountainous -country lying between it and the capital, a distance of eighty-five -leagues, it is probable that this port will shortly be almost abandoned, -unless, indeed, a commercial intercourse be kept up with the British -East India colonies, which might become of considerable importance, and -which is at present worthy of the attention of English speculators, as -the principal returns would be the precious metals, cochineal, and -indigo. - -On leaving Acapulco, the Independencia, Captain Wilkinson, and Auracano, -Captain Simpson, were ordered to proceed to the bay of California, for -the purpose of purchasing provisions for the vessels of war, and then to -follow us to Guayaquil, Callao, and Valparaiso. - -On the night of the tenth we experienced a very severe gale in the bay -of Tehuantepec, and owing to the bad state of the frigate, we expected -she would go to pieces with every sea that struck her: our only -consolation was, that the Valdivia being almost within hail we should be -enabled to save our lives by taking to the boats, and going on board. - -In the morning the gale subsided, to our no small joy; but a signal of -distress was made by the Valdivia, and afterwards a communication by -telegraph, that a sea had struck her, and that seventeen timbers had -given way on her larboard side; that for want of pumps the water was -gaining on them considerably, and the men were nearly exhausted with -baling. Some logs of wood were sent from the O'Higgins, together with -every man who fancied himself a carpenter, and the damage done was soon -repaired as well as circumstances would permit. - -On the fifth of March we made the coast of Esmeraldas, and early on the -morning of the seventh we came to an anchor in the port of Tacames or -Atacames. - -After I had landed, my old subjects were both astonished and delighted; -they had heard no tidings of me since the year 1812, and supposed me to -be dead. The news that we obtained here was, that the Spanish general -Crus Mourgeon arrived at this port from Panama, with a number of -officers, and eight hundred men, on the twenty-fifth of December, and -marched to join the forces at Quito; that immediately after he left -Panama, which was on the twenty-eighth of November, the inhabitants -rose, and declared their independence; and this they did although the -two frigates Prueba and Vengansa had arrived after the departure of Crus -Mourgeon; these two frigates, they told us, left the port of Tacames on -the first of January, for Guayaquil and the coast of Peru. With these -advices Lord Cochrane immediately proceeded to Guayaquil river, and we -arrived at the island of Puná on the tenth. - -The intelligence obtained here was, that the Prueba and Vengansa were -several days at anchor off the island; that deputies had been sent from -the city to negotiate with the two captains Don Jose Villegas of the -Prueba, and Don Jose Joaquin Soroa of the Vengansa; that on the -twenty-third of February the Vengansa and sloop of war Alexander had -proceeded up the river to Guayaquil, and on the twenty-fifth the Prueba -had left the river for the port of Callao. On receiving this advice his -lordship stood up the river with the following tide, and came to an -anchor off the city on the morning of the thirteenth, where we found the -Vengansa bearing the Peruvian flag. - -Lord Cochrane was directly informed, that the captains Villegas and -Soroa had negotiated the surrender of the Spanish frigates Prueba and -Vengansa with the commissioners appointed by Don Francisco Salasar, the -Peruvian envoy at Guayaquil; which treaty was ratified by the respective -parties on the fifteenth and sixteenth of February last, the principal -condition being, that the whole of the officers and crews should -receive from the government of Peru all the arrears due to them; that -those who chose to remain in America should enjoy all the privileges of -citizens; and that those who preferred returning to Europe should have -the expenses of their passage defrayed by the government of Peru. After -several inquiries made on shore, it appeared, that when the negotiations -were about to be interrupted by the mutinous crews and some Spanish -officers, who, indignant at the conduct of the captains, in thus selling -the Spanish vessels of war to the enemies of Spain, began to canvass an -opposition, the government of Guayaquil availed themselves of the -subterfuge of having had a correspondence with Lord Cochrane, who with -the Chilean squadron had anchored in the bay of La Manta, in the -province of Guayaquil, on his passage to the capital. This stratagem had -the desired effect: the officers and crews came to the terms offered, -rather than decide the controversy by honorable warfare. On being -positively assured of the transaction, and conscious, that had not the -Chilean squadron driven them to this last action the Spanish captains -never would have surrendered their vessels, his lordship on the morning -of the fourteenth sent Captain Crosbie on board the Vengansa, with -orders to hoist at her peak the flag of Chile jointly with that of Peru. - -This act created great confusion in the city, the gunboats were -immediately manned, and pieces of cannon were brought down to the side -of the river, where the people employed themselves in placing logs of -wood to serve as a breastwork; the Spanish sailors appeared to take a -more than active part in resenting this insult offered to the vessel, -which a few days previously they had cowardly sold to their enemies, -through the fear of having to defend her while under the Spanish flag; -indeed every thing on shore bore the most hostile appearance; while on -board the O'Higgins and Valdivia no preparations whatever were made, the -Admiral being too busy in smiling at their warlike preparations and mock -means of defence. On the night of the seventeenth the courage of our -self-constituted enemies was put to the test. - -With the return tide the Valdivia drifted up the river near to where the -Spanish officers and seamen had anchored the gunboats, which the -government had allowed them to manage, as being more acquainted with -naval tactics; but these heroes, supposing that the frigate was about to -attack them, ran the boats on shore, and fled to the back of the city, -leaving the natives to replace them on the water before daylight. This, -however, was in vain, and the effects of the preceding night's alarm -were visible on the following morning. - -After some correspondence between the government and the admiral, it was -agreed on the nineteenth, that deputies from both parties should meet -ashore, and adjust such terms as should be most conducive to the public -tranquillity, and to the honour and welfare of all parties. Accordingly, -the government appointed the captain of the port, Don Manuel Lusuriaga, -Dr. Don Bernabé Cornejo, and Captain Indaburu. Lord Cochrane appointed -Captain Crosbie, Captain Cobbett, and myself. Having met at the cavildo, -the following articles were agreed to, and immediately ratified by -Olmedo, Ximena, and Roca (forming the junta of government) and Lord -Cochrane. - -"First.--The frigate Vengansa shall remain as belonging to the -government of Guayaquil; she shall hoist the flag of this state, which -shall be saluted by the Chilean. - -"Second.--The state of Guayaquil guarantees to the Chilean squadron -under the responsibility of forty thousand dollars, that the frigate -Vengansa shall not be delivered to, nor negotiated for with any -governments until those of Chile and Peru shall have decided on what -they may esteem most just. And, moreover, the government of Guayaquil is -bound to destroy her rather than consent that the said vessel shall -serve any other state, till such decision be made. - -"Third.--The corvette Alexander shall be delivered to her owners, or -their assigns, according to the right which they possessed before she -was taken by violence from this river. The owners are to pay the arrears -due to the crew from the date of their last leaving Panama to that of -the fifteenth of February, 1822, with all the other expenses which may -have been incurred; and, in the mean time, she shall not be employed in -any way whatever without the consent of her owners. - -"Fourth.--Any government whatever which henceforward may be established -in Guayaquil shall be bound to the fulfilment of the articles here -expressed. - -"Fifth.--These articles, herein written and agreed to, shall be -understood literally, in good faith, and without any mental -amplifications or restrictions. Guayaquil, &c." - -After the ratification of these articles, the government of Guayaquil -addressed a polite note to Lord Cochrane, expressing the highest -sentiments of respect for the most important services which the free -states of America had received from him, assuring him, at the same time, -that Guayaquil would always be the first to honour his name, and the -last to forget his unparalleled services, to which she owed her -emancipation from the yoke of Spain. - -On the twentieth the Guayaquil flag was hoisted on board the Vengansa by -Captain Lusuriaga and Captain Crosbie, to whom the Peruvian and Chilean -flags were delivered. The O'Higgins immediately saluted the flag with -twenty-two guns, and the salute was returned from the guns placed on -shore; and afterwards the gunboats hoisted the Chilean flag, and saluted -it with twenty-two guns. - -It having been asserted in Peru, before Lord Cochrane left the bay of -Callao in October, 1821, that he would supply the garrisons of the -fortresses with provisions, on condition that they would not surrender -to San Martin, his lordship availed himself of the present opportunity -with General la Mar, who was the governor of Callao, and who being now -at Guayaquil, to write to him through the hands of the government, -requesting him to answer, whether he did succour or promise to succour -the garrisons of Callao, during the time that he was employed in the -blockade of that port? - -To this La Mar answered: - -"Most Excellent Sir,--In consequence of the official note which I -yesterday received from your excellency, through the hands of the -government, it is my duty to assert, that I have neither said nor -written, nor ever heard that you did supply or propose to supply with -provisions the place of Callao during the whole of the time that it was -under my charge. God preserve your excellency many years. (Signed) Jose -de la Mar. Guayaquil, March 13th, 1822." - -On the twenty-first we weighed, his lordship giving orders to Captain -Crosbie to trip the anchor, and to kedge down the river, by which means -he would have a better opportunity to mark the channel, and form a plan -of it, should it ever become necessary to ascend it without the -assistance of a pilot. The second tide took us to the Puná, where we -remained till the twenty-fifth, the boats being employed in bringing -water and some provisions from Balao, on the opposite side of the river. - -Having left Guayaquil river on the twenty-fifth of March, we arrived on -the twelfth of April at the small port of Huambacho, on the coast of -Peru, where to our surprise and astonishment the alcalde of the village -shewed his lordship a written order from San Martin, stating that should -any of the vessels of war belonging to Chile touch at the said port, he -was to forbid their landing, and to deny them any assistance whatever, -and not even to allow them to wood or water there. - -Exasperated at this conduct, his lordship proceeded to Callao, but not -before he had convinced the alcalde, that he had not the power to -enforce such orders from his master. We arrived at Callao on the -twenty-fifth, where the first object of instability in the new -government which we observed was five different Peruvian flags flying in -the bay and on the batteries. - -We here found the Prueba under Peruvian colours, and commanded by one of -the captains who had deserted the Chilean squadron; but such was the -dread that Lord Cochrane would take possession of her, that she was -immediately hauled close in shore under the batteries, her guns housed, -her ports closed, and so crammed she was with soldiers, for her defence, -that three men died with suffocation the night after our arrival. I was -assured, that no less than two thousand men were crowded on her upper -deck, as if such a mob could have intimidated Lord Cochrane, had he been -authorized to take possession of her, after she had been driven into the -bay of Callao by his efforts, and there purchased from her traitorous -crew by the Peruvian government. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - Commercial Code at Lima....Provincial Statutes announced....Liberty - of the Press....Foreigners declared amenable to the - Laws....Institution of the Order of the Sun....New Commercial - Rules....Titles changed....Order to convene the Constituent - Congress....San Martin delegates his Authority to the Marquis de - Torre Tagle....San Martin leaves Lima and returns....Army defeated - under Tristan at Ica....State of Lima on our Arrival....Visit of - Monteagudo to Lord Cochrane....San Martin annuls the Treaty at - Guayaquil....Exile of Spaniards from Lima....Lord Cochrane leaves - Callao for Valparaiso....Spanish Vessels that surrendered to the - Chilean Squadron....Convention of Chile meets....Monteagudo exiled - from Lima....Disturbances in Chile....San Martin arrives at - Valparaiso....O'Higgins abdicates....Lord Cochrane leaves the - Pacific. - - -On the eighth of October, 1821, the provisional commercial code or -reglamento was published; but, agreeably to the short sighted colonial -system, only Callao and Huanchaco were declared free ports to all -friends and allies. This reglamento established, that all vessels should -within ten hours after their arrival deliver up their bills of lading; -within forty-eight begin to unload, or leave the port within six days. - -Within the said forty-eight hours a consignee, being a citizen of Peru, -was to be named by the captain or supercargo. All goods in foreign -bottoms were to pay twenty per cent. on the value of the whole, -according to the prices current in Peru. All goods introduced in vessels -under the flags of Chile, Buenos Ayres, or Colombia, to pay in the same -manner eighteen per cent., and those under the flag of Peru sixteen. All -manufactured goods which might injure the industry of the country to pay -double duty. Coined silver to pay the exportation duty of five per cent. -and gold two and a half: the exportation of gold and silver in bar or -wrought absolutely prohibited. The produce of Peru exported in foreign -vessels to pay five per cent.; in vessels belonging to Chile, Buenos -Ayres, or Colombia, three and a half, and in Peruvian three per cent. -The payment of importation duties to be in three equal parts, one at -forty days after debarkation, one at a hundred and twenty, and one at a -hundred and eighty. All consignees absolutely prohibited the retailing -of their consignments. - -The coasting trade to be confined to vessels belonging to the state, but -limited to the ports of Paita, Huacho, and Pisco. Any vessel introducing -foreign manufactures, except at Callao or Huanchaco, to be seized and -condemned, both hull and cargo. - -The most extraordinary article inserted in this reglamento was, that -goods landed at Huanchaco, the port to Truxillo, were not to pass the -river Santa, under the penalty of being seized as contraband. - -On the ninth of October the provisional statutes and administration of -justice were sworn to by the government; and the creation of the Order -of the Sun was announced with the greatest possible pomp. - -On the thirteenth the liberty of the press was declared, permitting any -individual to publish freely his thoughts, without any previous revision -or approbation; but all abuse of religion or of the principles of -morality, every thing likely to disturb public tranquillity, or to wound -the honour of any citizen, to be subject to the penalty inflicted by the -junta conservadora of the liberty of the press. - -On the seventeenth an order of the government was published, -establishing all foreigners residing in Peru in the rights of -citizenship, subjecting them at the same time to the laws of the -country, and the orders of the government, and depriving them of the -intervention of the commanders of the vessels of war belonging to their -respective nations. All foreigners were also declared liable to take -arms in the support of social order, but not against the common enemy, -and to be subject to contributions levied by the government, in the same -manner as the citizens of the state. - -On the twentieth of October the institute of the Sun was established; it -was declared to consist of three classes, founders, well-deservers -(benemeritos) and associates or fellows. The badge of the first class -was a white ribbon from the right shoulder to the left side, having two -gold tassels and a golden medallion of the order; with the title of -honourable lordship;--the second class to have a gold medal hanging to a -white ribbon placed round the neck; with the address of lordship;--and -the third a silver medal hanging to the breast on the left side. The -medals to bear the arms of the state, to be of an elliptical figure, and -to have on the superior part, on a white field, "Peru;" on the inferior, -on a red field, "To her Liberators." The pensions of the order to be -paid out of the fund of forty thousand dollars imposed by the king of -Spain on the mitres of America for the provisions of the knights of -Charles III. and Isabel la Catolica. The oath to be--"I swear by my -honour, and promise to my country to defend the independence, liberty -and integrity of the state of Peru; to maintain public order, and to -procure the general felicity of America, devoting to those ends my life -and my property." - -Twenty-six founders were named by the Protector, who constituted himself -PRESIDENT of the order; among these were included two captains who had -abandoned the Chilean squadron at Callao; one hundred and thirty-eight -of well-deservers, including Captain Spry; and one hundred and two -associates or fellows, among whom were the dean of the cathedral, five -counts, two marquises, five generals, seven friars, canons of the -church, shopkeepers, surgeons, farmers, and deserters from the Chilean -squadron. - -Not content with this creation of male nobility, one hundred and twelve -knightesses of the sun were nominated, including two countesses, four -marchionesses, and of every class, even to Doña Rosa Campusano, the -favourite of his excellency, the creator of the order; and to complete -the corps, thirty-two nuns were added, who might have been honoured with -the ancient Peruvian title of Virgins of the Sun. The Honourable and -Illustrious Don Bernardo Monteagudo was appointed secretary, and General -the Honourable Don Diego Paroissien master of the ceremonies, _pro tem._ - -As the badge of the order was of the most vital importance, it was -decreed on the thirty-first of October, that, instead of a medallion, a -golden sun should be suspended to the ribbon of the fundadores, -benemeritos, and asociados; but the size of it was to be limited -according to the rank of the bearer. - -On the twenty-third of October a committee was appointed to frame a -constitutional code or reglamento de administration de justicia for -Peru, San Martin having determined on being a legislator as well as a -liberator; and, as he himself said, on "being crowned with laurels till -he could not nod." About this time some verses made their appearance, -addressed to the Protector, under the epithet of Emperor of Peru. The -idea of an imperial crown was obnoxious to the Peruvians, and some -street clamour induced the government to announce its supreme -displeasure at such productions. - -Desertion in the liberating army now became prevalent, and the -government was obliged to issue a decree, stating that any person who -should harbour or protect a deserter in his house, or on his property, -should subject himself to a general confiscation for the first offence, -and to perpetual exile for a repetition. All slaves were invited to -inform against their masters, under the assurance of manumission, -should the crime of occultation be proved. On the thirty-first of -October a new tariff for the coasting trade was published, superseding -the one of the twenty-eighth of September, with the addition of the -ports of Nasca, Cañete, and Pacasmayo, and also allowing foreigners to -sell their own cargoes, without the intervention of a native consignee, -on their paying twenty-five, instead of twenty per cent.; and on the -twenty-first of November all foreigners, as well as citizens, being -merchants, were ordered to enrol their names at the consulado, (board of -trade,) that they might all be equally taxed with such contributions as -the government might judge necessary to exact. - -Several Spaniards having been apprehended and sent to the public gaol, -accused of sedition and conspiracies, were sentenced, on the twentieth -of November, eight to a confiscation of their property, and exile to -Europe, and thirteen to partial confiscation, and exile to Chancay for -two months. - -On Sunday the sixteenth of December the knights of the order of the sun -were decorated with the insignia, by the president of the high chamber -of justice, _alta camara de justicia_, in the presence of his Excellency -the Protector of Peru, institutor of the order, and a most splendid -concourse of the nobility of Peru, with the assistance of Sir Thomas -Hardy, whom the gazette styles the representative of the British nation, -on this occasion. Every care was taken to make this civic feast as -solemn as possible; the troops were formed in the streets; the different -military bands continued playing national airs and marches in the -balcony of the palace; repeated salutes were fired by the artillery -placed in the plasa; all the bells in the city were heard in merry -peals; the illuminations on the nights of the fifteenth, sixteenth, and -seventeenth, were of the most brilliant description; and every nerve was -strained to produce and support harmony and conviviality on this festive -occasion. After the ceremony of condecoration, the procession left the -palace and proceeded to the church of Santo Domingo, where a solemn Te -Deum was chanted, and high mass celebrated, in thanks to the Almighty -for having inspired the supreme government of Lima with such celestial -ideas. - -That the ancient nobility of Peru might not be reduced to a level with -the plebeians, it was decreed on the twenty-seventh of December, that -they should preserve their armorial bearings on the fronts of their -houses, as usual, and all the solar nobility were permitted by the same -decree to place on theirs a sun, with the initials of the class to which -they belonged in the centre. It was also ordered on the same day, that -those persons who had enjoyed titles during the Spanish domination, -under the name of titles of Castile, should enjoy the same honours under -the appellation of titles of Peru, or change them for such as might -appear more congenial to the then existing state of things. Thus we have -a republic with counts, marquises, viscounts, &c. which is certainly an -anomaly, and worthy of the wisdom that planned it. - -On the twenty-seventh, the Protector, with the advice of the council of -state, ordered, that on the first of May, 1822, the general constituent -congress of Peru should meet in the capital; and that proxies should be -named for such provinces as were oppressed by the enemy. The object of -this congress was to be, only, the definitive form of the established -government, and the formation of a constitution most proper for Peru, -according to the circumstances of its territory and population: any -other powers given to the deputies to be considered null and of no -effect. - -It was further ordered, that a previous committee be appointed in Lima, -to draw up the plan for the election of deputies, and to prepare the -basis of the constitution, to be finished before the reunion of the -congress. Thus the laws of the nation were to be formed by a private -committee, under the guidance of San Martin and his ministers, and the -congress were to be called in to sanction the proceeding. This duplicity -was ultimately the cause of the Protector's _voluntary_ abdication. - -On the nineteenth of January, 1822, the Protector announced, that he was -about to leave Lima on a visit to Guayaquil, where he expected to meet -the Liberator of Colombia, the immortal BOLIVAR, for the purpose of -consulting with him on matters of the highest importance to the state. -All his executive powers were delegated to the gran mariscal Marquis de -Torre Tagle, to the due obedience of whose orders, the tribunals, -ministers, corporation, chiefs of the army and navy were called upon to -swear. This ceremony took place on the twentieth. The first decree of -the supreme delegate was, that all unmarried Spaniards, who should leave -the state, were to deliver to the national treasury one half of their -property, and in case of any attempt at fraud, the whole to be -confiscated, and the persons to be exiled. It also contained other -articles respecting Spaniards residing in Peru. - -On the third of March the Protector announced in Lima, that having -touched at Huanchaco in his passage to Guayaquil, he received official -communication that the Liberator of Colombia had changed his plans, and -would not be at Guayaquil as was expected; he had, in consequence, -returned to Callao; but that it was his will that the Marquis de Torre -Tagle should continue in the full exercise of the authority delegated to -him. San Martin then retired to the country residence of the ex-viceroy -Pesuela, at La Magdalena, which village immediately changed its name to -that of the town of the free, "pueblo de los libres." - -On the thirty-first of March the Spanish frigate Prueba arrived at -Callao, and was immediately delivered up to the Peruvian government by -her commander, Larrigada, according to the treaty concluded in Guayaquil -on the sixteenth of February. The supreme delegate immediately went on -board, and the Peruvian flag being hoisted, the name of the frigate was -changed to that of Protector. Again, this acquisition was "the fruit of -the enthusiasm, and sacrifices of the officers and soldiers who were -present at the important moment, as witnesses of this memorable -success." - -The government of Lima, aware of the importance of the possession of -the valleys of Pisco and Ica, not only in a mercantile point of view, -but as a military position, where a communication might be kept open -with the provinces of Upper Peru, and the enemy, then in Huamanga, and -other adjacent points, prevented from making incursions on the valuable -estates situated along the coast--San Martin, as prime mover, (although -the civil authority was exercised by his delegate, Torre Tagle, and -General Alvarado had been appointed by him general in chief of the army) -ordered a force of two thousand men, with their respective officers, to -Ica, under the command of General Don Domingo Tristan, who a few months -before was a Colonel of Militias, in the province of Arequipa, and whose -career had been the ploughshare and the pruning hook, not the sword and -the lance: a man entirely unknown as a soldier, and if known at all in -Lima, it was as a complete gambler, and a public lounger. But perhaps -the intercession of the Protectress, formerly the public favourite of -Tristan, might on this occasion have been acceptable, (in despite of the -superior qualifications of many officers in the army, although the brave -General las Heras and several other chiefs had retired) and acquired for -her _galan de aquel tiempo_ so honourable an appointment. However, on -the thirteenth of April, the following proclamations appeared in Lima: -"Limenians! The division of the south, without having been beaten, has -been surprised, and dispersed; in a long campaign all cannot be -prosperity; you know _my_ character, and you know that _I_ have always -spoken the truth to all--I do not mean to search for consolation in -conflicts, notwithstanding I dare to assure you, that the iniquitous and -tyrannical empire of the Spaniards in Peru will cease in the year -twenty-two.--I will make an ingenuous confession to you: it was my -intention to go in search of repose after so many years of agitation, -but I believed your independence was secured; some trifling danger now -presents itself, and so long as there remains the least appearance of -it, until you are free you shall not be left by your faithful -friend,--San Martin." - -"Companions of the United Army!--Your brothers in the division of the -south have not been beaten, but they have been dispersed; to you it -belongs to revenge this insult: you are valiant, and have known long ago -the path to glory! Sharpen well your bayonets and your swords! The -campaign of Peru shall finish in this year! Your old general ensures it; -prepare then to conquer!--San Martin." - -On the same day the following was issued by the Marquis de Torre Tagle: -"Compatriots! The division of the south has suffered a reverse; this is -the first we have experienced amid so many glories. It is of no -importance; the grand army yet lives, and will, before the end of -twenty-two, leave not one enemy existing among us. Compatriots! To be -free and happy, only requires you to decide as I have, like those heroes -who have come to restore to Peru her rights, to lose every thing, to die -before they will return to slavery! Imitate this example as you have -done at other times, and the result will be the same, because valour and -enthusiasm, well directed, always ensure victory and peace; you deserve -both, prepare for every sacrifice but that of your liberty. - -"Torre Tagle." - -The two supreme chiefs united on the thirteenth in a proclamation to the -inhabitants of the interior, assuring them, that the loss of the -division, a few days before called the liberating army of the south, -"weighed nothing in the balance of the destiny of Peru; Providence, say -they, protects us, and by this action she will accelerate the ruin of -the enemies of Peru--proud of their first victory, they will spare us -part of our march in search of them, which was to have been done. Fear -not, the army that drove them twice from the capital, is ready to punish -them a third time, and to punish them for ever!" Had the action taken -place at any great distance from the capital, the truth of the -transaction might have remained for some time enveloped in mystery; or -had the inhabitants of Lima not already been taught by the Spaniards to -become sceptics, this furious bombast might have been believed; but the -account was soon rightly explained by the few who escaped, and who -arrived at Lima; these were but few: the number that fortunately found -an opportunity to take to their heels, and availed themselves of their -swiftness, were very quickly secured, and sent to Callao, to prevent as -much as possible a circulation of the truth. - -On the night of the seventh of April the Spaniards under Cantarac and -Caratalá advanced on the Americans under Tristan, who, for want of the -most ordinary precautions, were completely surrounded, and at day break, -with the exception of the general, part of his staff, and a few -officers, the whole division was in the power of the enemy. The loss of -the liberating army was about two thousand men killed or taken -prisoners, five thousand muskets, the military chest, containing -upwards of a hundred thousand dollars, ammunition, luggage, equipage, -printing press, and every utensil belonging to it. Notwithstanding all -this, we are told, that "the Spaniards are ignorant that the balance of -power is in our hands, because Providence is on our side, opinion and -strength favour the interests of Peru, SHE SHALL BE FREE BECAUSE SHE -WILLS IT SO, AND BECAUSE IT IS TIME THAT SHE WAS!!!" - -On the twenty-fourth of April a decree was published against the -Spaniards residing in Lima, imposing the penalty of exile and -confiscation of property on those who should appear in the streets -wearing a cloak. That of confiscation of property and exile when more -than two should be found together in any private conversation. That of -death on those who should be found out of their houses after sunset. And -that of confiscation and death on all those who should be found to -possess any kind of weapons excepting the knives necessary for the -service of their tables. - -This was the state of affairs in Peru when Lord Cochrane arrived on the -twenty-fifth of April. The supreme authority was employed in issuing -decrees contradictory to one another, in opposition to the most solemn -promises made and repeated by the Protector, both before and after he -assumed this title, in violation of justice and reason, and all -contributing to produce discontent, disunion, and anarchy. - -The enemy were victorious, the patriots dreaded some dire reverse, the -remains of the army were discontented, finding that not one promise made -to them had been fulfilled; the gold and silver had disappeared, and -paper money had been issued by the government; the contributions were -increasing, and were exacted at the point of the bayonet; while the -Protector of the liberty of the country, after having been employed for -six months in creating orders of knighthood, establishing tribunals, -sketching embroideries, and inventing uniforms, had retired to his -country house, to rest from his labours! - -Many individuals who, when we left Callao in October, 1821, condemned -the conduct of Lord Cochrane in taking possession of the money at Ancon, -were now convinced that it was not only a warrantable but an -indispensable step to be taken for the preservation of the squadron of -Chile, and of good faith with the crews. The non-fulfilment of the -promises made to the regiment of Numancia had forced them to declare -that they would not march out of Lima against the enemy, and Captain -Doronsoro was sent, by his brother officers, to inquire, if Lord -Cochrane would receive them on board the Chilean vessels, and convey the -regiment to the nearest point in the territory of Colombia, to which -country they belonged, and to which San Martin had promised to transport -them on the fall of Lima. - -On the twenty-sixth the minister Monteagudo came on board, and lamented -that his lordship should have addressed to the Peruvian government -official communications containing expressions calculated to irritate -their delicate feelings at the moment when the Protector was inclined to -adopt the most conciliatory measures; adding, that at the first news of -his lordship's appearance off the port his excellency had written a -private letter, praying an interview; but that on the receipt of the -official notes, he became so indignant, that he was afraid his delicate -health was in danger. To this his lordship merely answered, that had San -Martin sent a private letter it certainly would have been returned -unopened; adding, "you may tell him, Mr. Monteagudo, that it is not my -wish to injure him; I neither fear him nor hate him; but tell him, I -despise him!" Monteagudo begged of his lordship to go and reside on -shore a few days, saying that the house of the supreme delegate was -prepared for his reception. But his lordship most courteously begged to -be excused; and Monteagudo retired not well pleased with what he had -observed in the countenances of all on board, a species of the most -supreme contempt; notwithstanding that, he wore his blazing sun of the -first order, his ribbons, his embroideries, and was accompanied by his -military escort. - -The greatest discontent reigned on shore among the Chileans: it had -circulated, that no Chilean would be promoted nor employed by the -present government of Peru. Whether such was or was not really the -determination of the government might be difficult to prove; but the -fact was, that only one of the nine generals made by San Martin belonged -to Chile, and the ratio among the subalterns was even smaller. - -The Protector of Peru, having been informed of the treaty at Guayaquil, -respecting the Vengansa and the Emperor Alexander, sent down Captains -Carter and Young to take the command of them. This was acceded to by the -government of Guayaquil, and the two vessels again hoisted the Peruvian -flag, although the Alexander, bona fide, belonged to Mr. Henderson, and -was under the English flag, when a revolution took place among the crews -of the gunboats in August, 1821, who took possession of her. They -proceeded to Panama, and there delivered her to the Spanish authorities, -who afterwards included her in their treaty with the Peruvian agent at -Guayaquil. - -The most horrid scene during the time of the residence of San Martin in -Peru was reserved for May, 1822. On the night of the fourth a grand ball -was given at the palace, being the first meeting of the knights and -knightesses of the sun; and while they were thus enjoying themselves -parties of soldiers were sent to the houses of the Spaniards, who -dragged them from their beds, and drove them down to Callao, where they -were placed on board the Milagro. - -The distress occasioned by this monstrous breach of promises, of -justice, and humanity, cannot be equalled. Several of these were men of -rank and fortune who had confided in the promises made to them; many of -them had numerous families; octogenarian clergymen, civil and military -officers, all without the least distinction or commiseration, were -seized at midnight, some of them half undressed, others almost naked, -and every individual was forced to travel six miles on foot: they were -then placed on board a vessel, where for two days no provisions were -distributed to them, and they were forbidden to hold any communication -with their disconsolate wives and families, who surrounded the vessel in -boats, and rent the air with their shrieks and lamentations. On the -first night two old gentlemen died on board the Milagro for want of -clothing and food; and many would certainly have perished had not the -mercy of San Martin been extended so far as to sell them passports. He -allowed the purchasers to pass from the Milagro to neutral vessels, for -the purpose of leaving Peru for ever; but many of them dared not go to -Spain, because they had remained in Lima when La Serna left it with the -Spanish army, and had afterwards subscribed to the independence of the -country. Some passports were sold at one thousand dollars, others at -ten, according to the quality of the purchaser; and those whose finances -deprived them of the possibility of purchasing their liberation, were -sent to Chile in the Milagro; which vessel, for this most honourable -expedition, had been newly named, and was now called the Monteagudo: a -compliment in every respect merited by that great minister. - -Had General San Martin followed a different line of conduct with regard -to the Spaniards residing in Peru; had he never compromised himself with -such solemn assurances as he made to them, both before and after his -arrival in Lima, his conduct towards them might have admitted some -palliation. Had he from the beginning been silent, and at the earliest -opportunity exiled them, the same expression which he used on the -subject of calling a congress or national representation, that "a -knowledge of what had passed in Colombia, Chile and Buenos Ayres, during -twelve years of revolution, would have been a reasonable pretence for -what he did," might have justified the proceeding. He repeatedly -promised to them security, and frequently told them, that their persons -and property should be inviolable; and their confidence lost them all -claim to the protection of the laws of their native country; they had -moreover sworn allegiance to its enemy, and had explicitly become -traitors; and when his plans were thus far in a state of ripeness, he -exiled them from their adopted homes, from their families, from all -their comforts, and cast them out a despairing, wandering, forlorn -tribe, surrounded with misery; but their last breath will be employed in -execrating his duplicity. - -I am well aware that the Spaniards were dangerous persons in America -and that many of them would have employed themselves in thwarting the -operations of the newly-constituted authorities; but this mental -conviction could not sanction such a proceeding as the one just stated, -and at which humanity shudders. But it is now time to wind up the -eventful history of the proceedings of the Protector of Peru; however, -before I lose sight of her shores, perhaps for ever, I must add one more -trait of his barbarity. A female in Lima had dared to speak ill of San -Martin, at the time that a contribution was extorted from her at the -point of the bayonet; she was apprehended, taken to the great square, an -accusatory libel was fastened to her breast, a human bone was put into -her mouth, and tied behind her head; a halter was hung round her neck, -and in this manner she was forced to parade the streets, led by the -common hangman; she was then exiled to Callao, where the poor creature -died on the second day after her arrival. - -Before Lord Cochrane left the bay of Callao he addressed a letter to -Colonel Sanches, an officer belonging to the Chilean troops, expressing -his ardent desire for the complete success of his adopted countryman; to -this note he received the following answer:--"Our best friend,--Nothing -has been so mortifying to us, as that the imperiousness of circumstances -deprives us of the communication which we have most esteemed, and which -would have been of high importance to the views of your excellency. - -"The chiefs, officers and troops who have the honour to serve under the -flag of Chile, have received with the greatest satisfaction the -compliments of your excellency, and promise their eternal gratitude to -their worthy chief, whose soul is devoted to increase the glory of their -country. We have the honour to offer to your excellency the most sincere -tribute of our affection and esteem. (Signed) Jose Santiago -Aldunate.--J. Santiago Sanches." - -On the ninth of May the schooner Montezuma, belonging to Chile, and -which had been lent by the government to General San Martin, as a -tender, entered the port of Callao, under Peruvian colours; his lordship -fired on her, and obliged her to come to an anchor, when he took -possession of her, sending her officers on shore, and on the tenth we -proceeded to Valparaiso, where we arrived on the thirteenth of June. - -On our arrival at Valparaiso his lordship reported his return, adding, -"The anxious desires of his excellency the Supreme Director are now -fulfilled, and the sacrifices of the people of Chile are rewarded; the -naval power of Spain in the Pacific has succumbed, it is now -extinguished, the following vessels having surrendered to the unceasing -efforts of the squadron of this free state: - - - Frigate Prueba of 50 guns - Frigate Esmeralda of 44 - Frigate Vengansa of 44 - Ship Resolution of 34 - Ship Sebastiana of 34 - Brig Pesuela of 18 - Brig Potrillo of 16 - Schooner Prosperina of 14 - - -Schooner Aransasu, seventeen gunboats, and the armed merchant ships -Aguila and Begona at Guayaquil, and others employed as block ships at -Callao. It is highly gratifying to me, after labouring under such -difficulties as were never before witnessed on board of vessels of war, -to announce the arrival of the Chilean squadron in Valparaiso, its -cradle; where, owing to its constant services in the cause of the -liberty and independence of Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico, it is the -object of admiration and gratitude to the inhabitants of the new -world.--I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Cochrane." - -A few days after our arrival at Valparaiso, his lordship visited the -capital of Chile, and solicited permission to retire for six months to -his estate of Quintero, unless his services might be necessary; when, -at any moment, he would be ready to employ them again in the welfare of -the state; at the same time he requested, in the most earnest manner, -that the officers and crews might be punctually paid all their arrears. -The government acceded to his solicitude, and promised that every -possible attention should be given to the request of the admiral, and -after some delay it was finally complied with. - -On the twenty-third of July, 1822, the National Congress of Chile met at -Santiago; it was opened by the Supreme Director, Don Bernardo O'Higgins, -who made a tender of his directoral authority to the representatives of -the republic, and concluded his harangue with--"Compatriots! my command -is at an end--defects are inseparable from humanity--the most difficult -circumstances have surrounded me on every side--perhaps my want of -knowledge and experience may have led me to commit errors against my -children, (allow this tender expression to my feelings)--I can never -forget the honours I have received, and I hope that my days will be -prolonged by my gratitude, until I see Chile as happy and as prosperous -as the most flourishing countries of the earth." - -Immediately after the director had retired, the convention waited upon -him, and reinstated him in the supreme executive authority, with the -following compliment: "The representatives of Chile most sincerely thank -your excellency for the wisdom with which you have managed the affairs -of the nation; when a constitution is formed that shall specify the time -of the fatigues of the magistrates, the representatives may admit of -your resignation, and then your excellency will enjoy your retirement in -glory, and future generations will sing hymns of love and gratitude to -your name." - -The first meeting of the preparatory convention was on the twenty-ninth, -at ten o'clock in the morning. - -On the twenty-first of September, 1822, the news arrived in Chile, that -Don Bernardo Monteagudo had been deposed from the ministry, and exiled -from Peru. - -The following are extracts from the papers published in Lima: - -"Lima had scarcely obtained a glimpse of a flattering futurity, when a -cunning, froward, and saucy individual, a traitor to the confidence of -the government that had elevated him to the ministry, began to stifle -our patriotism and its defenders. This insolent minister rewarded all -praise-worthy services with the most gross invectives, and the most -scandalous persecutions. His intriguing ambition filled our gazettes -with a multitude of decrees in opposition to the plans which he himself -had prescribed. His decrees were written that they might be read, not -that they might be obeyed. - -"Unfortunately for us, the genius of the revolution, San Martin, had to -absent himself twice from our capital, to meet the Washington of -Colombia. This perfidious oppressor availed himself of his absence to -manifest the whole perversity of his soul. Until that period his -persecutions were underhand, but they now became barefaced. All -Spaniards were considered rich, they, their families and property, -consequently became the prey of his insatiable avarice; and at the same -time, those patriots who had contributed most to the success of the -liberating army were persecuted to the utmost extremity. He formed a -long list of proscriptions of men who were to be exiled for ever from -their native country, and whose only crimes were their patriotic -virtues, for the extinction of which he had formed a nest of the vilest -spies, who unceasingly watched the steps of every man of honour. Great -God! what an epoch of misery! - -"Every honourable citizen found in Don Bernardo Monteagudo (this is the -name of the monster of whom we speak) an enemy who at any price would -have sacrificed him. How many victims has he not sacrificed in his one -year's ministry! More than eight hundred honourable families have been -by him reduced to extreme indigence, and the whole city to a state of -misery. - -"Among the patriots at Lima, nothing was thought of but where they might -find an asylum in a foreign land. Without agriculture, commerce, -industry, personal security, property, and laws, what is society but a -mansion of the most afflicting torments! - -"The religion of our forefathers suffered an equal persecution in its -ministers and its temples; these were deprived of their riches, not for -the service of our country, but for the reward of espionage, and to -deceive us with useless trickeries. The satellites of this bandit were -equally despotic with himself, and committed, under his protection, the -most horrid crimes. This is not a proper place in which to insert the -baseness with which he abused the delicacy and debility of females. -Fathers of families **** every man was intimidated; every feeling man -wept because all were the victims of the caprice of this insolent -despot, who made an ostentation of atheism and ferocity. - -"It is impossible to recapitulate his actions; volumes would be -necessary to shew to the world the arbitrary crimes of this factious -individual. It would appear, that for the commission of so many offences -he must have had some cause that impelled him, for they could not -possibly be the effects of ignorance. It was impossible to believe that -by insulting and ruining every one; plundering our property; despising -the ingenuity and talents of the Peruvians; and endeavouring to -introduce anarchy, he could be long tolerated in this capital. - -"His ambition was unlimited, having constituted himself the arbiter of -the government. He had the assurance to dictate orders and decrees in -opposition to those of the provincial statute, subscribing to them the -name of the supreme authority; thus bringing it into contempt. Such -conduct, when the enemy's army was within twenty leagues of Lima, and -our government scarcely established, proves that his views were directed -to undermine the state. Was the reducing of Peru to the most degrading -slavery, that of obeying his capricious will, the means to make _us_ -happy or even _himself_? - -"Foreigners also began to suffer all kinds of vexations and pilferings, -with his _carta de morada_ (letter of residence), without considering -that the felicity of the country depended on its increase of industrious -inhabitants. Owing to this, none have established themselves in Lima, it -being worthy of observation, that not even one person has purchased a -house or any immoveable property. And is not this a proof of general -disgust and a want of confidence? - -"In fine, such repeated acts of despotism irritated the people of Lima -to that degree, that an explosion became inevitable. In eight days after -the Protector left the capital, his insults to the patriots were -incalculable. He caballed in the most barefaced manner to place in the -coming congress his own creatures. He hurried off those whom he had -sentenced to exile, because they were the favourites of the people; and -in the exercise of his fury Lima took the alarm." - -On the twenty-fifth of July the people of Lima assembled in the plasa, -and insisted on a cavildo abierto, a public meeting of the corporation; -this was immediately complied with, and the general voice of the people -was, "let the minister Monteagudo be deposed, let him be tried, let him -experience the severity of the law." At seven o'clock in the evening of -the same day, a note was addressed by the corporation to the Supreme -Delegate, requesting that the minister might be deposed; the council of -state met, and convinced of the necessity of separating Monteagudo from -the ministry, immediately informed him of the state of affairs, when to -save appearances he made a tender of his appointment, which was -accepted, and the supreme delegate in answer to the note of the -corporation, assured them, that the ex-minister should be called upon to -answer before a committee of the council of state for his past -administration, according to the provisional statutes. - -This note was answered on the twenty-sixth by the municipality -requesting that the ex-minister should be placed under an arrest, until -called upon for his defence, which request was immediately put into -execution. The people of Lima being aware of the ascendancy which -Monteagudo held over the delegate, Torre Tagle, and fearing that some -crafty subterfuge might be practised to replace him in authority, met -again on the twenty-ninth, when the corporation, to pacify the popular -commotion, requested of the government, that the ex-minister should be -embarked privately, and exiled for ever from the state; this was acceded -to, and on the thirtieth, the anniversary of his arrival in Lima, -Monteagudo was sent down to Callao, under an escort, and at six o'clock -in the evening he left the port. This ambitious individual was -assassinated at Lima on the night of the twenty-eighth of January, 1825, -having returned under the protection of Bolivar, and the expectation of -being replaced in the ministry. - -While these affairs were transacting in Lima, the Protector, San Martin, -was at Guayaquil, where he had proceeded for the purpose of soliciting -troops from Bolivar, for the prosecution of his campaigns in Peru. It is -impossible to ascertain what took place in the private conference -between those two chiefs, but the result was not at all favourable to -San Martin, for he returned in dudgeon to Callao, when to his surprise -and mortification, he was informed, that his arch-minister had been -exiled for ever during his absence. Before his excellency ventured on -shore, he had an interview with the principal officers of the army; who -assured him that the troops were faithful to him, and under this -certainty he presented himself at the palace in Lima, where in the most -unbecoming language, he reprobated the whole of the proceeding, -threatened his councillors of state, the corporation and the city -itself, and declared, that he should immediately recall Monteagudo and -reinstate him in the ministry. Notwithstanding the deference and respect -which he had been accustomed to receive from every one who acknowledged -his authority, he was wounded at observing, that the Limenians were not -intimidated at his promised vengeance, and leaving the palace he betook -himself to his country house near to Callao. - -In the beginning of October, the arbitrary conduct of Rodrigues, the -minister of war and finance in Chile, began to excite the public -indignation, and petitions from every part of the state were forwarded -to the supreme director, O'Higgins, praying his removal from the -ministry. Crimes the most injurious to the prosperity of the state; his -sordid venality, monopoly of commercial transactions, and even illegal -appropriations of the public funds, were brought against him, in the -most tangible shape; and yet all this was not sufficient, even with the -knowledge of what had transpired in Peru, to force him to resign, or to -induce O'Higgins to dismiss him. At the time that all Chile was in this -state of suspense, and many alarming threats were issued from different -quarters, an event not in the least expected took place, which for a -while lulled the rising storm--this was no less than the sudden arrival -at Valparaiso of his excellency General San Martin, the Protector of the -liberties of Peru. - -This great man had continued to reside at his country mansion, until -the twentieth of September, when the sovereign congress met, from which -he received on the same day the following official communication: - -"Most Excellent Sir,--The sovereign congress considering that the first -duty of a free people is to acknowledge their gratitude to the authors -of their political existence and their felicity, convinced that the -country of the Sun owes this incomparable benefit to the efforts of your -excellency, have decreed to you a vote of thanks to be presented to you -by a deputation of the house. - -"The Peruvian nation flatters itself that its gratitude is equal to the -efficacious efforts which your excellency has made, destroying, like the -thunder-bolt on the celebrated mountain that witnessed the last days of -Lautaro, the iron power of Spain in the country of the Incas. - -"The congress manifests, in this communication, the sincerity of their -votes, which shall be expressed in the first act of their sessions, and -which cannot be obliterated by the hand of time; holding General San -Martin as the first soldier of their liberty. - -"By the order of the congress we communicate this to your excellency, -for your intelligence and satisfaction. God preserve your excellency -for many years.--Lima, September 20, 1822. Xavier de Luna Pizarro, -president--José Sanchez Carrion, deputy secretary--Francisco Xavier -Mariategui, deputy secretary.--To his Excellency Senor D. José de San -Martin." - -The answer: "Sire,--Terminating my public life, after I have consigned -to the august congress of Peru the supreme command of the state, nothing -could be more flattering to my heart than the solemnity of the -confidence of your sovereignty in appointing me generalissimo of the -troops of the nation; an appointment which I have just received from a -deputation of your sovereign body. I have had the honour of expressing -my most profound gratitude at the time of its announcement to me, when I -had the satisfaction of accepting only the _title_, because it was the -mark of your approbation of the services which I have rendered to this -country. I am resolved not to betray my own feelings and the great -interests of the nation; permit me therefore, to say, that long and -painful experience has induced me to say, that the distinguished rank to -which your sovereignty has deigned to elevate me, so far from being -useful to the nation, should I fill it, would only oppose your just -designs by alarming the jealousy of those who desire a positive liberty; -it would divide the opinions of the people, and decrease the confidence -which you alone ought to inspire in the absolute independence of your -decisions. My presence, Sire, in Peru, considering that power which I -have left, and the force which I should possess, is inconsistent with -the morale of the sovereign body, and with my own opinion; because no -forbearance on my part would defend me from the shafts of malediction -and calumny. Sire, I have fulfilled the sacred promise that I made to -Peru; I have seen her representatives assembled; the force of the enemy -does not menace the independence of a people determined to be free, and -who possess the means of being so. A numerous army under the direction -of chiefs inured to war is ready to march in a few days, to terminate -the contest for ever. Nothing remains but to offer to your sovereignty -the expression of my most sincere gratitude, and the firm assurance, -that if at any time the liberty of the Peruvians should be threatened, I -will dispute the honour of accompanying them as a citizen to defend -their freedom on the field of battle. - -"May God preserve your sovereignty for many years.--Free Town, September -20th, 1822. (Signed) José de San Martin." - -"To the Sovereign Congress of Peru." - -The following, being the last proclamation by San Martin, was issued on -the same day, and may be considered as his farewell address to Peru: - -"I have witnessed the declaration of the independence of the states of -Chile and Peru. I hold in my possession the standard which Pizarro -brought to enslave the empire of the Incas, and I have ceased to be a -public man--thus I am more than rewarded for ten years spent in -revolution and warfare. My promises to the countries in which I warred -are fulfilled; to make them independent, and leave to their will the -election of their governments. - -"The presence of a fortunate soldier, however disinterested he may be, -is dangerous to newly-constituted states. I am also disgusted with -hearing that I wish to make myself a sovereign. Nevertheless, I shall -always be ready to make the last sacrifice for the liberty of the -country, but in the class of a private individual, and _no other_. - -"With respect to my public conduct, my compatriots (as is generally the -case) will be divided in their opinions--their children will pronounce -the true verdict. - -"Peruvians! I leave your national representation established; if you -repose implicit confidence in it you will triumph, if not, anarchy will -swallow you up. - -"May success preside over your destinies, and may they be crowned with -felicity and peace. Free Town, September, 20th, 1822. (Signed) San -Martin." - -Had San Martin been sincere, even in his last assurances, or had he been -conscious that his services would have been of public utility; if, as a -citizen, his modesty would not allow him to take upon himself the chief -command of the force of the country, he certainly ought not to have -abandoned Peru, when he was well aware that the army of the enemy was -almost under the very walls of the capital; for he himself confesses, -that a numerous army would march in a few days to terminate the war for -ever: this march, however, would never have been necessary, had he -followed the Spanish army when it evacuated Lima, if he had brought the -army under Canterac to an action, or if he had headed his troops at Ica. -The children of his compatriots will "pronounce the true verdict," not, -I regret to say, an honourable one to San Martin; indeed thousands of -them have already shed their blood on those plains which they might have -cultivated in peace and security under the protection of their own -constituted authorities and laws. It is impossible that a consciousness -of not having fulfilled those promises which were calculated to do -good, and would have established the absolute independence of rational -liberty, and the prosperity of the Peruvians, it is impossible but that -the memory of those breaches of good faith must ever cling to the heart -of this deceiving mortal. - -San Martin remained a few days in Valparaiso, until an escort arrived -from Santiago to conduct him to that city; he resided there until -December, or the beginning of January, when, observing the threatening -aspect of affairs in Chile, owing to the fixed determination of -O'Higgins not to discard his favourite minister Rodrigues, he crossed -the Cordillera to his old favourite residence at Mendosa. - -General Freire, who had the command of the Chilean troops, stationed on -the frontiers of Araucania, consisting of about three thousand men, came -to the determination to march on the capital. In this he was supported -by the inhabitants of the province of Coquimbo, the only object of the -whole being to displace Rodrigues, and to bring him to justice. This -they eventually did, obliging O'Higgins at the same time to abdicate his -supreme authority on the twenty-second of January, 1823. - -During this epoch of convulsions, Lord Cochrane was residing on his -estate at Quintero, where he received the following communication from -Peru: - -"The sovereign constituent congress of Peru, contemplating how much the -liberty of Peru owes to the Right Honourable Lord Cochrane, by whose -talents, valour and constancy the Pacific has been freed from our most -inveterate enemies, and the standard of liberty has been displayed on -the coasts of Peru, resolves that the junta of government, in the name -of the Peruvian nation, do present to Lord Cochrane, Admiral of the -squadron of Chile, expressions of our most sincere gratitude for his -achievements in favour of this country, once tyrannized over by powerful -enemies, now the arbiter of its own fate." - -"The junta of government obeying this, will command its fulfilment and -order it be printed, published and circulated.--Given in the Hall of -Congress, Lima, the 27th of September, 1822. (Signed) Xavier de Luna -Pizarro, president--Jose Sanches Carrion, deputy secretary--Francisco -Xavier Marreategui, deputy secretary." - -"In obedience we order the execution of the foregoing decree. (Signed) -Jose de la Mar, Felipe Antonio Alvarado, El Conde de Vista Florida, by -order of his Excellency Francisco Valdivieso." - -Here his lordship received from the government of Chile a copy of the -libel presented to them by the plenipotentiaries of the Protector of -Peru, which he answered with "victorious reasonings," although the -supremacy assured his lordship, that the charges had never been -believed; perhaps for the best of all possible reasons, that they could -scarcely be understood. - -In December an express arrived from the Brazilian charge des affaires in -Buenos Ayres, bringing to his lordship a communication from the imperial -government at Rio de Janeiro, containing a request, that as the common -enemy to South American independence in the Pacific had, owing to his -important services and indefatigable exertions ceased to exist, he would -deign to accept the command of the imperial navy of the Brazils, for the -purpose of securing to that country the felicity which he had been the -means of establishing on the opposite side of the Continent. - -Lord Cochrane would probably have preferred a life of quiet in his -adopted country, Chile, to that of entering into an engagement which -might produce a repetition of those difficulties and vexations which he -had already experienced; but, owing to the existing circumstances in -Chile, this was impossible. Lord Cochrane was bound by his allegiance to -the existing government, not to become a party in any faction and his -own honour would not allow him to join General Freire, by whom he was -solicited, although he was convinced that the authority of O'Higgins -must succumb; he therefore determined to proceed to Rio de Janeiro, and -to act there as affairs might present themselves. - -On the nineteenth of January, 1823, his lordship embarked for the -Brazils; but before quitting Chile he drew up the two following -addresses: - -"Chileans, my Compatriots,--The common enemy of America has fallen in -Chile. Your tri-coloured flag waves on the Pacific, secured by your -sacrifices. Some internal commotions agitate Chile: it is not my -business to investigate their causes, to accelerate or to retard their -effects: I can only wish that the result may be most favourable for all -parties. - -"Chileans,--You have expelled from your country the enemies of your -independence, do not sully the glorious act by encouraging discord, -promoting anarchy, that greatest of all evils. Consult the dignity to -which your heroism has raised you, and if you must take any steps to -secure your national liberty, judge for yourselves, act with prudence, -and be guided by reason and justice. - -"It is now four years since the sacred cause of your independence called -me to Chile; I assisted you to gain it; I have seen it accomplished; it -only now remains for you to preserve it. - -"I leave you for a time, in order not to involve myself in matters -foreign to my duty, and for reasons concerning which I now remain -silent, that I may not encourage party spirit. - -"Chileans,--You know that independence is purchased at the point of the -bayonet. Know also that liberty is founded on good faith, and is -supported by the laws of honour, and that those who infringe them are -your only enemies, among whom you will never find Cochrane." - -"To the British merchants residing in Chile. Quintero, January 4th, -1823: - -"Gentlemen,--I cannot quit this country without expressing to you the -heartfelt satisfaction which I experience on account of the extension -which has been given to your commerce, by laying open to all the trade -of those vast provinces to which Spain formerly asserted an exclusive -right. The squadron which maintained the monopoly has disappeared from -the face of the ocean, and the flags of independent South America wave -every where triumphant, protecting that intercourse between nations -which is the source of their riches, happiness, and power. - -"If, for the furtherance of this great object, some restraints were -imposed, they were no other than those which are practised by all -civilized states; and though they may have affected the interests of a -few who were desirous to avail themselves of accidental circumstances -presented during the contest, it is a gratification to know that such -interests were only postponed for the general good. Should there be any, -however, who conceive themselves aggrieved by my conduct, I have to -request that they will make known their complaints, with their names -affixed, through the medium of the public press, in order that I may -have an opportunity of a particular reply. - -"I trust you will do me the justice to believe, that I have not -determined to withdraw myself from these seas while any thing remains -within my means to accomplish for your benefit and security. - -"I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, your faithful obedient servant, -Cochrane." - - -THE END. - -PRINTED BY HARRIS AND CO. -LIVERPOOL. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Historical and descriptive narrative -of twenty years' residence in South America (Vol 3 of 3), by William Bennet Stevenson - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RESIDENCE IN SOUTH AMERICA *** - -***** This file should be named 55778-8.txt or 55778-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/5/7/7/55778/ - -Produced by Josep Cols Canals, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: Historical and descriptive narrative of twenty years' residence in South America (Vol 3 of 3) - Containing travels in Arauco, Chile, Peru, and Colombia, - with an account of the revolution, its rise, progress, and - results - -Author: William Bennet Stevenson - -Release Date: October 19, 2017 [EBook #55778] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RESIDENCE IN SOUTH AMERICA *** - - - - -Produced by Josep Cols Canals, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class = "mynote"><p class="center">Transcriber's Note:<br /><br /> -Obvious typographic errors have been corrected.<br /></p></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><a name="cover.jpg" id="cover.jpg"></a><img src="images/cover.jpg" alt="cover" /></div> - -<hr /> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/ia000.jpg" alt="CHILEAN FARMER" /></div> - -<p class="bold">CHILEAN FARMER.</p> - -<p class="bold"><i>Engraved for Stevenson's Narrative of South America.</i></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold">A</p> - -<p class="bold">HISTORICAL</p> - -<p class="bold">AND</p> - -<p class="bold2">DESCRIPTIVE NARRATIVE</p> - -<p class="bold">OF</p> - -<h1>TWENTY YEARS' RESIDENCE<br /><br />IN<br /><br />SOUTH AMERICA,</h1> - -<p class="bold space-above"><i>IN THREE VOLUMES</i>;</p> - -<p class="bold space-above">CONTAINING TRAVELS IN ARAUCO, CHILE, PERU, AND COLOMBIA;<br /> -WITH AN ACCOUNT OF<br /> -THE REVOLUTION, ITS RISE, PROGRESS, AND RESULTS.</p> - -<p class="space-above"> </p> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p class="space-above"> </p> - -<p class="bold2">BY W. B. STEVENSON,</p> - -<p class="bold">FORMERLY PRIVATE SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT AND CAPTAIN GENERAL OF QUITO,<br /> -COLONEL, AND GOVERNOR OF ESMERALDAS, CAPTAIN DE FRAGATA, AND LATE<br /> -SECRETARY TO THE VICE ADMIRAL OF CHILE,—HIS EXCELLENCY<br /> -THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD COCHRANE, &c.</p> - -<p class="space-above"> </p> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p class="bold">VOL. III.</p> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p class="bold space-above">LONDON:<br />HURST, ROBINSON, AND CO.<br /> -CONSTABLE & Co. AND OLIVER & BOYD, EDINBURGH.<br />MDCCCXXV.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CONTENTS OF VOL. III.</h2> - -<table summary="CONTENTS OF VOL. III."> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. I.</span>—First Revolutionary Symptoms in South America....Morales -and Quiroga....Character of Morales....Of Quiroga....Discovery made by Captain Salinas to -two Friars....Their Report to the Government....Imprisonment of Morales, Quiroga, Salinas, and Riofrio....Character -of Salinas....Of Dr. Riofrio....Liberation of the Prisoners....Junto formed at Quito....Advice -of to the President, Count Ruis....Manner in which the Revolution was conducted....New -Oath....Marquis of Selva Alegre....Character of....Dissensions in the New Government....Count Ruis -reinstated....Arrival of Troops from Lima and Santa -Fé....Imprisonment of the Insurgents....Trial of....Character -of the Count Ruis....Of the Oidor Don Felipe Fuertes Amar....Of the Fiscal Arrechaga....Of -Colonel Arredonda....<i>Proceso</i> sent to Santa Fé</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. II.</span>—Second Revolution at Quito....Massacre of the -Prisoners....General Meeting held....Spanish Troops leave Quito....Revolution at Santa Fé....Arrival of -Don Carlos Montufar at Quito....Arredonda invades Quito....Arrives at Huaranda....Flies from....Montufar -marches towards Cuenca....Desists from attacking the City....Returns to Quito....My Appointment -to Esmeraldas....Capture and Escape....General Montes enters Quito....Death of Montufar....Quito -taken by General Sucre</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_26">26</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[Pg iv]</a></span> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. III.</span>—State of Lima in 1811....Constitution proclaimed....Some -Effects of....Wishes of the Inhabitants of Lima....Manifest of Venezuela</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_45">45</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. IV.</span>—State of Lima....Expedition to Chile under -Colonel Gainsa....Exit of....Regiment of Talavera arrives from Spain....Part of sent to Huamanga....Revolution -of Cusco and Arequipa....Death of Pumacagua, and the Patriot Melgar....Arrival of Flags -taken by Osoria in Chile....Viceroy Abascal superseded by Pesuela....Character of the former....Beginning -of Pesuela's Administration....Arrival of La Serna....State of Lima to 1817....Battle of Chacabuco in -Chile....Extract of a Journal....New Expedition to Chile under Osoria....News of Battle of Maypu....Loss -of the Spanish Frigate Maria Isabel, and part of Convoy....Arrival of Lord Cochrane off Callao </td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_120">120</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. V.</span>—State of Lima on the Arrival of the Chilean -Squadron....Arrival of at Huacho....At Supe....Chilean Naval Force, how composed....Capture of the -Maria Isabel by Commodore Blanco....Arrival of Lord Cochrane....Appointed Admiral....Leaves Valparaiso....Arrives -at Callao, Huacho, Barranca, Huambacho....Proclamation of Cochrane, San Martin, and -O'Higgins....Description of Huambacho....Paita taken....Proceed -to Valparaiso....Arrival....Description of....Road from Valparaiso to Santiago </td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_141">141</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. VI.</span>—Santiago....Foundation....Description of -the City....Contrast between the Society here and at -Lima....State of Chile....Manners and Customs....Revolution....Carreras....O'Higgins....Defeat -at Rancagua....Chileans cross the Cordillera....Action of -Chacabuco....Of Maypu....Death of Don Juan Jose,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span> -and Don Luis Carrera....Murder of Colonel Rodrigues....Formation of a Naval Force....Death of -Spanish Prisoners at San Luis....Naval Expedition under Lord Cochrane....Failure of the attack on Callao....Attack -at Pisco....Death of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles....Capture of Vessels at Guayaquil....Squadron -returns to Chile</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_169">169</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. VII.</span>—Passage from Guayaquil River to Valdivia....Lord -Cochrane reconnoitres the Harbour....Capture of -the Spanish Brig Potrillo....Arrival at Talcahuano....Preparations -for an Expedition to Valdivia....Troops furnished by General Freire....O'Higgins runs aground....Arrival -off Valdivia....Capture of Valdivia....Attempt on Chiloe fails....Return of Lord Cochrane....Leaves -Valdivia for Valparaiso....Victory by Beauchef.....Arrival of the Independencia and Araucano....O'Higgins -repaired....Return to Valparaiso....Conduct of Chilean -Government....Lord Cochrane resigns the Command of the Squadron</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_211">211</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. VIII.</span>—Lord Cochrane and the Chilean Government....Preparations -for the Expedition to Peru....Captain Spry....Charges presented by the Admiral against Capt. Guise....Lord -Cochrane throws up his Commission....Letters from the Captains and Officers....Commission returned -by the Government....Offer made by San Martin to the -Foreign Seamen....Embarkation of Troops for Peru....Announcement -of Sailing of the Expedition....Force of the Squadron</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_243">243</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. IX.</span>—Sketch of O'Higgins, San Martin, Lord Cochrane, -Las Heras, and Monteagudo....Sailing of the Expedition, and arrival at Pisco....Debarkation....Occurrences -at Pisco....Colonel Arenales, with a division<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[Pg vi]</a></span> -of the Army, marches to Arica....Troops embark, and proceed to Ancon....News of the Revolution of -Guayaquil....Capture of the Spanish Frigate Esmeralda....Army goes down to Huacho....Head Quarters at Huaura</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_275">275</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. X.</span>—Battalion of Numancia joins the Liberating Army....Victory -at Pasco by Arenales....Route of Arenales from Ica....Courts Martial held in the Squadron on Officers....Conduct -of General San Martin....Viceroy Pesuela deposed....Expedition to Pisco....To Arica....Action -at Mirabe under Lieutenant-Colonel Miller....Description of Arica....Of Tacna....Of Ilo....Armistice -celebrated by Generals San Martin and La Serna....Prorogation of....Lord Cochrane leaves Mollendo, and arrives at Callao</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_303">303</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. XI.</span>—Lima evacuated by La Serna....Occupation of -by the Liberating Army....Loss of the San Martin....Arrival of Lord Cochrane at Lima....Conduct of the -Spaniards after leaving Lima....Independence of Peru sworn....San Martin constitutes himself Protector of Peru....Interview -between Lord Cochrane and San Martin....Announcement of the views of the Spanish Army....State -of the Squadron....San Martin takes the Field....Arrival and Departure of Cantarac....Proclamation -of San Martin....Treasure taken at Ancon by Lord Cochrane....Surrender of Callao....Tribunal of Purification -established at Lima....Lieutenant Wynter arrested at Callao....Paroissien and Spry visit the -Squadron at Midnight....Squadron leaves Callao, arrives at Guayaquil</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_339">339</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. XII.</span>—Revolution and State of Guayaquil....Squadron -leaves....Island of Cocos....Bay of Fonseca....Visitors<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span> -from the Shore....Leave Fonseca....Volcano....Arrive at Acapulco....General Waevell and Colonel O'Reilly....Letter -from Iturbide....Leave Acapulco....Description of....Gale of Wind off Tehuantepec....Tacames -or Atcames....News of the Enemy....Arrive at the Puná....Guayaquil....Lord Cochrane hoists the -Chilean Flag in the Vengansa....Conduct of the People at Guayaquil....Treaty with the Government....Letter -from General La Mar....Leave Guayaquil, and arrive at Huambacho....Callao</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_396">396</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td colspan="2"> </td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left"><span class="smcap">Chap. XIII.</span>—Commercial Code at Lima....Provincial -Statutes announced....Liberty of the Press....Foreigners declared amenable to the Laws....Institution of the -Order of the Sun....New Commercial Rules....Titles changed....Order to convene the Constituent Congress....San -Martin delegates his Authority to the Marquis de Torre Tagle....San Martin leaves Lima and returns....Army -defeated under Tristan at Ica....State of Lima on our Arrival....Visit of Monteagudo to Lord -Cochrane....San Martin annuls the Treaty at Guayaquil....Exile of Spaniards from Lima....Lord Cochrane -leaves Callao for Valparaiso....Spanish Vessels that surrendered to the Chilean Squadron....Convention of -Chile meets....Monteagudo exiled from Lima....Disturbances in Chile....San Martin arrives at Valparaiso....O'Higgins -abdicates....Lord Cochrane leaves the Pacific</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom"><a href="#Page_423">423</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER I.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>First Revolutionary Symptoms in South America....Morales and -Quiroga....Character of Morales....Of Quiroga....Discovery made by -Captain Salinas to two Friars....Their Report to the -Government....Imprisonment of Morales, Quiroga, Salinas, and -Riofrio....Character of Salinas....of Dr. Riofrio....Liberation of -the Prisoners....Junta formed at Quito....Advice of to the -President, Count Ruis....Manner in which the Revolution was -conducted....New Oath....Marquis of Selva Alegre....Character -of....Dissensions in the New Government....Count Ruis -reinstated....Arrival of Troops from Lima and Santa -Fé....Imprisonment of the Insurgents....Trial of....Character of -the Count Ruis....Of the Oidor Don Felipe Fuertes Amar....Of the -Fiscal Arrechaga....Of Colonel Arredonda....<i>Proceso</i> sent to Santa -Fé.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Shortly after the arrival of his Excellency the Count Ruis de Castilla -at Quito, the capital of his government, the collegians of San Fernando -presented him with four theatrical representations, at which the whole -of the nobility attended as spectators. The pieces chosen were Cato, -Andromacha, Zoraida, and the Auraucana, the whole of them tending in -their design and argument to inculcate a spirit of freedom, a love of -liberty, and principles of republicanism. However, as is often the case -with people who<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> visit public exhibitions with a predetermination to be -pleased, this tendency passed unobserved by the president and the other -members of the government. Inattentive to what the state of affairs in -the mother country might produce in the colonies, the American rulers -judged that they themselves were surrounded by the same obedient vassals -whom their predecessors had governed, without ever dreaming that the -people were awake to what was actually passing in the parent state; for, -although the opportunity of deriving information from the press was -prevented by the government, yet the Americans who resided in Spain at -this period were very actively employed in communicating to their -friends in America the true state of affairs, and the natives were -generally better informed of what passed in the mother country, than the -Spaniards resident in America or even the government itself; because -Spanish correspondents being loath to place their property in America in -jeopardy, or judging that the colonists had only to obey whatever orders -they might receive, either gave indistinct or favourably exaggerated -accounts; or else treated the Americans with that contempt which as -their superiors they fancied they had a right to exercise.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p><p>After the performance of the pieces, I became gradually acquainted with -the individuals who had selected them—Dr. Quiroga and Don Manuel -Morales; the former an advocate of some respectability, a native of -Arequipa in Peru, married in Quito; the latter, a native of the city of -Mariquita in the Viceroyalty of Santa Fé de Bogotá, had been secretary -to the government when the Baron de Carondelet was President; but having -offended him, Morales was discarded from his situation by the orders of -the Baron. He hoped to have been restored on the arrival of the Count -Ruis; but this chief having in his suite a young advocate of the name of -Don Tomas Arrechaga, whom he had educated, and for whom he wished to -provide, the claims of Morales were disregarded, and Arrechaga was -nominated secretary to the government.</p> - -<p>Morales was possessed of a strong mind, had received a liberal -education, and having been employed many years in the secretary's -office, had obtained a knowledge of the affairs of the government and an -insight into the intrigues of the Spanish court. He considered himself -unjustly dealt with by the Baron de Carondelet, and more so by the Count -Ruis, who could only know his failings through the too<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> often distorted -medium of report: he saw his situation filled by a stranger, himself an -exile, and was determined to be revenged on those whom he regarded as -the supporters if not the authors of his disgrace. To this end -circumstances that could not possibly escape his observation aided him; -and had not rashness prompted him to execute his designs prematurely, he -might have succeeded, and have lived to receive the thanks of his -countrymen; whereas, his ashes can only be revered by them, his name can -only dwell in their memories with painful regret, or gratitude drop a -tear at the recollection of his untimely death.</p> - -<p>Quiroga was of an unquiet aspiring disposition, rash and undaunted in -his undertakings, but very self-opinionated: unable to brook controul in -any shape, but open to conviction when persuasion was the medium. He was -successful as a pleader at the bar, loquacious and eloquent, but even -here his hasty temper drove him into difficulties; he was repeatedly -reprimanded by the tribunal, and at length was not only mulct, but even -suspended from the exercise of his office as an advocate. In one -instance, when a fine was imposed upon him, he declared that he could in -no manner pay it, because the tribunal was not competent to levy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> it; -that the Regent and Oidores had taken possession of their seats on the -bench contrary to law, or held them contrary to justice; and he proved -his assertions by stating the cases, quoting the laws, and citing the -regulations of the tribunal. This necessarily drew down upon him the -hatred of the members, and obliged him to leave the bar. Quiroga was the -constant companion of Morales, and, like him, expected that on the -arrival of Count Ruis, an appeal to his Excellency, as President of the -royal audience, would restore him to the exercise of his profession; but -a report from the Regent Bustillas prevented the fulfilment of his -expectations, and this circumstance drove him to despair.