commander dead at his feet. The troops around sprung upon the undaunted Frenchman, but did not despatch him until he had slain or wounded several of his assailants.' Vol. I. pp. 42, 43.

Notwithstanding all this, the Americans kept firm to their allegiance, in the hope that the restoration of Ferdinand would give a termination to their sufferings; and with the exception of Caracas, where these atrocities were perpetrated, there was hardly a symptom of an insurrectionary spirit. But when that wretched monarch rejected their complaints, and heaped favours on their persecutors,-when, in recompense for the violation of solemn compacts, the murder of pacific envoys under protection of the white flag, and the most unrelenting employment of fire and sword, such men as Monteverde, Calleja, Cruz, and Truxillo, were crowned with honours and decorations,-it was felt that there could be, thenceforward, but one appeal; that quiescence was not only cowardice, but folly; and that the only security for life and property lay in the assertion of independence, at all cost, and in the stern resolve never to sheathe the sword until that were wrought out.

'It was not until above one million of Spanish Americans had been victims; until almost every Spaniard, whom, with a blind generosity, they had retained in situations of trust, had deceived and betrayed them; until they found no hope left, from either prince or people, that the film fell from the eyes of the natives. They at length discovered that the phantom which they had hitherto worshipped, was unable to protect and unwilling to serve them, and that they had been, under the King's name, the victims of treachery, avarice, and cruelty.

Upon this discovery, the spirit of enlightened patriotism walked abroad. Their duties to their children, and to the land of their nativity, became at once apparent. The kingdoms of a vast continent immediately, and almost simultaneously, declared their independence; and, in the assertion of their rights, placed their whole reliance upon the justice of their cause and the goodness of their swords.'

Vol. I. p. 50.

Buenos Ayres is designated by Mr. Miller as the 'cradle of South American independence.' Favourably situated on the banks of the Rio de la Plata, as a grand entrepôt for the commerce of an immense region, it was rising rapidly into mercantile prosperity, when it found itself completely trammelled by the extensive system of smuggling organized by the Portuguese, along the Banda Oriental. Among the banditti who carried on, sword in hand, this illicit and destructive intercourse, was Fernando Jose de Artigas, afterwards distinguished as a revolutionary leader. This daring brigand was the terror of the surrounding country. In vigour, activity, and talent, he was superior to all with whom or against whom he was engaged; and in horsemanship he was without a rival. He evaded pursuit

by his thorough knowledge of the tracts over which he ranged; and it is related of him, that, on one occasion, when fairly at bay, he killed several of his horses, and, entrenched behind their bodies, kept up so rapid and unerring a fire, as to induce his pursuers to withdraw from the destructive contest. He became, in course, a leader among the contrabandistas, and his maintenance of rule was severe and summary. The only delay interposed between sentence and execution, was the short time necessary to hurry over the Credo Cemaron, a set of prayers jumbled by haste and ignorance into an unintelligible jargon. At times, he would bind a number of obnoxious individuals in raw hides, which, shrinking as they dried, inflicted intolerable agonies on the miserable delinquents condemned to the Enchipar. To this man the Spanish authorities made application, on the well-known principle of set a thief to catch a thief', as the most effective method of putting down contraband traffic; and he accepted the offer of amnesty, reward, and rank. He accomplished his task, eradicated the evil, and, as guarda general de la campana, maintained order throughout his district, and gave full security to trade. From this time, the commerce of Buenos Ayres went on increasing, until its partial interruption by the disastrous expedition under General Whitelocke. The Spanish revolution gave a further object to the martial spirit roused by the energetic effort which repelled that feeble and mismanaged invasion, and, in the midst of much confusion, many transfers of authority, and numerous vicissitudes of fortune, the independence of the Argentine republic was secured. The last formidable attempt to replace the yoke, was made by the Spanish general La Serna, who, in 1817, advanced with an army from Peru. He reached Salta and Jujuy.

