have gained his ends, in spite of my
endeavours to keep the men faithful to the flag under which they were
engaged to serve.

Fortunately for Chili and myself, an occurrence took place which averted
the evil, and was brought about by the very means which the Protector
had devised to promote his individual views.

The occurrence alluded to, was the embarkation of large sums of money by
the Protector in his yacht _Sacramento_, which had cast out her ballast
to stow the silver, and in a merchant vessel in the harbour, to the
exclusion of the _Lantaro_ frigate, then at the anchorage. This money
was sent to Ancon, on the pretence of placing it in safety from any
attack by the Spanish forces, but possibly to secure it for the further
purposes of the Protector. The squadron having thus ocular demonstration
that its arrears could be paid, but were not, both officers and men
refused longer to continue in a service which had brought them nothing
but prolonged suffering.

My own views coincided with theirs, and I determined that the squadron
should be no longer starved nor defrauded. I therefore sailed to Ancon,
and personally seized the treasure, before witnesses; respecting all
that professed to belong to private individuals, and also the whole of
that contained in the Protector's schooner, _Sacramento_, considering it
his private property, though it could not have been other than plunder
wrested from the Limenos. Independently of this yacht-load of silver,
there were also on board, seven _surrones_ (sacks) of uncoined gold,
brought down on his account by the Legate Parroisien; so that, after all
the moveable wealth of Lima was supposed to have been previously
deposited for safety in the castles of Callao, but carried off by
Cantarac, the condition of the unhappy Limenos may be imagined, from the
additional sums of which they were subsequently deprived.

I immediately made proclamation, that all private individuals, having
the customary documents, might receive their property upon application,
and considerable sums were thus given up to Dr. Unanue, Don Juan Aguero,
Don Manuel Silva, Don Manuel Primo, Don Francisco Kamirez, and several
others, though connected with the Government. Besides which, I gave up
40,000 dollars to the commissary of the army, who claimed it; so that,
having returned all the money for which dockets were produced, there
remained 285,000 dollars, which was subsequently applied to the payment
of one year'