SANTIAGO. 269 
broke a blood-vessel in consequence of over-exertion at Callao, and 
is obliged to invalid, as the surgeon thinks the voyage round the 
Horn, whither the ship is bound, would be fatal. It is very dis- 
tressing to me not to be able to go instantly to Valparaiso to receive 
him, but 1 am confined to bed myself. I have also kind letters 
from Lord Cochrane, enclosing an introduction to General Freire, 
in case I should ride down to Conception, as I intended, from hence: 
but proposing the better plan of going by sea in the Montezuma, 
when His Lordship himself goes. Alas! I can doneither; and I fear 
I must give up my hopes of visiting Peru, as well as going to the 
south of Chile. My own slight illness I should think nothing of, 
but the poor invalid at Valparaiso must have all my time and 
attention. 
18th. — The anniversary of the independence of Chile. The first 
thing I heard after a long sleepless night was the trampling of horses ; 
and I got out of bed and went to the balcony, whence I saw the 
country militia going to the ground where the Director is to review 
them all. They are in number about 2000; armed with lances, 
twenty feet long, of cane, headed with iron. The men are dressed 
in their ordinary dress, with military caps and scarlet ponchos; and 
the different divisions are distinguished by borders or collars, or some 
other trivial mark. I have heard many jests upon the discipline of 
the red cloaks; but B., who knows them well, says, “ True, they 
may on parade mistake eyes right for eyes left, but at the battle of 
Maypu they never mistook the enemy ;” and, in truth, on that day, 
when the regular troops had begun to give ground, they are said to 
have turned the fortune of the day. They are admirable horsemen, 
as indeed every country-bred Chileno is. They ride like centaurs, 
seeming to make but one person with their horse ; and I have seen 
them wrestle and fight on horseback as if they had been on foot. I 
I was glad the Casa Cotapo stands so directly in the way of the exer- 
cising ground. The only compensation I can have for not being 
present at the national rejoicing is the seeing the troops pass. I 
