318 EVENTS SUCCEEDING THE ELECTION. 



of things, should govern the conduct of a British agent desirous, on the one hand, to preserve 

 neutrality, and, on the other, obliged to protect the interests of his country against a party 

 who, in undertaking to overthrow the national government by means of a civil war, violently 

 takes possession of a steamer wearing the English flag, and unduly employs it in prosecution 

 of its own particular ends. 



The President, who has perused your note with due attention, coincides entirely in your 

 views, and can do no less than recognise the justice of the principles that you have expressed 

 to me. 



I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to you the protestations of my high consideration. 



ANTONIO VABAS. 



To the CHARGE D'AFFAIRES H. B. M. 



There being no longer need for their services in Aconcagua, the Buin battalion was ordered 

 to report at the head-quarters of General Bulnes, established at Loncomilla, eight or nine 

 leagues to the south of the Maule, and between that river and the Nuble. General Cruz had 

 advanced as far as Chilian, within sixty or seventy miles of his adversary. A part of the 

 Buins reached their destination in safety ; but the others returned to Valparaiso, after being 

 three weeks at sea. They had failed to reach the mouth of the Maule, less than one hundred 

 and fifty miles distant, and returned for want of water. Such was the excuse, though the 

 troops were landed, and the vessel sailed for Coquimbo, with orders for the return of a govern- 

 ment steamer sent there a few days before. What influence on their detention a threatened 

 outbreak by the mob at Valparaiso may have had, or how dangerous the officers found it would 

 prove to trust the old Valdivias before an enemy, are questions not likely to be solved. 



On the afternoon of October 27, just as the warehouses were being closed for the day, from 

 three to four hundred of the mob assaulted and obtained possession of the garrison belong- 

 ing to the 2d battalion of civic troops at Valparaiso. Taking out the arms and ammuni- 

 tion, they proceeded to throw up defences as rapidly as possible at the Plaza de la Municipali- 

 dad. Everybody was astounded at the result, of which information instantly spread through 

 the town. Whilst the Intendente proceeded to collect troops and arrange a plan of attack, the 

 foreign merchants sent to the ships-of-war for sailors and marines to protect their property, 

 many of them asking an asylum on board for their wives and children. Battalion No. 3, 

 with all the other troops that could be collected within an hour, were marched to put down 

 the mob ; and a conflict ensued, during which the firing was incessant for about three quarters 

 of an hour. At the end of this time the insurgents fled, leaving the two pieces of artillery 

 they had taken and some sixty or seventy prisoners in the hands of the government troops. 

 Private accounts state that at least one hundred were killed on the spot ; the papers mention 

 only fifteen killed and twenty-five wounded. 



As most of those who had been engaged escaped to the hills, the city was kept in alarm all 

 night by discharges of fire-arms ; and as the foreign population very generally reside on the 

 heights, it may well be imagined how anxiously the hours were passed by those who remained 

 on shore. During the conflict in the plaza two hundred well equipped marines had been 

 landed on the mole from the American, British, and French ships-of-war ; and a part of these 

 continued near the custom-house all night, ready to render assistance in case of pillage, but 

 they were too distant to inspire confidence among the timid. Towards midnight two hundred 

 of the rabble reassembled, made a descent on the house of a French armorer in the Almendral, 

 and thence moved towards the Plaza de la Victoria, near which there were stores reputed to con- 

 tain much money, as well as articles of food and drink. Information of such probable renewal 

 of the struggle having been obtained from some of the prisoners, a body of No. 3 battalion had 

 been sent to the plaza secretly, and the mob was early put to flight. For the purpose of liber- 

 ating their companions taken during the night, a third party made an assault on the jail just 

 after daylight ; but, being received in the same manner as the last, the organization was broken 



