422 SPANISH AMERICA. 



seventy pieces of cannon, but also possessed 

 himself of the town and province. 



The Chilian government was in the mean 

 time employed in preparing the expedition, 

 for which purpose it removed from the ca- 

 pital to Valparaiso, in order the more effec- 

 tually to co-operate with San Martin in the 

 organization of the army. Lord Cochrane, 

 on his return from Valdivia, devoted himself 

 with the greatest zeal and assiduity to the 

 equipment of the fleet; and the expedition 

 was ready for sailing on the 15th of 

 August 1820. The number of troops con- 

 sisted of nearly five thousand men. San 

 Martin was appointed commander-in-chief 

 and captain- general of the united liberating 

 army of Peru. The fleet under Lord Coch- 

 rane comprised the O'Higgins of fifty guns ; 

 the San Martin, sixty ; the Lautaro, forty ; 

 Independencia, twenty-four; three smaller 

 vessels, and twenty transports. 



The expedition sailed on the 20th of Au- 