</p> - -<p>These two disappointed individuals chose the dramatic pieces which were -performed at the college of San Fernando in October, 1809, selected -perhaps in order to probe the government; if so, the result was -completely satisfactory to their views, for not the least suspicion was -evinced, nor any alarm taken.</p> - -<p>In February, 1809, Captain Salinas, who was commander of the infantry at -Quito, informed two friars, Father Polo and another, of a plan that was -about to be formed to depose the Spanish authorities in Quito, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> to -elect others from among the most respectable citizens, as substitutes. -The information was immediately reported by the friars to the President, -and a secret commission was given to the Oidor Fuertes Amar to proceed -against all suspected individuals according to law. Don Pedro Muños was -appointed to act as privy secretary, but this man had no other -qualification than that of being a native of Spain. Quiroga, Morales, -and the parish priest of Sangolqui, Dr. Riofrio, and Captain Salinas, -were apprehended, and placed under an arrest in the convent of La -Merced. Their declarations were taken down in writing by Muños, and -every possible means employed to prevent the people from becoming -acquainted with the state of the <i>proceso</i>; no person was allowed to see -the prisoners, and they were deprived of the means of communicating to -their friends any particulars relating to their situation; the secretary -was not allowed the assistance of an amanuensis, and every inquisitorial -practice was brought into action. In the beginning of April, when Muños -was going in the evening to the palace to report on the proceedings to -the President, the papers were stolen from him. This accident produced -considerable confusion; many who were really concerned in the plot were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> -assured that their names had never been mentioned by the prisoners, who -uniformly denied having any knowledge of it; and Salinas protested -against having mentioned any thing concerning it to the friars. Thus by -a fortunate accident the plans of the government were frustrated, the -prosecution ceased, and the prisoners were liberated. This occurrence, -however, taught them to be more on the alert, and to be more careful in -future; but the torch was lighted, and although the flame had been -smothered for a short time, it was not extinguished.</p> - -<p>The character of Salinas was well known to Morales and Quiroga. He was a -true Quiteño, volatile and variable, embracing every novel object with -avidity, without reflection, or discrimination; the pursuit of any new -scheme was as ardently begun by Salinas, as it was easily abandoned the -moment it ceased to be new, or the moment that another was suggested; -but as this officer was at the head of the infantry, which consisted of -about four hundred men, with part of which he had been formerly -stationed at Panama, and which in their opinion was considered a -campaign in a foreign country, he had become the idol of the soldiers; -so that it was absolutely necessary that Salinas should<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span> be brought over -to second the plans of Morales and Quiroga; and this was easily -effected—the plan was novel, and promised a succession of what was most -congenial to his feelings.</p> - -<p>Dr. Riofrio was a secular clergyman, of a sullen morose temper, ready to -coincide with any set of men whose plans were calculated to bid defiance -to any thing that did not please him; yet, whether from natural -imbecility, or natural cowardice, he seemed to be only an instrument, -and probably became acquainted with the plans in agitation by being a -frequent visitor at a house in Quito where Morales had lived, and on -account of his own house being sometimes the residence of Morales, when -he was estranged from Quito by the President Carondelet. This man and -Salinas were both natives of Quito, but neither of them of families of -rank or fortune, although from the situations which both had held they -were very respectable.</p> - -<p>After the release of the four denounced conspirators, Salinas and -Riofrio returned to their former occupations; Quiroga to his home, more -injured than ever; and Morales went into the country, without having -reaped any advantage except experience. The government now appeared -quite satisfied in having declared the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> acquittal of the prisoners -honourable; they were pleased that no act of injustice had been -committed, and flattered themselves that the papers lost by Muños had -fallen into the hands of some pick-pocket, or that having been dropt in -the street, they had ceased to exist in a shape which might betray their -intentions. But they were deceived; the papers found their way into the -study of Quiroga, who drew such conclusions from them as best suited his -own ends, and disseminated their contents among such individuals as he -judged most proper to entrust them with. From April to August, 1809, -nothing particular occurred, except new advices from Spain; so that the -abdication of Carlos, the accession of Fernando, the imprisonment of the -King, and the invasion of the country by the French, were the subject -matter of every conversation. But still tranquillity reigned in every -part of the colonies, and their inhabitants seemed to vie with each -other in enthusiastic demonstrations of loyalty and attachment to their -<i>amado Fernando</i>. Every new advice from Spain served to increase the -apprehension and the dismay of the governments and Spaniards residing in -America; and their whole attention was so engrossed with the state of -affairs in the country to which they belonged, that they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> had not time -to meditate on the effects which might be produced by it in the country -in which they were stationed—satisfied that the colonies must follow -the fate of the parent state, just as if it had been annexed to it by -the ties of nature, instead of being attached to it by the most -unnatural connexions. But the bubble burst when and where it was perhaps -least expected to happen, and although the effects of the explosion were -soon repressed, yet it rent the veil, and laid the foundation of that -emancipation which the whole of the heretofore enslaved nations of the -new world now enjoy.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 10th of August, 1809, at an early hour, two -natives of Quito, Ante and Aguire, waited on the president with a -letter. The orderly who was at the door of the antechamber objected to -carry any letter or message to his Excellency at so unusual an hour; but -Ante persisted in the necessity of its immediate delivery, saying, that -it contained matters of importance from the <span class="smcap">Junta Soberana</span>, sovereign -junta, a name as new in the ears of the orderly as was the body itself -new in America. The orderly awoke the president, delivering the letter, -and repeated the words which he had heard, as an excuse for his untimely -errand. The president having read the superscription—"From<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> the -sovereign junta to the Count Ruis, ex-president of Quito," dressed -himself, and read the following:</p> - -<p>"The present unsettled state of Spain, the total annihilation of the -lawfully constituted authorities, and the dangers of the crown of the -beloved Ferdinand VII. and his domains falling into the hands of the -tyrant of Europe, have impelled our trans-atlantic brothers to form -provincial governments for their personal security, as well against the -machinations of some of their traitorous countrymen, unworthy of the -name of Spaniards, as against the arms of the common enemy: the loyal -inhabitants of Quito, resolved to secure to their legitimate King and -Master this part of his kingdom, have established a sovereign junta in -this city of San Francisco de Quito, of which, and by the command of his -Serene Highness the President and the vocal members, I have the honour -to inform your lordship, and to announce to you, that the functions of -the members of the old government have ceased: God preserve your -lordship many years. Hall of the junta in Quito, August 10th, 1809: -Manuel Morales secretary of the interior."</p> - -<p>After reading this unexpected epistle, his Excellency entered the -antechamber, and walked<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> towards the messengers, who inquired whether he -had received the note, and on being answered in the affirmative, they -bowed, turned round, and retired. The count followed them to the outer -door and attempted to pass it, but he was prevented by the sentry. He -now sent his orderly to call the officer of the guard, who politely -answered, that he could not consistently with the orders he had -received, speak with the <i>Count</i>, pronouncing the last word with -considerable emphasis. A great number of people began to assemble in the -square before the palace, at six o'clock, when a royal salute was fired, -and the military music, stationed on the esplanade in front of the -palace, continued playing some national airs till nine o'clock. At this -time the members of the new executive government met, the Marquis of -Selva Alegre, president, the vocal members, the Marquis of Orellana, -Marquis of Solanda, Count of Casa Guerrero, Marquis of Miraflores, Don -Manuel Zambrano, Don Manuel Mateus, and Don Pedro Montufar, the two -ministers. Morales and Quiroga: the declaration of the installation was -published, and the form of the oath to be administered to all persons -employed under the new government was drawn up. The Bishop of Quito was -elected vice-president, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> he refused to assist at this or any -subsequent meeting.</p> - -<p>The whole of the revolutionary change was effected in the night of the -ninth. Morales came to Quito, and, with Quiroga, convened a meeting; he -informed the members of the risk in which the country at large stood, -set forth the intention of the government to acknowledge Napoleon as -their sovereign, because the Kings of Spain had ceded their sovereignty -to him, and exhorted them at the same time to preserve themselves and -this part of the Spanish dominions from the fate that awaited the rest; -and this he told them could only be done by establishing a provincial -government in the name of Fernando, and of removing all suspicious -persons from their offices. This harangue was nothing but a matter of -form, because all the preliminaries had been agreed on beforehand. -Salinas, being present, was deputed to bring over the soldiers, which he -immediately did; he went to the barracks, and having formed the infantry -in the square or patio—he informed them that their beloved King was a -prisoner in France; expatiated on his sufferings; told them that the -existing governments in America were determined to deliver up the -country to the common enemy, and concluded by asking<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> them, whether they -would defend their beloved Ferdinand, or become the slaves of Bonaparte? -The deluded soldiers immediately shouted Viva Fernando Septimo! Viva -Quito! The commandant of the cavalry, Don Joaquin Saldumbide, received -orders for the same purpose, and executed them in the same manner. On -the return of these two individuals to the junta, they were commanded to -give the necessary orders to the different guards, and to administer to -the troops the following oath:</p> - -<p>"I swear by God and on the cross of my sword, to defend my legitimate -King, Ferdinand VII.; to maintain and protect his rights; to support the -purity of the holy Roman Catholic Church; and to obey the constituted -authorities."</p> - -<p>After the conclusion of this ceremony, the necessary orders were given -to the officer of the guard at the president's palace, barracks, and -prisons: a guard was placed at the door of each suspected person, -particularly at those of the Regent and Oidores; and the members of the -government retired to their houses.</p> - -<p>An express was immediately sent to Chillo, an estate belonging to the -Marquis of Selva Alegre, with the news of what had taken place, and a -request that his lordship would <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>immediately come to Quito, and take -possession of the supreme command of the government of the kingdom. -Thus, in one night, without bloodshed or even without any popular -commotion, a government which had been established for more than three -centuries was displaced, and a new one erected on its basis.</p> - -<p>The Marquis of Selva Alegre arrived on the morning of the tenth, and was -visited by the members of the new government, while the two ministers -proceeded on their duty to place new officers and clerks in the -secretary's office, and to take charge of the archives belonging to the -royal audience.</p> - -<p>The character of Selva Alegre is almost indefinable. As a private man he -was extremely kind and polite, having more of the polished courtier -about him than might be supposed to exist in an individual born in what -may be termed a sequestered country. Both in his town and country house -a great deal of taste and splendour were exhibited, in a manner somewhat -uncommon at Quito; yet neither his income nor his popularity could in -any way be compared to those of Miraflores nor Solanda. As a public -character Selva Alegre was extremely unfit; wavering and timid, wishing -rather to reconcile the two parties than to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span>support either; fond of -show and parade, but frightened at his own shadow, as if it mocked him. -At the gaze of the people he would, like a peacock, have allowed his -gaudy plumage to fall to the ground; he would have endeavoured to hide -himself, or, as the most enthusiastic Quiteños expressed themselves, -"his shoes did not fit him."</p> - -<p>On the thirteenth the new government visited the church of the Carmen -Alto, the different members dressed in their robes of ceremony; His -Serene Highness in the full costume of the Order of Charles III., of -which he was a knight; the members of the junta in scarlet and black; -the two ministers were distinguished by large plumes in their hats; the -corporation, officers of the treasury, and other tribunals, in their old -Spanish uniforms, and the military in <i>blue</i>, faced with <i>white</i> instead -of <i>red</i>, as heretofore.</p> - -<p>After the thirteenth of August, anarchy began to preside at all the -meetings of the junta. Morales insisted on a reform in the regulations -of the tribunals; Quiroga, that preparations offensive and defensive -against the neighbouring provinces which did not follow the example of -Quito should be made; Selva Alegre and the members wished that every -thing might remain as it was. However the army was increased,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> and -detachments sent to Guallabamba against the Pastusos, and to Huaranda, -to prevent an invasion by the Guayaquileños. The people began to shew -marks of discontent, particularly dreading a scarcity of salt, which -article was procured from Guayaquil. The governor of Guayaquil first -threatened to invade the provinces, next the Viceroy of Santa Fé, and -lastly the Viceroy of Peru. Advices arrived that troops from these -different quarters were absolutely on their march, and to complete the -consternation of the people, the Count Ruis retired from his palace into -the country, to a small <i>quinta</i>, or country seat, two leagues from the -city, where he remained, till on the night of the eighth of November a -deputation from the sovereign junta waited on him with proposals for his -reinstatement in the presidency, to which he acceded. On the part of the -president the condition was, that the members of the junta should retire -to their respective homes, and become quiet citizens, as before the -tenth of August; and on the part of the junta, that what had passed -should be referred to the central junta in Spain, and that no -prosecution should take place against them until the resolution of the -representative authority of Spain should be known. These simple -preliminaries being<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> agreed to, his excellency the Count Ruis entered -Quito on the following morning, and was received with the most -enthusiastic demonstrations of joy; the inhabitants and the members of -the ex-junta presented themselves, and made a tender of their several -titles, which were accepted by the president, and with all the acts and -other papers belonging to the intrusive government, as it was stiled, -were ordered to be burnt; but Arrechaga, instead of obeying the order -given to him, kept them with the most depraved intention for the most -execrable purposes.</p> - -<p>On the second of December the auxiliary troops arrived from Lima and -Guayaquil, composed of five hundred infantry, and fifty artillery men, -under the command of Colonel Arredonda. The inhabitants of Quito, -relying on the fulfilment of the conditions agreed to by the Count Ruis, -erected triumphal arches to receive them, and strewed flowers along the -streets as they passed; but scarcely had they taken quiet possession of -the city, and disbanded the native troops, than Arrechaga, who had been -appointed fiscal on the death of Yriarte, advised Arredonda to solicit -of the president an order for the apprehension of all persons who had -taken an active part in the late revolt, grounding his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> solicitude on -the law of power, that good faith ought not to be kept with traitors. -The count had the weakness to accede to the request of Arredonda, and an -order was immediately issued commanding Don Manuel Arredonda, Colonel of -Infantry, and Commandant of the Pacifying Troops, <i>tropas -pacificadoras</i>, to arrest all the persons who had been concerned in the -late rebellion, the names of whom were subministered by Arrechaga, and -on the twelfth of December upwards of fifty of the most respectable -inhabitants of Quito were dragged from their homes, and immured in cells -in the barracks. Judge Fuertes Amar was again appointed to form the -<i>proceso criminal</i>. Every succeeding day brought new victims to the -prison, for not only those who had taken an active part in the affair -were apprehended, but many individuals also to whom letters had been -written by the insurgents; and some because they had not declared -themselves hostile to the revolutionary government; however the Regent, -Oidores, Fiscals, and other persons who had remained neuter, and some -Spaniards in office who had kept their places during the administration -of the junta, were not included in the number; but the Bishop, who, -being an American, was included in the list of insurgents, and accused<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> -of having connived at the treason of his flock, because he did not -anathematize them, interdict the places of public worship, and sentence -to everlasting torments all schismatics to royalty and passive -obedience.</p> - -<p>Two hundred more soldiers arrived from Santa Fé de Bogotá, and brought -with them a greater security to the ministers of despotism, and the -whole of the provinces of Quito groaned under their tyranny. Many of the -most wealthy inhabitants fled to their estates in the country, and many, -although totally unconnected with the affairs of the junta, were afraid -of being swept away by the torrent of persecution. Among those who -fortunately absconded, and eluded the vigilance of the government, was -the Marquis of Selva Alegre: the Marquis of Miraflores died of grief in -his own house, and a guard of soldiers was placed over him even till he -was interred.</p> - -<p>Not content with imprisoning those persons who might be termed the -ringleaders, the soldiers were taken into custody, and placed in a -separate prison, called the presidio. This alarmed the lower classes, -who began to steal into the country, and seek in the mountains and woods -an asylum against the systematic persecution that now pervaded the -miserable hut of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span> the labourer as well as the residence of his -employer—the cabin of the indigent as well as the mansion of the -wealthy. Provisions became daily more scarce in the city, the soldiery -in the same ratio became more insolent, when, to crown the state of -desperation among all classes of the inhabitants, except the natives of -Spain who resided here, the examination of the prisoners was concluded, -and the <i>vista fiscal</i> was drawn up. This horrible production, worthy of -its author, Arrechaga, divided the prisoners into three classes, but -sentenced them all to death: their number was eighty-four, including the -prisoners and the absent, who were outlawed; even the Bishop was not -excluded, although, according to the laws of Spain, he could only be -tried by the council of Castile. Distress, affliction, and grief now -reigned triumphant: mothers, wives, and daughters filled the air with -their cries for mercy on their sons, their husbands, and their brothers, -who had been torn from them and immured in dungeons, where they were not -allowed to visit them; and who lay under sentence of an ignominious -death, no hopes being left, except that the president would not confirm -the sentence, and in this hope they were not deceived.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p><p>When the proceso was concluded, and required no more than the veto of -the president, it was presented to him; but instead of concurring in the -opinion of the fiscal, and giving way to the entreaties of Colonel -Arredonda, he ordered the papers to remain in his cabinet. The agitation -of the old count was now truly distressing, and he frequently said to -me, that he would prefer signing his own death-warrant to the -sacrificing of so many deluded victims, the greater part of whom had -only committed an error of judgment, founded, perhaps, on a mistaken -sense of loyalty; at last he determined to refer the case for revision -to the Viceroy of Santa Fé, to the inconceivable chagrin of Fuertes, -Arrechaga, and Arredonda, who all founded their hopes of preferment in -Spain on the execution of the prisoners, who had been denominated -traitors.</p> - -<p>The Count Ruis was at this time eighty-four years of age; he had resided -in America upwards of forty; first in the capacity of Corregidor of -Oruro, then of Governor Intendent of Huancavilica, afterwards as -President of Cusco, and lastly of Quito. When at Huancavilica he -commanded the troops, in 1780, against the unfortunate Tupac Umaru, who -was taken prisoner, and quartered alive in the plasa<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> mayor at Cusco, by -being tied to four wild colts, which were driven to the four opposite -angles of the square.</p> - -<p>When President of Cusco, the unhappy victims of Spanish jealousy and -cruelty, Ubalde and Ugarte, in 1796, were executed on an ex-parte -evidence. This proceso was conducted by the Oidor Berriosabal, -afterwards Count of San Juan and Marquis of Casa Palma, and who was -afterwards, in 1821, proscribed in Lima by San Martin. The Count Ruis as -a private individual was remarkably kind and familiar, and excessively -charitable: in his public capacity he was too easily overruled, -especially by persons in authority under him, and when he could be -induced to believe them to be actuated by motives of justice; but he was -obstinate in the greatest degree if he once suspected their integrity. -The court of Spain was so well convinced of the virtuous character of -this nobleman, that in 1795 a royal order was issued inhibiting him from -a residenciary investigation at the expiration of his first government -of Cusco: an honour which I believe was never conferred on any other -governor in the Spanish colonies.</p> - -<p>The Oidor Don Felipe Fuertes Amar was remarkably timid, in fact he was a -complete<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> coward, and this weakness brought him to the gallows, during a -commotion of the indians in 1810.</p> - -<p>The Fiscal Don Tomas Arrechaga was a native of Oruro, said to be the -offspring of a friar of San Juan de Dios and a mestisa of Oruro. The -Count Ruis took him when a boy under his protection, educated him, and -brought him to Quito to establish him in the profession of the law, -which he had studied. Arrechaga was brutal in his looks, his manners, -and his actions; he was possessed of all the subtle cruelty peculiar to -the caste of chinos, which is a mixture of African and indian blood: his -mother was of the latter race, and his father was not entirely exempt -from the former. Arrechaga would have waded through the blood of his -countrymen to secure promotion; and from the first discovery of the -country this had been too often the means of obtaining it.</p> - -<p>Don Manuel Arredonda was the son of the Viceroy of Buenos Ayres, and -nephew to the Regent of the Royal Audience of Lima; he was in search of -reputation, fame, and promotion—not in the cannon's mouth—no, for -indeed he was the original fop described by Hotspur, he was effeminate, -proud and cruel, the general qualifications of a coward soldier; an -imperious<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> tyrant when in prosperity, but the most abject of all -wretches when in adversity.</p> - -<p>The person chosen to convey to Santa Fé the whole of the proceso was Dr. -San Miguel, a young advocate who had become the constant companion to -Arrechaga. Not less than six reams of written paper formed the important -charge, for the safety of which a piquet of horse was ordered to escort -San Miguel as far as Pasto, lest some of the outlaws might surprize him -on the road. The prisoners expected no favour at the hands of the -Viceroy, because he was the uncle of the Oidor Fuertes who had tried -them. It was natural to suppose that he would not extend his mercy -against what he would consider the justice of the law as expounded by -his nephew; for, although it may appear very strange in England, that -the inclinations of persons in such elevated situations should be -biassed by personal interest, this was too frequently the case in South America.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER II.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>Second Revolution at Quito....Massacre of the Prisoners....General -Meeting held....Spanish Troops leave Quito....Revolution at Santa -Fé....Arrival of Don Carlos Montufar at Quito....Arredonda invades -Quito....Arrives at Huaranda....Flies from....Montufar marches -towards Cuenca....Desists from attacking the City....Returns to -Quito....My Appointment to Esmeraldas....Capture and -Escape....General Montes enters Quito....Death of Montufar....Quito -taken by General Sucre.</p></blockquote> - -<p>After the departure of San Miguel for Santa Fé many of the soldiers who -had belonged to the insurgent army returned to the city, supposing that -the prosecution had closed; but they were apprehended, and sent to the -presidio. Several individuals also who came from different parts of the -country were apprehended on suspicion, and, although they were liberated -after examination, the alarm flew from one place to another, so that -none would bring their produce to market, and a consequent dearth of -provisions began to be experienced in the city. This, instead of -producing conciliatory measures for procuring them, enraged the Spanish -soldiers, who committed several depredations, and the injured -individuals through fear abstained from complaining to the officers, or -if they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> ventured to do it, they were insulted with the epithets of -rebels, insurgents, and traitors. Thus the evil increased daily till the -second of August, 1810, when some of the soldiers confined in the -presidio surprized the guard, and depriving them of their arms, and -putting on their uniforms, ran to the barracks at one o'clock in the -afternoon; the disguise prevented all suspicion on their approach, and -they succeeded in driving the sentry from his post at the door, and -securing the officer of the guard: at this moment a bell was rung in the -steeple of the cathedral, as an alarm: the officers who had just sat -down to dinner in the palace rushed into the plasa mayor, and observing -a considerable degree of commotion at the door of the barracks not fifty -yards from that of the palace, the guard was ordered to fire on those at -the barracks, which firing was returned by the opposite party. This -lasted about ten minutes, when, all being silent, an officer ran to the -barracks to inquire into the cause of the disturbance: on being informed -of what had taken place, as well as that all was then safe, he returned -with the report to his commandant, Arredonda. Another officer was -immediately sent to inquire into the state of the prisoners, and he as -briefly returned with the news, that they were all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> dead. Some had been -shot during the uproar by the sentries placed over them, and many had -been murdered by a zambo boy, one of the cooks to the soldiers, who had -entered their cells, and despatched them with an axe. Terror and -consternation for a moment were visible in the countenances of the -president and officers, when, on a sudden, the Spanish soldiers rushed -from the barracks into the streets, shouting revenge! revenge! our -captain is murdered. Scarcely was the alarm given, when the infuriated -soldiers abandoned their posts, and running up and down the streets, -murdered every individual they met with, without distinction either of -age or sex: the drums in different parts of the city beat an advance, -and murder and pillage raged in this horrid manner till three o'clock, -all the officers standing on the esplanade of the palace, without making -any effort to check the massacre: at length, the soldiers having -expended their stock of cartridges began to return to the barracks, some -of them so laden with plunder, that they had left their arms they knew -not where.</p> - -<p>The number of prisoners confined in the cells, many of whom were secured -with irons, and who fell a sacrifice to the insubordination of the -soldiery, and the imbecility of the officers,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> was seventy-two; a -clergyman of the name of Castelo, and an individual of the name of -Romero, were the only prisoners that escaped, and they saved their lives -by feigning to be dead. Morales, Quiroga, Riofrio, and Salinas perished; -but to the memory of these, and their fellow sufferers, the government -of Venezuela ordered a day of mourning to be kept annually; thus paying -to them the greatest possible respect; they also afterwards determined -to call them the martyrs of Quito. In the streets of Quito about three -hundred individuals perished, including seven of the Spanish soldiers, -who were killed by some indian butchers, whom they had repeatedly -insulted. Such was the fury displayed by the pacifying troops, that a -party of them having met a captain in his uniform, who belonged to the -Guayaquil cavalry, a soldier seized the sword of his captain, and ran -him through the body with it, laying him weltering in his gore not fifty -yards from the door of the barracks.</p> - -<p>No powers of language can describe the anxiety which this dreadful -affair excited in the minds of the inhabitants, who, ignorant of the -origin, considered it as an unprovoked slaughter of their countrymen, -and consequently dreaded that it might be again repeated in the same<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> -manner. Only five of the soldiers who left the presidio entered the -barracks—had twenty entered, they would doubtlessly have succeeded in -liberating the prisoners; but these were murdered while those were -engaged with the guard at the door.</p> - -<p>The streets of the city were entirely deserted; groups of people were -scattered about on the neighbouring hills, looking wistfully at their -apparently desolated town; dead bodies were strewed about the streets -and squares, and all was horror and dismay. During the night the bodies -of the prisoners were conveyed to the church of San Augstin, and those -that were murdered in the streets, to the nearest churches. The two -succeeding days, the third and the fourth of August, the inhabitants -kept within their houses, and, except the soldiers, not an individual -ventured into the streets. The government now began to fear that the -whole of the provinces would rise <i>en masse</i>; and as the news of the -revolution at Caracas, which took place on the nineteenth of April, -1810, had reached their ears, this, with their ignorance of what was -passing in the mother country, except that Bonaparte had taken -possession of Madrid, suggested to them an effort at reconciliation, but -without in the least reflecting on their own<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> baseness and treachery, in -having violated the conditions which had replaced the president in his -authority, and thus branded themselves with the name which they most -justly deserved, that of <i>infames traidores</i>, <span class="smaller">INFAMOUS TRAITORS</span>.</p> - -<p>On the fifth an order was published for the heads of all the corporate -bodies, officers, and principal inhabitants to meet at the palace, and -resolve on such means as were most likely to restore peace, -tranquillity, and confidence to the country. Accordingly the persons who -were summoned met; the president took the chair, having the Bishop on -his right, and Colonel Arredonda on his left, the Regent, oidores, -fiscals, attorney-general, and other officers and persons of distinction -took their seats. The president rose, and in very few words expressed -his sorrow for what had happened, and his sincere wish to restore peace -and unanimity among the people. The Bishop in a short speech answered, -that he was afraid such wishes would never be fulfilled, until those -persons who had advised his Excellency to forget his promises made to -the people were removed from that part of the country. Arrechaga rose -and observed, that his lordship recriminated on his conduct; to which -the prelate replied, that years and dignity precluded any <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span>recrimination -on Don Arrechaga from him. This debate induced the president to request, -that Arrechaga would leave the hall, which request was reluctantly -complied with; although such a rebuff from the Bishop would only four -days before that of the meeting have shewn him the way to a dungeon.</p> - -<p>Dr. Rodrigues, a secular priest, greatly revered for his wisdom and his -virtue by all who knew him, rose from his seat, and, advancing to the -centre of the hall, delivered a most eloquent and animated speech, which -lasted for more than an hour. He portrayed the character of the Quiteños -in general, explained the causes of the late revolution with evangelical -charity, and dwelt on the fatal results with the truest symptoms of -grief, in such a manner, that, not through sympathy but sensibility, -conviction, shame, and remorse, the big tear flowed down the cheeks of -his hearers. He concluded by repeating what his prelate had said, and -added further, that the people of Quito could no longer consider their -lives and property secure, unless those individuals who had so lately -forfeited their title of pacificators were removed from the country. "I -allude," said he, "to the officers and troops; they have already made -upwards of three <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span>hundred unoffending fellow-creatures, as faithful -Christians and as loyal subjects as themselves, the peaceful tenants of -the grave, and, if not stopped in their career of slaughter, they will -soon convert one of the most fruitful regions of the Spanish monarchy -into a desert; and future travellers, while execrating their memory, -will exclaim, 'here once stood Quito!'"</p> - -<p>Don Manuel Arredonda, trembling for his personal safety, now rose. He -observed, that he was fully convinced the government of Quito ought to -rely on the loyalty of the Quiteños, and allow <i>him</i> to retire with the -troops under his command. This was immediately agreed to, and the act of -the meeting having been drawn up, was signed by the President, the -Bishop, the Commander of the troops, and several other members. -Preparations for the evacuation of the city immediately commenced, and -the troops under the command of Arredonda began their march on the -following morning, leaving the two hundred soldiers from Santa Fé and -the government to the mercy of a populace driven almost to despair by -their cruel and murderous conduct.</p> - -<p>A few days after the departure of Arredonda and the soldiers, Dr. San -Miguel returned from Santa Fé, bringing tidings of an insurrection<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> -having taken place in that city. It commenced on the twenty-third of -July, 1810, the day before the arrival of San Miguel with his cargo of -papers. When he presented himself before the new authorities at Santa -Fé, he was commanded to repair to the plasa mayor with his papers, and -here he was ordered to deliver them into the hands of the hangman, who -immediately committed them to the flames. Thus a trial was concluded, -which, perhaps, in point of infamous intrigue was unparalleled in any -age or nation; and had the conductors of it suffered a similar fate at -the same time, numbers of Americans would have had just cause to have -been satisfied. The return of San Miguel only served to throw the -government of Quito into greater consternation, and the citizens who had -lost their relatives or their friends on the second of August into -deeper sorrow.</p> - -<p>The insurrection of Santa Fé was conducted, like that of Quito, without -any bloodshed; the news of the commission conferred on Villaviencio by -the central junta of Spain, to visit his native place, and to make any -such alterations in the form of the government as might appear necessary -for the preservation of the country, had arrived at Santa Fé. The -friends of this American wished to prepare a house for his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> reception; -one of them begged the loan of a chandelier of a European Spaniard, who, -chagrined at the idea of a royal commission having been conferred on a -colonist, insulted the borrower; this conduct produced an altercation -between the parties, a mob collected at the door, the Spaniard attempted -to drive the people away with threats and insults, which at last -produced a cry of <i>Cabildo Abierto!</i> an open meeting at the City Hall. -Scarcely had the shout been re-echoed by the mob, when it was extended -to every part of the city, and Cabildo Abierto became the watchword. -Crowds of people flocked to the plasa mayor, the doors of the town hall -were thrown open, and several individuals, all natives, ranged -themselves round the table. At this juncture some one advanced to the -door, and asked the populace why they had collected in that manner, at -this particular time? Some one answered, <i>queremos gobierno nuevo, fuera -Españoles!</i> We want a new government—out with the Spaniards! Nariño was -then sent to request the presence of the Viceroy Amar, as president of -the meeting. His excellency refused; a second message was sent, and met -with the same refusal: this conduct exasperated the people, and the cry -of fuera Españoles! <i>fuera chapetones!</i> again resounded from every -quarter. A third<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> messenger was shortly after sent to inform Don Antonio -Amar, that his functions, with those of all European Spaniards in the -government, had ceased. Amar now volunteered to go and preside at the -meeting; but he was told, that only his baston of command was requested; -this, after a little altercation, he delivered up. The new government -took possession of the barracks, the park of artillery, and the -government stores. The ex-viceroy and some of the ex-oidores were sent -to Carthagena to be embarked for Spain. In one day the change in the -government was completed, and on the following the people retired to -their several homes and occupations in the most perfect order, after -witnessing the public burning of the papers brought by San Miguel.</p> - -<p>In the month of September of the same year, Don Carlos Montufar, son to -the outlawed Marquis of Selva Alegre, who with several others had again -presented himself publicly in Quito, arrived, bringing with him powers -from the central junta of Spain, to establish such a government, or make -such changes in the one existing, as might ensure the allegiance of the -country to Ferdinand on his restoration. The joy which this arrival -would have occasioned a short time before it took place was -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>considerably damped by the recollection of the second of August. -However, to support, and as it were to exculpate the conduct of the -government with respect to the treatment of the unfortunate victims who -had perished on that day, Montufar and his friends determined on -re-establishing the junta. A meeting was convened at the hall of the -university, at which the Count Ruis presided; the commission conferred -on Montufar was read, and the formation of a junta proposed, which was -immediately agreed to. The Count Ruis was nominated president, and the -Marquis of Selva Alegre vice-president; the members for the city were -elected by the five parishes, and those for the country by the parishes -of the heads of the provinces.</p> - -<p>Don Carlos Montufar, desirous of preserving tranquillity, and -maintaining a good understanding with the Viceroy of Peru in particular, -immediately forwarded to his Excellency Don Jose de Abascal his original -commission; but the innovation was so great, and the decrease of Spanish -authority so alarming to the Viceroy, that he returned the papers with -an assurance, that he "should exert himself in the support of his own -authority, and that of all the faithful subjects of the crown of Spain." -This imprudent and ill-timed answer, accompanied by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> a knowledge of the -present state of affairs in Santa Fé and Venezuela; of the revolt of San -Miguel and el Valle de los Dolores in Mexico, which took place on the -nineteenth of August; of that of Buenos Ayres on the twenty-sixth of -May, 1819; together with the condition of the mother country—distracted -the attention of the Spaniards, and first disseminated the whisper of -Independence: a whisper which was confined to private conversations, and -was heard only among the higher classes.</p> - -<p>Colonel Arredonda and his troops were at first ordered to remain at -Guayaquil; but on the arrival of the news communicated by the -newly-established government of Quito, he was commanded to invade the -territory belonging to that jurisdiction, and to declare war against the -newly-established authorities, as being traitors to the Crown of Spain. -At the same time that Arredonda began his march, Montufar collected the -armed force of Quito, began to discipline new troops, and proceeded with -them to Riobamba. Popayan and Pasto, under the influence of Samano the -governor of the former place, declared their adherence to the old -government, and avowed their intention of invading Quito to the -northward, while Arredonda should attempt the same to the southward. A -few<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> troops placed by Montufar at Guaitara precluded all fear with -regard to Samano, and Montufar waited at Riobamba the advance of -Arredonda.</p> - -<p>A sentinel placed at an advanced post at the Ensillada was alarmed early -one morning by a sudden report, caused by the ice on Chimboraso, which, -when the rising sun first illumes it, sometimes cracks with a tremendous -report. Alarmed at what he heard, he abandoned his post, and -communicated intelligence of the approach of Montufar with a train of -artillery. Arredonda was now filled with the greatest possible -consternation, and without waiting to inquire into the cause of the -alarm, or to investigate the report, he mounted his horse, and fled: the -officers and soldiers followed the example of their chief, and, leaving -every thing behind them, placed their safety in their heels. Montufar, -being immediately apprised of what had passed at Huaranda, Arredonda's -late head quarters, went and took possession of the abandoned stores, -consisting of eight hundred muskets, six field-pieces, a quantity of -ammunition, the military chest, and all the public as well as private -property belonging to the tropas pacificadoras.</p> - -<p>The city of Cuenca declared its attachment<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> to the royal cause, as it -now began to be called, in opposition to the insurgents, and Montufar, -flushed with his good fortune at Huaranda, marched towards that city; -the Bishop, Quintian Aponte, who with a crucifix in one hand and a sword -in the other had marshalled the natives, and exhorted them with more -than pastoral eloquence, fled on receiving advices that the insurgents -were within ten leagues of the city, and left his flock at the mercy of -the very man whom he had described the day before as a ravenous wolf.</p> - -<p>In this state of affairs, when every thing seemed to promise success to -the insurgents, a post arrived from Spain, bringing the news of the -dissolution of the junta central, and the formation of a Regency and -Cortes, and commanding all his Majesty's faithful subjects to abjure the -traitorous junta, and to take the oath of allegiance to the -newly-constituted authorities. An order of the Regency commanded that -every thing in the colonies should remain in the same state in which it -might then be, until the Regency and the Cortes should decide. Carlos -Montufar, on the receipt of this intelligence, communicated to him by -the Viceroy of Peru, answered his excellency, that as a loyal subject, -and trusting that the conduct of his excellency<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> would evince equal -loyalty and deference to the supreme order received, he should -immediately retire to Quito with the troops under his command.</p> - -<p>A small detachment of soldiers continued on the heights of Guaitara, and -every thing in Quito remained tranquil until the middle of November, -when General Molina arrived at Cuenca, and, by the order of the Viceroy -Abascal, peremptorily insisted on the dissolution of the junta, which -was objected to. Captain Villavicencio arrived from Guayaquil to treat -with the government on the proposals made by General Molina, and such -was the spirit of party, and the dread of again being oppressed by -pacifying troops, that on the arrival of Villavicencio, a woman, named -Salinas, a servant to Captain Salinas, who was murdered on the second of -August, collected a body of females, who armed themselves with lances, -and escorted Villavicencio to the house prepared for him, where they -remained on guard till he quitted the city. Nothing could be more -ridiculous than the appearance of this naval hero when he had to attend -the meeting of the junta, marching along the street with an Amazonian -guard, composed of twenty-five females with lances, who conducted him to -and from the hall.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span></p><p>During the time that Montufar was absent from the city with the troops, -several popular commotions took place, particularly of the indians; -these were principally excited by a native of the name of Peña, who had -had a son slain in the massacre of the second of August. During this -time, the Oidor Fuertes and the postmaster-general attempted to escape, -with an intention of proceeding down the Marañon, but they were seized -by the indians, brought back to Quito, and before the respectable part -of the inhabitants could relieve them from the danger in which they were -placed, the indians erected a temporary gibbet in the plasa mayor, and -hanged them: being in the street myself, the indians seized me also, and -were hurrying me along towards the place of execution, but I was -providentially rescued by the interference of an old clergyman, to whom -I was known, and to whom I undoubtedly owe the preservation of my -existence.</p> - -<p>The adherence of Popayan and Pasto to the Spanish governors precluded -all communication between Quito and Santa Fé, Venezuela, and other -places. The junta determined to open a communication by the coast with -Cali and Buga, and also with those parts of the country which had -established the same form of government as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> themselves. Owing to the -knowledge which I had acquired of the coast, the title of governor of -Esmeraldas, and military commander of the coast, with the rank of -lieutenant-colonel of artillery was conferred on me; and on the fifth of -December I left Quito with fifty soldiers, took possession of my -command, opened the communication, and secured the depôt of arms -belonging to the Spaniards at Tumaco.</p> - -<p>During my residence on the coast of Esmeraldas, nothing particular -occurred in the capital, except preparations for defence: General Molina -died at Cuenca, and the Bishop of Cuenca at Guayaquil. Aymerich, the -governor of Popayan, solicited a brig of war, which was sent by the -governor of Guayaquil; with this assistance Esmeraldas was invaded, and -I was taken prisoner in May, 1811; but with the permission of Captain -Ramires I made my escape from the brig. Don Toribio Montes was appointed -by the Regency president of Quito, and immediately took the command of -the troops stationed at Guayaquil and Cuenca, and began his march on -Quito. The president, Count Ruis, retired to a small convent in the -suburbs of Quito; but a popular commotion of the indians in the city -occurred, a party of them went to the convent and dragged the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span>venerable -good old man into the street, where they murdered him. Montes had a few -skirmishes with the Quiteños; but he entered the city, and caused -several of the principal individuals who had been concerned in the late -transactions to be put to death. Among these was Don Carlos Montufar, -who, being sentenced as a traitor, was shot through the back, his heart -taken out and burnt. Some of the indians who had been the ringleaders in -the death of the Count Ruis were hanged, and their heads placed in iron -cages in different parts of the city, where they remained until taken -down by order of General Sucre.</p> - -<p>From the year 1811 Quito continued to be governed by the Spanish -authorities, till May, 1822, when General Sucre entered by force of -arms, and at that time it became a part of the republic of Colombia.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER III.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>State of Lima in 1811....Constitution proclaimed....Some Effects -of....Wishes of the Inhabitants of Lima....Manifest of Venezuela.</p></blockquote> - -<p>On my arrival in Lima I found the same spirit of revolutionary -principles disseminated among all ranks of creoles, excepting some few -individuals who possessed lucrative employments under the government. -The Viceroy Abascal endeavoured to check the spirit of rebellion by the -mildest measures possible, avoiding all acts of persecution; he -established a regiment, called <i>de la Concordia</i>, of concord, from the -respectable inhabitants of the city, constituted himself the colonel of -it, and nominated the officers from among the more leading individuals, -whether Spaniards or creoles: this for a short time lulled the spirit of -insurrection. The victory of Guaqui, gained by General Goyoneche over -the army of Buenos Ayres, was welcomed with feasts and rejoicings; but -the scarcity of wheat, the ports of Chile being closed, began to be very -apparent.</p> - -<p>In 1812 the constitutional government was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> proclaimed, and copies of the -constitution of the Spanish monarchy were the only books that were read, -consulted, and studied by all classes. The formation of a constitutional -corporation, cabildo, and the election of constitutional alcaldes, -caused some uproar in the city; but the measures became alarming to the -Spaniards when the election of deputies for the cortes took place. The -Spaniards, accustomed to consider the natives as inferiors, and almost -as intruders in their own country, had now to brook their contempt in -return, to bear with their opposition, and sometimes with their -reproaches. The poll was conducted in the patio, or principal cloister -of the convent of La Merced; several collegians of San Carlos placed -themselves on the hustings, and, according to the <i>Ley de Partido</i>, no -native of Spain is permitted to reside in the colonies without a special -license of the Casa de Contratacion of Seville, or in the employ of the -government, and the latter were declared by the constitution, tit. 2, -cap. <span class="smaller">IV.</span> art. 24, to have no vote. Thus as no Spaniards in Lima could -produce a license, or passport, they were not allowed to vote; and this -excited in them the most frantic rage and chagrin. One Spaniard -presented himself with his passport, and insultingly advanced towards -the hustings to vote;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> but one of the collegians, looking over the -paper, found that the voter was a native of the Canary Islands, which -being African islands, and all Africans, or descendants of Africans, -being declared by art. 22, tit. 2, cap. <span class="smaller">IV.</span> of the constitution, as not -having an elective vote, unless they had obtained a letter of -denizenship from the cortes, he was obliged to retire amid the shouts of -the creoles, and the curses against the cortes of the Spaniards.</p> - -<p>Nothing could possibly be more favourable to the colonies than the -publication of a constitutional form of government, and the liberty of -the press, as it was sanctioned by the cortes. The restrictions were -such as would have produced a clamour in England, but to a slave an hour -of rest is an hour of perfect freedom, and to men whose pens had been -chained by political trammels and inquisitorial anathemas, a relief from -such restrictions was hailed as an absolute immunity. Those colonies -that still remained faithful to the mother country had an opportunity of -reading the periodical papers, a thing unknown at this time, unless we -except the government gazette; and although such news as was -unfavourable to the Spanish system did not appear in print, yet the -barefaced falsehoods of the old ministerial paper were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> checked in their -exaggerations, by the appearance of authentic intelligence in the new -papers, and the public were informed of such facts as had taken place: -they were apprised of the establishment of republican governments in -Mexico, Colombia, Buenos Ayres, and Chile—facts that would have been -disguised by the old established authorities, and the people would have -been stigmatized by the name of banditti, of discontented indians, a -gang of traitors, or a horde of highwaymen and freebooters.</p> - -<p>The inhabitants of Lima wished for a change in their form of government -as ardently perhaps as those of any other part of America; and for not -having established one, they have been considered by many as a race of -effeminate listless cowards, and have been reported as such—but most -undeservedly. Although in a cause adverse to their own interest, for -many years they sustained the brunt of the war against all the forces -that could be brought to the field by those whom they were taught to -consider as enemies. Soldiers are instructed by the precepts and the -examples of their commanders, and rarely reflect on what is right or -wrong; otherwise history would not present us with such numberless -instances of armed forces acting in open<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> hostility against their very -homes, their friends, and their parents; wherever a city is garrisoned -by a military force, the inhabitants as well as the soldiers must submit -to the will of the commanders. Such was the state of Lima: many of the -soldiers it is true were Limeños, but many were from different parts of -Peru, and nearly the whole of the officers were Spaniards, and those who -were not were under the suspicious eye of jealous masters.</p> - -<p>At first, the several provinces that revolted, and which had established -new governments, most solemnly declared, that it was not their intention -to separate from the crown of Spain, but to govern themselves in such a -manner as would secure to that crown the possession of America. The -Regency of Spain, however, invested with the authority to govern the -peninsula, insisted on the prerogative of governing the American -colonies, forgetting that the famous grant of America made by Pope -Alexander VI. annexed America to the crowns of Castile and Arragon, and -not to the nation nor to any representative body belonging to that -nation. Every individual that was apprehended during the first years of -commotion was treated as a traitor. At Quito the words "constituted -authorities" contained in the oath which was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> administered were -converted into high treason, and there is no doubt but Arrechaga would -have solicited the sentence of capital punishment on all those who had -taken it, had not their number included many of his friends.</p> - -<p>Declarations of independence, and manifestos containing the motives for -at once separating from the mother country, now began to circulate among -the natives of Peru; and although some of them contained exaggerations, -and the government of Lima became possessed of copies of them, yet such -was the apathy or the timidity of the chiefs, that no attempt at -refutation was ever made. The following are translations of papers from -Venezuela, which fully express all the grievances of which the -Hispano-Americans complained. They were drawn up for the purpose of -instilling into the minds of their countrymen a determination to shake -off those grievances, and to convince the world at large that the -insurrection of the Spanish colonies had become a matter of necessity -and not of choice:</p> - -<p>"Manifesto made to the world by the confederation of Venezuela in South -America, of the reasons on which it founds its absolute independence of -Spain, and of every other foreign power. Done by the general Congress of -the United States, and ordered to be published.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p><p>"Spanish America, condemned for more than three centuries to exist only -for the purpose of increasing the political preponderance of Spain, -without the least influence in, or participation of her greatness, -would, according to the order of events in which she had no other part -than that of sufferance, have been the victim and the sacrifice of the -disorder, corruption, and conquest, which have disorganized the nation -her conqueror, if the instinct of self-preservation had not dictated to -the Americans, that the moment of action had arrived, and that it was -time to reap the fruits of three centuries of patience and forbearance.</p> - -<p>"If the discovery of the new world was to the human race an occurrence -highly interesting, the regeneration of this same world, degraded from -that period by oppression and servitude, will not be less so. America, -raising herself from the dust, and throwing off her chains without -passing through the political gradations of other countries, will in her -turn triumph over the world, without deluging it in blood, without -enslaving it, without brutifying it. A revolution most useful to mankind -will be that of America, when she shall constitute her own authorities -and govern herself, opening her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> arms to receive those people of Europe -who may be trampled on by policy, wish to fly from the evils of war, or -escape the persecution and the fury of party. The inhabitants of one -hemisphere will then cross the ocean to the other in search of peace and -tranquillity; not with the lust nor perfidy of conquest, like the heroes -of the sixteenth century—as friends, not as tyrants: as men willing to -obey, not as lords to command—not to destroy, but to save—not as -ravenous tigers, but as human beings, who, horror-struck at the account -of our past misfortunes, were taught to estimate them by their own—who -will not convert their reason into a spirit of blind persecution, nor -wish to stain our annals with blood and misery. Then shall navigation, -geography, astronomy, industry, and trade perfected by the discovery of -America, though until now the source of her debasement, be converted -into the means of accelerating, consolidating, and making more perfect -the happiness of the two worlds.</p> - -<p>"This is not a flattering dream, but the homage of reason to prudence, -whose ineffable wisdom designed that one part of the human race should -not groan under the tyranny of another; consequently, the great fiat of -what should precede the dissolution of the world<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> could not take place -before one part of its inhabitants had enjoyed their inherent rights. -Every thing has long been preparing for this epoch of felicity and -consolation. In Europe the shock and the fermentation of opinions, the -contempt and the inversion of the laws; the profanation of those bonds -which ought to have held states together; the luxury of courts, the -cessation of industry, the consequent unproductiveness of lands, the -oppression of virtue, and the triumph of vice accelerated the progress -of evil in one world, while the increase of population in America, of -the wants of foreign countries dependent on her, the development of -agriculture in a new and fertile soil, the germ of industry under a -beneficent climate, the elements of science under a privileged -organization, the means of a rich and prosperous trade, and the strength -of a political adolescence, all, all contributed to accelerate the -progress of good in the other.</p> - -<p>"Such was the advantageous alternative that enslaved America presented -to her mistress, Spain, on the other side of the ocean, when oppressed -by the weight of every evil, and undermined by every principle -destructive to society, America called upon her to ease her of her -chains that she might fly to her succour.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span> Fortunately prejudice -triumphed, the genius of evil and disorder seized on the government, -goaded pride usurped the seat of prudence; ambition triumphed over -liberality, and substituting deceit and perfidy for generosity and -integrity, those very arms were turned against us which we ourselves -used when impelled by fidelity and good faith; we taught Spain herself -the way to resist her enemies, under the banners of a presuming king, -unfit to reign, and void of all title except the generous compassion of -the people and his own misfortunes.</p> - -<p>"Venezuela was the first in the new world to pledge to Spain that -generous aid which she considered as a necessary homage; Venezuela was -the first to pour the consoling balm of friendship and fraternity into -her wounds when afflicted; Venezuela was the first that knew the -disorders which threatened the destruction of Spain; she was the first -to provide for her own safety, without severing the bonds that linked -her to the mother country; the first to feel the effects of her -ambitious ingratitude; she was the first on whom war was declared by her -brethren; and she is now the first to recover and declare her -independence and civil dignity in the new world. In order to justify -this measure of necessity and of justice, she considers it an <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span>incumbent -duty to present to the universe the reasons which have urged her to the -same, that her honour and principles may not be doubted, nor endangered -when she comes to fill the high rank which Providence restores her to.</p> - -<p>"All those persons who are aware of our determinations know what was our -fate previous to the late inversion of things, which alone dissolved our -engagements with Spain, even granting that these were legal and -equitable. It would be superfluous to present again to impartial Europe -the misfortunes and vexations she has so often had cause to lament, at a -time when we were not allowed to do so; neither is it necessary to -assert the injustice of our dependence and degradation, when every -nation has viewed as an insult to political equity, that Spain -unpeopled, corrupted, and plunged into a state of sloth and indolence by -the measures of a despotic government, should have exclusively usurped -from the industry and activity of the rest of the continent, the -precious and incalculable resources of a world constituted in the fief -and monopoly of a small portion of the other.</p> - -<p>"The interest of Europe cannot oppose the liberty of one quarter of the -globe, which now discovers itself to the interest of the other<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> three; -yet a mere peninsula is found to oppose the interests of its government -to those of its nation, in order to raise the old hemisphere against the -new one, since the impossibility of oppressing it alone for any longer -period is now visible. In opposition to these endeavours, more fatal to -our tranquillity than to our prosperity, we will disclose to the world -the causes which operated on our conduct on the fifteenth of July, 1808, -and the acts that have wrested from us the resolutions of the nineteenth -of April, 1810, and of the fifth of July, 1811. These three epochs will -form the first period of the glories of regenerated Venezuela, when the -impartial pen of history shall record the first lines of the political -existence of South America.</p> - -<p>"Our manifests and public papers testified almost all the reasons that -influenced our resolutions, as well as our designs, and all the just and -decorous means that were employed to realize them; it might be supposed -that an exact and impartial comparison of our conduct with that of the -late governments of Spain would of itself suffice to justify not only -our moderation, not only our measures of security, not only our -independence, but also even the declaration of an irreconcilable enmity -to those who directly or indirectly have contributed to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> unnatural -system now adopted against us. Nothing in truth should we have to do if -good faith had been the spring of action, used by the partisans of -oppression against liberty; but, as the last analysis of our -misfortunes, we cannot extricate ourselves from the condition of slaves -without being branded with the disgraceful epithets of ungrateful -rebels. Let those therefore listen and judge us who have no part in our -misfortunes, and who are now desirous of having none in our disputes, in -order not to augment the prejudices of our enemies, and let them not -lose sight of the solemn act of our just, necessary, and modest -emancipation.</p> - -<p>"Caracas was apprised of the scandalous scenes which took place at the -Escurial and Aranjues at a time when she was already convinced of what -were her rights, and the state in which they were placed by those -extraordinary occurrences; but the habit of obedience on the one hand, -the apathy that despotism had produced on the other, and in fine our -fidelity and good faith, were at that moment paramount to every other -feeling. After the communication of Murat, the kingly substitute of -Joseph Bonaparte, had reached the capital of the monarchy, the -authorities did not even hesitate respecting the reception of it, the -people only thought of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> being faithful, consistent, and generous, -without premeditating on the evils to which this noble and gallant -conduct would expose them. Without any other view than that of honour, -Venezuela refused to follow the opinions of the leading characters in -Madrid, some of whom, in support of the orders of the French Regent of -the kingdom, exacted of us the oath of allegiance to the new king; -others declared and published that Spain had received a new existence -since her old authorities abandoned her, since the cession made by the -Bourbons and the entrance of the new dynasty; that they had recovered -their absolute independence and liberty, and that they offered the same -alluring terms to the Americans, who by the same means might procure the -same rights. But the first step we took for our own security convinced -the junta central that there was something in us besides habits and -prejudices, and they began to change their tune respecting liberality -and sincerity; they perfidiously adopted the talisman Ferdinand at first -practised in good faith; they suppressed, but with cunning and suavity, -the plain and legal project of Caracas in 1808 to form a junta, and to -imitate the representative system of the governments of Spain; and they -began to set up a new species of despotism<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> under the factitious name of -a king, acknowledged only from a principle of generosity, and destined -to oppress and tyrannise us by those who had usurped the sovereignty.</p> - -<p>"New governors and judges initiated in the new system projected by Spain -against America, decided in the support of it at our expense, and -provided with instructions for even the last political change which -might occur in the other hemisphere, were the consequences resulting -from the surprize that our unparalleled and unexpected generosity caused -to the central junta. Ambiguity, artifice, and disorder were the springs -employed to keep in motion this short-lived administration: as they saw -their empire exposed and tottering, they wished to gain in one day what -had enriched their ancestors for many years; and as their authority was -backed by that of their parasites, all their endeavours were directed to -the support of each other under the shadow of our illusion and good -faith. No statute or law against these plans was effective; and every -measure that favoured the new system of political freemasonry was to -have the force of law, however opposed it might be to the principle of -equity and justice. After the declaration of the Captain-general Emparan -made to the <i>audiencia</i>, that in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> Caracas there was no other law nor -will but his own, and this fully demonstrated in several arbitrary acts -and excesses, such as placing on the bench of the judge the King's -accuser-general; intercepting and opening the papers sent by Don Pedro -Gonsales Ortega to the central junta; expulsing from the provinces this -same public functionary, as well as the captain, Don Francisco -Rodrigues, and the assessor of the consulate, Don Miguel Jose Sanz, who -were all embarked for Cadiz or Porto Rico, as well as sentencing to -labour in the public works without any previous form of trial a -considerable number of men, who were dragged from their homes under the -epithet of vagrants; revoking and suspending the resolutions of the -royal audience, when they were according to his caprice and absolute -will, after naming a recorder without the consent of the corporation; -creating and causing the assessor to be received without either title or -authority for the same, after he had supported his pride and his -ignorance in every excess; after many scandalous disputes between the -audience and the corporation, and after all the law characters had been -reconciled to the plan of these despots, in order that these might be -more inexpugnable to us, it was agreed to organize and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> carry into -effect the project of espionage and duplicity.</p> - -<p>"Of all this there remains authentic testimony in our archives, -notwithstanding the vigilance with which these were examined by the -friends of the late authorities: there exists in Cuenca an order of the -Spanish government to excite discord among the nobles and among the -different branches of American families. There are besides many written -and well-known documents of corruption, gambling, and libertinism -promoted by Guevara, for the purpose of demoralizing the country; and no -one can ever forget the collusions and subornings publicly used by the -judges, and proved in the act of their residencia.</p> - -<p>"Under these auspices the defeats and misfortunes of the Spanish armies -were concealed. Pompous and imaginary triumphs over the French on the -peninsula were forged and announced; the streets were ordered to be -illuminated, gunpowder was wasted in salutes, the bells announced the -rejoicings, and religion was prostituted by the chanting Te Deums and -other public acts, as if to insult Providence, and invoke a perpetuity -of the evils we groaned under. In order to allow us no time to analyze -our own fate, or discover the snares laid for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span> us, conspiracies were -invented, parties and factions were forged in the imagination of our -oppressors, every one was calumniated who did not consent to be -initiated in the mysteries of perfidy; fleets and emissaries from France -were figured as being on our seas, and residing among us; our -correspondence with the neighbouring colonies was circumscribed and -restricted; our trade received new fetters, and the whole was for the -purpose of keeping us in a state of continual agitation, that we might -not fix our attention on our own situation and interests.</p> - -<p>"When our forbearance was once alarmed, and our vigilance awakened, we -began to lose all confidence in the governments of Spain and their -agents; through the veil of their intrigues and machinations we -perceived the horrid futurity that awaited us; the genius of truth, -elevated above the dense atmosphere of oppression and calumny, pointed -out to us with the finger of impartiality the true fate of Spain, the -disorders of her governments, the unavailing energy of her inhabitants, -the formidable power of her enemies, and the groundless hopes of her -salvation. Shut up in our own houses, surrounded by spies, threatened -with infamy and banishment, scarcely daring to bewail our<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> own -situation, or even secretly to complain against our vigilant and cunning -enemies; the consonance of our blinded sighs exhaled in the moments of -the most galling oppression, at length gave uniformity to our sentiments -and united our opinions. Shut up within the walls of our own houses, and -debarred from all communication with our fellow-citizens, there was -scarcely an individual in Caracas who did not think that the moment of -being for ever free, or of sanctioning irrevocably a new and horrid -slavery, had arrived.</p> - -<p>"Every day discovered more and more the nullity of the acts of Bayonne, -the invalidity of the rights of Ferdinand, and of all the Bourbons who -were privy to the arrangements; the ignominy with which they delivered -up as slaves those who had placed them on the throne in opposition to -the house of Austria; the connivance of the head functionaries in Spain -to the plans of the new dynasty; the fate that these same plans prepared -for America, and the necessity of forming some resolution that might -shield the new world from the calamities which from its relations with -the old were about to visit it. All saw their treasures buried in the -unfathomable disorders of the peninsula; they wept for the blood of -Americans spilt in defence<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> of the enemies of America, in order to -support the slavery of their own country. Notwithstanding the vigilance -of the tyrants, all saw the very interior of Spain, where they beheld -nothing but disorder, corruption, factions, misfortunes, defeats, -treacheries, dispersed armies, whole provinces in the hands of the enemy -and their disciplined troops, and at the head of all a weak and -tumultuary government formed out of such rare elements.</p> - -<p>"Dismay was the general and uniform impression observed in the -countenances of the people of Venezuela by the agents of oppression sent -from Spain to support at any hazard the infamous cause of their -constituents; a word might cause proscription, or a discourse banishment -to the author; and every attempt to do in America what was done in -Spain, if it did not shed the blood of the Americans, it was at least -sufficient to occasion the ruin, infamy, and desolation of many -families, as may be seen by the act of proscription of several officers -and citizens of rank and probity, decreed on the twentieth of March, -1810, by Emparan.<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> Such a miscalculation could not fail to produce or -multiply the convulsions, to augment the popular reaction,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> to prepare -the combustible, and dispose it in such a manner that the least spark -would kindle it, and create a blaze that would consume, and even efface -every vestige of so hard and melancholy a condition. Spain needy and -almost desolate, her fate dependent on the generosity of America, and -almost in the act of being blotted out from the list of nations, -appeared as if transported back to the sixteenth or seventeenth -centuries, she again began to conquer America with arms more destructive -than iron or lead; every day gave birth to some new proof of the fate -that awaited us, a fate that would place us in the sad alternative of -being sold to a foreign power, or obliged to groan for ever under a -fresh and irrevocable bondage, whilst we alone were expectant on the -happy moment that might bring our opinions into action, and join us in -such a manner that we could express them, and support them.</p> - -<p>"Amidst the sighs and imprecations of general despair, the entrance of -the French in Andalusia, the dissolution of the central junta brought -about by the effects of public execration, and the abortive institution -of another protean government, under the name of regency, reached our -ears. This was announced under ideas more liberal, and on perceiving the -efforts<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> of the Americans to avail themselves of the opportunity which -the vices and nullities of so strange a government presented to them, -they endeavoured to strengthen the illusion by brilliant promises, by -theories barren of reform, and by announcing to us that our fate was no -longer in the hands of viceroys, ministers, or governors; at the same -time that all their agents received the strictest orders to watch over -our conduct, and even over our opinions, and not to suffer these to -exceed the limits traced by the eloquence that gilded the chains forged -in the captious and cunning promise of emancipation.</p> - -<p>"At any other period this would have sufficed to deceive the Americans, -but the junta of Seville, as well as the central junta, had already gone -too far in order to remove the bandage from our eyes, and what was then -combined, meditated, and polished to subject us again with phrases and -hyperboles, only served to redouble our vigilance, to collect our -opinions, and to establish a firm and unshaken resolution to perish -rather than remain any longer the victims of cabal and perfidy. The eve -of that day on which our religion celebrates the most august mystery of -the redemption of the human race, was that designated by <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span>Providence to -be the commencement of the political redemption of America. On Holy -Thursday, April nineteenth, 1810, the colossus of despotism was thrown -down in Venezuela, the empire of law proclaimed, and the tyrants -expelled with all the suavity, moderation, and tranquillity that they -themselves have confessed, so much so in fact, as to have filled with -admiration of, and friendship for us the rest of the impartial world.</p> - -<p>"All sensible persons would have supposed that a nation recovering its -rights, and freeing itself from its oppressors, would in its blind fury -have broken down every barrier that might place it directly or -indirectly within the reach of the influence of those very governments -that had hitherto caused its misfortunes, and its oppression. Venezuela, -faithful to her promises, did no more than ensure her own security in -order to comply with them, and if with one strong and generous hand she -deposed the authors of her misery and her slavery, with the other she -placed the name of Ferdinand VII. at the head of her new government, -swore to maintain his rights, promised to acknowledge the unity and -integrity of the Spanish nation, opened her arms to her European -brethren, offered them an asylum in their misfortunes and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> calamities, -equally hated the enemies of the Spanish name, solicited the generous -alliance of England, and prepared to take her share of the success or -misfortunes of the nation from whom she could and ought to be separated.</p> - -<p>"But it was not this that the regency exacted of us, when it declared us -free in its theories, it subjected us in practice to a small and -insignificant representation, believing that those to whom it considered -nothing was due, would be content to receive whatever was granted to -them by their masters. Under so liberal a calculation the regency was -desirous of keeping up the illusion, to pay us with words, promises, and -inscriptions for our long slavery, and for the blood and treasure we had -expended in Spain. We were fully aware how little we had to expect from -the policy and intrusive agents of Ferdinand, we were not ignorant that -if we were not to be dependent on viceroys, ministers, and governors, -with greater reason we could not be subject to a king, a captive and -without the rights of authority; nor to a government null and -illegitimate, nor to a nation incapable of holding sway over another, -nor to a peninsular corner of Europe, almost wholly occupied by a -foreign force. Nevertheless, desirous of effecting our own freedom by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> -the means of generosity, moderation, and civic virtues, we acknowledged -the imaginary rights of the son of Maria Louisa, we respected the -misfortunes of the nation, and officially announced to the regency that -we disowned, that we promised not to separate from Spain so long as she -maintained a legal government, established according to the will of the -nation, and in which America had that part given to her, required by -justice, necessity, and the political importance of her territory.</p> - -<p>"If three hundred years of former servitude do not suffice to authorize -our emancipation, there has been sufficient cause in the conduct of the -governments which arrogated to themselves the sovereignty of a conquered -nation, which never could have any property in America declared an -integral part of the same, whilst they attempted to involve it in -conquest. If the governors of Spain had been paid by her enemies, they -could not have done more against the felicity of the nation, bound in -its close union and correspondence with America. With the greatest -contempt of our importance, and of the justice of our claims when they -could not deny us the appearance of a representation, they subjected it -to the despotic influence of their agents, over our municipalities, to -whom<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> the election was committed; and whilst Spain allowed even for the -provinces in possession of the French, the Canaries and Balearic -islands, one representative for each 50,000 souls, freely elected by -these, in America a 1,000,000 scarcely sufficed to have the right of one -representative, named by the Viceroy or captain-general, under the -signature of the municipality.</p> - -<p>"At the same time that we, strong in the right of our own justice and -the moderation of our proceedings, hoped that if the reasons we alleged -to the regency to convince them of the necessity of our resolution did -not triumph, at least that the generous disposition with which we -promised not to become the enemy of our oppressed and unfortunate -brethren would be successful, dispositions which the new government of -Caracas was desirous should not be limited to barren promises; and the -unprejudiced and impartial world will know, that Venezuela has passed -the time which intervened between April 19th, 1810, to July 5th, 1811, -in a bitter and painful alternative of acts of ingratitude, insults, and -hostilities on the part of Spain; and of generosity, modesty, and -forbearance on ours. This period is the most interesting of the history -of our revolution, so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> much so, that its events present a contrast so -favourable to our cause, that it cannot have failed to gain over for us -the impartial decision of those nations that have no interest in -disparaging our efforts.</p> - -<p>"Previous to the result of our political transformation, we received -daily new motives sufficiently strong for each to have caused us to do -what we have now done, after three centuries of misery and degradation. -In every vessel that arrived from Spain new agents with fresh -instructions came to strengthen those who supported the cause of -ambition and perfidy. For the very same ends, those Europeans who wished -to return to Spain, and assist in the war against the French, received a -refusal to their request. On the tenth of April, 1810, the schools were -ordered to be closed, to the end, that under the pretence of attending -solely to the war, both Spain and America might be sunk deeper into a -state of ignorance. It was also ordained, that rights and rewards should -be forgotten, and that we should do nothing but send to Spain our money, -our men, provisions, productions, submissions, and obedience.