mer, Ali lavished promises and courtesy; but these, wrung from him in such desperate need, could not outweigh the contrary experience of his whole life. His invitations to a general rising in support of Grecian independence, though they were not long of germinating, produced no immediate effect. Thus Ali, when the sun of his fortune began to set, looked round in vain for any quarter in which he could find friendship or support. Pehlivan Pacha, in marching through Rumelia and Thessaly, gained continually fresh accessions to his force. The defiles of Larissa were maintained for some time by Omeo, the lieutenant of Ali; but at length these were forced, and Pehlivan marched first upon Tricala, and then upon Lepanto, both which surrendered without resistance. He then directed his march towards Suli and Yanina. Meantime, the Captain Pacha, with the naval expedition, had invested Prevesa, which was defended by Veli, one of the sons of Ali. Veli, terrified by a mutiny of the garrison, threw himself and his treasures into the hands of the Ottoman captain; and being conveyed to Constantinople, was merely sentenced to banishment into Asia-Minor. A nephew of Ali, who commanded at Suli, surrendered after two days' resistance; while Mouktar, his eldest son, who held Berat, attacked by the inhabitants as well as the enemy, took refuge, with a small force, in the citadel. Thus Ali's dominion was reduced to Yanina and its vicinity, upon which the Turkish general was rapidly advancing. Six leagues from the town, he tried the fortune of battle; but being defeated, he was obliged to abandon the town, and take refuge in the castle, with his treasures, his cannon, and about eight hundred followers, who still adhered to him in this last extremity. Nothing, it appeared, could now be more desperate than the situation of the late ruler of Albania. The daring energy of his character alone supported him. He strengthened himself diligently in this last hold. By large gifts and promises, he kept his remaining troops together; and the Turks, who expected to have been masters of the citadel in eight days, found the siege dragging on to an indefinite period. In the course of it, Pehlivan Pacha died, of poison it was suspected, administered by a rival; and though he was succeeded by Chourschid Pacha, who afterwards proved himself to be an able general, the circumstance spread a general discouragement through the army. A Turkish force, composed chiefly of tumultuary militia, soon melts away, when it is not fed by success and plunder. In the beginning of December, Chourschid found his army so reduced by desertion, and so destitute of supplies and provisions, that he was obliged to retreat to Arta. Ali again came forth; and having drawn to his standard 6000 or 7000 Albanians, ever ready to join the prosperous party, he could again cherish the hope of retrieving his fortunes. How far this was realized, must appear in the course of our succeeding volume. CHAPTER XIII. AMERICA. Effects of the Spanish Revolution-Warfare in Venezuela-Armistice with Morillo-Chili-Lord Cochrane and San Martin's Expedition against Lima -Revolution at Guayaquil Buenos Ayres-Its various Revolutions-The United States-Union of the Missouri State-Finances-St DomingoDeath of Christophe. THE contest in South America was now fast drawing to that close which might have been from the first anticipated, by those who considered the circumstances under which it was carried on. Regions of such vast extent, and so difficult to traverse, could never be held under the dominion of a power so distant as Spain, when that dominion had once been thorough ly shaken. The state of distraction and debility in which Spain had been so long involved, rendered her happily unable to send large armaments, which might have covered America with blood, though they could not have accomplished her subjugation. The establishment of a free government in Spain, which she was ready in a certain shape to communicate to the colonies, was expected to open a wide door of conciliation. But mat ters had now gone too far; enmities had become too rooted; the desire of thorough independence was too deeply seated, and too openly declared. Besides, reluctant experience compels us to own that free governments are of all others the most domineering and tyrannical towards states subjected to their sway. The Americans conceived that the equality held out by the Cortes of Cadiz had been in a great degree vain and illusory, and had presented nothing to make them relinquish that more perfect freedom, which they already held in their grasp. Bolivar, master of New Granada, and having seen the organization of the Columbian republic, conceived that he had only to reduce the cities on the coast, Caraccas, St Martha, and Carthagena, to complete its liberation. He determined to begin with the first city. Having concentrated all his forces, he set out from St Fernando, on the Apure, and had reached Calabozo, when intelligence arrived which obliged him to suspend this enterprize. The royalist generals, Calzada and La Torre, finding New Granada left bare of troops, had over-run a great part of the country, and even retaken Santa Fé. On the western side, Colonel Arana was overrunning Cumana He had taken St Barbara, putting to the sword the