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. Lach, 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. 
a 
na 
ra 
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 
ne objection to the ship being called Cochrane, but they thought her 
new name ought to have some reference to her captors, and not to 
