PERU. 249 



vivid remembrance of the gratification afforded to my mess- 

 mates when he came to dine with us on board H.M.S. 'Aurora/ 

 then lying in Callao. I was then a lieutenant of that beautiful 

 frigate, and was introduced to your father by Mr. Hodge, of St. 

 Erth, with whom I had become acquainted in Chili. I remem- 

 ber your father delighting us all on board the ' Aurora ' by his 

 striking description of the steam-engine, and his calculation of 

 the ' horse -pow y er ' of the mighty wings of the condor in his 

 perpendicular ascent to the summit of the Andes. Your father's 

 strong Cornish dialect seemed to give an additional charm to 

 his very interesting conversation, and my messmates were most 

 anxious to see him on board again, but he left shortly after for 

 the Sierra. 



" The Pasco-Peruvian mines were those which your father 

 was engaged to superintend before he left England, and he had 

 actually managed, by incredible labour, to transport one or two 

 steam-engines from the coast to the mines, when the war of 

 independence broke out, and the patriots threw most of the 

 machinery down the shafts. This fearful war was a deathblow 

 to your lather's sanguine hopes of making a rapid fortune. 

 About a year after this terrible disappointment (I think in 

 1822), the ' San Martin,' an old Russian fir frigate, purchased 

 by the Chilian Government, sank at her anchors in Chorillos 

 Bay, ten miles south of Callao, and your father entered into an 

 engagement with the Government in Lima to recover a large 

 number of brass cannon, provided that all the prize tin and 

 copper on board which might be got up should belong to him. 

 This was a very successful speculation, and in a few weeks your 

 father realized about 2500?. I remember visiting the spot with 

 your father whilst the operations were carried on, and being 

 astonished at the rude diving bell by w r hick so much property 

 was recovered from the wreck, and at the indomitable energy 

 displayed by him. It was Mr. Hodge, and not I, who then 

 urged in the strongest manner that at least 2000Z. should be 

 immediately remitted to your mother. Instead of this, he 

 embarked the money in some Utopian scheme for pearl fishing 

 at Panama, and lost all ! 



"I had the honour of dining with Lord Dundonald on board 



