INTRODUCTION. 57 



marched, rowing along the beach with four boys in his gig, exposed 

 to the enemy's fire, to direct the march. The first fort to be attacked 

 was that of the Englishman, situated on a promontory and defended 

 by a strong palisade, headed by six guns which swept the beach. The 

 soldiers, two abreast, continued to march along close to the palisade, 

 which appeared impracticable, when a Chileno midshipman perceived 

 one of the pales to be rotten at the bottom ; he seized it ; it gave 

 way, but finding it still impossible to enter, on account of his large 

 hat, he took it off, threw it over the palisade, got through himself, 

 and quickly enlarging the opening, the rest followed him and attacked 

 the fort so vigorously that it was carried in a few minutes. The mo- 

 ment this position was secured, the troops proceeded to the fort of 

 the Corral, the strongest and most important of all, without paying 

 attention to some smaller batteries behind. It was also speedily 

 reduced, and of course all the southern batteries, Avanzada, Barros, 

 Amargos, and Chorocomayo followed. The Colonel, Don Fausto del 

 Hoyo, with what remained of his regiment (the Cantabrian), was 

 taken. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded was great, that of 

 the patriots was only 6 killed and 18 wounded. 



Next morning the O'Higgins arrived, and those on board suffered 

 the most lively alarm from a trifling circumstance. Knowing the 

 extreme danger of the meditated attack, they had obtained a promise 

 from the admiral, that if all was well, he would hoist two flags of 

 any kind on the outer flag-staff. As they approached they saw but 

 one, and that one Lord Cochrane's boat's ensign, the Chile colours. 

 His Lordship had but that one with him and could get no other. 

 They began to fear he had been taken, and that the flag was hoisted 

 as a decoy. Meantime, the troops in the northern forts, perceiving 

 the frigate, hoped she was a Spaniard and made their private signal, 

 which she answered and continued advancing, when a boat boarded 

 her. All was safe, the admiral well. The Spanish flag was instantly 

 hauled down, the patriot ensign hoisted in its place, and the troops no 

 longer hoping for assistance, precipitately abandoned the town and 



