92 INTRODUCTION. 



This, Sir, is un courtly language, unfit for the ear of high authority. — 

 Moreover, they urge that they have had no pay, whilst their fellow 

 labourers, the soldiers, have had two-thirds of their wages ; that they 

 are starved, or living on stinking charqui, whilst the troops are 

 fully fed on beef and mutton ; that they have had no grog, whilst 

 the others have had money and opportunity to obtain that beloved 

 beverage, and all else they desired. Such, Sir, are the rough grounds 

 on which an English seaman founds his opinion, and rests his rude 

 argument. He expects an equivalent for the fulfilment of his contract, 

 and when, on his part, it is performed with fidelity, he is boisterous 

 as the element on which he lives, if pay-day is past, and his rights 

 are withheld. It is of no use, therefore, for you to make up an 

 account upon the correctness of which I can make no remark. 



You seem, in the next paragraph of your letter, to express surprise 

 that when twenty days only have elapsed, we should again require 

 provisions; but all wonder will cease if you refer to my letters, and to 

 your own order, to supply twenty-days' provisions thirty-days ago. 

 As to your assertion regarding the gratuitous supply of Pisco, I have 

 to inform you that the charge for it was 1900 dollars, as appears by 

 my account, supported by receipts and vouchers received at Pisco, 

 and delivered to me by Captain Cobbet of the Valdivia, whose 

 veracity and integrity I will pledge against that of any of the most 

 honourable of your informants. In the meantime, on the delicacy of 

 your contradiction of my assertion, I shall abstain from remark, and 

 institute an enquiry, in order that whosoever has falsified the fact, 

 may be publicly exposed to the merited contempt of mankind. 



You tell me, Sir, that it is in vain to refer to my letters, stating 

 the situation of the squadron to save my responsibility, because 

 these letters have been answered (and in fair words too you might 

 have added) ; but did I not warn you, that words were of no avail 

 against the brute force of disappointed men clamouring for their 

 rights ? Did I not ask you in person to speak to these seamen, 

 saying that I would co-operate with you as far as I could, and did 

 you not neglect to perform this duty ? How then can you assert 

 that I refused to acquiesce in the views of government? 



