THE PATRIOTS ENTER LIMA. 



47 



distinctly from the street, perched along the heights 

 overhanging the town. The rest of the Patriot 

 army, also insight from Lima, formed a semicircle 

 round the northern side of the city, ready to march 

 in at a moment's warning. 



The most profound silence reigned over the 

 capital during the night ; and next morning the 

 same party assembled at the governor's as on 

 the preceding day, in order to receive San Mar- 

 tin's answer. It was brief, but admirably in 

 point, as it stated distinctly the terms upon which 

 he was willing to enter the city with his army, 

 should it be the real wish of the inhabitants to 

 declare their independence. He had no desire, 

 he told them, to enter the capital as a conqueror, 

 and would not come at all unless expressly invited 

 by the people themselves. In the meanwhile, 

 however, to prevent any disturbance in the city, 

 and in order to give the inhabitants leisure to 

 consider these terms, he added that he had sent 

 orders to the commanding officers of the troops 

 surrounding Lima, to obey implicitly the direc- 

 tions of the governor, who might dispose of all or 

 any part of the forces as he pleased, without infer- 

 ence to himself. 



This conduct it may be said was evidently the 

 most judicious on every«account that could have 

 been adopted : but it is seldom that men in real 

 life recollect, on such tempting occasions, those 

 maxims at other times so obvious which stand 

 between them and a display of their power : the 

 Limenians, therefore, were taken quite by surprise ; 

 and could scarcely believe it possible, that they 

 should be so treated by a man whom they had 

 been taught to consider as an enemy. His an- 

 swer, consequently, was considered as noble and 

 chivalrous ; certainly it was very considerate of 

 the feelings of the citizens, even had it not been 

 in the highest degree politic. After discussing 

 the answer of the invading general for some time, 

 however, a doubt was started as to its sincerity ; 

 and some of the company went so far as to suggest 

 that the whole must be a mockery of their distress, 

 and that, in a few hours, San Martin would be 

 entering the city at the head of his victorious 

 troops to pillage and lay it waste. Upon this motion 

 being suggested, the little old gentleman who had 

 been so active during the consultations of yester- 

 day, and whose sagacity led him to perceive the 

 wisdom of San Martin's conduct, proposed that 

 the matter should be put to the proof, by the 

 governor actually sending an order to some of the 

 troops investing the town ; the result of which, he 

 said, would at once show on what ground they 

 stood. Accordingly, an order was written by the 

 governor to the commanding-officer of a regiment 

 of cavalry, stationed within a mile of the gates, 

 desiring him instantly to remove one league 

 further from the city. Considerable anxiety 

 prevailed during the absence of the messenger 

 sent to try this experiment, and great surprise 

 and joy when he returned to say, that the officer, 

 immediately on receiving the order, broke up his 

 quarters, galloped off, and never halted till the 

 regiment had reached the required distance. The 

 news of this delegated power over the hostile 

 troops being in the hands of the governor, and 

 the fact of their ready obedience, flew rapidly 

 through Lima, and put an end to every apprehen- 

 sion of insurrection among the slaves, or of riotous 



behaviour on the part of the mob. It instantly 

 restored confidence to every one, and put the whole 

 society into good humour with San Martin. For 

 although it was obvious that the governor could 

 not turn the power thus placed in his hands to 

 any improper use, yet every one felt there was 

 something noble and generous in this show of con- 

 fidence in people so recently his foes, and so com- 

 pletely at his mercy. His subsequent forbear- 

 ance in not marching the army into the city, was a 

 measure no less courteous and judicious : it not 

 only spared the inhabitants the humiliation of a 

 triumph, but kept his own troops out of the reach 

 of temptation at a moment the most dangerous of 

 all, perhaps, to good discipline. It was not, indeed, 

 until the city had been completely tranquillised, a 

 vigorous police established, and many small parties 

 of chosen soldiers introduced under the command 

 of careful officers, that the body of the troops were 

 permitted to come near, or even to hold any com- 

 munication with the city. 



In a day or two everything was restored to its 

 ordinary state ; the shops were again opened ; 

 the women were seen in every quarter stealing 

 out of the convents ; the men ventured forth to 

 smoke their cigars in the Plaza ; the streets were 

 lined with people returning to their homes, and 

 with loaded mules, bringing back trunks, boxes, 

 and household articles of all kinds ; the mass-bells 

 were again tinkling ; the street-criers bawling as 

 heretofore ; and the great " City of the Kings " 

 once more restored to its wonted noise and bustle. 



During nearly two days, however, the apparent 

 desertion of the capital had been more complete 

 than I could have supposed possible in so large 

 and populous a place ; and as the majoi'ity of the 

 inhabitants, notwithstanding the flight to Callao, 

 were certainly still in the city, it was inconceivable 

 how so many people could have remained locked 

 up for such a period, without being once tempted 

 to peep out ; especially when the danger was by 

 no means pressing or certain. We sometimes 

 fancied that the slaves were more cheerful than 

 usual during this period ; but this probably was a 

 deception, arising from our contrasting their un- 

 disturbed gaiety, for they were quite careless about 

 the matter, with the doubt and gloom which had 

 beset every other mind. 



It may be mentioned here, that one of San 

 Martin's first proclamations declared the freedom 

 of every person born after the 15th of July 1821, 

 the day on which the independence of Lima was 

 first announced ; and that every slave voluntarily 

 enlisting into his army should become from that 

 instant a free citizen ; measures which at once 

 gave a death-blow to the whole system of slavery. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



Interview with San Martin.— Traits of his private Cha- 

 racter.— Robbers near Lima.— Guerilla Chief.— Precau- 

 tion used to preserve the Peace in the Capital.— Adven- 

 ture of a Spanish Viceroy with a Peruvian Aspasia. 

 When all was quiet in the capital, I went to 

 Callao, and hearing that San Martin was in the 

 roads, waited on him on board his yacht. I found 

 him possessed of correct information as to all that 

 was passing ; but he seemed in no hurry to enter 

 the city, and appeared, above all things, anxious to 



