416 



SPANISH AMERICA. 



advanced to Cochapual ; and O'Higgins took 

 a position at Rancagua, twenty-three leagues 

 from Santiago : there he was attacked by 

 Osorio, and an engagement ensued which 

 lasted for thirty-six hours. J. M. Carrera, 

 during the action, approached the town 

 with a body of troops, but gave no assist- 

 ance to O'Higgins. The latter, at length, 

 having lost two-thirds of his troops, was 

 compelled to retreat, and the Carreras took 

 flight with a body of troops. 



In consequence of these events, Osorio 

 possessed himself, without opposition, of 

 Santiago, Valparaiso, and other places ; and 

 the whole of Chili was subjected to the 

 royal authority, by the end of October 1814. 

 The result was the arrest and imprisonment 

 of many of the patriots, a great number of 

 whom were sent to the desert island of Juan 

 Fernandez. 



It was in consequence of this victorious 

 career of the royalists, and to prevent them 



