160] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



SPANISH COLONIKS. 



The state of affairs in the Spa- 

 nish Colonies of North and South 

 America appears to have under- 

 gone little change in the present 

 year ; one cause of which has been 

 the mutual debility of both par- 

 ties, which may be ascribed to the 

 weakness induced upon each by 

 the savage manner in ^\hich war 

 has been carried on. 



Buenos Ayres, which from the 

 beginning of the contest has con- 

 stituted the principal strength of 

 the patriot or insurgent cause, 

 sent out a force under General 

 San Martin, which was designed 

 to recover the province of Chili. 

 The General fell in with the Roy- 

 alists near Chabuco, and defeated 

 them in a general action on the 

 l^th of February ; after which a 

 new government was organized in 

 Santiago, the capital of Chili. The 

 former Spanish governor of the 

 province, Marco del J'ont, was 

 captured by the Patriots. San 

 INIartin, who arrived at Santiago 

 on April 11, was employed in 

 completing his conquest. The re- 

 maining royal forces were strongly 

 posted in the harbour of Talcahu- 

 ano, where five vessels were detain- 

 ed for the removal of the troops, 

 should it be found necessary. 



The Portuguese troops were 

 still at Montevideo. 



Early in the year there anived 

 by sea a person named Gregor 

 M'Gregor, a native of Scotland, 

 who took possession of an island 

 called Amelia, and entitled himself 

 General of Brigade of the Armies 

 of the United Provinces of New 

 Granada and Venezuela, and Ge- 

 neral-in-Chief of the Armies des- 

 tined against the Floridas. He 

 established himself in Amelia is- 



land, Avith a crew composed of the 

 natives of different countries ; but 

 it was generally suspected that his 

 motive was chiefly to secure a 

 good port, whence he might carry 

 on a kind of piratical titiffic with 

 the persons with whom he was 

 connected. After continuing for 

 a considerable time at Amelia, 

 being disappointed, it is said, of 

 aiJ which he expected fiom Balti- 

 more, M'Gregor and his wife left 

 the island on the .5th of Septem- 

 ber, and sailed away in a brig. 

 The Mexican (patriotic) flag was 

 hoisted in the same month, and 

 proclamations were issued, sign- 

 ed by Aury, Commander-in-Chief, 

 and R. Hubbard, Governor. 



The Buenos Ayres government 

 having felt themselves aggrieved 

 by the numerous complaints made 

 by foreign nations against the 

 robberies committed by South 

 American piivateers upon their 

 commerce, published, on Aug. 16, 

 the following official notice, ad- 

 dressed to all such complainants. — 



" For some time past the foreign 

 j)apers have been filled with com- 

 plaints against our cruisers, for 

 acting contrary to the laws of 

 nations ; but as those complaints 

 must refer to other parts of 

 South America as well as to 

 ours, this government waits for 

 information less vague as to the 

 authors of those excesses, in order 

 to give entire satisfaction to neu- 

 tral and friendly powers. The 

 injustice of Spain has placed us on 

 a precijnce, and involves our name 

 in acts repugnant to our feelings. 

 The evil originated from little 

 caution used by the former Go- 

 vernment in granting letters of 

 marque, little suspecting then that 

 bad use would be made of them ; 



but 



