POSTSCRIPT. 



I he civil war that had broke out before I left Chile was not of 

 long duration, and occasioned little bloodshed. It terminated in 

 the election of Freire to the directorship, and the calling of a new 

 convention ; which it is devoutly to be hoped will profit by the errors 

 of the last. The Director O'Higgins, a few days after his return to 

 Santiago, having narrowly escaped with his life from the earthquake 

 at Valparaiso, retired to rest and recruit his strength at the Conven- 

 tilla, his country seat ; and in order that public affairs might not 

 suffer, perhaps also to give still more consequence to Rodriguez, 

 who was San Martin's creature, and whom he was resolved at that 

 time to support, he delegated his authority to that minister and 

 three others, who appear to have exercised it but a few days. — Affairs 

 in the South were coming to a crisis : the soldiers and money ex- 

 pected from Coquimbo were turned against the government of San- 

 tiago. Aconcagua followed the example, and sent deputies to the 

 convention of Coquimbo; and the attempt to recruit for the army of 

 O'Higgins cost several lives in Quillota : as a last resource, Rodriguez 

 was given up, on which Areas fled. San Martin also hastily aban- 

 doned the man whom his evil counsels had in part ruined, and the 

 only resource remaining to the Director was the attachment of the 

 troops. He went to the barracks, — he called on them in the name of 

 the country to stand by him ; he spoke to them of the glory they had 



