POLITICAL TROUBLES. 



reasons to think that golden spectacles had been furnished the writer whilst inditing the rest. 

 Most truly does ho say the fight was desperate, and the shower of balls that left their marks in 

 the Cafiada and along the walls of the streets were alone ample proofs for him of the violence 

 of the storm of lead and iron. But we had other and more painful evidences. More than two 

 hundred bodies were buried from the effects of that forty minutes' fight, and nearly a like 

 number will long suffer from their wounds ; results too significant to go abroad, and which 

 were consequently withheld from the public prints. The numbers specified by the papers were 

 "from forty to fifty killed, and twice that many wounded." A week afterwards, although a 

 heavy rain had fallen in the mean time, the streets round the cuartel still exhibited black 

 patches where life-blood had been poured out. Nor does the writer admit the fact that the 

 cuartel had surrendered and the insurgents were victorious ; he only acknowledges that the 

 firing had ceased, and many of the mob who entered felicitated themselves on the victory they 

 thought they had achieved. Most fortunate was it for government that there was no leader to 

 confirm them in this thought and conduct them to realize what they had striven for. 



Had the opposition newspapers been suffered to appear, we should, beyond doubt, have been 

 able to sift out the whole truth, and perhaps have learned something of the motives of those 

 instigating the revolt; but their offices were closed on the same day, and we could obtain 

 information from members of that party only in conversations which were hazardous to natives, 

 during a period of so much suspicion. Moreover, those who took such part as warranted infer- 

 ence that they were permitted to know the animus, valued their lives too highly to remain after 

 Arteaga' s cowardly desertion, and forthwith took themselves to parts unknown; so that the 

 versions circulated by subordinates and in the gossiping circles of the capital became as 

 contradictory as possible. It was pretty generally agreed, however, that the courage of Arteaga 

 failed before Urriola left the plaza, and he was forced to participate personally only at the 

 muzzle of a pistol, in the hands of his own party. No wonder he seized the first instant to 

 place his dear person out of harm's way; though whether he had perused during his travels in 

 Europe, some years previously, that sensible maxim of Falstaff, about "the man who fights," 

 does not appear ; yet one cannot help thinking so. 



But the writer of the official account makes omissions which it may be as well to supply au- 

 thentically, in order that due credit and reprehension may fall where they belong. So rapidly 

 does information circulate in the city, that direct news of what was going on in the plaza had 

 reached the cuartel as early as 4 o'clock. The Colonel immediately ordered out four mount- 

 ain howitzers and two four-pounders, determining, as he said, to fight to the last moment in its 

 defence. And when Urriola sent an officer to ask him, "Que hacia que no salia, que d pueblo 

 estaba con el," (What was he doing that he did not come out, for all the people were on 

 his side), the gallant old veteran replied, "Tell him to go and ask the President." Subse- 

 quently, two mountain howitzers, with their due complement of gunners, were sent to join the 

 Chacabucos, who, to the number of 120 men, came to reinforce the cuartel, and effected their 

 entrance before 8 o'clock. Including the brigade of police Vijilantes the total military 

 force collected at the palace amounted to nine hundred men : one hundred and fifty of whom, 

 together with the Vijilantes, were left to guard it ; whilst to the mounted grenadiers was as- 

 signed the special duty of protecting the person of the President. His Excellency accompanied 

 the troops to the scene of action ; but it was asserted, and many believed, that the horses of his 

 escort loved the smell of alfalfa better than that of gunpowder, and so showed clean heels at 

 the first snuff of it, making tracks for the palace again. Some were malicious enough to say 

 that their riders had rather sniff chicha than vile brimstone, and were sufficiently wicked to 

 discuss their cowardice quite openly. On the other hand, the Valdivias fought like tigers, set- 

 ting an example to their Egualista companions which the latter were not slow to imitate ; and 

 when the defeated regiment set out for Valparaiso two days later, so hotly did the taunts flow 

 whilst they were within hearing of each other, that it was difficult to prevent contests between 

 them .and the armed police. 



