POLITICAL HISTORY OF PERU. 
307 
him. They were hotly pursued by a troop of cavalry, and arrived 
just in time to get on board the British sloop-of-war Samarang, which 
was lying m the roadstead. Here the Protector found a resting- 
place, and is said to have felt himself greatly relieved from the 
incessant troubles he had been engaged in for the last three years 
Thus ended his political career. He was taken to Guayaquil, where 
lie has since remained, forming new plans to involve his country in 
war tor his own personal aggrandizement, He had promised better 
tor Peru than any other ruler before him, but his ambition destroyed 
all the plans he had formed for his country's good, and he ended by 
entailing upon her many difficulties and troubles that will take a 
long time to overcome. 
Bulnes, after his victory of Yungai, immediately embarked and 
sailed for Callao, where he again disembarked, and took possession of 
Lima. Gamarra, as I have before said, was proclaimed President, by 
a Congress convoked by himself, which voted at the point of the 
bayonet. This has not been unusual in South America, and all the 
acts of the Congresses may in fact be called the sole will of the 
chief magistrate, under whatever title they may be issued. Besides 
naming Gamarra President, this Congress inflicted upon the people 
a new constitution by his direction. 
The battle of Yungai, which took place on the 20th January, 1839, 
concluded the war with Santa Cruz, and entirely overthrew his 
power by the loss of his whole army (in these countries a very few 
troops bear the name). In this battle there were four thousand two 
hundred Chilians, and four thousand five hundred Peru-Bolivians 
engaged. Fifteen hundred of the former, and two thousand of the 
latter, were left dead on the field; the wounded Chilians were 
numerous, but those of the Peru-Bolivians were said to have been 
put to death in the rout which ensued. The battle began at six 
o'clock in the morning, and was contested for six and a half hours. 
The Peru-Bolivians complain that at its commencement great advan- 
tages were lost to them by the conduct of Colonel Guilaste, who, with 
seven hundred men, betrayed his trust, and early decided the fate of 
the battle. It is said that every soldier on both sides fought "upon 
his own hook," and continued the battle as long as he chose, the 
officers having little or no control over their men. Indeed, I heard 
it repeatedly said, that the troops commanded the officers, and not 
the officers the troops. If it had not been so, many of the acts of 
barbarity and cruelty that are represented upon good authority as 
