vancing towards Santiago. The uneasiness of the public mind cannot well be conceived. But when the news arrived of the dispersion of the army of San Martin at Talca, the effect was such as to produce a kind of settled gloom over the city. The streets were almost deserted, and an anxiety prevailed among all classes which could not have been greater if their own fate had been at issue. The enemies of San Martin were busily at work; placards were stuck up, it was supposed by the old Spaniards, and the friends of Carrera experienced a secret satisfaction, which they could with difficulty conceal. Before this they represented San Martin as a deep designing man, who made a tool of O'Higgins, they now spoke of him as an imbecile pretender; and one of them observed to me, "If he can get out of this scrape, I will acknowledge that he is a clever fellow." They told me that he had resigned the command of the army to general Brayere, on finding himself entirely incompetent to the task, and had resolved to fight at the head of his cavalry.* If true, the fact only proved, that he was actuated by a higher motive than selfish pride. A few days, however, brought the account of the splendid victory of Maipu. I shall not attempt to describe the sensation produced in the city by this important event, and which greatly surpassed all expression of popular feeling I had ever witnessed. "The capital," says Funes, "from its extreme depression was now elevated to the highest pitch of joy. The streets, before silent and fearful, were suddenly filled by the inhabitants; like the blood, which

Brayere left the army after the affair of Talca in disgrace. VOL. II.

Q

after some moments of deep suspense, and anxious fear, rushes again from the heart to the extremities of the body. The scenes which ensued, can only be conceived by those who have witnessed the sublime effusion of popular feeling, when each thinks his own happiness that of his posterity, his friends, and his country are entirely involved. There was a general and almost universal exclamation, AT LAST WE ARE INDEPENDENT! While San Martin was hailed as the genius of the revolution."

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CHAPTER VI.

Departure from Buenos Ayres-Touch at San Salvador-Island of Margaritta Victory of Maipu-Its effects in Venezuela--New Grenada, &c.—Position of the military forces there.

As s the time of our departure drew near, our impatience to return to our native country increased. Towards the latter end of April, we bid adieu to Buenos Ayres, a number of the most respectable citizens attending us to the beach. On the 29th the Congress weighed anchor from off Monte Video, and touched at Maldonado, to take in supplies. Here we experienced a dreadful pampero, from which we considered our escape peculiarly fortunate. On the 4th of May, we took our departure from this place with a favourable wind. We had a fine run to Cape Frio, which we made the seventh day after leaving the river.

The commodore observes, "It was on the 11th of May I fell in with Cape Frio, and passed it within a few leagues. Kept upon a wind heading north-east. At ten o'clock, p. m. got bottom in twenty-five fathoms, coral rock. No sounding of this kind being laid down in my chart, I felt much alarmed, and more particularly so as the night proved very dark and rainy, with heavy squalls, sometimes heading off north by east. At meridian lost soundings, having passed, as I imagine, over this ledge of rocks lying off St. Thome, distant at least thirty miles. Cape St. Thome is laid down in twenty-one degrees fifty minutes south latitude. I came into these soundings in latitude twenty-one degrees twenty-five minutes, and carried them in a north-easterly direction to latitude twenty

one degrees thirty-seven minutes, having from twentynine to thirty-seven fathoms, and immediately after shoaling to thirty-three fathoms, there was no bottom with one hundred and twenty fathoms of line. The wind then drew round to an east-north-easterly direction, and blew in tremendous squalls, with much rain; and fearing as I did, that if I continued on, bordering along the coast until I came up with the Abrolhos shoals, which give broken soundings at least two hundred miles off the land, that the wind might come back to its natural point, the south-east, and embay me, I reluctantly tacked to southeast, and before I could make my easting, I was set to the south of Cape Frio, by a strong current setting about south-south-west or south-west. The wind continued to blow from north to north-north-east, heading us up on each tack for twelve days, which entirely disappointed us in our prospect of a fine passage to St. Salvador."

During this unpleasant period of contrary winds, we were driven nearly into the supposed latitude and longitude of the island of Portuguese Ascension, whose existence is a subject of doubt among navigators; a singular circumstance, considering how completely this sea has been explored for the last hundred years. A description and drawing is given of it by Frezier; but the Russian navigator, Kreuzenstern, a few years ago, devoted some time in search of it without success. From the circumstance of seeing several land birds, at the distance of five or six hundred miles from any known shore, we were almost induced to believe, that we were near this fabled island, as it is now supposed to be.

'

After a passage of twenty-five days from Rio La Plata, we came in sight of San Salvador, or Bahia. "I found in running in for this place, a strong north-easterly current, setting at least one and a half knots the hour, produced, no doubt, by the south-south-west wind, which

་་་“—-་་

had blown almost a gale for two or three days. My ship was brought down to close reefed topsails and stormstaysails, in standing off upon a wind, after having made my run as nearly as prudence dictated, the night being dark and weather very squally. I tacked at eight o'clock, p. m. and stood off under easy sail, going with a high head sea, two and a half knots the hour, until four, a. m. when I tacked on west, and made more sail; and at six, a. m. saw the land, bearing north-west, supposed to be the cape. I stood in until it was ascertained to be so, and at eight o'clock, a. m. the weather looking very bad and blowing hard, I stood off again until ten o'clock, a. m. when the weather clearing and moderating in some degree, I wore and stood in again, and at meridian observed, in latitude thirteen degrees and nine minutes south, Cape St. Antonio, bearing west-north-west threefourths west, distant four or five leagues, chronomoter longitude, agreeing exactly with the chart, contained in the East India Pilot, but our charts differing from it, thirty miles, in laying down this cape; I am at a loss which to rely on.

"I continued standing in upon a wind heading from west to west-south-west, sagging fast to leeward with the current and sea, until the cape bore, or rather the fortress, standing on the spit of the cape, nearly north, when I perceived the colour of the water alter suddenly, indicating soundings. I hove the lead with thirty-five fathoms, and got no bottom. In a few minutes, got eighteen fathoms; next cast fifteen, next twelve, and then nine, when the ship was hove in stays, and luckily came round, for there is no knowing how much water a few minutes more might have given us. It was now four o'clock. The fortress bore north half east, and we were distant from it about two and a half leagues, while this shoal is laid down in all my charts, at the distance of