</p> - -<p>"The public press teemed with nothing but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span> triumphs and victories, with -donations and acknowledgments wrested from the people, as yet uninformed -of our resolution; and under the most severe threats of punishment, a -political inquisition with all its horrors was established against those -who should read, possess, or receive papers, not only foreign but even -Spanish that were not issued at the manufactory of the regency. Contrary -to the very orders of the self-constituted sovereignty, previously -issued to deceive us, every bound was over-leaped in the re-election of -ultramarine functionaries, whose only merit consisted in swearing to -maintain the system contrived by the regency. In the most scandalous and -barefaced manner, that order which favoured our trade and encouraged our -agriculture was annulled, condemned to the flames, and its authors and -promoters proscribed. Every kind of aid was expected of us; but we were -never informed of its destination, inversion, and expenditure. In -contempt of even a shadow of public faith, and without any exception -whatever, all epistolary correspondence from these countries was ordered -to be opened, an excess unheard of even under the despotism of Godoy, -and only adopted to make the espionage over America<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> more tyrannical. In -fine, the plans laid for the purpose of perpetuating our bondage now -began to be practically realized.</p> - -<p>"In the mean time, Venezuela, free, and mistress of herself, thought of -nothing less than imitating the detestable conduct of the regency and -its agents: content with having secured her fate against the ambition of -an intrusive and illegitimate authority, and shielded it against the -blackest and most complicated plans, was satisfied with shewing by -positive acts her desire for peace, friendship, correspondence, and -co-operation with her European brethren. All those of this class who -were among us, as such were considered, and two-thirds of the political, -civil, and military employments, both of the high and middle classes, -remained or were placed in the hands of Europeans without any -precaution, but with a sincerity and good faith that nearly proved fatal -to our own interests.</p> - -<p>"Our treasures were generously opened to our enemies, that they might -enjoy every convenience and profusion in their passage from our country: -the captains of the packets, Carmen, Fortuna, and Araucana were received -into our ports, and assisted with money to enable<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> them to proceed on -their voyage, and fulfil their respective commissions, and even the -insolence and crimes of the captain of the Fortuna were referred to the -judgment of the Spanish government. Notwithstanding the junta of -government of Caracas made manifest the motives of precaution which -obliged them not to expose the public funds which were destined to -recover the nation, to the veracity of government they allowed and -exhorted the people to be generous, and use their fortunes according to -the impulse of their own sensibility, by publishing in the public papers -the mournful statement of the regency, in which was portrayed the -agonizing state of the nation, with the view to solicit our aid, and the -same time that they represented it, through the medium of their public -prints, as vigorous, organized, and triumphant; but these were destined -to deceive us. The commissioners of the regency sent to Quito,<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> Santa -Fé, and Peru were hospitably received, treated as friends, and their -pecuniary wants supplied to their own satisfaction. But we lose time in -thus analyzing the dark and cunning conduct of our enemies, as all their -endeavours have not sufficed to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> warp the imperious and triumphing -impression of ours.</p> - -<p>"The arrogant mandataries of our country were not, however, the only -persons authorized to support the horrid plans of their constituents; -the same uniform and universal mission was brought out by all those who -inundated America from the sad and ominous reigns of the junta of -Seville, the central junta, and the regency, and under the system of -political freemasonry, founded on the Machiavelic pact; they all -accorded in mutually substituting, replacing, and assisting each other -in the combined plans against the felicity and political existence of -the new world. The island of Puerto Rico was immediately made the haunt -of all the agents of the regency; the place of equipment for all the -expeditions; the head quarters of all the anti-American forces; the -workshop of all the impostors, calumnies, triumphs and threats of the -regents; the refuge of all the wicked; the rendezvous of a new gang of -bucaniers, in order that there might not be wanting any of the -calamities of the sixteenth century in the new conquest of America in -the nineteenth. The Americans of Puerto Rico, oppressed by the bayonets, -cannons, fetters, and gibbets which surrounded the bashaw Melendes and -his satellites, had to add to their own<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> misfortunes the painful -necessity of contributing to ours. Such was the fate of the Americans; -condemned not only to be galley-slaves, but to be the drivers of each -other.</p> - -<p>"The conduct observed by Spain to America is harder and more insulting -than that which she appears to exercise towards France. It is well known -that part of the dynasty, still resisted by part of the nation, has had -decided partizans in many of those who considered themselves the first -national dignitaries, for their rank, offices, talents, and knowledge; -among these may be counted Morla, Azanza, Ofarrill, Urquijo, Masarredo, -and many others of every class and profession; but still there has not -appeared one of those who so much desire the liberty of independence and -regeneration of the peninsula, that has raised his voice in favour of -the American provinces. These, therefore, adopting the same principles -of fidelity and national integrity, have of their own accord been -ambitious of preserving themselves independent of such intrusive, -illegitimate, weak, and tumultuary governments, as have been all those -that have hitherto called themselves the agents of the king, or -representatives of the nation. It is vexing to see so much liberality, -so much civism, and so much<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> disinterest in the cortes with regard to -disorganized, exhausted, and nearly conquered Spain, and full of so much -meanness, suspicion, prejudice and pride, towards America; tranquil, -faithful, generous, decided to assist her brethren, when she alone can -give reality, at least in the most essential point, to the theoretical -and brilliant plans which make the Spanish Congress so arrogant. How -many treasons, murders, assassinations, perfidies and convulsions have -appeared in Spain; these have passed by as the inseparable misfortunes -of circumstances, yet not one of the provinces that surrendered, or was -attached to the French domination, has been treated like Venezuela; -their conduct must however have been analyzed, and characterised -according to reasons, motives, and circumstances that dictated it; this -must have been judged in conformity to the rights of war, and the -sentiments of the nation must have been pronounced according to the -statements laid before it, but not one of them has yet been declared -traitorous, in open rebellion, and unnaturalized as was Venezuela; for -none of them has been created a public commission of diplomatic -mutineers, to arm Spaniard against Spaniard, to fan the flame of civil -war, and to burn and annihilate all that cannot be held in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> the name of -Ferdinand VII. America alone is condemned to endure the until now -unheard of condition of being warred upon, destroyed, or enslaved with -the very means of assistance which she destined for the liberty and -common felicity of the nation of which she was led to believe for a few -moments that she constituted a part.</p> - -<p>"It appears that the independence of America creates more irritation to -Spain, than the foreign oppression that threatens her, for against her -are in preference employed measures that have not even been adopted -against the very provinces that have proclaimed the new king. The -incendiary and turbulent talent of a minister of the council of Indies -could not have a more dignified employment than that of again conquering -Venezuela with the same arms as those of the Alfingers and the Welzers, -those first tyrants of Venezuela, authorized by Charles V., and the -promoters of civil war amongst her primitive inhabitants, now re-assumed -in the name of a king placed on the throne against the pretensions of -the family of him who let out these provinces to the German factors. -Under this name of Ferdinand all the sluices of iniquity are opened upon -us, and the horrors of conquest are renewed, the remembrance of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span> which -we had generously endeavoured to blot out from the memory of our -posterity; under this name we are treated with more severity than those -who abandoned it before we did; and under this name it is attempted to -continue the system of Spanish domination in America, which has been -looked upon as a political phenomenon even in the times of the reality, -energy and vigour of the Spanish monarchy. And can there be found any -law that obliges us to preserve it, and to suffer in its name the -torrent of distresses heaped upon us by those who call themselves the -agents of the peninsula? By their means this very name obtained the -treasures, the obedience, and acknowledgments of America, and by means -of their flagitious conduct afterwards, in the exercise of their powers, -the name of Ferdinand has lost every consideration amongst us, and -consequently we ought to abandon it for ever. <i>Ex qua persona quis -lucrum capit, ejus factum præstare tenetur.</i></p> - -<p>"The tyrant of Borrigum (primitive name of Puerto Rico) not content with -constituting himself a sovereign, to declare war against us, and with -insulting and calumniating us in his flimsy, mean, and self-flattering -papers; not satisfied with creating himself the gratuitous gaol-keeper -of the emissaries of peace, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> confederation sent to him by his -comrade Migares from the castle of Zapáras de Maracaibo; because they -overturned the plans he had received, and accepted from the regency and -the new king of Spain, in exchange for the captain-generalship of -Venezuela, purchased at a cheap rate of the regents; not considering -such superior merit sufficiently rewarded with the honour of faithfully -serving his king; in the most barefaced manner plundered upwards of a -hundred thousand dollars from the public funds belonging to Caracas, -that had been embarked in the ship Ferdinand VII. in order to purchase -stores and military clothing in London, where the insurance was -effected; and in order that his insult might be the more complete, he -alleged that the Spanish government might waste and misapply them, that -England might appropriate them to herself, disowning our resolution, so -that in no place they could, or ought to be more secure than in his -hands, negociated by means of his partners in trade, as in fact they -were in Philadelphia, adding that an account should be given in when -Puerto Rico had conquered Venezuela, when the latter should deliver -herself up to the regency, or when Ferdinand VII. should return to reign -in Spain. Such it appears were the periods that the governor of Puerto -Rico<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> imposed upon himself to render an account of so atrocious and -scandalous a depredation; but this is not all that this worthy agent of -the regency has done in favour of the designs of his constituents.</p> - -<p>"Notwithstanding so much insult, robbery, and ingratitude, Venezuela -maintained her resolution, not to vary the principles she had traced out -for her conduct; the sublime act of her national representation was -proclaimed in the name of Ferdinand VII.; under his phantasmagorical -authority all the acts of our government and administration were -maintained, though they required no other origin than the people who had -constituted them. By the laws and regulations of Spain a horrible and -sanguinary gang of European conspirators were tried, and these laws were -mercifully infringed to save their lives, in order that the -philanthropic memory of our revolution might not be stained with the -blood of our brethren, although they were perfidious. Under the name of -Ferdinand, and through the interposition of the bonds of fraternity and -patriotism, endeavours were used to inform and reduce the imperious -mandataries of Coro and Maracaibo, who kept separated from our interests -our brethren of the west; under the auspices of reciprocal interests, -we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> triumphed over the oppressive acts of Barcelona, and under the same -we will conquer Guayana, twice snatched from our confederation, as was -Maracaibo, against the general wishes of its inhabitants.</p> - -<p>"It would appear as if nothing now remained to be done to secure a -reconciliation with Spain, or the entire and absolute separation of -America, equally as ruinous and calamitous to the one, as it was -ungratefully despised by the other party; but Venezuela was desirous of -draining every means left within her reach, in order that justice and -necessity should leave her no other alternative than that of total -independence, which ought to have been declared on the fifteenth of -July, 1808, or on the nineteenth of April, 1810. After appealing to -sensibility and not to vengeance, in the horrid scenes that took place -at Quito, Pose, and La Pas; after beholding our own cause supported by -the uniformity of opinions in Buenos Ayres, Santa Fé, the Floridas, -Mexico, Guatemala, and Chile; after obtaining an indirect guarantee on -the part of England; after having our conduct applauded by impartial -individuals in Europe; after seeing the same principles triumph from the -Orinoco to the Magdalena, and from Cape Codero to the Andes; we have -still<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> to endure fresh insults, before we fly to the extreme of breaking -with our brethren for ever.</p> - -<p>"Caracas, without having done more than imitate the conduct of many of -the provinces of Spain, and practised the rights that the regency -declared to appertain to America; without having had in this conduct -other designs than those inspired by the necessity of not being involved -in an unknown fate, and to relieve the regents from attending to the -government of countries as remote as they are extensive, at the same -time they protested to attend to nothing but the expulsion of the French -from Spain; without having rent her unity and political integrity with -Spain; without having disowned as was possible and proper the lame -rights of Ferdinand; the regency, far from applauding on the right of -convenience, if not of generosity, so just, modest and necessary a -resolution, and without even answering or submitting to the judgment of -the nation our complaints and our claims: Caracas is declared in a state -of war, her inhabitants are proclaimed rebels and unnaturalized, every -communication with her brethren is cut off, England is deprived of her -trade, the excesses of Melendes are approved of, and he is authorized to -commit whatever the malignity of his heart may suggest to him, however -opposed to reason<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> and to justice; all this is proved by the order of -the fourth of September, 1810, unparalleled for its enormity even among -the despots of Constantinople or Indostan; and not to deviate in the -least from the plots of the conquest, a new <i>encomendero</i> is sent out, -under the title of a pacificator, (pacificador) who with more -prerogatives than conquerors and settlers themselves, was to fix his -residence in Puerto Rico, and thence to threaten, rob, pirate, promise, -deceive, excite civil disturbances, and all in the name of the beloved -Ferdinand VII.</p> - -<p>"Till then the progress of the system of subversion, anarchy, and -depredation, which the regency proposed to itself on hearing of the -movements of Caracas, had been but slow; now the principal fears of -civil war being transferred nearer to us, the subaltern agents acquired -more strength, the flames of passion were increased, as well as the -efforts of the parties guided by the directions of Cortavarria and -Melendes. Hence originated the incendiary energy acquired by the -ephemeral sedition of the west; hence the flame of discord, newly formed -by Myares, rendered vain and arrogant by the imaginary and promised -captain-general-ship of Venezuela; hence the American blood spilled in -spite of ourselves on the plains of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> Coro; hence the robberies and -assassinations committed on our coasts by the commissioned pirates of -the regency; hence that miserable blockade, intended to reduce and -disaffect our settlements on the coast; hence the insults committed on -the English flag; hence the falling off of our trade; hence the -conspiracies of the valleys of Aragua and Cumaná; hence the horrid -perfidy in Guayana; and the insulting transportation of its leading -characters to the Moorish dungeons of Puerto Rico—dungeons constructed -like those of Tunis and Algiers; hence the generous and impartial -offices of reconciliation sincerely interposed by a representative<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> of -the British government in the Antilles, and rejected by the pseudo -pacificator; hence, in fine, all the evils, all the atrocities, and all -the crimes which are and ever will be attached to the names of -Cortavarria and Melendes in Venezuela, and which have impelled her -government to exceed what was proposed when it took upon itself the fate -of those who honored it with their confidence.</p> - -<p>"The mission of Cortavarria in the nineteenth century, and the state of -Spain which decreed it, compared with America, against<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> whom it is -directed, evinces to what an extent the illusion of ambition blinds -those who found all the origin of their authority on the depravity of -the people. This act alone sufficed to authorize our conduct. The spirit -of Charles V., the memory of Cortes and Pizarro, and the names of -Montesuma and Atahualpa, are involuntarily reproduced in our -imagination, when we see the <i>adelantados</i>, the <i>pesquisadores</i>, and the -<i>encomenderos</i>, officers peculiar to the first settlement of America, -renewed in a country which, having suffered three centuries of sacrifice -and debasement, had promised to continue faithful on the only condition -of being free, in order that accidents of slavery might not tarnish the -merit of fidelity. The scandalous plenitude of power conferred on a man -who is authorised by an intrusive and illegitimate government, under the -insulting name of pacificator, to tyrannize and plunder, and to crown -the vexation, that he might pardon a noble, generous, tranquil, innocent -people, who were masters of their own rights, could only be credited in -the impotent delirium of a government that tyrannizes over a -disorganized nation, stunned by the fury of the tempest that reaches -her; but as the evils of this disorder, and the abuses of such an -usurpation might be considered as not derived from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> Ferdinand, already -acknowledged in Venezuela, at the time that he was unable to prevent -such accumulated insults, such excesses, and so much violence, committed -in his name, we consider it necessary to retrace the origin of these -rights, that we may descant on the nullity and invalidity of our -generous oath, by which we acknowledged him conditionally; -notwithstanding, we have in spite of ourselves to violate the -spontaneous silence we had imposed upon ourselves respecting every thing -that occurred prior to the affairs at the Escurial and Aranjues.</p> - -<p>"The fact, that America does not belong to the territory of Spain is -self-evident, and it is equally evident that the right which the -Bourbons justly or unjustly exercised over it, and notwithstanding this -was hereditary, yet it could not be disposed of without the consent of -the people, and particularly of those of America, who, on the election -between the French and Austrian dynasties, might have acted in the -seventeenth century as they now have done in the nineteenth. The bull of -Alexander VI., and the titles which the house of Austria alleged in the -American code had no other origin than the right of power and conquest, -partially ceded to the conquerors and to the settlers for their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span> -assistance rendered to the crown in extending its dominion in America. -Without taking into consideration the scanty population of the country, -the extermination of the natives, and the emigration which the -self-called mother country sustained; it appears that when the fury of -conquest had ceased—when the thirst for gold was satisfied—when the -continued equilibrium was declared in favour of Spain, by the -advantageous acquisition of America—the feudal government destroyed and -rooted out from the time of the Bourbons in Spain, and every right -extinct that did not originate in the new concessions or commands of the -prince, the conquerors and the settlers then became absolved of theirs. -As soon as the faultiness and invalidity of the rights which the -Bourbons have arrogated to themselves are demonstrated, the titles by -which the American descendants of the conquerors possessed these -countries revive—not to the detriment of the natives and primitive -proprietors, but to equalize them in the enjoyment of liberty, property, -and independence, which they always held by a right stronger than that -of the Bourbons or any other person or persons to whom they may have -ceded America, without the consent of its natural owners, the Americans.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p><p>"That America does not belong to the territory of Spain is a principle -of natural, and a law of positive right. No title just or unjust which -exists of American slavery can belong to the Spaniards of Europe, and -all the liberality of Alexander VI. could only declare the Austrian -kings promoters of the faith, in order to find out for them a -preternatural right by which to make them lords of America. Neither the -pre-eminence of the parent state, nor the prerogative of the mother -country, could at any time constitute the origin of lordship on the part -of Spain. The first was lost the moment the monarch who was acknowledged -by the Americans left his country and renounced his rights; and the -second never was more than a scandalous abuse of words, as great as that -of calling our slavery felicity; that of calling the fiscals protectors -of the indians; and that of saying that the sons of Americans were -divested of every right and civil dignity. By the mere act of even -passing from one country to another to settle in it, those who do not -leave their homes acquire no property, nor do they expose themselves to -the hardships of emigration. Those who conquer and obtain possession of -a country by means of their labour, industry, cultivation, and -connection with the natives<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span> thereof, are the individuals who have a -right of preference in preserving it, which right they transmit to their -posterity born therein; for if the country where one is born possessed -the origin of sovereignty, or gave the right of acquisition, the general -will of nations, and the fate of the human race, would then be riveted -to the soil, as are the trees, mountains, rivers, and lakes.</p> - -<p>"Neither could it ever be considered as a title of property to one part -of a nation, the other having gone to another country to settle in it; -for by such a right Spain would belong to the Phœnicians, or their -descendants, or to the Carthagenians, wherever these may be found; even -the whole of the nations of Europe would have to change their abodes to -make room for and re-establish so singular a territorial right; home -would then become as precarious as are the wants and caprices of men. -The moral abuse of the maternity of Spain, with regard to America is -still more insignificant, for it is well known that in the natural order -of things, it is the duty of the father to emancipate the son, so soon -as his minority expire, and he is able to use his strength and reason in -providing for his subsistence; and also that it is the duty of the son -to emancipate himself, whenever the cruelty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span> or extravagance of the -father or tutor endanger his welfare, or expose his patrimony to become -the prey of a miser, or an usurper. Under these principles let a -comparison be made of the three hundred years of our filiation to Spain; -and even when it is proved, that she was our mother, it still remains to -be proved that we are yet her minors or pupils.</p> - -<p>"At any period when Spain has entertained any doubt of the rights of the -Bourbons, or of any other dynasty, the only source, and that not a very -clear one, of the Spanish dominion in America, it would appear that the -Americans were excluded from alleging any reasons that might destroy -such claims, though doubtful from their very origin; but as Venezuela -may hereafter be reproached for the conditional oath by which the -representative body that now declares its absolute independence of any -foreign power previously acknowledged Ferdinand VII., the same august -body feels anxious that no room should be left for scruples of -conscience, for the illusions of ignorance, and for the malice of -wounded ambition, whereby to discredit, calumniate, and weaken a -resolution, taken with such maturity and deliberation as best suited its -magnitude and importance.</p> - -<p>"It is well known, that the promissory oath<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> in question is no more than -an accessory bond, which always pre-supposes the validity and legitimacy -of the contract ratified by the same. When in the contract there is no -defect that may render it null and illegitimate, it is then that we -invoke God by an oath, believing that he will not refuse to witness it, -and guarantee the fulfilment of our promises, because the obligation to -comply with them is founded on an evident maxim of the natural law -instituted by the divine author. God can at no time guarantee any -contract that is not binding in the natural order of things, nor can it -be supposed that he will accept any contract opposed to those very laws -which he himself has established for the felicity of the human race. It -would be insulting his wisdom to believe that he would listen to our -vows when we implore his divine concurrence to a contract that is -opposed to our own liberty, the only origin of the right of our -actions—such a supposition would inculcate an idea that God had an -interest in multiplying our duties by means of such agreements, to the -prejudice of our national liberty. Even in case the oath could add any -new obligation to that of the contract thereby confirmed, the nullity of -the one would consequently be inseparable from the nullity of the -other;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> and if he who violates a sworn contract be criminal, and worthy -of punishment, it is because he has violated good faith, the only bond -of society, without the perjury being more concerned than to increase -the crime, and to aggravate the punishment. That national law which -binds us to fulfil our promises, and that divine one which forbids us to -invoke the name of God in vain, do not in any manner alter the -obligation contracted under the simultaneous and inseparable effects of -both laws, so that the infraction of the one supposes the infraction of -the other. For our good we call on God to witness our promises, and when -we believe that he can guarantee them, and avenge their violation, it is -only because the contract has nothing in itself that can render it -invalid, illicit, unworthy of or contrary to the eternal justice of the -Supreme Arbiter to whom we submit it. It is according to these -principles that we are to analyze the conditional oath by which the -congress of Venezuela has promised to preserve the rights legally held -by Ferdinand VII., without attributing to it any other which, being -contrary to the liberty of the people, would consequently invalidate the -contract, and annul the oath.</p> - -<p>"We have seen that the people of Venezuela,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> impelled by the government -of Spain, became insensible of the circumstances that rendered the -tolerated rights of Ferdinand void, in consequence of the transactions -of the Escurial and Aranjues, as well as those of all his house, by the -cessions and abdications made at Bayonne; and from the demonstration of -this truth, follows, as a corollary, the invalidity of an oath, which, -besides being conditional, could not subsist beyond the contract to -which it was added as an accessory bond. To preserve the right of -Ferdinand was all that Caracas promised on the nineteenth of April, at a -time when she was ignorant that he had lost them—<i>Judicio caret -juramentum, incantum Div. tom. 22, p. 80, art. 3. Si vero sit quidem -posibile fieri; sed fieri non debeat, vel quid est per se malum, vel -quia est boni impeditivum, tunc juramento deest justitia, et ideo non -est servandum</i>. Quest, cit. art. 7. Even if Ferdinand retained them with -regard to Spain, it remains to be proved, whether by virtue of the same -he was authorized to cede America to another dynasty, without the -concurrence of her own consent. The accounts which Venezuela, in spite -of the oppression and cunning of the intrusive government, was enabled -to obtain of the conduct of the Bourbons, and the fatal effects that it -was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> likely to entail on America, have constituted a body of -irrefragable proofs, evincing that as Ferdinand no longer retained any -rights, the preservation of which Venezuela promised, as well as the -oath by which she confirmed this promise, consequently are, and ought to -be cancelled—<i>Jurabis in veritate, et in judicio, et in justicia</i>. From -the first part of the position, the nullity of the second becomes a -legitimate consequence.</p> - -<p>"But neither the Escurial, Aranjues, nor Bayonne were the first theatres -of the transactions which deprived the Bourbons of their rights to -America. By the treaty of Basil, made July fifteenth, 1795, (by which -Godoy obtained the title of Prince of the Peace), and in the court of -Spain the fundamental laws of the Spanish dominion were broken. Charles -IV., contrary to one of them (Recopil. de Indias, law 1. tit. 1.) ceded -the island of Santa Domingo to France, and disposed of Louisiana to the -same foreign power, which unequalled and scandalous infractions -authorised the Americans, against whom they were committed, as well as -the whole of the Colombian people, to separate from the obedience, and -lay aside the oath by which they had bound themselves to the crown of -Castile, in like manner as they were entitled to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> protest against the -imminent danger which threatened the integrity of the monarchy in both -worlds, by the introduction of French troops into Spain previous to the -transactions at Bayonne, invited no doubt by one of the Bourbon -factions, in order to usurp the national sovereignty in favour of an -intruder, a foreigner, or a traitor; but as these events are prior to -the period that we have fixed on for our discussion, we will return to -those which have authorised our conduct since the year 1808.</p> - -<p>"Every one is aware of the occurrences that took place at the Escurial -in 1807, but perhaps all are not acquainted with the natural results of -those events. It is not our intention to enter here into the discovery -of the origin of the discord that existed in the family of Charles IV.; -let England and France attribute it to themselves, both governments have -their accusers and their defenders; neither is it to our purpose to -notice the marriage agreed on between Ferdinand and the daughter-in-law -of Napoleon, the peace of Tilsit, the conference at Erfuhrt, the secret -treaty at St. Cloud, and the emigration of the house of Bragansa to the -Brasils. What most materially concerns us is, that by the transactions -of the Escurial, Ferdinand VII. was declared a traitor to his father<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> -Charles IV. A hundred pens and a hundred presses published at the same -time in both worlds his perfidy, and the pardon which at his prayer was -granted to him by his father; but this pardon, as an attribute of the -sovereignty and of paternal authority, only absolved the son from -corporal punishment; the king his father had no power to free him from -the infamy and inability which the constitutional laws of Spain impose -on the traitor, not only to prevent him from obtaining the royal -dignity, but even the lowest office of civil employment; Ferdinand -therefore never could be a lawful king of Spain, or of the Indies.</p> - -<p>"To this condition the heir of the crown remained reduced till the month -of March, 1808, when while the court was at Aranjues, the project that -was frustrated at the Escurial was converted into insurrection, and open -mutiny, by the friends of Ferdinand. The public exasperation against the -ministry of Godoy served as a pretext to the faction of Ferdinand, and -as an indirect plea to convert to the good of the nation what was -perhaps allotted to other designs. The fact of using force against his -father, instead of supplication and convincing arguments; his having -excited the people to mutiny; his having assembled the mob in front of -the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> palace, in order to take it by surprise, to insult the minister, -and force the king to abdicate his crown, which, far from giving -Ferdinand any title to it, tended to increase his crime, to aggravate -his treachery, and to complete his inability to ascend the throne, -vacated by violence, perfidy, and faction. Charles IV., outraged, -disobeyed, and threatened, had no other alternative suitable to his -decorum, and favourable to his vengeance, than to emigrate to France to -implore the protection of Bonaparte, in favour his offended royal -dignity. Under the nullity of the abdication of Aranjues, and contrary -to the will of the people of Spain, all the Bourbons assembled at -Bayonne, preferring their personal resentments to the safety of the -nation. The emperor of the French availed himself of this opportunity, -and having under his controul, and within his influence the whole family -of Ferdinand, and several of the first Spanish dignitaries, as well as -many substitutes for deputies in the cortes, he obliged Ferdinand to -restore the crown to his father, and then the latter to cede it to him, -the emperor, in order that he might afterwards confer it on his brother -Joseph.</p> - -<p>"When the emissaries of the new King reached Caracas, Venezuela was -ignorant or knew but partially what had happened. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> innocence of -Ferdinand, compared to the insolence and despotism of the favourite, -Godoy, directed the conduct of Venezuela when the local authorities -wavered on the fifteenth of July, 1808; and being left to choose between -the alternative of delivering himself up to a foreign power, or of -remaining faithful to a king who appeared to be unfortunate and -persecuted—the ignorance of what had occurred—triumphed over the -interests of the country, and Ferdinand was acknowledged, under the -belief, that by this means, the unity of the nation being maintained, -she would be saved from the oppression that threatened her, and the king -ransomed, of whose virtues, wisdom, and rights we were falsely -prepossessed. But less was requisite on the part of those who relied on -our good faith to oppress us. Ferdinand, disqualified, and unable -legally to obtain the crown—previously announced by the leaders of -Spain as dispossessed of his right of succession—incapable of governing -in America, and held in bondage by a foreign power—from that time -became by illusion a legitimate but unfortunate prince. As many as had -the audacity to call themselves his self-created heirs and -representatives became as such, and taking advantage of the innate -fidelity of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> Spaniards of both worlds, and forming themselves into -intrusive governments, they appropriated to themselves the sovereignty -of the people, under the name of a chimerical king, began to exercise -new tyrannies, and, in a word, the commercial junta of Cadiz sought to -extend her controul over the whole of Spanish America.</p> - -<p>"Such have been the antecedents and consequences of an oath, which, -dictated by candour and generosity, and conditionally maintained by good -faith, is now arrayed against us, in order to perpetuate those evils -which the dear-bought experience of three years has proved to be -inseparable to so fatal and ruinous an engagement. Taught as we are by a -series of evils, insults, hardships, and ingratitude, during the -interval of from the fifteenth of July, 1808, to the fifth of July, -1811, and such as we have already manifested, it became full time that -we should abandon it, as a talisman invented by ignorance, and adopted -by a misguided fidelity, as from its first existence it has constantly -heaped upon us all the evils that accompany an ambiguous state of -suspicion and discord. The rights of Ferdinand, and the legitimate -representation of them on the part of the intrusive governments of Spain -on the one side, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span>demonstrations of compassion and gratitude on the -other, have been the two favourite springs alternately played on to -support our illusion, to decrease our substance, to prolong our -degradation, to multiply our evils, and ignominiously to prepare us to -receive that passive fate prepared for us by those who have dealt with -us so kindly for three centuries. Ferdinand VII. is the universal -watch-word for tyranny, as well in Spain as in America.</p> - -<p>"No sooner was that vigilant and suspicious fear, produced among us by -the contradictory acts and artificious falsehoods of the strange and -short-lived governments which have succeeded one another since the junta -of Seville, made known to these governments, than they recurred to a -system of apparent liberality towards us, in order to cover with flowers -the very snare we had not perceived while covered by the veil of -candour, which was at length rent asunder by mistrust. For this purpose -of deceit were accelerated, and tumultuously assembled, the cortes, so -wished for by the nation, and opposed by the commercial government of -Cadiz, but which were at length considered as necessary to restrain the -torrent of liberty and justice, which on every side burst the wounds of -oppression and iniquity in the new world; it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> was even still supposed -that the habit of obedience, submission, and dependence, would be in us -superior to the conviction which at so high a price we had just -obtained.</p> - -<p>"It is most strange by what kind of deception, fatal to Spain, it has -been believed, that the one part of a nation which crosses the ocean, or -is born under the tropics, acquires a habit united to servitude, and -incapable of bending to the habits of liberty. The effects of this -strong-rooted prejudice, as notorious to the world as they are fatal, -were at length converted into the welfare of America. Without it Spain -would perhaps not have lost the rank she held as a nation, and America -in obtaining this blessing would have had to pass through the bitter -ordeal of a civil war, more ominous to its promoters than to ourselves.</p> - -<p>"Our public papers have already sufficiently demonstrated the defects -under which the cortes laboured respecting America, and the measures as -illegal as insulting adopted by that body to give us a representation -which we could not but object to, even though we were, as the regency -had loudly boasted us to be, integral parts of the nation, and had no -other complaints to allege against their government than the scandalous -usurpation of our rights at a moment<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> when they most required our aid. -They have, no doubt, been informed of the reasonings we used with their -perfidious envoy, Montenegro, at a time that the former missions being -frustrated, the great shipments of newspapers filled with triumphs, -reforms, heroic acts, and lamentations, being rendered useless; and the -inefficacy of blockades, pacificators, squadrons and expeditions, made -known; it was thought convenient to dazzle the self-love of the -Americans, by seating near to the throne of the cortes deputies whom we -had never named, and who could not be chosen our substitutes by those -who created them such, in the same manner as they did others for the -provinces in possession of the French, submitting to, and alleging -themselves content under their domination. In case this puerile measure -of the prolific genius of Spain should not produce a due effect, the -envoy (and for this purpose an American, a native of Caracas, was -selected) was ordered, that in case the energy of the country, now -called rebellion, should prevail against fraternity, (the name given to -perfidy), he was to add fuel to the flame already kindled in Coro and -Maracaibo, and that discord, again raising her serpent head, might lead -the herald of the cortes by the hand under the banner of rebellion -through those<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> deceived districts of Venezuela that had not been able -to-triumph over their oppressing tyrants.</p> - -<p>"Stratagems and artifices were repeatedly forged, in order that -duplicity and cunning might prepare the road for the sanguinary armies -of the chiefs of Coro, Maracaibo, and Puerto Rico; and when the cortes -were convinced that the conduct of Ferdinand, his bonds of affinity with -the emperor of the French, and his influence over all the Bourbons -already placed under his tutelage, began to weaken the insidious -impressions, which fidelity, sustained by illusion, had produced in the -Americans; preventatives were employed to stop the flame already -kindled, and limit it to what was yet necessary for their vast -complicated and dark designs. For this purpose was written the eloquent -manifest which the cortes on the ninth of January directed against -America, worded in a stile worthy of a better object; but under the -brilliancy of diction the dark side of the argument, designed to -deceive, was discovered. Fearing that we should be the first to protest -against the whole of these nullities, they began to calculate on what -was already known, not to risk what was yet hidden. The misfortunes of -Ferdinand were the pretexts that had obtained<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> for his -pseudo-representatives the treasures, submission, and slavery of -America; and Ferdinand seduced, deceived, and prostituted to the designs -of the emperor of the French, is now the last resource to which they fly -to extinguish the flames of liberty which Venezuela had kindled in the -south continent. We have discovered and published the true spirit of the -manifest in question, reduced to the following reasoning, which may be -considered as an exact commentary:—'America is threatened with becoming -the victim of a foreign power, or of continuing to be our slave; but in -order to recover her rights, and to throw off all dependency whatever, -she has considered it necessary not violently to break the bonds that -held her to this country. Ferdinand has been the signal of reunion which -the new world had adopted, and we have followed; he is suspected of -connivance with the emperor of the French, and if we give ourselves up -blindly to him, we afford the Americans a pretext for believing us still -his representatives; and as these designs already begin to be understood -in some parts of America, let us previously manifest our intention not -to acknowledge Ferdinand, except under certain conditions; these will -never be carried into effect, and whilst Ferdinand neither<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> in fact nor -right is our king, we shall reign over America, the country we so much -covet, which although so difficult to preserve in slavery, will not then -so easily slip through our fingers.' Such are the expressions -illustrative of the opinions of Spaniards, agitated in the cortes, -respecting the allegiance to Ferdinand.</p> - -<p>"The above brilliant appearance of liberality is now the real and -visible spring of the complicated machine destined to excite and stir up -commotions in America; at the same time that within the walls of the -cortes justice towards us is overlooked, our efforts are eluded, our -resolutions are contemned, our enemies are supported, the voices of our -imaginary representatives are suppressed, the inquisition is renewed -against them, when the liberty of the press is proclaimed, and it is -controversially discussed whether the regency could or could not declare -us free, and one integral part of the nation. When an American, worthy -of that name, speaks against the abuses of the regency in Puerto Rico, -endeavours are made to silence his just, energetic, and imperious -claims, that distinguish him from the slaves of despotism, and by means -of a short, cunning, and insignificant decree, they strive to avoid the -conflict of justice against iniquity. Melendés, named by the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> regency -king of Puerto Rico, is by a decree of the cortes left with the -equivalent investiture of a governor, names synonymous in America, -because it now appeared too monstrous to have two kings in a small -island of the Spanish Antilles. Cortavarria only was capable of eluding -the effects of a decree dictated merely by a momentary fit of decency. -It happened that when the investiture, granted by the regency to -Melendes was declared iniquitous, arbitrary, and tyrannical, and a -revocation was extended to all the countries of America, then situated -as was Puerto Rico, nothing was said of the plenipotentiary Cortavarria, -authorized by the same regency against Venezuela, with powers the most -uncommon and scandalous ever registered in the annals of organized -despotism.</p> - -<p>"After this decree of the cortes the effects of discord promoted, -sustained, and denied at the fatal observatory of Puerto Rico were more -severely felt; it was after this decree that the fishermen and coasters -were inhumanly assassinated in Ocumare, by the pirates of Cortavarria, -after the report of which Cumana and Barcelona were blockaded, -threatened, and summoned. A new and sanguinary conspiracy against -Venezuela was formed, and organized by a vile emissary, who perfidiously -entered the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> peaceable bosom of his country, in order to destroy it; -deceptions were successively practised on the most innocent and -laborious classes of the imported colonists of Venezuela, principally -emigrants from the Canary Islands, and in spite of our endeavours the -chief instigators were led to the block as a sacrifice to justice and to -tranquillity. By the suggestions of the pacificator of the cortes, and -posterior to their said decree, the political union of our constitution -was lacerated in Valencia; attempts were made in vain to reduce other -cities of the interior; a false summons was sent to Carora, by the -factious leaders of the west, to the end that Venezuela might on the -same day be deluged in blood, and sunk in affliction and desolation, and -be hostilely assaulted from every point within the reach of the -conspirators, who were scattered amongst us by the same government that -issued the decree in favour of Puerto Rico and of all America. The name -of Ferdinand VII. is the pretext under which the new world is about to -be laid waste, if the example of Venezuela does not henceforward cause -the standard of our unshaken and established liberty to be distinguished -from the banners of a seditious and dissembled fidelity.</p> - -<p>"The bitter duty of vindicating ourselves<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> would carry us still further, -if we did not dread splitting on the same rocks as have the governments -of Spain, by substituting resentment for justice; at the same time that -we can charge her with three centuries of acts of injustice, we have -opposed three years of lawful, generous, and philanthropic efforts to -obtain what it was never in our power to dispose of, although by nature -ours. Had gall and poison been the chief agents of this our solemn, -true, and candid manifest, we should have begun by destroying the rights -of Ferdinand, in consequence of the illegitimacy of his origin, declared -by his mother at Bayonne, and published in the French and Spanish -papers; we should have proved the personal defects of Ferdinand, his -ineptitude to reign, his weak and degrading conduct in the court at -Bayonne; his inefficient education, and the futile securities that -offered for the realization of the gigantic hopes of the governments of -Spain; hopes founded in the illusion of America, nor any other support -than the political interests of England, much opposed to the rights of -the Bourbons. The public opinion of Spain, and the experience of the -revolution of the kingdom, furnish us with sufficient proofs of the -conduct of the mother, and the qualifications of the son, without -recurring<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span> to the manifest of the minister Azanza, published after the -transactions of Bayonne, and the secret memoirs of Maria Luisa; but -decency is the guide of our conduct, to which we are ready to sacrifice -even our reason. Sufficient has already been alleged to prove the -justice, necessity, and utility of our resolution, for the support of -which, nothing is wanting but the examples by which we will strive to -justify our independence.</p> - -<p>"It were necessary for the partizans of slavery in the new world either -to destroy, or to falsify history, that unchangeable monument of the -rights and of the usurpations of the human race, before they could -maintain that America was not liable to the same changes that all other -nations have experienced. Even when the rights of the Bourbons had been -incontestible and indelible, the oath that we have proved never did -exist, the injustice, force, and deceit with which the same was exacted -of us would suffice to render it null and void, so soon as it was found -to be opposed to our liberty, grievous to our rights, prejudicial to our -interests, and fatal to our tranquillity. Such is the nature of an oath -made to the conquerors and to their heirs, at the same time that the -crown holds them in oppression by means of the same additional<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> strength -that it obtained by means of the result of their conquest. It was in -this manner that Spain herself recovered her rights, after she had sworn -allegiance to the Carthagenians, Romans, Goths, Arabs, and almost to the -French; nevertheless she yet disowns the rights of America, no longer to -depend on any nation when she is capable of throwing off the yoke, and -following the example of Spain and of other nations.</p> - -<p>"It would be superfluous to remind our enemies of what they already -knew, and in what they have themselves founded the sacred right of their -own liberty and independence; epochs so memorable, that they ought not -to have been tarnished with the slavery of the greater part of a country -situated on the other side of the ocean. But unfortunately it is not -they alone whom it is necessary to convince by palpable examples of the -justice and common resemblance that our independence bears to that of -all other nations which had lost and again recovered it. The illusions -of slavery, kept alive by the candour of the Americans, and supported by -the most criminal abuse that superstition can form of the established -belief and religion, which one would suppose were only dictated for the -happiness, liberty, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> salvation of the people, namely, by the -excommunications denounced against the people of Caracas for changing -their government, render it necessary to tranquillize the deceived piety -of some, to instruct their unwary ignorance, and stimulate their apathy, -that had slumbered since the unusual tranquillity of the new order of -things: in short, it is time to inculcate, that governments never had -nor ever can have any other duration than the utility and happiness of -the human race may require; that kings are not of any privileged nature, -nor of an order superior to other men; that their authority emanates -from the people, directed and supported by the providence of God, who -leaves our actions to our own free-will; that his omnipotence does not -interfere in favour of any peculiar form of government; and that neither -religion nor its ministers can anathematize the efforts of a nation -struggling to be free and independent in the political order of things, -and resolved to depend only on God and his ministers in a moral and -religious sense.</p> - -<p>"The very people of God, governed by himself, and guided by such -miracles, portentous signs and favors as will perhaps never again be -repeated, offer a proof of the rights of insurrection on the part of the -people sufficiently<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> satisfactory to the orthodox piety of the friends -of public order. The subjects of Pharaoh, and bound by force to obey -him, collect round Moses, and under his guidance triumph over their -enemies, and recover their independence without being blamed by God or -his prophet and legislator, Moses, for their conduct, or being subjected -by them to the least malediction or anathema. This same people being -afterwards subjected by the forces of Nebuchadnezzar; first—under the -direction of Holofernes, Judith was sent by God to procure their -independence by the death of the Babylonian general. Under Antiochus, -Epiphanes, Mattathias and his sons raised the standard of independence, -and God blessed and aided their efforts till he obtained the entire -liberty of his people against the oppression of that impious king and -his successors. Not only against the foreign kings who oppressed them -did the Israelites resort to the right of insurrection by breaking -through the obedience to force; but even against those whom God had -given them in their own country and of their own nation do we behold -them claim this imprescriptable right wherever their liberty and their -advantage required it, or when the sacred character of those facts by -which God himself bound<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> them to those he chose as their governors, had -been profaned. David obtained the allegiance of the Israelites in favour -of his dynasty, and his son Solomon ratified it in favour of his -posterity; but at the death of this king, who had oppressed his subjects -by exactions and contributions to support the splendour of his court and -the luxury and sumptuousness of his pleasures, then the tribes of Judah -and Benjamin alone acknowledged his son, and the other ten, availing -themselves of their rights, recovered their political independence, and -in excuse thereof deposited their sovereignty in Jereboam, the son of -Nabath. The momentary and passing hardships of the reign of Solomon were -sufficient for the Israelites to annul their obedience sworn to his -line, and to place another on the throne without waiting for an order -from the Deity, informing them, that their fate no longer depended on -the kings of Judah, nor on the ministers, chiefs, or priests of Solomon. -And shall the Christian people of Venezuela and of all Spanish America -be still in a worse plight, and after being declared free by the -government of Spain after three hundred years of captivity, exactions, -hardships, and injustice, shall they not be allowed to do what the God -of Israel, whom they equally adore, formerly permitted<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> to his people -without being spurned, and without vengeance being hurled upon their -heads? It is his divine hand that guides our conduct, and to his eternal -judgments our resolution shall be submitted.</p> - -<p>"If the independence of the Hebrew people was not a sin against the -written law, that of a Christian people cannot be such against the law -of grace. At no time has the apostolical see excommunicated any nation -that has risen against the tyranny of those kings or governments which -had violated the social compact. The Swiss, Dutch, French, and North -Americans proclaimed their independence, overturned their constitution, -and varied their forms of government without having incurred any other -spiritual censures than those which the church might have fulminated for -the infringements on the belief, discipline, or piety, but without their -being connected with political measures or alluding to the civil -transactions of the people. The Swiss were bound by oath to Germany, as -were also the Dutch to Spain, the French to Louis XVI., and the North -Americans to George III.; yet neither they nor the princes that favoured -their independence were excommunicated by the Pope. The grandfather of -Ferdinand VII., one of the most pious and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> catholic kings that ever -filled the throne of Spain, together with his nephew, Louis XVI., -protected the independence of North America, without dreading -ecclesiastical censures or the anger of heaven; and now that the order -and succession of events more justly place it within the reach of South -America, those who call themselves the authorized agents of the grandson -wish to abuse that same religion so much respected by Charles III., in -order to prolong the most atrocious and unparalleled usurpations. Just, -omnipotent, and most merciful God! Till when will fanaticism dispute the -empire of that sacred religion which thou sent to the uncorrupted -regions of America for thy glory and her felicity.</p> - -<p>"The events which have accumulated in Europe to terminate the bondage of -America, beyond doubt entered into the high designs of Providence. -Placed at a transatlantic distance of two thousand leagues, we have done -nothing in the three years which have elapsed since we ought to be free -and independent, till the period when we resolved to be so, than pass -through the bitter trials of stratagems, conspiracies, insults, -hostilities, and depredations on the part of that same nation whom we -invite to partake of the good of our<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> regeneration, and for whose -welfare we wished to open the gates of the new world, heretofore closed -to all communication with the old one, now wasted and inflamed by war, -hunger, and desolation. Three distinct oligarchies have declared war -against us, have despised our claims, have excited civil dissensions -amongst us, have sown the seeds of discord and mistrust in our great -family, have planned three horrible conspiracies against our liberty, -have interrupted our trade, have suppressed our agriculture, have -traduced our conduct, and have sought to raise against us an European -power, by vainly imploring its aid to oppress us. The same flag, the -same language, the same religion, the same laws, have till now -confounded the party of liberty with that of tyranny: Ferdinand VII. as -liberator, has been opposed to Ferdinand VII. as oppressor; and if we -had not resolved to abandon a name at the same time synonymous with -crime and virtue, America would in the end be enslaved by the same power -that is exercised for the independence of Spain.</p> - -<p>"Such has been the nature of the imperious impulse of conviction, -tending to open our eyes, and to impel Venezuela to separate eternally -from a name so ominous and so fatal. Placed by it in the irrevocable -alternative of being the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span> slave or the enemy of her brethren, she has -preferred the purchase of her own freedom at the expense of friendship, -without destroying the means of that reconciliation she desired. The -most powerful reasons, the most serious meditations, the most profound -considerations, long discussions, contested debates, well analyzed -combinations, imperious events, imminent dangers, and the public opinion -clearly pronounced and firmly sustained, have been the precursors of -that solemn declaration made on the fifth of July, by the general -congress of Venezuela, of the absolute independence of this part of -South America; an act sighed for and applauded by the people of the -capital, sanctioned by the powers of the confederation, acknowledged by -the representatives of the provinces, sworn to and hailed by the chief -of the church of Venezuela, and to be maintained with the lives, -fortunes, and honour of all the citizens.</p> - -<p>"Freemen, companions of our fate! Ye who have known how to divest your -hearts of fear, or of hope; give from the elevation on which your -virtues have placed you an impartial and disinterested look on the -portrait that Venezuela has just traced out to you. She constitutes you -the arbitrators of her differences with Spain, and the judges of her new -destinies.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> If you have been affected by our evils, and are interested -in our felicity, unite your efforts with ours, that the artifices of -ambition may not any longer triumph over liberality and justice.</p> - -<p>"To you it belongs to convince Spain of what an unfortunate rivalship -places beyond the reach of America. Refrain the giddiness that has -seized on her new governments; point out to them the reciprocal -advantages of our regeneration; unfold to them the soothing prospect -that they are prevented from beholding in America by that monopoly which -has hardened their hearts; tell them what threatens them in Europe, and -point out to them what they may expect in America, tranquil, -uncorrupted, and already covered with all the blessings of liberty; nay -swear to them in our name, that Venezuela awaits her brethren with open -arms to share with them her happiness without asking any other sacrifice -than that of prejudice, pride, and ambition, which for three centuries -have produced the united misery of both countries."</p> - -<blockquote><p>"Juan Antonio Rodriguez Dominguez, <i>President</i>."</p> - -<p>"Francisco Isnardy, <i>Secretary</i>."</p> - -<p>"<i>Federal Palace of Caracas, July 30th, 1811.</i>"</p></blockquote> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> The occurrences at Quito also bear testimony to this.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Montufar, Villavicencio, Goyoneche.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane.</p></div> -</div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER IV.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>State of Lima....Expedition to Chile, under Colonel Gainsa....Exit -of....Regiment of Talavera arrives from Spain....Part of sent to -Huamanga....Revolution of Cusco and Arequipa....Death of Pumacagua, -and the Patriot Melgar....Arrival of Flags taken by Osoria in -Chile....Viceroy Abascal superseded by Pesuela....Character of the -former....Beginning of Pesuela's Administration....Arrival of La -Serna....State of Lima to 1817....Battle of Chacabuco in -Chile....Extract of a Journal....New Expedition to Chile under -Osoria....News of Battle of Maypu....Loss of the Spanish Frigate -Maria Isabel, and part of Convoy....Arrival of Lord Cochrane off Callao.</p></blockquote> - -<p>The preceding manifest from Venezuela, shewing the principal grievances -of the Americans in that particular part of the country, was equally -applicable to the colonists in general; but many of the provinces -laboured under peculiar disadvantages and oppressions, particularly -those situated on the western side of the continent; nor were the -creoles the first nor the loudest in their clamours. The Spanish -merchants felt very severely the decrease of their monopoly, by the -non-arrival of vessels from Cadiz, as well as by the arrival of several -vessels, under Hamburgh colours, with British<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> cargoes and masters, -under the protection of passports from the constituted sovereignties of -Spain; the large planters also felt the want of new importations of -slaves, and although the Creoles suffered equally with the Spaniards, -yet accustomed to suppress their feelings, they remained silent, while -the former were loud in their deprecations. The sugar planters began, -under the sanction of the new laws of the constitution and the cortes to -manufacture rum, to the detriment of the owners of vineyards at Pisco -and Cañete, many of whom were Spaniards. Secret meetings were held in -every part of the city; those of the Spaniards were permitted by the -government under the pretence that they were innocent or virtuous, while -those of the natives were called seditious and unwarrantable. Every -opportunity was taken to lull the people with stories of victories -obtained against the insurgents in Upper Peru, and the most tyrannical -espionage was set on foot by the government, for the purpose of -thwarting any communication of the true state of affairs in America, -when the government of Peru could only expect support from the native -troops. Every thing seemed to augur to the government in Lima the fate -of those of the other capitals of South America; indeed Mexico and Lima -were the only two<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> capitals that preserved their ancient authorities; -the other two viceroyalties, Buenos Ayres and Santa Fé, and the -captain-generalships and presidencies of Chile, Chuquisaca, Quito and -Caracas, with the greater part of the governments of South America, were -under the protection of their own constituted authorities, and declared -by the Spanish Viceroys in open war with the mother country.</p> - -<p>Colonel Gainsa was sent with an expedition against the revolted Chileans -in 1812, and having landed at Talcahuano, he marched towards the -capital: his successes were the continued boast of the Spaniards in -Lima, who insulted with taunts the creoles respecting their inferiority, -forgetting that the army of Gainsa was almost exclusively formed of -natives; however, in 1813 it was found that the career of Gainsa was at -an end, and that he had come to terms with the insurgents, the principal -import of which was, that things should remain as they then were, until -the decision of the cortes in Spain; for the purpose of obtaining which -the Chileans should send their deputies. This treaty was guaranteed by -Captain Hillyer, and sent to Lima for the ratification of the Viceroy, -who, expecting troops from Spain, deferred its signature. In April, -1813, the regiment of Talavera arrived, and Abascal followed the example -of the Count<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> Ruis; he declared that Gainsa had no powers to capitulate, -and prepared another expedition against Chile.</p> - -<p>The arrival of Spanish troops made the resident Spaniards more imperious -and insolent than ever; but they had soon cause to regret having -solicited the assistance of an armed force from Spain, for all the -expenses incurred in the equipment of the expedition at Cadiz were -ordered to be defrayed by the merchants of Lima. The officers and -soldiers were also of the worst character, the former having been -expelled from different corps in the mother country for crimes which -they had there committed, and the latter were taken from the common -gaols, places of exile, and the galleys. The insolence of these -protectors was not limited to any class of people in Lima: they had been -informed in Spain, that the booty or plunder of the insurgents in -America would make them as rich in the nineteenth century as that of the -indians had rendered their forefathers in the sixteenth; thus robberies -and even murders were committed under the sanction of rich promises; and -it was dreaded by the government, that the very force sent to protect -them would cause a revolution, or perhaps head one in Lima; however an -opportunity presented itself to dispose<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> of two hundred of the nine that -had arrived. The Cacique Pucatoro revolted at Huamanga, deposed the -Spanish authorities, and declared himself in favour of the Buenos Ayres -army: this blow so near to Lima called for an immediate remedy. Two -hundred soldiers of Talavera were sent to quell the rebel Indian, who -led them into a narrow ravine, and ascended the mountains on each side, -where large piles of stones had been so artfully placed, that by -removing one, placed as a key-stone, the whole mass rolled down the -sides of the mountains, and not one of the Spaniards escaped. The -victorious indians then continued throwing and rolling down pieces of -rock till they had completely buried their enemies. This patriotic -Cacique was afterwards taken prisoner by a party of troops sent from -Cusco, and was hanged and quartered at Huamanga.</p> - -<p>This disgraceful expedition only tended to render the Spanish soldiers -more insolent; and it became a difficult matter to prevent an open -revolt.</p> - -<p>Early in July, 1813, the transports for a new expedition to Chile were -ready, and, on the thirteenth, Colonel Maroto and the troops of Talavera -embarked for Talcahuano. Lima resumed her tranquillity, with what she -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span>considered her safety, and the departure of the protecting force was -hailed as that of an insolent and oppressive enemy. But the calm was not -of long duration. The news from the north, of the conquests in Quito by -General Montes was accompanied by that of the revolution of Cusco in the -south, and the possession of Arequipa by the Cacique Pumacagua; this -threatened the most fatal consequences to Lima; however, General Ramires -was sent from Upper Peru with a division of the army, then under the -command of General Pesuela, and retook Cusco and Arequipa, where he put -the old Cacique and upwards of a hundred of his followers to death, -among whom was my particular friend, Jose Maria Melgar.</p> - -<p>Friendship and admiration demand of me a short account of this virtuous -youth. He was a native of Arequipa, and educated for the bar at Lima: he -had retired to his native city, and was on the eve of marriage with a -female whom he loved. Pumacagua arrived at Arequipa, and took it; Melgar -was a patriot, he offered his services to the Cacique-general, they were -accepted, and he was appointed judge advocate to the army. On the -capture by Ramires, Melgar was apprehended, tried, and sentenced to be -shot. His parents, his relations, and his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> friends solicited his pardon, -which was promised, on condition that he would publicly recant: to this -he objected, and he was led to the place of execution.</p> - -<p>The assisting priest seated himself on the stool, and Melgar knelt to -confess his sins, invoke a pardon, and receive absolution; but he -suddenly rose from his knees, and, in a state of agitation, said to his -confessor, "Is it possible that you should here speak to me of things of -this world! It was your duty to speak to me of those in the next, which -I am on the verge of witnessing: this world must soon cease to exist for -me, and I had hoped to have left it in peace; but your request and -promises have unsettled my mind, and agitated my soul. I took a part in -the cause of my country; I believed it to be my duty, I did it, I -considered it just; I embraced it, and I die for having done my duty, -and only regret at this moment that I shall not die so calmly as I -expected. You, father, who ought to have endeavoured to create -tranquillity in my soul in my last moments, have destroyed my -peace!"—He then asked the adjutant if he might be allowed to smoke a -segar, which being granted, he turned round and said, "will any one for -the love of God give me a segar?" A soldier handed him one; he sat down -on the stool, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span> smoked about half the segar, knocked off the ashes, -and threw it aside; he then thanked the adjutant and the soldier, and -said "thank heaven I am again calm and resigned; now, Sir, do your -duty." The bandage was ordered to be tied over his eyes, but he begged -that this ceremony might be omitted: "I am not afraid to die," said he, -and clasping his hands over his eyes, he exclaimed, "this will do!" The -fatal signal was then given—the soldiers fired, and the virtuous -patriot Melgar fell! The executioners muttered, "so may the enemies of -Spain perish;" but the genii of American liberty sang for joy, and the -response was—so may the sons of America evince to posterity, that no -sacrifice is too great for a true <span class="smcap">Patriot</span>!</p> - -<p>The arrival of new troops from Spain in 1814, the defeat of the -Chileans, and the occupation of Santiago by General Osorio; the victory -of Vilcapugio in Upper Peru by Pesuela, all seemed to threaten American -independence, and the Spaniards grew more insolent and haughty. The -colours taken by Osorio in Chile were brought to Lima and carried in -procession to the church of Santo Domingo, where they were presented at -the altar of the Rosary, and there deposited. The new president and -captain-general of Chile, Don Casimiro Marcó arrived, and proceeded to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span> -his presidency. The finances began to be insufficient for the payment of -the troops, and those from Spain marched from their barracks in la -Recoleta, and took possession of the citadel, Santa Catalina, where they -declared, that unless the government paid them their arrears, they would -pay themselves; assuring the natives at the same time, that no -hostilities should be committed against them. The alarm was so great, -that the Viceroy Abascal sent a message to the soldiers, declaring, that -their request should be complied with; but he received for answer, that -they would not alter their determination until the money due was -actually paid to them. The Viceroy then went in person, and harangued -the troops; but he received only a repetition of the former answer; nor -did they desist until their arrears were paid.</p> - -<p>In 1815 the Viceroy Abascal was superseded by General Don Joaquin de la -Pesuela, when he immediately retired to Spain. On the arrival of the new -Viceroy, the city was entertained with the <i>entrada publica</i>, public -entry, balls, feasts, and bull-fights, with all of which his predecessor -Abascal, had dispensed on his arrival, not wishing to oppress the city -with such unnecessary expenses.</p> - -<p>It is due to the Viceroy Abascal to say, that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> his prudence preserved -the capital to the crown of Spain; and although no Viceroy of Peru had -ever more accidental duties to attend to, or more critical affairs to -manage, yet Lima is indebted to him for the foundation of the college of -San Fernando, instituted for medicine and surgery; the pantheon or -general cemetery, and the absolute prohibition of burying within the -walls of the city; the rebuilding of the college del Principe, for the -study of Latin; the thorough repair of the city walls; as well as -several excellent police establishments; and notwithstanding the public -feeling at this time in Lima, he was accompanied to Callao by all the -respectable inhabitants, and his departure was a day of mourning in the -city: such are generally the sentiments, even towards an enemy, when -moderation has presided at his councils, and justice has guided his -actions.</p> - -<p>Pesuela, the hero of Huiluma and Vilcapugio, on taking cognizance of the -treasury, discovered what was too well known to his predecessor—the low -state of the funds: many plans were proposed for replenishing them; -donations were at first solicited, and afterwards contributions were -exacted; but these were incompetent to support the expenses of the -government and the army, which, during the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> first years of warfare, -levied large sums of money, as well on friends as on enemies, and -derived some support from the different royal treasuries at Arequipa, at -Cusco, Charcas, and other cities in Upper Peru; but, notwithstanding -these temporary resources, the means continued to fail, and the -exigences continued to increase. The equipment of expeditions to Quito, -Upper Peru, and Chile; the demand of arrears by the troops that arrived -from Spain, and the necessary remittances for the support of the royal -armies, preyed heavily on the national funds, so much so, that the -treasury dreaded a bankruptcy. The pay of all civil officers was reduced -one-third, and at last a viceregal decree was issued, augmenting the -tithes from ten to fifteen per cent.: this impost caused the greatest -consternation throughout the country, and met with strong opposition -from the inhabitants; many of the provinces refused to pay, and the -governors were unable to exact it for want of an armed force to protect -them against the fury of the people.</p> - -<p>General Ramires was left by Pesuela in the command of the army of Upper -Peru; but he was soon superseded by General Don Jose de la Serna, who -landed at Arica, and proceeded direct to head quarters. This general was -sent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> by the king to command the army, and with power to act -independently of the Viceroy, at a time when any change in the -established order of things was likely to be most productive of injury -to the Spanish cause, and to this may be attributed the inactivity of -the army under La Serna.</p> - -<p>The tranquillity experienced in Lima till the beginning of 1817 induced -the Spaniards to believe that all was well: Chile was quiet, the enemy -made no advances in Upper Peru, Quito was under the dominion of Spain, -Morillo victorious in Venezuela and Santa Fé; the Mexican insurgent -chief, Morelos, had ceased to exist; Ferdinand was restored to his -throne; the constitution was abolished; the inquisition was -re-established, and monarchical despotism had resumed its seat; new -auxiliary troops were preparing in Spain to give the last blow to the -patriots in America, and the most sanguine American began to droop for -the cause of his country. But a change, unexpected by the Spaniards, and -unhoped for by the Americans, took place in Chile on the twelfth of -February, 1817, the news of which reached Lima on the ninth of March. -This was no less than the entire defeat of the Spanish army at -Chacabuco<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> by General O'Higgins: the victory has generally been -attributed, but most unjustly, to General San Martin, who was not even -present in the action. The following is an extract from the journal of a -Spaniard with whom I was acquainted in Lima.</p> - -<p>"February 4th, Don Miguel Atero, chief of the staff, informed the -government of Santiago, that the enemy had surprised the guards of the -Andes, placed about twelve leagues in advance of Santa Rosa, -(twenty-five leagues from the capital) and that of seventy-five men, -thirteen only had escaped, bringing with them the news, that the enemy -was advancing; at the same time Major Vila reported to the government, -that the advanced guard at the paso de los Patos had reconnoitred the -enemy, and requested a reinforcement. Atero immediately sent a company -of Talavera infantry, and then retreated with the division of the army -stationed at Santa Rosa, to Chacabuco, leaving behind him two pieces of -artillery, ammunition, baggage, and warlike stores: the force stationed -at Santa Rosa amounted to about four hundred men.</p> - -<p>"February 5th, the Captain-general Marcó ordered Colonel Quintanilla to -join the army<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> at Chacabuco, with the battalion of carabiniers; they -arrived on the 6th, when Quintanilla immediately advanced to the convent -of Curimon to reconnoitre the enemy in Villa Vieja, and having reported -to Atero that their number did not exceed six hundred, an attack was -immediately ordered, which took place on the morning of the seventh.</p> - -<p>"The cavalry engaged that of the enemy in a place called de las Comas; -the crafty enemy retired towards the Cordillera, and halted at Putendo, -where they were joined by an ambuscade of a hundred horse. Our infantry -did not advance with the cavalry, so that as soon as they were -overpowered by the enemy they fled in the greatest disorder towards our -infantry for support; on their return, to their great surprise they -found that the infantry also was in a disordered retreat, without having -taken part in the action, and also that the commander in chief, Atero, -had fled. Colonel Quintanilla now took the command, and collected the -dispersed soldiers; he placed the infantry in the centre, and flanked it -with the cavalry, although harrassed in the rear by the enemy in his -retreat. Having at length reached Villa Vieja, a council of war was held -by the officers, and it was resolved to continue their march to Curimon; -on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span> their arrival they learnt that the enemy was about to renew the -attack; on hearing which, Colonel Marqueli, to whom Atero had given the -command, continued his march to Chacabuco. The victorious army took up -its quarters in Villa Vieja: our loss was about thirty carabiniers. -There is no doubt that the whole of our loss is to be attributed to -Atero, who, observing a party of the enemy's cavalry on an eminence to -the right, exclaimed, "we are cut off!" when he immediately mounted his -horse and fled. At ten o'clock at night the news arrived at Santiago, -and the greatest confusion began to prevail.</p> - -<p>"On the morning of February 8th, the two judges, Pereyra and Caspi, and -the general of brigade, Olaguer Feliu, fled to Valparaiso.</p> - -<p>"On the 9th, Colonel Barañao arrived at Santiago with Colonel Eloriga, -and 360 hussars.</p> - -<p>"On the 10th, Lieutenant-colonel Morgado arrived with 450 dragoons; at -ten o'clock at night Brigadier-general Maroto was appointed by Marcó to -take the chief command: our whole force consisted of 1000 cavalry and -1100 infantry.</p> - -<p>"On the 12th, at six o'clock in the afternoon, an officer arrived at -Santiago with a verbal communication from General Maroto,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> declaring, -that he had suffered a total defeat. This was confirmed on the 13th by -the arrival of Maroto and Quintanilla; Marcó had left the city with -about 1500 men, and resolved on renewing the attack; but after more -private conversation with Maroto, he returned to the capital, and -summoned a council of war. After a long conference nothing was -determined on, and the sub-inspector-general Bernedo, the judge advocate -Lescano, and the commandant of artillery, Cacho, fled to Valparaiso. -From the 13th at noon to the evening of the 14th, officers, soldiers and -civilians continued to arrive at Valparaiso, where they embarked on -board several vessels then at anchor in the bay, and fled to Lima; but -it was not known till our arrival at Callao, that the president Marcó -was left behind at the mercy of Bernardo O'Higgins, to whom the -insurgents owe their victory, and we our disgrace."</p> - -<p>The most astonishing difference in the behaviour of the Spaniards was -now observable. The haughty Maroto, who, when in Lima with his regiment -of Talavera, despised and insulted every one, now that he had neither an -officer nor a soldier left, was humbled, and the bow of a negro or an -indian was most courteously answered by this vaunting coward.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span></p><p>New insurrections in the provinces of Upper Peru began to break out; -the victories of General Bolivar in Colombia became known, and although -reports from the mother country were flattering, yet the repeated -requisitions for money were distressing.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding this state of affairs, the Viceroy Pesuela determined on -another expedition to Chile, the command of which was again given to -General Osorio. The Spanish troops consisted of a battalion of hussars -and the regiment of Burgos, the best troops that had arrived from -Europe. Their destination was to Talcahuano, which place, as it had been -fortified by the Spaniards, was still held by them, with the auxiliary -troops of Chile. For the equipment of this expedition, the Viceroy took -possession of the treasury belonging to the commissariat of the -crusades, money, which in the opinion of all the lower classes, could -only be appropriated to the support of war against Turks, Moors and -Infidels, and the greatest clamour was raised when it was applied to the -purpose of waging civil war with Christians. This treasure being -insufficient, that called of the holy places, <i>santos lugares</i>, at -Jerusalem, was also added to that of the bulls.</p> - -<p>After many difficulties had been surmounted, the expedition left Callao -in October, 1817; and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> calculating on its success, the Spaniards again -resumed their arrogance, which in some was carried to such an extreme as -to enter into a bond with one another of two thousand dollars never -again to employ a creole. A Spaniard said to me one evening, that he had -six children, but if he thought that they would ever be insurgents, he -would go to their beds and smother them.