garrison, which consisted in a great measure of English troops; and he འ even threatened Angostura, the seat of the Columbian Congress. Bolivar, considering New Granada as the most urgent quarter, hastened back thither, and soon obliged the royalist corps to retire before him. He now determined to push down upon Santa Martha and Carthagena, and to press the siege of these places, which he entrusted to his Lieutenant Urdaneta. He expected to be assisted by a corps of about 900 Irish troops, which, under General Devereux, had captured the island of Margarita, and were coming round by sea to the same points. This expedition accordingly landed at La Hacha, which was evacuated at their approach. Here, however, the Irish, who had hitherto met with nothing but hardship and hard-fighting, mutinied, and refused to proceed farther, until they received their pay. As the Spanish commander could give nothing but promises, they plundered the city; and though they afterwards promised to proceed against Santa Martha by sea, their whole conduct was so disorderly, that the Spaniards rather chose to throw them on shore at Jamaica, leaving them to reach home in that miserable plight, which their circumstances admitted. The other English corps in the Columbian service, though they too had received no pay, and little clothing, but abundance of wounds and hardships, remained faithful, and testified their indignation at this conduct of their countrymen. At this moment Morillo, at Caraccas, received the tidings of the revolution in Spain, with instructions to make the most ample conciliatory offers to the independent government. He immediately dispatched an embassy to the Congress at Angostura, with a letter couched in the most courteous terms, and in which he even addressed them by the title of "Serene Highnesses." He offered the con firmation of the existing authorities, and even the continuation of the independent chiefs for an indefinite time, in the commands which they now held. This first courtesy from one who had waged so bloody and exterminating a warfare, was well received, and the deputies were treated with every attention. After two or three days' deliberation, however, the reply was given, that the Congress desired the re-establishment of peace, and would listen with pleasure to the propositions which might be made by the Spanish government, provided these had for their basis a recognition of the sovereignty and independence of Columbia. As this declaration amounted to an entire rejection of the Spanish proposals, it was immediately followed by a manifesto, addressed to the nation, in which all the wrongs suffered from Spain were enumerated; the cruelties of Morillo and the other generals; and above all, the imperfect representation granted by the Cortes of Cadiz. It concluded, that nothing short of entire independence could satisfy three millions of men, who had made so many sacrifices in order to attain it. After this failure, the war recommenced with greater fury than before. The independent generals, however, were baffled, with some loss, in their attempts to reduce Santa Martha and Carthagena. Having then, however, directed their efforts against Caraccas, they met with important successes. General La Torre was completely defeated, and obliged to fall back upon the capital. A corps under Morales was routed near Calabozo, and the advanced guards of the Columbian army were pushed to within twenty leagues of Caraccas. Meantime propositions had been made for an armistice, and a Congress for negociating it had been opened at St Fernando on the Apure. Bolivar at first insisted upon the cession of Maracaybo, Santa Martha, and Rio de la Hacha, as the price of the armistice; but having sustained a check at Tocuyo, he finally agreed to one upon the basis of each army retaining its actual positions. Morillo then, sick apparently of this unfortunate war, set out for the mother country, leaving the army under the command of General La Torre. This transaction was of important benefit to the cause of independence. It gave to the government of Columbia a stable and recognized character, as well as an opinion of strength, which gained over to it the wavering party, particularly among the Creoles. At the same time, it afforded to Bolivar the opportunity of repairing his losses, of re-organizing his troops, and commencing the next campaign with every assurance of success. In the great states of Mexico and and Peru, which still adhered to Spain, the tidings of the revolution, though reluctantly announced by those immediately in power, were joyfully hailed by the body of the people. Probably, however, the agitation which they excited, and the triumph which they gave to the popular interest, tended still farther to loosen the ties by which these colonies were united to the mother country, and to hasten the period when they were to be finally broken. The only quarter from which Peru had any thing immediately to apprehend, was Chili. This country, now entirely fixed in the cause of independence, not only possessed the strength of its own hardy population, but was aided by the naval talents of Lord Cochrane, and by a body of English seamen, whom his fame and influence had attracted. The first enterprize of the year was, the capture of Valdivia, the