IN THE PACIFIC. 79 



should have one hour for cutting throats, and 

 two more for sacking the town. 



Most providentially this bloodthirsty villain 

 never lived to carry out his threat, for the same 

 evening, whilst pointing a 300 P r gun for the 

 destruction of the town, he was killed by a rifle- 

 shot, and soon afterwards the fort fell into the 

 hands of the people. 



Whilst these events were taking place we 

 were not altogether idle spectators on board 

 the " Reindeer." 



On the evening of the 25th a deputation of 

 gentlemen waited upon me on behalf of the 

 English residents of Callao ; they said that all 

 authority and order were at an end, and that the 

 town was at the mercy of an armed and lawless 

 mob, and they requested me to protect them in 

 their difficulties. It was not in my power to 

 assist them to the extent I should have wished 

 without compromising myself, but to give them 

 a feeling of security I landed a few picked men 

 after dark, and distributed them in the houses 

 of the principal residents. These men were 



