e of carrying out the
most desperate enterprises.

Although Lord Cochrane was received with unbounded enthusiasm by the
population at large on his return to Valparaiso, his success had excited
the jealousy of the minister of marine and other officials, and by them he
was treated with the grossest ingratitude. They even proposed to bring him
to court-martial for having exceeded his orders; and although the
indignation the proposal excited compelled them to abandon this, it was
but to resort to other measures hostile to him.

It was months before the fleet received their share of the prize-money of
the capture of Valdivia, in spite of the admiral's earnest efforts on
their behalf. His own share, which was sixty-seven thousand dollars, he
never received at all. He failed altogether in his endeavour to obtain a
fleet of sufficient force to attempt the capture of Callao, and for many
months was kept in a state of inactivity. So irritating was the
persecution to which he was subjected, that on the 14th of May he tendered
his resignation.

The resignation was refused, but nothing was done. O'Higgins, who was an
honest man, was practically powerless, as the entire government was in the
hands of a senate of five members, which assumed dictatorial powers, and
without whose approval nothing whatever could be done. It was determined,
however, to raise an army for the liberation of Peru; and although Lord
Cochrane had vainly asked the year before for a small land force to
capture Callao, an army was now raised without difficulty by the
dictators, and General San Martin was placed in command. This man had
rendered good service to Chili when, in conjunction with O'Higgins, he had
led the movement of independence; but his success had turned his head. He
was vain and arrogant, and at the same time dilatory and vacillating. He,
like the dictators, was jealous of the success and popularity of Lord
Cochrane, and was bent upon thwarting him to the utmost. His army, four
thousand two hundred strong, was embarked at Valparaiso in the ships of
the squadron. Lord Cochrane proposed to him to land at Chilka, the nearest
point to Lima and Callao. San Martin, however, chose Pisca, and the troops
were landed there on the 18th of September. For fifty days they remained
there doing nothing, the fleet being compelled to remain inactive off the
port.

On the 28th of October they were re-embarked. San Martin again refused to
listen to Lord Cochrane's