La Serna could penetrate no further. The Spaniards occupied no more of the country than the ground they stood upon; or, at any rate, none beyond the range of their musketry. They were hemmed in by about as many hundred Gauchos, as La Serna counted thousands of regular troops. Some of the Gauchos were armed with muskets; others with swords, carbines, or pistols; but many were only provided with a long knife, bolas, and the lasso.

A small round hat, a shirt, a poncho, breeches open at the knees, and boots made of raw hide, were the only articles of dress commonly worn. The Gauchos concealed themselves in the depth of forests in the day-time, and often made an attack in the night upon the royalist quarters, or outposts. The Gauchos outside were in constant communication with the inhabitants; many of the latter would join in nocturnal surprises, and be found at home by day-light next morning. It was useless for La Serna to send out strong piquets. The royalists lost so many men in this way, without ever gaining a single advantage, that they were obliged to give over every attempt to move beyond the outskirts of the suburbs in pursuit.

VOL. I.-N.S.

G

The manner in which the Gauchos carried on their operations, was as follows: They kept men constantly on the highest trees, to watch every movement of the royalists, or to receive communications from friends in the town. Royalist stragglers to a small distance were invariably cut off. On some trees bells were hung; and, tolling them, the Gauchos would call out to the Spaniards, "Come, Goths, and hear mass." From other trees, drums were suspended, and the call, to arms beaten ever and anon; whilst in others, men would be sounding bugles day and night, at intervals. If the royalists approached, the Gaucho on the look-out would glide from the branches like a squirrel, vault into the saddle, and, watching a favourable opportunity, level his musket or pistol, fire, and probably bring down a royalist, before he galloped off and dived into the recesses of the forest. All this served to intimidate and harass the Spaniards to an amazing degree. Numerous desertions took place; supplies were cut off; and even fuel became so scarce, that the rafters and other wood-work of untenanted houses were made use of for that purpose.

La Serna himself was driven to desperation. Foiled at the very entrance of the Pampas, by a handful of undisciplined but wellmounted Gauchos, he had the additional mortification of finding all his vaunted plans of conducting the war " en régle" inapplicable to the country in which, with so much pompous parade, he had endeavoured to introduce them. He was. finally compelled to abandon Ju juy, and retire to Cotagaita, in order to avoid starvation.'

Vol. I. pp. 86, 87.

In the mean time, Chile had been revolutionized, but, after many changes, had, through the ambition and mismanagement of its leaders, and the treacherous conduct of the royalists, been reconquered by the Spaniards under Osorio, notwithstanding the skilful and determined defence of Bernardo O'Higgins, afterwards Supreme Director of the republic. Osorio was a dastard and a barbarian, who was indebted for his success to the bravery of his lieutenants; and he was not less ferocious in victory, than feeble in the council and the field. He was succeeded by General Marco, a still greater savage than himself, whose views were directed towards the invasion of the provinces of La Plata, but who was compelled to postpone his intentions by the activity of the guerrillas formed by the patriot Chilenos.

The various struggles in which the patriots of Buenos Ayres were engaged, had produced, among several officers of considerable talent, one distinguished commander, José de San Martin, who, after essentially contributing to the successes of the Argentines, had occupied a considerable period in collecting and disciplining a respectable body of troops, for the purpose of liberating Chile; a territory affording, by its relative position, great advantages to the royalists in their projected invasion of the republican provinces of La Plata. The Spanish troops

nearly doubled the numbers with which San Martin prepared to cross the Andes; but he contrived to divide their attention by an ostensible negotiation with a tribe of Indians, whose habits are very interestingly described. At the head of two divisions led by Generals O'Higgins and Soler, he at length surmounted the passes of the Cordilleras, debouched on the level ground of Chile, and, on the 12th of February, 1817, gained the decisive battle of Chacabuco. On the 14th, he entered Santiago in triumph, and by the 18th, had taken the Captain-General Marco and three thousand six hundred prisoners. The Chilenos offered to place him at the head of their government, but he refused the post, and their choice fell on O'Higgins. The officer entrusted with the command of the troops sent in pursuit after the action, suffered himself to be detained at different points; and the royalists, under an able officer, were enabled to rally in a strong position at Talcahuano, where they were attacked without success. At this juncture, General Miller arrived in Chile.

