Page:A history of Chile.djvu/202

1 82 A HISTORY OF CHILE his squadron toward Peru. Arriving in Callao bay, it was the admiral's intention to attack the fort and carry the town by a sudden descent upon it. A fog arose and the vessels of the fleet became separated, so that only Lord Cochrane in the "O'Higgins" entered the ba}' as far as the anchorage. The Spanish vessels, "Es- meralda and "Venganza, "with two other warships, were at anchor under the guns of the forts. Cochrane opened fire upon them, but the surprise was not successful and three hundred and sixty guns on shore and one hundred in the ships opened a brisk cannonading in reply. Un- able to retreat, because of the calm which prevailed in the bay, the "O'Higgins sustained the fire unsupported for two hours, when a favorable wind enabled her to escape. Believing, from this nearly successful attack, that Lord Cochrane would succeed in a second attempt to take the port, the viceroy ordered ships dismantled and a double boom to be formed from their materials bar- ring the way to the anchorage. The admiral, however, contented himself for a while with blockading the har- bors and compelling the Spanish authorities at different places along the coast to furnish his ships with pro- visions. He captured the towns of Payta, Supd and other places, with detached parties landed from his boats, and seized property of the royalists to furnish his vessels with supplies. While conducting these operations along the coast, Commodore Blanco Encalada with the remainder of the fleet was left to maintain the blockade of Callao. Returning, Lord Cochrane found that the Chilean commander had raised the blockade and gone to Valparaiso. Encalada was arrested for this and a court- martial held, but he was honorably acquitted. Though invited by the Chilean government to command the