Page:A history of Chile.djvu/200

 i8o A HISTORY OF CHILE of his crew. The Spaniards ran up the rigging, or hid themselves in the hold, abandoning the ship to the bold enemy. But the two vessels not being lashed together, became separated, and the crew of the "Ven- ganza, " seeing how few of O'Brien's men were aboard, commenced a rapid firing. The brave commander fell, shot through the heart. The "Lautaro" returned to the attack and rescued the patriots on board the"Venganza, " but both the Spanish vessels, taking advantage of this incident, crowded sail and made their escape. It was not altogether a victory, but the effect was to rid the Chilean coast of the Spanish warships. The Chilean deputies in London had purchased the "Cumberland," another East Indiaman, for the use of the government. This was mounted with sixty-four guns and named "San Martin, " Captain Wilkinson being assigned as her commander. Mr. Higginson of North America, was first named as commodore of this little fleet, but being over sixt}' years of age he soon resigned and the government appointed General Blanco Enca- lada, who had been a Spanish midshipman, to the ex- alted office of admiral. Hoisting his flag upon the "San Martin," Commo- dore Encalada set sail for Concepcion, followed by the "Chacabuco" and "Lautaro," Captains Wilkinson, Wor- ster, Diaz and Morris all being on board. The Com- modore's plan was to intercept the Spanish frigate "Ma- ria Isabel, " or take her in the harbor of Concepcion, where she had put in with a transport soon after the battle of Maypo. Previous to this, Ferdinand VII. being again on the throne and fearing that Peru might soon follow the other Spanish-American provinces in declaring and obtaining her independence, dispatched an armj' of two thousand men from Spain in transports, convoyed by a battleship and two frigates. The war-