prisoner to Valparaiso, where, in place of being punished, both he and
Erescano were promoted, and taken into the liberating army of General
San Martin.

I have spoken of the aid afforded to the Spaniards by the Indians. On
the 10th of March General Freire, afterwards Supreme Director, wrote me
a letter congratulatory of my success against Valdivia, which he
concluded by informing me that its capture had already caused the
Indians of Angol, and their Cacique, Benavente, to declare in favour of
Chili, and that he did not doubt but that this would shortly be followed
by a similar declaration on the part of the Indians throughout the
province; General Freire not being aware that I had already produced
this effect by distributing amongst them an immense quantity of trumpery
stores and gewgaws, accumulated by the Spaniards in the magazines at
Valdivia, for the purpose of rewarding murderous inroads into the
Chilian territory.

It will be interesting briefly to note the employment of Indians by the
Spaniards. Their agent, or leader, in this horrible warfare, was a
wretch named Benavides, who may fairly lay claim to the distinction of
being the most perfect monster who ever disgraced humanity. He had
originally been a common soldier in the Buenos Ayrean army, and,
together with his brother, had _carte blanche_ from the Spaniards to
commit the most fearful atrocities on the Chilian patriots, who could
not defend themselves against the stealthy cowardice of Indian warfare.
His invariable practice was, whenever a village or estate could be
surprised, to sew up the leading inhabitants as tightly as possible in
raw ox-hides stripped from their own cattle, when, being laid in the
burning sun, the contraction of the hides as they dried caused a slow
and lingering death of perfect agony, which it was the amusement of