158 



CHILI. 



bers of the cabinet. A loan of twenty millions 

 of dollars was authorized, and unlimited power 

 granted tbe Executive for raising troops and 

 procuring ships for the defence of the country. 



At this time the blockading squadron off the 

 coast of Chili consisted of the Villa de Madrid 

 (flagship) and Resolucion, steam screw frigates, 

 at Valparaiso; the Blanca and Berenguela, ves- 

 sels of the same class, at Caldera; the Marquez 

 de la Victoria, another screw frigate at Co- 

 quiinbo, while the gunboats (screw) Covadonga 

 and another, name unknown, were to be used as 

 tenders, or to blockade the minor ports of the 

 south coast' The huge iron-clad frigate and 

 ram Numancia a most formidable ship, of 

 thirty-nine heavy guns was at Callao, but soon 

 after joined the blockading fleet. 



On September 28th the Chilian corvette Es- 

 meralda and steamer Maipu succeeded in getting 

 through the blockading fleet. They were well 

 armed and fully manned, and were provisioned 

 for a long cruise. 



Admiral Pareja in so far yielded to the re- 

 monstrances of the diplomatic corps against the 

 legality of the blockade of some forty ports by 

 seven steamers, as to restrict it to six; viz., 

 Valparaiso, Caldera, Coquimbo, Herradura 

 (Guayacan), Tome, and Tolcahuano, thus ac- 

 knowledging the illegality of the former general 

 blockade, on paper, and giving a good case to 

 all who had been exposed to loss by the pre- 

 vious notification. Even this restricted block- 

 ade the Spaniards found it impossible to make 

 effective, and soon after raised the blockade of 

 Tom6 and Tolcahuano. 



The Government and Congress of Chili 

 showed an unflagging determination to resist 

 the Spanish aggression to the last. Congress 

 successfully labored to restore confidence to the 

 funds; roads were begun to open up direct 

 communications to the principal towns, where 

 formerly such were all by sea; a line of tele- 

 graph was being rapidly pushed forward, to 

 connect the extremes of Chili. By a decree of 

 October 7th, all customs duties were for the pres- 

 ent abolished, whether on imports or exports ; 

 and thirty-six coast towns were declared ports * 

 of Chili. By a decree of October 19th this free- 

 dom was annulled, so far as the ports effectually 

 blockaded were concerned. The Government 

 also decreed : First, that all the subjects of the 

 Spanish crown resident in whatever part of 

 Chili, should remove to Santiago, and there be 

 matriculated, and brought within the vigilance 

 of the authorities ; and, secondly, that the no- 

 taries, bankers, and managers of insurance, 



* These ports are the following: In the province ofChtloC 

 Chacas and Castro ; In Llanqnfhnc, Mellipnll and Calbuco 

 in VaMi via, Rio Aiieno ; in Arauco, Carampangue and Leb 

 in Concepclon, Cobora, Lnta, Lotllla, Penco. and Lirquem . 

 In Maule, Curanepe and Buchupureo; in Colchagna, Llico 

 and Kntnan ; In Santiago, San Antonla and San Antonio do 

 las Bodegas; in Valparaiso, Algarrobo and San Jose; in 

 Aconoazua, lapallar. Papudo. Pichldansjui, and los Vilos; in 

 Cochlmbo, Toneal, Gnayacan, Tatoralillo, and Guanta; in 

 Atacama, Carrizal-Bajo, Sarco, Pina, Blanca, Plameneo, 

 Cuanaral do las Animus, ToltaL Cobre, Papozo, Pan de Aan- 

 car, and Oblsplto. 



railway, and other companies, should not au- 

 thorize any transfer of Spanish property or 

 assets. 



On November 26th the Chilian steamer Es- 

 meralda suceeded in capturing the Spanish gun- 

 boat Covadonga off Papudo, having on board 

 Admiral Pareja's correspondence. The engage- 

 ment lasted about half an hour, fourteen of the 

 Spaniards were wounded and two killed. The 

 Esmeralda sustained no damage whatever. The 

 prisoners taken were a commandant, six offi- 

 cers, and about one hundred and ten men, who 

 were treated very kindly both by the authori- 

 ties and the people. The commander of the 

 Esmeralda, Don Juan Williams Robolledo, was 

 rewarded for his bravery by being raised 

 to the rank of post captain, and his country- 

 men commenced a subscription to present 

 the gallant seaman with a sword of honor. 

 Previous to this affair the Chilians had cap- 

 tured a launch belonging to the Spanish ship 

 Resolucion. This launch, mounting a cannon, 

 had been doing duty at Quiriquine, Tom6, and 

 Talcahuano. On the evening of the 17th of 

 November the little Chilian tug steamer Inde- 

 pendencia, two guns, was steaming along the 

 coast of Itata, and when within cannon-shot 

 of the launch was brought to by a discharge. 

 The steamer stopped at once and put out her 

 lights. The launch came alongside demanding 

 her surrender and boarding her with forty men. 

 As soon as they were on deck the crew of the 

 Independencia seized and made every man pris- 

 oner, took the launch in tow, and handed over 

 the prize and prisoners to the authorities at 

 Maule. 



The want of success in his operations against 

 Chili, and especially the news of the capture 

 of the Covadonga, so affected the mind of 

 Admiral Pareja that he committed suicide 

 November 28th. He was temporarily succeed- 

 ed in the command of the squadron by Com- 

 modore Nunez, of the Numancia, who raised 

 the blockade of all the Chilian ports except 

 two, Valparaiso and Caldera. 



On December 5th a special envoy of the Gov- 

 ernment of Chili to Peru, Domingo Santa Ma- 

 ria, concluded with a Peruvian commissioner, 

 Toribio Pacheco, an offensive and defensive 

 treaty against Spain. (See the text of the 

 treaty under PERU.) No publicity, however, 

 was given to the treaty until it was ratified by 

 the Chilian Congress, and the solemn procla- 

 mation of the treaty did not take place until 

 January 14, 1866. 



In the southern provinces of Conception and 

 Valdivia gold mines were discovered, and new 

 coal mines were opened in the south. Favor- 

 able reports were also received of the quick- 

 silver mines lately discovered in the hills about 

 Valparaiso. 



The Chilian Congress, in July, had a long 

 and animated discussion on amending Article 

 No. 5 of the Constitution. This article No. 5 

 is as follows : '' The religion of the Republic of 

 Chili is the Roman Catholic, to the exclusion 