</p> - -<p>This chivalrous fanaticism had risen to such a height, that a Peruvian -officer, Landasuri, said, in the presence of Pesuela, that he hated his -father and mother, because he was born in America, and that if he knew -in what part of his body the American blood circulated, he would let it -out; however Pesuela reprimanded him severely for such unnatural -expressions.</p> - -<p>Nothing but reports of victories arrived from Chile, the bells scarcely -ever ceased ringing in Lima, and the choristers were hoarse with -chanting Te Deums; the haughtiness of the Spaniards became -insupportable; they paraded the streets in triumph, and, forming -themselves into groups, insulted every creole who chanced to pass them. -But their insolence was at its highest pitch in April, 1818, when the -news of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> the victory over San Martin and O'Higgins at Cancha-rayada -arrived; they considered Osorio more than a human being; his wisdom and -valour were the theme of the pulpit, the palace, the coffee-house, and -the brothel. The hero Osorio was at Santiago; he would soon cross the -Andes, and release his virtuous and brave countrymen from their dungeons -at San Luis and las Bruscas, and with the reinforcements expected from -Spain, in a convoy under the protection of the Spanish frigate Maria -Isabel, he would conquer the Buenos Ayreans, and return to Lima with the -heads of San Martin, O'Higgins, and those of all the other chiefs of the -banditties.</p> - -<p>This ferment of insolence and insults continually increased till the -evening of the fourth of May, when about ten o'clock at night a -<i>valancin</i>, post chaise, drove up to the gates of the viceregal palace, -bringing the hero Osorio, and the news of his total defeat at Maypu. On -the morning of the fifth a creole was allowed to pass the streets -unmolested, and might even presume to seat himself in a coffee-house at -the same table with a Spaniard. Confusion and dismay were visible in the -countenances of the royalists, the great Osorio suddenly became<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> an -ignorant coward, who had sacrificed his countrymen, and indecently fled -to save his own life; even the Americans were now courted to join the -Spaniards in declamations against the late demi-god Osorio, and no hope -was left but that the arrival of the expedition from Spain would -retrieve the losses occasioned by the dastardly conduct of this chief.</p> - -<p>The first news, however, which they obtained of the issue of the boasted -expedition was, that the soldiers of La Trinidad, one of the transports, -had murdered their officers, taken possession of the vessel, and carried -her to Buenos Ayres; this was seconded in November, 1818, with the news, -that the Maria Isabel and part of her convoy had been taken at -Talcahuano and the island of Santa Maria by the insurgents of Chile; and -this blow was aggravated with the abandonment of Talcahuano, the strong -hold of the Spaniards in Chile, by General Sanches, who took the command -after Osorio fled. Still there was gall in reserve for the humbled -Spaniards. The Chilean squadron, commanded by the Right Honourable Lord -Cochrane, made its appearance off Callao on the twenty-eighth of -February, 1819, his lordship's flag waving at the main of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> -ex-Spanish frigate Maria Isabel, now the Chilean flag ship O'Higgins.</p> - -<p>It became impossible for me to remain longer in Lima, so I left that -city for the Barranca, where I arrived on the first of March.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER V.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>State of Lima on the Arrival of the Chilean Squadron....Arrival of -at Huacho....At Supe....Chilean Naval Force, how -composed....Capture of the Maria Isabel by Commodore -Blanco....Arrival of Lord Cochrane....Appointed Admiral....Leaves -Valparaiso....Arrives at Callao, Huacho, Barranca, -Huambacho....Proclamation of Cochrane, San Martin, and -O'Higgins....Description of Huambacho....Paita taken....Proceed to -Valparaiso....Arrival....Description of....Road from Valparaiso to Santiago.</p></blockquote> - -<p>The arrival of the Chilean squadron on the coast of Peru produced at -once a dread that this part of South America would become the theatre of -war, and that retaliating fate would inflict on this part of the -colonies all the distresses which had been so universally spread among -the others: it was feared, that the calamities produced by invasion -would now be wreaked on it in return for those that had been experienced -in the provinces of Upper Peru, Quito and Chile. War was at the very -door, and the system of offence had almost rendered that of defence -nugatory. It was believed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> that an army accompanied the squadron; and -the patriots of Lima busied themselves in surmising which would be the -point of debarkation. On Wednesday, the third of March, a rumour arrived -at the capital, that the land forces would debark at Ancon, five leagues -to the northward of Lima; at midnight the report of rockets was heard in -the large street in the suburbs of San Lasaro, called Malambo; this was -supposed by the patriots to be a signal for reunion; and by the -royalists, of the landing of the army: upwards of a thousand of the -former immediately repaired to Malambo, and so completely filled the -street, that the cavalry sent by the government could not pass the mob, -and they retired to the bridge: both parties were anxiously inquiring -the cause of the reports, and both retired without obtaining any -satisfactory information: had the squadron landed five hundred more, and -marched to the city, there is not the least doubt but that with the -assistance of the native inhabitants, they would have entered and taken -possession of Santa Catalina and the different barracks, as the number -of Spanish troops at that time did not exceed three hundred.</p> - -<p>On the 29th of March, part of the squadron anchored in the bay of -Huacho, for the purpose<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> of obtaining news from the patriots on shore, -and also of landing two spies, sent down by the Chilean government, as -well as for the distribution of proclamations and other papers. Lord -Cochrane here received the intelligence, that a quantity of money, -belonging to the Phillipine company, had been sent down to Huarmey to be -embarked in the North American schooner Macedonia, and that another -considerable sum was on the road to the same destination; and as the -port of the Barranca was better calculated for the purpose of -intercepting the treasure than that of Huacho, the O'Higgins and the -brig Galvarino dropped down to it, and a party of marines were sent -ashore, and took the money in the river of the Barranca before the -muleteers could cross it. This was effected without any opposition from -the Spanish soldiers that were sent to protect it as a guard. Mr. -Eliphalet Smith, of the United States, at first claimed the money; but -he afterwards signed a document which specified the names of its true -owners; this was also corroborated by several documents which Mr. Smith -delivered to his lordship.</p> - -<p>During the few days that the Chilean vessels of war remained at Huacho, -the indians were at first allowed by the governor to take<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> down to the -beach their fruit and vegetables, and sell to them; but the commandant -of the county militia having collected about two hundred of his troops, -ordered the Indians to desist, and in the most insolent manner commanded -Lord Cochrane to depart, unless he wished to be driven out of the port. -On receiving this message his lordship immediately ordered the marines -to land and march to Huaura, which was done, and the town taken: indeed -the troops never attempted to defend it, but fled with their chief at -their head: the property belonging to the government at the custom house -and the <i>estanco</i> of tobacco were taken on board: no private property -was touched. After this the trade with the indians was resumed; however, -on the departure of the squadron, five young indians were apprehended, -tried by a court martial, without their even having been soldiers; and, -contrary to the laws of the country, they were sentenced to death and -shot, without any other reason being assigned to their -protector-general, Manco Yupanqui, in Lima, than that it was necessary -to set such an example, because it might deter others from having any -communication with the insurgents.</p> - -<p>Such were the feelings of the people in this part of Peru, that the -inhabitants of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> village, called Supe, deposed the alcalde, who was a -Spaniard, and declared themselves independent; but after the departure -of the squadron, the principal ringleaders, Villanueva and Aranda, -retired to a farm in the interior, where they bade defiance to the -Viceroy and his powers. These two, with Reyes, a respectable farmer, -Franco, Requena, a priest, and myself, were summoned to a court martial; -but having embarked in the flag ship, we could not appear, in -consequence of which we were sentenced to death, declared contumacious, -and all justices were authorized to apprehend any or all of us, and put -the sentence into immediate execution.</p> - -<p>Before I proceed with the operations of the Chilean squadron, I shall -give some account of its origin, and the arrival of Lord Cochrane to -take the command.</p> - -<p>The brig Pueyrredon of fourteen guns was the first vessel of war that -the state possessed: the brig Araucana of sixteen, and the sloop -Chacabuco of twenty-two, were afterwards purchased. Captain Guise -brought out the brig Galvarino of eighteen guns, formerly in the British -service, and sold it to the government; the San Martin of sixty-four -guns, and the Lantaro of forty-four, were two East Indiamen, purchased -by the state, and converted<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> into vessels of war. When Chile was -possessed of this force, the news arrived of the sailing of the -expedition from Cadiz, under the convoy of the Maria Isabel, and having -obtained possession of the orders given to the captains of the -transports from the Trinidad that entered Buenos Ayres, and of their -rendezvous in the Pacific, Don Manuel Blanco was appointed to command -the Chilean vessels of war, San Martin, flag ship, Captain Wilkinson, -commander; Lantaro, Captain Worster; and the Araucana: they had the good -luck to take the frigate, Maria Isabel in the bay of Talcahuano on the -twenty-eighth of October, 1818, and four of the transports off the bay -and at the island of Santa Maria. On the seventeenth of November the -victorious Blanco entered Valparaiso with his prizes, amid -manifestations of joy in this port. The government of Chile, to -commemorate the action, ordered a badge of honour to be presented to -Commodore Blanco and each of his officers: this was a scutcheon of a -pale green colour, having a trident in the centre, with the motto, "this -first essay gave to Chile the dominion of the Pacific"—<i>este primer -ensayo dió a Chile el dominio del Pacifico</i>.</p> - -<p>The naval force of Chile having a native as commander in chief, and the -captains, officers,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> and crews composed principally of foreigners, must -of course have been conducted in a very irregular manner; and as Don -Manuel Blanco had never served in a situation higher than that of an -ensign, alferes, in the Spanish navy, it could not be expected that he -was competent to fill that of a commander in chief, and to conduct with -either honour to himself or profit to his country the operations of a -body composed of such discordant materials as the squadron of Chile then -was. It must be recollected, notwithstanding, that he added a page of -glory to the annals of South American naval triumphs by the capture of -the Maria Isabel of forty-eight guns, and part of her convoy.</p> - -<p>For the future success of the Chilean navy, the welfare of the state, -the progress of independence, and the consummation of South American -emancipation, <span class="smcap">Lord Cochrane</span> arrived at Valparaiso, on the twenty-eighth -of November, 1818. The known valour of this chief, his love of rational -liberty, and the voluntary sacrifice which he had made by accepting a -command in the new world, had reached Chile before the hero himself, and -his arrival was hailed with every demonstration of jubilee by the -natives. Before his arrival, however, Captain Spry, an Englishman, and -Captain<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> Worster, a North American, both in the Chilean service, had -been very loud in declaiming against him; without alleging any other -reason, than that it was quite contrary to all republican principles to -allow a "nobleman" to retain his title in the service; but the true -motive was too visible to escape the most blunted apprehension. -Commodore Blanco had then the command of the squadron, and these -gentlemen had assured themselves that they could controul him just as -they chose, on account of his indifferent knowledge of his duties as -commander in chief, and especially as he had to manage British seamen. -This with all possible delicacy had been mentioned to Blanco, together -with many whispers detrimental to the character of Lord Cochrane. On the -arrival of his lordship, Commodore Blanco was one of the first to hail -him as the preserver of the liberties of his country, and to offer his -services under the command of his lordship; and thus the patriotic -Chilean smothered dissention in the bud, and left its cultivators to -feel the rankling of those thorns which they themselves had planted.</p> - -<p>A few days after the arrival of Lord Cochrane he received from the -government of Chile his commission as Vice-admiral of Chile, Admiral and -Commander in Chief of the naval forces of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> the Republic; and on the -twenty-second of December he hoisted his flag at the main of the -ex-Maria Isabel, now the O'Higgins, which flag Chile can exultingly say, -was never hauled down until the last Spanish flag in the Pacific had -acknowledged its empire, and either directly or indirectly struck to it. -At the close, when the fleet had finished its career of glory, it was -lowered by the same individual who hoisted it; it dropped like the sun -in the west, while the descendants of the Incas blessed it, for the -benefits they had received, with songs of heartfelt gratitude.</p> - -<p>On the sixteenth of January, 1819, Lord Cochrane left the port of -Valparaiso on board the O'Higgins, Captain Forster, with the San Martin -bearing the flag of Rear-admiral Blanco, Captain Wilkinson, the Lantaro, -Captain Guise, and the Galvarino, Captain Spry; the Chacabuco, Captain -Carter, followed, but a mutiny taking place on board, he entered -Coquimbo, where the principal mutineers were landed, sentenced by a drum -head court martial, and shot.</p> - -<p>Lord Cochrane chose the first day of the carnival for his first entrance -into the bay of Callao, suspecting that the whole of the inhabitants -would be engaged in the follies of the season—but he was deceived. The -Viceroy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> Pesuela had chosen that day for one of his visits to Callao, -and was sailing about the bay in the brig of war Pesuela; when the -Chilean squadron appeared off the headland of San Lorenzo, the captain -at first mistook the Chilean vessels for Spanish merchantmen expected -from Europe; however, fortunately for himself and the party, he -immediately came to an anchor under the batteries. The circumstance of -the visit of the Viceroy had caused the whole of the military force to -be under arms, and the whole of the batteries were manned. A thick fog -coming on, the San Martin, Lantaro, and Galvarino, lost sight of the -flag ship; however, without waiting for them, the admiral stood close in -under the forts, and dropped his anchor; a very brisk cannonading -immediately commenced, and the dead calm that followed obliged his -lordship to remain alone nearly two hours, under the continued -cannonading from ashore, besides a brisk fire from the two Spanish -frigates Esmeralda and Vengansa, brigs Pesuela and Maypu, and seven -gun-boats. As soon as the breeze sprang up, the O'Higgins stood out, -having sustained very little damage either in her hull or rigging, and -without a single person on board having been killed. The north corner of -the Real Felipe was considerably shattered by the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> shot from the -O'Higgins, and thirteen persons were killed on shore.</p> - -<p>His lordship next entered into a correspondence with the Viceroy, -concerning the treatment which the prisoners of war (Chileans and Buenos -Ayreans) had received, and were actually receiving in the Casas Matas of -Callao; the Viceroy denied that they had received any ill treatment, -asserted that they were considered as prisoners of war, although rebels, -and traitors to their king, and concluded by expressing his surprise, -that a nobleman of Great Britain should so far have forgotten his -dignity, as to head a gang of traitors against their legitimate -sovereign, and his lawfully constituted authorities. To this his -lordship replied by saying, that the glory of every Englishman was his -freedom, and that this had entitled him to choose to command the vessels -of war of a free country, in preference to that of a nation of slaves—a -command which had been offered to him by the Duke de San Carlos in the -name of his master, Ferdinand VII.</p> - -<p>The following proclamations were distributed along the coasts of Peru, -and sent also to the Viceroy.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span></p><p>Lord Cochrane to the inhabitants of Lima, and other towns of Peru:</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Compatriots!</span> I flatter myself, that ere long I shall address you more -cordially with this epithet. The repeated echoes of liberty in South -America have been heard with pleasure in every part of enlightened -Europe, and more particularly in Great Britain; I, not being able to -resist the desire of joining in the defence of a cause that was -interesting to all mankind, the felicity of half the new world to -thousands of generations, have determined to take an active part in it. -The republic of Chile has confided to me the command of her naval -forces. To these the dominion of the Pacific must be consigned; by their -co-operation your chains of oppression must be broken. Doubt not but -that the day is at hand, on which, with the annihilation of despotism, -and the infamous condition of colonists which now degrades you, you will -rise to fill the rank of a free nation; that august title to which your -population, your riches, your geographical position in the world, and -the course of events naturally call you. But it is your duty to -co-operate in preparing for this success, to remove obstacles, and to -pursue the path to glory: under the assurance that you will receive the -most efficacious <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span>assistance from the government of Chile, and your true -friend,</p> - -<p class="right"><span class="smcap">Cochrane</span>.</p> - -<p>Don Jose de San Martin, to the soldiers of the army of Lima:</p> - -<p>Soldiers of the army of Lima!—The object of my march towards the -capital of Peru is to establish an eternal reconciliation for the -happiness of all. Nine years of horror have inundated America with blood -and tears. You have been oppressed and fatigued with the evils of war, -undertaken by the proud agents of Spain, to satisfy their own passions, -and not for the good of the nation. The opinions and the arms of this -part of the world will soon be presented before Lima, to put an end to -so many misfortunes. You will only prolong the sterile sacrifice, if, -blind to the irresistible force of the general will, you attempt to -support so rash an enterprize. Each of you has belonged to the cause of -the people; each of you belongs to the cause of humanity; the duties of -a soldier cannot alter those of nature. The soldiers of the Patria, as -faithful in the path of honour as in that of victory, are terrible only -to the enemies of liberty. They set a higher price on the value of a -victory, more from the injustice which it prevents, than for the glory -they acquire. Fly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> then from the ignominy of perishing with your -detestable tyrants. In the ranks of your brother patriots you will find -the path to honour, to felicity and peace. A general who has never -asserted a falsehood ensures this to you.—Head quarters, Santiago de -Chile, 30th December, 1818.</p> - -<p class="right">Jose de San Martin.</p> - -<p>The Supreme Director of Chile, to the inhabitants of Peru:</p> - -<p>Liberty, the daughter of Heaven, is about to descend on your fertile -regions; under her shade you will occupy among the nations of the globe -that high rank which awaits your opulence. The Chilean squadron, now in -sight on your coasts, is the precursor of the great expedition destined -to establish your independence. The moment desired by all generous -hearts approaches. The territory of Chile, and her adjacent islands are -free from the yoke of the oppressor. Our naval forces may compete with -those of Spain, and destroy her commerce; in them you will find a firm -support.</p> - -<p>It will be an inexplicable enigma to posterity, that enlightened Lima, -far from aiding the progress of Columbian liberty, shall endeavour to -paralyze the generous efforts of her brothers, and deprive them of the -enjoyment of their <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span>imprescriptible rights. The time is arrived for you -to wash out the stain, and in which to revenge the innumerable insults -you have received from the hand of despotism, as the reward of your -blindness. Fix your eyes on the havoc occasioned by the tyrants in your -delightful country; at the sight of them engraved in its depopulation, -want of industry, monopoly and oppression; observe the insignificancy -under which you have so long groaned; fly to arms, and destroy in your -just indignation the standard of that despotism which oppresses you, and -you will then soon arrive at the summit of prosperity.</p> - -<p>Believe not that we wish to treat you as a conquered country; such an -idea never had existence except in the heads of our enemies—of your -common oppressors; we only aspire to see you free and happy. You<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> -shall establish your own government, selecting that which is most -analagous to your customs, situation, and inclination; you shall be your -own legislators, and of course you will constitute a nation as free and -independent as we are.</p> - -<p>Peruvians! why do you hesitate? Hasten<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> to break your chains; come and -sign on the tombs of Tupac Amaru and Pumacachua, the illustrious martyrs -of liberty, the contract that must ensure <i>your</i> independence, and <i>our</i> -everlasting friendship.</p> - -<p class="right">Bernardo O'Higgins.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-sixth a Spanish merchant ship, called la Victoria, laden -with cedar planks and horses, from Chiloe, was taken by the San Martin, -and on the twenty-eighth the attack was made on Callao, and two of the -gun-boats were taken, after which his lordship dropped down to Huacho, -and ordered rear admiral Blanco to continue in the blockade of Callao -with the San Martin and Lantaro, and any other vessels that might arrive -from Chile; but Blanco, after remaining a few days, raised the blockade, -and sailed to Valparaiso, where he was immediately placed under an -arrest by the government until the arrival of the admiral, when he was -tried by a court martial for a dereliction of duty, but acquitted. Lord -Cochrane proceeded from Huacho to Barranca, and thence to Huarmey and -Huambacho, where he found a French brig that had received on board part -of the money belonging to the Phillipine company,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> and which the captain -immediately delivered up.</p> - -<p>The bay of Huambacho, about fifteen miles to the southward of Santa, is -one of the most convenient on the western shores of America: it is -completely land-locked: the anchorage is capital, and the landing is -very good: a small river of excellent water enters the bay, and in the -valley abundance of fire-wood may be procured. This valley formerly -belonged to the ex-Jesuits; but on account of the decrease of water in -the river at certain periods of the year, there not being sufficient for -the ordinary purposes of irrigation, the government has never yet found -a purchaser for it.</p> - -<p>The soil is sandy, with a mixture of vegetable mould; but like the -generality of the lands cultivated in Peru it is extremely productive -when irrigated. This is evinced at the small indian hamlet of Huambacho, -about two leagues from the sea, and it would doubtlessly be a very fit -situation for a cotton plantation, which does not require so much water -as the sugar-cane or lucern. The hills that surround the valley are -covered with the remains of houses belonging to the indians before the -conquest; great numbers of huacas are found here, and probably much -treasure is buried in them.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p><p>Lord Cochrane, after the O'Higgins and Galvarino had wooded and -watered, proceeded down the coast to Paita, where having anchored, he -sent a flag of truce on shore, by Don Andres de los Reyes, a Peruvian, -who embarked at la Barranca, stating that the town and inhabitants -should receive no injury, and that nothing but the treasures belonging -to the government should be taken, as had already happened at Huaura. He -requested that no resistance should be made, as it would be unavailing, -and only subject the town to the destructive effects of war. The answer -was, that the town and the lives and property of the inhabitants -belonged to the king, and that all should be sacrificed in defence of -the Spanish flag. The same individual was sent a second time, to request -that the military force would not expose the town and its inhabitants; -but instead of receiving the message they fired on the flag, and opened -their battery on the Galvarino. This insult was immediately resented; -the marines were landed, and soon drove the Spaniards from the battery -and the town, which was then pillaged; the artillery was embarked, and -the fort blown up. The O'Higgins and Galvarino went to the port of -Barranca, and took some cattle, sugar, and rum from the farm of San<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> -Nicholas, belonging to Don Manuel Garcia, a Spaniard. It was the -constant practice of Lord Cochrane to quarter on the common enemy, and -nothing was ever taken from a native by force, or without paying for it. -Hence we proceeded to Callao, and thence to Valparaiso, where we arrived -on the fifteenth of June.</p> - -<p>Valparaiso, situate in latitude 33° 1´ 45´´ S., and longitude 71° 30´ -56´´ west of Greenwich, is the principal port in Chile. The natives -flatter themselves, that this name was given to the port by the first -Spaniards who visited it, and that it is a syncope of Valle del Paraiso, -valley of Paradise; but it is equally possible, that the Spaniards, who -had received exaggerated accounts of the country, comparing it to -Paradise, on their first approaching this part of the coast, might have -exclaimed, valde Paraiso! vain Paradise! which designation its -appearance at present would better justify. The bay is of a semicircular -form, surrounded by very steep hills, which rise abruptly almost from -the edge of the water, particularly to the southward and about half of -the range to the eastward; the other half forms a kind of recess, and -the hills are not so perpendicular. During the winter season they are -covered with grass, with some<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> stunted trees and bushes, such as molles, -myrtles, espino, and maytenes; but the soil being a red clay, the -verdure soon disappears when the summer sun begins to shine on them and -the rain ceases to fall.</p> - -<p>The principal part of the town is built between the cliffs and the sea, -forming a row of houses, or rather shops; a few good houses stand also -in a narrow street, but they cannot be seen from the bay, because a row -of low houses with their backs to the sea prevent the prospect. The -greater number of the inhabitants of this part of the town, called the -port, to distinguish it from the suburbs, called the Almendral, reside -in the ravines of San Francisco, San Augustin and San Antonio, where the -houses rise one above another, forming a species of amphitheatre; in -many of them a person may sit in his parlour, and look over the roof of -his neighbour's house; at night the appearance of this part of the town -is pleasing, the lights being scattered about the hills in every -direction. The Almendral, or suburbs, stands in a kind of recess in the -hills, on a sandy plain, and most probably was in times past a part of -the bay of Valparaiso; indeed it is now often inundated by the spring<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> -tides. Some regularity begins to be adopted here in the formation of -streets, and some of the houses are neat. At the bottom of the Almendral -there is a small rivulet.</p> - -<p>Valparaiso is defended by a fort on the south side of the harbour, one -at the residence of the governor, and one on the north side of the bay: -a citadel on the hill behind the governor's palace on an extensive scale -is and will perhaps remain unfinished. The places of worship are the -parish church, the conventuals of San Francisco, San Augstin, La Merced -(in the Almendral) Santo Domingo, and the hospital chapel of San Juan de -Dios. Some of the principal houses are built of stone, but the greater -part are of adoves; all of them are covered with tiles, and those that -have an upper story have a balcony in front.</p> - -<p>Since the revolution many English conveniences and luxuries in dress and -furniture, as well as improvements in the manners and customs of the -inhabitants, have been adopted, and almost any thing <i>a la Inglesa</i> -meets with approbation.</p> - -<p>The market of Valparaiso is well supplied with meat, poultry, fish, -bread, fruit, and vegetables at very moderate prices and of good<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> -quality. The climate is agreeable except when the strong winds prevail. -In the months of June and July the winds from the northward are at times -very heavy; on this account the anchorage is insecure, because the bay -is not sheltered in that quarter.</p> - -<p>From the time of the discovery to the year 1810 this port was only -visited by vessels from Lima, bringing sugar, salt, tobacco, a small -quantity of European manufactured goods, and some other articles of -minor importance; shipping in return wheat, charqui, dried fruits, and -other produce of Chile and Peru. The population amounted to about five -thousand souls; the commerce was in the hands of four or five merchants, -Spaniards, and the annual duties at the custom-house amounted to about -twenty-five thousand dollars. After the victory obtained by the Chileans -at Chacabuco almost two-thirds of the population of Valparaiso abandoned -their homes, or were forced on board Spanish vessels and taken to Peru, -and the town was nearly depopulated; but since the revolution it has -been constantly increasing in size, population, and riches. In 1822 it -contained about fifteen thousand souls, three thousand of whom were -foreigners. From 1817 to 1822 upwards<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> of two hundred houses were built; -at the latter date there were thirty-one established wholesale -merchants, besides an incalculable increase of retail dealers: there -were also twenty-six inns, coffee-houses, &c. Besides the vessels of war -belonging to the state, forty-one traders bear the national flag; and -the bay, formerly empty more than half the year, contains on an average -fifty foreign vessels either of war or commerce during the whole year.</p> - -<p>The hospital of San Juan de Dios has been transferred from the centre of -the town to the suburbs, and a Lancasterian school is established in the -old building.</p> - -<p>A general cemetery for catholics is building by subscription, and -upwards of two thousand dollars have been collected for another for the -dissenters. As a proof of the increase of trade and speculation, a daily -post is established between the port and the capital.</p> - -<table summary="daily post"> - <tr> - <td class="left"></td> - <td>DOLLARS.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">The receipts at the custom-house in<br /> -1809, Chile being then a Spanish<br />colony, were</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom">26738½</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Do. in 1821, being a free port</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom">464387¾</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span></p> - -<table summary="Number of vessels"> - <tr> - <td class="left">Number of vessels that entered and left<br /> -Valparaiso in 1809, all Spanish</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom">13</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Do. that entered and cleared out in 1821 </td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom">142</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">That is:—Vessels of war</td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom">21</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="s3"> </span>That is:—of commerce </td> - <td style="vertical-align: bottom">121</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p>It is quite unnecessary to dwell on the advantages of commerce to any -nation; but here the result is peculiarly apparent, not only among the -higher and middle classes, but among the lowest: the peasant who at the -time of my residence in Chile, 1803, if possessed of a dollar, would -bore a hole through it, and hang it to his rosary—the same peasant can -now jingle his doubloons in his pocket. Those who in 1803 wore only the -coarsest clothing, of their own manufacture, are now dressed in European -linens, cottons, and woollens; those who were ashamed to present -themselves to a stranger or who dared not even speak to a master, now -present themselves with confidence, as if conscious of the importance of -their civil liberty; they boast too of Christian patriotism, generosity, -and valour. The monopolizing Spanish merchants who purchased the wheat -and other produce before it was ready for market at almost any price, -especially if the owner were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> necessitated, or who lent the farmer -money, to be paid in produce at his own price—such merchants have -disappeared, and a regular market is substituted, where the natives of -every class enjoy an opportunity of speculating and of reaping the -advantages of experience. Labourers of every class have a choice of work -and of masters, and this secures to them a just remuneration for their -labour. The higher and middling classes now know their importance as -citizens of a free and independent country, in the prosperity of which -they are interested, because they are aware, that with it their personal -prosperity is connected; they can express and discuss their political -opinions, and in short, from the lowest order of colonial vassals they -have become the subjects of an elective government and citizens of the world.</p> - -<p>The road from Valparaiso to the capital, Santiago, crosses the first -range of mountains at the northern extremity of the Almendral, and after -passing over very uneven ground for about five leagues, a dismal looking -plain presents itself; the grass is entirely parched in summer, and in -winter the water forms itself into several small lakes or swamps; and -scarcely a tree is to be seen in the vicinity. A small number of horned -cattle is fed, but the prospect is cold<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> and dreary. After crossing this -plain more uneven ground presents itself, but being covered with grass, -brushwood, and trees, forming several small ravines, quebradas, with a -few cottages straggling in different directions, the country appears -beautifully romantic.</p> - -<p>The plain of Casa Blanca next presents itself, having the town of the -same name nearly in the centre.<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> The plain is perfectly level, about -two leagues broad, and two and a half long; it has the appearance of -having been at some remote period a large lake, but as the race of -Promaucian indians, who inhabited this part of the country before the -conquest, has become extinct, all oral traditions have been extinguished -with them. The soil is a hard clay, scantily covered with grass, and the -only trees are a considerable number of espinos. The town contains about -two thousand inhabitants, who are generally employed in the cultivation -of the surrounding farms. Having slept here I proceeded on the following -day to Bustamante, passing the cuesta de Prado, and the small town and -river of Curucavé. Some parts of the road are remarkably picturesque; in -the ravines or valleys the view of the mountain scenery<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> is grand; from -the mountains the prospect of the ravines and valleys, as well as the -distant view of the snow-topped Andes, is magnificent. The myrtle, of -three or four varieties, the different species of cactus, the arrayan, -the peumos, the boldos, and the beautifully drooping mayten adorn the -sides of the ravines, offering a shade and rich pasture, on which a -considerable number of horned cattle, horses, and mules, are seen -feeding.</p> - -<p>Bustamante is a post house, where travellers often pass a night when on -their journey to or from the capital; the accommodations are -indifferent, but a few years ago nothing of the kind existed: it must -therefore be considered an improvement. After leaving Bustamante the -road gradually ascends, and at the distance of about a league from the -house the cuesta de Zapata commences. From the top of this eminence the -view of the Andes is most enchanting; the snow-covered mountains rise -majestically, one range behind another, until their summits are lost in -the clouds, or, when the sky is clear, till they are most exactly -defined in the azure vault of heaven. When nearly at the foot of the -cuesta, the city of Santiago, the capital of Chile, makes its -appearance; it is situated in a large plain, having a small<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> rocky -mountain, called Santa Lucia, almost in the centre of which is a small battery.</p> - -<p>The excellent road from Valparaiso to Santiago was made by the order and -under the direction of Don Ambrose Higgins, when president of Chile. -Before the formation of this road all goods were carried to and from the -capital or the port on the backs of mules, but the greater part is now -conveyed in heavy carts, <i>carretas</i>, drawn by two or three yokes of -oxen. A coach was established in 1820 by Mr. Moss, a North American; it -went from Valparaiso to Santiago, and returned twice a week. The -distance is thirty leagues.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> From the very first proclamation this promise was made to -the Peruvians; but we shall soon see how it was fulfilled by San -Martin.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> This town was completely destroyed by the earthquake in -1823.</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VI.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>Santiago....Foundation....Description of the City....Contrast -between the Society here and at Lima....State of Chile....Manners -and Customs....Revolution....Carreras....O'Higgins....Defeat at -Rancagua....Chileans cross the Cordillera....Action of -Chacabuco....Of Maypu....Death of Don Juan Jose, and Don Luis -Carrera....Murder of Colonel Rodrigues....Formation of a Naval -Force....Death of Spanish Prisoners at San Luis....Naval Expedition -under Lord Cochrane....Failure of the Attack on Callao....Attack at -Pisco....Death of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles....Capture of Vessels -at Guayaquil....Squadron returns to Chile.</p></blockquote> - -<p><span class="smcap">Santiago</span>, the capital of Chile, was founded on the 24th February, 1541, -by the Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia. Its situation is in an -extensive valley called de Mapocho, bounded on the east by the -Cordillera, on the west by the hills or mountains de Prado and Poanque, -on the north by the small river of Colina, and on the south by the river -Mapocho, or Topocalma, which passes the city on one side, and feeds many -<i>asequias</i>, small canals for irrigation; it also supplies the city with -water.</p> - -<p>About the year 1450 Chile was invaded by the prince afterwards the Inca -Sinchiroca, who,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> more by persuasion than by force, possessed himself of -this valley; it was called at that time, Promocaces, the place of -dancing, or merriment. The Peruvian government was not established here -on the first arrival of the Spaniards, owing perhaps to the opposition -made by the Promaucians, who resided between the rivers Rapel and Maule, -and whom they never subdued; thus, although Garcilaso de la Vega Inca -places the boundary of the territory governed by the Incas on the river -Maule, it is more probable that it was on the Rapel, for near the union -of the Cachapoal with the Tinguiririca, taking the name of Rapel, there -are some ruins of a Peruvian fortress, built in the same manner as those -of Callo and Asuay, in the province of Quito; these apparently mark the -frontier, and especially as none are found more to the southward.</p> - -<p>Santiago is divided into squares or <i>quadras</i>, containing in the whole, -if we include the suburbs, about a hundred and fifty, which are marked -out by the streets; but many are incomplete, wanting houses to finish -the boundaries. The principal public buildings are the mint, the palace -of the supreme director, and the cathedral, which, like that of -Conception, is in an unfinished state. The mint is a very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span> handsome -edifice, vieing in elegance with any other in South America, and equal -to many of considerable note in Europe. It was built by Don Francisco -Huidobro, at the expense of nearly a million of dollars: he presented it -to the king, and in return received the title of Marquis of Casa Real; -but this and all other titles are declared extinct by the independent -government. The palace of the supreme director is incomplete; the right -wing, which should correspond with the left, is entirely wanting. In it -are the different offices belonging to the government, and also the -public gaol. The unfinished state of the cathedral is likely to -continue; for large funds are wanting to finish so extensive a building.</p> - -<p>The bridge across the Mapocho is a handsome structure of brick and -stone. The <i>tajamar</i>, breakwater, serves to preserve the city from being -inundated by the river when the waters increase, either by heavy rains -in the Cordillera, or the melting of the snows in the summer, at which -time this stream, though at other times insignificant, becomes a rapid -torrent. Here is a public promenade, like the Alamedas at Lima, having a -double row of Lombard poplars on each side, forming a shady walk for -foot passengers, while the middle one serves for carriages<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span> and horses. -The tajamar is formed of two walls of brick-work, and the interior is -filled with earth; a very agreeable promenade is made on the top, having -several flights of steps to ascend it; some seats are also placed in the -parapet which fronts the river; the whole being two miles long. The -snow-covered Andes are about twenty leagues from the city, yet they seem -to overhang it, and the view of them from the tajamar is very majestic.</p> - -<p>Santiago is divided into four parishes; San Pablo, Santa Ana, San -Isidro, and San Francisco de Borja. It has three Franciscan convents, -two of the Dominicans, one of San Augustin, and two of La Merced: those -belonging to the Jesuits were five. Here are seven nunneries, two of -Santa Clara, two of Carmelites, one of Capuchins, one of Dominicans, and -one of Augustinians; a house for recluse women called el Beaterio, and a -foundling hospital.</p> - -<p>Santiago was made a city by the king of Spain in 1552, with the title of -very noble and very loyal; its arms are a shield in a white ground, in -the centre a lion rampant holding a sword in his paw, and orle eight -scallops, Or. It was erected into a bishopric by Paul IV. in 1561. It -was the residence of the President, and Captain-General of the kingdom -of Chile,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span> and counts fifty governors from Pedro de Valdivia, the first, -to Don Casimiro Marcó del Pont, the last; also twenty-three bishops, -from Don Rodrigo Gonsales Marmolijo to the present Don Manuel Rodriguez. -Here was also a tribunal of royal audience, one of accompts, a -consulate, or board of trade, treasury, and commissariate of bulls. The -whole of the territory extends from the desert of Atacama to the -confines of Arauco, and was subject to the above-mentioned authorities -from the foundation of the government in 1541 to the beginning of the -fortunate revolution in 1810.</p> - -<p>The contrast between the society which I had just quitted in the capital -of Peru and that which I here found in the capital of Chile was of the -most striking kind. The former, oppressed by proud mandataries, -imperious chiefs, and insolent soldiers, had been long labouring under -all the distressing effects of espionage, the greatest enemy to the -charms of every society: the overbearing haughty Spaniards, either with -taunts or sneers, harrowing the very souls of the Americans, who -suspected their oldest friends and even their nearest relations. In this -manner they were forced to drain the cup of bitterness to the last -dregs, without daring by participation or condolence to render it less<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span> -unpalatable; except indeed they could find an Englishman, and to him -they would unbosom their inmost thoughts, believing that every Briton -feels as much interest in forwarding the liberty of his neighbour, as he -does in preserving his own. In Lima the tertulias, or chit-chat parties, -and even the gaity of the public promenades, had almost disappeared, and -<i>quando se acabará esto?</i> when will this end? was the constantly -repeated ejaculation. In Santiago every scene was reversed; mirth and -gaity presided at the <i>paseos</i>, confidence and frankness at the daily -tertulias; Englishmen here had evinced their love of universal liberty, -and were highly esteemed; friendship and conviviality seemed to reign -triumphant, and the security of the country, being the fruits of the -labour of its children, was considered by each separate individual as -appertaining to himself; his sentiments on its past efforts, present -safety, and future prosperity were delivered with uncontrolled freedom, -while the supreme magistrate, the military chief, the soldier, and the -peasant hailed each other as countrymen, and only acknowledged a master -in their duty, or the law.</p> - -<p>Another prominent feature in Chile is the state of her commerce, -entirely formed since<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> the revolution; it has rendered her not only -independent of Spain, but of Peru also. Formerly the fruits and produce -of this fertile region of the new world were entirely indebted to Peru -for a market; but with the spirit of freedom that of speculation arose, -and markets and returns were found in countries, of whose existence ten -years ago (1819) even the speculators themselves were ignorant. Several -of these provinces were conceived to be so situated, that no one -attempted to visit them, judging that such a journey would be attended -with almost insurmountable difficulties; dangers as great as the -majority of the inhabitants of Europe supposed were to be encountered by -a visit to the coasts of Peru.</p> - -<p>The manners and customs of the inhabitants of Santiago are now very -different from those of Conception in 1803, which was at that time -nearly as affluent as the capital; the estrado is almost exploded; the -ladies are accustomed to sit on chairs; the low tables are superseded by -those of a regular height, those on which the family, who at that period -crossed their legs like turks or tailors, sat on a piece of carpet, are -now abolished; formerly all ate out of the same dish, but now they sit -at table in the same manner as the English, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> their meals are served -up with regularity and neatness. The discordant jarring of the old half -strung guitar has given place to the piano, and the tasteless dance of -the country to the tasteful country-dance. In many respects, indeed, the -Chileans here appear half converted into English, as well in their dress -as in their diversions and manners.</p> - -<p>The following brief statement of the revolution in Chile, extracted from -official documents, and faithful reports, will I flatter myself be found -interesting to all classes—its details, however, must necessarily be -confined within short limits.</p> - -<p>One of the peculiar features in all the South American revolutions was -the accomplishment of the principal object, which consisted in deposing -the constituted authorities without bloodshed. This was the case at -Caracas, Santa Fé de Bogotá, Quito, Buenos Ayres and Chile; and at a -later period at Guayaquil, Truxillo, Tarma, and even at Lima; for the -Spanish forces quitted the city, and the Chilean entered without the -occurrence of a skirmish either in the capital or its vicinity.</p> - -<p>The same causes which operated in Venezuela and Quito, and have been -already stated, were felt in Chile, and produced similar effects. On the -18th July, 1810, the president Carrasco<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span> was deposed by the native -inhabitants, under the plea of his incapacity of preserving this part of -the Spanish dominions for Ferdinand, when he should be freed from his -captivity, and a junta which was formed of the Cabildo took upon itself -to govern according to the old system, but with the secret intention of -following the course and example of Buenos Ayres in declaring her -independence. In 1811 Don Juan Jose Carrera, the son of Don Ignacio -Carrera of Chile (who had been sent to Europe, and in the continental -war had attained the rank of a lieutenant-colonel and commandant of a -regiment of hussars) crossed the Atlantic to succour his native country, -which he was considered by his friends as the only person capable of -saving from the impending ruin which threatened it from the result of -the steps taken; and he was in consequence nominated by the junta -supreme president of the congress which was convened, besides which he -was appointed general in chief of the army about to be formed. The first -step which Carrera took was to establish a defensive army, which he -immediately began to recruit and discipline, choosing his officers from -among the most zealous friends of liberty. He constituted himself -colonel of the national guards, appointed his elder brother,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span> Don Jose -Miguel, colonel of grenadiers, and his younger, Don Luis, colonel and -commandant of artillery. At this time the principal military force of -Chile was at Conception; indeed the whole of the force, excepting two -companies, which had always been on duty in the capital, and about fifty -stationed as a garrison at Valparaiso, was employed on the frontiers of -Arauco. On hearing of what had taken place in the capital, the troops at -Conception declared themselves in favour of the cause of liberty. The -inhabitants of Conception pretended that their city was better -calculated to be the seat of government than Santiago; and as the troops -were principally composed of Pencones, natives of the place, they were -persuaded to join in the request, which occasioned some difficulties to -Carrera, and it was feared that this untimely pretension would be the -cause of a civil war; but it was finally adjusted that, for a specified -time, the troops of Conception should remain to the southward of the -river Maule, and those of Santiago to the northward. This gave Carrera -an opportunity to gain over the troops, which he did by sending -emissaries to Conception, when a general reconciliation took place, and -the whole of the troops were placed under the command of Don Juan Jose -Carrera.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span></p><p>The Spanish troops from Lima, Coquimbo and Chiloe, under the command of -Colonel Gainsa, began hostilities in the south of Chile; various actions -and skirmishes occurred between them and the undisciplined Chileans, the -result being favourable to the latter. In 1812, Don Bernardo O'Higgins -(then a captain of militia) joined Carrera, who bestowed on him the rank -of lieutenant-colonel of the line, and shortly afterwards raised him to -that of brigadier general, for the important services he rendered with -the Guerilla parties.</p> - -<p>In 1813, the three Carreras, with a considerable number of their -officers, were retaken prisoners by the Spaniards, and confined at -Talca. The command of the army devolved on O'Higgins, he being the -senior officer. He availed himself of this opportunity, assumed the -civil power, caused himself to be proclaimed president, and appointed a -substitute in the capital to govern during his absence. The Carreras -being possessed of money bribed the soldiers at Talca and made their -escape. O'Higgins instantly offered a reward for their apprehension. The -three Carreras immediately set off to Santiago, disguised as peasants, -and made themselves known to some friends; Don Luis was apprehended and -imprisoned; Don Juan<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> Jose went in his disguise to the artillery -barracks, and having entered, discovered himself to the officers and -soldiers, who welcomed his arrival, and promised to support him; in -consequence of which he marched with the soldiers to the plasa, and -liberated his brother Luis. The citizens promptly reinstated the -Carreras, and the news being conveyed to O'Higgins, he marched his army -towards the capital, leaving the enemy to avail himself of the civil -discords of the Chileans. Carrera proposed to unite their respective -forces, proceed against the common enemy, and leave their private -quarrels to be decided by the fortune of war, or by the suffrages of the -people. To these proposals O'Higgins objected, and the two generals -prepared for action. Carrera chose the plain of Maypu, when O'Higgins -soon began the attack, and was repulsed; the peasantry, under the -command of Carrera, although victorious, called on their countrymen to -desist, not to fly, but to surrender to their first and best chief; this -they did, were generously received, and forgiven. O'Higgins and his -principal officers were made prisoners. They all expected that their -offended general would bring them to judgment as traitors; but they were -pardoned, restored to their former situations in the army, and -O'Higgins<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> was reinstated in the command of the van-guard, and received -orders to march towards Rancagua, where Carrera soon afterwards repaired -with the remainder of the army. The Spaniards profited by the -dissentions of the patriot chiefs, recruited and disciplined more -troops, and invested the town of Rancagua on the first of October, 1814. -Carrera and his troops defended themselves here forty-eight hours, and -when their ammunition was expended and they were obliged to evacuate the -place, they cut their way through the ranks of the Spanish soldiery -sword in hand. General Carrera and his two brothers, O'Higgins, -Benevente, the unfortunate Rodrigues, and several of the more wealthy -citizens, crossed the Cordillera, leaving General Osorio in possession -of the whole of Chile.</p> - -<p>The Spanish regime being thus re-established in Chile, the different -functionaries who had been deposed resumed their offices, and a new -tribunal called <i>de la purification</i> was established, through which -ordeal all those natives who wished to be considered as loyal subjects -to Spain had to pass. It was composed of Spaniards, principally -officers, having the celebrated Major San Bruno as president. Nothing -can be imagined more arbitrary than the conduct<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> of this tribunal; its -assumed duties were to examine the proceedings of the inhabitants, and, -independently of any established laws or set forms, to sentence or -acquit. The prisons were filled with the objects of persecution, the -places of exile were crowded with the victims of this political -inquisition, and Chile groaned under the unwise administration of -Osorio. This tyrannical general and Marcó, instead of pursuing -conciliatory measures, which would have attached the mal-contents to -their party, adopted every kind of persecution, and cultivated distrust; -until enmity, which ripened in secret, at the first favourable -opportunity produced conspiracies and all the fatal effects of revenge.</p> - -<p>General Carrera pursued his route to Buenos Ayres, where he embarked for -the United States to solicit assistance; while O'Higgins, Rodrigues, -McKenny, and Calderon began to recruit and discipline a new army for the -re-occupation of Chile: the command of the army was given to San Martin; -it crossed the Cordillera, and the battle of Chacabuco was fought on the -twelfth of February, 1817, the result of which has already been stated. -On the arrival of the patriot troops in Santiago an elective government -was formed, of which General San<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> Martin was nominated the supreme -director; but he declined the offer, and recommended his friend, General -O'Higgins, to fill the place.</p> - -<p>The refusal of San Martin to accept the first and highest post of honour -in Chile was misunderstood at the time; it was construed into a -deference to the superior abilities of O'Higgins, and to modesty on the -part of the hero of Chacabuco; whereas some who knew him better were -persuaded, that he intended to govern the government, and to make it -subservient to his own purposes. Besides, a wider field for the ambition -of San Martin now presented itself. He began to look forward to Peru, -which afterwards became the theatre of his warlike virtues.</p> - -<p>The Spaniards kept possession of Talcahuano, as well as the southern -provinces, and received supplies from Peru, principally composed of the -regiment of Burgos, one of the finest bodies of troops ever sent from -Spain. General Osorio again took the command of the army, and marched -towards the capital, while the patriots mustered all their forces to -oppose him. The Spanish force was composed of about five thousand -regulars, and it gained several advantages, particularly one at -Cancharayada, where they surprised the Chilean army in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> night, and -completely dispersed it; and had Osorio continued his march, he might -have entered the capital without any opposition; but he remained at -Talca, and allowed the patriots to collect their scattered forces. This -they were not slow in performing, for on the fifth of April they -presented themselves on the plain of Maypu about seven thousand strong, -including the militia; indeed very few of them could be called veterans, -except in their fidelity to the cause of their country. O'Higgins having -been severely wounded in his right arm at Cancha-rayada, could not take -the field, but remained in his palace at Santiago. San Martin and Las -Heras commanded the patriots, and Osorio the royalists on this memorable -day, which sealed the fate of Chile. The conflict was obstinate and -sanguinary during the greater part of the day; in the afternoon fortune -appeared to favour the Chileans, when lieutenant-colonel O'Brian -observed, that the regiment of Burgos were endeavouring to form -themselves into a solid square; he immediately rode up to General San -Martin; and begged him to charge at the head of the cavalry and prevent -the completion of this manœuvre, stating, that if it were effected -nothing could prevent their marching to the capital. San Martin, instead -of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> charging at the head of the cavalry, ordered O'Brian to charge, -which he did, and completely routed the Spaniards, and gave the victory -to the patriots. Osorio on observing the fate of the regiment of Burgos -fled with a few officers and part of his body-guard. When O'Brian -returned to the commander in chief and reported to him the news of the -victory, he was answered by a bottle of rum being offered to him by the -hero of Maypu, accompanied with this familiar expression, <i>toma!</i> take -hold!</p> - -<p>Of the five thousand men commanded by Osorio two thousand fell on the -field, and two thousand five hundred were made prisoners, with one -hundred and ninety-three officers, who were immediately sent across the -Cordillera to the Punta de San Luis and Las Bruscas; General Osorio, -with about two hundred followers, escaped from the field of action and -fled to Conception.</p> - -<p>This victory over the Spaniards gave to the Chileans that complete -independence for which they had been struggling ever since 1810; but the -glory of the achievement was tarnished by what took place as well at -Mendosa on the east side of the Cordillera as at Quillota on the west. -On the return of General Carrera from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> the United States, bringing with -him several officers and some supplies of arms, for the purpose of -equipping an expedition for the liberation of his country, he found, on -his arrival at Buenos Ayres, that his two brothers were on their parole -of honour in this city, and were not allowed to return home nor to join -the army. This proceeding astounded Carrera, but he had scarcely time to -inquire into what had taken place, when he was himself arrested and -placed on board a gun brig belonging to Buenos Ayres; at which time his -two brothers, fearing the same fate, fled, Don Luis on the nineteenth of -July, 1817, and Don Jose Miguel on the eighth of August: on the -seventeenth they were apprehended near Mendosa, and thrown into prison, -when they were in hopes of having been able to cross the Cordillera and -again to serve their country.</p> - -<p>It appears that Don Jose Miguel Carrera when at Rio Janeiro had obtained -a copy of the negociation which had been carried on in France by Don -Antonio Alvares Jonte, the agent of the supreme director of Buenos -Ayres, Pueyrredon, for the purpose of establishing a monarchy in this -place, and of giving the throne to Charles Louis Prince of Lucca, the -son of Don Louis of Bourbon, heir apparent to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> the Dukedom of Parma, and -Dona Maria Louisa of Bourbon, daughter to Charles IV. of Spain, -afterwards called the king and queen of Etruria. The possession of these -documents, and a knowledge of all that had transpired, rendered Carrera -an unwelcome visitor at Buenos Ayres, and a suspicious character to -Pueyrredon, who, to provide for his own safety, determined on the -destruction of this individual, but he escaped from the brig and fled to -Monte Video.</p> - -<p>Don Jose Miguel and Don Luis were equally dangerous opponents to the -vices of San Martin, who on hearing of their being arrested sent over -his arch-secretary Don Bernardo Monteagudo to bring them to their trial; -and as it was necessary to forge some ostensible motive for their -execution, as that of having disobeyed the orders of a government to -which they had never promised fealty could not be accounted sufficient, -Don Juan Jose was accused of having murdered the son of the postmaster -of San Jose in the year 1814, of which act, however, Monteagudo himself -says, in his <i>Extracto de la Causa seguida contra los Carreras</i>, <i>p. 7</i>, -"although from the nature of the circumstances the murder could not be -proved by evidence, yet the whole of the procured evidence was such, -that the probability of the aggression was in the last degree -approaching to a certainty."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> As this accusation did not include Don -Luis another plan was laid that should inculpate the two brothers. Some -of the soldiers then on duty at Mendosa were directed to propose to the -prisoners the means of escaping, to which they acceded, and on the 25th -of February, 1818, Pedro Antonio Olmos informed the governor of Mendosa -that Don Juan Jose and Don Luis Carrera had formed a plan to escape from -prison on the following night, and brought in Manuel Solis to support -the information. This put the machine in motion, and five other soldiers -were adduced as evidence against the unfortunate brothers. On the 10th -of March the examinations closed, on the 11th they were requested to -appoint their counsel, and on the 4th of April the Fiscal solicited the -sentence of death; on the 8th the solicitation was approved of, as being -according to law, by Miguel Jose Galigniana and Bernardo Monteagudo, to -which was subjoined the following order: "let the sentence be -executed—Don Juan Jose and Don Luis Carrera are to be shot this -afternoon at five o'clock." (Signed) Toribio de Lusuriaga. The two -unhappy brothers heard their sentence at three o'clock in the afternoon, -and they were slaughtered at six. They left the dungeon arm in arm, -walked to the place of execution, and having<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> embraced each other, sat -themselves down on a bench, and ordering the soldiers to fire, they -again embraced each other in death. The conduct of General San Martin in -this affair may perhaps be defended by his friends and partisans; but -the prevalent belief is, that on finding a considerable party in Chile -in favour of the Carreras, he was determined on their destruction, and -that the order for the execution of Don Juan Jose and Don Luis was sent -by him to Lusuriaga the governor. Nothing however can be conceived more -brutal than what occurred at Santiago after the execution of the two -brothers. San Martin sent to their unhappy father an account of the -expenses incurred on their trial and execution, with an order for -immediate payment, or that the father should be committed to prison. The -venerable old man defrayed the bloody charge, and two days afterwards he -expired, the victim of malice and of persecution. I was at Santiago at -the period, and followed the corpse to the grave.</p> - -<p>At the same time that this tragedy was performed on the eastern side of -the Cordillera, another, which for its midnight atrocity exceeds even -the fabulous legends of cold-blooded cruelty, was performed by the same -manager on the western side: an act that would curdle the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> milk of -sympathy into a clotted mass of hatred. Don Manuel Rodrigues obtained -the rank of colonel in the service of his country; he crossed the -Cordillera after the defeat of the patriots at Rancagua, remained with -O'Higgins, and assisted to discipline the army commanded by San Martin; -the battle of Chacabuco added honour and glory to his name, and the -field of Maypu crowned him with laurels. His conduct as a soldier and -his manners as a gentleman had endeared him to all who knew him; but the -record of his virtues was the instrument of his destruction; the -jealousy of San Martin could not brook a rival in those glories which he -considered exclusively his own, and that the popularity of Rodrigues -might withdraw for one moment the attention of a single individual from -contemplating the greatness of the hero of Maypu. Rodrigues was -apprehended, and sent to Quillota, where after he had remained a few -days, San Martin sent a corporal and two soldiers, with an order for -Rodrigues to be delivered up to them; he was conducted along the road -leading to the capital, and not permitted to stop at night at a house -which they passed, and where he requested they would allow him to rest. -The morning dawned on the everlasting resting place of this gallant -Chilean—he was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> murdered at midnight by his ruffian guard, and buried -at a short distance from the high road. Inquiries were afterwards made -by the relatives of Rodrigues, but no satisfactory accounts could be -obtained at head-quarters; the soldiers who were the only persons -capable of giving information were not to be found; this was easily -accounted for; General San Martin had sent them to the Punta de San -Luis, to be taken care of by his confidant Dupuy, who was at this time -under training for another scene of bloodshed, more horrible, if -possible, than the past.</p> - -<p>After the expulsion of the Spaniards, the supreme director, O'Higgins, -knowing the importance of a naval force, which might protect the shores -of Chile and its commercial interests against the Spanish vessels of -war, applied himself seriously to the acquisition not only of vessels -but of officers and crews. The two East-indiamen, the Cumberland and the -Windham, afterwards the San Martin and the Lautero, were purchased; the -Chacabuco and the Pueyerredon were equipped; the Galvarino was -purchased, and the Maria Isabel was taken. But after all this the -possession of vessels would have been attended only with expense, had -not the good fortune of South America been supported by the devoted -services of Lord<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> Cochrane, to whom the western shores of the new world -owe their emancipation, and England the commerce of this quarter of the globe.</p> - -<p>O'Higgins being desirous of lightening the burden of the administration -which had been confided to him, nominated five individuals as consulting -senators; but he unwarily granted to them such powers as made them -independent of his own authority, and consequently rendered himself -subservient to their determinations. This caused innumerable delays in -the despatch of business, and prevented that secresy which is often -indispensably necessary in the affairs of state; indeed these two -defects of tardiness and publicity were often visible in Chile, for by -such delays the enemy was informed of the designs of the government, and -prepared to thwart their execution.</p> - -<p>After the squadron had sailed from Valparaiso on the fifteenth of -January, 1819, under the command of Lord Cochrane, the whole attention -of the Chileans was engrossed with the expectation of decisive victories -which were to be obtained over the Spaniards in Peru; they felt -themselves secure under the protection of the fleet, and congratulated -each other on having now transferred the theatre of war from their own -country to that of their enemy; but a new<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> scene of horror presented -itself, sufficient not only to astonish the inhabitants of this part of -the new world, but to call down on the head of its author universal -execration. The following extract is from the ministerial gazette of -Santiago of the fifth of March, 1819:—</p> - -<p>"On the eighth of February last, between eight and nine o'clock in the -morning, my orderly informed me that some of the Spanish officers -confined here wished to see me. I ordered him to allow them to enter; I -was at this time conversing with the surgeon Don Jose Maria Gomes and my -secretary Don Jose Manuel Riveros. Colonel Morgado, Lieutenant-Colonel -Morla, and Captain Carretero entered; Carretero sat himself down on my -left hand, and after a few compliments, he drew from his breast a -poignard, and struck at me with it, but I fortunately parried the blow. -Carretero exclaimed at the same time, "these are your last moments, you -villain, America is lost, but you shall not escape!" I drew back to -defend myself against Colonel Morgado, who attempted a second blow, at -which time General Ordoñes, Colonel Primo, and Lieutenant Burguillo -entered; Gomes, the surgeon, immediately left the room, calling for -assistance, and my secretary Riveros endeavoured to do the same, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> -was prevented by Burguillo. For a considerable time I had to defend -myself against the six assassins, who began to desist on hearing the -shouts of the people that surrounded the house, and were using every -effort to enter it; I requested they would allow me to go out and quiet -the populace, to which they consented; but the moment I opened the door -leading from the patio to the plasa, the people rushed in, and put the -whole of them to death, except Colonel Morgado, whom I killed, and thus -the attack on my person was revenged.</p> - -<p>"I immediately discovered that a plot had been formed by the whole of -the officers confined here, to liberate themselves, and to pass over to -the Guerilla parties under the command of Carrera and Alvear; however, -the populace and the soldiery took the alarm, and several of the -prisoners have paid with their lives the temerity of the plan they had -laid. I immediately ordered Don Bernardo Monteagudo to form a summary -process, which on the fourth day after receiving the order he informed -me was finished, and I agreeing with his opinion, ordered the following -individuals to be shot: captains Gonsales, Sierra and Arriola; ensigns -Riesco, Vidaurazaga and Caballo; privates, Moya and Peres. The number of -enemies who<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> have ceased to exist is, one general, three colonels, two -lieutenant-colonels, nine captains, five lieutenants, seven ensigns, one -intendent of the army, one commissary, one sergeant and two privates." -This was signed by Vicente Dupuy, lieutenant-governor of San Luis.</p> - -<p>Many other statements of the transaction were circulated by the friends -of each party. I received the following from a person entirely -independent of both, and who had no motive for furnishing me with an -exaggerated account:</p> - -<p>"On the night of the seventh of February, 1818, when the Spanish field -officers confined at San Luis were playing at cards with Don Vicente -Dupuy, this lieutenant-governor happened to lose some money, and -immediately seized what was lying before Colonel Ribero; Ribero -expostulated, and notwithstanding the entreaties of his friends, at -length struck Dupuy on the face, whose friends immediately seized some -arms, which had been placed in the room, and the Spaniards also availed -themselves of part of them. The uproar that was formed alarmed the -guard, and the Spanish prisoners, fearful of the result, laid down their -arms and begged Dupuy's pardon; it was granted, and he pledged his word -and honour, that if they would allow him to go out, he would pacify the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span> -tumult made by the guard and populace; the Spaniards believed him; he -went out; but instead of quieting the disturbance he spread the alarm, -and called upon the people to revenge the insults he had received from -the Godos (Goths, the name by which the Spaniards were known); Dupuy -re-entered the house with some soldiers and other armed individuals, and -General Ordoñes, Colonel Morgado, with six other officers were -immediately butchered by them; Colonel Primo seeing that he could not -escape, took up a pistol and shot himself; every Spaniard found in the -streets was also massacred at the same time, and many were murdered in -their houses; in all fifty Spanish officers were massacred, and only two -escaped of the whole number, which at that time were at San Luis. For -this memorable action Dupuy was created a colonel-major, and a member of -the Legion of Merit of Chile.</p> - -<p>"Dupuy was afterwards tried, by order of the government of Buenos Ayres, -for several acts of assassination and cruelty which he had committed, -and he defended himself by producing written orders from San Martin for -the assassination of Raposo and Conde, as also for the murder of the -unfortunate Rodrigues—these orders were very laconic—<i>pasará por San -Luis,</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> <i>tiene mi pasaporte, recibale bien, pero que no pase el monte al -atro lado de San Luis. Prontitud, y silencio, asi, conviene para el bien -de la Patria</i>: will pass through San Luis, he has my passport, receive -him politely, but allow him not to pass the wood on the other side of -San Luis.—Promptitude and silence, this is necessary for the good of -the country. However, Dupuy was exiled to La Rioja, whence he escaped, -and followed San Martin to Peru. He also proved, that the order for the -execution of the Carreras was a verbal one given by San Martin before he -left Mendosa."</p> - -<p>With respect to General San Martin, it may be observed, that as his -character and actions have been so grossly mis-stated by other writers, -it becomes necessary that some traits which have hitherto been withheld -should be published, as well for the purpose of historical truth, as for -that of dissipating the cloud which envelopes the conduct of several -individuals who have lent their assistance to the cause of American -liberty. The presence of Monteagudo at Mendoza for the execution of the -Carreras, and of his being employed on a similar mission at San Luis, -are rather strange coincidences; with the additional circumstance, that -he was arrested in the house of an English merchant residing at -Santiago, and in the supposed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> character of a prisoner, was sent by the -order of San Martin to San Luis, where he was considered a prisoner -until called upon to form the process, and draw up the sentence of death -against the Spanish officers, which sentence appears to have decreed his -own liberation, for he immediately recrossed the Cordillera, and -remained with his patron.</p> - -<p>In 1819 the Spaniards under the command of General Sanches evacuated -Conception and Talcahuano, crossed the Biobio, and proceeded through the -Araucanian territory to Valdivia. Sanches plundered the city of -Conception of every valuable which he could take with him; the church -plate and ornaments, and even many of the iron windows belonging to the -houses; he also persuaded the nuns to leave their cloisters and to -follow the fortunes of the army: they did, and were abandoned at -Tucapel, and left among the indians.</p> - -<p>A native of Chile named Benavides was left by Sanches at the town of -Arauco, for the purpose of harassing the patriots at Conception, and -several Spaniards of the most licentious characters chose to remain with -him. Benavides was a native of the province of Conception, and served -some time in the army of his country, but deserted to the royalists: at -the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span> battle of Maypu he was taken prisoner, and, among other -delinquents, was ordered to be shot, in the dusk of the evening. -However, Benavides was not killed, although his face was stained with -the gunpowder, and having fallen, he made some motion, which the officer -observing, cut him across the neck with his sword, and left him for -dead; but even after this he recovered sufficient strength to crawl to a -small house, where he was received and cured of his wounds. It is said -that after his recovery he held a private conference with San Martin; I -have been perfectly satisfied on this head, and I am certain that no -such interview ever took place; indeed San Martin is not the man for -such actions, nor would it have been prudent for any chief to have -risked his existence with a desperado like Benavides. This monster fled -from Santiago, joined General Sanches at Conception, and was left by him -in the command of the small town of Arauco, where the most atrocious -hostilities commenced that have ever disgraced even the war in America.</p> - -<p>The attention of the government was employed in fitting out a second -naval expedition to the coast of Peru, for the latest advices from -Europe confirmed the former, which stated, that a naval force preparing -in Cadiz,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> and composed of the two line of battle ships Alexander and -San Telmo, the frigate Prueba, and some smaller vessels, was destined to -the Pacific. The Chilean squadron was by no means competent to cope with -such a force; besides which, two frigates, the Esmeralda and Vengansa, -three brigs of war, and some small craft, as well as armed merchantmen -at Callao, being added to what was expected from Spain, the force would -have been overwhelming. It was therefore determined, that the squadron -should attempt the destruction of the vessels in Callao, by burning -them. Mr. Goldsack, who had come to Chile, was employed in making -Congreve's rockets, of which an experiment was made at Valparaiso, and -which answered the expectations of Lord Cochrane.</p> - -<p>Every necessary arrangement being completed, the squadron, consisting of -the O'Higgins, San Martin, Lautaro, Independencia, (which arrived on the -23rd May, 1819, having been built in the United States for the -government of Chile) the Galvarino, Araucano, the Victoria, and -Xeresana, two merchant vessels which were to be converted into -fire-ships if necessary, left the port of Valparaiso on the twelfth of -September, and having first touched at Coquimbo, arrived in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> the bay of -Callao on the twenty-eighth. Lord Cochrane announced to the Viceroy -Pesuela his intention of destroying the shipping in the bay, if -possible; but he proposed to him terms on which he would desist; namely, -that he would diminish the number of his vessels by sending part of them -to leeward, and fight the Spanish force man to man, and gun to gun, if -they would leave their anchorage, and this, said he, might be the means -of preserving the property of individuals then in the bay. His -excellency, however, declined the challenge, observing, that it was of a -nature which had never been before heard of. The preparations for -throwing rockets among the shipping immediately commenced, and on the -night of the first of October several were thrown, but without effect: -the firing from the batteries and shipping began at the moment the first -rocket was thrown, which appeared as a signal to the enemy. From our -anchorage we could distinguish the heated shot that flew through the air -like meteors in miniature; however, little injury was sustained on -either side: our loss consisted in Lieutenant Bayley of the Galvarino -and one seaman. One of the rafts under the direction of -Lieutenant-colonel Charles was protected by the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span>Independencia; the -second by two mortars under that of Major Miller, now (1824) General -Miller, was protected by the Galvarino; and the third under Captain -Hinde was defended by the Pueyrredon. By accident Captain Hinde lost his -lighted match rope, and sent on board the brig for another, which the -soldier dropped on stepping from the boat to the raft; it fell among the -rockets, and an explosion took place, but no serious injury was -experienced.</p> - -<p>In the nights of the second, third, and fourth several more rockets were -thrown, without particular success: some damage was done to the enemy's -vessels, but on the fourth they were completely unrigged, which was -undoubtedly a wise precaution. Several of the rockets exploded almost -immediately after they were lighted, others at about half their range, -others took a contrary direction to that in which they were projected, -and it became evident that some mismanagement had occurred in their -construction. On examining them, some were found to contain rags, sand, -sawdust, manure, and similar materials, mixed with the composition. -Colonel Charles, who had been commissioned to superintend the making of -the rockets, was at first incapable of accounting for this insertion, -but at length he recollected, that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> the government of Chile, with a view -of saving the wages of hired persons, had employed the Spanish prisoners -to fill the rockets, to which mistaken policy the whole squadron might -have fallen a sacrifice; for had the vessels which were expected from -Spain arrived, the Chilean forces would never have been able to cope -with the Spanish, especially when joined by what was in the bay of -Callao.</p> - -<p>On the fifth a large vessel was observed to windward. It proved to be -the Spanish frigate la Prueba, part of the expected squadron: advices -which we received from shore informed us, that the Alejandro had -returned to Spain, and the general belief was, that the San Telmo had -been lost off Cape Horn, which was afterwards proved to be the case.