INTRODUCTION. gg 



Besides this treasure, there were other public monies, with consider- 

 able sums belonging to individuals ; and also, on board the Sacra- 

 mento, the protector's own private property in gold and silver, the 

 latter of* which was in such quantity that the vessel threw out her 

 ballast to make room for it ; and the coined gold had loaded four 

 mules, not to speak of gold bullion.* 



As soon as Lord Cochrane knew that so much public property was 

 on board the transports, he sailed for Ancon, where the Lautaro was 

 then lying with the transports, and seized the whole of the money, 

 excepting what was plainly proved to be private property f, and ex- 

 cepting also, the cargo of the Sacramento, which was left untouched. 



The moment San Martin heard of the seizure, he employed every 

 means of flattery and threats to induce Lord Cochrane to give up the 

 public money, and to trust it in the hands of his commissioners, who, 

 in order to save his dignity, would pay the ships' companies in his 

 name ; but to this Lord Cochrane of course refused to consent, 

 though, in hopes that the Protector would send a commissary on 

 board to attend to it, he deferred the payment until the men became 

 so discontented, having begun to desert for want of their pay, that 

 he felt he could no longer delay it. Meantime the forts of Callao 

 had surrendered to the republican flags of Peru and Chile ; and all 

 farther dread of danger, from the squadron being in a state to leave 

 the coast, being over, San Martin gave a reluctant consent to the 

 payment of the squadron out of the money taken at Ancon. The 

 ships' companies were immediately paid, and the officers, with the 

 exception of Lord Cochrane himself, who received nothing, had 

 their full arrears given them. 



This, however, was not done without further struggles on San 

 Martin's part to gain possession of the money, or at least to revenge 

 the taking of it ; to gain the first end, he had sent Monteagudo to talk 

 to Lord Cochrane, well knowing that he was skilled to " make the 



* The general's aide-de-camp who embarked this private property, loaded the return 

 mules with goods smuggled from an English vessel, the Rebecca. 



•J- Even after he had the treasure on board, all that could prove their right by any writ- 

 ing or witness had their money restored, — this restitution amounted to 40,000 dollars. 



2V 



