68 MEMOIR OF COLONEL TUPPER.
colonel of cavalry, with one hundred and fifty dollars per month, and my situation is at present ' Edecan Mayor,' or aid-de-camp in chief to the president of the republic, General Pinto, a very clever man, who has resided in England for some time. This situation I shall probably hold for some years if I continue in the sendee."
And on August 4, 1827 : —
"The president mentioned to me some time back, that should the present governor of Chiloe resign, as was expected, he would send me there. My pay would then be four thousand dollars per annum, and there are other advantages."
In October, 1827, a midshipman of H. M. S. Doris unfortunately killed a Chileno sergeant, who had attacked him with his bayonet during some disturb- ance in the theatre at Valparaiso. It appears that this young officer was stabbed twice by the sergeant, who was intoxicated, when in his own defence he drew out a pocket pistol and shot him dead. Sir John Sinclair, who commanded the frigate, gave up the midshipman to the authorities on shore, the inha- bitants of the town declaring that they would have vengeance either of him or of some other British officer ; and the president of Chile ordered a court martial, which was composed partly of foreign officers in the service of the republic. At the solicitation of the British consul-general, Lieut. -Colonel Tupper undertook the defence, and it is said conducted it with so much ability that the result was an acquittal, although it was generally expected that the prisoner would have been found guilty of murder, such was the irritation of the public mind against him, and in that case the consequence might have been fatal.
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