ing ▁of ▁Fort ▁Bul nes ▁by ▁the ▁Sch oon er ▁An c ud ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁John ▁Williams ▁Wilson , ▁the ▁Mag all anes ▁region ▁joined ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 3 , ▁while ▁the ▁Anto f ag asta ▁area , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁part ▁of , ▁Boliv ia , ▁began ▁to ▁fill ▁with ▁people . ▁ ▁Anne x ation ▁of ▁E aster ▁Island ▁▁ ▁Chile ' s ▁interest ▁in ▁expand ing ▁into ▁the ▁islands ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean ▁dates ▁to ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁of ▁José ▁Jo aqu ín ▁Pri eto ▁( 1 8 3 1 - 1 8 4 1 ) ▁and ▁the ▁ide ology ▁of ▁Diego ▁Port ales , ▁who ▁considered ▁that ▁Chile ' s ▁expansion ▁into ▁Pol yn esia ▁was ▁a ▁natural ▁consequence ▁of ▁its ▁mar itime ▁dest iny . ▁The ▁first ▁stage ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁expansion ism ▁into ▁the ▁Pacific ▁began ▁a ▁de cade ▁later , ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁when — in ▁response ▁to ▁an ▁American ▁inc urs ion ▁into ▁the ▁Juan ▁Fernández ▁Islands — Ch ile ' s ▁government ▁formally ▁organized ▁the ▁islands ▁into ▁a ▁sub de leg ation ▁of ▁Val para í so . ▁That ▁same ▁year , ▁Chile ' s ▁merchant ▁fleet ▁briefly ▁succeeded ▁in ▁creating ▁an ▁agricult ural ▁goods ▁exchange ▁market ▁that ▁connected ▁the ▁Californ ian ▁port ▁of ▁San ▁Francisco ▁with ▁Australia , ▁renew ing ▁Chile ' s ▁economic ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁By ▁ 1 8 6 1 , ▁Chile ▁had ▁established ▁a ▁luc