only fortress of Chili which yet remained in the hands of the Spaniards. It was effected by Lord Cochrane in the most daring manner. He landed at night with two small vessels, having 320 men on board, and carried by storm one of the fifteen small forts by which it was defended. The governor, struck with dismay, though he had a garrison, superior in number to the assailants, evacuated the place next morning, leaving behind all its supplies and ammunition. The combined forces were now ready to carry into effect their projected expedition against Lima. Lord Cochrane had collected eight ships of war, of different sizes, carrying 236 pieces of cannon, and 1538 men, with 14 transports; while San Martin, the Chilese general, was at the head of an army of about 4000 men. On the 26th August, the army completed its embarkation at Coquimbo, and on the 8th September arrived at Pisco, where they were within 150 miles of Lima. The governor of Pisco evacuated the place on their approach. By the time that intelligence of this disembarkation had arrived at Lima, the government had received instructions from the new government of Spain. In pursuance of these, the Viceroy Pezuela sent a deputy to propose an armistice for the adjustment of the differences with the mother country. The armistice was agreed to on the 25th September; but the conferences had scarcely opened when it appeared, that the views of the two parties were utterly irreconcileable. The expedi tionary general soon declared his resolution to accept of nothing short of entire independence. On the 14th of October the armistice was declared at an end, and the war was renewed. The independent party derived very considerable hopes from the defection of Guayaquil, a large sea port, si tuated at the most northern extremity of Peru. At midnight, after a ball, in which all the principal inhabitants had been assembled, the conspirators hastened to the quarters of the principal civil and military officers, and put them under arrest. Next day independence was proclaimed, and a new government appointed. The governor Viverro, with his principal of ficers, were conveyed by a squadron to San Martin, at Pisco. Notwithstanding this defection, the governor of Peru did not lose courage. No revolutionary tendency manifested itself at Lima; and he had under his command 10,000 or 12,000 men, well armed and disciplined. The independents, accordingly, were unable, during the rest of this year, to make any impression upon Lima. The only event of any consequence, was the capture, by Lord Cochrane, of the Esmeralda, of 40 guns, after an obstinate combat under the batteries of Callao. Buenos Ayres, during the whole of this period, was plunged in a chaos of revolutions, of which we need only give a hasty sketch. Two factions chiefly divided this unfortunate country. One wished a constitutional monarchy, at the head of which they would have placed an Infant of Portugal; or, according to the idea of some, even one of the French Bourbons. This party was favoured by the principal inhabitants of Buenos Ayres, who expected, that under this plan, their city would continue to be the seat of government. Puyerredon, who, under the title of Supreme Director, held sway over the city and neighbourhood, was understood to support this party, and was thus closely allied with Portugal. The other plan was that of a federative republic, composed of the nine provinces, into which the vice-royalty of La Plata was divided; according to which VOL. XIII. PART I. scheme, the central Congress was to meet at Tucuman. This party, though it formed a minority at Buenos Ayres, was a favourite in the provinces, where it was supported by a powerful body of troops, under the command of Artigas. On the 1st February, an engagement took place at Cepeda, between this army and that of Buenos Ayres, under General Rondeau, in which the latter was totally routed. The federal army immediately marched upon Buenos Ayres, which it entered without resistance, Puyerredon seeking refuge at Monte Video. Sarratea, a decided federal, was appoint. ed governor, and a treaty was drawn up, by which the whole vice-royalty was formed into a confederation. The federals, however, in consequence of aviolent system of proscription against their enemies, and of the war which they were preparing against Fortugal, became highly unpopular. Their army, therefore, having retired, Don Carlos Alvear, who had been governor in 1815, introduced himself into the place, and uniting his own friends with those of Puyerredon, drove out Sarratea, and procured the nomination of Balcarce as governor and captain-general. Sarratea, however, having repaired to the federal headquarters, that army immediately put itself in motion, re-entered Buenos Ayres without opposition, and replaced affairs in their former state. Sarratea, however, was so unpopular, that in the course of six weeks he was obliged to yield the command to General Soler. Alvear, meantime, collected a body of troops, with which he totally defeated Soler, and advanced to Buenos Ayres, but was there repulsed; and being soon after attacked at St Nicholas, his army was totally defeated and dispersed. Hereupon appeared a new character, Don Martin Rodriguez, who, having been a conspicuous instrument in gaining X |