ch he had ascended to his present elevated position. There were
large sums and a vast amount of plate in the possession of the Spanish
garrison,--the wealthy citizens of Lima--fearing their liberators--having
deposited both in the forts for security. A third of this would have
relieved us from our embarrassments. The vessels were, in fact, in want
of stores of every kind, their crews being without animal food, clothing,
or spirits, indeed their only means of subsistence was upon money
obtained from the Spanish fugitives, whom I permitted to ransom themselves
by surrendering a third only of the property with which they were escaping.

As soon as my offer to the Spanish Commandant, La Mar, became known to
the Protector--in order to counteract it, and ensure the success of his
design to starve out the Chilian squadron, and so procure its transfer
to himself--he offered La Mar unlimited and unconditional protection,
both as to persons and property, on purchase of letters of citizenship!
The Commandant, therefore, rejected my proposal, and the hope of
obtaining a sufficient sum for the payment of the seamen, and for
refitting the ships, was frustrated.

General San Martin afterwards accused me to the Chilian Government of
aiming at the possession of the fortress of Callao, for the purpose of
setting at defiance the Government of Peru! This was ridiculous; though,
had it been my object, it would have been perfectly consistent with my
duty to Chili, from which State the Protector of Peru had cast off his
allegiance. My object was simply to obtain means to subsist the
squadron; though, had I obtained possession of the forts, I would most
certainly have dictated to General San Martin the fulfilment of his
promises; and should as certainly have insisted on his performing his
solemn engagement to the Peruvians, of giving them the free choice of
their own government.

He also accused me of wishing to appropriate the sum proposed to be
surrendered by the Spanish Commandant to my own use, though the seamen
were in a state of mutiny from actual starvation! Instead of
contributing to this useful end, as before the Protector's interference
La Mar was not unwilling to do, the Spaniards were afterwards permitted
to retire unmolested with the whole of their treasure; and to this, the
most discreditable act which ever sullied the name of a military
commander, we now come. As the whole transaction has been well described
by another writer,