</p> - -<p>The fire-ship being ready was sent into the bay under the direction of -Lieutenant Morgel; an unceasing cannonade was kept up both from the -batteries and the shipping; the wind died away, and such was the state -of the fire-ship, that Lieutenant Morgel was obliged to abandon her, and -she exploded before she came to a position where she could injure the -enemy. Owing to the news which we received the following day, the -admiral determined not to send in the second fire-ship, but to proceed -to the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span>northward, to procure fresh provisions and water, as well as to -obtain news respecting the Spanish frigate. The crew of the San Martin -being unhealthy, his lordship ordered her, the Independencia and -Araucano to Santa, and the Lautaro and Galvarino to Pisco, to procure -spirits and wine, the royal stores being full at this place. A military -force being stationed at Pisco, part of the marines were sent from the -O'Higgins and Independencia, and the whole were placed under the orders -of Colonel Charles. On the 14th of October we anchored in the harbour of -Santa, and immediately began to drive the cattle from the farms -belonging to the Spaniards down to the beach; but whatsoever was -received at any time from the natives was always punctually paid for; -this so enraged a Spaniard, Don Benito del Real, that he headed some of -his own slaves and dependents, and came from Nepeña to Santa, where he -surprised one of our sailors, and took him prisoner; he immediately -returned, and reported by an express to the Viceroy Pesuela, that he had -secured Lord Cochrane's brother in disguise. This news made its -appearance in the Lima Gazette, and nothing could exceed the -disappointment of the royalists in Lima, when they discovered that their -noble prisoner was only a common sailor.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span></p><p>On the 15th the Lautaro and Galvarino arrived from Pisco, and as -nothing can give a better account of what occurred at this place than -the official dispatch of the admiral to the Chilean government, the -following translation is subjoined:</p> - -<p>"The absolute want of many indispensable articles in the squadron, as I -have already informed you, left me no other alternative than to abandon -the object of the expedition, or to take the necessary provisions from -the enemy. I adopted the latter, and sent the Lautaro and the Galvarino -to Pisco for the purpose of procuring spirits, wine, rice and some other articles.</p> - -<p>"The result of this expedition has been glorious to the arms of Chile in -the valour shewn by her officers and soldiers when fighting hand to hand -with the enemy, and in the assault on the city of Pisco, and the fort to -which the forces of the Viceroy retired. It is my painful duty -notwithstanding to inform you, that the unfortunate Lieutenant-Colonel -Charles closed in this action his career in the cause of liberty, to -which his soul was devoted, at a moment when it promised to be the most -brilliant which the human mind could desire. The courage and judgment of -Charles were not more visible than the talent and general knowledge -which he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span> possessed; such as could only receive an additional lustre -from his peculiarly agreeable suavity of refined manners, and from that -diffidence in his behaviour, as if he considered that he had not arrived -at the portal of wisdom, when all who surrounded him saw that he was one -of the inmates of the temple.</p> - -<p>"Would to God that that sword, the companion of his travels over the -greater part of the globe, in search of information, in the day of -danger, and in the hour of death, be employed by his brother, to whom in -his last moments he bequeathed it, with equal zeal in the just and -glorious cause, in which my ever to be lamented friend Charles has -prematurely fallen.</p> - -<p>"Lamenting the loss which the cause of liberty and independence has -suffered in the death of Charles, as well as all those who knew this -able and meritorious officer, I subscribe myself with an anguished -heart, your most obedient servant, (signed) Cochrane."</p> - -<p>"To the minister of marine of Chile, November seventeenth, 1819."</p> - -<p>The Spanish force at Pisco was composed of six hundred infantry and two -hundred cavalry, part veteran and part militia; six pieces of eighteen -pound calibre in the fort, and two<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> field pieces, mounted and served in -the city. The force under the unfortunate Charles consisted of two -hundred and eighty marines. After taking the fort they advanced on the -city, and took it. Colonel Charles fell about a hundred yards from the -town, and was immediately conveyed on board the Lautaro, where he died -on the following day. His last expressions were, "I hoped to have lived -longer, and to have served Chile; however, fate decrees the contrary; -but, Captain Guise, we made the Spaniards run!" Major Miller took the -command of the troops, and having arrived at the plasa, he was severely -wounded by a musket shot passing through his body, but he recovered, and -has continued to serve the cause of liberty in the new world. A -considerable quantity of spirits and wine was embarked, but the seamen, -owing to the facility of obtaining their favourite beverage on shore, -became so unruly, that Captain Guise was obliged to burn the stores, -consisting at that time of about fourteen thousand eighteen gallon jars -of spirits and wine.</p> - -<p>Health being in some degree established among the crew of the San -Martin, she, with the Independencia, was ordered to Valparaiso, and his -lordship with the O'Higgins, Lautaro,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> and Galvarino, proceeded to the -river of Guayaquil, in the hopes of falling in with the Prueba. On the -twenty-seventh we entered the mouth of the river, at eleven <span class="smaller">P. M.</span>, and -at five the following morning, to the astonishment of the natives, we -were at the anchorage of the Puná, where we found two large Spanish -merchant ships. La Aguila and La Begoña, almost laden with timber; after -some resistance the crews cut their cables, and allowed them to drop -down the river, as the ebb tide had begun to run; however the boats from -the O'Higgins, the only vessel that had arrived, manned them before they -received any damage. The Spaniards took to their boats, and fled up the river.</p> - -<p>A slight dissention happened here between Lord Cochrane and Captain -Guise, who asserted, that the prizes had been plundered by the officers -of the flag ship; but on being questioned by his lordship respecting the -assertion, he denied having ever made it. A report was afterwards -circulated by Captain Spry, that it was the intention of the Admiral not -to allow the Lautaro and Galvarino to share in the prizes, they not -having been in sight when the vessels were captured, nor until the boats -from the flag ship had taken possession of them; however,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span> Captain Spry -declared to the admiral, "on his honour," that the report was absolutely -false. Spry being now convinced that no objection would be made to the -vessels that were not present at the capture, sharing in the prizes, -next circulated a rumour, that Lord Cochrane had no right to share in -the double capacity of admiral and captain; but he also declared, "on -his honour," that he had neither made nor even heard such a report. -These trifling circumstances would be unworthy of detail, were they not -connected with future transactions in the squadron of serious -importance, which it will be my painful duty to relate.</p> - -<p>The Spanish frigate la Prueba had arrived at the Puná on the fifteenth -of October; and having placed her artillery on rafts, she went up to the -city, where, for want of pilots, it was impossible for us to follow. -Having watered, and purchased a large stock of plantains and other -vegetables, we left Guayaquil river on the twenty-first of December. The -vessels of war and the prizes received orders to proceed to Valparaiso; -the O'Higgins appeared to have the same destination; but having made the -island of Juan Fernandes, the admiral gave orders to stand towards -Valdivia instead of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> Valparaiso, saying, that he wished to examine that -port, because the Viceroy of Peru had assured the Peruvians, that one of -the line of battle ships had entered Valdivia, and was there refitting, -for the purpose of making an attack on Valparaiso.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VII.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>Passage from Guayaquil River to Valdivia....Lord Cochrane -reconnoitres the Harbour....Capture of the Spanish Brig -Potrillo....Arrival at Talcahuano....Preparations for an Expedition -to Valdivia....Troops furnished by General Freire....O'Higgins runs -aground....Arrival off Valdivia....Capture of Valdivia....Attempt -on Chiloe fails....Return of Lord Cochrane....Leaves Valdivia for -Valparaiso....Victory by Beauchef....Arrival of the Independencia -and Araucano....O'Higgins repaired....Return to -Valparaiso....Conduct of Chilean Government....Lord Cochrane -resigns the Command of the Squadron.</p></blockquote> - -<p>One peculiarity which accompanied our voyage was, that having the -larboard tacks on board at our departure from the mouth of the Guayaquil -river, they were never started until our arrival off Valdivia, the -difference of latitude being 36° 27´. The currents which run from the -southward seem to decrease in about 92° west longitude, and at 98° in -33° of south latitude they are scarcely perceptible. Here also the wind -gradually draws round to the eastward, and in twenty-seven Spanish -journals which I have examined of voyages made at all seasons of the -year, this has been universally observed.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span></p><p>On the seventeenth of January, 1820, we made Punta Galera, the south -headland of the bay of Valdivia, having the Spanish flag hoisted. Early -on the morning of the eighteenth the admiral entered the port in his -gig, and returned on board at day-break, having examined the anchorage, -and convinced himself that the Spanish ship of war was not there, the -only vessel in the harbour being a merchantman.</p> - -<p>For an excursion of this nature the spirit of enterprize of a Cochrane -was necessary. When the strength of this Gibraltar of South America is -considered, the number of batteries, forming an almost uninterrupted -chain of defence, crowned with cannon, the shot of which cross the -passage in various directions; under such circumstances, the resolution -to brave all danger for the advancement of the Chilean service reflects -the highest possible honour on the admiral; besides, to this brief and -perilous survey South America owes the expulsion of her enemies from -this strong hold.</p> - -<p>At half-past six o'clock a boat with an officer, three soldiers, and a -pilot, came alongside, having been deceived by the Spanish flag which we -hoisted; they were detained, and proved an acquisition of considerable -importance. Immediately afterwards a brig<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> hove in sight, which we -chased and captured; she proved to be the Spanish brig of war the -Potrillo; she had been sent from Callao with money for the governments -of Chiloe and Valdivia, and was at this time on her passage from the -former to the latter place. After the capture I was most agreeably -surprised to find, that two of the daughters of my kind friend Don -Nicolas del Rio, of Arauco, were on board; and that, at the expiration -of seventeen years, it was in my power to return part of the kindnesses -which I had received from their family, when a forlorn and destitute -captive in Araucania.</p> - -<p>On the 20th we anchored in the bay of Talcahuano, and in the course of -two hours General Freire, the governor of the province and suite came on -board to welcome the arrival of Lord Cochrane. I availed myself of this -opportunity and solicited permission for the two Miss Rios to return to -their home, to which the general immediately acceded; although, said he, -with the exception of their brother Luis, all the family have been -determined enemies to the cause of their country. Late at night an -officer came on board and informed me, that two soldiers were under -sentence of death at Conception, that they were to be executed on the -following morning for the crime of desertion, and that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> he had been -deputed by some of his brother officers to solicit the intervention of -the admiral in their behalf. I reported this to his lordship, and a -letter was sent in the morning, to which the following answer was -received:</p> - -<p>"My Lord—Chile and Chileans are every day more and more indebted to -you; the favour which you have this day done me, in relieving me from -the necessity of enforcing the execution of another sentence of death, -is equal, in the scale of my feelings, to the pardon. I shall send the -two deserters to thank your lordship, for I have impressed on their -minds what they owe to your lordship's goodness. I have to beg that they -be incorporated in the marines, where, fighting under your immediate -orders, they may evince their love of the patria, and erase the stain -with which they have soiled a cause which has the honour of counting -Lord Cochrane among its most worthy defenders &c.—Ramon Freire."</p> - -<p>On the day after our arrival, Lord Cochrane had a private conference -with General Freire, and proposed to him an attempt on Valdivia, which -his lordship offered to undertake with four hundred soldiers, if the -general would place them at his disposal, secresy being a positive -condition. This truly patriotic chief immediately acceded to the terms, -and pledged himself<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> not to communicate the plan even to the supreme -government, until the result should be known. It is impossible not to -admire this generous conduct of Freire. He lent part of his army, when -he was on the eve of attacking Benavides, and exposed himself, by thus -weakening his division, to the displeasure of his superiors, should Lord -Cochrane not succeed. But his love for his country, and the high opinion -which he entertained of the admiral, overcame every objection. The -generosity of Freire is equally praiseworthy in another point of view: -he gave part of his force to another chief, for the purpose of obtaining -a victory, in the glory of which he could not be a participator, except -as an American interested in the glorious cause of the liberty of his -country.</p> - -<p>Orders were immediately given to prepare for a secret expedition; but as -this proceeding was so novel, a <i>secret</i> was put in circulation, that -the destination was to Tucapel, in order to harass the enemy's force at -Arauco; and the distance being so very short, neither officers nor -privates encumbered themselves with luggage. All was ready on the -afternoon of the 28th, and two hundred and fifty men, with their -respective officers, under the command of Major Beauchef, were embarked -on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> board the O'Higgins, the brig of war Intrepid, and the schooner -Montezuma, which were at Talcahuano on our arrival. We got under weigh -in the morning, because the wind continued calm during the whole of the -night.</p> - -<p>About four o'clock in the morning his lordship retired to his cabin to -rest, leaving orders with Lieutenant Lawson to report if the wind should -change, or any alteration should take place. As soon as his lordship had -left the quarter deck, Lawson gave the same orders to Mr. George, a -midshipman, and also retired to his cabin. The morning was so remarkably -hazy, that it was impossible to see twenty yards ahead of the ship, and -a slight breeze springing up, the frigate ran aground on a sand-bank off -the island Quiriquina, and so near to it, that the jib-boom was -entangled among the branches of the trees on shore. This accident -brought the admiral on deck, half-dressed, when to his astonishment he -saw large pieces of sheathing and fragments of the false keel floating -about the ship. A kedge anchor was immediately carried out astern, and -in a few minutes we were again afloat. The carpenter sounded, and -reported, "three feet water in the hold:" the men at the pumps were -almost in despair, all imagining that the expedition had failed at its<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> -very outset: in half an hour the carpenter reported, no abatement in the -depth of water: well, said his lordship, but does it increase? no, said -the carpenter, and orders were immediately given to stand out to sea.</p> - -<p>On the second of February, to the southward of Punta Galera, the whole -of the troops, including the marines of the O'Higgins, were placed on -board the brig and the schooner; his lordship embarked in the latter, -and proceeded to the bay of Valdivia; having anchored at sunset near to -a small bay, called Aguada del Yngles, English watering place, Major -Beauchef took the command of the troops, embarked at Talcahuano, and -Major Miller, having recovered of the severe wounds which he received at -Pisco, took the command of his brave marines, and assisted in adding new -lustre to the arms of Chile.</p> - -<p>An advanced party of six soldiers and a sergeant was despatched under -the command of the Ensign Vidal, a young Peruvian, having as a guide one -of the Spanish soldiers, who came off to the O'Higgins in the boat on -our first appearance off Valdivia: they drove the Spaniards from the two -guns stationed at the avansada, and following their footsteps, arrived -at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> the battery of San Carlos, but not before the gate was closed.</p> - -<p>This battery is formed on the land side by placing pieces of the trunks -of trees one upon another to the height of ten feet; and Vidal finding -it impossible to scale the wooden wall exerted himself in dragging out -two of the logs, and then crept through the hole, followed by his -piquet. Having entered, he formed his veteran gang and began to fire on -the Spanish soldiers, who not being able to distinguish either the -number or situation of their enemy fled in disorder, some clambering -over the palisade, while others opened the gate and fled in less -apparent disorder. Two officers came to Vidal, and said to him, why do -you fire on us, we are your countrymen, we do not belong to the -insurgents? I beg your pardon, answered Vidal, you now belong to the -insurgents, being my prisoners of war. The two astonished officers -immediately surrendered their swords. At this moment Captain Erescano, a -Buenos Ayrean, arrived with forty marines, and without any hesitation -butchered the two officers, heedless of the remonstrances and even -threats of Vidal, who told him, that at another time he should demand -satisfaction: he now <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span>immediately left Erescano, and with his brave -soldiers followed the enemy. The batteries of Amargos and the two -Chorocamayos fell in the same manner that San Carlos had fallen, and -Vidal had passed the bridge of the Castle del Corral when Captain -Erescano arrived with forty marines: thus in five hours all the -batteries on the south side of the harbour were in our possession.</p> - -<p>At nine o'clock in the morning of the third, the O'Higgins laid to at -the mouth of the harbour, under Spanish colours. The Spaniards at Niebla -were a second time deceived; for believing her to be a vessel from -Spain, they made the private signal, which not being answered by the -frigate, the soldiers immediately abandoned the battery, and fled in the -greatest disorder. After the O'Higgins was brought to an anchor, -detachments of troops were sent to Niebla and the battery of Mansera on -the small island bearing the same name. The vessel at anchor, in this -port was the Dolores, formerly under the Chilean flag; but in November, -1819, part of the crew took possession of her at Talcahuano, and having -slipt her cables, sailed her to Arauco, where Benavides landed those of -the crew who were accused of being insurgents, and immediately ordered -them to be shot on the beach: a boy who witnessed this horrid <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span>spectacle -began to cry, which being observed by Benavides, he immediately beat out -his brains with his baston. This murderer not knowing what to do with -the ship, sent her to Valdivia, where she became our prize; the -ringleader, a native of Paita, was also secured, sent to Valparaiso, -tried and executed.</p> - -<p>The important strong hold of Valdivia was thus annexed to the republic -of Chile by one of those inexhaustible resources in war which have -marked the career of the hero under whose immediate directions and -unparalleled intrepidity the plan was formed and executed. Lord Cochrane -having personally attended to the landing of the troops, and given his -final orders to Miller and Beauchef, took his gig, and, notwithstanding -the shot from the battery of San Carlos, rowed along the shore, watching -the operations of the troops, and serving as the beacon to glory.</p> - -<p>In fifteen hours from our landing we were in possession of the advanced -posts of Aguada del Yngles, el Piojo, de la Boca, and de Playa Blanco; -of the batteries of San Carlos, Amargos, Chorocamayo alto and bajo, -Mansera, and Niebla; and of the Castle del Corral, mounting on the whole -one hundred and twenty-eight pieces of artillery.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span></p><p>In the magazines there were eight hundred and forty barrels of -gunpowder, each weighing one hundred and twenty-five pounds, one hundred -and seventy thousand musket cartridges, about ten thousand shot, many of -copper, besides an immense quantity of all kinds of warlike stores. Our -loss consisted of seven men killed, and nineteen wounded; that of the -enemy of three officers and ten soldiers killed, and twenty-one wounded; -besides six officers prisoners, among whom was the Colonel of Cantabria, -Don Fausto del Hoyo, and seventy-six Spanish sergeants, corporals, and -privates.</p> - -<p>Every thing being secured in the port, his lordship went with part of -the troops to the city, which had been sacked by the Spaniards, who had -fled towards Chiloe. A provisional government was immediately elected by -the natives who were present, at which, by his lordship's orders, I -presided, and received the elective votes; the person chosen being -afterwards confirmed in his situation as governor <i>ad interim</i> by the -admiral. On examining the correspondence in the archives, I found that -many serious complaints had been made by Quintanilla, the governor of -Chiloe, to Montoya the ex-governor of Valdivia, stating his fear of a -revolution at San Carlos, the principal town.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span> This induced his lordship -to appear off Chiloe, and even to land part of the force that could be -spared at Valdivia. He gave orders to prepare for embarkation on the -12th, but unfortunately the brig Intrepid was driven from her anchorage -by a strong northerly wind, and wrecked on a sand-bank that stretches -into the bay from the island of Mansera. This very serious loss was -regarded by the admiral like our former accident at Talcahuano, and -orders were immediately issued for the soldiers to embark in the -Montezuma and Dolores. The short respite from active duty allowed his -lordship to inform the supreme government of Chile of his success at -Valdivia; which he effected by sending a small piragua, with orders to -touch at Talcahuano, and to report to General Freire the result of the -expedition.</p> - -<p>The receipt of the unexpected news at Valparaiso was a moment of -exultation to the friends of Lord Cochrane, and a very severe check on -the tongues of his detractors; some of these had been busily employed in -forming matter wherewith to tarnish the rocket expedition; and they -generously attributed its failure to the unskilfulness, not of those who -had prepared the missiles, but to the persons who had used them. His -absence from Chile was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> adduced as a proof of his disobedience to the -orders of the government. Now, however, all was hushed, and every one -exclaimed, "we knew that our admiral would not return to Chile without -adding new laurels to his brows." This was re-echoed in Valparaiso; and -long live Cochrane! was the general cry; long live the hero of Valdivia! -resounded in every street.</p> - -<p>On the 13th, Lord Cochrane went on board the schooner Montezuma, and -sailed with the Dolores for Chiloe, where the troops were landed, and -two small batteries taken, and afterwards demolished. The young Ensign -Vidal was again appointed to command an advanced party of twenty-four -soldiers, and when, ascending the hill on which the Castle de la Corona -is built, he lost eleven of his men by a volley of grape from the -battery, he immediately ordered the drummer to beat a retreat: that is -impossible, said the boy, knocking the sticks together, for my drum is -gone. In fact it had been shattered to pieces by a shot; however Vidal -retired, carrying three wounded men with him, and Miller being wounded -at the same time by a grape shot which had passed the fleshy part of his -thigh, the retreat to the boats was immediately ordered. The resistance -made at this place by the natives, headed by several friars,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> was a -convincing proof that they were determined supporters of the cause of -Spain, and as the patriot force was not sufficient to attempt a conquest -of the town, the soldiers were re-embarked.</p> - -<p>During the absence of the admiral with the marines, part of the troops -embarked at Conception were left on duty at the Castle del Corral, under -the command of Ensign Latapia, who in cold blood, and without the -slightest provocation, ordered two of the prisoners, a corporal and a -private, to be shot. I immediately ordered four officers who were on -shore to be sent on board the O'Higgins, fearful that they might be -treated in the same manner. On the return of his lordship on the -twentieth, Latapia was placed under arrest on board, and the necessary -declarations were taken, according to the Spanish forms, for his trial -by a court-martial. He was conveyed to Valparaiso as a prisoner; his -conduct, together with that of Erescano, was reported to the government, -and when we expected to hear of their being sentenced to some kind of -punishment, we were surprized to find that they had been promoted. These -two individuals were afterwards employed by San Martin, and by him they -were again promoted in Peru.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span></p><p>His lordship having given orders for the O'Higgins to be overhauled and -repaired, considering it unsafe to venture again to sea in her, he -embarked on the twenty-eighth in the Montezuma for Valparaiso, taking -with him five Spanish officers, and forty privates, prisoners, leaving -directions with me to superintend what was going on here, until I should -receive orders from the supreme government.</p> - -<p>Major Beauchef having collected all the force he was able, which, -including the troops embarked at Conception, and some volunteers of -Valdivia, amounting only to two hundred and eighty individuals, marched -to the Llanos, having received information that the Spaniards who fled -from Valdivia had sworn at Chiloe that they would return and either -conquer or die in the attempt. The two armies met near the river Toro, -on the sixth of March, and after an engagement of less than an hour, the -Spanish officers mounted their horses and fled, leaving the soldiers to -their fate. On the tenth Beauchef arrived at Valdivia, bringing with him -two hundred and seventy prisoners, with all the arms and baggage -belonging to the Spaniards.</p> - -<p>The Independencia and Araucano arrived on the twelfth, with the -necessary workmen and tools for the repairs of the O'Higgins; after she<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> -was hove down, it was discovered that besides a great quantity of -sheathing, she had lost nineteen feet of her false keel, and about seven -of her main keel. On the eleventh of April the repairs were finished, -and we embarked for Valparaiso, where we arrived on the eighteenth.</p> - -<p>The Spanish force stationed at Valdivia consisted of part of the -regiment of Cantabria, part of the Casadores dragoons, artillery, -pioneers, marines, infantry of Conception, artillery of ditto, battalion -of Valdivia, dragoons of the frontier, and lancers of the Laxa; these -were the remains of the Spanish army which left Conception, under the -command of General Sanches, in 1819, besides the regular garrison of the -port, amounting in all to about one thousand six hundred, while the -expedition under Lord Cochrane amounted only to three hundred and -eighteen.</p> - -<p>The government of Chile ordered a medal to be struck in commemoration of -this important victory, and it was distributed to the officers. His -lordship expected some remuneration for his men as prize-money, but the -government could not understand how prize-money could be due to a naval -expedition for services done on shore. The Dolores had been laden with -warlike stores at Valdivia; the admiral requested<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span> that the value of -these might be decreed to the captors, but the answer to this request -was an order for the stores to be disembarked in the arsenal at -Valparaiso, and the following paragraph from the pen of the hireling -Monteagudo made its appearance in the Censor de la Revolucion, which was -conducted by this patriotic scribbler:—</p> - -<p>"We are informed that Admiral Lord Cochrane is determined not to allow -the debarkation of the warlike stores brought from Valdivia in the ship -Dolores, on the plea of their being a prize to the squadron which has -restored that province from the hands of the enemy to Chile. We cannot -persuade ourselves that his lordship does not acknowledge, that all the -stores existing at Valdivia at the time of its restoration belong to the -state of Chile in the same manner as those in the provinces actually -forming the state, without any other difference than that these were -restored to the free exercise of their liberty before that was. Even if -Valdivia did not belong to Chile, we do not make war on every section of -America, but on the Spaniards who hold a domination over it: these are -the principles which have always regulated the conduct of our armies; -and nothing save the exclusive property of the Spaniards has been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> -subjected to the rights of war. It would also be a pernicious precedent -to future operation if whatever was found in a conquered territory -should belong exclusively to the victors. We are persuaded that some -misunderstanding has taken place respecting these warlike stores brought -by the Dolores: Admiral Cochrane is well acquainted with public rights, -and the high opinion which we entertain of his honourable character -obliges us to doubt that which we are not inclined to believe."</p> - -<p>Lord Cochrane afterwards asked Monteagudo if he believed what he had -published was just or according to law; no, said he, certainly not, but -I was ordered to write and to publish what appeared in the Censor. His -lordship being convinced that the government was determined not to -reward the services of the squadron, assured them, that this would -certainly be the last service of the kind which they would receive from -it: he also warned them against expecting that men would risk their -lives, after undergoing the greatest privations, without any -remuneration: he told them, moreover, that as he considered the -proceedings on the part of the government as most unjust, he should -never request of his officers or men any sacrifice, except when the -means of rewarding<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> them were in his own hands. The government wishing -to conciliate the Admiral, made him a present of a large estate in the -province of Conception; but his lordship immediately returned the -document, stating, that it was the services of the men which ought to be -rewarded, that his own were amply repaid by the glory of the -achievement. All his pleadings, however, were in vain, and no reward was -ever given to them by the government for the capture of this most -important fortress; nay more, it was questioned whether Lord Cochrane -ought not to be tried by a court-martial for having fought and conquered -an enemy without the sanction of the government! a fair proof of what -would have been the consequence had not the result been favourable to -his lordship.</p> - -<p>A series of plots now began to take place one after another, which -seemed to threaten even the stability of the government: the regiment -number one, stationed at Mendosa, revolted, Benavides entered -Conception, and committed several most daring outrages; and a conspiracy -was said to have been formed in the capital against the government by -the Carrera party, and the supreme director was so thwarted by the -senate, that he could not act with that promptitude and decision which -circumstances<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span> required: the greatest possible evils, publicity and -procrastination, where secresy and despatch were necessary, counteracted -in the most essential points the wishes of the supremacy. The persons -who were accused of being conspirators were apprehended, among whom were -included the last remains of the Carrera family, and other individuals -who were obnoxious to O'Higgins: these were all embarked on board the -brig of war, Pueyrredon, and sent down to the coast of Choco, where it -was expected that they would shortly die, and where in fact the uncle of -the Carreras did die; but, contrary to the expectation and even the -request of the Chilean government, that of Colombia received them as -friends, and some of the exiles being officers, Bolivar incorporated -them in his army, with a promotion; for which act of justice he never -had any reason to complain. The fluctuations in the designs of the -government are well portrayed in the following letter from Lord Cochrane -to the supreme director:</p> - -<p>"Most Ext. Sir—Being at present indisposed with a palpitation of my -heart, which at times afflicts me most severely, and which would be -increased with a journey to Santiago, were I to undertake it according -to the request of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> government, I feel myself obliged to solicit an -excuse; persuaded as I am, that the following exposition, which contains -all that is necessary to remind you to reflect on what is past, and to -anticipate what is to come, will be sufficient. I also hope that my -exposition will be ascribed to the sincere desire that I have of serving -your excellency, to whose interests I am most sincerely attached, as -being the august representative of the sacred cause of your country's -welfare.</p> - -<p>"Touching on what is past, you will do me the honour to recollect, that -I recommended to you the indispensable necessity of removing among the -seamen all kinds of distrust with respect to their pay and prize-money: -the first of which they have not yet received, and of the second they -have been totally defrauded; your excellency promised me that they -should be regularly paid, and that whatever prizes were taken should be -entirely appropriated to these two objects; the moiety belonging to the -captors should be immediately distributed, and the other, appertaining -to government, should be applied to the payment of arrears, and -equipment of the vessels of war. I am well aware of the lowness of your -funds; but having, according to your promise made to me, informed the -crews of the different vessels what would be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> the course pursued, the -men expect a fulfilment of the promise made, and will consider me to be -the author of the deception if they discover that what has been promised -to them is applied to other purposes. Your excellency will allow me to -assure you, that if I had not supported the promise made to the seamen, -the real squadron would not have now existed, and that if the promises -are not fulfilled, the squadron will now cease to exist.</p> - -<p>"Nothing is more difficult than to manage a mass of such heterogeneous -materials, as that of which the squadron is composed—men of different -nations, manners, and religions—men whose suspicions are easily -alarmed, and whose interests cannot be contradicted with impunity; they -may be reconciled if duly attended to, and incorporated with those of -the state: but if this is not done, they will become opposed to its -welfare.</p> - -<p>"The experience which I acquired during the first cruize, convinced me -most completely, that in addition to the punctual payment of the crews, -it was necessary for their health and comfort, as well as for the -cleanliness of the vessels, which contributes so much to these objects, -that proper clothing and beds should be provided. With respect to the -means<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> for procuring these articles themselves, the poverty of some, and -the relaxed habits of others, are obstacles, besides which the -temptations met with at Valparaiso, generally deprive them of the power -before they leave the port. For the acquirement of this desirable -object, I made several applications to the different departments of the -government, requesting that such articles might be purchased and -distributed to the crews, according to the practice observed in all -naval countries. The treasury not being able to pay the value of the -articles, this was done with part of the prize-money taken during the -cruize; at the same time that the money so employed ought to have been -applied to the payment of the captors of the Montezuma; and although -frequent applications have been made, this, like the debts of the crews -of the squadron, has never yet been attended to; but, on the contrary, -such sums as were destined, according to the promise of your excellency, -to the sole purpose of liquidating such debts, have been applied to -other purposes, while part of the seamen who have fulfilled their -contract, are wandering about the streets in a state of despair; others, -naked and clamorous, remain on board; the invalids are begging alms, and -all are cursing the authors of their misfortunes. The result<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> of this -conduct on the part of the government is, even at present, that not only -the seamen and soldiers, but even some of the officers, avail themselves -of every opportunity to dispose of prize goods, as well as of the naval -stores belonging to the vessels of the squadron; and when they are -discovered, the infliction of punishment is prevented by their alleging -that they neither receive pay nor prize-money, and that they despair of -ever receiving either.</p> - -<p>"On my return from the first cruize, your excellency will also be -pleased to recollect, that I reported the necessity of marking each -barrel, or package of provisions, with the weight or quality which it -contained; making the purveyor responsible both for the quantity and -quality of the contents, in order to prevent all kinds of fraud; -because, from the purser's reports, I should then have been able to know -for what period the squadron was victualled. I was compelled to make -this request, because I found that the purveyor had reported at the -commissariate that he had delivered twenty-one quintals of beef to the -Independencia, when in fact only eleven had been received. Thus the -state was charged with the value of ten quintals which had not been -delivered, for the purpose of filling the purse of an impostor, whose -nefarious <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span>conduct might have frustrated the object of our expedition, -or even have involved part of the squadron in inevitable ruin. For the -purpose of counteracting such iniquitous proceedings, no order has, as -yet, been issued, nor am I authorised to correct such as punishable -crimes.</p> - -<p>"On my return to Valparaiso, after the first cruize, I hoped to find the -manufacture of rockets completed, according to the promise of the -government, made to me before I sailed; but I found that even the -manufactory was not finished; that notwithstanding the various -solicitations made by the late Lieutenant-colonel Charles, for the -necessary materials, that these were retained, or denied through -jealousy, or some other criminal motive; this might have involved the -whole of the squadron in complete ruin, had the forces arrived at -Callao, which were expected from Spain. As it was, the operations of -that expedition became a reproach to the officers and crews employed in -it, and allowed the enemy to call it imbecility in them, and ignorance -of their undertaking; but, in reality, the neglect or treachery lay in -those appointed by your government to construct those missiles, on whose -speculations the persons employed in the expedition were induced to -rely. The unexpected result of this expedition <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span>obliged me to raise the -blockade, to the apparent disgrace and positive injury of the interest -of the squadron; although it had been destined for the purpose of -contending with the enemy before a re-union could be effected between -the vessels in Callao, and the expected reinforcement from Spain.</p> - -<p>"My orders were limited to impracticable operations, by the concurrence -of unexpected accidents, which deprived me of destroying at once the -force of the enemy in the Pacific. Our provisions were exhausted; the -ships of war had neither rice, cocoa, sugar, wine, spirits, nor any -substitute for those articles; with the addition of a considerable -number of sick on board. In this dilemma, it was once my intention to -return to Valparaiso; but not wishing to provoke the indignation of your -excellency, and bring down condign punishment on those persons who had -been the cause of this state of the squadron, I determined on taking -from the enemy at Pisco spirits, wine, and other necessaries, although -my orders expressly forbade such a procedure, I being limited by them to -take only water, and that in a case of necessity. But the government of -Chile inadvertently believed that foreign seamen would be content with -putrid water, a short allowance of beef and bread, a total want<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> of -wine, or grog, when they were on an enemy's coast, where those articles -might be procured in abundance.</p> - -<p>"On being informed that the Spanish frigate la Prueba had sailed for the -Puná, and that she was the only vessel of the expedition which had -doubled the Cape, I again found myself either obliged to abandon the -attempt to capture her, or to take upon myself the responsibility of -violating my instructions, by taking provisions from the enemy on the -coast of Peru. I determined on the latter, and although a large quantity -of cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar, and other valuable articles, belonging -to Spaniards, were collected at Santa, they were all abandoned for the -purpose of following the enemy with all possible despatch; although I -was fully convinced, and still remain so, that nothing is obtained by -excluding the enemies of liberty from contributing to support the -defenders of so just a cause;—for the purpose of exacting from them the -whole of the sacrifice.</p> - -<p>"Your excellency must be completely satisfied, that our efforts in the -river of Guayaquil to take the Prueba were rendered nugatory by the want -of soldiers; there I requested that they might co-operate with the -squadron, when the efforts of the squadron alone were of little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> avail; -my request was opposed; but why the opposition was made, or on what -principles it was founded, I am totally ignorant, and more so of the -reasons that exist for communicating such strange determinations of the -supremacy to any one except myself; because, if any difficulties -presented themselves in what I had the honour to propose to your -excellency, why was I not requested to explain them, and to do away with -what were accounted obstacles; but the conduct observed implies a want -of confidence in my knowledge, as to the proper application of such a -force, or a conviction on the part of my opponents in your councils, -that they could not support their opposition, because their arguments -are founded on unsound principles. Perhaps what took place at Paita may -have been quoted by some of your senators, who did not recollect the -assurance given by the flags of truce which I sent in, that nothing, -except the property of the king of Spain, would be touched. The enemy -fired on the flag, and now, allow me to ask, if I had any other -alternative, than, like a coward, to submit to such an insult offered to -the flag of Chile, or permit the indignant and provoked soldiers to -obliterate the outrage?</p> - -<p>"When I had the honour to see your <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span>excellency last, at Santiago, a plan -was established, and as I then believed, a secret one, the only persons -present being your excellency, General San Martin, and the minister of -marine; this to my utter astonishment, soon became as public as if it -had been given to the gazette, or the town crier; the detail was in the -possession of every speculator, who calculated solely on his private -gain. I was ordered to equip the transports Aguila, Begona, Dolores, and -Xeresana, and my orders for the accomplishment of this object were -scarcely issued, when I was officially informed, that these being prize -vessels, were to be sold immediately; and the orders given by the -government to me were unexpectedly abolished, for the purpose of placing -the fate of the expedition in the hands of mercantile speculators, who -to the present moment have only finished the equipment of one vessel, -which has been allowed to sail from this port, when declared under an -embargo; and this for the purpose of conveying merchandize belonging to -one of the contractors to Coquimbo. This happened at the very moment -when I was assured that the expedition was about to be verified. This -conduct of the government most positively evinces that a mercantile -speculator enjoys more of the confidence of the supreme authority than<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span> -I have the honour to deserve. I had subsequent orders for the San Martin -to sail, and to cruize off Talcahuano, she being the only efficient -vessel of war in Valparaiso; that the Montezuma should sail for Callao -for the purpose of obtaining a correct account of the state of the -enemy; next that the San Martin should cruize in the mouth of this port. -I was shortly afterwards informed, that instead of an expedition of two -thousand men that should be ready to sail within fifteen days, that one -of four thousand would be ready within the same time; this led me to -inspect the naval preparations made by the contractors, which I found to -consist of one new rigged ship. I next visited the provision store, and -found there no preparations whatever; there was not even a sufficient -quantity for the consumption of the crews of the vessels of war for one -month.</p> - -<p>"These circumstances, and many other similar ones, oblige me to adopt a -line of conduct which my duty to your excellency, to the States, and to -myself, most imperiously prescribes; this is, to solicit your acceptance -of the important commission with which I have been honoured, and which I -now beg leave to resign.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span></p><p>"I have detailed some of the motives which oblige me to abandon the -service of a state, in which I have been so highly honoured, -particularly by your excellency; but my firm conviction is, that if I -agree to the tardy and procrastinated measures of the government, I -shall make myself tacitly instrumental in forwarding that ruin which -cannot but be the result of the plans of the advisers of your -excellency.</p> - -<p>"Allow me to offer to your excellency, &c.—Valparaiso, May 14th, 1820."</p> - -<p>The official answer to this note consisted of a mere list of excuses -from the minister of marine, indicating any thing but the real cause of -the inconsistency of the government; indeed, the real cause was -enveloped in mystery for a considerable time afterwards. However, the -determination of Lord Cochrane, not to continue in the command of the -squadron unless that part of the management of it which was not under -his control was placed on a better footing, seemed to rouze the -government from the state of apathy which they now began to perceive -would soon lead to a state of imbecility.</p> - -<p>O'Higgins and San Martin addressed private letters to his lordship, -begging his <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span>continuance in the command of the naval forces of Chile, -and assuring him, that the most active measures would be immediately -adopted for the realization of the grand expedition; the success of -which, they were well aware, depended in many very material points on -the character and efforts of Lord Cochrane.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>Lord Cochrane and Chilean Government....Preparations for the -Expedition to Peru....Captain Spry....Charges presented by the -Admiral against Captain Guise....Lord Cochrane throws up his -Commission....Letters from the Captains and Officers....Commission -returned by the Government....Offer made by San Martin to the -Foreign Seamen....Embarkation of Troops for Peru....Announcement -of....Sailing of the Expedition....Force of the Squadron.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Lord Cochrane, whose whole soul was engaged in the total emancipation of -the Spanish colonies, desirous of contributing to the acquisition of -this interesting object, re-assumed the command of the squadron, relying -on the fulfilment of the promises made by the government of Chile, -supported by the guarantee of General San Martin; who, however -extraordinary it may appear, pledged himself not only to sanction but -also to fulfil the promises made by a government in whose <i>employ</i> he -was himself engaged.</p> - -<p>The supreme director, in the name of the republic, again made to Lord -Cochrane a donation of an estate in the province of Conception,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> as a -token of gratitude for those important services which the country had -received from him; this was again rejected, and his Lordship, wishing to -give an unequivocal proof of his attachment to the country, and of his -intention to establish his residence in it, purchased an estate called -Quintero, about eight leagues to the northward of Valparaiso. On -visiting Quintero, Lord Cochrane examined the bay called de la -Herradura, and made a report to the government, accompanied with a plan, -stating that this harbour had many advantages which that of Valparaiso -did not possess; he solicited that it might become an establishment for -the vessels of war belonging to the state, pointed out many important -results that would accompany the adoption of such a plan, with respect -to the discipline, order and regulation of the squadron; and concluded -with an offer to the state, of all the land that might be necessary for -an arsenal and general marine depôt; when, to his utter astonishment, -the answer to this signal generosity and sacrifice of private property, -for the good of the service, was a notification, that "in consideration -of the peculiar advantages of the harbour of Herradura, and the estate -of Quintero, advantages of the highest importance to Chile, Lord -Cochrane is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> ordered not to continue any improvements on the said -estate, as they will not be paid for by the state, to whom Quintero and -Herradura are declared to appertain, on condition that Lord Cochrane -shall be paid by the state the purchase money, and improvements made." -This blow affected Lord Cochrane more than any other which the -government could have given him; at a moment when he had been entreated -to continue in the command of the squadron, and an estate in the country -had been presented to him, when he became the proprietor of another, by -purchase, wishing to convince all parties that he adopted Chile as his -home, he tacitly received an order to abandon such ideas. His lordship -immediately addressed to the supreme director an answer to this -unexpected notification, which produced an apology, and an assurance -that the proceedings were founded on the old Spanish laws, which as yet -had not been repealed; and that the notification rested only on the -<i>vista fiscal</i>, the solicitude of the attorney general. It was very -apparent, at this time, that something was brewing in the Chilean -government; but it was impossible either to comprehend the matter, or to -foresee the effect; all parties seemed to endeavour to conciliate the -good will of the Admiral, yet<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> something occurred daily, which tended to -alienate him even from the cause of the country; and although, upon -inquiry, the most polite excuses were given, and apologies often -tendered, yet some busy hand seemed always to be employed in feeding the -flame of provocation and mischief.</p> - -<p>Nothing but the active preparations of the government for the grand -expedition to Peru, and the repeated solicitations of General San -Martin, would have prevented Lord Cochrane from resigning the command of -the squadron, and of embarking for England. San Martin visited the port -of Valparaiso in June, for the purpose of inspecting the transports; and -the troops began to move from their encampments at Rancagua to Quillota, -twelve leagues from Valparaiso, for the purpose of embarking. Every -thing appeared at first to contribute towards the accomplishment of this -most important object, and all persons concerned to act in unison, as if -animated by one spirit, that of extending to Peru the happiness enjoyed -by Chile, the fruit of her emancipation from the Spanish yoke. At this -period, quite unexpected by all concerned, Captain Spry was promoted to -the rank of Capitan de Frigata, and appointed flag captain to Lord -Cochrane, at the same time<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> that his lordship had solicited the -appointment of Captain Crosbie; and to add to this irregular proceeding, -the minister of marine informed his lordship, that although Don Tomas -Crosbie had held the command of the Araucano, and had been treated as a -captain, and addressed as such by the government, that as yet he had not -received a commission appointing him to that rank, nor was he as such -placed on the navy list. His lordship was also informed, that the -appointment of Captain Spry must be acceded to. This order received from -the Admiral a positive denial, and he wrote in answer, that Captain Spry -should never tread the quarter-deck of the flag-ship as captain of her, -so long as he held the command of the squadron; not because his lordship -had any personal objection to Captain Spry, but because he would not -consent to any encroachment on the privileges he enjoyed as admiral and -commander in chief.</p> - -<p>This affair was stated by Cochrane to San Martin, who merely answered, -it shall be as you choose, <i>sera como V. quiera</i>, and on the following -morning Crosbie was appointed flag captain, and Spry ordered to continue -in the command of the Galvarino. Scarcely had this matter been thus -adjusted, when Lord Cochrane<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span> was obliged to place Captain Guise of the -Lautaro under an arrest, and to forward to the government charges -against him, requesting that he might be tried by a court-martial. The -charges were for repeated acts of neglect of duty and insubordination; -they were arranged under thirteen heads, finishing with "endeavouring in -the various acts of disobedience herein mentioned to set at defiance, -and bring into contempt the authority of his superior officer, the -commander in chief, in the execution of his duty, to the subversion of -discipline, and in violation of the articles of war on the foregoing -heads, made and provided." This act of the admiral astonished the -government; the principal part of which was now at Valparaiso, for the -purpose of forwarding as much as possible the equipment of the -expedition. It met with their most determined opposition, and after some -very warm correspondence, the following note was addressed by his -lordship to the minister of marine:—</p> - -<p>"Sir,—The apparent determination of the supremacy to support a junior -officer in the commission of the most outrageous breaches of his public -duty, and of acting not only contrary but in direct opposition to the -orders communicated to him by his commander in chief,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> not only -encourages his dereliction from duty, and is a precedent of the most -pernicious character for the imitation of others, but brings my -authority into contempt, and renders my exertions in the service of the -republic nugatory. I have nothing to add at present to what I have -already stated to you, except that you will place in the hands of his -excellency the supreme director my resignation of the command of the -squadron of Chile, and express to him my sincere wish, that, whoever may -be appointed to supersede me, his endeavours to serve the cause of -liberty in the new world may be crowned with greater success than mine -have been; and that he may be better qualified to preserve that -discipline in the squadron which is not only essentially necessary, but -indispensably requisite, for the honour of himself, the success of his -operations, and the welfare of the cause he serves. I have to request -you will inform me at the earliest period of the acceptance of my -resignation, that I may order my flag to be struck, as also, whether it -would be agreeable to the present views of the supreme government that I -should continue to reside as a citizen of Chile, among those persons -who, after having exerted themselves in the support of her sacred cause, -have retired to enjoy the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> fruits of their labours; if not, I request -permission to leave the country; and my passport constituting my -ultimate request, I remain, &c."</p> - -<p class="right">"Cochrane."</p> - -<p>"Valparaiso, July 16th, 1820."</p> - -<p>The first tender of his commission which Lord Cochrane made was -unexpectedly kept a profound secret by the government; indeed at that -time the greatest danger would have attended a disclosure of the matter; -the greater part of the foreign seamen were unpaid, and the natives, -both seamen and marines, were more clamorous on this head than the -foreigners, and all seemed determined on some desperate proceeding, if -their claims were not directly satisfied. The present act of the -commander in chief became known immediately; and the following -invitation was on the 17th laid on the capstern-head of the flag-ship:</p> - -<p>"It is reported that Lord Cochrane, wearied out by the illiberal -treatment of the government, has at last been forced to resign the -command of the squadron, because their jealous policy no longer enables -him to hold it with honour to himself or benefit to the state.</p> - -<p>"It is requested that all who feel themselves attached to his lordship, -or who are aware how much the <span class="smaller">HONOUR, SAFETY</span>, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span> <span class="smaller">INTEREST</span>, not only of -the navy, but of the state of Chile, depend on his continuing in the -command, will to-day meet on board the Independencia, at one o'clock, -for the purpose of taking into consideration what steps it may be most -proper to adopt."</p> - -<p>On the 18th, Lord Cochrane received the following letter from the -captains of the fleet, which received the subjoined answer:</p> - -<p>"My Lord,—It being very currently reported, and generally believed, -that your lordship has resigned the command of the squadron of Chile, -and as our views are so closely connected with those of your lordship, -we beg leave most respectfully to solicit your information on this -subject. (Signed.) Robert Forster, W. Wilkinson, Cladius Charles, T. -Sackville Crosby, James Ramsey."</p> - -<p>"Gentlemen,—I have been favoured with your letter of this date, and -assure you, that whether I remain in the command of the squadron or not, -is a matter of perfect indifference so far as I am personally concerned.</p> - -<p>"My object in proceeding from England to this quarter of the globe was -to promote the furtherance of liberty and independence, more than any -private object, or to promote the views of others inconsistent -therewith.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span></p><p>"I have only to add, that my desire is to be permitted to surrender the -command of a squadron which I can no longer hold with benefit to the -state nor credit to myself, since the orders which appeared necessary to -be given, and the limited powers vested in me, are disobeyed with -impunity, and not only disobeyed, but made the objects of persevering -scorn and ridicule, by persons who ought to be under my authority, but -who for their personal views wish by insinuations, falsifications, and -detraction, to overthrow all that stood in the way of their vain -ambition. Under this impression, I tendered my commission to the -government three days ago, but am ignorant of the result, which I -expect, however, to learn to-morrow. Believe me, gentlemen, with -feelings of gratitude for your anxious inquiries on the subject, yours, &c."</p> - -<p class="right">"Cochrane."</p> - -<p>"My Lord,—Your lordship's reply to our letter has created feelings of -the deepest regret in our breasts, and it behoves us to act in a manner -which will stamp our characters, not only as true patriots, but as men -looking up to your lordship, as the only man capable of commanding the -naval forces of Chile with effect, against the enemies of liberty and -independence. We, the undersigned, have come to the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span>resolution of -resigning the commissions we respectively hold in the service of Chile; -we have therefore to request that your lordship will be pleased to -acquaint us with the result as soon as you are aware that the government -of Chile have accepted your resignation of the command of the squadron.</p> - -<p>"We avail ourselves of this opportunity of expressing our confidence in -your lordship's talents, and our determination to act hand in hand with -your lordship; in doing which, we are persuaded that we are most -effectively and faithfully serving the Republic of Chile, and acting -honestly and sincerely towards you, our commander in chief." Signed by -the same five captains. The only two who did not sign it were Guise and -Spry. On the same day, the eighteenth of July, the following was -addressed to his lordship, by the officers of the squadron:</p> - -<p>"My Lord,—The general discontent and anxiety which your lordship's -resignation has occasioned among the officers and others of the squadron -afford a strong proof how much the ungrateful conduct of the government -is felt among those serving under your command.</p> - -<p>"The officers, whose names are subscribed to the inclosed resolutions, -disdaining longer to serve under a government which can so soon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> have -forgotten the important services rendered to the state, or treat with -indignity a character the most implacable of the enemies of his own -country have been forced to respect, beg leave to put into your hands -their commissions, and to request you will be so kind as to forward them -to the minister of marine for the state. At the same time that we are -thus forced to withdraw ourselves from the service, our warmest wishes -continue to be offered up, not only for the prosperity and liberty of -the country, but that of the whole world.</p> - -<p>"We pray your Lordship all health and happiness, and have the honour to -remain, &c." (Signed by twenty-three commissioned officers.)</p> - -<p>"Resolutions entered into at a meeting of the lieutenants, and other -officers of the same class, belonging to the squadron of Chile, held on -board the Independencia, the eighteenth of July, 1820, for the purpose -of taking into consideration the resignation of the commander in chief:</p> - -<p>"Resolved, that the <span class="smaller">HONOUR, SAFETY</span> and <span class="smaller">INTEREST</span> of the navy of Chile -entirely rest on the abilities and experience of the present commander -in chief.</p> - -<p>"That as the feelings of unbounded confidence and respect which we -entertain for the present<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span> commander in chief cannot be transferred to -another, they have induced us to come to the resolution of resigning our -commissions, and of transmitting the same to government, through the -hands of the Admiral.</p> - -<p>"That our commissions shall be accompanied by a letter, expressive of -our sentiments, signed by all those whose commissions are inclosed." -(Signed by the same twenty-three officers as the foregoing letter.)</p> - -<p>Although his lordship was convinced of the inability which the whole -expedition would labour under should his resignation be accepted, he -still left the government at liberty to act according to their own -discretion. In the public duties on board the vessels of war no -relaxation took place; the preparations were carried on with the same -alacrity, and the unremitting attention of the commander in chief to -their speedy equipment suffered no diminution; the determination of the -captains and officers of the squadron was not forwarded to the -government, lest the threatening danger might force them to adopt a -measure contrary to their wishes; however, as some of the captains and -officers had not joined the others in their resolutions, and were aware -of their proceedings, the government soon became acquainted<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> with the -whole transaction, and General San Martin, on the night of the 19th, -when in conversation with Lord Cochrane, expressed his astonishment and -disapprobation of the proceedings of the government, and pretended to be -totally ignorant of what had taken place. This assertion was entirely -void of truth, as was proved on the following night, when he said, that -"he only wanted to be convinced how far the supreme director would allow -a party spirit to oppose the welfare of the expedition." It was moreover -corroborated by the subsequent conduct of this chief. San Martin -concluded on the 19th, by saying, "well, my lord, I am general of the -army, and you shall be admiral of the squadron; <i>bien, mi lord, yo soy -general del exercito y V. sera almirante de la esquadra</i>." After this -expression. Lord Cochrane shewed to him the letters he had received from -the captains and officers, at which San Martin was very much astonished, -for he was not aware of the positive determination of those individuals -not to continue their important and indispensable services, except under -the command of their present admiral; a determination which was -certainly as honourable to themselves, as it was fraught with danger to -the government and to the state. San Martin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> asked Lord Cochrane if he -would consent to the suspension of the arrest of Captain Guise, and -delay his trial to a future and more convenient time, should such be the -request of the government; to which his lordship assented, on condition -that the supremacy should confess that the accusations furnished and -charges exhibited were just, and that the conduct of Captain Guise was -highly reprehensible, as being not only prejudicial to the necessary -discipline of the squadron, but in every other point of view injurious -to the general cause of America. In consequence of this agreement, the -admiral received on the twentieth, the following official note from the -government:</p> - -<p>"My Lord,—At a moment when the services of the naval forces of the -state are of the highest importance, and the personal services of your -lordship indispensable, the supremacy with the most profound sentiments -of regret has received your resignation, which, should it be admitted, -would involve the future operations of the arms of liberty in the new -world in certain ruin, and ultimately replace in Chile, your adopted -home, that tyranny which your lordship abhors, and to the annihilation -of which your heroism has so greatly contributed.</p> - -<p>"His excellency the Supreme Director <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span>commands me to inform your -lordship, which I have the honour of doing, that should you persist in -resigning the command of the squadron, which has been honoured by -bearing your flag, the cause of terror and dismay to our enemies, and of -glory to all true Americans; or should the government unwisely admit it, -this would be indeed a day of universal mourning in the new world; the -government, therefore, in the name of the nation, returns you your -commission, soliciting your re-acceptance of it, for the furtherance of -that sacred cause to which your whole soul is devoted.</p> - -<p>"The supremacy is convinced of the necessity which obliges your lordship -to adopt the measures which placed Captain Guise of the Lautaro under an -arrest, and of the justness of the charges exhibited against this -officer of the state; but being desirous of preventing any delay in the -important services on which the ships and vessels of war are about to -proceed, it is the pleasure of his excellency the supreme director, that -the arrest of Captain Guise be suspended, as well as his trial by a -court-martial on the charges exhibited, which will remain in the -archives of the marine department, to be postponed till the first -opportunity which does not interfere with the service of the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span>squadron, -so important as at the present epoch.—(Signed) Jose Yguacio Zenteno, -minister of marine. Valparaiso, July 20th, 1820."</p> - -<p>Lord Cochrane immediately discharged Captain Guise from his arrest by -the following note:</p> - -<p>"Whereas certain charges had been exhibited by the commander in chief, -touching the conduct of Martin George Guise, of the C. S. S. Lautaro; -and whereas his excellency the Supreme Director has been pleased to -order, that the investigation of the same by court-martial shall be -suspended, in order to prevent delay in the important services on which -the ships and vessels of war are about to proceed: it is the pleasure of -his excellency, signified to me under his sign-manual, that the said -Captain Martin George Guise shall be replaced in the command of the -Lautaro, and (as in justice due) shall be deemed innocent of the said -charges during the suspension of his trial.</p> - -<p>"July 24th, 1820. (Signed) Cochrane."</p> - -<p>On the same day his lordship returned the commissions to the different -officers, with letters addressed to them, thanking them for their -personal marks of esteem and support in the performance of an unpleasant -public duty, and assuring them, that he was convinced that their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span> -conduct had been governed by their zeal for the true interests of the -public service.</p> - -<p>I consider any comment on these extraordinary proceedings unnecessary at -present, as the spirit which dictated them will become too visible to be -mistaken in the course of these pages. Had General San Martin observed a -different line of conduct to that which marked his operations in Peru, -when he could not shield himself by any specious pretext, importing that -they were regulated by a superior authority, or that they emanated from -a source over which he had no direct control, the government of Chile -might have been considered the authors; whereas, they were only the -agents of the machinations of the general in chief of the expedition, -who foresaw, that in Lord Cochrane he should have a rival, to whose -merits South America could not be blind: he also knew, that the opinions -of his lordship in council would not be overawed by those of a superior, -be biassed by hope or fear, nor be led away by subserviency: however, -his excellency expected to be as implicitly obeyed as a Dey of Algiers, -and as universally flattered as a Sultan of the East; and to those two -over-ruling passions may be attributed part of the disgrace of his -administration in Peru.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span></p><p>The following announcement appeared in the last number of the Censor on -the tenth of July:</p> - -<p>"To-day the staff officers of the liberating army leave Santiago for -Valparaiso. We have authentic advices, that the expedition will leave -that port for its destination on the twenty-sixth of the present month. -The presence of the supreme director and of the general in chief has -given in Valparaiso a most extraordinary impulse to the last -preparations. At all events, the sun of August will behold the -expedition on its march. Valparaiso is at this moment the most -interesting point in America: it contains as in outline her destiny: the -time will arrive in which its name will be the register of the most -renowned epoch of our history. The army anxiously awaits the moment to -embark on the Pacific, and to present a spectacle entirely new, a -spectacle which has never been seen since the Continent was laved by its -waters. Happy are those who shall partake of this enterprize! their lot -shall be the envy of all those whom the love of glory inspires with a -passion for great designs. Follow me in the path of my fame. Equal my -deeds in the war."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span></p><p>A new difficulty unexpectedly presented itself, and which the -government at first thought beneath their consideration—the want of -foreign seamen in the vessels of war. The delay on the part of the -presidency in the fulfilment of their contract had weaned this class of -individuals from the service of the state; that great stimulus to -exertion, prize-money, had been and was witheld, and despair instead of -confidence had been so ripened in their breasts, that although many were -unemployed and wandering about the streets of Valparaiso, few would -enter themselves at the rendezvous opened for this purpose. The evil -began to be most serious, and the supremacy consulted the admiral if -coercion ought not to be used; but this insinuation met with just -opposition from his lordship; he expressed to the government his total -abhorrence of impressment, and stated to them, that such a proceeding -would also meet with the lawful opposition of the senior British officer -then in the port. Captain Sherriff would be compelled by his duty to -interfere in the protection of British seamen, however interested he -might personally feel himself in the cause of liberty and the views of -Chile, which it was well known to every individual acquainted with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span> the -sentiments of Captain Sherriff, he regarded as of the first magnitude.</p> - -<p>The day destined for the embarkation of the troops approached, still the -vessels of war were deficient in their complement of seamen, and those -who could not remain ashore preferred to serve in the transports, in -which service greater pay was offered than in the squadron. General San -Martin being convinced that the most energetic measures were necessary -to man the vessels of war, subjoined his name to a proclamation dictated -by Lord Cochrane, stating, among other things—"on my entry into Lima, I -will punctually pay to all such foreign seamen who shall voluntarily -enter the service of Chile, leaving the port of Valparaiso in the -vessels of war belonging to the state, the whole arrears of their pay, -to which I will also add to each individual according to his rank one -year's pay over and above his arrears, as a premium or reward for his -services, if he continue to fulfil his duty to the day of the surrender -of that city, and its occupation by the liberating forces."</p> - -<p>This proclamation, with the subjoined signature of Lord Cochrane, as a -guarantee for the fulfilment of the promise, had the desired effect, and -the crews of the ships were immediately completed.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span></p><p>On the twentieth of August the expedition left the port of Valparaiso. -The following account of it was published by order of the government:</p> - -<p>"The fortunate day to Chile has at length arrived; a day on which, by an -extraordinary effort which almost elevates her above herself, she -presents to both worlds an example of unheard of constancy and pure -patriotism. Never did any people exert themselves with greater energy, -nor obtain such rapid progress in the brief space which Chile measures -of real and stable emancipation. The liberating expedition which to-day -leaves our port to re-establish independence, and diffuse civil liberty -among the oppressed children of the ancient empire of the Incas, will be -an imperishable testimony of this truth, and a monument as lasting as -time itself, in the history of the age of achievements.</p> - -<p>"A brief view of the successes which have paved the way to this -memorable event will demonstrate to the most disinterested observer, the -great and heroic sacrifices that it has cost. Chile abandoned to her own -resources, without arms, without money, and without the other elements -sufficient to oppose force to force, was burthened from 1812 with a -desolating and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span> ferocious war in her own territory, carried on to the -degree of involving the whole of the country in its calamities. She -succumbed for a moment; for her last resources which at some future -period might give re-action to her social body seemed to fail; the -bowels of the country were torn to pieces by the implacable fury of her -enemies; but in the midst of these disasters, oppressed with the most -direful tyranny, and threatened with universal ruin, Chilean valour and -constancy opened the path to that honour and glory, which in 1817 -crowned the army of the Andes, the restorer and preserver of Chile. The -immortal action of Chacabuco marked the epoch of the aggrandizement and -prosperity of the republic.</p> - -<p>"From that time the state and the government conceived the sublime -object of advancing to the very throne of Spanish tyranny, the enormous -weight of which oppressed Peru. They were aware that for the subversion -of this colossal power, where, although it trembled, the principles of -motion still existed, which vomited hostilities among us—it must be -sought for and destroyed in its origin. But exhausted of all the means -that could animate so arduous an enterprize, it was necessary that time, -and an unexampled decision should overcome these<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> great obstacles. -Soldiers of all classes were formed, to constitute a national army. Arms -and ammunition of all kinds were purchased in almost indefinite -quantities. Every resource was drained, and every effort employed to -form a military depôt, that should excite the attention even of Europe.</p> - -<p>"In the mean time our territory was inundated with the disasters of war, -as with a torrent. Her adverse fortune seemed to threaten with total -ruin our very existence, till we obtained the renowned victory of Maypu; -this victory cost us nearly as much blood as the unfortunate result at -Cancha-rayada, when we lost a treasure in money and implements of war, -now recovered. That triumph was really and truly crowned with all the -circumstances of a decisive action: but our republic did not reap the -benefit of our advantageous state. Our resources were annihilated; the -greater part of private fortunes was ruined; the capital was oppressed -with an immense number of emigrants, who had arrived even from the other -side of the Biobio, searching for security within her walls. The -enormous and inevitable expenses necessary for the preservation of a -sedentary army which occupied the centre of the state, and of a -belligerent army employed in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span> the south against the last, but desperate -relics of our enemies, who were yet invincible under the protection of -the fortifications of Talcahuano. These were the afflicting -circumstances that pervaded Chile, and which would have made many others -despair of saving the Patria, especially if they were not her children. -Notwithstanding, to this unpromising epoch belongs the first intimation -of the great enterprize of sending an expedition to Peru. We now saw the -squadron appear, as if it had sprung from the waves, rather than as the -results of human efforts, attending to the absolute nullity of means by -which we might procure its formation. We were without the necessary -materials, destitute of any relations with foreign states; we had only -one port, where by extraordinary efforts something might have been -effected, and this was blockaded; and lastly, we were in absolute want -of every thing but boldness and resolution. One vessel (the Lautaro) -little better than a hulk, and manned in a moment by determined patriots -rather than seamen, hoisted triumphantly the national flag, and obliged -our blockading enemies, the national marine of Spain, to betake -themselves to a shameful flight. A prodigious rapidity of circumstances -favourable to our navy were the immediate results; the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span>enemy was driven -from Talcahuano; the excellent frigate Maria Isabel, and several -transports from Cadiz, sent to assist in devastation and extermination, -were captured; in fine, our navy obtained the dominion of the sea from -Guayaquil to Chiloe, and deprived Spain of Valdivia, her most important -bulwark in the Pacific ocean.</p> - -<p>"Chile now contemplated, not without surprize, the progress of her -operations; but it was necessary to advance them with greater -endeavours, for such were required at the altar of liberty. It was yet -necessary to recruit troops, to re-equip the squadron, and to procure a -large quantity of materials, for the purpose of forming an expedition -that should carry with it the necessary resources for a campaign of -indetermined duration. It was also necessary to stifle the machinations -of some anarchists, who more iniquitous than the Gracchi or the -Catalines, opposed obstacles almost insurmountable to the government, in -the transaction of the public business.</p> - -<p>"At last all difficulties were overcome, the desires of the virtuous -have been fulfilled, and the nation has arrived at that pitch of power -and respectability, to which perhaps none ever arrived under similar -circumstances. For the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> acquisition of this, our sacrifices have been of -a most extraordinary class; there scarcely exists a town, a river, or a -valley in our territory, which has not vibrated with the report of -cannon, or been the witness of some obstinate encounters; but according -to the opposition and deformity of the conflicts, the civic virtues of -our citizens have shone with greater brightness. The most compromised -personal services, donations, and erogations from all classes have been -so repeated, and so heroic, that it is impossible to transfer to paper -the expression of their just value; time will do that justice to us -which is due to such marked and indelible actions of the most ardent -patriotism. Our government would not have acted gratefully to its -fellow-citizens, had it not proclaimed and published them to all -freemen; because to such efforts the realization of the liberating -expedition, whose description we have proposed to give, is due.</p> - -<p>"After twelve or fifteen days had been employed in embarking the -necessary depôt of articles for the immediate service of the expedition, -it was announced in the general orders of the thirteenth inst., that the -different corps of the army, including the troops of the Andes and those -of Chile, should begin to move from their encampment at Quillota, and -embark on the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> eighteenth, as follows:—At eight, ten, and twelve, a. -m.; and two and four, p. m., the regiments No. 7, 11, 5, and 4 of -infantry, and the mounted casadores: on the nineteenth at eight, ten, -twelve, a. m. the artillery, regiment No. 8, of infantry, and the -mounted grenadiers; the companies No. 6, of infantry, squadron No. 2, of -dragoons, the companies of sappers, the workmen and implements; the part -of the beach between the castle San Jose and the arsenal was chosen for -this purpose, as being the most convenient.</p> - -<p>"The spectacle presented by the different bodies in the progressive -order of their march was as interesting and imposing as was the -enthusiasm and joy of all concerned: the spectacle was sublime, and -every individual from the general in chief to the lowest of the soldiers -seemed to rejoice. They had scarcely left the land of their birth, and -which had been a grateful witness to their victories, when the -spontaneous and simultaneous shout was heard, "Viva la Patria!" "Viva la -Libertad!" was re-echoed by the spectators, and produced a most -interesting, soothing, and consoling effect, the best prognostic of -their future triumphs, which were destined to fix the liberty of the -south.</p> - -<p>"On the nineteenth, at nine, a. m., the national<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span> flag of the republic -was displayed: it was saluted by every battery and every vessel of war -with twenty-one guns. At this time the Captain-general Don Jose de San -Martin visited the vessels of war and transports, enlivening the jubilee -of his brave soldiers.</p> - -<p>"To-day, the twentieth, the expedition weighed, and left the port in the -following order: the flag ship, O'Higgins, with the hero of Valdivia on -board, the commander in chief of the squadron, the Right Honourable Lord -Cochrane (whose illustrious talents promise the most flattering results, -as well with respect to the expedition, as the future glory of our navy) -led the vanguard, with two other vessels of war. Then followed, in -column, the transports, flanked by three other vessels of war: the rear -was closed by eleven gun-boats, following the Independencia and San -Martin, bearing the general in chief and his staff.