himself and the savages whom he led to enjoy whilst smoking their
cigars. When any persons of influence fell into his hands, he cut out
their tongues, and otherwise horribly mutilated them--a bishop and
several other gentlemen surviving as witnesses of his atrocities.

Valdivia was this man's _point d'appui_, whence he drew his supplies,
and when we took the place a small vessel fell into our hands, laden
with arms and ammunition for his disposal amongst the Indians. She was
destined for Arauco, and had on board two Spanish officers and four
non-commissioned officers, sent for the purpose of rendering the Indians
still more formidable by indoctrinating them into European modes of
warfare.

The wretch Benavides was afterwards bought over by General San Martin,
and sent to Conception for the orders of General Freire, who told him to
his face that he would have nothing to do with such a monster; whereupon
Benavides left Conception, and commenced a desolating warfare upon the
inhabitants of the coast, even refining upon his former barbarities. The
country getting too hot for him, he again offered his services to the
Spaniards, and was on his way to Peru in a small vessel, when, being
compelled to go ashore for water, in the vicinity of Valparaiso, one of
his men betrayed him, and he was sent to Santiago, where he was hung.

The seamen were becoming mutinous, in consequence of neither receiving
pay nor prize-money, every promise given being broken, as well to them
as to myself. As they looked to me for the vindication of their rights,
and, indeed, had only been kept from open outbreak by my assurance that
they should be paid, I addressed a letter of expostulation to the
Supreme Director, recounting their services and the ill-merited
harshness to which they were exposed at the hands of his Ministers,