INTRODUCTION. 19 



slaves brought to Chile were to become free on six months' 

 residence there. But the congress, as is usual with all new poli- 

 tical bodies, attempted to compass more than was within its reach 

 at so early a period. Not content with seeking to establish inde- 

 pendence by adapting old institutions to circumstances, substituting 

 new where necessary, raising troops, and above all guarding the 

 frontier ; a college, museum, printing-office, and other public esta- 

 blishments were projected, which, however, there was not time to 

 bring to any degree of perfection before another revolution took 

 place, by means of a young man who acted so conspicuous a part in 

 several succeeding years, both in Chile and the states of Buenos 

 Ayres, that some account of him cannot be altogether uninter- 

 esting. 



Don Jose Miguel Carrera was the second son of Don Ignacio Car- 

 rera, of an ancient Creole family, rich itself originally . but still richer 

 at the period of the revolution, from the grants or easy purchases 

 obtained by Don Ignacio, of certain lands forfeited either by old 

 Spaniards, or by religious bodies which had been suppressed. This 

 young man, possessed of great advantages of person, natural intel- 

 ligence, and many qualities of a higher class, was uneducated and 

 wild. In early life, like the heroes of Moliere's comedies, he had 

 recourse to all sorts of petty and entertaining roguery to raise money 

 to supply his private, and not always innocent expenses ; till, at 

 length, one of these expedients encroached so largely on the fortune 

 of an uncle established as a merchant at Lima, that Don Ignacio, 

 by way of separating him at once from the evil companions whom 

 he regarded as the seducers of his son, sent him to Spain, where he 

 entered the army. There is a dark story of an Indian murdered 

 while defending the honour, of his wife or daughter, which his 

 enemies talk loudly of, and his friends know to be too consonant 

 to his habits not to fear it true. 



But Spain, at that period, was the last place which could reform 

 either the morals or manners of a youth so gifted as Jose Miguel 

 Carrera ; — overrun with armies from every country in Europe ; full 



d 2 