</p> - -<p>"These are the happy effects which order, constancy, and valour have -achieved; their progress in a great measure is owing to the existence of -the squadron: its establishment, increase, and superiority over that of -Lima is the result of firmness and boldness: Chile has the glory of -owing this to herself, and may call it the child of her sacrifices, her -resolution, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span> her valour. The time will come when America will offer -to Chile demonstrations of her acknowledgment, and pay to her the homage -which is due: this they will do in return for her laudable and -meritorious services, because they, more directly than any others, have -been serviceable to the common welfare of the Continent. And should the -fates be adverse, even in despite of every probability, should the -precious expectations of this formidable expedition be disappointed, -neither calumny, nor envy, nor all the vicissitudes of time will be -sufficient to wrench from us the glory of having realized the most -liberal project which the history of infant states can present. (Signed) -Zenteno, Minister of war and marine."</p> - -<p>The supreme director of Chile, O'Higgins, addressed the following -proclamation to the liberating army, at the moment of sailing from -Valparaiso:</p> - -<p>"Soldiers,—I have repeatedly witnessed your courage, and know full well -what may be expected from you in the most important campaign of the -revolution. The general who commands you is the same who conducted you -to the field of battle at Chacabuco and Maypu; remember what ye there -did, and think of the glorious destiny that awaits you.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span></p><p>"<i>Soldiers of the Andes!</i> you gave liberty to Chile; go now to Peru, -and enrol your names with the blood of its oppressors!</p> - -<p>"Chileans! your intrepidity, with that of the auxiliary troops, saved -the Republic a second time, in the action of the fifth of April; go on -in your career of glory, and deserve the gratitude of the inhabitants of -Peru, as you have even that of your patria.</p> - -<p>"Expeditionary Army! march to victory; go and close the calamities of -warfare, and seal the fate of rising generations—these are the wishes -and the hopes of your friend and comrade. (Signed) O'Higgins."</p> - -<p>The number of troops destined to the liberation of Peru was four -thousand seven hundred; fifteen thousand stand of arms were embarked for -the purpose of raising troops in Peru, and the whole equipment was -highly honourable to Chile, and truly the fruit of the most patriotic -sacrifices. Chile, ten years before this memorable epoch, was considered -as little more than a province dependent on Peru, and supported by the -sale of her productions in the markets of this country; her inhabitants -were looked upon as ignorant boors, and the term <i>huaco</i>, the epithet -given in Chile to the farmers and people who resided in the country, was -synonymous<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> in Peru, with loon, or booby; but the sincere patriotism, -the steady and unremitting efforts, and the undaunted valour of these -people, triumphed after having resisted the efforts of the Spanish -expeditions, sent both from Peru and the mother country. Having -struggled under, and thrown off the yoke of oppression at home, they -prepared a new offering at the altar of liberty, and united their -persons and fortunes to make Peru a partaker of that glorious state of -freedom and independence which at the point of the bayonet they had won -for themselves and their descendants.</p> - -<p>The naval force under the command of Lord Cochrane, consisted of—</p> - -<table summary="naval force under the command of Lord Cochrane"> - <tr> - <td>The frigate </td> - <td class="left">O'Higgins, flag ship, of </td> - <td class="left">48 guns.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="left">San Martin</td> - <td class="left">64</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="left">Lautaro</td> - <td class="left">44</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="left">Independencia</td> - <td class="left">26</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>brig </td> - <td class="left">Galvarino</td> - <td class="left">18</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="left">Araucano</td> - <td class="left">16</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="left">Pueyrredon</td> - <td class="left">14</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p>These had on board 1600 individuals, 624 of whom were foreign officers -and seamen, chiefly English.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER IX.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>Sketch of O'Higgins, San Martin, Lord Cochrane, Las Heras, and -Monteagudo....Sailing of the Expedition, and arrival at -Pisco....Debarkation....Occurrences at Pisco....Colonel Arenales, -with a division of the Army, marches to Arica....Troops embark and -proceed to Ancon....News of the Revolution of Guayaquil....Capture -of the Spanish Frigate Esmeralda....Army goes down to -Huacho....Head Quarters at Huaura.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Few things are more irksome, or perhaps none more difficult, than to -pourtray living characters, especially those of great men. -Misapprehension, flattery, or odium, generally constitute the <i>chiara -obscura</i> of the painting; however, as this task has at this period of my -narrative become indispensable, I shall endeavour to fulfil it with -impartiality, hoping that at its conclusion my readers will confess that -the colours have not been carelessly selected, nor in any way -misapplied.</p> - -<p>Don Bernardo O'Higgins, the supreme director of Chile, possesses a -considerable share of real courage; is resolute in executing a -determination, but tardy in forming it; diffident of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> his own abilities, -he is willing to take advice from any one, but always inclined to -consider the last as the best. Thus, without forming his plans on the -judicious analysis of the counsels offered, by eschewing the good, and -rejecting the evil, he has often been led into difficulties in his -political administration. These waverings were highly injurious to the -furtherance of Chilean prosperity, which was, no doubt, the idol of his -soul; and this same want of determination often produced evils of no -less moment in the military department. His love of his country was -doubtless sincere, and perhaps his earnest desire to be always right -sometimes led him into errors; but in this case it is more just to judge -of the motive, or the cause, than of the action, or the effect. The -establishment of the <i>senada consulta</i> was in itself a virtuous measure; -but the expectation of finding five individuals who should see the good -of the country, and the advancement of its true interests, through the -same medium as himself, was one of the virtuous mistakes of O'Higgins, -which placed him under the control of his own creatures, and often -retarded the execution of plans of vital importance to the state, and -rendered their execution either abortive or nugatory.</p> - -<p>The private character of O'Higgins was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> truly amiable. He was kind and -condescending; apparently more at home at his evening tertulias than -when under the canopy of the Supreme Directorship. In the whole of his -conduct it might be truly said, that</p> - -<p class="center">"E'en his vices lean'd to virtue's side."</p> - -<p>Being the son of an Irishman, Don Ambrose Higgins, who died in the high -situation of Viceroy of Peru, he was passionately fond of the countrymen -of his father, and I believe an Irishman was never deceived in his -expectations of support and protection in O'Higgins. In short, the -character which a Chilean gave to me conveys a very accurate summary of -his general outline. "There is too much wax, and too little steel in his -composition; however, there are few better, and many worse men than Don -Bernardo."</p> - -<p>The character of General San Martin will be best drawn from the conduct -which he has observed. He was first known while in a military capacity -in Spain, where he served as Edecan de Policia to General Jordan, with -the rank of Captain. At this time a majority became vacant, which he -solicited of General Castanos, but meeting with a refusal, he abandoned -Spain and her cause, came over to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span>England, where he took shipping and -proceeded to Buenos Ayres in 1811. He there received the command of a -division of the patriot troops, and defeated a party of 500 of the enemy -at San Lorenzo. He was afterwards appointed commander in chief of the -army of Buenos Ayres, in Upper Peru, where nothing transpired to render -an account of his command of any importance. When superseded, he went to -Mendoza, and there met O'Higgins and the Chilean refugees; a plan for -the restoration of Chile was formed, San Martin took the command of the -army. The success of the patriots at Chacabuco and Maypu has already -been related, from which time nothing of importance occurred till 1820, -when he was appointed by the Chilean government general in chief of the -forces sent to Peru, called the "liberating expedition." I shall abstain -from making any comments on the character of General San Martin, leaving -my readers to form their own opinions concerning him, founded on the -facts which I shall present, authenticated by the circumstances as they -arose.</p> - -<p>Lord Cochrane is too well known to require any encomium from my pen. His -services to his native country entitled him to the honour of knighthood -in the military Order of the Bath;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span> being the only captain in the -British navy, who enjoyed this distinguished badge of national glory. In -the new world, when his services were not needed in the old, his career -of glory has been as brilliant as his most important services were -necessary; and I do not hesitate in asserting, that but for his -assiduity and unremitting attention, his military knowledge, and -determined valour, the western shores of America would have still been -in the possession of Spain; her fleet would have now commanded the -Pacific, and "British Commerce" would have been excluded from the -extensive market which it enjoys. Chile, Peru, and Columbia have -repeatedly expressed their gratitude, the high sense they entertain, and -the just appreciation which they hold of the merits of this hero; this -supporter of their rights; this defender of their liberty—and if the -name of Cochrane can ever be forgotten in the old world, or his services -not duly requited, it will be found enrolled in the imperishable -archives of the new, enshrined in the gratitude of the present and -future generations. "Lord Cochrane is such a miracle of nautical skill -and courage; his cause of banishment from his country is so -lamentable—his adventures have been so romantic—and his achievements -so splendid, that no <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span>Englishman can read them without pride, that such -things have been done by his countryman; and without solemn concern that -such talents and genius should be lost to the land that gave them -birth."<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a></p> - -<p>Don Juan Gregorio de las Heras, Major-general, and second in command of -the army, had established his character as a soldier and a commander, by -his boldness and intrepidity at Talcahuano, in 1817. This general -merited the applause of every one, and his conduct in Peru endeared him -to every soldier, and every lover of the cause in which he -fought;—there can be no doubt that had he been the commander in chief, -those torrents of blood which have been shed in Peru since 1820, would -most certainly have been spared. In his actions Las Heras was mild, -affable, and unassuming, and in his manners he was a perfect gentleman. -In his general character he was sincere and candid; uniting always such -qualities as made him beloved by his friends, and feared by his enemies; -in fine he is an ornament to society, and an honour to his birth-place, -Buenos Ayres, where his patriotic virtues have been rewarded with the -Supreme Magistracy.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span></p><p>Don Bernardo Monteagudo was one of those individuals who too often -appear on the stage in revolutionary times, who "without feeling mock at -all who feel." He is a native of Upper Peru, of the lowest rank in -society, of spurious offspring, and African genealogy; he applied -himself to the study of the law, and his mind is composed of the very -worst materials which characterize the sullen zambo; his imagination is -active and aspiring, like that of the mulatto, a composition which is -formed to fulfil the Spanish adage, "<i>tirar la piedra, y esconder la -mano</i>, throw the stone, and hide the hand." He had been repeatedly -employed by his master San Martin to gild over, under the forms of law, -such proceedings as even he, with a blushless cheek was ashamed to avow. -The murder of the two Carreras at Mendosa, and that of the Spanish -officers confined at San Luis, are examples of what one monster can -execute, and another defend. His subsequent conduct in Peru will better -serve to define his true character than what I dare even venture to -attempt—for fear it should be supposed that prejudice has acted as a -stimulus.</p> - -<p>The talents and literature of Monteagudo have been held up as possessing -considerable perfection; but it was justly said by Un Limeño<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span> his -<i>Alcance al Postillon</i>, printed at Santiago, September 5th, 1822, "that -his productions were impertinent comparisons, formed for benumbed and -monotonous newspaper paragraphs."</p> - -<p>The expedition having left Valparaiso, the O'Higgins entered the bay of -Coquimbo, where the Araucano and a transport had been sent to embark -some troops; these joined the rest, and we proceeded to our rendezvous, -Pisco, and entered the bay on the seventh of September. On the eighth -the troops began to disembark, but such was the prudence of General San -Martin, that they were not allowed to proceed towards the town of Pisco, -until about three thousand were landed; these advanced on the ninth, -formed in three solid squares, under the command of Major-general las -Heras, while San Martin ran down the coast of the bay, in the schooner -Montezuma, to observe the operations of the enemy, which was composed of -forty regulars, and two hundred militia, commanded by the Count of -Monte-mar. This extraordinary prudence gave the inhabitants of Pisco -time to retire, which they did, and took with them even the furniture -from their houses, while they drove before them their slaves and their -cattle into the interior. San Martin, not willing to attribute the -absence of the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span>inhabitants, and the loss of provisions, to his own -tardy movements, but to the inimical feelings of the Peruvians, was very -much chagrined, and stated it as his belief, that he had been deceived -with respect to the accounts he had received from different parts of -Peru; and, in fact, he began to doubt of the success of the expedition. -What a contrast was this to the landing of the gallant -Lieutenant-colonel Charles, about a year before; who, with less than -one-tenth of San Martin's troops, disembarked, and in three hours -possessed himself of the battery and town of Pisco. But this was -considered an imprudent act, and a want of generalship: and so it was, -if the greatest skill consists in avoiding danger, and in sparing both -friends and enemies for a more convenient occasion, to which may be -added, that Charles lost his life.</p> - -<p>On the day on which the expedition arrived at Pisco, the constitutional -government had been restored in Lima, and the Viceroy was at the theatre -when he received the first news: he immediately retired, after having -heard the old Spanish adage frequently repeated, "<i>a cada cochino gordo, -le llega su San Martin</i>—for every fat hog, San Martin, will arrive;" -alluding to the fairs held in Spain on the day of Saint Martin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> for the -sale of hogs. The idea, that "all was not right in Denmark," induced -Pesuela to send immediately for the manager of the theatre, and to -examine the prompter's book; when convinced that there was no collusion -between the South American hero and the clown of the Lima stage, his -excellency dismissed the manager, stating, that being a native of Spain, -he could not doubt his loyalty. Had he been an American, he would -perhaps have been sent to prison for the prophetic crimes of Calderon, -the author of the comedy.</p> - -<p>On the fourteenth, part of the convoy which had been separated from us -at sea arrived; and in the evening a Spanish vessel of war, bearing a -flag of truce, having on board a Spanish officer, was sent by the -Viceroy to San Martin to solicit a cessation of hostilities, and to -appoint commissioners to conciliate the interests of Spain and America. -On the twenty-sixth, the deputies met at Miraflores, two leagues to the -southward of Lima, and signed an armistice of eight days; but at their -conferences nothing was agreed to, the Spanish deputies requesting an -acknowledgment of the constitutional government of Spain, and the -evacuation of the Peruvian territory by the Chilean forces; and the -patriots that of the absolute independence of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> the country. Such being -the respective basis on which the conciliating deputies were ordered to -insist, the conference ended on the fourth of October, and on the fifth -hostilities again commenced.</p> - -<p>On the arrival of the expedition at Pisco, several proclamations were -issued: that of the supreme director of Chile contained the following -paragraph:</p> - -<p>"Peruvians,—behold the pact and conditions on which Chile, in the face -of the Supreme Being, and calling on all the nations of the earth as -witnesses and revengers of a violation, faces fatigues and death to save -you. You shall be free and independent; you shall constitute your own -laws by the unbiassed and spontaneous will of your representatives; no -military nor civil influence, either direct or indirect, shall be -exercised by your brethren in your social dispositions; you shall -discharge the armed force sent to protect you at the moment you choose, -without any attention to your danger or security, should you think fit; -no military force shall ever occupy a free town, unless it be called in -by a legitimate magistracy; neither by us nor through our assistance -shall any peninsular or party feelings, that may have preceded your -liberty, be punished: ready to destroy the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> armed force which resists -your rights, we pray you to forget, on the day of your glory, all past -grievances, and to reserve the most severe justice for future obstinate -insults."</p> - -<p>On the thirteenth of October, San Martin issued the following paragraph -from the army press:</p> - -<p>"People of Peru,—I have paid the tribute which, as a public man, I owe -to the opinion of others: I have shewn what is my object and my mission -towards you: I come to fulfil the expectations of all those who wish to -belong to the country that gave them birth, and who desire to be -governed by their own laws. On that day when Peru shall freely pronounce -as to the form of her institutions, be they whatever they may, my -functions shall cease, and I shall have the glory of announcing to the -government of Chile, of which I am a subject, that their heroic efforts -have at last received the consolation of having given liberty to Peru, -and security to the neighbouring states."</p> - -<p>The sequel will shew how these solemn promises were forgotten; and how -the dreadful results which followed such a system of duplicity and -deceit are characteristics which blacken the name of a private -individual, and blast the honour of a "public man."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span></p><p>On the fifth of October, hostilities having recommenced, Colonel -Arenales, with a division of twelve hundred men and two pieces of -artillery, left Pisco for Ica, where he arrived on the sixth, and was -received by the corporation and inhabitants of the city with the -strongest marks of the most sincere enthusiasm in the cause of liberty. -Colonel Quimper and the Count de Monte-mar, with a force of eight -hundred men, fled from Ica, but two companies of infantry, with their -officers, returned and joined Arenales. Part of the division under -Arenales was sent to La Nasca on the twelfth, where they entered, and -completely routed the enemy. Quimper and Monte-mar made their escape, -owing to the fleetness of their horses; but all the baggage, consisting -of arms, ammunition, and equipage, was taken, together with six officers -and eighty privates.</p> - -<p>On the fifteenth, about a hundred mules laden with stores belonging to -the enemy were also captured; and Arenales having established an -independent government at Ica, proceeded on his route towards Guamanga.</p> - -<p>The troops of the expedition were distributed on the different estates -in the neighbourhood of Pisco, Chincha, and Cañete, which either -belonged to Spaniards, or Americans who<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span> had proved themselves inimical -to the object of the liberating forces, particularly on those belonging -to the Count of Monte-mar. All slaves capable of bearing arms, and -willing to serve in the army of San Martin, were declared free; however, -the number that presented themselves did not accord with the sanguine -expectations of the chief, and his uneasiness at what he considered -lukewarmness in general in the sacred cause began to produce impatience -bordering on despair. He informed Lord Cochrane that he should remove -his head quarters to Truxillo; but his Lordship fortunately advised him -to desist from a plan which would undoubtedly at once have ruined all -his hopes. Truxillo being at the distance of a hundred leagues to the -northward of Lima, it would have been almost impossible for his troops -to have marched across a country such as I have already described -without experiencing the greatest privations; and for want of the -necessary stores they could not possibly have returned by sea; besides, -the division under the command of Arenales would have been abandoned to -its fate, and almost delivered up to the enemy. The only temptation that -such a position could hold out to San Martin was, that Truxillo is a -walled city, easily tenable, and at a short distance from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> the sea-port -of Huanchaco; however it was determined to remove the head quarters to -the north of Lima, and on the twenty-second the troops began to embark.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-sixth, the whole of the liberating expedition left the bay -of Pisco, and on the twenty-ninth it arrived off Callao, where the -vessels anchored under the island of San Lorenzo, presenting at once to -Lima a view of the forces sent to free the metropolis of South America -from the chains of colonial thraldom. On the thirtieth, the transports, -under convoy of the San Martin, dropped down to the bay of Ancon; the -O'Higgins, Lautaro, Independencia, and brig Araucano, still remaining in -the bay of Callao.</p> - -<p>On the third of November, his Lordship astonished the inhabitants of -Callao, by sailing through the narrow passage that lies between the -island of San Lorenzo and the main, called the Boqueron. Never had the -Spaniards known a vessel of more than fifty tons attempt what they now -saw done with a fifty gun frigate. Expecting every moment to see us -founder, the enemy had manned their gunboats, and formed themselves in a -line ready to attack us the instant they should observe us strike; to -witness which, the batteries were crowned with <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span>spectators; but to their -utter astonishment we passed the straight, leaving them to ruminate on -the nautical tactics of the Admiral of the Chilean squadron.</p> - -<p>Having passed the Boqueron, a ship and a schooner hove in sight; the -ship proved to be English, the schooner to be the Alcance, from -Guayaquil, bringing the news of the revolution and declaration of -independence of that city and province, and having on board the -ex-governor and other Spanish authorities. Guayaquil followed the -example of the other South American cities in the manner in which she -threw off the colonial yoke; the Spanish mandataries were deposed, and a -new government established on the ninth of October, without any -bloodshed, or even insults offered to the individuals deposed.</p> - -<p>The adventurous spirit of Lord Cochrane immediately formed the project -of performing the most gallant achievement that has honoured the -exertions of the patriot arms in the new world. The two Spanish frigates -Prueba and Vengansa had left the coast of Peru, and the only vessel of -respectable force left at Callao was the frigate Esmeralda. She was at -anchor in this port, guarded by fifteen gunboats, two schooners, two -brigs of war, and three large armed merchantmen, besides the protection -of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span> the forts and batteries on shore, and a floating boom surrounding -all the vessels, open only on the north side, lying close to the shore -of Bocanegra. His lordship determined on cutting out the frigate, the -brigs and schooners, and as many of the boats and merchantmen as might -be possible. This daring enterprize was to be executed by volunteers -alone; but when the act was proposed on the third of November to the -crews of the different vessels, the whole of them wished to share in the -glory of the undertaking. On this account it became necessary to issue -the following proclamation, which was received with that enthusiasm -which the voice of a hero causes, when he speaks to those who know his -character:</p> - -<p>"Soldiers and sailors,—To-night we will give a mortal blow to the -enemy; to-morrow you will present yourselves before Callao, and all your -companions will look on you with envy. One hour of courage and -resolution is all that is necessary to triumph; remember that you are -the victors of Valdivia, and fear not those who have always fled before -you.</p> - -<p>"The value of all the vessels taken out of Callao shall be yours; and, -moreover, the same sum of money offered by the government of Lima to the -captors of any vessel of the Chilean<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span> squadron, shall be distributed -among you. The moment of glory is at hand. I hope, Chileans, you will -behave as you have hitherto done; and that the Englishmen will act as -they are accustomed to do both at home and abroad. Nov. 4th, 1820. -Cochrane."</p> - -<p>On the fourth of November, fourteen boats belonging to the Chilean -vessels of war were manned, and left the ships, filled with volunteers, -at half past ten o'clock at night; but this was only intended by his -lordship to exercise the men. On the fifth, being the day determined on -by the admiral for the gallant enterprize, the signalman of the -flag-ship was sent to the signal staff erected on the island of San -Lorenzo, where he hoisted two or three flags, and was answered by the -O'Higgins; the Lautaro, Independencia, and Araucano immediately weighed -anchor, and stood out of the bay, leaving on board the O'Higgins the -boats and volunteers. This <i>ruse de guerre</i> completely succeeded, and -the Spaniards were persuaded that they had nothing to fear that night, -for they supposed that some strange sail had appeared in the offing, and -that our vessels had gone out in pursuit of it. All being thus ready, at -ten o'clock at night we again embarked in the boats, and proceeded -towards the inner anchorage, on the outside the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span> boom the United States -frigate Macedonia, and the English frigate Hyperion, were at anchor; -and, as we passed the former, after being hailed by the sentry at the -gangway, who was immediately hushed by the officer on deck, many of her -officers hung over the bulwarks, cheered us in whispers, wishing us -success, and wishing also that they themselves could join us. Not so the -Hyperion; although not so near to her, the sentries continued to hail -the boats till we had passed.</p> - -<p>The boats containing two hundred and forty volunteers proceeded in two -divisions; the first under the command of Captain Crosbie, of the flag -ship, the second, of Captain Guise of the Lautaro, both under the -immediate direction of his lordship. At midnight we passed the boom; -Lord Cochrane being in the first boat, was hailed from a gun boat, but, -without answering, he rowed alongside her, and standing up, said to the -officer, "silence! or death; another word and I'll put you every one to -the sword!" Without waiting a reply, a few strokes of the oars brought -the boats alongside the Esmeralda, when his Lordship sprang up the -gangway and shot the sentry; the one at the opposite gangway levelled -his musket and fired; his lordship returned the fire, and killed him, -when turning<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span> round to the boats he exclaimed, "up my lads, she's ours!" -The soldiers and sailors now boarded her in every direction, and -possession of the quarter deck was immediately taken. The Spaniards flew -to the forecastle, where they defended themselves, and kept up a -continued fire of musquetry for seventeen minutes, when they were driven -below, and obliged to surrender. We had scarcely obtained possession of -the quarter deck, when a gunboat close astern of the frigate fired a -shot into her; the shot tore up the deck under the feet of Captain Coig, -the commander of the Esmeralda, and wounded him severely; it also killed -two English sailors, and one native; but the officer and crew of the -boat immediately abandoned her.</p> - -<p>The frigate was in an excellent state of defence, and her crew under -good discipline; the men were all sleeping at their guns, and the guard -of marines on the quarter deck; and so prompt were the latter, when his -lordship jumped up the gangway, that they appeared as if they had been -ordered out to receive him; indeed had not the boats under the command -of Captain Guise boarded at almost the same moment, behind the marines, -the admiral and many others who boarded her on the starboard side must -have fallen by their fire. His <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span>lordship at this time received a shot -through the thigh, but, until the ship was ours, he paid no attention to -the wound, except binding a handkerchief round it; after which he stood -on one of the guns of the quarter deck, and laid his leg on the hammock -netting, where he remained till three o'clock in the morning, and then -went on board the O'Higgins to have it dressed by the surgeon.</p> - -<p>The following order was issued by the admiral to the captains on the -first of November, 1820:</p> - -<p>"The boats will proceed, towing the launches in two lines parallel to -each other, which lines are to be at the distance of three boats' length -asunder.</p> - -<p>"The second line will be under the charge of Captain Guise, the first -under that of Captain Crosbie. Each boat will be under the charge of a -commissioned officer so far as circumstances permit, and the whole under -the immediate command of the admiral.</p> - -<p>"The officers and men are all to be dressed in white jackets, frocks, or -shirts, and are to be armed with pistols, sabres, knives, tomahawks, or -pikes.</p> - -<p>"Two boat-keepers are to be appointed to each boat, who, on no pretence -whatever, shall<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span> quit their respective boats; but are to remain therein, -and take care the boats do not get adrift.</p> - -<p>"Each boat is to be provided with one or more axes or sharp hatchets, -which are to be kept slung to the girdle of the boat-keepers. The -frigate Esmeralda being the chief object of the expedition, the whole -force is first to attack that ship, which, when carried, is not to be -cut adrift, but is to remain in possession of the patriot seamen, to -ensure the capture of the rest.</p> - -<p>"On securing the frigate, the Chilean seamen and marines are not to -cheer as if Chilenos; but, in order to deceive the enemy, and give time -for completing the work, they are to cheer, Viva el Rey!</p> - -<p>"The two brigs of war are to be fired on by the musketry from the -Esmeralda, and are to be taken possession of by Lieutenants Esmond and -Morgell, in the boats they command; which being done, they are to be cut -adrift, run out, and anchored in the offing as quickly as possible. The -boats of the Independencia are to busy themselves in turning adrift all -the outward Spanish merchant ships; and the boats of the O'Higgins and -Lautaro, under Lieutenants Bell and Robertson, are to set fire to one or -more of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span> the headmost hulks; but these are not to be cut adrift so as to -fall down upon the rest.</p> - -<p>"The watchword, or <i>parole</i>, and counter-sign, should the white dress -not be sufficient in the dark, are '<i>Gloria</i>,' to be answered by -'<i>Victoria</i>!' (Signed) Cochrane."</p> - -<p>It was the intention of Lord Cochrane to clear the bay, according to the -instructions given; but being wounded, and the resistance made by the -Spaniards on board proving much greater than was expected, Captain Guise -ordered the cable to be cut; which being done, the frigate began to -drift from her anchorage. The batteries were pretty active during the -engagement, and when the Hyperion and Macedonia sheeted home their -topsails and began to move out of the way of the shot, the firing -increased. These ships shewed two lights, one at the mizen peak, the -other at the jib boom, as distinguishing signals, which being observed -by Lord Cochrane, he immediately ordered the same to be shewn on board -the Esmeralda: thus she was brought out of the anchorage with less -damage than either of the other two sustained. Indeed, excepting the -shot from the gun boat, the Esmeralda sustained none whatever.</p> - -<p>From the lists that were found on board the prize it appeared, that she -had three hundred<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span> and twenty persons on board, besides some visitors, -who, from what had been observed, imagined that nothing uncommon would -take place that day. On the following, when the prisoners were mustered, -their numbers only amounted to one hundred and seventy-three; thus their -loss was one hundred and fifty-seven, besides several wounded, who at -nine o'clock on the sixth were sent ashore with a flag of truce. Our -loss amounted to eleven killed, and twenty-eight wounded. His lordship -immediately proposed to the Viceroy an exchange of prisoners; which -being acceded to, ours were immediately sent ashore, and those from the -dungeons of Casas-matas were ordered to join the army under San Martin. -The loss of the Esmeralda was a death blow to the Spanish naval force in -the Pacific, and created a most extraordinary effect in Lima; the -natives looked congratulations to each other, but dared not to speak, -while the Spaniards indulged themselves with every kind of useless -vociferation. To such a degree of frenzy were they wrought up in Callao, -that on the sixth, when the market boat belonging to the United States' -ship Macedonia went ashore, the crew was murdered by the infuriated -Spaniards, who fancied that they had assisted the patriots on the -preceding night.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span></p><p>Of this achievement of Lord Cochrane, Captain Hall says, "the skill and -gallantry displayed by Lord Cochrane, both in planning and conducting -this astonishing enterprize, are so peculiarly his own, and so much in -character with the great deeds of his early life, &c."</p> - -<p>Captain Downes, of the Macedonia, in a letter to General San Martin, -says, "I do most sincerely congratulate Lord Cochrane upon the capture -of the Esmeralda; the exploit was executed in a gallant stile never -surpassed."</p> - -<p>The bulletin of the army presented, in the report of the capture of the -Spanish frigate, a specimen of the jealous feelings of the general in -chief. The first statement is, "before the general in chief left the -vice-admiral of the squadron, they agreed on the execution of a -memorable project, sufficient to astound intrepidity itself, and of -itself to make the history of the liberating expedition of Peru -eternal."—Again: "those valiant soldiers who for a length of time have -suffered with the most heroic constancy the hardest oppression, and the -most inhuman treatment in the dungeons of Casas-matas, have just arrived -at our head quarters. Flattering promises of liberty and the threats of -death were not sufficient to destroy their loyalty to their country; -they have<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span> waited with firmness the day on which their companions in -arms should rescue them from their misery, and revenge the insults which -humanity has received in their persons. This glory was reserved to the -liberating <i>army</i>, whose efforts have snatched from the hands of tyranny -these respectable victims. Let this be published for the satisfaction of -these individuals and that of the army, to whose <i>arms</i> they owe their -liberty. (Signed) San Martin."</p> - -<p>Were the character of Lord Cochrane not known in the world, it might be -believed that the plan and execution of this action were the offspring -of the wisdom of San Martin; but how the liberty of the prisoners of war -confined in Callao could be owing to the efforts of the army is quite -paradoxical. Indeed the first assertion is as void of truth as the -second, and it would be as easy proved to be so, were it necessary.</p> - -<p>The only way to praise the hero of this enterprize is to leave here a -blank: all those who contemplate this achievement must pay the tribute -due to the friend of rational liberty, the advocate of South American -emancipation, the supporter of the civil rights of the new world, the -true friend of the oppressed.</p> - -<p>On the ninth of November the army left the bay of Ancon, and dropped -down to Huacho,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span> where the troops immediately began to disembark, and -head quarters were established at Huaura on the twelfth.</p> - -<p>At Ancon General San Martin distributed several proclamations. In one -addressed to the Spaniards residing in Peru, he says "Spaniards, your -destiny is in your own hands; I come not to declare war against the -fortunes and persons of individuals; the enemy of the liberty and -independence of America alone is the object of the vengeance of the arms -of the <span class="smaller">PATRIA</span>.—I promise you in the most positive manner, that your -property and persons shall be inviolable; and that you shall be treated -as respectable citizens, if you co-operate in the great cause." To the -Spanish soldier who wishes to abandon his arms, he promises a "safe and -commodious passage to Europe should he request it," or wishing to remain -as a soldier, or as a private citizen, "the same enjoyments and -securities as the defenders of the country."</p> - -<p>Similar promises were repeated at Huacho by a decree. "I. The goods and -property of all Spaniards, excepting those who have publicly endeavoured -to prolong the evils of the war by their seditious writings, shall be -under the protection of the liberating army of Peru, in the same manner -as the property of Americans.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span> II. Those Spaniards who after we have -taken possession of Lima (if the fortune of war favour us) shall solicit -letters of citizenship, shall receive them, and shall be declared -citizens of the state of Peru."</p> - -<p>Had not General San Martin compromised himself in this solemn manner, -his subsequent conduct in Lima could only have been called arbitrary; -but when acting in direct violation of such public assurances, it is not -harsh to call it dishonourable and unjust.</p> - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> Sir James Mackintosh, in the House of Commons.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> Dr. Don Jose Cabero y Salasar, Peruvian Charge d' Affairs -in Chile.</p></div></div> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER X.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>Battalion of Numancia joins the Liberating Army....Victory at Pasco -by Arenales....Route of Arenales from Ica....Courts Martial held in -the Squadron on Officers....Conduct of General San -Martin....Viceroy Pesuela deposed....Expedition to Pisco....To -Arica....Action at Mirabe, under Lieutenant-Colonel -Miller....Description of Arica....Of Tacna....Of Ilo....Armistice -celebrated by Generals San Martin and La Serna....Prorogation -of....Lord Cochrane leaves Mollendo, and arrives at Callao.</p></blockquote> - -<p>On the third of December the battalion of Numancia, being six hundred -and fifty strong, left the service of the Viceroy of Lima, and passed -over to that of the Patria, joining a detachment of the liberating army, -sent to meet them at Retes in the valley of Chancay. This corps, which -was entirely composed of Colombians, had retained the name of a regiment -sent from Spain under General Morillo, and was considered the stay of -the viceregal authority in Peru. A private correspondence had been held -between San Martin and the officers of this battalion, and promises made -to them by San Martin, which, like many if not all similar ones<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span> made by -this great man, were never fulfilled. The loss of so important a part of -the Spanish army was a severe blow to Pesuela and the Spaniards in Lima, -and a great addition to the physical strength of the liberating army. -The arrival of officers and private individuals from Lima increased -daily; on the eighth, thirty-six officers, and a greater number of -persons of respectability in Lima, arrived at Chancay, and joined the -patriot forces.</p> - -<p>On the eleventh, the news of the victory at Pasco, obtained by Colonel -Arenales over General O'Reilly and a division of the royal army of -twelve hundred men, arrived at Huaura. After the action at Ica on the -sixth of October, Arenales marched with his division into the interior, -and on the thirty-first he entered the city of Huamanga; but the Spanish -authorities had fled, carrying with them the public funds. The -inhabitants of Huamanga welcomed the arrival of the patriot forces, and -voluntarily declared their independence of Spain and her mandataries. On -the sixth the division left the city, and continued their march towards -the district of Tarma; and the advanced guard arrived at Jauja, thirty -leagues from Lima, at the same time that the Spaniards were abandoning -it; a skirmish took place, and the Spaniards lost<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span> eight killed and -twenty-one prisoners, including four officers. On the twenty-second a -division advanced on the city of Tarma, and entered it on the -twenty-third. Tarma immediately proclaimed itself independent of Spain. -On the sixth of December the action was fought at Pasco; the loss of the -enemy consisted in fifty-eight killed in the field of battle, nineteen -wounded, three hundred and forty-three prisoners, including twenty-eight -officers, two pieces of artillery, three hundred and sixty muskets, -flags, ammunition, baggage, and utensils of war; but General O'Reilly -made his escape to Lima. On the arrival of the news of the victory -obtained at Pasco over the royalists, the city and province of Huanuco -declared their independence, and the cities of Cueñca and Loxa, in the -jurisdiction of Quito, advised General San Martin of their having also -abjured all foreign domination, and enrolled their names in the list of -free and independent states. On the fourth of January, the news arrived -of the revolution of Truxillo, under the direction of its Spanish -governor the Marquis of Torre Tagle.</p> - -<p>Such a concatenation of successful events was certainly more than the -general of the liberating army could have anticipated. From<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> the fifth -of November to the fifth of January the Spaniards had lost the whole of -their naval force in the Esmeralda, the Prueba and Vengansa having -disappeared: Numancia, considered the flower of their army and the prop -of their authority, had deserted their cause; the division under the -command of their trusty general, O'Reilly, had been defeated by a minor -force; all the provinces to the northward of Lima had declared their -independence, and were contributing with men and every other necessary -to support the army then encamped within thirty leagues of the capital -of Peru; every thing save hope seemed to have abandoned them, while -every thing appeared to favour the cause of the liberating forces, and -to invite them to crown their career of glory by entering Lima, which at -this moment was the pandemonium of oppression and despair.</p> - -<p>The incomparable prudence of San Martin, however, revolted at the -effusion of blood which must necessarily be the precursor of so much -glory: he felt more sympathy at knowing that both his own and the -enemy's troops were falling victims almost hourly to the ravages of the -tertian fever and other diseases, for want of proper medicines, care, -and rest.</p> - -<p>The situation occupied by the royal troops<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> between Lima and Ancon, at a -place called Asna Pugio, is very swampy, and the number of men who -became affected with intermittent fevers increased daily; the hospitals -in Lima were filled with them, and their decrease by death, as well as -by desertion, was alarming to the Viceroy. The desertions would have -increased if the distance of the head quarters of San Martin had not -been so great, for several deserters were apprehended, and shot by the -royalists.</p> - -<p>On the second of February the officers of the ex-Esmeralda, named by -General San Martin the Valdivia, in commemoration of the important -victory gained by Lord Cochrane over this place, addressed the following -letter to Captain Guise:</p> - -<p>"Sir,—We have heard with regret and disappointment, that his excellency -General San Martin has been pleased to order that the name of this ship -shall be changed, and that she shall henceforward be known under the -appellation of the Valdivia. We regret that in the squadron of Chile the -immortal memories of Lautaro and Galvarino, who have, ages past, been -sacrificed on the ashes of the aspiring liberty of their country, and -the names of their surviving countrymen, O'Higgins and San <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span>Martin, (the -avengers of their wrongs, and the restorers of their rights) should be -associated with 'Valdivia,' a Spaniard who has shed such torrents of -American blood, the conqueror and enslaver of Chile, and founder of the -city which bears his name; and we are disappointed to find nothing in -the new name commemorative of the capture of the Esmeralda, but that it -has been made subservient to the celebration of another victory over the -enemy, which, although we had the misfortune not to participate in it, -yet claims our admiration and gratitude, but which bears no more -relation to the capture of this ship, than the battle of Chacabuco does -to that of Maypo; and, what would the victors of Maypo have thought had -that memorable event borne the name of Chacabuco! It is further to be -remembered, that very few of the captors of the Esmeralda took part in -the affair at Valdivia.—We are fully aware, that there are instances in -the squadron of ships being named after particular victories, (viz. -Chacabuco) but these were bought into the service by the property of the -state; the Esmeralda was purchased by the blood of her subjects.—If the -Esmeralda be destined to lose the name under which she was captured, we -express a hope that she will bear one more consonant to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span> feelings of -those by whom the service was achieved, than that which has been -selected. We have not had an opportunity of communicating with our -brother officers of the squadron, and these remarks are to be understood -as individually our own; we trust however that they will not appear to -yourself or to the commander in chief irrelevant with the interest which -we must always take in every thing in which the glory and prosperity of -the navy of Chile are concerned.—May we beg, therefore, that you will -take the earliest opportunity of bringing the subject before the admiral -and his excellency general San Martin, for their consideration. -(Signed.) Robert Bell, Lieutenant, H. C. Freeman, Lieutenant, J. M. -Michael, Surgeon, James L. Frew, Purser, Hugh Jerome Kernan, Assistant -Surgeon."</p> - -<p>This letter, and the subsequent behaviour of the officers, obliged the -admiral to order them under an arrest, and to exhibit charges against -them for their trial by a court martial, which was held on the second of -March. The charges were "For having, by their letter bearing date the -second of February, 1821, addressed to Martin George Guise, Esq., -combined falsely to represent to the said Martin George Guise, Esq., -captain in the naval service of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> Chile, and on divers other occasions, -that the appellation of the 'Valdivia,' given to the frigate Esmeralda -was in disrespect to, and derogation of, the names of O'Higgins and San -Martin, and thereby to excite dissatisfaction against the admiral and -commander in chief, in commemoration of whose service in the capture of -the fortifications of 'Valdivia' the said name was given to the -'Esmeralda.' For attempting to excite dissatisfaction against their -aforesaid superior officers, by misrepresenting the name of the fortress -of 'Valdivia,' so given in commemoration of useful services, as the name -of a man whom the said officers further, with the intent aforesaid, have -pronounced to be a Spaniard who shed torrents of American blood; and -moreover, that the said officers did further, with the intent aforesaid -to create dissatisfaction against the superior officer, falsely -represent the person named Valdivia to have been the enslaver of Chile. -That the said officers did hold various conversations derogatory to the -vice-admiral of Chile, their commanding officer, and unnecessarily and -impertinently did interfere in the matter of naming the 'Esmeralda,' -contrary to the rules and subversive of the discipline of the naval -service of the state."</p> - -<p>The sentence given by the court was, that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span> "James M. Michael, Surgeon, -and James Frew, Purser, be dismissed the naval service of the state; and -Robert Bell, Lieut., Henry C. Freeman, Lieut., and Hugh J. Kernan, -Assistant Surgeon, be dismissed their ship, to be severely reprimanded -and admonished by the court, but to be recommended by the court to the -commander in chief for other appointments. (Signed) Robert Forster, -President, W. Wilkinson, T. Sackville Crosbie, William Prunier, Henry -Cobbett."</p> - -<p>During the arrest of the officers of the Valdivia, Lord Cochrane wished -to make an attack on the vessels of war, blockships, gunboats, and -fortifications of Callao, and communicated the order for the same on the -twentieth of February, which order to Captain Guise was answered by a -private note to his lordship, stating, that he could not think of -entering on this service with any officers except those under arrest, -and that in case they were not permitted to rejoin their ship for this -attack, he must resign the command of her, and begged Lord Cochrane to -appoint another person to the command. The admiral answered Captain -Guise, that he could not appoint another person to the command of the -Valdivia, nor admit the resignation of Captain Guise on a private -solicitude,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> nor even on an official one, without some reasons being -alleged. Captain Guise now wrote officially, stating the refusal of Lord -Cochrane to be a sufficient motive for his resignation, and expressing a -request to be permitted to accompany his officers to head quarters, and -tender his commission to General San Martin. His letter was also -accompanied with one from the petty officers of the Valdivia, who -refused to serve under any other commander than himself. After some -further correspondence Captain Guise informed Lord Cochrane that he had -given the command of the Valdivia to Lieutenant Shepherd, and considered -himself superseded. The admiral, for the fourth time, sent Captain Guise -an order to act as commander of the Valdivia, requiring a categorical -answer to "whether he would or would not obey his orders, and signal to -weigh, made four hours previous to this communication," again requesting -some grounded reason for his resignation. The order to weigh was on -service of importance, and Captain Guise refused to obey it, repeating, -that his officers having been separated from his ship, he could not act, -and had given over to Lieutenant Shepherd the command of the Valdivia.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-second of February Lord<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span> Cochrane ordered Captain Spry to -proceed in the brig Galvarino to the rendezvous off Chorillos, which -order was answered by Captain Spry, who requested leave to resign the -command of the Galvarino, as "his friend Captain Guise had been obliged -to resign that of his ship," and alleging that he held no appointment -from the Chilean government. Lord Cochrane demanded his motive for this -letter, and why, without the appointment alluded to, he had exercised -the authority of commander of the brig. The answer was, that "I (Captain -Spry) entered the Chilean navy conditionally, to serve only during the -period of the services of Captain Guise, under whose patronage and -protection I left England;" that his appointment was a verbal one from -the governor of Valparaiso, when he received his commission of Captain. -He added a desire to be permitted to go to head-quarters at Huacho, and -explain his conduct to General San Martin, concluding "if Captain Guise -is compelled to resign the command of the Valdivia, I am determined no -longer to hold that of the Galvarino." Captain Spry was placed under an -arrest on the twenty-second of February, on charges to be exhibited, and -such was the state of mutiny on board the Galvarino, that Captain -Crosbie, of the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span>flag-ship, was ordered to anchor her in a safe -situation, which induced Captain Spry to write to the Admiral, stating, -that as he had been superseded by Captain Crosbie, he considered himself -on half-pay, and free from the jurisdiction of the martial law. His -letter was answered by an assurance, that he was not superseded; but -that having disobeyed the orders given, and declared his determination -not to hold the command of the Galvarino, Captain Crosbie had been -ordered to anchor her on the starboard beam of the O'Higgins, this -appearing necessary from the state of the crew of the brig, and that he -was not superseded in consequence of his said determination, nor had he -gone through the usual forms of delivering up the brig. Captain Spry -again insisted on his exemption from martial law; but finding the -Admiral determined to bring the affair to the decision of a -court-martial, of which he was aware that if the sentence were consonant -with the crime, and according to the ordinances of the navy, he would -never leave the deck of the brig, he now expressed no objection to being -tried by his brother officers, who were "neither prejudiced nor -interested."</p> - -<p>The charges exhibited by the commander in chief were "for neglecting or -refusing to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span>proceed on service in the Chilean state brig Galvarino, -pursuant to an order of the commander in chief, both verbally, and in -writing, given on or about the twenty-second of February, 1821, in -breach of the 14th article of war, made and provided.—For having -contrary to his duty as an officer written or caused to be written, a -certain letter to his commander in chief, signed John Tooker Spry, -further declining, or refusing to proceed on the duty so ordered, or -longer to serve than during the period of the services of Captain Guise, -under whose patronage and protection he had left England, and for -setting forth in the said letter, that if Captain Guise was compelled to -resign the command of the Valdivia, he the said John Tooker Spry would -no longer hold the command of the Galvarino; thereby delaying and -discouraging the service, in breach of the 14th article of war.—That -the said John Tooker Spry did by his conduct aforesaid, hold forth an -evil example to his ship's company (who immediately thereafter did in -writing and otherwise, refuse to weigh anchor until certain grievances, -which they did not set forth in the said writing, should be redressed), -the same being subversive of all discipline and subordination, and in -violation of the 14th article of war, made and provided."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span></p><p>The sentence of the court-martial was, that "John Tooker Spry be -dismissed the command of the brig Galvarino, be placed at the bottom of -the list of captains, and be severely reprimanded by the court."</p> - -<p>On the fourth of March Captain Guise communicated to Lord Cochrane, that -Captain Spry having been dismissed the service by sentence of a -court-martial, he requested permission to accompany him in his own boat -to Huacho, which Lord Cochrane informed him he could not allow at that -critical moment. On the sixth the two captains and the officers went -down by the O'Higgins to head-quarters, where Ld. Cochrane on the -twelfth again offered to Captain Guise the command of the O'Higgins, -which he refused, as also ever to serve under Lord Cochrane again.</p> - -<p>The whole of this affair was the result of what had passed at -Valparaiso, before the expedition quitted that port; and from several -circumstances connected with the conduct of these officers, and their -publicly asserting, that General San Martin would not swerve from his -promises made to them, their firm reliance on his support and patronage, -as well as the subsequent behaviour of the general himself, evinced that -he had been the entire instigator of what<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span> had passed at Valparaiso in -July and August, 1820, both on the part of the Chilean government, and -on that of the different officers who then and there misconducted -themselves. He well knew that he could not tamper with Lord Cochrane, -whose honourable feelings would not allow him to deviate from that line -of conduct which had marked the whole tenour of his public life: and had -not the officers of the squadron stood forth in support of their -commander in chief, his tender of his commission would have been -accepted by the government.</p> - -<p>On the arrival at head-quarters of Captains Guise and Spry, the latter, -in defiance of decorum and example, was appointed by General San Martin -his naval adjutant, Edecan Naval, as if to gall the feelings of Lord -Cochrane, and bring into supreme contempt the sentence of a -court-martial, by protecting in the most public manner the individual -who had merited the chastisement of the law. So elated was Captain Spry -with his new appointment, that in the house of Colonel, now General -Miller, he conducted himself towards Lord Cochrane in the most -ungentlemanly manner, so much so, that the honourable feelings of Miller -were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span> wounded, and he apologized to the Admiral for the conduct of Spry.</p> - -<p>On the fourth of March, General San Martin sent Captain Guise and his -officers with a request to the Admiral to reinstate them in their former -appointment: his lordship again offered Captain Guise the command of any -vessel in the squadron with such officers as might at the time belong to -the vessel, and to those officers who had not been dismissed the -service, appointments to the vacancies in the squadron, according to the -recommendation of the court-martial; but Captain Guise again refused to -act with any other officers than those who accompanied him, and the -officers returned their appointments, with the assurance that they would -only serve under the orders of Captain Guise; they therefore all -returned to the head-quarters of the army, where they remained until the -surrender of Callao.</p> - -<p>At the same time that the Chilean squadron was a scene of -insubordination and irregularities among those officers whose duty it -was to obey the orders of their commander in chief, not only for the -good of the service of Chile, but to the end that they themselves might -meet with that deference and obedience in their subalterns<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span> which -constitute the very essence of military discipline, Lima was the theatre -of anarchy and confusion. On the twenty-ninth of January a revolution -took place in the Spanish army at Asnapugio, founded on the plea of -inability in the Viceroy Pesuela to conduct the affairs of the -viceroyalty, during such critical circumstances as the present. The -result was, that an official communication was made to Pesuela, stating -the absolute necessity of his abdication, and that it must take place -within four hours. Pesuela answered, that the time specified was -insufficient for him to deliver up the authority, but Cantarac, -Caratalá, Valdes, Ricafort, and the other officers at the head of the -insurrection replied, that the answer of his Excellency did not -correspond with their expectations, and that "the troops were under -arms, with all their officers, without a single exception, and that they -would not lay them down until they had obtained an order to acknowledge -General La Serna Viceroy of Peru, and were assured that a similar order -had been given to the different tribunals and authorities. In -consequence of this intimation, Pesuela issued the order, and La Serna -was proclaimed Viceroy and Captain General of Peru. This change only -proves the right of power, which admits of no interpretation, nor leaves -any subterfuge to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span>obedience. The similarity of the fate of the first -and last of the Spanish Viceroys as governors general is rather -remarkable. The first, Don Francisco Pizarro, was murdered in his own -palace at Lima, by his subaltern officers; the last, Don Joaquin de la -Pesuela, was forced to abdicate his authority in the viceregal palace at -Lima, by his subalterns, and to nominate an usurper as his successor. On -the seventh February La Serna addressed the following proclamation to -the royal troops:—</p> - -<p>"Soldiers!—Your will and support has placed me at the head of the -government of the viceroyalty!"—A declaration more rebellious than any -one presented by the insurgent chiefs of America, until the conduct of -the Spaniards forced them to declare their independence of Spanish -domination.</p> - -<p>On the thirteenth February Capt. Carter, in the brig of war Araucano, -arrived at Chancay, with the Spanish schooner of war Aransasu, which he -had taken on the ninth. The Aransasu was from Panama, bound to Callao, -having on board three officers belonging to the regiment of Numancia, -and several Spanish merchants, as passengers.</p> - -<p>On the thirteenth March part of the squadron left the bay of Huacho, -having on board a division of the patriot forces, under the command<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span> of -Lieut.-colonel Miller, destined to cause a diversion in the Spanish -troops, by landing at Pisco. This object was effected on the -twenty-first; but owing to the written instructions given by General San -Martin, and from which Lord Cochrane was determined not to swerve, the -result was what might have been anticipated: nothing of importance to -the cause of America.</p> - -<p>After the abdication of the Viceroy Pesuela, he retired to a country -residence at the small village of La Magdalena, and wishing to send his -lady and family to Europe, he solicited the necessary passport of -General San Martin, well knowing that they could not escape the Chilean -vessels of war employed in the blockade of Callao; but the permission -was refused. Lady Cochrane and family having arrived at Callao in the -British frigate Andromache, for the purpose of seeing his lordship -before she left South America for England, Dona Angela, the Vicequeen, -supplicated her ladyship to interpose her influence with the general, as -the only means by which she could expect to obtain leave to embark for -Europe. Lady Cochrane, actuated by that sincere philanthropy which so -eminently distinguishes and adorns her, went immediately to Huaura, and -obtained of General San Martin the favour she solicited, on <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span>condition -that her ladyship would remain on shore in Peru one month, which was -agreed to; but being the "better half" of a sailor, her ladyship -declined remaining at head quarters among soldiers, and spent the whole -of the time at Huaito, a plantation belonging to Doña Josefa -Monteblanco, highly gratified with the kind and hospitable treatment of -her host. The Viceroy's lady took her passage on board the Andromache, -and Lord Cochrane was honoured by an introduction to her by Captain -Sherriff. After some conversation. Doña Angela declared, that his -lordship was a polite <i>rational</i> being, and not the <i>ferocious brute</i> -she had been taught to consider him—a compliment which his lordship -received with all due respect to her Vicequeenship.</p> - -<p>On the return of Lord Cochrane to head quarters, it was determined by -General San Martin, that a second division under the command of -Lieutenant Miller should embark, and act according to the discretionary -instructions of the admiral. The admiral left the bay of Huacho, and -proceeded to Pisco, where some minor skirmishes took place with the -enemy. The troops were re-embarked at Pisco on the twenty-second of -April: his lordship hoisted his flag on board the San Martin, and with -the schooner Aransasu proceeded to Arica, where<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span> with the assistance of -uncommonly favourable winds we arrived on the fifth of May.</p> - -<p>The landing in the bay of Arica is attended with almost insurmountable -difficulties; indeed sometimes it is not practicable, except on the -balsas made by the natives. These are composed of seal-skins inflated: -two are generally sewed together end to end, and the balsa is formed by -lashing two of these side by side, laying some canes on the top. The man -who manages the balsa sits astride on the aftermost part, and impels the -balsa with a double paddle, broad at each end, which he holds by the -middle, and so dexterous are the natives, that there is not the least -danger of being upset, or even of being wetted with the surf. On these -original and apparently precarious rafts, all the merchandize is landed -at Arica, and all the specie brought to the vessels, except the sea be -very calm and the surf run low.</p> - -<p>Immediately on our arrival at Arica, a flag of truce was sent on shore -with a summons to surrender, accompanied by an assurance that all -persons and personal property would be respected, except those and such -as belonged to those who by their present conduct should prove -themselves enemies to the cause of South American liberty. This was -answered by an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span> assurance that the persons and property at Arica were -all under the protection of the arms of his Most Catholic Majesty, whose -rights would be defended by his faithful vassals against his rebel -subjects and foreign pirates. Nothing was now left but to enforce -obedience, and the situation in which the San Martin had anchored not -being a commanding one, she was hauled nearer in shore on the sixth, and -a few shells thrown over the town; but as this had not the desired -effect of intimidating the enemy, a landing of the troops was determined -on, and in the night a convenient place was sought for to the southward, -but the search proving fruitless, part of the troops were embarked on -board the schooner Aransasu, under the command of Major Soler, and -ordered to proceed to the northward to Sama, to land and march upon the -town. On the eighth Lieutenant-colonel Miller followed with the -remainder of the troops, to join Major Soler. A few shots and shells -were occasionally thrown into the town, to keep the Spanish troops on -the alert as to the movements of the ship, while our troops should make -their appearance on shore, which happened on the morning of the -eleventh, when the whole of the inhabitants and troops abandoned the -town. Captain <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span>Wilkinson with the marines landed with considerable -difficulty, and hoisted the Patriot flag on the staff at the small -battery. Major Soler captured from the enemy fifty-eight thousand -dollars and six bars of silver, under the protection of a guard of -soldiers on their way to Arequipa.</p> - -<p>On the fourteenth the whole of the troops and the marines belonging to -the San Martin, amounting to two hundred and seventy men, under the -command of Lieutenant-colonel Miller, left Arica, and marched towards -Tacna, twelve leagues from Arica, where they arrived on the fifteenth, -and without any opposition took possession of the town; they were here -joined by two companies of infantry, who deserted the cause of the king. -Lord Cochrane ordered that these should form the base of a new regiment, -to be called the first independents of Tacna, and as the particular flag -for the troops of Peru was not determined on at head quarters, his -lordship presented them with one having a sun in the centre on a blue field.</p> - -<p>From original papers found in the custom-house at Tacna, it appeared, -that the quantity of European goods in the stores at Arica belonged to -Spanish merchants residing at Lima;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span> consequently an order was issued -for their being embarked in the San Martin.</p> - -<p>Immediately on the landing of Lord Cochrane, he called upon the -inhabitants to form a civil government, for the protection of their -property against many individuals who began to come into the town from -the country for the purpose of plunder, assuring them at the same time, -that, although they had not attended to his invitation to remain in -their houses, it was not his intention to deliver up the town to be -sacked, nor had he done it, but at the same time he could not be -answerable for thefts committed, unless the inhabitants would assist in -the protection of their houses and property, and in apprehending all -suspicious and disorderly persons; he also promised them that all -private property belonging to Americans, the friends of the cause of -their country, should be returned if claimed, and, consequent to this -promise, the schooner Dos Amigos, and other property seized, were -delivered to their owners.</p> - -<p>Colonel Miller advanced with his division towards Moquegua, and had a -sharp engagement with a party of royal troops at Mirabe, commanded by -Colonel Sierra, who was taken<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span> prisoner. On the morning after the -engagement, which took place in the night, another detachment of troops -arrived to join the one stationed at Mirabe; but on hearing the fate of -their comrades they thought it better to retreat than to enter into any -dispute with the victorious troops, and their valiant leader. On the -arrival of this news, and that the troops were at Moquegua, Lord -Cochrane dropped down to Ilo, with the San Martin, for the purpose of -being nearer to Colonel Miller's head quarters.</p> - -<p>The town of Arica is the capital of the province of the same name; it is -situated in a small valley, and stands close to the sea. It was -anciently a place of considerable importance and size; but since the -year 1605, when it was destroyed by an earthquake, it has gradually -decreased, the more respectable inhabitants having retired to Tacna; -their departure was also hastened by its being sacked in 1680 by the -pirate John Warren. Arica has at present a parish church, and three poor -convents, San Francisco, La Merced and San Juan de Dios. The population -is composed of whites, indians and a few slaves. Owing to some low -swampy ground, produced by the annual overflowings of the river and the -want of proper drainage, intermittent fevers are very common here, of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span> -which many <i>serranos</i>, people from the interior, die, when they come -down on business. All our people who slept on shore at Arica, including -the admiral, suffered by them, and some died. The climate is similar to -that of Lima, it seldom rains, but the fogs are very heavy.</p> - -<p>The valley of Arica is small, but at the distance of a mile from the -town it is pretty, owing to the relief which the eye feels when resting -on vegetable productions, after being fatigued with the barren sandy -scenery which surrounds the town. The principal produce of the valley is -<i>aji</i>, capsicum, and olives, which are remarkably large, and finely -flavoured; plantains, bananas, camotes, yucas, and other vegetables, are -cultivated in the gardens, and some tropical fruits.</p> - -<p>The town of Arica will doubtless become of considerable importance with -the changes that have taken place in South America. Indeed it always -would have been so, had not the colonial laws declared it a close port, -<i>no abilitado</i>. It is the key to the provinces of Upper Peru, Arequipa, -La Pas, Potosi, Chuquisaca, &c., being a better landing place than Ilo, -Mollendo, or Quilca; it possesses also the advantage of fresh water for -shipping, which is extremely<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span> scarce at the other ports. Arica is -situate in 18° 28´ 40´´ south latitude, and 70° 13´ 30´´ west longitude.</p> - -<p>The town of Tacna stands in a very pleasant and fruitful valley, it is -considerably larger than Arica, and has a much better appearance; some -of the houses are large, commodious, and well furnished; thus, among -other articles, I saw several piano-fortes. The principal wealth of the -inhabitants consists in their large droves of mules, for the purpose of -conveying the merchandize from Arica into the interior, and from some -parts of Upper Peru to Lima. Tacna is to Arica what Piura is to Paita.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-seventh of May we came to an anchor in the bay of Ilo, and -immediately supplied Colonel Miller with everything that he wanted; he -had removed his head-quarters from the town of Moquegua to a farm called -Rinconada, judging that the climate of this place was better for his -troops, as it was cooler here than in the town.</p> - -<p>Ilo is an indifferent anchorage, and a bad landing place; the village is -composed of miserable huts, and a few houses which indicate the -residence of penury; a scarcity of water prevails, and consequently of -fruit and vegetables.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span> Col. Sierra and Capt. Suares were here embarked, -having been sent down by Colonel Miller; but they were soon afterwards -liberated at Mollendo on their parole of honour, having sworn not to act -hostilely until they should be exchanged according to the regulations of -war.</p> - -<p>At the moment when Colonel Miller was about to advance into the -interior, having disciplined a number of recruits from different parts -of the adjoining provinces, and when everything promised a general -revolt in favour of the cause of independence, he transmitted to Lord -Cochrane the original communication which he had received from the -governor of Arequipa, announcing a cessation of hostilities for twenty -days, from the date of the receipt of the communication. This armistice -was ratified by General San Martin and the Viceroy La Serna on the -twenty-third of May, and sent express by the latter to Ovalle, the -governor of Arequipa.</p> - -<p>The armistice had been personally formed by the contending chiefs, who -met at Punchauca, and agreed on appointing new deputies for the purpose -of conciliation; they were to hold their conferences on board of a -neutral ship in the bay of Callao, for which purpose the Cleopatra was chosen.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span></p><p>Such was the state of Lima at this period, that the cabildo addressed -the following official note to the Viceroy La Serna:</p> - -<p>"Most Excellent Sir,—No title is more glorious, nor more amiable, than -that of a Pacificator. Augustus, when stifling the volcano of civil war -among the Romans, and giving peace to the universe, was the greatest of -mortals, and almost a God upon earth. It is the duty of every prince to -imitate this example, if he be desirous of, and interested in the health -and prosperity of the people committed to his guardianship. Whoever -knows the great advantages and feels what it is to reign over grateful -hearts, will find more charms than in the most fortunate and prosperous warfare.</p> - -<p>"Your Excellency, placed at the head of the junta of Pacification of -Peru, has gained the love, the veneration, and the confidence of this -city. The hope of this great felicity has caused us to suffer with -resignation, losses and privations of every class. The end of the -armistice is fast approaching, and we do not yet perceive one ray of -this celestial gift. Why is it so long retarded, while Lima suffers such -a train of evils that fill her with consternation?</p> - -<p>"To the distance of twenty-five leagues round the city, the most -frightful devastation<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span> every where reigns. Our cattle, our grain, and -our fruits are the victims of military fury. The richest and most -opulent of our provinces have succumbed to the prepotent force of the -enemy, and the rest are threatened with the same fate; while this -suffering capital experiences the horrible effects of a rigorous -blockade, hunger, robberies, and death. Our own soldiers pay no respect -to the last remains of our property, even our oxen, indispensably -necessary for the cultivation of the land, are slain. If this plague -continue, what will be our lot—our miserable condition!</p> - -<p>"The soldier must be supported as well as the citizen, but not to the -injury of the latter: they must both be guided by the same laws, and -must both be equal. Both compose the state, and the support of both is -necessary; founded on the same right of nature and of society. But let -us abandon these melancholy relations, and confine ourselves entirely to -those of peace.</p> - -<p>"Peace is the general wish of the people: they have laboured since the -year 1815 under the grievances of war, and have not force to support it -any longer. Without the money, without the provisions, without the -desire, and without the means of supporting an opposition, the people -flock to the standard of General San<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span> Martin; hundreds of men leave our -walls, that they may not die of hunger. A swarm of robbers infest our -roads and intercept our provisions, insult us, and plunder our houses. -The public speak loudly against our apathy and silence, and evils worse -than those usually produced by war must soon be the result. The -happiness of the capital and of the kingdom depends on peace, and this -depends on the "yes" of your excellency. The corporation of Lima hopes -to see it established, and promises to your excellency the constant and -everlasting gratitude of the people. God preserve your excellency many -years. Hall of the corporation of Lima, June 7th, 1821. (Signed) The -Count of San Isidro, and all the members of the body corporate."</p> - -<p>To this note the Viceroy gave the following answer:</p> - -<p>"Most Excellent Sir,—Unquestionably war is the exercise of the right of -force, and the most terrible of all the plagues that destroy the human -species: it does not pardon even the victorious, and the most fortunate -partake of its effects.</p> - -<p>"As a philanthropist I love and desire peace; but as a soldier and a -public man, I cannot accede to a peace which is indecorous:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span> thus, if -the general in chief of the invading army will agree to an armistice -honourable and fair to the arms of the Spanish nation, you and every one -of you may remain assured that my vote shall be for peace; but if he -will not, no! for I never will assent to any thing derogatory to the -honour of the Spanish nation, in which case it would be better to die -than to live. I believe that these are also the sentiments of the -individuals who compose the body corporate; and of this city, which is -called heroic, whose inhabitants are well aware, that to deserve this -epithet valour, patience and the other virtues, not common, are -necessary.</p> - -<p>"In fine, although I am at the head of the junta of pacification, in it -I have only one vote, so that the corporation is deceived in supposing, -that peace depends on my "yes;" but I repeat, that if it did, I would -prefer war to an indecorous peace; and even supposing that preponderance -which your excellency actually gives to the forces of General San -Martin, you must be aware, that war is a game where more or less is -risked according to the passions of the gamblers: at one time one wins, -and another loses; and when much is won, it generally happens that the -winner continues gambling in the hope of increasing his store; or he -who<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span> loses will not desist, in hopes of regaining what he has lost; at -last fortune varies, and the winner not only loses what he had won, but -also what he had when he began.</p> - -<p>"This is what I have to say in answer to your note of yesterday. God -preserve your excellency many years. (Signed) Jose de la Serna."</p> - -<p>From the number of deserters who daily arrived at Huaura, the head -quarters of general San Martin, the state of Lima was well known. The -officers of the army were divided in their opinions; the cabildo in open -war with the viceroy; the opinion of the people in favour of liberty; -the troops disserting or dying in the hospitals; hunger parading the -streets, and every one, high and low, general and soldier, master and -slave, convinced that the idea of resisting the patriot forces was the -chimera of a madman. Hence it followed that when La Serna proposed to -San Martin an armistice of sixteen months, under the pretence that both -parties should refer the decision to the court of Madrid, the latter -declined acceding to it.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the favourable appearance of things, the army of San -Martin was tired of their inglorious inaction, knowing full well that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span> -to take the capital of Peru only required them to enter it, and this -opinion was supported by every new arrival from Lima. The consummate -prudence of San Martin, however, did not allow him to risk the firing of -a shot, lest the ball might slay "a brother;" at the same time that his -Guerilla parties were actively engaged in committing all the cruelties -incident to predatory warfare. But the presence of the general was not -necessary in such skirmishes, nor his humanity compromised; the truth -is, his person was in no jeopardy. Complaints began to be every day more -loud in the army, and dissention more visible, so much so, that it -became a daily task at the tables of the officers, to drink to "those -who fight for the liberty of Peru, not those who write, <i>a los que -pelean por la libertad del Peru, no los que escriven</i>." San Martin, -aware of the state of his army, embarked in the schooner Montezuma, in -order to re-establish his health, and a prorogation of the armistice for -twelve days more was ratified.</p> - -<p>During this cessation of hostilities, his lordship dropped down to -Mollendo, where a neutral vessel was taking in wheat, for supplying the -city of Lima. The admiral immediately wrote to the governor of -Arequipa,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span> expressing his astonishment that neutrals should be allowed -to embark provisions during an armistice, for the purpose of supplying -one of the belligerents, to the injury of the other, and contrary to the -Spanish colonial laws; to which the governor answered, that the whole of -the wheat at Mollendo belonged to Spanish merchants residing at Lima, or -Arequipa, and that no part of it whatever belonged to neutrals, and that -if any had been embarked since the celebration of the armistice, it was -in violation of the orders of the government, to correct which he had -again issued the most positive orders against such an infraction of the -stipulations of Punchauca. With this answer his lordship retired from -Mollendo, but sent in a boat with a lieutenant belonging to the San -Martin, to watch the actions of the enemy at Mollendo; on being assured -that the embarkation of the wheat was persevered in, the San Martin -returned to Mollendo on the nineteenth of June, and shipped the -remainder of the wheat found on shore.</p> - -<p>When every thing was ready for Colonel Miller to proceed into the -interior, the news arrived, on the fifth of July, of the prorogation of -the armistice. This with the news received from the army, through -private letters, induced his lordship to equip and victual some of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span> -prizes taken at Arica, and leave them for the reception of the troops -under Col. Miller, in case of any emergency, and repair to Callao, for -the purpose of learning the true state of affairs at head-quarters. We -arrived at Callao on the eighth of July, 1821.