POSTSCRIPT. 
Tus 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: asa last resource, Rodriguez 
was given up, on which Arcas 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 
