328 



CHILI. 



cers, and twenty soldiers ; together with the most 

 complimentary and encouraging letters from the 

 governor of Chiloe, who, as a good and loyal 

 Spaniard, was well pleased to assist any one who 

 would harass the Patriots, without thinking it his 

 business to inquire very strictly into the character 

 and habits of his ally. Shortly afterwards, the 

 English whale-ship Perseverance was captured 

 by Benavides ; and in July, the American brig 

 Ocean, having on board several thousand stand of 

 arms, also fell into his hands. The Ocean was 

 bound, it was said, from Rio de Janeiro to Lima, 

 but running short of water and fuel, had put into 

 the Island of St Mary's, where she was surprised 

 and taken during the night. This great acces- 

 sion of ships, arms, and men, fairly turned the 

 pirate's head ; and from that time, he seriously 

 contemplated the idea of organizing a regular 

 army, with which he was to march against San- 

 tiago ; while his fleet was to take Valparaiso : thus 

 Chili was to be reconquered without loss of time. 

 He was thwarted a good deal, however, in the out- 

 set, by the difficulty of making the sailors useful ; 

 one of the hardest tasks in the world being that of 