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XI.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>Lima evacuated by La Serna....Occupation of by the Liberating -Army....Loss of the San Martin....Arrival of Lord Cochrane at -Lima....Conduct of the Spaniards after leaving Lima....Independence -of Peru sworn....San Martin constitutes himself Protector of -Peru....Interview between Lord Cochrane and San -Martin....Announcement of the views of the Spanish Army....State of -the Squadron....San Martin takes the field....Arrival and Departure -of Cantarac....Proclamation of San Martin....Treasure taken at -Ancon by Lord Cochrane....Surrender of Callao....Tribunal of -Purification established at Lima....Lieutenant Wynter arrested at -Callao....Paroissien and Spry visit the Squadron at -Midnight....Squadron leaves Callao, arrives at Guayaquil.</p></blockquote> - -<p>On the arrival of Lord Cochrane in the bay of Callao, on the eighth of -July, General San Martin came on board the flag ship, from the schooner -Sacramento, bringing with him the welcome news of the fall of Lima, or -rather of its evacuation by the Spanish troops.</p> - -<p>On the sixth of July, 1821, the Viceroy La Serna informed the Marquis of -Monte-mira that it being convenient, he should retire with the troops -under his command from the capital of Peru, leaving only a few companies -of the regiment of La Concordia, militias, to preserve<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span> order and -tranquillity, under the command of his excellency the political and -military governor.</p> - -<p>On the same day La Serna informed San Martin of his determination; as -also that he had deposited in the castles at Callao such warlike stores -as he had thought requisite for his ulterior operations, leaving the -rest in Lima as he found them. La Serna solicited that such sick as he -had been obliged to leave in the hospitals might be kindly treated; he -requested, too, that none of the inhabitants might suffer any -persecution for their past political opinions and conduct, assuring -General San Martin that his conduct should be subject to every rule of -reciprocity.</p> - -<p>A detachment of horse entered Lima on the evening of the seventh, but -without any orders from General San Martin, and on the eighth the -liberating army took possession of the city, but the general in chief -judged it most prudent to remain on board his schooner in the bay of -Callao, till the night of the ninth, when he made his private entry into Lima.</p> - -<p>On the fourteenth an announcement appeared in the ministerial gazette of -Lima, that, on account of the great scarcity of wheat in the city, -General San Martin had directed that two thousand fanegas, then on board -the flag ship of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span> the Chilean squadron, should be landed at the -Chorrillos free of duty; and for this purpose, the San Martin was -ordered to the said port, which she entered on the sixteenth: she was, -however, unfortunately run aground by Captain Wilkinson, and, although -every endeavour was made to save her, she was completely lost, owing to -the uncommon swell of the sea at the time.</p> - -<p>On the fourteenth a note was addressed by General San Martin to the -cabildo of Lima, requesting the convocation of a general meeting, that -the opinion of the inhabitants might be made public, with regard to -their determination on the independence of the country. This request was -immediately complied with; and on the fifteenth the members of the -corporation, his excellency the archbishop, the prelates of the -conventual orders, the titles of Castile, and many other individuals, -met at the city hall, and the following act was signed by the whole of them:</p> - -<p>"The general will is decided on the independence of Peru with respect to -the Spanish or any other foreign domination; and to this effect let the -form of the necessary oath be drawn up and administered."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span></p><p>On the seventeenth Lord Cochrane entered Lima amid the loudest -acclamations of the inhabitants. The Marquis of Monte-mira had sent his -carriage for Lord Cochrane to Chorrillos; but a deputation from the -cabildo and others from different corporations having met his lordship -on the road, he alighted from the carriage, and mounted a horse, brought -for the occasion.</p> - -<p>The inhabitants of Lima being desirous of seeing the naval hero of the -expedition, a levee was held on the same evening at the palace, where -the Admiral received the compliments of the principal personages of the -city; but General San Martin judging it more decorous to be absent when -a "subaltern" received the thanks of the cabildo of Lima, and the -compliments of its inhabitants, remained at la Legua, half-way between -Lima and Callao, where he had established his head quarters. On the -eighteenth in the morning the archbishop visited his lordship, which -visit was immediately returned; when Lord Cochrane left the city to wait -upon the general in chief at his head quarters.</p> - -<p>On the seventeenth an order was published for the abolition of the -Spanish royal arms in any part of the city where they had been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span> placed; -and this proclamation was accompanied by another, as follows:</p> - -<p>"Having been informed, with great horror to my delicate sentiments, and -in violation of my humane principles, that some passionate individuals -vex and insult the Spaniards with threats and taunts, I order and -command, that all persons who shall commit such kind of excesses, in -opposition to American gentleness of manners, to decorum, and to good -and rational education, be denounced to the political and military -governor of the city, that, the fact being proved, he may be punished -for such reproachful conduct."</p> - -<p>On the eighteenth a civic guard was ordered to be formed, to supersede -the Spanish regiment de la Concordia, and the gran mariscal Marquis of -Torre Tagle was appointed colonel of it.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-second of July a proclamation was issued, ordering that -the public act of the declaration of the independence of Peru should -take place on the twenty-eighth of the same month, with all the -solemnity due to so memorable a transaction.</p> - -<p>After the Spanish troops left Lima on the sixth, their march into the -interior was marked with the most horrid outrages: from Lurin to Bujama, -a distance of nine leagues, thirty-four<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span> dead bodies were left on the -road; some had died of disease, others had been shot; and, according to -the uniform statements of the deserters from the Spaniards, Colonel -Rodil was the executioner of the greater part of these victims. On the -thirteenth, thirty-nine sick and five dead men were found near to -Bujama, and carried to a temporary hospital. From the village of Huaycan -advices were received on the twenty-first that La Serna had issued an -order imposing capital punishment on every individual belonging to, or -under the protection of the Spanish army, who should leave the route -assigned a distance of twenty yards; notwithstanding which, upwards of -three hundred deserted at Huaycan, and at Lunaguaná upwards of six -hundred. In a skirmish near the latter place the Spaniards lost twenty -killed, and more than fifty prisoners, and La Serna was completely -surrounded in the ravine of Pilas. The efforts of the Guerilla parties -in harassing the Spanish troops were constant and successful; and had a -division of the liberating army been sent to co-operate with the -Guerillas, it is most probable that the entire Spanish army would have -been annihilated; but the whole of the army was disposed of in the -barracks of Lima,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span> or at Bellavista, where they were stationed to watch -the operations of about eight hundred men, under General La Mar, in the -batteries of Callao. A small division under General Arenales stationed -in the province of Yauyos was ordered to Lima, and the whole of the -interior was abandoned to the protection of the Guerilla parties, who -had to act against the organized Spanish army, so that the towns which -had declared their adherence to the cause of independence, when they -believed themselves under the protection of the liberating forces, were -abandoned, to experience all the rigours of their constituted enemies, -the Spaniards, and thus pave the way to the state of affairs which -subsequently took place in Peru.</p> - -<div class="center"><img src="images/ib344a.jpg" alt="INDIAN MULETEER OF MEXICO, INDIAN OF SAN PEDRO" /></div> - -<p class="bold">INDIAN MULETEER OF MEXICO. <span class="s3"> </span> INDIAN OF SAN PEDRO,</p> - -<p class="bold right"> <span class="s18"> </span> western shore of Mexico.</p> - -<p class="bold"><i>Engraved for Stevenson's Narrative of South America.</i></p> - -<p>Lord Cochrane having retired from Lima, on board the O'Higgins, in the -bay of Callao, received on the twentieth the following invitation from -the cabildo of Lima:</p> - -<p>"Lima, the capital of Peru, is about to solemnize the most august act -which has been performed for three centuries, or since her foundation; -this is, the proclamation of her independence, and her absolute -exclusion from the Spanish government, as well as that of any other -foreign potentate; and this cabildo, wishing the ceremony to be -conducted with all possible <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span>decorum and solemnity, considers it -necessary that your Excellency, who has so gloriously co-operated in the -consecution of this highly desired object, will deign to assist at the -act, with your illustrious officers, on Saturday the twenty-eighth -inst."</p> - -<p>On the twenty-eighth the procession, composed of General San Martin, -Lieut.-General Marquis of Monte-mira, the staff officers of the army, -the university and four colleges, the prelates of the religious orders, -the military chiefs, the judges, many of the nobility, and the members -of the cabildo, left the palace, mounted on richly caparisoned horses, -and were followed by the body guard of the ex-viceroy, the escort of the -general in chief, and the battalion No. 8, with the flags of Chile and -Buenos Ayres, and proceeded to a stage erected in the plasa mayor. -General San Martin ascended the stage, and displayed the national flag -of Peru, pronouncing at the same time—"Peru is from this moment free -and independent, by the general vote of the people, and by the justice -of her cause, which God defend!"</p> - -<p>The cavalcade then paraded the principal streets of the city, and -returned to the palace where Lord Cochrane was waiting in the balcony, -whence medals commemorative of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span> act were distributed; but even these -evinced the ambition of the general, who, from the very outset of the -expedition, had endeavoured to monopolize every species of credit: for -this purpose, the inscription chosen for the medals was, "Lima secured -its independence on the twenty-eighth of July, 1821, under the -protection of the liberating army, commanded by San Martin."</p> - -<p>On the following Sunday a solemn Te Deum was chanted at the cathedral, -and high mass was celebrated by the archbishop; after which the -individuals who on the twenty-eighth had formed the procession advanced -separately to the high altar, and took the oath, on the sacred gospels, -to "defend with their opinions, property and persons, the independence -of Peru, against the Spanish government, and any other foreign power."</p> - -<p>On the twenty-ninth Colonel Miller, having been obliged to abandon the -province of Arica on the twenty-second, landed at Pisco, having -increased his division to nine hundred and sixty men.</p> - -<p>On the thirtieth Lord Cochrane reported to General San Martin, that on -the twenty-fifth he had ordered Captain Crosbie to enter the anchorage -at Callao, and to cut out as many of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span> the enemy's vessels as he could -conveniently bring to anchor outside the range of the batteries, which -he did in the most gallant manner, bringing out the San Fernando and -Milagro, the two largest merchantmen, and the Resolucion, armed as a -sloop of war; besides several launches and boats, burning at the same -time two hulks within musket shot of the enemy's batteries.</p> - -<p>After the ceremony on the Sunday at the cathedral was concluded, a -deputation from the cabildo waited on General San Martin, with the -request, that he would take upon himself the political and military -superintendence of Peru, which in the name and on the behalf of the -capital they had the honor to offer to him. To this communication, with -such a smile as few but San Martin can express, he informed them, that -the offer was quite unnecessary, for that as he had <i>taken</i> the command -he should keep it so long as he thought proper, and that he should -moreover allow no juntas, nor assemblies for the discussion of public -matters during his pleasure. This was an answer not very congenial to -the feelings of men who had just been called on to swear, in the -presence of the Almighty, to their <i>liberty</i> and <i>independence</i>!</p> - -<p>On the fourth of August fresh advices of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span> the atrocities committed by -the Spaniards on their march into the interior were published at Lima; -one piece of intelligence was, that at the town of Tauripampa a hospital -had been formed of the church, and that at the time that La Serna left -the town the doors of the church were closed, and the whole set fire to, -when the miserable soldiers who could not accompany the Spanish army -were burnt to death, as well as great numbers of the inhabitants of the -town in their houses, Rodil at the same time declaring, that it was more -honorable for them to die than to serve in the ranks of the rebels.</p> - -<p>On the third of August the following proclamation was issued at Lima:</p> - -<p>"Don Jose San Martin, &c.—When I took charge of the important -enterprize of the liberty of Peru, I had no other motive than a desire -of forwarding the sacred cause of liberty in America, and of promoting -the felicity of the people of Peru. A considerable part of this is -already realized; but this work would remain incomplete, and my feelings -little satisfied, if I did not establish for ever the future security -and prosperity of the inhabitants of this region.</p> - -<p>"After my arrival at Pisco I announced, that owing to the imperiousness -of the circumstances, I was invested with the supreme<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span> authority, and -that I was responsible to the patria for the exercise of it. These -circumstances yet exist, because Peru has yet to combat with her -enemies, and consequently it is necessary that the supreme command -should continue in my hands.</p> - -<p>"I hope, that because I thus act, you will do me the justice to believe -that I am not induced by any ambitious views, but by public convenience -alone. It is abundantly notorious, that I only aspire to retirement and -tranquillity, after a life so greatly agitated as mine has been; but I -hold a moral responsibility which requires the sacrifice of my most -sanguine desires. The experience of twelve years of revolution in -Venezuela, Cundinamarca, Chile, and the united provinces of Rio de la -Plata have given me a knowledge of the evils attending the untimely -convocation of congresses, while the enemy yet exists in the country; -independence must first be secured; we must afterwards think of the -solid establishment of liberty. The religious scrupulosity with which I -have always in my public life fulfilled my promises gives me the right -to be believed; and I compromise myself most solemnly with the people of -Peru, that at that moment in which the territory is free, I will resign -the command, to make room<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span> for such a government as they may think fit -to elect. The frankness with which I speak ought to serve as a guarantee -for the sincerity of my intention. I might have ordained that electors -named by the citizens of the free departments should nominate the person -who was to govern until the reunion of the representatives of the -Peruvian nation. The simultaneous invitation of a great number of -persons of elevated character and decided influence in this capital who -have requested that I should preside at the administration of the state, -ensures to me the popular appointment; besides, as I had obtained the -assent of the people under the protection of the liberating army, I have -judged it more decorous and convenient to follow this loyal and frank -conduct, which must tranquillize all those who are jealous of their -liberties.</p> - -<p>"When I have the satisfaction to deliver up the command, and to give an -account of my operations to the representatives of the people, I am -confident that they will not find in the epoch of my administration any -of those strokes of venality, despotism, or corruption, which have -characterized the agents of the Spanish government in America. To -administer strict justice to all, rewarding virtue and patriotism, and -punishing vice and sedition wherever it may be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span> found, is the model by -which I shall regulate my actions, so long as I am placed at the head of -this nation."</p> - -<p>After this most fascinating description of what a chief magistrate ought -to be, but in which the duties of a general are not even hinted at, San -Martin declares himself the Protector of Peru, and Don Juan Garcia del -Rio, Don Bernardo Monteagudo, and Dr. Don Hipolito Unanue, his three -ministers of state. It is almost unnecessary to say how ill this -self-constituted authority agrees with the promises made by the Supreme -Director of Chile in his proclamation to the Peruvians; and in that of -General San Martin issued after his arrival in Peru. I merely hint at -these things, that my readers may not be surprized when they find that -his promises were just as binding in one case as in the other.</p> - -<p>On the following morning, the fourth of August, Lord Cochrane, -uninformed of the change which had taken place in the title of San -Martin, visited the palace, and began to beg of the general in chief to -propose some means for the payment of the foreign seamen, who had served -their times, and fulfilled their contract. To this San Martin answered, -"that he would never pay the Chilean squadron unless it were sold to -Peru,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</a></span> and then the payment should be considered as a part of the -purchase money." To this Lord Cochrane replied, that by such a -transaction the squadron of Chile would be transferred to Peru by merely -paying what was due to the officers and crews for services done to Peru. -San Martin knit his brows, and turning to his two ministers, Garcia and -Monteagudo, who were in the room, ordered them to retire; to which his -lordship objected, stating that as he was not master of the Spanish -language, he wished them to remain as his interpreters, fearful that -some expression, not rightly understood, might be considered offensive. -San Martin now turned round to the Admiral, and said, "are you aware, my -lord, that I am Protector of Peru?" "No," said his lordship. "I ordered -my secretaries to inform you of it," returned San Martin. "That is now -unnecessary," said his lordship, "for you have personally informed me: -but I sincerely hope that the friendship which has existed between -General San Martin and myself will still continue to exist between the -Protector of Peru and myself." San Martin then, rubbing his hands, said, -"I have only to say, that I am Protector of Peru!"</p> - -<p>The manner in which this last sentence was expressed roused the admiral, -who <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span>advancing, said, "then it now becomes me, as the senior officer of -Chile, and consequently the representative of the nation, to request the -fulfilment of all the promises made to Chile, and the squadron, but -first, and principally, the squadron." San Martin returned—"Chile! -Chile! I will never pay a single real to Chile! and as to the squadron, -you may take it where you please, and go when you choose: a couple of -schooners are quite enough for me: <i>Chile! Chile! yo nunca pagare un -real a Chile! y en quanto a la esquadra, puede V. llevarla donde quiere, -e irse quando guste, con un par de goletas me basta a mi</i>;" and snapped -his fingers in the face of the Admiral. On hearing this, Garcia left the -room, while Monteagudo walked to the balcony. San Martin paced the room -for a short time, and, turning to his lordship, caught his hand, and -said, "forget, my lord, what is past!" The admiral, dashing away the -tear with which surprize and indignation had suffused his eye, replied, -"I will, when I can," and immediately left the palace. His lordship was -now undeceived by the man himself: the repeated reports he had heard of -his past conduct crowded on his distracted imagination, and knowing what -might be attempted, from what had already been done, his lordship agreed -with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span> me, that his life was not safe ashore; he therefore immediately -took horse, rode to Boca Negra, and went on board his frigate.</p> - -<p>This conversation has been denied by some of San Martin's partizans; but -were it necessary more fully to substantiate the fact, the subsequent -official correspondence between the protector of Peru and the admiral of -the Chilean squadron would fully prove the truth of what I have stated.</p> - -<p>San Martin, reflecting that the batteries of Callao were yet in the -hands of the enemy, and that should the Chilean naval force raise the -blockade, he did not possess the means of driving them out, nor of -forcing them to surrender, exerted himself in conciliatory measures, -heaping promise upon promise, both as to the payment of the arrears of -the crews and premiums and rewards. He endeavoured to soften down his -expressions of the fourth, stating that he only said, or meant to say, -that "it might be interesting to Chile to sell some of her vessels of -war to Peru, because this latter wanted them for the protection of her -coasts." But even this subterfuge was exposed by his saying further, -that "the government of Chile would at all times devote their squadron -to the furtherance of the cause of Peru."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span></p><p>San Martin, on finding that official correspondence did not produce the -desired effect of bringing Lord Cochrane to agree with him that the -squadron was under his controul, even after he had assumed the supreme -authority in Peru, and constituted himself an independent chief, at the -head of a separate government, whose views were seemingly opposed to the -interests of Chile, now addressed the following private letter to his -lordship, which on account of its uncommon expressions I give in -Spanish:</p> - -<p>"Lima, Agosto 13 de 1821.—Mi Lord,—De oficio contesto a V. sobre el -desagradable negocio de los buques de la esquadra, que a V. y a mi nos -causa disgustos impresindibles, porque no es posible hacer quanto se -desea. Nada tengo que añadir si no es la protesta que no he mirado, ni -miraré jamas con la menor indiferencia quanto tenga relacion a V. yo le -dije en Valparaiso que su suerte seria igual a la mia, y ereo haber dado -pruebas de que mis sentimentos no han variado, ni pueden variar, por lo -mismo que cada dia es mayor la trascendencia de mis acciones. No, mi -lord, yo no veo con indiferencia los asuntos, de V. y sentiria no poder -esperar que acabe de convencerse de esto mismo. Si a pesar de todo V. -deliberase tomar el partido que me intimó en la conferencia que <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</a></span>tubimos -ahora dias, esto sería para mi en conflicto a que no podria substraerme. -Mas yo espero que entrando V. en mis sentimientos, consumirá la obra que -ha empesado, y de la que depende nuestro comun destino. Adios, mi lord! -se repite de V. con el mas sincero aprecio su eterno amigo. (Signed) -José de San Martin."</p> - -<p>Omitting the preamble of this letter, let us analyze the expressions -from "Si a pesar: if in despite of every thing, you are resolved to -observe the conduct which you intimated to me, in the conference which -we had a few days ago, this would be to me a conflict from which I could -not extricate myself. But I hope that, agreeing with my sentiments, you -will consummate the work that you have begun, and on which depends our -common destiny." The conference here mentioned, alluded to the delivery -of the Chilean vessels of war to the Protector of Peru, on the condition -of his paying to the officers and crews their arrears, and rewarding -them according to his solemn promise made at Valparaiso, before the -expedition left that port; and the agreement of sentiment cannot signify -any thing more, than that Lord Cochrane should deliver up the squadron -to San Martin, which would have been a most honourable "consummation of -the work" to his lordship, and a most<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</a></span> melancholy one to Chile; but -<i>she</i> was to have been forgotten in the common destiny.</p> - -<p>On the fourth of August Don Jose de la Riva Aguero was nominated -President of the Department of Lima, with the authority of the -ex-Intendente. On the same day the high chamber of justice, <i>alta -camarca de justicia</i> was established in Lima, with the powers and -attributions of the ex-Audiencia. On the same day San Martin issued a -proclamation, not of the most flattering nature, to Spaniards resident -in Lima and the independent provinces of Peru, but which served as the -precursor to his future conduct. He here repeats, "I have promised to -respect your security and property, I have fulfilled my promise, and -none of you can doubt my word. Notwithstanding this, I know that you -murmur secretly, and some of you malignantly circulate the idea that my -designs are to surprize your confidence. My name is of sufficient -celebrity not to stain it with the infraction of my promises, even -though it be conceived that as an individual I might fail in their -fulfilment. Spaniards! you well know that the public opinion is such, -that even among yourselves there are many who spy and observe your -conduct; I am informed of every thing that passes, in the most retired -parts of your houses; tremble if you abuse my indulgence!"</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</a></span></p><p>Whether the system of espionage established by San Martin was in this -state of activity, like a volcano ready to burst and to destroy with its -ignited lava the peaceful habitation and the innocent inhabitant, who, -confiding in its harmless appearance, ventured to dwell within its -destructive range, it may be impossible to determine; but it seems -somewhat derogatory to the character of a supreme chief, guarded by -twelve thousand armed men, that he should thus threaten two or three -hundred unarmed individuals, who, relying on his assurances, had sworn -to follow the fortunes of the country, and live subject to the -newly-established system of government. Besides, such a manifestation -was calculated to do away with the apparent object of the proclamation -of the seventeenth of July, already quoted, and to fan the flame of -civil discord and dissention—the greatest enemies to public -tranquillity.</p> - -<p>The twelfth of August produced the publication of the act in Lima, which -in all free parts of the ex-Spanish colonies so highly distinguishes, -and justifies in such a particular manner the revolution in those -countries. The voice of reason and of nature announced, that all -children born of slaves on or after the twenty-eighth of August, 1821, -were to be free, and that they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</a></span> were to be inheritors of the same rights -and privileges as the rest of the citizens of Peru.</p> - -<p>On the eighteenth the news arrived, that the divisions of the Spanish -army under Cantarac and Caratalá had formed their head quarters at -Jauja, thirty leagues from Lima; and that La Serna was at the town of -Carania on the twenty-ninth of July, advancing with the troops towards -the same point. Still the liberating army remained quiet in their -barracks at Lima, or were employed in the siege of Callao.</p> - -<p>One of the first acts of the arbitrary disposition of the Protector of -Peru was the expulsion of the archbishop. The following is a copy of the -correspondence:</p> - -<p>"Ministry of War, Lima, twenty-second August, 1821.—Most Excellent -Sir,—Nothing is more conformable with the religious ideas of his -excellency the Protector of Peru than to promote in every possible -manner which prudence dictates those pious establishments which serve as -a prop to public morals. But it is at the same time his duty to avoid -those evils which, under a zeal for religion, might cause a spirit of -opposition to the general vote of America. In this dilemma are those -houses of spiritual exercises in this city; where (his excellency has -been informed) abuses of the most serious tendency to the cause of the -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</a></span>country are committed by the venerable influence of the priesthood.</p> - -<p>"In attention to this, his excellency the Protector commands me to -inform your most illustrious excellency, that the spiritual exercises be -suspended for the present in those houses, until they be placed under -the direction of patriotic clergymen, who may merit the confidence of -the government, who consult the spiritual welfare of the faithful, and -the support of the new institutions to which his excellency is called to -Peru. I have the honour, &c. (Signed) Bernardo Monteagudo."</p> - -<p class="center">(Answer by the archbishop.)</p> - -<p>"Ever since the establishment of the houses of spiritual exercises they -have been protected and supported by the popes and other prelates of the -church, fully aware of their utility to the faithful. Those founded in -this city are deserving of credit for the copious harvest they have -produced, in attention to which, without scruples of conscience, and a -risk of public disgust, it is impossible for me to order them to be -closed. If in them any excess be committed, or any confessor should -pretend to disturb the peace or public order, the moment that such is -known the necessary measures shall be adopted for his punishment, which -is my reply to your<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</a></span> note of the twenty-second.—God preserve, &c. Lima, -August 26th, 1821. (Signed) Bartolomé, Archbishop of Lima."</p> - -<p class="center">(Second note from the government.)</p> - -<p>"Most Excellent and most Illustrious Sir,—On the twenty-second instant -his excellency the Protector of Peru ordered, that you should be -informed of the necessity that existed of closing for the present the -houses of spiritual exercises. In that note, after expressing those -religious sentiments which filled his bosom, and which he never can -belie, you are informed, that it was not his intention to close them for -any considerable length of time, to the detriment of the faithful, who -derived from them spiritual consolation, but that it was only for the -present, because this was necessary to public tranquillity. Thus his -excellency observes with regret that your most illustrious excellency -resists the fulfilment of his order, and he commands me to inform you, -that you are to lay aside all scruples of conscience in obeying this -order of the government, and those scruples which may afterwards present -themselves with respect to other orders, the fulfilment of which will be -equally necessary. It is convenient that your excellency should meditate -on the evils that would follow, should the most perfect <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</a></span>harmony not -exist between the civil and ecclesiastical authorities, and that you -decide on that line of conduct which you intend to adopt, in the -intelligence that the orders of his excellency the Protector are -irrevocable. By superior order I communicate this to your excellency for -your guidance, and present my sentiments of respect and veneration, &c., -&c. Lima, August 27th, 1821. (Signed) J. Garcia del Rio."</p> - -<p class="center">(The archbishop's reply.)</p> - -<p>"I have read with the greatest attention your note of the twenty-seventh -of August, in which you communicate to me, by order of the Protector of -Peru, that his excellency has observed with regret my resistance to the -fulfilment of his order, to close the houses of spiritual exercises: to -resist, and to remonstrate submissively are not the same thing: the -first is the effect of arms and violence; the second that of veneration -and respect, when the inconveniences which present themselves are -expressed: in this manner my note was written. I have, moreover, other -reasons for thus explaining myself—his excellency in his religious -goodness had promised me that in ecclesiastical matters, and points of -religion, he would agree with my opinion, to the end that nothing should -be done in violation of the rules of the church.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</a></span></p><p>"I hope these reflections will save me from the irksome epithet of -having resisted the orders of the government, and that consequently the -contents of my answer will not be read with regret. I cannot omit -saying, that with the greatest anguish, and a heart swimming in -bitterness, I have read that the government has several orders to give; -and if to them I have scruples of conscience to oppose in their -fulfilment, I decide on that line of conduct which I intend to follow, -in the intelligence that the decrees which will be issued are to be -immutable. This advice carries with it a very elevated spirit, if we -suppose that the orders to be given should relate to religious or -ecclesiastical matters; for in civil affairs, and those of the -government, I have signified my opinion by my prompt obedience: and what -may those commands contain? will they in any manner violate the existing -discipline of the church? will they be prejudicial to morality? or will -they oppose the maxims of the gospel of Jesus Christ? Because, for these -cases, <span class="smcap">God</span> has constituted bishops as the pastors and guards of that -flock which Jesus Christ purchased at the price of his blood, who are to -shout, to whistle, and restrain the ill conduct: he tells us, that we -are not to be cowards in the presence of the greatest potentates of the -earth, and that, if<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[Pg 365]</a></span> necessary, we should shed our blood and lay down -our lives in so just a cause; anathematising us on the contrary as dumb -dogs that did not bark when the spiritual health of his flock was in -danger.</p> - -<p>"Behold, then, that one of the principal obligations of a bishop is to -defend with rigour the deposit of doctrine and faith which has been -confided to him; and if the threatened danger be from any great -potentate, to remonstrate, with respect and submission, to the end that -he be not their accomplices and participators in the crime, by a -cowardly condescension. This was practised by Saint John Chrysostom, -with the emperors of the east; by Saint Ambrose, with those of the west; -and by Saint Augustine with the pro-consuls of Africa; those were the -great lords on earth; but notwithstanding; those bishops remonstrated -when they commanded any thing that might injure religion or the church; -and is it possible that the supreme government of this city shall inform -the archbishop that he is blindly to obey, and execute the decrees that -may be given in religious and ecclesiastical matters, even though they -disturb his conscience, and appear to him to be opposed to orthodox -doctrines, because such decrees are to be irresistible? Oh! -"irresistible decrees"—this expression appears to me to be very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[Pg 366]</a></span> -strong, and little used by jurists and theologians; they opine that all -human authority, however great it may be, and however vast and profound -its acquired knowledge, can never arrive at a degree of infallibility in -its decisions; it may always be deceived or deceive: consequently its -resolutions ought never to be invariable—this privilege the Supreme -Being alone possesses. Fenelon and other politicians assert, that it is -more glorious, and a proof of a more elevated soul in that monarch or -government who, convinced of having committed an error against religion, -reason or justice in their decrees, shall revoke them, than it is never -to err; indeed to insist on the execution of an order, merely because it -has been given in despite of the inconveniences and obstacles that have -been shown to exist; it being opposed to morality, evangelical doctrine, -and the dispositions of the church, is a most oppressive yoke. With -respect to myself, I can assure you, that I have often remonstrated and -even exclaimed against the decrees of my superiors; who, being satisfied -with the justness of my arguments, have ordered them to be revoked, or -varied. When a prelate of the church speaks on spiritual or -ecclesiastical points, he is worthy of being listened to, and his -reasonings examined, because God <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[Pg 367]</a></span>himself, by his evangelist St. -Matthew, says, that those who hear him hear the divinity, and that those -who despise him despise the Supreme Being.</p> - -<p>"Notwithstanding this doctrine, you say in your note that I am to obey -the decrees of the government, without replying or remonstrating, -because they are irrevocable; or that I choose the line of conduct I -intend to adopt; this I did on the twenty-fourth of July last, when I -put into the hands of his excellency my written resignation of the -archiepiscopal dignity, begging his acceptance of it, for the reasons -therein alleged; I also begged that he would grant me a passport to -Europe by Panama, as my advanced age of eighty years, and consequent -debility, would not enable me to bear the hardships of a passage by Cape -Horn; his excellency acceded to my solicitude, and even promised to -procure me a vessel for my passage.</p> - -<p>"If I then made a tender of my dignity, founded on the motives there -alleged, I now repeat it, adding to those causes that of not being able -to exist in a country where the prelate of the church is forced to keep -silence, and stifle the strongest sentiments of his conscience, and -obliged to act in opposition to them—I was born to become a citizen of -a celestial country;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">[Pg 368]</a></span> this is my only aim, and every thing that opposes -it, is, to me, disgusting. I hope that as soon as possible my -resignation will be accepted, that I may be relieved from a charge which -has become insupportable.—Our Lord preserve your life for many years.</p> - -<p class="right">"Bartolomé Maria de las Heras."</p> - -<p>"Lima, Sept. 1st, 1821."</p> - -<p>The answer to this note set forth, that the urgency of public business -did not allow time to answer with "victorious arguments" the -archbishop's reasonings; but that the whole correspondence should be -laid before the public for their opinion. This, however, never took -place, but the Protector accepted the resignation of the archbishop, -ordering his excellency to leave Lima within the term of forty-eight -hours, and to wait at Chancay, fourteen leagues from Lima, the -determination of the government.</p> - -<p>On the thirteenth of November the archbishop embarked at Chancay for Rio -de Janeiro; the Protector, as in many other cases, forgetting to fulfil -his promise of preparing a vessel to conduct him to Panama.</p> - -<p>Before leaving Chancay, the archbishop addressed the following letter to -Lord Cochrane:</p> - -<p>"My Dear Lord,—The time is arrived for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369">[Pg 369]</a></span> my return to Spain, the -Protector having granted to me the necessary passport. The polite -attention which I owe to your excellency, and the peculiar -qualifications which adorn and distinguish you, oblige me by this -measure to manifest to you my most sincere esteem and regard.</p> - -<p>"In Spain, if God grants that I may arrive in safety, or in any other -part where I may exist, I request that you will deign to command me. On -leaving this country, I am convinced that its independence is for ever -sealed. This I will represent to the Spanish government and to the papal -see, and I will also do every thing to abate their obstinacy, and to -preserve the tranquillity, and to further the views of the inhabitants -of America, who are dear to me.</p> - -<p>"Deign, my lord, to receive these sentiments as emanating from the -sincerity of my heart; and command your obliged servant and chaplain, -Bartolomé Maria de las Heras. November, 2nd, 1821."</p> - -<p>On the ninth of November the bishop of Guamanga, a native of Piura, then -residing at Lima, was ordered to leave Peru within eight days, without -any reason being assigned for his exile, by the autocrat of Peru.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_370" id="Page_370">[Pg 370]</a></span></p><p>Although the Chilean squadron was at this moment of the most vital -importance to the operations of San Martin against the batteries of -Callao, yet the crews remained unpaid, and the supply of provisions was -so scanty, that, added to the general want of clothing, they were in a -state fast approaching to open mutiny, which was repeatedly made known -to the government at Lima, but the knowledge of the circumstances -produced no relief; it appeared as if San Martin, having failed in -gaining possession of it through the commander in chief, was determined -to starve it into submission, or to drive it to some more desperate act. -This his lordship reported to the government, as also, that he could not -be answerable for the conduct of those serving under him, unless the -government fulfilled their part of the contract.</p> - -<p>On the seventeenth of August a decree appeared in the ministerial -gazette, ordering, that one-fifth of the duties collected at the -custom-house should be applied to defray the arrears and to the pay of -the army and navy. Instead of quieting the crews, this news drove them -almost to desperation, for although they were not aware that the money -assigned them was absolutely incompetent to supply the deficit, yet<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">[Pg 371]</a></span> the -idea, that even when the time had arrived for the fulfilment of the -promise made to them before leaving Valparaiso, a new promise was made -to them, the fulfilment of which must depend on the receipts of the -custom-house, was incomprehensible to men whose only argument is, you -owe me money, and you must pay it me. The same decree also stated, that -the officers belonging to the Chilean squadron were equally officers of -Peru, and were to be considered as such: yet this step was taken without -ever consulting the will of the said officers; and certainly had they -accepted the honourable distinction, it must have been at the expense of -their oath of fidelity to Chile; but the object was to induce them to -consider themselves subject to the order of the Protector of Peru, for -the purpose of forming a plan yet in embryo.</p> - -<p>The Spanish army at Jauja, in the beginning of September, spread some -alarm in Lima, from advices received of their movements. It appeared -that they were determined to attack the capital, and on the fifth the -following proclamation was issued at head quarters, by the Protector of -the liberty of Peru: "Inhabitants of Lima! It appears that the justice -of heaven, tired of tolerating for so long a time the oppressors of -Peru, now guides them to their destruction.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">[Pg 372]</a></span> Three hundred of those -troops who have desolated so many towns, burnt so many temples and -destroyed so many thousands of innocent victims, are at San Mateo, and -two hundred more at San Damian. If they advance on this capital, it will -be with the design of immolating you to their vengeance; and to force -you to purchase at a high price your decision, and enthusiasm for -independence: vain hope! The valiant who have liberated the illustrious -Lima, those who protect her in the most difficult moments, know how to -preserve her against the fury of the Spanish army. Yes, inhabitants of -this capital, my troops will not abandon you; they and myself are going -to triumph over that army which, thirsty of our blood and property, is -advancing, or we will perish with honour, for we will never witness your -disgrace. In return for this noble devotion, and that it may receive the -favourable success of which it is worthy, all we require of you is, -union, tranquillity and efficacious co-operation; this alone is -necessary to ensure the felicity and splendour of Peru.—San Martin."</p> - -<p>The night before this proclamation was published, the Protector rose -from his seat at the theatre, after the performance was concluded, and -in words similar to those contained<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_373" id="Page_373">[Pg 373]</a></span> in the proclamation, spoke to the -people; the greatest enthusiasm was displayed, and the national hymn was -sung three times by all present, when the Protector retired, and was -followed to his palace by the music and an immense concourse of people.</p> - -<p>On the seventh the army under San Martin took the field at Mansanilla, -to the eastward of Lima; the Protector occupying the farm house of the -same name, about a league from the city. All the Spaniards residing in -Lima were immediately collected in the convent of La Merced, to prevent -any insult from being offered to them; but a false alarm being given to -the inhabitants, that the Spanish troops were about to enter the city, -they immediately surrounded the convent, where they were with difficulty -prevented from entering and putting the Spaniards to death. After order -had been restored, the prisoners were sent down to Ancon, and placed on -board two of the transports lying there at anchor. The state of Lima on -the seventh was the most evident proof of the determination of the -inhabitants to defend their city; men, women, and children of every age, -colour, and condition, paraded the streets with such arms as they could -procure; these however were very useless ones, for San Martin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_374" id="Page_374">[Pg 374]</a></span> had -collected the arms belonging to private individuals a few days after his -arrival in Lima. Many persons had carried to the tops of their houses -quantities of stones, while others prepared pans and wood, for the -purpose of heating water, and all were determined to give a <i>warm</i> -reception to the enemy, should they enter the streets of Lima.</p> - -<p>On the evening of the ninth, Lord Cochrane received on board the -O'Higgins an official communication, informing him that the enemy was -under the walls of Lima, and repeating the request, that his lordship -would send to the army every kind of portable arms then on board the -squadron, as well as the marines, and all volunteers; because the -Protector was "determined to bring the enemy to an action, and either -conquer or remain buried in the ruins of what <i>was</i> Lima." This heroic -note, however, was accompanied by a private one from Monteagudo, -containing a request, that the boats of the vessels of war might be kept -in readiness, and a look out on the beach of Boca Negra, for the service -of those who might escape, in case of a defeat.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the tenth Lord Cochrane, believing that at such a -moment the mind of San Martin would be too much employed with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_375" id="Page_375">[Pg 375]</a></span> public -affairs to think of private resentment, and that he might partake in the -glories of the day on shore, landed at Boca Negra; but not wishing to -pass through the capital, he chose the road leading to La Magdalena, for -the purpose of crossing the fields to head quarters at Mansanilla. -Passing near some mounds of earth, called las huacas, three officers on -horseback were observed standing on one of them, and his lordship, -supposing them to belong to the American army, would have gone and asked -them the news; but as there was no opening in the tapial, or wall-fence, -we rode forward and took a path leading across the fields, about three -hundred yards from the mounds. His lordship would not then return, but -said to Capt. Crosbie, let us haste to head quarters; when, on looking -to the right, we saw the Spanish infantry defiling into the lane, about -five hundred yards from us; Lord Cochrane immediately pressed forward to -San Martin's camp, where being immediately recognized by several -officers, a murmur of congratulation was heard, and even Guise and Spry -exclaimed, "we shall have some fighting now the Admiral is come." -General las Heras, acting as general in chief, saluting the Admiral, -begged of him to endeavour to persuade the Protector to bring the enemy -to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_376" id="Page_376">[Pg 376]</a></span> an action. His lordship then rode up to the house, and alighting, -was received by San Martin. Lord Cochrane immediately took the Protector -by the hand, and in the most earnest manner entreated him to attack the -enemy without losing a single moment; his entreaties, however, were in -vain, the only answer he received was, "my measures are taken, <i>mis -medidas están tomadas</i>." Notwithstanding this apathy, his lordship -remonstrated, stating the situation in which he had not five minutes -before observed the enemy's infantry, and begged of the Protector to -ascend an eminence at the back of the house, and convince himself how -easily the victory might be obtained; but he only received the same cold -reply, "mis medidas están tomadas." At this instant the clamour of the -officers in the patio of the house roused San Martin; he called for his -horse and mounted. In a moment all was bustle, and the anticipated glow -of victory shone in every countenance; the order "to arms" was given, -and instantly obeyed by the whole army, which amounted to about twelve -thousand men, including the Guerilla parties, all anxious to begin the -fight, and all determined either to conquer or to die. The Protector -beckoned to the Admiral and General las Heras, who immediately left the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_377" id="Page_377">[Pg 377]</a></span> -group of officers with whom they were conversing, and rode up to the -Protector, hoping that he was either about to consult them respecting -the attack, or to inform them how it was to be conducted—but, at this -moment, a peasant entered the patio, and walked towards San Martin, who -with most unparalleled composure lent an attentive ear to his important -communications. He told the Protector of the liberties of Peru, that on -the preceding day he had seen the enemy, that they were a great many, -but that he did not know their exact number, not being able to count -them. These and other such important advices were received; his -excellency also questioned him as to his situation in life, and the -particular employment he followed; whether or not he was married, how -many children he had, and other things equally interesting to a general, -when the enemy was in sight. As an irrefragable proof of the patriotism -of this Peruvian peasant, he took from his pocket a piece of dry bread, -and assured his excellency that he had travelled from his home to -Mansanilla, to report what he knew of the enemy without having tasted -it; this was an opportunity not to be lost, in which the greatness of -the hero of South American independence might display that coolness<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_378" id="Page_378">[Pg 378]</a></span> in -the face of an enemy so peculiarly characteristic of great men; he -praised the patriotic virtues of the peasant, and promised him his -protection. The Admiral being disgusted with this mummery, and highly -exasperated at so unnecessary a waste of time, half unsheathed his -sword; he bade the peasant be gone; adding, "the general's time is too -important to be thus employed in listening to your fooleries." At this -indecorous interruption, San Martin frowned (as when he chooses he <i>can</i> -frown) on the Admiral, and riding up to the door of the house he -alighted, went in and gave audience to some old women who had come to -solicit the discharge of their sons or nephews, to all whom his -excellency listened with his accustomed dignity and condescension.</p> - -<p>Lord Cochrane and a great number of the officers again ascended the hill -at the back of the house, and his lordship afterwards requesting a -private conference with San Martin, (which was the last time he ever -spoke with him) he assured him that it was not too late to attack the -enemy; he begged and entreated that the opportunity might not be lost, -and offered himself to lead the cavalry; but to all this he only -received the cold reply, "I alone am responsible for the liberties of -Peru, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_379" id="Page_379">[Pg 379]</a></span><i>yo solo soy responsable de la libertad del Peru</i>;" when the -Protector retired to an inner apartment of the house, to enjoy his -customary <i>ciesta</i>, afternoon nap, which was however disturbed by -General las Heras, who came to receive orders, and inform his excellency -that the army was still under arms. San Martin observing that it was -four o'clock, the supper hour for his soldiers, ordered that they should -receive their rations.</p> - -<p>When San Martin assured Lord Cochrane that "he alone was responsible for -the liberty of Peru," his lordship, convinced that any future attempt -would be attended with the same success, mounted his horse; but Captain -Crosbie, still hoping that something would take place, requested -permission to remain at head quarters, which being granted, we rode down -to Boca Negra, and embarked.</p> - -<p>The British ship of war the Superb was at this time in the bay of -Callao, and several of the officers, expecting to see the decisive blow -struck in Peru, repaired to San Martin's head quarters, and were -astounded at the coolness of a general, who, commanding twelve thousand -men, should first abandon a favourable position in which he might have -intercepted the march of the Spaniards, and then see an enemy composed -of three thousand two hundred men<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_380" id="Page_380">[Pg 380]</a></span> pass without any hinderance, nay, -without a single shot being fired, or without one attempt being made to -bring them to action.</p> - -<p>After Cantarac had led his troops into the batteries of Callao, in a -manner that would have done honour to a Napoleon, the rejoicing was -announced by the firing of guns, and other demonstrations, which would -have harassed the soul of any leader, excepting that of the prudent San -Martin. The American army marched to their old camp at the Legua, -between Lima and Callao.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the eleventh, Don Fernando Maso, who had been -permitted by Lord Cochrane to land at Callao from the English brig -Colonel Allen, came on board the O'Higgins, and asked his lordship, "if -on the preceding day he had observed some officers on the huacas?" -"Yes," returned his lordship. "They were," said Maso, "General Cantarac -and his two edecans." Thus it was evident, that had the admiral rode up -to them, as he at first intended, he would in all probability have been -taken prisoner, for neither himself nor any one with him had any other -arms than their swords. On the evening of the eleventh Lord Cochrane -received an official communication from San Martin, stating, "I have -taken<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_381" id="Page_381">[Pg 381]</a></span> such measures, that not one of the enemy can escape; by shutting -themselves up in the batteries of Callao, they have delivered themselves -up to me, and not one of them shall escape." But, to the surprise of all -unacquainted with the consummate prudence of the Protector, Cantarac -left the batteries on the seventeenth early in the morning, and having -crossed the Rimac, marched without any molestation into the interior; -nothing was done or attempted, except that eight hundred men were -ordered to follow him and harass his rear, and protect such soldiers as -might desert.</p> - -<p>Thus General Cantarac, with three thousand two hundred men, passed to -the southward of Lima, in sight of the protecting army of Peru, composed -of twelve thousand, entered the batteries of Callao, where he refreshed -and rested his troops for six days, and then retired, taking with him -arms and treasure, and retreating with his booty on the north side of -Lima, leaving the victorious San Martin to publish the following -proclamation, which appeared in the ministerial gazette on the -nineteenth:</p> - -<p>"It is now fifteen days since the liberating army left the capital, -resolved not to permit that even the shadow of the Spanish flag should -again darken the illustrious city of Lima. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_382" id="Page_382">[Pg 382]</a></span> enemy haughtily -descended the mountains, filled with the calculations they had formed in -their ignorant meditations; they fancied, that to come and to view our -camp was enough to conquer us; but they found valour armed with -prudence; they acknowledged their inferiority; they trembled at the idea -of the hour of battle, and profited by the hour of darkness; [from -eleven to three o'clock in the day!] and they sought an asylum in -Callao. My army began its march, and at the end of eight days of -uncertainty, the enemy has had to fly precipitately, convinced of their -impotency to try the fortune of war, or to remain in the position which -they held.</p> - -<p>"The desertion which they experience ensures us, that, before they reach -the mountains, there will only exist a handful of men, terrified and -confounded with the remembrance of the colossal power which they had a -year ago, and which has now disappeared like the fury of the waves of -the sea at the dawn of a serene morning. The liberating army pursues the -fugitives; they shall be dissolved or beaten. At all events the capital -of Peru shall never be profaned with the footsteps of the enemies of -America: this truth is peremptory: the Spanish empire is at end for -ever: Peruvians, your <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_383" id="Page_383">[Pg 383]</a></span>destiny is irrevocable; consolidate it by the -constant exercise of those virtues which you have shewn in the epoch of -conflicts. You are independent, and nothing can prevent your being -happy, if you will it so to be. San Martin."</p> - -<p>It would be an act of injustice not to mention here, that General las -Heras, wounded to the very soul at the conduct of San Martin, which -cannot possibly bear any other epithet than that of cowardice, left the -service of Peru, or rather of the Protector of Peru, and requested his -passport to Chile, which was granted. His example was followed by -several officers of the army, who, disgusted with what had taken place, -preferred obscurity, and even poverty, to that odious title which every -true soldier and patriot detests.</p> - -<p>Had the force under General Cantarac been attacked, it must have been -beaten: the inferiority of it in every point, except discipline, ensured -success to the patriot arms: these were treble the number of the enemy, -fresh, vigorous, and enthusiastic; enjoying the opportunity of choosing -the most advantageous positions, and in sight of the capital of the -country, whose liberty they had sworn to defend; while the Spanish -division was harassed with a long march, without any personal -incitement,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_384" id="Page_384">[Pg 384]</a></span> and nothing before them but the prospect of a few days' -rest, and a return to the interior, in which they knew, that beside the -ground they trod on, no one in that part of the globe acknowledged their -domination, or obeyed their commands. If it be asked, who is blameable -for this dereliction of duty to the cause of American liberty? I must -answer, San Martin! The Spaniards themselves confess, that had the -division under Cantarac been destroyed on the tenth of September, they -should have lost all hopes of re-conquering the country, and should have -immediately negociated in the most honourable terms possible for -themselves, and abandoned America. Consequently, the torrents of blood -which have been shed in Peru since the tenth of September, 1821; the -miseries and privations of thousands in that portion of the new world; -the disaffection of the natives to the just cause of their country, and -their services to their Spanish leaders; the necessity of an army from -Colombia to save Peru from an ignominious subjection to her ancient -oppressors; all owe their origin to the success of the Spanish division -on this day, which, although they obtained no decisive victory, -accomplished the object which brought them from the interior.</p> - -<p>Fearing a reverse at Lima, on the approach<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_385" id="Page_385">[Pg 385]</a></span> of the Spanish troops under -General Cantarac, the treasures belonging to the government, as well as -the property of many individuals, had been sent down to Ancon and -embarked, not on board the Chilean frigate Lautaro, then at anchor in -that port, but in several merchant vessels, to prevent them falling into -the hands of the enemy. On the fifteenth of September Lord Cochrane -received a letter from Captain Delano, who commanded the Lautaro, -informing him that the state of insubordination in the remains of the -crew of the Lautaro had risen to a very high pitch; for they observed -the daily embarkation of money in the different merchant vessels, and -this indicated, as they supposed, the jeopardy in which San Martin was -placed with the army; that they saw no probability their arrears would -ever be paid; that should the enemy be successful they would be -constrained to continue in the service, under a prolongation of the -sufferings they had already experienced; and that on this account he -dreaded a mutiny, and consequent plunder of the vessels in the bay.</p> - -<p>On hearing this Lord Cochrane went down to Ancon in the O'Higgins, and -personally, before witnesses, sent on board the flag ship all the -treasures found on board the different <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_386" id="Page_386">[Pg 386]</a></span>vessels, belonging <i>apparently</i> -to the state of Peru, leaving all such as had been embarked by -individuals, having the customary documents, and for which his lordship -took the necessary certificates to prove that such sums had remained -untouched. His lordship at the same time informed such persons as -claimed any property, and many others at Ancon, that his only object was -to possess himself of such money or treasures as belonged to the -government of Peru; and that whatever belonged to private individuals -should be restored, on application being made by the owners; as was the -case with Dr. Unanue, Don Juan Aguero, Don Manuel Silva, Don Manuel -Primo, and several others. After having given up all the claimed money, -two hundred and eighty-five thousand dollars remained on board the flag -ship. They were immediately applied to the payment of one year's arrears -to every individual excepting the Admiral, who declined receiving any -part of what was due to him; the surplus was reserved for the repairs of -the squadron, and its equipment, and the most rigid account was kept of -the several disbursements, and given in to the Chilean government.</p> - -<p>After the return of his lordship to Callao, a long correspondence took -place with San Martin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_387" id="Page_387">[Pg 387]</a></span> respecting the property taken at Ancon. The -General requested, and entreated in the most urgent terms the -restoration of the treasure, promised the faithful fulfilment of all his -former engagements, and that the return of this money was merely -insisted on to save the credit of the government. The Admiral answered, -that the means for the fulfilment of his engagements were now ready, and -that by sending a commissioned officer on board to be a witness to the -proper distribution; that this being public would certainly save the -credit of the government with those individuals to whom it was most -indebted, and that the landing of the money would only be an increase of -labour, because the persons to whom it was due were not on shore.</p> - -<p>San Martin then asserted, that the money taken at Ancon was all that the -government was in possession of, for the most indispensable daily -expenses; but to this his lordship replied, that had he known that the -treasure placed on board the schooner Sacramento, for the admission of -which, in silver, the captain asserted that he had to throw overboard -part of his ballast, besides seven surrones (bags made of hide) of -doubloons, and a quantity of brute gold, was not the property of the -government but of his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_388" id="Page_388">[Pg 388]</a></span> excellency, he should certainly have seized it, -and retained it until properly claimed. San Martin, after availing -himself of every possible argument with the Admiral, addressed a -proclamation to the seamen and marines, which by his lordship's order -was distributed on board the vessels of war; but producing no favourable -effect, the Protector, knowing that the payments had begun, wrote to the -Admiral, saying that "he might employ the money as he thought most -proper."</p> - -<p>After the departure of Cantarac from Callao on the seventeenth, Lord -Cochrane was informed of the state of the batteries, and proposed to the -Governor General La Mar terms of capitulation; they were, that the -fortifications of Callao should be surrendered to the Chilean flag; that -one third of the private property in the batteries should be given up, -for the purpose of paying the arrears of the crews of the Chilean -vessels of war; that the owners should be allowed to leave the batteries -with the remainder, and that at their own expense vessels should be -procured to carry them either to Europe or to any other place.</p> - -<p>When these terms were on the point of being acceded to, the Protector -(who had also been negociating with the governor) was <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_389" id="Page_389">[Pg 389]</a></span>informed of the -terms offered by the Admiral; and on the morning of the twentieth -Colonel Guido was commissioned to accede to such as General La Mar -should propose, which were naturally the most honourable and most -profitable to the Spaniards. At ten o'clock on the morning of the -twenty-first the American troops entered the castles, and the Peruvian -flag was hoisted. On the same day the name of the Real Felipe was -changed into that of Castilla de la Independencia; that of San Miguel, -into Castillo del Sol; and that of San Rafael into Castillo de Santa -Rosa.</p> - -<p>Although the tribunals of purification, established by General Carátalá -in Upper Peru, and in Chile by the President Marco, had been so -oppressive, and had been so reprobated as unjust and tyrannical by the -Americans, one was established in Lima by San Martin on the -twenty-seventh of September, for the purpose of examining the past -conduct of the Spaniards, who relying on the promises repeatedly made by -San Martin, had remained in Peru, and taken the oath of independence. -This proceeding was aggravated on the twenty-seventh by a proclamation, -stating that "no Spaniard should leave his house, under any pretence -whatever, after<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_390" id="Page_390">[Pg 390]</a></span> sunset (oraciones) under the penalty of confiscation of -his property, and exile from the country:" some few exceptions however -were added to this protectoral decree.</p> - -<p>The foreign seamen who were all paid at Callao, except the crew of the -Valdivia, who deserted their ship at Ancon, preferring a reliance on the -promises of San Martin to the certainty of being paid out of the money -taken for this purpose, were allowed to go on shore, and after waiting -for a few days his lordship sent Lieutenant Wynter to engage such as -were willing to continue in the service of Chile, when, to the utter -astonishment of every one, he was arrested by the order of San Martin, -and sent to the castle, but owing to the energetic official -communication of the Admiral he was liberated on the following day.</p> - -<p>The same persevering spirit to destroy the Chilean squadron was still -visible in the conduct of the Protector of Peru. Every officer who -abandoned the vessels of war was received under the flag of Peru, and -many were promoted, amounting in the whole to sixteen, being four -captains, three lieutenants, two masters, three pursers, two officers of -marines, and two surgeons; besides the captains of the Valdivia<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_391" id="Page_391">[Pg 391]</a></span> and -Galvarino, with five officers belonging to the former. The seamen who -had been paid were allured to remain on shore, in hopes of the year's -pay as a premium; and when an officer from the very vessels of war whose -co-operation had placed San Martin at the head of the Peruvian -government went ashore for the purpose of recruiting foreign seamen for -the future operations of the squadron, against the two Spanish frigates -still in the Pacific, he was incarcerated. But the most infamous -transaction that can possibly blacken the character of a ruler took -place on the night of the twenty-sixth.</p> - -<p>At midnight Lord Cochrane was informed that Colonel Paroissien and -Captain Spry had been on board the brig of war, Galvarino, and shortly -afterwards Captain Simpson of the Araucano came on board the flag ship, -and delivered to his lordship the paper which he had received from these -two honourable gentlemen; stating, that the squadron of Chile was under -the command of the General in chief, and not under that of the Admiral, -who was an inferior officer in the service; and that, consequently, it -was the duty of the captains and commanders to obey the orders they -might<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_392" id="Page_392">[Pg 392]</a></span> receive from San Martin. After leaving the Araucano, the two -edecanes, military and naval, went on board the Valdivia, where they -found Captain Crosbie of the flag ship, on a visit to Captain Cobbett of -the Valdivia.</p> - -<p>After delivering to Captain Cobbett a paper similar in import to the one -left with Captain Simpson, the two gentlemen began to expatiate on the -munificence and liberality of their employer; the preference which an -officer ought to give to the service of a rich and extensive state to -that of Chile, which must necessarily dwindle into its former -insignificance, and become tributary to Peru for its support; that the -authority of the Protector of Peru over the whole of the Chilean forces -was unquestionable, and it consequently became the duty of every officer -belonging to the expeditionary forces to obey the orders of their -general in chief. On being asked, if, for disobedience of orders or -mutinous conduct, they should subject themselves to a court martial by -the order of the Admiral, whether the authority of the Protector would -ensure to them a favourable sentence or an honourable acquittal, they -became silent. This was bringing the argument too close, and perhaps the -idea of a trial and a sentence were not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_393" id="Page_393">[Pg 393]</a></span> very congenial to the feelings -of the nocturnal commissioners, at that time "in or belonging to" the -squadron of Chile. Perceiving that the result was not likely to answer -their expectations, and that Captain Crosbie had left them on board the -Valdivia and gone to the flag-ship, they judged it more prudent to visit -the Admiral, than to run any risk of being compelled to do it. At one -o'clock the boat came alongside, and Colonel Paroissien requested an -interview with his lordship, which was granted; but Captain Spry justly -thought himself more secure in the boat, and remained there. After some -extraordinary conversation between Lord Cochrane and Paroissien, who -regretted and lamented in the most pathetic manner, "that the present -unlucky difference between the two chiefs should deprive his lordship of -the enjoyment of the command of the Peruvian navy, (which did not exist) -and the possession of property in Peru, which it was the intention of -the Protector to present to him," his lordship put a stop to the -harangue, and said, smiling, "I do not doubt your wishes for my -prosperity, Paroissien, but at present I know you would rather join me -in a bottle of wine than be obliged to continue in your regret and -lamentation."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_394" id="Page_394">[Pg 394]</a></span> After drinking a glass or two of wine, Colonel Paroissien -embarked in his boat and pulled ashore, more happy no doubt when under -the guns of the batteries of Callao than alongside the O'Higgins.</p> - -<p>San Martin having failed in this last honourable attempt to seduce the -officers belonging to the state of Chile, and fearing that the publicity -of the act might induce the people of Peru to be on the alert, ordered -Lord Cochrane, in the most peremptory manner, to leave the bay of -Callao, with the vessels under his command, being persuaded, that, for -want of European seamen, it would be impossible to do so; but on the -sixth of October, eight days after his notification, the whole of the -vessels of war, with two prizes, weighed simultaneously, and stood out -of the bay.</p> - -<p>Having come to an anchor at Ancon, his lordship ordered the Lautaro and -Galvarino to proceed on the eighth to Valparaiso; and the O'Higgins, -Independencia, Valdivia, Auraucano, and prizes San Fernando and Mercedes -weighed and sailed for Guayaquil, where the Admiral had determined to -repair, and refit for a cruize on the coast of Mexico, in search of the -two Spanish frigates.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_395" id="Page_395">[Pg 395]</a></span></p><p>On the fifteenth we reached the Puná in the river Guayaquil, and on the -eighteenth came to an anchor close to the city, where the squadron was -saluted with twenty-one guns, and the compliment was returned with an -equal number.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_396" id="Page_396">[Pg 396]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XII.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>Revolution and State of Guayaquil....Squadron leaves....Island of -Cocoa....Bay of Fonseca....Visitors from the Shore....Leave -Fonseca....Volcano....Arrive at Acapulco....General Waevell and -Colonel O'Reilly....Letter from Iturbide....Leave -Acapulco....Description of....Gale of Wind off -Tehuantepec....Tacames or Atcames....News of the Enemy....Arrive at -the Puná....Guayaquil....Lord Cochrane hoists the Chilean Flag in -the Vengansa....Conduct of the People at Guayaquil....Treaty with -the Government....Letter from General La Mar....Leave Guayaquil, -and arrive at Huambacho....Callao.</p></blockquote> - -<p>Guayaquil, early in the morning of the ninth of October, 1820, effected -her glorious revolution. The officers belonging to the Peruvian -garrison, and many of the principal inhabitants, had, during the -preceding night, formed the plan, and at daybreak the governor and -several other Spaniards were embarked on board the schooner Alcance, and -sent to the head quarters of the army under General San Martin.</p> - -<p>During the first month after the revolution Guayaquil experienced the -oppression of its<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_397" id="Page_397">[Pg 397]</a></span> governor Escobedo, who, being at the head of the -military force, constituted himself the supreme political and military -chief; but the cabildo circulated the necessary convocation for a -meeting of the deputies of the different towns: they met, and Escobedo -was deposed, and sent to San Martin's head quarters. A Junta was now -formed of three individuals, by the general vote of the deputies; at the -head, as president, was placed Dr. Olmedo, the other two being Ximena -and Roca, who were governing the province on our arrival; but the people -were very much divided in their opinions. Some were in favour of an -incorporation with Peru, under San Martin; others with Colombia, under -Bolivar; while a third party were equally loud in favour of absolute -independence, and seemed to support their opinions with the most solid -arguments.</p> - -<p>A division of the Colombian army was stationed, at this time, at -Babaoyo, commanded by General Sucre, with the view of invading Quito as -soon as the season should permit; yet, excepting such troops as had been -sent from Guayaquil, and placed under the command of General Sucre, the -armed force was under the direction of the government; but the fear of -being invaded by the Spaniards<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_398" id="Page_398">[Pg 398]</a></span> under Aymerich, the president of Quito, -was very visible, and, as a defence to the city, a large fosse had been -cut to the northward of Cuidad Vieja.</p> - -<p>The arrival of the Chilean vessels of war gave the government of -Guayaquil an opportunity of addressing themselves to the Quitenos, -"assuring them, that Peru was entirely free, and that the liberating -naval force had arrived at Guayaquil for the protection of that part of -the new world." This was a ruse de guerre not uncommon in the new world, -and under similar circumstances practised even in the old. On our -arrival General Sucre sent Colonel Ibarra to compliment Lord Cochrane, -as the hero of the Pacific, the magnanimous supporter of Colombian liberty.</p> - -<p>The repairs of the vessels of war being completed so far as they could -be, on the first of December we left Guayaquil, but to our great -annoyance we found, that the leak in the O'Higgins was as bad as ever; -indeed, such was the state of this frigate, that ever since our arrival -at Pisco a hundred and fifty men had been constantly kept at the pumps.</p> - -<p>It may be asserted, that no expedition ever left port under such -peculiarly disadvantageous circumstances as the present. The flag-ship -was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_399" id="Page_399">[Pg 399]</a></span> as rickety as an old basket; indeed it need only be told, that she -was a Russian built fir vessel, nine years old, and was one of those -presented by the Emperor to the King of Spain. Scarcely a bolt could be -found that was not loose, her foremast and bowsprit were both rotten in -the step, the dry rot had taken possession of the greater part of her -timbers; and, it may be added, her crew was composed of every thing but -sailors; for we had only thirteen men on board who could be said to -merit the name, especially if we except the officers. Such was her -state, that when his lordship was asked at Guayaquil, by a gentleman, if -he would come into action with the Spanish frigate Prueba?—"yes," he -answered, "I will lay the O'Higgins alongside the Prueba, and tell our -crew that on board the enemy there are no pumps; this will be quite -sufficient to secure the victory." The crews of the Independencia, -Valdivia, and Araucano were composed of the same materials as that of -the O'Higgins. They had just a sufficient number of seamen to steer -them, natives of different parts of America, marines and runaway -negroes, with about half their complements of officers; yet such was the -persevering spirit of the Admiral, and such his determination to -extinguish the last remains<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_400" id="Page_400">[Pg 400]</a></span> of the Spanish naval force in the Pacific, -that his only wish was to come to close quarters with them.</p> - -<p>Having left the Guayaquil river, we touched at a small port in the -province of Guayaquil, called Salango, where we watered the ships, not -having done this before because his lordship wished to drop down the -river as light as possible; besides, at the Puná it is very difficult to -procure a sufficient quantity of <i>good</i> water. On the eleventh, we -reached the small island of Cocos, so called from the abundance of palms -which grow there. Lord Cochrane landed, and a Felucca hove in sight; a -signal was immediately made to the Valdivia to chase, and having -captured her, she proved to be a deserter from Callao. The men on board -informed his lordship, that after the departure of the Chilean vessels -of war, San Martin not only objected to pay them their arrears, even -those who left the Valdivia at Ancon without the year's pay given to the -rest, and the reward or premium promised, but the foreign seamen at -Callao, who had served in the Chilean fleet, were pressed into the -service of Peru.</p> - -<p>The felucca had been thus manned and sent to the Chorillos, to prevent -all kinds of smuggling; but she had taken up a cargo of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_401" id="Page_401">[Pg 401]</a></span>contraband -goods, part of which were still on board. When the captain was on shore, -the crew rose and took possession of the vessel, which they immediately -named the Retaliation, and went to sea. Their pretence was, that they -were in search of the squadron; this was ridiculous; but as they had -committed no depredations his lordship did not feel himself justified in -punishing them, but allowed them afterwards to escape from the vessels -of war. On the fourteenth we made the coast of Mexico, the leak of the -O'Higgins increasing daily, and on the nineteenth we fortunately entered -the bay of Fonseca or Amapalla, with five feet water in the hold, the -pumps choaked and worn out, without a carpenter on board, without -buckets to bale her, and without a cooper; some beef casks were slung, -and by using every exertion, the frigate was brought to an anchor under -a small island in the bay. Two pumps were now taken out of the Valdivia, -but they proved to be too short for the O'Higgins. Under these -circumstances his lordship ordered two holes to be cut through her -sides, on a level with the birth deck, and two old pumps were placed in -them to carry off the water. She was thus kept from sinking; but on -examining the magazine a great part of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_402" id="Page_402">[Pg 402]</a></span> powder had been damaged by -the water, and the remainder was taken on shore and exposed in the sun -to dry.</p> - -<p>While at anchor here, a canoe came to the island, having two indians on -board, and a young man of a respectable appearance, who informed me, -that every thing was in the most perfect state of tranquillity in -Mexico, and all under the regularly established royal authorities. The -fact was, the young man had been sent from San Miguel, to learn who and -what we were; but of this, by order of the Admiral, I kept him ignorant, -and he began to fear, on hearing the Spanish language spoken, that ours -was a Spanish force sent from Manilla. After conversing a considerable -time, and having been repeatedly assured by him that all was under the -kingly authority in Mexico, I asked him why he bore the tri-coloured -ribbon in his hat; he blushed, hesitated, and then said, "it is too late -to deceive you, the whole of Mexico is independent of Spain; Mexico -declared its independence on the thirteenth of June last, Guadalaxara on -the fourteenth, Tepec on the seventeenth, and San Blas on the -nineteenth; the provinces of Guadalaxara, Tlascala, Guanajuato, Puebla, -Zacatecas, Oajaca, Valladolid, Bajio, Purnandia, and Vera Cruz, have -also declared themselves independent of the capital."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_403" id="Page_403">[Pg 403]</a></span></p><p>All things being ready, we left the bay of Fonseca on the twenty-eighth -of December, and on the following night and the five successive ones, we -were delighted with the sight of a volcano in its greatest state of -activity. The streams of ignited lava rolled down the sides, and at -intervals enormous masses of fiery matter were thrown into the air, and -falling on the sides of the mountain rebounded and fell to the bottom.</p> - -<p>We calculated that our distance from the mountain was about thirty -miles; we were sometimes nearer to it. From its situation we conceived -it to be San Miguel el Viejo, but of this were not quite certain. We -sailed along the coast, which is generally very bold; in some parts the -forests extend to a considerable distance from the sea side, and near to -the coast are a great abundance of coco-nut palms; from some of them we -procured nuts, but they were very small, perhaps from a want of salt at -the roots of the trees. This supposition is founded on the fact, that I -have seen at different places, where the palms do not grow near the sea, -that the proprietors had occasionally put a quantity of salt to the -roots, without which they produced no fruit. In other parts the coast -was intersected with small ravines, having generally a stream of water<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_404" id="Page_404">[Pg 404]</a></span> -in each, and some few huts were scattered about on the sides. At one of -these places, called San Pedro, two indians came on board in their -canoe, and brought us some eggs and capsicum pods; for which they were -presented in return with biscuit and tobacco, and they seemed highly -pleased with the exchange. They were both of them low in stature, but -very muscular; their features and complexion much resembling those of -the indians on the coast of Peru; but they could neither of them speak a -word of Spanish, nor could we understand any part of their dialect.