ever reasonable, was at first objected to, on the ground of improper communication; but as I merely asked to have the means of identifying their persons, an order was given for that purpose, which I carried with me to the Castle.
“The ferment at Callao, a place at all times liable to violent popular commotions, was supposed to be so great on this irritating occasion, that many people counselled me not to excite the mob to greater fury by showing myself amongst them. But it seemed very obvious that any delay in visiting my officers in confinement at this particular moment, would tend directly to confirm all the suspicions against them; and possibly lead to their being sacrificed to the fury of the populace. The executive Government, it was to be feared, possessed at this critical season no very great authority; and as the military partook deeply of the wild opinions of the people, their subordination, especially in a popular point like this, could not be relied on. I saw, too, with much regret, that whatever might be the issue of this affair, all chance of our remaining afterwards on any good understanding with the Spaniards was gone.
“On reaching Callao, I rode slowly through the streets, which were filled with people, over whose countenances hung a scowl that spoke any thing but civility or welcome; there was also some little murmuring, and an occasional appearance of surprise at my presence: but no violence or insult of any kind was offered to me.
“The Spaniards are so devoted to form, that my order for admission to the prisoners was required to pass through innumerable hands before I was permitted to look at them; and then I was not allowed to speak a word. This done, the prison doors were again locked, and I returned to Lima to make an official application to the Government for the individuals who had been arrested, and whom I had now identified as officers of my ship.
"There is some reason to think that the peaceable reception I met with at Callao was owing to a mere accident. All commercial intercourse between Chili and Peru having been cut off from the moment the expedition sailed, the only mode of communication between Valparaiso and Callao was by means of the neutral men-of-war; and as, in former times, there had been a constant intercourse between these two ports, and numerous connections had been formed between their respective inhabitants, the effects of the war were now severely felt in the interruption of correspondence. I have stated, that, at Valparaiso, I sometimes amused myself by going into the cottages to observe the habits of the lower classes; and as it happened that most of those people had some relative or connection settled at Callao, I was charged, on sailing, with many messages and letters, all of which, it may be mentioned as characteristic of the times, they insisted on my first reading in their presence, lest they should accidentally contain political matter likely to prove prejudicial to their correspondents, or to me the bearer. Shortly after my arrival at Peru. I took care to deliver all these letters and messages in person. The letters were few, but the neighbours flocked in