76 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



were exchanged for others sent down from Li 

 under the command of Silvestre Gutierrez ; but 

 many of these men, who only wanted the oppor- 

 tunity to join the cause of the people who were 

 opposed to the usurper, deserted during the 

 night of the 23rd. 



A few stray shots were fired in the streets of 

 Callao the same night. The captain of the 

 port and other officials now sent in their resign- 

 ations, which did not tend to allay the excite- 

 ment ; and the foreign merchants consequently 

 formed themselves into a guard for the pro- 

 tection of their property. At this time I 

 thought it advisable to offer H.M.S. " Reindeer " 

 as a refuge for any who might wish to seek the 

 protection of the British flag. In consequence 

 of this many people came on board, amongst 

 them Colonel F. Balta, another brother of the 

 president, who arrived on the morning of the 

 revolution in the mail steamer " Limefia." 



Gutierrez being in want of funds to pay his 

 soldiers seized whatever money happened to be 

 in the Mint, and also threatened several Bank 