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-seventh of January, 1822, we made the mouth of the port of -Acapulco, where we found the brig Araucano, and schooner Mercedes; the -former having been sent ahead to watch the entrance to the harbour, and -the latter to Realejo to obtain information respecting the Spanish -frigates; but unfortunately no intelligence had been received, except -that they had sailed from Acapulco on the third of December, with a -secret destination. On the evening of the same day we entered and came -to an anchor, and his lordship was honoured with a visit from a -deputation sent by the governor in the name of his most serene highness -Don Agustin de Iturbide, then President of Mexico; and of the bishop of -Guamanga, who had been exiled<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_405" id="Page_405">[Pg 405]</a></span> from Peru by the Protector, San Martin, -and who fortunately had been appointed by the government of Mexico to -the see of Puebla de los Angeles, having exchanged a bishopric of twelve -thousand dollars a year for one of forty. The President Iturbide had -been apprized of the arrival of Lord Cochrane on the Mexican coasts by -General Waevell and Colonel O'Reilly, two officers whom the government -of Chile had promoted, and to whom they had given passports, judging -that their services to the state were not tantamount to their pay.</p> - -<p>When at Guayaquil we met with these two gentlemen. They had impressed -the government with the hoax, that they were ambassadors from Chile to -the newly-established authorities in Mexico; but unfortunately the dates -of their passports by the Chilean government were prior to the news of -the establishment of the new authorities in Mexico. After this -anachronism was discovered. Lord Cochrane requested the government to -close the port until the Chilean vessels of war should be ready to sail, -to which they agreed: this was done to prevent any intelligence being -given to the common enemy. The ambassadors remonstrated, and the -government, not wishing to offend that of Chile, was intimidated; but, -when Lord Cochrane requested that they would shew their credentials, -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_406" id="Page_406">[Pg 406]</a></span>the whole hoax became public. Owing to our delay on the coast they had -arrived first at Acapulco, and, in revenge for the disclosure made at -Guayaquil, they had reported both by letter and personally to the -Mexican government, that Lord Cochrane had possessed himself, in a -mutinous manner, of the Chilean squadron, plundered the vessels -belonging to the government of Peru, committed innumerable piracies at -sea, and was coming on the coast of Mexico to repeat such atrocities; -however, at Amapalla I met with her excellency Doña Gregoria Gainsa, the -lady of the present Captain-general of Guatemala, who was at Guayaquil -when the disclosure was made, and when I informed her that I suspected -they would arrive first, her husband had reported the whole of the -transaction to the Mexican government. The information given by Waevell -and O'Reilly had, to our surprize, when we arrived at Acapulco, caused -the fort to be strictly guarded, and afterwards a subsequent -reinforcement entered the town. Thus notwithstanding the politeness of -the governor a suspicious reserve was at first visible. This, however, -in a short time wore off, and the most solemn assurances were given by -the governor of the wish of his Serene Highness Iturbide to cultivate -the friendship of the governments on the southern continent of -emancipated America.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_407" id="Page_407">[Pg 407]</a></span></p><p>On the third of February, after the squadron was under weigh, his -lordship received the following note from the president of Mexico:</p> - -<p>"Most Excellent Sir,—The governor of Acapulco has informed me, by note -dated the twenty-eighth of January, of your happy arrival, and that of -the squadron you honour by commanding, at that port, one of those -belonging to this empire, and adds, that every respect has been paid to -yourself and those who have the glory to serve under you, who have been -treated as friends, ready to assist us in the sacred cause—the -protection of our liberty. Interested, as I am, in the prosperity of my -country, I feel the greatest pleasure in the generous offer of your -excellency, and the liberal determination of our brethren of Chile. I -have ordered the governor of Acapulco to offer to your excellency, on -the behalf of this government and my fellow citizens, our most grateful -acknowledgments.</p> - -<p>"Two commissioners will leave this capital, with orders to communicate -to your excellency matters of high importance to the state: I hope you -will receive them as freemen—the representatives of this great empire, -and with that goodness which is so characteristic of your excellency.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_408" id="Page_408">[Pg 408]</a></span></p><p>"I should feel extremely gratified at having the honour of presenting -to you my respects personally, that we might discuss some points which -would contribute to the glory of this empire, in addition to the many -and interesting services you have rendered to other free states; but a -multiplicity of business deprives me of this honour, which my -commissioners will enjoy, unless your excellency can allow me the -pleasure of accepting our sentiments of gratitude in this court, where -you would be received in the honourable manner you deserve, and every -care would be taken to render your journey and residence as comfortable -as possible.</p> - -<p>"I remain with all due respect, &c., (Signed) Agustin Iturbide. Mexico, -February 1st, 1822."</p> - -<p>The news obtained from a vessel which entered the port on the second of -February, and the day of the arrival of the commissioners, not being -mentioned, his lordship determined to follow the Spanish frigates, -composing the last relic in the Pacific, and on the destruction of which -he was fully determined.</p> - -<p>Acapulco lies in 16° 36´ north latitude, 99° 53´ 45´´ west longitude: -the port enjoys every advantage that can possibly be imagined:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_409" id="Page_409">[Pg 409]</a></span> it is -capacious, has a good anchorage, and is completely land-locked; so that -from the vessels when at anchor, or from the town, the sea cannot be -observed; however, the extreme heat is highly disagreeable. The town is -composed of a parish church, two convents, and about forty houses, with -many huts built of reeds and rushes. The inhabitants are a mixture of -Spaniards, Negroes, Indians, and Chinese, which in several families that -I noticed seems to have produced almost a new race of mortals; for a -great sameness exists in their colour and features. The tinge or colour -of these people is similar to that of the Malay tribes: their foreheads -broad, eyes small and black, rather prominent cheek-bones, small but -tolerably well shaped nose, large lips, and beardless chin; their hair -black and long, their form slender, yet muscular, but none are of a high -stature. A kind of wild ferocity was visible in their countenances, and -rather a haughty independence in their manners, heightened a little, -perhaps, with the idea of being now imperialists; indeed, every thing -here was imperial: the town, the port, the flag, the market, nay, even -the language was imperial. The greater part of the inhabitants wore a -species of uniform, mostly composed of a blue nankeen,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_410" id="Page_410">[Pg 410]</a></span> or stuff jacket -with a red collar, blue trowsers, and a cap; but without shoes or -stockings. The lower classes of females wore full petticoats, and a -chemise, with a long blue and white shawl: their hair is platted in long -slender tresses, and they have no other covering on their heads. Some -indians from the interior had a kind of short shirt, not reaching down -to their waists, breeches, and sandals of raw hide, with a hat, the -crown of which is about three inches high, and the skirts more than -thirty inches in diameter: it is made of the leaves of a tree.</p> - -<p>Some of the muleteers from the interior wore a very picturesque dress; -over an under shirt they had a short one, like the indians, sitting -close to their bodies and arms, blue breeches, the seams being -tastefully embroidered with coloured silks; the calves of their legs -wrapped in buff-coloured leather, carefully tied on, and hanging loose, -with laced boots of the same material and colour; a coloured sash round -their waists, and large black hats on their heads, with a thick roll of -different coloured cloths for a hat-band.</p> - -<p>All the people seemed to be particularly clean both in their clothes and -persons; but this is generally the case in hot climates.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_411" id="Page_411">[Pg 411]</a></span></p><p>The market is but indifferently supplied, and provisions on the whole -are scarce, dear, and of an inferior quality.</p> - -<p>The appearance of the country in the neighbourhood is extremely sterile -and naked; scarcely any vegetables are to be seen, the sandy mountains -rising almost abruptly from the water's edge.</p> - -<p>The climate is excessively hot, the access of cool air being precluded -by surrounding mountains, and very little benefit is derived from the -cut or opening made at the north end of the town, called <i>la ábra de San -Nicolas</i>, for the admission of the sea-breeze: the winter or wet season -is so unhealthy, that few of the white inhabitants remain in the town, -almost every one retires into the interior.</p> - -<p>A large battery stands on an elevation at the southern extremity of this -place; it mounts thirty-one pieces of heavy artillery, and is called the -fort of San Diego. It contains barracks, magazines, and dungeons, named -the gaol, carcel.</p> - -<p>The town was formerly of commercial notoriety, on account of the vessels -which arrived here, commonly from Manilla, called naos de la China; but -as this traffic will now cease, and on account of the mountainous -country lying <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_412" id="Page_412">[Pg 412]</a></span>between it and the capital, a distance of eighty-five -leagues, it is probable that this port will shortly be almost abandoned, -unless, indeed, a commercial intercourse be kept up with the British -East India colonies, which might become of considerable importance, and -which is at present worthy of the attention of English speculators, as -the principal returns would be the precious metals, cochineal, and -indigo.</p> - -<p>On leaving Acapulco, the Independencia, Captain Wilkinson, and Auracano, -Captain Simpson, were ordered to proceed to the bay of California, for -the purpose of purchasing provisions for the vessels of war, and then to -follow us to Guayaquil, Callao, and Valparaiso.</p> - -<p>On the night of the tenth we experienced a very severe gale in the bay -of Tehuantepec, and owing to the bad state of the frigate, we expected -she would go to pieces with every sea that struck her: our only -consolation was, that the Valdivia being almost within hail we should be -enabled to save our lives by taking to the boats, and going on board.</p> - -<p>In the morning the gale subsided, to our no small joy; but a signal of -distress was made by the Valdivia, and afterwards a communication by -telegraph, that a sea had struck her, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_413" id="Page_413">[Pg 413]</a></span> that seventeen timbers had -given way on her larboard side; that for want of pumps the water was -gaining on them considerably, and the men were nearly exhausted with -baling. Some logs of wood were sent from the O'Higgins, together with -every man who fancied himself a carpenter, and the damage done was soon -repaired as well as circumstances would permit.</p> - -<p>On the fifth of March we made the coast of Esmeraldas, and early on the -morning of the seventh we came to an anchor in the port of Tacames or -Atacames.</p> - -<p>After I had landed, my old subjects were both astonished and delighted; -they had heard no tidings of me since the year 1812, and supposed me to -be dead. The news that we obtained here was, that the Spanish general -Crus Mourgeon arrived at this port from Panama, with a number of -officers, and eight hundred men, on the twenty-fifth of December, and -marched to join the forces at Quito; that immediately after he left -Panama, which was on the twenty-eighth of November, the inhabitants -rose, and declared their independence; and this they did although the -two frigates Prueba and Vengansa had arrived after the departure of Crus -Mourgeon; these two frigates, they told us, left the port of Tacames on -the first of January, for Guayaquil<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_414" id="Page_414">[Pg 414]</a></span> and the coast of Peru. With these -advices Lord Cochrane immediately proceeded to Guayaquil river, and we -arrived at the island of Puná on the tenth.</p> - -<p>The intelligence obtained here was, that the Prueba and Vengansa were -several days at anchor off the island; that deputies had been sent from -the city to negotiate with the two captains Don Jose Villegas of the -Prueba, and Don Jose Joaquin Soroa of the Vengansa; that on the -twenty-third of February the Vengansa and sloop of war Alexander had -proceeded up the river to Guayaquil, and on the twenty-fifth the Prueba -had left the river for the port of Callao. On receiving this advice his -lordship stood up the river with the following tide, and came to an -anchor off the city on the morning of the thirteenth, where we found the -Vengansa bearing the Peruvian flag.</p> - -<p>Lord Cochrane was directly informed, that the captains Villegas and -Soroa had negotiated the surrender of the Spanish frigates Prueba and -Vengansa with the commissioners appointed by Don Francisco Salasar, the -Peruvian envoy at Guayaquil; which treaty was ratified by the respective -parties on the fifteenth and sixteenth of February last, the principal -condition being, that the whole of the officers<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_415" id="Page_415">[Pg 415]</a></span> and crews should -receive from the government of Peru all the arrears due to them; that -those who chose to remain in America should enjoy all the privileges of -citizens; and that those who preferred returning to Europe should have -the expenses of their passage defrayed by the government of Peru. After -several inquiries made on shore, it appeared, that when the negotiations -were about to be interrupted by the mutinous crews and some Spanish -officers, who, indignant at the conduct of the captains, in thus selling -the Spanish vessels of war to the enemies of Spain, began to canvass an -opposition, the government of Guayaquil availed themselves of the -subterfuge of having had a correspondence with Lord Cochrane, who with -the Chilean squadron had anchored in the bay of La Manta, in the -province of Guayaquil, on his passage to the capital. This stratagem had -the desired effect: the officers and crews came to the terms offered, -rather than decide the controversy by honorable warfare. On being -positively assured of the transaction, and conscious, that had not the -Chilean squadron driven them to this last action the Spanish captains -never would have surrendered their vessels, his lordship on the morning -of the fourteenth sent Captain Crosbie on board the Vengansa, with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_416" id="Page_416">[Pg 416]</a></span> -orders to hoist at her peak the flag of Chile jointly with that of Peru.</p> - -<p>This act created great confusion in the city, the gunboats were -immediately manned, and pieces of cannon were brought down to the side -of the river, where the people employed themselves in placing logs of -wood to serve as a breastwork; the Spanish sailors appeared to take a -more than active part in resenting this insult offered to the vessel, -which a few days previously they had cowardly sold to their enemies, -through the fear of having to defend her while under the Spanish flag; -indeed every thing on shore bore the most hostile appearance; while on -board the O'Higgins and Valdivia no preparations whatever were made, the -Admiral being too busy in smiling at their warlike preparations and mock -means of defence. On the night of the seventeenth the courage of our -self-constituted enemies was put to the test.</p> - -<p>With the return tide the Valdivia drifted up the river near to where the -Spanish officers and seamen had anchored the gunboats, which the -government had allowed them to manage, as being more acquainted with -naval tactics; but these heroes, supposing that the frigate was about to -attack them, ran the boats on shore,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_417" id="Page_417">[Pg 417]</a></span> and fled to the back of the city, -leaving the natives to replace them on the water before daylight. This, -however, was in vain, and the effects of the preceding night's alarm -were visible on the following morning.</p> - -<p>After some correspondence between the government and the admiral, it was -agreed on the nineteenth, that deputies from both parties should meet -ashore, and adjust such terms as should be most conducive to the public -tranquillity, and to the honour and welfare of all parties. Accordingly, -the government appointed the captain of the port, Don Manuel Lusuriaga, -Dr. Don Bernabé Cornejo, and Captain Indaburu. Lord Cochrane appointed -Captain Crosbie, Captain Cobbett, and myself. Having met at the cavildo, -the following articles were agreed to, and immediately ratified by -Olmedo, Ximena, and Roca (forming the junta of government) and Lord -Cochrane.</p> - -<p>"First.—The frigate Vengansa shall remain as belonging to the -government of Guayaquil; she shall hoist the flag of this state, which -shall be saluted by the Chilean.</p> - -<p>"Second.—The state of Guayaquil guarantees to the Chilean squadron -under the responsibility of forty thousand dollars, that the frigate -Vengansa shall not be delivered to, nor <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_418" id="Page_418">[Pg 418]</a></span>negotiated for with any -governments until those of Chile and Peru shall have decided on what -they may esteem most just. And, moreover, the government of Guayaquil is -bound to destroy her rather than consent that the said vessel shall -serve any other state, till such decision be made.</p> - -<p>"Third.—The corvette Alexander shall be delivered to her owners, or -their assigns, according to the right which they possessed before she -was taken by violence from this river. The owners are to pay the arrears -due to the crew from the date of their last leaving Panama to that of -the fifteenth of February, 1822, with all the other expenses which may -have been incurred; and, in the mean time, she shall not be employed in -any way whatever without the consent of her owners.</p> - -<p>"Fourth.—Any government whatever which henceforward may be established -in Guayaquil shall be bound to the fulfilment of the articles here -expressed.</p> - -<p>"Fifth.—These articles, herein written and agreed to, shall be -understood literally, in good faith, and without any mental -amplifications or restrictions. Guayaquil, &c."</p> - -<p>After the ratification of these articles, the government of Guayaquil -addressed a polite<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_419" id="Page_419">[Pg 419]</a></span> note to Lord Cochrane, expressing the highest -sentiments of respect for the most important services which the free -states of America had received from him, assuring him, at the same time, -that Guayaquil would always be the first to honour his name, and the -last to forget his unparalleled services, to which she owed her -emancipation from the yoke of Spain.</p> - -<p>On the twentieth the Guayaquil flag was hoisted on board the Vengansa by -Captain Lusuriaga and Captain Crosbie, to whom the Peruvian and Chilean -flags were delivered. The O'Higgins immediately saluted the flag with -twenty-two guns, and the salute was returned from the guns placed on -shore; and afterwards the gunboats hoisted the Chilean flag, and saluted -it with twenty-two guns.</p> - -<p>It having been asserted in Peru, before Lord Cochrane left the bay of -Callao in October, 1821, that he would supply the garrisons of the -fortresses with provisions, on condition that they would not surrender -to San Martin, his lordship availed himself of the present opportunity -with General la Mar, who was the governor of Callao, and who being now -at Guayaquil, to write to him through the hands of the government, -requesting him to answer, whether he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_420" id="Page_420">[Pg 420]</a></span> did succour or promise to succour -the garrisons of Callao, during the time that he was employed in the -blockade of that port?</p> - -<p>To this La Mar answered:</p> - -<p>"Most Excellent Sir,—In consequence of the official note which I -yesterday received from your excellency, through the hands of the -government, it is my duty to assert, that I have neither said nor -written, nor ever heard that you did supply or propose to supply with -provisions the place of Callao during the whole of the time that it was -under my charge. God preserve your excellency many years. (Signed) Jose -de la Mar. Guayaquil, March 13th, 1822."</p> - -<p>On the twenty-first we weighed, his lordship giving orders to Captain -Crosbie to trip the anchor, and to kedge down the river, by which means -he would have a better opportunity to mark the channel, and form a plan -of it, should it ever become necessary to ascend it without the -assistance of a pilot. The second tide took us to the Puná, where we -remained till the twenty-fifth, the boats being employed in bringing -water and some provisions from Balao, on the opposite side of the river.</p> - -<p>Having left Guayaquil river on the twenty-fifth of March, we arrived on -the twelfth of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_421" id="Page_421">[Pg 421]</a></span> April at the small port of Huambacho, on the coast of -Peru, where to our surprise and astonishment the alcalde of the village -shewed his lordship a written order from San Martin, stating that should -any of the vessels of war belonging to Chile touch at the said port, he -was to forbid their landing, and to deny them any assistance whatever, -and not even to allow them to wood or water there.</p> - -<p>Exasperated at this conduct, his lordship proceeded to Callao, but not -before he had convinced the alcalde, that he had not the power to -enforce such orders from his master. We arrived at Callao on the -twenty-fifth, where the first object of instability in the new -government which we observed was five different Peruvian flags flying in -the bay and on the batteries.</p> - -<p>We here found the Prueba under Peruvian colours, and commanded by one of -the captains who had deserted the Chilean squadron; but such was the -dread that Lord Cochrane would take possession of her, that she was -immediately hauled close in shore under the batteries, her guns housed, -her ports closed, and so crammed she was with soldiers, for her defence, -that three men died with suffocation the night after our arrival. I was -assured, that no less than two<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_422" id="Page_422">[Pg 422]</a></span> thousand men were crowded on her upper -deck, as if such a mob could have intimidated Lord Cochrane, had he been -authorized to take possession of her, after she had been driven into the -bay of Callao by his efforts, and there purchased from her traitorous -crew by the Peruvian government.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_423" id="Page_423">[Pg 423]</a></span></p> - -<h2>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> - -<blockquote><p>Commercial Code at Lima....Provincial Statutes announced....Liberty -of the Press....Foreigners declared amenable to the -Laws....Institution of the Order of the Sun....New Commercial -Rules....Titles changed....Order to convene the Constituent -Congress....San Martin delegates his Authority to the Marquis de -Torre Tagle....San Martin leaves Lima and returns....Army defeated -under Tristan at Ica....State of Lima on our Arrival....Visit of -Monteagudo to Lord Cochrane....San Martin annuls the Treaty at -Guayaquil....Exile of Spaniards from Lima....Lord Cochrane leaves -Callao for Valparaiso....Spanish Vessels that surrendered to the -Chilean Squadron....Convention of Chile meets....Monteagudo exiled -from Lima....Disturbances in Chile....San Martin arrives at -Valparaiso....O'Higgins abdicates....Lord Cochrane leaves the Pacific.</p></blockquote> - -<p>On the eighth of October, 1821, the provisional commercial code or -reglamento was published; but, agreeably to the short sighted colonial -system, only Callao and Huanchaco were declared free ports to all -friends and allies. This reglamento established, that all vessels should -within ten hours after their arrival deliver up their bills of lading; -within forty-eight begin to unload, or leave the port within six days.</p> - -<p>Within the said forty-eight hours a consignee, being a citizen of Peru, -was to be named<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_424" id="Page_424">[Pg 424]</a></span> by the captain or supercargo. All goods in foreign -bottoms were to pay twenty per cent. on the value of the whole, -according to the prices current in Peru. All goods introduced in vessels -under the flags of Chile, Buenos Ayres, or Colombia, to pay in the same -manner eighteen per cent., and those under the flag of Peru sixteen. All -manufactured goods which might injure the industry of the country to pay -double duty. Coined silver to pay the exportation duty of five per cent. -and gold two and a half: the exportation of gold and silver in bar or -wrought absolutely prohibited. The produce of Peru exported in foreign -vessels to pay five per cent.; in vessels belonging to Chile, Buenos -Ayres, or Colombia, three and a half, and in Peruvian three per cent. -The payment of importation duties to be in three equal parts, one at -forty days after debarkation, one at a hundred and twenty, and one at a -hundred and eighty. All consignees absolutely prohibited the retailing -of their consignments.</p> - -<p>The coasting trade to be confined to vessels belonging to the state, but -limited to the ports of Paita, Huacho, and Pisco. Any vessel introducing -foreign manufactures, except at Callao or Huanchaco, to be seized and -condemned, both hull and cargo.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_425" id="Page_425">[Pg 425]</a></span></p><p>The most extraordinary article inserted in this reglamento was, that -goods landed at Huanchaco, the port to Truxillo, were not to pass the -river Santa, under the penalty of being seized as contraband.</p> - -<p>On the ninth of October the provisional statutes and administration of -justice were sworn to by the government; and the creation of the Order -of the Sun was announced with the greatest possible pomp.</p> - -<p>On the thirteenth the liberty of the press was declared, permitting any -individual to publish freely his thoughts, without any previous revision -or approbation; but all abuse of religion or of the principles of -morality, every thing likely to disturb public tranquillity, or to wound -the honour of any citizen, to be subject to the penalty inflicted by the -junta conservadora of the liberty of the press.</p> - -<p>On the seventeenth an order of the government was published, -establishing all foreigners residing in Peru in the rights of -citizenship, subjecting them at the same time to the laws of the -country, and the orders of the government, and depriving them of the -intervention of the commanders of the vessels of war belonging to their -respective nations. All foreigners were also declared liable to take -arms in the support of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_426" id="Page_426">[Pg 426]</a></span> social order, but not against the common enemy, -and to be subject to contributions levied by the government, in the same -manner as the citizens of the state.</p> - -<p>On the twentieth of October the institute of the Sun was established; it -was declared to consist of three classes, founders, well-deservers -(benemeritos) and associates or fellows. The badge of the first class -was a white ribbon from the right shoulder to the left side, having two -gold tassels and a golden medallion of the order; with the title of -honourable lordship;—the second class to have a gold medal hanging to a -white ribbon placed round the neck; with the address of lordship;—and -the third a silver medal hanging to the breast on the left side. The -medals to bear the arms of the state, to be of an elliptical figure, and -to have on the superior part, on a white field, "Peru;" on the inferior, -on a red field, "To her Liberators." The pensions of the order to be -paid out of the fund of forty thousand dollars imposed by the king of -Spain on the mitres of America for the provisions of the knights of -Charles III. and Isabel la Catolica. The oath to be—"I swear by my -honour, and promise to my country to defend the independence, liberty -and integrity of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_427" id="Page_427">[Pg 427]</a></span> state of Peru; to maintain public order, and to -procure the general felicity of America, devoting to those ends my life -and my property."</p> - -<p>Twenty-six founders were named by the Protector, who constituted himself -<span class="smcap">President</span> of the order; among these were included two captains who had -abandoned the Chilean squadron at Callao; one hundred and thirty-eight -of well-deservers, including Captain Spry; and one hundred and two -associates or fellows, among whom were the dean of the cathedral, five -counts, two marquises, five generals, seven friars, canons of the -church, shopkeepers, surgeons, farmers, and deserters from the Chilean -squadron.</p> - -<p>Not content with this creation of male nobility, one hundred and twelve -knightesses of the sun were nominated, including two countesses, four -marchionesses, and of every class, even to Doña Rosa Campusano, the -favourite of his excellency, the creator of the order; and to complete -the corps, thirty-two nuns were added, who might have been honoured with -the ancient Peruvian title of Virgins of the Sun. The Honourable and -Illustrious Don Bernardo Monteagudo was appointed secretary, and General -the Honourable Don Diego Paroissien master of the ceremonies, <i>pro tem.</i></p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_428" id="Page_428">[Pg 428]</a></span></p><p>As the badge of the order was of the most vital importance, it was -decreed on the thirty-first of October, that, instead of a medallion, a -golden sun should be suspended to the ribbon of the fundadores, -benemeritos, and asociados; but the size of it was to be limited -according to the rank of the bearer.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-third of October a committee was appointed to frame a -constitutional code or reglamento de administration de justicia for -Peru, San Martin having determined on being a legislator as well as a -liberator; and, as he himself said, on "being crowned with laurels till -he could not nod." About this time some verses made their appearance, -addressed to the Protector, under the epithet of Emperor of Peru. The -idea of an imperial crown was obnoxious to the Peruvians, and some -street clamour induced the government to announce its supreme -displeasure at such productions.</p> - -<p>Desertion in the liberating army now became prevalent, and the -government was obliged to issue a decree, stating that any person who -should harbour or protect a deserter in his house, or on his property, -should subject himself to a general confiscation for the first offence, -and to perpetual exile for a repetition. All slaves were invited to -inform against their masters,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_429" id="Page_429">[Pg 429]</a></span> under the assurance of manumission, -should the crime of occultation be proved. On the thirty-first of -October a new tariff for the coasting trade was published, superseding -the one of the twenty-eighth of September, with the addition of the -ports of Nasca, Cañete, and Pacasmayo, and also allowing foreigners to -sell their own cargoes, without the intervention of a native consignee, -on their paying twenty-five, instead of twenty per cent.; and on the -twenty-first of November all foreigners, as well as citizens, being -merchants, were ordered to enrol their names at the consulado, (board of -trade,) that they might all be equally taxed with such contributions as -the government might judge necessary to exact.</p> - -<p>Several Spaniards having been apprehended and sent to the public gaol, -accused of sedition and conspiracies, were sentenced, on the twentieth -of November, eight to a confiscation of their property, and exile to -Europe, and thirteen to partial confiscation, and exile to Chancay for -two months.</p> - -<p>On Sunday the sixteenth of December the knights of the order of the sun -were decorated with the insignia, by the president of the high chamber -of justice, <i>alta camara de justicia</i>, in the presence of his Excellency -the Protector of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_430" id="Page_430">[Pg 430]</a></span> Peru, institutor of the order, and a most splendid -concourse of the nobility of Peru, with the assistance of Sir Thomas -Hardy, whom the gazette styles the representative of the British nation, -on this occasion. Every care was taken to make this civic feast as -solemn as possible; the troops were formed in the streets; the different -military bands continued playing national airs and marches in the -balcony of the palace; repeated salutes were fired by the artillery -placed in the plasa; all the bells in the city were heard in merry -peals; the illuminations on the nights of the fifteenth, sixteenth, and -seventeenth, were of the most brilliant description; and every nerve was -strained to produce and support harmony and conviviality on this festive -occasion. After the ceremony of condecoration, the procession left the -palace and proceeded to the church of Santo Domingo, where a solemn Te -Deum was chanted, and high mass celebrated, in thanks to the Almighty -for having inspired the supreme government of Lima with such celestial -ideas.</p> - -<p>That the ancient nobility of Peru might not be reduced to a level with -the plebeians, it was decreed on the twenty-seventh of December, that -they should preserve their armorial bearings on the fronts of their -houses, as usual, and all the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_431" id="Page_431">[Pg 431]</a></span> solar nobility were permitted by the same -decree to place on theirs a sun, with the initials of the class to which -they belonged in the centre. It was also ordered on the same day, that -those persons who had enjoyed titles during the Spanish domination, -under the name of titles of Castile, should enjoy the same honours under -the appellation of titles of Peru, or change them for such as might -appear more congenial to the then existing state of things. Thus we have -a republic with counts, marquises, viscounts, &c. which is certainly an -anomaly, and worthy of the wisdom that planned it.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-seventh, the Protector, with the advice of the council of -state, ordered, that on the first of May, 1822, the general constituent -congress of Peru should meet in the capital; and that proxies should be -named for such provinces as were oppressed by the enemy. The object of -this congress was to be, only, the definitive form of the established -government, and the formation of a constitution most proper for Peru, -according to the circumstances of its territory and population: any -other powers given to the deputies to be considered null and of no -effect.</p> - -<p>It was further ordered, that a previous committee be appointed in Lima, -to draw up the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_432" id="Page_432">[Pg 432]</a></span> plan for the election of deputies, and to prepare the -basis of the constitution, to be finished before the reunion of the -congress. Thus the laws of the nation were to be formed by a private -committee, under the guidance of San Martin and his ministers, and the -congress were to be called in to sanction the proceeding. This duplicity -was ultimately the cause of the Protector's <i>voluntary</i> abdication.</p> - -<p>On the nineteenth of January, 1822, the Protector announced, that he was -about to leave Lima on a visit to Guayaquil, where he expected to meet -the Liberator of Colombia, the immortal <span class="smcap">Bolivar</span>, for the purpose of -consulting with him on matters of the highest importance to the state. -All his executive powers were delegated to the gran mariscal Marquis de -Torre Tagle, to the due obedience of whose orders, the tribunals, -ministers, corporation, chiefs of the army and navy were called upon to -swear. This ceremony took place on the twentieth. The first decree of -the supreme delegate was, that all unmarried Spaniards, who should leave -the state, were to deliver to the national treasury one half of their -property, and in case of any attempt at fraud, the whole to be -confiscated, and the persons to be exiled. It<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_433" id="Page_433">[Pg 433]</a></span> also contained other -articles respecting Spaniards residing in Peru.</p> - -<p>On the third of March the Protector announced in Lima, that having -touched at Huanchaco in his passage to Guayaquil, he received official -communication that the Liberator of Colombia had changed his plans, and -would not be at Guayaquil as was expected; he had, in consequence, -returned to Callao; but that it was his will that the Marquis de Torre -Tagle should continue in the full exercise of the authority delegated to -him. San Martin then retired to the country residence of the ex-viceroy -Pesuela, at La Magdalena, which village immediately changed its name to -that of the town of the free, "pueblo de los libres."</p> - -<p>On the thirty-first of March the Spanish frigate Prueba arrived at -Callao, and was immediately delivered up to the Peruvian government by -her commander, Larrigada, according to the treaty concluded in Guayaquil -on the sixteenth of February. The supreme delegate immediately went on -board, and the Peruvian flag being hoisted, the name of the frigate was -changed to that of Protector. Again, this acquisition was "the fruit of -the enthusiasm, and sacrifices of the officers and soldiers who were -present at the important moment, as witnesses of this memorable -success."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_434" id="Page_434">[Pg 434]</a></span></p><p>The government of Lima, aware of the importance of the possession of -the valleys of Pisco and Ica, not only in a mercantile point of view, -but as a military position, where a communication might be kept open -with the provinces of Upper Peru, and the enemy, then in Huamanga, and -other adjacent points, prevented from making incursions on the valuable -estates situated along the coast—San Martin, as prime mover, (although -the civil authority was exercised by his delegate, Torre Tagle, and -General Alvarado had been appointed by him general in chief of the army) -ordered a force of two thousand men, with their respective officers, to -Ica, under the command of General Don Domingo Tristan, who a few months -before was a Colonel of Militias, in the province of Arequipa, and whose -career had been the ploughshare and the pruning hook, not the sword and -the lance: a man entirely unknown as a soldier, and if known at all in -Lima, it was as a complete gambler, and a public lounger. But perhaps -the intercession of the Protectress, formerly the public favourite of -Tristan, might on this occasion have been acceptable, (in despite of the -superior qualifications of many officers in the army, although the brave -General las Heras and several other chiefs had retired) and acquired for -her <i>galan de aquel tiempo</i> so <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_435" id="Page_435">[Pg 435]</a></span>honourable an appointment. However, on -the thirteenth of April, the following proclamations appeared in Lima: -"Limenians! The division of the south, without having been beaten, has -been surprised, and dispersed; in a long campaign all cannot be -prosperity; you know <i>my</i> character, and you know that <i>I</i> have always -spoken the truth to all—I do not mean to search for consolation in -conflicts, notwithstanding I dare to assure you, that the iniquitous and -tyrannical empire of the Spaniards in Peru will cease in the year -twenty-two.—I will make an ingenuous confession to you: it was my -intention to go in search of repose after so many years of agitation, -but I believed your independence was secured; some trifling danger now -presents itself, and so long as there remains the least appearance of -it, until you are free you shall not be left by your faithful -friend,—San Martin."</p> - -<p>"Companions of the United Army!—Your brothers in the division of the -south have not been beaten, but they have been dispersed; to you it -belongs to revenge this insult: you are valiant, and have known long ago -the path to glory! Sharpen well your bayonets and your swords! The -campaign of Peru shall finish in this year! Your old general ensures it; -prepare then to conquer!—San Martin."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_436" id="Page_436">[Pg 436]</a></span></p><p>On the same day the following was issued by the Marquis de Torre Tagle: -"Compatriots! The division of the south has suffered a reverse; this is -the first we have experienced amid so many glories. It is of no -importance; the grand army yet lives, and will, before the end of -twenty-two, leave not one enemy existing among us. Compatriots! To be -free and happy, only requires you to decide as I have, like those heroes -who have come to restore to Peru her rights, to lose every thing, to die -before they will return to slavery! Imitate this example as you have -done at other times, and the result will be the same, because valour and -enthusiasm, well directed, always ensure victory and peace; you deserve -both, prepare for every sacrifice but that of your liberty.</p> - -<p class="right">"Torre Tagle."</p> - -<p>The two supreme chiefs united on the thirteenth in a proclamation to the -inhabitants of the interior, assuring them, that the loss of the -division, a few days before called the liberating army of the south, -"weighed nothing in the balance of the destiny of Peru; Providence, say -they, protects us, and by this action she will accelerate the ruin of -the enemies of Peru—proud of their first victory, they will spare us -part of our march in search of them, which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_437" id="Page_437">[Pg 437]</a></span> was to have been done. Fear -not, the army that drove them twice from the capital, is ready to punish -them a third time, and to punish them for ever!" Had the action taken -place at any great distance from the capital, the truth of the -transaction might have remained for some time enveloped in mystery; or -had the inhabitants of Lima not already been taught by the Spaniards to -become sceptics, this furious bombast might have been believed; but the -account was soon rightly explained by the few who escaped, and who -arrived at Lima; these were but few: the number that fortunately found -an opportunity to take to their heels, and availed themselves of their -swiftness, were very quickly secured, and sent to Callao, to prevent as -much as possible a circulation of the truth.</p> - -<p>On the night of the seventh of April the Spaniards under Cantarac and -Caratalá advanced on the Americans under Tristan, who, for want of the -most ordinary precautions, were completely surrounded, and at day break, -with the exception of the general, part of his staff, and a few -officers, the whole division was in the power of the enemy. The loss of -the liberating army was about two thousand men killed or taken -prisoners, five thousand <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_438" id="Page_438">[Pg 438]</a></span>muskets, the military chest, containing -upwards of a hundred thousand dollars, ammunition, luggage, equipage, -printing press, and every utensil belonging to it. Notwithstanding all -this, we are told, that "the Spaniards are ignorant that the balance of -power is in our hands, because Providence is on our side, opinion and -strength favour the interests of Peru, <span class="smaller">SHE SHALL BE FREE BECAUSE SHE -WILLS IT SO, AND BECAUSE IT IS TIME THAT SHE WAS!!!</span>"</p> - -<p>On the twenty-fourth of April a decree was published against the -Spaniards residing in Lima, imposing the penalty of exile and -confiscation of property on those who should appear in the streets -wearing a cloak. That of confiscation of property and exile when more -than two should be found together in any private conversation. That of -death on those who should be found out of their houses after sunset. And -that of confiscation and death on all those who should be found to -possess any kind of weapons excepting the knives necessary for the -service of their tables.</p> - -<p>This was the state of affairs in Peru when Lord Cochrane arrived on the -twenty-fifth of April. The supreme authority was employed in issuing -decrees contradictory to one another, in opposition to the most solemn -promises made<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_439" id="Page_439">[Pg 439]</a></span> and repeated by the Protector, both before and after he -assumed this title, in violation of justice and reason, and all -contributing to produce discontent, disunion, and anarchy.</p> - -<p>The enemy were victorious, the patriots dreaded some dire reverse, the -remains of the army were discontented, finding that not one promise made -to them had been fulfilled; the gold and silver had disappeared, and -paper money had been issued by the government; the contributions were -increasing, and were exacted at the point of the bayonet; while the -Protector of the liberty of the country, after having been employed for -six months in creating orders of knighthood, establishing tribunals, -sketching embroideries, and inventing uniforms, had retired to his -country house, to rest from his labours!</p> - -<p>Many individuals who, when we left Callao in October, 1821, condemned -the conduct of Lord Cochrane in taking possession of the money at Ancon, -were now convinced that it was not only a warrantable but an -indispensable step to be taken for the preservation of the squadron of -Chile, and of good faith with the crews. The non-fulfilment of the -promises made to the regiment of Numancia had forced them to declare -that they would not march out of Lima against the enemy, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_440" id="Page_440">[Pg 440]</a></span> Captain -Doronsoro was sent, by his brother officers, to inquire, if Lord -Cochrane would receive them on board the Chilean vessels, and convey the -regiment to the nearest point in the territory of Colombia, to which -country they belonged, and to which San Martin had promised to transport -them on the fall of Lima.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-sixth the minister Monteagudo came on board, and lamented -that his lordship should have addressed to the Peruvian government -official communications containing expressions calculated to irritate -their delicate feelings at the moment when the Protector was inclined to -adopt the most conciliatory measures; adding, that at the first news of -his lordship's appearance off the port his excellency had written a -private letter, praying an interview; but that on the receipt of the -official notes, he became so indignant, that he was afraid his delicate -health was in danger. To this his lordship merely answered, that had San -Martin sent a private letter it certainly would have been returned -unopened; adding, "you may tell him, Mr. Monteagudo, that it is not my -wish to injure him; I neither fear him nor hate him; but tell him, I -despise him!" Monteagudo begged of his lordship to go and reside on -shore a few days, saying that the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_441" id="Page_441">[Pg 441]</a></span> house of the supreme delegate was -prepared for his reception. But his lordship most courteously begged to -be excused; and Monteagudo retired not well pleased with what he had -observed in the countenances of all on board, a species of the most -supreme contempt; notwithstanding that, he wore his blazing sun of the -first order, his ribbons, his embroideries, and was accompanied by his -military escort.</p> - -<p>The greatest discontent reigned on shore among the Chileans: it had -circulated, that no Chilean would be promoted nor employed by the -present government of Peru. Whether such was or was not really the -determination of the government might be difficult to prove; but the -fact was, that only one of the nine generals made by San Martin belonged -to Chile, and the ratio among the subalterns was even smaller.</p> - -<p>The Protector of Peru, having been informed of the treaty at Guayaquil, -respecting the Vengansa and the Emperor Alexander, sent down Captains -Carter and Young to take the command of them. This was acceded to by the -government of Guayaquil, and the two vessels again hoisted the Peruvian -flag, although the Alexander, bona fide, belonged to Mr. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_442" id="Page_442">[Pg 442]</a></span>Henderson, and -was under the English flag, when a revolution took place among the crews -of the gunboats in August, 1821, who took possession of her. They -proceeded to Panama, and there delivered her to the Spanish authorities, -who afterwards included her in their treaty with the Peruvian agent at -Guayaquil.</p> - -<p>The most horrid scene during the time of the residence of San Martin in -Peru was reserved for May, 1822. On the night of the fourth a grand ball -was given at the palace, being the first meeting of the knights and -knightesses of the sun; and while they were thus enjoying themselves -parties of soldiers were sent to the houses of the Spaniards, who -dragged them from their beds, and drove them down to Callao, where they -were placed on board the Milagro.</p> - -<p>The distress occasioned by this monstrous breach of promises, of -justice, and humanity, cannot be equalled. Several of these were men of -rank and fortune who had confided in the promises made to them; many of -them had numerous families; octogenarian clergymen, civil and military -officers, all without the least distinction or commiseration, were -seized at midnight, some of them half undressed, others almost naked, -and every individual was forced to travel six miles on foot: they were -then placed on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_443" id="Page_443">[Pg 443]</a></span> board a vessel, where for two days no provisions were -distributed to them, and they were forbidden to hold any communication -with their disconsolate wives and families, who surrounded the vessel in -boats, and rent the air with their shrieks and lamentations. On the -first night two old gentlemen died on board the Milagro for want of -clothing and food; and many would certainly have perished had not the -mercy of San Martin been extended so far as to sell them passports. He -allowed the purchasers to pass from the Milagro to neutral vessels, for -the purpose of leaving Peru for ever; but many of them dared not go to -Spain, because they had remained in Lima when La Serna left it with the -Spanish army, and had afterwards subscribed to the independence of the -country. Some passports were sold at one thousand dollars, others at -ten, according to the quality of the purchaser; and those whose finances -deprived them of the possibility of purchasing their liberation, were -sent to Chile in the Milagro; which vessel, for this most honourable -expedition, had been newly named, and was now called the Monteagudo: a -compliment in every respect merited by that great minister.</p> - -<p>Had General San Martin followed a different<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_444" id="Page_444">[Pg 444]</a></span> line of conduct with regard -to the Spaniards residing in Peru; had he never compromised himself with -such solemn assurances as he made to them, both before and after his -arrival in Lima, his conduct towards them might have admitted some -palliation. Had he from the beginning been silent, and at the earliest -opportunity exiled them, the same expression which he used on the -subject of calling a congress or national representation, that "a -knowledge of what had passed in Colombia, Chile and Buenos Ayres, during -twelve years of revolution, would have been a reasonable pretence for -what he did," might have justified the proceeding. He repeatedly -promised to them security, and frequently told them, that their persons -and property should be inviolable; and their confidence lost them all -claim to the protection of the laws of their native country; they had -moreover sworn allegiance to its enemy, and had explicitly become -traitors; and when his plans were thus far in a state of ripeness, he -exiled them from their adopted homes, from their families, from all -their comforts, and cast them out a despairing, wandering, forlorn -tribe, surrounded with misery; but their last breath will be employed in -execrating his duplicity.</p> - -<p>I am well aware that the Spaniards were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_445" id="Page_445">[Pg 445]</a></span> dangerous persons in America -and that many of them would have employed themselves in thwarting the -operations of the newly-constituted authorities; but this mental -conviction could not sanction such a proceeding as the one just stated, -and at which humanity shudders. But it is now time to wind up the -eventful history of the proceedings of the Protector of Peru; however, -before I lose sight of her shores, perhaps for ever, I must add one more -trait of his barbarity. A female in Lima had dared to speak ill of San -Martin, at the time that a contribution was extorted from her at the -point of the bayonet; she was apprehended, taken to the great square, an -accusatory libel was fastened to her breast, a human bone was put into -her mouth, and tied behind her head; a halter was hung round her neck, -and in this manner she was forced to parade the streets, led by the -common hangman; she was then exiled to Callao, where the poor creature -died on the second day after her arrival.</p> - -<p>Before Lord Cochrane left the bay of Callao he addressed a letter to -Colonel Sanches, an officer belonging to the Chilean troops, expressing -his ardent desire for the complete success of his adopted countryman; to -this note he received the following answer:—"Our best<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_446" id="Page_446">[Pg 446]</a></span> friend,—Nothing -has been so mortifying to us, as that the imperiousness of circumstances -deprives us of the communication which we have most esteemed, and which -would have been of high importance to the views of your excellency.</p> - -<p>"The chiefs, officers and troops who have the honour to serve under the -flag of Chile, have received with the greatest satisfaction the -compliments of your excellency, and promise their eternal gratitude to -their worthy chief, whose soul is devoted to increase the glory of their -country. We have the honour to offer to your excellency the most sincere -tribute of our affection and esteem. (Signed) Jose Santiago -Aldunate.—J. Santiago Sanches."</p> - -<p>On the ninth of May the schooner Montezuma, belonging to Chile, and -which had been lent by the government to General San Martin, as a -tender, entered the port of Callao, under Peruvian colours; his lordship -fired on her, and obliged her to come to an anchor, when he took -possession of her, sending her officers on shore, and on the tenth we -proceeded to Valparaiso, where we arrived on the thirteenth of June.</p> - -<p>On our arrival at Valparaiso his lordship reported his return, adding, -"The anxious desires of his excellency the Supreme Director are now -fulfilled, and the sacrifices of the people of Chile<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_447" id="Page_447">[Pg 447]</a></span> are rewarded; the -naval power of Spain in the Pacific has succumbed, it is now -extinguished, the following vessels having surrendered to the unceasing -efforts of the squadron of this free state:</p> - -<table summary="vessels surrendered"> - <tr> - <td class="left">Frigate Prueba of</td> - <td class="left">50 guns</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Frigate Esmeralda of</td> - <td class="left">44</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Frigate Vengansa of</td> - <td class="left">44</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Ship Resolution of</td> - <td class="left">34</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Ship Sebastiana of</td> - <td class="left">34</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Brig Pesuela of</td> - <td class="left">18</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Brig Potrillo of</td> - <td class="left">16</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class="left">Schooner Prosperina of </td> - <td class="left">14</td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p>Schooner Aransasu, seventeen gunboats, and the armed merchant ships -Aguila and Begona at Guayaquil, and others employed as block ships at -Callao. It is highly gratifying to me, after labouring under such -difficulties as were never before witnessed on board of vessels of war, -to announce the arrival of the Chilean squadron in Valparaiso, its -cradle; where, owing to its constant services in the cause of the -liberty and independence of Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico, it is the -object of admiration and gratitude to the inhabitants of the new -world.—I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) Cochrane."</p> - -<p>A few days after our arrival at Valparaiso, his lordship visited the -capital of Chile, and solicited permission to retire for six months to -his estate of Quintero, unless his services might be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_448" id="Page_448">[Pg 448]</a></span> necessary; when, -at any moment, he would be ready to employ them again in the welfare of -the state; at the same time he requested, in the most earnest manner, -that the officers and crews might be punctually paid all their arrears. -The government acceded to his solicitude, and promised that every -possible attention should be given to the request of the admiral, and -after some delay it was finally complied with.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-third of July, 1822, the National Congress of Chile met at -Santiago; it was opened by the Supreme Director, Don Bernardo O'Higgins, -who made a tender of his directoral authority to the representatives of -the republic, and concluded his harangue with—"Compatriots! my command -is at an end—defects are inseparable from humanity—the most difficult -circumstances have surrounded me on every side—perhaps my want of -knowledge and experience may have led me to commit errors against my -children, (allow this tender expression to my feelings)—I can never -forget the honours I have received, and I hope that my days will be -prolonged by my gratitude, until I see Chile as happy and as prosperous -as the most flourishing countries of the earth."</p> - -<p>Immediately after the director had retired, the convention waited upon -him, and reinstated<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_449" id="Page_449">[Pg 449]</a></span> him in the supreme executive authority, with the -following compliment: "The representatives of Chile most sincerely thank -your excellency for the wisdom with which you have managed the affairs -of the nation; when a constitution is formed that shall specify the time -of the fatigues of the magistrates, the representatives may admit of -your resignation, and then your excellency will enjoy your retirement in -glory, and future generations will sing hymns of love and gratitude to -your name."</p> - -<p>The first meeting of the preparatory convention was on the twenty-ninth, -at ten o'clock in the morning.</p> - -<p>On the twenty-first of September, 1822, the news arrived in Chile, that -Don Bernardo Monteagudo had been deposed from the ministry, and exiled -from Peru.</p> - -<p>The following are extracts from the papers published in Lima:</p> - -<p>"Lima had scarcely obtained a glimpse of a flattering futurity, when a -cunning, froward, and saucy individual, a traitor to the confidence of -the government that had elevated him to the ministry, began to stifle -our patriotism and its defenders. This insolent minister rewarded all -praise-worthy services with the most gross invectives, and the most -scandalous persecutions.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_450" id="Page_450">[Pg 450]</a></span> His intriguing ambition filled our gazettes -with a multitude of decrees in opposition to the plans which he himself -had prescribed. His decrees were written that they might be read, not -that they might be obeyed.</p> - -<p>"Unfortunately for us, the genius of the revolution, San Martin, had to -absent himself twice from our capital, to meet the Washington of -Colombia. This perfidious oppressor availed himself of his absence to -manifest the whole perversity of his soul. Until that period his -persecutions were underhand, but they now became barefaced. All -Spaniards were considered rich, they, their families and property, -consequently became the prey of his insatiable avarice; and at the same -time, those patriots who had contributed most to the success of the -liberating army were persecuted to the utmost extremity. He formed a -long list of proscriptions of men who were to be exiled for ever from -their native country, and whose only crimes were their patriotic -virtues, for the extinction of which he had formed a nest of the vilest -spies, who unceasingly watched the steps of every man of honour. Great -God! what an epoch of misery!</p> - -<p>"Every honourable citizen found in Don Bernardo Monteagudo (this is the -name of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_451" id="Page_451">[Pg 451]</a></span> monster of whom we speak) an enemy who at any price would -have sacrificed him. How many victims has he not sacrificed in his one -year's ministry! More than eight hundred honourable families have been -by him reduced to extreme indigence, and the whole city to a state of -misery.</p> - -<p>"Among the patriots at Lima, nothing was thought of but where they might -find an asylum in a foreign land. Without agriculture, commerce, -industry, personal security, property, and laws, what is society but a -mansion of the most afflicting torments!</p> - -<p>"The religion of our forefathers suffered an equal persecution in its -ministers and its temples; these were deprived of their riches, not for -the service of our country, but for the reward of espionage, and to -deceive us with useless trickeries. The satellites of this bandit were -equally despotic with himself, and committed, under his protection, the -most horrid crimes. This is not a proper place in which to insert the -baseness with which he abused the delicacy and debility of females. -Fathers of families **** every man was intimidated; every feeling man -wept because all were the victims of the caprice of this insolent -despot, who made an ostentation of atheism and ferocity.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_452" id="Page_452">[Pg 452]</a></span></p><p>"It is impossible to recapitulate his actions; volumes would be -necessary to shew to the world the arbitrary crimes of this factious -individual. It would appear, that for the commission of so many offences -he must have had some cause that impelled him, for they could not -possibly be the effects of ignorance. It was impossible to believe that -by insulting and ruining every one; plundering our property; despising -the ingenuity and talents of the Peruvians; and endeavouring to -introduce anarchy, he could be long tolerated in this capital.</p> - -<p>"His ambition was unlimited, having constituted himself the arbiter of -the government. He had the assurance to dictate orders and decrees in -opposition to those of the provincial statute, subscribing to them the -name of the supreme authority; thus bringing it into contempt. Such -conduct, when the enemy's army was within twenty leagues of Lima, and -our government scarcely established, proves that his views were directed -to undermine the state. Was the reducing of Peru to the most degrading -slavery, that of obeying his capricious will, the means to make <i>us</i> -happy or even <i>himself</i>?</p> - -<p>"Foreigners also began to suffer all kinds of vexations and pilferings, -with his <i>carta de morada</i> (letter of residence), without considering<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_453" id="Page_453">[Pg 453]</a></span> -that the felicity of the country depended on its increase of industrious -inhabitants. Owing to this, none have established themselves in Lima, it -being worthy of observation, that not even one person has purchased a -house or any immoveable property. And is not this a proof of general -disgust and a want of confidence?</p> - -<p>"In fine, such repeated acts of despotism irritated the people of Lima -to that degree, that an explosion became inevitable. In eight days after -the Protector left the capital, his insults to the patriots were -incalculable. He caballed in the most barefaced manner to place in the -coming congress his own creatures. He hurried off those whom he had -sentenced to exile, because they were the favourites of the people; and -in the exercise of his fury Lima took the alarm."</p> - -<p>On the twenty-fifth of July the people of Lima assembled in the plasa, -and insisted on a cavildo abierto, a public meeting of the corporation; -this was immediately complied with, and the general voice of the people -was, "let the minister Monteagudo be deposed, let him be tried, let him -experience the severity of the law." At seven o'clock in the evening of -the same day, a note was addressed by the corporation to the Supreme -Delegate, requesting that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_454" id="Page_454">[Pg 454]</a></span> the minister might be deposed; the council of -state met, and convinced of the necessity of separating Monteagudo from -the ministry, immediately informed him of the state of affairs, when to -save appearances he made a tender of his appointment, which was -accepted, and the supreme delegate in answer to the note of the -corporation, assured them, that the ex-minister should be called upon to -answer before a committee of the council of state for his past -administration, according to the provisional statutes.</p> - -<p>This note was answered on the twenty-sixth by the municipality -requesting that the ex-minister should be placed under an arrest, until -called upon for his defence, which request was immediately put into -execution. The people of Lima being aware of the ascendancy which -Monteagudo held over the delegate, Torre Tagle, and fearing that some -crafty subterfuge might be practised to replace him in authority, met -again on the twenty-ninth, when the corporation, to pacify the popular -commotion, requested of the government, that the ex-minister should be -embarked privately, and exiled for ever from the state; this was acceded -to, and on the thirtieth, the anniversary of his arrival in Lima, -Monteagudo was sent down to Callao, under an escort, and at six o'clock -in the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_455" id="Page_455">[Pg 455]</a></span>evening he left the port. This ambitious individual was -assassinated at Lima on the night of the twenty-eighth of January, 1825, -having returned under the protection of Bolivar, and the expectation of -being replaced in the ministry.</p> - -<p>While these affairs were transacting in Lima, the Protector, San Martin, -was at Guayaquil, where he had proceeded for the purpose of soliciting -troops from Bolivar, for the prosecution of his campaigns in Peru. It is -impossible to ascertain what took place in the private conference -between those two chiefs, but the result was not at all favourable to -San Martin, for he returned in dudgeon to Callao, when to his surprise -and mortification, he was informed, that his arch-minister had been -exiled for ever during his absence. Before his excellency ventured on -shore, he had an interview with the principal officers of the army; who -assured him that the troops were faithful to him, and under this -certainty he presented himself at the palace in Lima, where in the most -unbecoming language, he reprobated the whole of the proceeding, -threatened his councillors of state, the corporation and the city -itself, and declared, that he should immediately recall Monteagudo and -reinstate him in the ministry. Notwithstanding the deference and respect -which he had been accustomed to receive from every one who <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_456" id="Page_456">[Pg 456]</a></span>acknowledged -his authority, he was wounded at observing, that the Limenians were not -intimidated at his promised vengeance, and leaving the palace he betook -himself to his country house near to Callao.</p> - -<p>In the beginning of October, the arbitrary conduct of Rodrigues, the -minister of war and finance in Chile, began to excite the public -indignation, and petitions from every part of the state were forwarded -to the supreme director, O'Higgins, praying his removal from the -ministry. Crimes the most injurious to the prosperity of the state; his -sordid venality, monopoly of commercial transactions, and even illegal -appropriations of the public funds, were brought against him, in the -most tangible shape; and yet all this was not sufficient, even with the -knowledge of what had transpired in Peru, to force him to resign, or to -induce O'Higgins to dismiss him. At the time that all Chile was in this -state of suspense, and many alarming threats were issued from different -quarters, an event not in the least expected took place, which for a -while lulled the rising storm—this was no less than the sudden arrival -at Valparaiso of his excellency General San Martin, the Protector of the -liberties of Peru.</p> - -<p>This great man had continued to reside at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_457" id="Page_457">[Pg 457]</a></span> his country mansion, until -the twentieth of September, when the sovereign congress met, from which -he received on the same day the following official communication:</p> - -<p>"Most Excellent Sir,—The sovereign congress considering that the first -duty of a free people is to acknowledge their gratitude to the authors -of their political existence and their felicity, convinced that the -country of the Sun owes this incomparable benefit to the efforts of your -excellency, have decreed to you a vote of thanks to be presented to you -by a deputation of the house.</p> - -<p>"The Peruvian nation flatters itself that its gratitude is equal to the -efficacious efforts which your excellency has made, destroying, like the -thunder-bolt on the celebrated mountain that witnessed the last days of -Lautaro, the iron power of Spain in the country of the Incas.</p> - -<p>"The congress manifests, in this communication, the sincerity of their -votes, which shall be expressed in the first act of their sessions, and -which cannot be obliterated by the hand of time; holding General San -Martin as the first soldier of their liberty.</p> - -<p>"By the order of the congress we communicate this to your excellency, -for your intelligence and satisfaction. God preserve your <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_458" id="Page_458">[Pg 458]</a></span>excellency -for many years.—Lima, September 20, 1822. Xavier de Luna Pizarro, -president—José Sanchez Carrion, deputy secretary—Francisco Xavier -Mariategui, deputy secretary.—To his Excellency Senor D. José de San -Martin."</p> - -<p>The answer: "Sire,—Terminating my public life, after I have consigned -to the august congress of Peru the supreme command of the state, nothing -could be more flattering to my heart than the solemnity of the -confidence of your sovereignty in appointing me generalissimo of the -troops of the nation; an appointment which I have just received from a -deputation of your sovereign body. I have had the honour of expressing -my most profound gratitude at the time of its announcement to me, when I -had the satisfaction of accepting only the <i>title</i>, because it was the -mark of your approbation of the services which I have rendered to this -country. I am resolved not to betray my own feelings and the great -interests of the nation; permit me therefore, to say, that long and -painful experience has induced me to say, that the distinguished rank to -which your sovereignty has deigned to elevate me, so far from being -useful to the nation, should I fill it, would only oppose your just -designs by alarming the jealousy of those who desire a positive liberty; -it would divide the opinions of the people, and decrease<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_459" id="Page_459">[Pg 459]</a></span> the confidence -which you alone ought to inspire in the absolute independence of your -decisions. My presence, Sire, in Peru, considering that power which I -have left, and the force which I should possess, is inconsistent with -the morale of the sovereign body, and with my own opinion; because no -forbearance on my part would defend me from the shafts of malediction -and calumny. Sire, I have fulfilled the sacred promise that I made to -Peru; I have seen her representatives assembled; the force of the enemy -does not menace the independence of a people determined to be free, and -who possess the means of being so. A numerous army under the direction -of chiefs inured to war is ready to march in a few days, to terminate -the contest for ever. Nothing remains but to offer to your sovereignty -the expression of my most sincere gratitude, and the firm assurance, -that if at any time the liberty of the Peruvians should be threatened, I -will dispute the honour of accompanying them as a citizen to defend -their freedom on the field of battle.</p> - -<p>"May God preserve your sovereignty for many years.—Free Town, September -20th, 1822. (Signed) José de San Martin."</p> - -<p>"To the Sovereign Congress of Peru."</p> - -<p>The following, being the last proclamation<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_460" id="Page_460">[Pg 460]</a></span> by San Martin, was issued on -the same day, and may be considered as his farewell address to Peru:</p> - -<p>"I have witnessed the declaration of the independence of the states of -Chile and Peru. I hold in my possession the standard which Pizarro -brought to enslave the empire of the Incas, and I have ceased to be a -public man—thus I am more than rewarded for ten years spent in -revolution and warfare. My promises to the countries in which I warred -are fulfilled; to make them independent, and leave to their will the -election of their governments.</p> - -<p>"The presence of a fortunate soldier, however disinterested he may be, -is dangerous to newly-constituted states. I am also disgusted with -hearing that I wish to make myself a sovereign. Nevertheless, I shall -always be ready to make the last sacrifice for the liberty of the -country, but in the class of a private individual, and <i>no other</i>.</p> - -<p>"With respect to my public conduct, my compatriots (as is generally the -case) will be divided in their opinions—their children will pronounce -the true verdict.</p> - -<p>"Peruvians! I leave your national representation established; if you -repose implicit confidence in it you will triumph, if not, anarchy will -swallow you up.</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_461" id="Page_461">[Pg 461]</a></span></p><p>"May success preside over your destinies, and may they be crowned with -felicity and peace. Free Town, September, 20th, 1822. (Signed) San -Martin."</p> - -<p>Had San Martin been sincere, even in his last assurances, or had he been -conscious that his services would have been of public utility; if, as a -citizen, his modesty would not allow him to take upon himself the chief -command of the force of the country, he certainly ought not to have -abandoned Peru, when he was well aware that the army of the enemy was -almost under the very walls of the capital; for he himself confesses, -that a numerous army would march in a few days to terminate the war for -ever: this march, however, would never have been necessary, had he -followed the Spanish army when it evacuated Lima, if he had brought the -army under Canterac to an action, or if he had headed his troops at Ica. -The children of his compatriots will "pronounce the true verdict," not, -I regret to say, an honourable one to San Martin; indeed thousands of -them have already shed their blood on those plains which they might have -cultivated in peace and security under the protection of their own -constituted authorities and laws. It is impossible that a consciousness -of not having fulfilled those<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_462" id="Page_462">[Pg 462]</a></span> promises which were calculated to do -good, and would have established the absolute independence of rational -liberty, and the prosperity of the Peruvians, it is impossible but that -the memory of those breaches of good faith must ever cling to the heart -of this deceiving mortal.</p> - -<p>San Martin remained a few days in Valparaiso, until an escort arrived -from Santiago to conduct him to that city; he resided there until -December, or the beginning of January, when, observing the threatening -aspect of affairs in Chile, owing to the fixed determination of -O'Higgins not to discard his favourite minister Rodrigues, he crossed -the Cordillera to his old favourite residence at Mendosa.</p> - -<p>General Freire, who had the command of the Chilean troops, stationed on -the frontiers of Araucania, consisting of about three thousand men, came -to the determination to march on the capital. In this he was supported -by the inhabitants of the province of Coquimbo, the only object of the -whole being to displace Rodrigues, and to bring him to justice. This -they eventually did, obliging O'Higgins at the same time to abdicate his -supreme authority on the twenty-second of January, 1823.</p> - -<p>During this epoch of convulsions, Lord Cochrane was residing on his -estate at <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_463" id="Page_463">[Pg 463]</a></span>Quintero, where he received the following communication from -Peru:</p> - -<p>"The sovereign constituent congress of Peru, contemplating how much the -liberty of Peru owes to the Right Honourable Lord Cochrane, by whose -talents, valour and constancy the Pacific has been freed from our most -inveterate enemies, and the standard of liberty has been displayed on -the coasts of Peru, resolves that the junta of government, in the name -of the Peruvian nation, do present to Lord Cochrane, Admiral of the -squadron of Chile, expressions of our most sincere gratitude for his -achievements in favour of this country, once tyrannized over by powerful -enemies, now the arbiter of its own fate."</p> - -<p>"The junta of government obeying this, will command its fulfilment and -order it be printed, published and circulated.—Given in the Hall of -Congress, Lima, the 27th of September, 1822. (Signed) Xavier de Luna -Pizarro, president—Jose Sanches Carrion, deputy secretary—Francisco -Xavier Marreategui, deputy secretary."</p> - -<p>"In obedience we order the execution of the foregoing decree. (Signed) -Jose de la Mar, Felipe Antonio Alvarado, El Conde de Vista Florida, by -order of his Excellency Francisco Valdivieso."</p> - -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_464" id="Page_464">[Pg 464]</a></span></p><p>Here his lordship received from the government of Chile a copy of the -libel presented to them by the plenipotentiaries of the Protector of -Peru, which he answered with "victorious reasonings," although the -supremacy assured his lordship, that the charges had never been -believed; perhaps for the best of all possible reasons, that they could -scarcely be understood.</p> - -<p>In December an express arrived from the Brazilian charge des affaires in -Buenos Ayres, bringing to his lordship a communication from the imperial -government at Rio de Janeiro, containing a request, that as the common -enemy to South American independence in the Pacific had, owing to his -important services and indefatigable exertions ceased to exist, he would -deign to accept the command of the imperial navy of the Brazils, for the -purpose of securing to that country the felicity which he had been the -means of establishing on the opposite side of the Continent.</p> - -<p>Lord Cochrane would probably have preferred a life of quiet in his -adopted country, Chile, to that of entering into an engagement which -might produce a repetition of those difficulties and vexations which he -had already experienced; but, owing to the existing circumstances<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_465" id="Page_465">[Pg 465]</a></span> in -Chile, this was impossible. Lord Cochrane was bound by his allegiance to -the existing government, not to become a party in any faction and his -own honour would not allow him to join General Freire, by whom he was -solicited, although he was convinced that the authority of O'Higgins -must succumb; he therefore determined to proceed to Rio de Janeiro, and -to act there as affairs might present themselves.</p> - -<p>On the nineteenth of January, 1823, his lordship embarked for the -Brazils; but before quitting Chile he drew up the two following -addresses:</p> - -<p>"Chileans, my Compatriots,—The common enemy of America has fallen in -Chile. Your tri-coloured flag waves on the Pacific, secured by your -sacrifices. Some internal commotions agitate Chile: it is not my -business to investigate their causes, to accelerate or to retard their -effects: I can only wish that the result may be most favourable for all -parties.</p> - -<p>"Chileans,—You have expelled from your country the enemies of your -independence, do not sully the glorious act by encouraging discord, -promoting anarchy, that greatest of all evils. Consult the dignity to -which your heroism has raised you, and if you must take any steps to -secure your national liberty, judge for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_466" id="Page_466">[Pg 466]</a></span> yourselves, act with prudence, -and be guided by reason and justice.</p> - -<p>"It is now four years since the sacred cause of your independence called -me to Chile; I assisted you to gain it; I have seen it accomplished; it -only now remains for you to preserve it.</p> - -<p>"I leave you for a time, in order not to involve myself in matters -foreign to my duty, and for reasons concerning which I now remain -silent, that I may not encourage party spirit.</p> - -<p>"Chileans,—You know that independence is purchased at the point of the -bayonet. Know also that liberty is founded on good faith, and is -supported by the laws of honour, and that those who infringe them are -your only enemies, among whom you will never find Cochrane."</p> - -<p>"To the British merchants residing in Chile. Quintero, January 4th, -1823:</p> - -<p>"Gentlemen,—I cannot quit this country without expressing to you the -heartfelt satisfaction which I experience on account of the extension -which has been given to your commerce, by laying open to all the trade -of those vast provinces to which Spain formerly asserted an exclusive -right. The squadron which maintained the monopoly has disappeared from -the face of the ocean, and the flags of independent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_467" id="Page_467">[Pg 467]</a></span> South America wave -every where triumphant, protecting that intercourse between nations -which is the source of their riches, happiness, and power.</p> - -<p>"If, for the furtherance of this great object, some restraints were -imposed, they were no other than those which are practised by all -civilized states; and though they may have affected the interests of a -few who were desirous to avail themselves of accidental circumstances -presented during the contest, it is a gratification to know that such -interests were only postponed for the general good. Should there be any, -however, who conceive themselves aggrieved by my conduct, I have to -request that they will make known their complaints, with their names -affixed, through the medium of the public press, in order that I may -have an opportunity of a particular reply.</p> - -<p>"I trust you will do me the justice to believe, that I have not -determined to withdraw myself from these seas while any thing remains -within my means to accomplish for your benefit and security.</p> - -<p>"I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, your faithful obedient servant, -Cochrane."</p> - -<p class="center space-above">THE END.</p> - -<hr class="smler" /> - -<p class="center">PRINTED BY HARRIS AND CO.<br />LIVERPOOL.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Historical and descriptive narrative -of twenty years' residence in South America (Vol 3 of 3), by William Bennet Stevenson - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RESIDENCE IN SOUTH AMERICA *** - -***** This file should be named 55778-h.htm or 55778-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/5/7/7/55778/ - -Produced by Josep Cols Canals, Martin Pettit and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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