Travels in Chile and La Plata (Volume 2); Including Accounts Respecting the Geography, Geology, Statistics, Government, Finances, Agriculture, Manners, and Customs, and the Mining Operations in Chile (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER XVI. POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHILE. The Cairera Family.?Character of General O'Higgins.?Lord Cochrane returns to Chile.?Mutiny in the Fleet.?Appeased.? San Martin returns to Chile.?Lord Cochrane quits Chile.? Revolution.?San Martin quits Chile.?The Supreme Director abdicates, and retires to Peru.?General Freyre appointed Supreme Director.?New Constitution.?Expedition to Chiloe.? British Consul arrives in Chile.?Chile and Buenos Ayres compared.?Senate dissolved, and the Constitution set aside by General Freyre. We will now return to the affairs of Chile, from the time that preparations were made for the embarkation of ian Martin with the army for Peru. One of the most remarkable circumstances that occurred was the total destruction of the Carrera family. Jose Miguel Carrera, the oldest of the three brothers, and the most enterprizing and daring of them all, had, as has been related, embarked for the United States of North America, where he remained for some time, and then returned to Buenos Ayres, bringing with him the means of raising and equipping a force with which he intended to invade Chile, and re-establish his party in power. This occurred a short time previous to the action at Cha- cabuco. The governor of Buenos Ayres not only threw every obstacle in his way, but banished him, his two brothers, and their friends, from the province. They retired to Monte Video in orderto mature their plans, and here they heard of the battle of Chacabuco. This ought to have put an end to all hopes on their parts of any successful invasion; but they had embarked in the business, and went on headlong, as if courting destruction. Having been refused permission to proceed across the La Plata towards Chile, they waited for some time under the protection of the Portuguese, hoping...