William Miller, or more sonorously, as his newly adopted countrymen give the name, Don Guillermo Miller, was born in December 1795, in the county of Kent. He entered the British service in 1811, and served in Spain, France, and North America. After the peace, growing tired of inactivity and half-pay, he turned his attention to the New World, and in 1817, landed at Buenos Ayres, where he was well received by the Supreme Director, Puyrredon, who gave him a captain's commission in the army of the Andes, under San Martin, whose exploits we have just described. He reached Santiago, January 24, 1818, and in two days more, joined the army in its cantonments near Valparaiso. His reception by the colonel of his regiment, the Buenos Ayres artillery, was abrupt, but the other officers behaved with the utmost cordiality. Two of them were wags in their way. Captain Don Juan Apostol Martinez, a Creole, hated Spaniards, and was much addicted to quizzing and kicking priests.

The adjutant, Talmayancu, was an Araucanian Indian, who had been brought up and educated by a missionary. His person was stout and squat; his complexion sallow and shining: from under a low forehead peered out two twinkling eyes, which, from their good-humoured vivacity, relieved the expression of a countenance that was often compared to the full moon. He was fond of creating false alarms in the encampment, by answering the challenge of sentinels at night, as if enemies were at hand. The day after his arrival, Miller mounted guard: Talmayancu attempted to play his usual pranks upon the new comer; but his voice being overheard by an officer who knew him, he was detected, and placed under a short arrest.

There were some very fine young men amongst the officers of the

corps, and all were extremely obliging. Most of them played on the guitar, or sung, and good fellowship reigned throughout the camp.c Vol. I. pp. 165, 166,

The South American artillery can with ease perform a march of fifty or sixty miles a day for many days successively. If necessary, it could march from Mendoza, across the level Pampas, to Buenos Ayres, at the rate of even ninety miles per day; supposing always the spare horses to be sufficiently numerous to allow of fresh ones being put to the carriage after it had been drawn at a gallop for two or three leagues.'

To hear Creole officers speak of their cavalry as comparable with the finest in Europe, was calculated to excite a smile in a newly arrived European, who at first sight would consider the comparison preposterous; but when he had become accustomed to the poncho and slovenly appearance of the men, and had seen them in action, he would readily acknowledge that no European cavalry could cope with gaucho lancers throughout a campaign on South American ground.

The appearance of the troops in general, at the time we are speaking of, was not calculated to produce a very favourable impression upon the mind of a superficial observer. A man on guard without a stock, and perhaps without a button to his coat, was a strange sight to one accustomed to see well-dressed soldiers. Yet the composition of the army of the Andes was good, and although the dress of the soldiers was unsightly, they were well armed, tolerably disciplined, and enthusiastic. National airs and hymns to liberty, accompanied by the sound of guitars, were heard throughout the encampment every evening till a late hour. Vol. I. pp. 169, 170.

In the mean time, the royalist army had been strongly recruited by the arrival of veteran troops from Europe, and, under the orders of General Osorio, six thousand effectives advanced upon the patriots under San Martin, who called in his separated divisions, and prepared to accept the offered battle. The bold and able manoeuvres of the republican commander, placed his opponents in a critical situation, rendered still more disheartening by the unfavourable result of some slight affairs that took place between detached parties. Osorio became panic-struck, and took to his beads; but the energy of his second in command, General Ordoñez, had nearly retrieved all by a well-planned night attack, which threw the patriots into confusion: had the royalist chief been a man of enterprise and resource, it might have been difficult for them to rally before the capital had fallen. Happily, time enough was given them to recover; and on the 5th of April, 1818, the battle of Maypo established the independence of Chile. At this conflict, Captain Miller, who had distinguished himself in the previous action, was not present, having been detached on naval service. During his employment