84 



PERU. 



Colonel Arenales, with a body of 1000 men, had 

 been sent from Pisco, with orders to strike into 

 the country across the Andes, and to proceed by 

 a circuitous route round Lima, till he rejoined 

 the army. This march was to be made through 

 a country occupied by the Spaniards, and had for 

 its principal object to discover the state of political 

 feeling in the several districts surrounding the 

 capital. The service was performed in a master- 

 ly manner by Arenales, who accomplished the 

 object of rousing the inhabitants of those dis- 

 tricts to assert the cause of independence, and 

 gained also high miUtary renown for the liberat- 

 ing Army. On his march he was met by a strong 

 division of the Royal troops, expressly sent against 

 him from Lima ; this he totally defeated in a 

 pitched battle, killing or taking prisoners the 

 General and the whole of the division. These 

 various successes gave so much splendour and 

 popularity to the Independent cause, that, on the 

 3d of December, a whole regiment of the Royal- 

 ist force left the Spanish camp, marched over 

 with their colonel at their head, and actually 

 volunteered to serve under the standard of the 

 Liberating Army. 



