The morning call., 1892-06-26

one country from Spain and the other from
Portugal The story OF his brave work Ia
those countries reads like a romance in
which there is q considerable amount Of
tragedy and some farce, for after all his ex-
pl0ltS the Cbllen0S, and the BraZllaus. too,
robbed their benefactor shamelessly. It IS
sufficient to refer to Lord Coehrane's own
statements on this dark subject. He OBJ
serves that beyond marks Of national ap-
probation, neither Chile nor Peru ever
awarded TO his squadron or himself any
more substantial reward. though in
pecunary sense deeply indebted TO them.
The independence Of both was secured at a
heavy pecauiary sacrifice TO Lord COchrsne.
Peru gave him nothing, aud Chile gave him
One-third Of his losses only. Such IS the
gratitude Of republics. But Brazil. under
monarchy. behaved even worse. He cleared
the seas Of the Portuguese and put Brazil
on a hrm footing OF independence, vet
Tor his laDOrs he got next to nothing. That
those l2bors were something to be proud Of
may be Inferred from the fact that COchrane
with his squadron expelled al the POrtu-
guese ornaments, naval and military, from
the eastern shores Of the South American
continent, and lie was wholly unaided by
military cooperation. He was actually dis
charged from the service without COM
penSation for his claims, " hich for 80 years
were altogether Tepudiated, but at the end
OF that period they were fully recognized IS
having been due from the beginning. The
Brazilian Government awarded him less
than one-haf the simple interest of the
amount stipulated in his patents, and re-
tanned the whole Of the principal admitted
to be due.
Having nothing to do for his own country
Lord CoChTane' received In 1917 an invitation
from Don Jose Alvarez accredited agent Of
the Government of Chile, to proceed to that
country and undertake the organization Of
naval force. The Chileans on land had got
the mastery over the Spaniards, but as yet
they were unsuccessful at sea. and Peru was
entirely in the hands of the Spaniards.
Spain also held possession of ValdiVia, which
was believed 10 be impregnabe. but as we
shall see, it was not impregnable to Lord
Cochrane. Arriving at Valparaiso in 1913,
COchTane was received with such popular
ovations that he reminded the Government
that his business was fighting and not
festivity. The supreme director was Gen
eral O'Higgins, the son of an Irish gentle
man. VINO, like so many others Of his COM
patriots, had gone abroad to find q field for
his talents. OHiggins always seems 10
have treated CCchrane with honesty and
honor. Having been created yice-admiral
of Chile and admiral and COMMANDMENTS
ehlet OF Its naval forces COchTane set to
work to do his best with limited resources.
He hoisted his flag on the O'Higgins, for
merly Spanish frigate, and had six vessels
under his command, with Admiral Blanco
second.
GOtUIdHc went 10 sea Will IOuI Vessels.
and BlancO followed with three. one addi-
tlona craft having been procured. His
fYe-year-old boy, veritable chip Of the old
block, accompanied him, having been snug
gled on board, and being without clothes
the sailors provided him with a rig. OF
this boy more hereafter. The admiral
made for Callao, where he expected to
overhaul a galleon with treasure. In Cal
lao at that time there were under shelter of
the batteries 20 guns, the frigate Esmerslda,
a corvette. 3 briggs Of war, n schooner 2S
gunbOats and fully armed merchantmen.
The batteries had 100 guns and the ship
ping $50 guns. There were odds against
him, but with characteristic audacity COch-
Tane tried to capture the shipping at Calla0.
He was not supported by the three other
vessels of his squadron. however. and so
| the o. Higgins had 10 draw out OF action.
During this action an odd incident &C.
Cured. COchrane's fve-year-Old boy got
on the quarterback beside his six-foot
father. Al the beginning of the action the
boy was ordered below. but he resisted
with all his might and was allowed TO stay
on deck A ball took off the head of a
marine close to where the child stood and
splurged the brains over his face. Poor
| COehraDe was In dreadful fright, and he
was rendered still moro emotional when
the lad said: Il am not hurt papal The
shot did not touch me. Jack says the shot
lie not made that can hurt mammals boy"
For his bolduess off Callao the Spaniards
christened Cochrane FL Diablo. They threw
a boom across the harbor. and declined TO
face an open fight, As the Spaniards would
not come out COehTaIe returned to Val
paralso, where he was received with great
rejoicing. The patriots were now victori-
Gus by sea and land, and the proud feet of
Spain was cooped up In hsrbor afraid 10
weigh.
On the 18th OF September 1919, Cochrane
sailed again for Peru. the OHiggins flying
the flag and the squadron otherwise COM
posed Of the San Martin, Lsntaro. indie
pendencia and the PayTredOn. There were
also two vessels to ba used as freships. A
thousand soldiers were promised him at Co
QuimbO, but only 90 were furnished, and
these SO miserably Tigged that they had to
DE clothed by the fleet. The admiral ex-
pected to do great deeds with rockets, but
the filing of these had been entrusted to
Spanish prisoners and they were patriotic
enough to make them ineffective. They
charged up with handfuls Of sand. and even
manure. and in many cases the continuity
of combustion was so broken that tile
rockets declined to go off. The main pur-
pose Of the expedition failed, but, as COch-
rane knew that It would never do 10 return
TO Valparaiso, where cOnspiTators were at
work plotting against him, without some ex-
ploit to serve the multitude for hurrahS.
he resolved to capture Valdivia, fortress
beyond attack, as the Spaniards aud
Chilenos thought And he succeeded.
Strategy played great part in THIS clever
work A Spanish frigate was expected and
uuder Spanish c0loTs and TecOnnotered.
When found out he retired, but he knew
pretty we'll what s0undings the channels