Indies,
and was anxious that Cochrane should marry the only daughter of an
official of the admiralty court. Even had he not been attached to Miss
Barnes the proposal was one that was signally distasteful to Cochrane. He
had been engaged in exposing the serious malpractices by which the
officials of the admiralty court amassed great fortunes at the expense of
the seamen, and for him to have benefited by these very malpractices would
have seemed a contradiction of all his principles. His uncle in vain
pointed out to him that the fortune he himself would leave him, and that
which he would obtain by the marriage, would suffice to reinstate the
Earls of Dundonald in their former position as large landowners.

"Cochrane's determination was unshaken and he married Miss Barnes, so his
uncle cut him out from his will entirely and broke off all acquaintance
with him. I am sure, however, he has never for a moment regretted his
choice. I believe that she makes him as perfectly happy as it is possible
for a man of his restless disposition to be."

On the 15th of August, 1818, the _Rose_ sailed from Boulogne, and
Lieutenant Embleton, who had remained on board with his son until she got
under way, returned to England.

"Do you know anything about this Chilian business?" Lord Cochrane asked
Stephen as they walked up and down the deck together on the following
morning.

"My father told me a little about it, sir, but he said that he had not
paid much attention to the matter until he received your kind offer to
take me."

"Well, lad, it is well you should know something about the rights and
wrongs of the struggle in which you are going to take part. You know that
the Spaniards obtained their possessions in South America partly by right
of discovery, and partly by the papal bull that settled the matter. The
Portuguese were given the east coast, while to Spain were handed, besides
the islands, the vast territories of Mexico and Central America and the
whole of the western portion of South America. In extent it considerably
surpassed that of Europe, and its natural wealth, had it been properly
administered, would have been fabulous. The Spaniards, however, thought
but of two things: one was to force the natives to embrace their religion,
the other to wring all they possessed from them. The first caused the
death of great numbers of the Indians; the second brought about the
virtual enslavement of the whole of the native races.

"The t