Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

1826. CHILOE TAKEN BY THE CHILIANS. 299 " Upon this occasion the troops landed, on the 8th, at the little inlet of the Bay of Huechucucuy ; and Fort Corona was immediately taken. On the 10th, the disembarkation of the troops was completed. A battaUon was left to mask Fort Aguy, while a force, under Colonel Aldunate, passed on, and took the battery of Barcacura. On the 10th, Admiral Blanco shifted his flag; and, leaving the O'Higgins outside, stood into the bay with the rest of the squadron, which anchored off Barca- cura. " The governor, Quintanilla, with upwards of three thousand Royalists, took up a strong position on a hill, at the S.E. side of the bay, flanked on the left by an impenetrable wood, on the right by the shore, and supported by three gun-boats in shallow water. These were taken by the boats of the squadron, under Captain Bell, and turned against the Royalists. Their position was thus enfiladed, and they retired. Freyre then advanced : some skirmishing took place : Quintanilla capitu- lated ; and the territory of Chile was no longer sullied by the Spanish flag. " Colonel Aldunate, Majors Maruri, Asagra, and Tupper (a native of Jersey) ; and Captain Bell, of the navy, greatly distinguished themselves." — Miller's Memoirs. Colonel Aldunate was afterwards invested with the govern- ment of the island ; but, owing to the disaffection of the troops, who were urged on by the King of Spain's agents, a revolution took place, Aldunate was imprisoned, and afterwards sent to Valparaiso, and the Spanish flag once more waved in Chiloe. It was, however, for a short time only ; Aldunate was des- patched once more, and with a small force of three hundred veteran troops, headed by Colonel Tupper, and accompanied by the Aquiles, brig of war, again obtained possession of the island, which he has since kept, though not quietly, for the Royalists were constantly on the alert, and made several futile attempts to recover the place for their king. Time has now reconciled the greater number to the change ; and, I believe, Chiloe may be considered a contented dependency of the re- public of Chile.