232 
POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHILL 
Many thought the government mad, foresaw forced loans, and all the 
attendant evils, great financial difficulties, and, eventually, revolution. 
Still the government moved steadily on. Six thousand men were 
soon got together, well officered, well equipped, and with a military 
chest well filled. It is generally believed that the church made a 
loan to the government for this war, and it is said that they possess 
one-eighth of the landed property of the country. The second 
expedition sailed, confident of success. No loans were asked for 
by government, nor any funds other than the ordinary revenue used, 
yet no account remained unpaid. This was and continues to be the 
marvel of every one. The greatest regularity was observed in all 
the dealings of the government agents ; no complaints of extortion or 
abuses were heard. The internal affairs of the country went on as 
if no war existed. Improvements were not neglected ; light-houses 
built ; roads improved ; and no interruption took place in the usual 
operations of government. With this last expedition went General 
Gamara, one of the fathers of Peruvian revolution, grown gray in the 
service. Lafuente went as his adjunct, though he had once made a 
revolution against him. With these went a host of military leeches, 
Peruvian exiles, ready to bleed their country to its last gasp. High- 
sounding words of patriotism, oppressed country, self-devotion, &c, 
flowed from them in most extravagant terms. From their local 
information it was well for the Chilians to have them, but they were 
the fire-brands of the army as a part of its material. Bulnes, a plain 
blunt soldier, it was felt would use- no ceremony with any of them 
if he found them playing the fool, which those who knew their 
characters thought they would. 
The remaining part of the operations of the Chilian army in Peru, 
will be treated of when I give the sketch of the history of that 
country. 
mAm.. 
STIRRUPS, srURS, ETC., OF CHILI. 
