296 POLITICAL HISTORY OF PERU. 



himself in authority. He was proceeding to Arequipa, when news 

 reached him that General Ballevian, the Bolivian commander-in-chief, 

 had declared against him in Bolivia, and also that General Velasco 

 was named President ; lastly, Arequipa, the faithful Arequipa, deserted 

 him, with all his officers, with one or two exceptions. Every where 

 his life was cried for ; he had but time to mount his horse and fly to 

 Islay, accompanied by General Miller, Cardeno, and Garcia del Rio, 

 who still adhered to 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 in 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 he has since remained, forming new plans to involve his country 

 in war, for his own personal aggrandizement. He had promised 

 better for 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 recover from. 



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 con- 

 stitution 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 

 obtain 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 iis commencement great advantages 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 



