BENAVIDES DEFEATED. 



8ft 



cheeks, there was no resisting the appeal ; and we 

 bought a boat-load of poultry more than we had 

 any use for. 



We laid in a supply of coals and fire-wood at 

 this place. The coals, which were brought for us to 

 the beach, cost twelve shillings per ton, everything 

 included. The fire-wood cost about four shillings 

 per cargo of three hundred and sixty billets, and 

 weighing 1300 lbs. 



From Penco we sailed along the eastern side of 

 the bay till we reached Tome, a small snug cove 

 in the most picturesque situation imaginable, sur- 

 rounded by rocks and magnificent trees, with a 

 little village at the upper corner, almost hid in the 

 foliage. A party landed at some distance from the 

 houses to walk along the beach ; but we were 

 soon benighted, and, our course being interrupted 

 by a creek, we were for some time reduced to a 

 considerable dilemma. At length the natives heard 

 us shouting to them for assistance, and came in 

 their canoes, to ferry us over to the village, where 

 a great crowd soon assembled to see the strangers, 

 and to offer their timber for sale. 



While our bargains about the logs of wood were 

 going on, we turned to look at the moon, nearly at 

 the full, which had just risen above the trees, 

 accompanied by the planets Jupiter and Saturn ; 

 and we were admiring the same scenerj', now 

 brightly illuminated, which we had passed through 

 in the dark ; when one of the natives, somewhat 

 to our surprise, left his logs, and looking up, asked 

 us what we thought of it ; of course we answered, 

 it was most beautiful. "Si Seiiores," replied he, 

 quite delighted, "Resplandeciente !" as if he were 

 not less struck than ourselves with the beauty of 

 the sight. I mention this circumstance, as afford- 

 ing another instance among these rude people of a 

 degree of taste and feeling for the beauties of nature 

 which we never met with in any other part of 

 South America. 



After purchasing the timber, we bargained with 

 a wild-looking Indian, who had joined the group, 

 for a mule-load of wine, which he had brought in 

 skins for sale. It was of good quality, though 

 rather sweet, and cost about twopence-halfpenny a 

 bottle ; cheap enough certainly, but exactly double 

 the usual price, as we discovered afterwards. We 

 also bought seven logs of wood, each twenty-one 

 feet long and twelve inches square, for nine dol- 

 lars ; which is about five shillings each. The wood 

 called Ligny was as good as ash, and answered 

 well for building boats. We learned afterwards 

 that we had paid about one-fourth too much. 

 There was a great variety of squared timber for 

 sale, adapted to different purposes ; but this, which 

 was the dearest, appeared to be much the best. 



The district of Conception, as far as natural 

 advantages go, is richer than most o^ther parts of 

 Chili ; it possesses also a hardy and intelligent 

 population, a delightful climate, and a soil of the 

 most fertile kind, capable of producing the finest 

 wheat, vines, olives, and the richest pasture : it is 

 covered with extensive forests of valuable timber, 

 contains coal in abundance, as well as freestone 

 and lime, close to the shore ; besides being fur- 

 nished with excellent ports, and numberless small 

 streams, it is intersected by a large river navi- 

 gable for upwards of a hundred miles. Notwith- 

 standing all these advantages, it has been almost 

 entirely depopulated, and the whole country al- 



lowed to run to waste. It is to be hoped, however, 

 that the spirit which animates the rest of this 

 regenerated country will soon lead to some new 

 system of political measures, either for the de- 

 fence of this magnificent district against the 

 inroads of the Indians ; or, what would be infinitely 

 better, for making peace with them, on terms 

 which would render it their interest to preserve a 

 lasting and cordial friendship with their neigh- 

 bours. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



Defeat of Benavides.— Island of Mocha.— Arauco, the Capi- 

 tal, burned. — Sack of the City by the Chilian Soldier* 



Peneleo, Captain of a Party of Araucanian Mercena- 

 ries.— Return to Conception.— Visit to the Indian Quar- 

 ters. — Interview with Peneleo. — Return to Valparaiso. — 

 Chilian Government Gazette respecting Benavides. 



On the morning of the 12th of October, authen- 

 tic accounts arrived of Benavides having been 

 defeated near Chilian, and his army dispersed, 

 while he himself had escaped across the frontier, 

 accompanied only by a few followers. By the 

 same opportunity, we were informed that the 

 Chilian sloop of war Chacabuco, without waiting 

 for the troops sent by land to co-operate with her, 

 had made an unsuccessful attack upon the Indian 

 capital Arauco. 



Having previously obtained information" that 

 two of the American seamen, captives with Bena- 

 vides, had succeeded in escaping from his camp 

 and in getting on board the Chacabuco, I imme- 

 diately proceeded in quest of that vessel, being 

 most desirous of seeing these men, in order to 

 learn the fate of their companions. Without some 

 such information, it was obviously impossible to 

 know where they were, or how to assist them. I 

 therefore made the best of my way to the anchor- 

 age of Arauco ; but to my mortification, no vessel 

 of any kind was there, and I proceeded on to the 

 southward, having reason to think the Chacabuco 

 had gone in that direction. After two days' 

 search, I fell in with her at anchor between the 

 mainland and the island of Mocha. This island 

 is overrun by horses and pigs, both of which are 

 used as fresh stock by the whaling and sealing 

 ships in the Pacific. 



The two American seamen were immediately 

 sent to me ; and it appeared from their statement, 

 that when Benavides marched from Arauco a 

 month before, he had left Mr. Moison, captain of 

 the brig Ocean, together with several American 

 and English seamen, to fit out the ship Perse- 

 verance ; but that all the rest of the captives had 

 been forced, at the point of the bayonet, to accom- 

 pany the army. During the march, they had been 

 so strictly guarded by a body of cavalry, that it 

 was not until after they had crossed the river 

 Biobio that an opportunity occurred for these two 

 men to effect their escape, and, after suffering 

 many hardships, to reach Conception. This in- 

 formation decided me to return immediately to 

 Arauco, for the purpose of making an attempt to 

 rescue Captain Moison and the seamen, should 

 they still be on the spot. I had little hope of 

 success, indeed, since hearing of the Chacabuco's 

 attack on the place ; for it seemed probable, that, 

 on that occasion, the prisoners would be sent off 

 to the interior. 



