78 INTRODUCTION. 



" perceive, as their termination, the amelioration of their institutions, 

 " and an indemnification for their actual sacrifices. Between the 

 " shoal of premature reform, and the danger of leaving abuses un- 

 " touched, there is a mean whose amplitude is pointed out by the 

 " circumstances of the moment and the great law of necessity." 

 After a good deal more of the same kind, there follow twenty regu- 

 lations, in not one of which is a single evil removed ; but they all 

 relate to the appointment of new governors, and tax-gatherers, and 

 to his own full powers to rule ; and especially to punish those whose 

 political proceedings shall be offensive to him, or contrary to his views. 



But the jealousy which had begun to intrigue against Lord Coch- 

 rane, even before his arrival, was now about to break out in a manner 

 highly disgraceful to many of the officers of the Chileno squadron, 

 and extremely injurious to the cause they served. Each, having 

 come out as an independent adventurer, conceived, notwithstanding, 

 that Chile had formally adopted the rules and regulations of the Bri- 

 tish service, that the ship he was appointed to was his own ; and that 

 his obedience to the admiral was in a manner optional, particularly 

 in matters concerning the officers of those ships. Such ideas neces- 

 sarily disturbed the discipline and good order of the service ; and, 

 unfortunately, the supplies to the squadron were so scanty, both as 

 to war and sea stores, and clothing, and even victuals for the crews, 

 that there was always some ground for complaints, and always too 

 good a reason for overlooking improprieties, that might otherwise, 

 probably, have been checked and prevented from growing into seri- 

 ous evils. 



On the 28th of January, the government, wishing to compliment 

 Lord Cochrane, resolved to change the name of the frigate Esmeralda. 

 They had already a Lautaro, an O'Higgins, and a San Martin, in the 

 squadron, and intended to have the Cochrane, but His Lordship chose 

 rather to call her the Valdivia, in commemoration of the taking of 

 that place ; on which the surgeon, purser, and two of the lieutenants, 

 wrote a most insolent letter to Lord Cochrane, stating that they had 

 no objection to the ship being called Cochrane, but they thought her 

 new name ought to have some reference to her captors, and not to 



