Fénix 10, 203-234

LETTERS TO JAMES PiiROISSIEN MZLLER TO PAROZSSIEN O n board t h e Valdivia, off f h e island oí San Lorenzo. 15 February, 1821. My dear Paroissien, Qwing to calms. unfavo~rablewinds, and the heavy sailing of the Con- sequencla, we did not join the admira1 and rest of the squadron off Cañzte, the rendezvous appointed, until the 12th. We are now within two hours sail of Callao and it is said our destination is to this place. Unless the enerniec' garrison declare for iis 1 don't know what it will be possible for us to a t t e i ~ p t against such fortificaiions. Of course our operations will be guided by cir- cumstances, and as I am not rcquainted with the instructions given to lord C and Heras, 4 1 am unable to form an opinion as to whether we are likely t o succeed or not. But I must confess 1 have little hope of doing any thing worthy of notice. On the contrary 1 anl inclined to believe that we shall, perhaps, to use a vulgar expression, botch the business. Heras landed a t Ca- ñete two days previous to our arrival with the marines of the O'Higgms and GI. San Martin, but it is said they got so drunk. and behaved with so much insubordinat~on,that it was found necessary ?o ordrr rhem on board again much sooner than was intended. They found nothing of consequence in the town. About 80 of the enerny7shorsemen were stationed there, but they ran immediately upon the appearznce of our soldiers. Nine of the latter either deserted or were left behind drunk. They are miss~ng. I hope ~t is not in- tended to employ the detarhment of the army placcd r~ndermy orders iil these pettyfogging landing espcditions. Thc men are too good for that sort of service. I wish they could meet twice the number of the enemy in the f ~ ! d upon equal terms. Lord C. has heard of the report in circulation about Bennett, 5 which is that he offered to Barnard 6 for sale a certain quantity of silver or gold sügposed to belong t o the captors of Valdivia 7, and 1 was given as the author. His Lordship having questioned me upon the subject I gave you as my infor- mer, telling him a t the same time that you had given me leave to make use of your name. Thus ended the matter. But the Admira1 says he shall trace the whole business and report to their foundations. This climate is dreadfujly unhealthy a t present. Th e fogs and dews are so great that it is impossible to see more than 100 y[ar]ds frorn the ships9sides excepting now and then when it clears up for an hour or two du- 4 . Colonel (later General) Torrás IIeres. 5 . I assume t h a t t h e reference is t o Wi l l i am Benristt, better known as Wi l l i am Bennett Stevenson, Lord Co c h r a~ e ' ssecretary 2nd author o f t h e well-known Hisforical and Desciipfive Narrafive of T w e n f y Years' Residente i n South America ( 3 vols., Lo11- don, 1825). 6 J. J. Barnard, a n Engiish merchant. See Humphreys, op. cit., pp. 80, 91-2. 7 . T a k e n b y Gochrane i n Febmary, 1820. Fénix: Revista de la Biblioteca Nacional del Perú. N.10, 1954