SAILING OF BROWN. 407 



The latter convoked a new Congress ; but 

 before it assembled, he was, through a po- 

 pular commotion, dispossessed of his office, 

 Balcarce being appointed supreme director, 

 but who was soon afterwards removed by 

 the Congress which assembled at Tucuman, 

 who nominated to that office Don J. M. 

 Puyrreddon. The last-named supreme di- 

 rector gave the command of the army of 

 Peru to Belgrano. Previously to this, that 

 army had been defeated by the royalists at 

 the battle of Sipe-Sipe, fought in November 

 1815, in consequence of which the latter, 

 for the third time, obtained possession of 

 Charcas, Potosi, and Tarija. A force under 

 the orders of Viamont, sent against Artigas, 

 was also routed, and its commander taken 

 prisoner. 



Brown, who, after the capture of Monte 

 Video, had obtained the rank of admiral, 

 sailed at the end of 1815, with the consent 

 of the government of Buenos-Ayres, with 



