22 INTRODUCTION. 



discontent of the south, indeed, had arisen to such a pitch, that Carrera 

 put himself at the head of the troops, and advanced as far as the 

 Maule, in order to reduce Conception ; but Rosas was still there, 

 and, having heard of the march of the army, he went out to meet it. 



On reaching Carrera's head-quarters on the banks of the river, 

 his prudent representations induced the young general to withdraw, 

 and for this time to spare the efFusion of blood. He therefore re- 

 turned to the capital on the 12th of March, 1813, and resumed the 

 reins of government. The sixteen months of his power had been of 

 little use to the country. His profuseness to the soldiers increased 

 their numbers indeed, but it was at an expense so new a state was ill 

 able to bear ; and of many useful projects he had formed, not one was 

 really accomplished, partly owing to his unsteadiness, and partly to 

 want of money.* 



Meanwhile the viceroy of Peru, Abascal, was no indifferent spectator 

 of the affairs of Chile ; and seeing the discord that prevailed, he had 

 ordered general Pareja, who commanded in Chiloe, to observe both 

 parties carefully, and to seize on the first favourable occasion to restore 

 the royal government. In consequence of this order, Pareja landed in 

 Chile in the middle of the very month in which Carrera had made 

 his excursion to the Maule. It appears that the royalists in Con- 

 ception and Valdivia had believed Carrera to be in earnest in his pro- 

 fessions of attachment to their party, at the time he had first seized 

 the government, and that he would unite himself with Pareja as 

 soon as a fit opportunity occurred. They therefore openly declared 

 themselves for the royal cause. There was no union in the opposite 

 party ; and the whole of the south of Chile was soon in the hands of 

 the invader. 



But the Carreras, though by their imprudence they often forwarded 

 the royal cause, or hurt that of the patriots, were not traitors ; at 



* The means which were resorted to in order to procure horses and other necessaries 

 for the army rather resembled the lawless actions of a freebooter than those of the head 

 of a regular government, — for private property was in no case respected. 



