20 



CONTRAST BETWEEN CHILI AND PERU. 



In Chili, as we have just seen, national inde- 

 pendence had heen for several years established, 

 and a free and extensive commerce had, as a na- 

 tural consequence, speedily sprung up ; knowledge 

 was gradually making its way ; the moral and 

 political bonds in which the minds of the people 

 had been so long constrained were broken 

 asunder ; and the consequences of such freedom 

 were developing themselves in a thousand shapes. 

 In Peru, on the contrary, the word Independence 

 was now heard for the first time ; but as yet only 

 in whispers, under the protection of San Martin's 

 cannon. In Lima, where such free sentiments 

 were still deemed treasonable, prejudice and 

 eiTor had established their head-quarters ; and the 

 obstinate bigotry with which old customs and 

 opinions were adhered to, was rather strengthened 

 than diminished by the apprehension of a total 

 subversion of the whole system. The contrast 

 between the two countries Chili and Peru, as it met 

 our eyes, was most striking ; and if due justice 

 could be done to the description of each, a pleas- 

 ing inference would be drawn by every Englishman 

 in favour of the popular side of the question. 



The contrast between a country in a state of 

 war, and one in a state of peace, was, perhaps, 

 never more strikingly displayed than upon this 

 occasion : but, besides the interest arising out of 

 such a contrast, as applicable to the states of peace 

 and war, the view was curious and instructive, as 

 displaying the rapid effect produced by a change 

 in the government of one of the two countries. 

 As long as both were similarly administered, 

 Peru had an infinite advantage over Chili in 

 wealth and importance ; but as soon as Chili 

 became independent, she at once assumed the 

 superiority. 



We left Valparaiso harbour filled with shipping ; 

 its custom-house wharfs piled high with goods, too 

 numerous and bulky for the old warehouses ; the 

 road between the port and the capital was always 

 crowded with convoys of mules, loaded with every 

 kind of foreign manufacture ; while numerous ships 

 were busily taking in cargoes of the wines, corn, 

 and other articles, the growth of the country ; and 

 large sums of treasure were daily embarked for 

 Europe, in return for goods already distributed 

 over the interior. A spirit of inquiry and intelli- 

 gence animated the whole society ; schools were 

 multiplied in every town ; libraries established ; 

 and every encouragement given to literature and 

 the arts : and as travelling was free, passports 

 were unnecessary. In the manners, and even in 

 the gait of every man, might be traced the air of 

 conscious freedom and independence. In dress 

 also a total change had very recently taken place, 

 and from the same causes. The former uncouth, 

 and almost savage costume of the ladies, and the 

 slovenly cloaks worn by the men, had given way 

 to the fashions of Europe : and although these 

 may be deemed circumstances almost too minute 

 to mention, they are not unimportant when con- 

 nected with feelings of national pride, heretofore 

 unknown. It is by this and a multitude of other 

 small changes, that these people are constantly re- 

 minded of their past compared with their present 

 situation ; and it is of essential use to their cause, 

 that they should take delight in assimilating them- 

 selves, even in trifles, with other independent 

 nations of the world. 



No such changes, and no such sentiments, were 

 as yet to be found in Peru. In the hai^bour of 

 Callao, the shipping were crowded into a corner, 

 encircled by gun-boats, close under the fort, and 

 with a strong boom drawn round them. The 

 custom-house was empty, and the door locked ; 

 no bales of goods rose in pyramids on the quays ; 

 no loaded mules covered the road from Callao to 

 Lima ; nor during the whole ascent was an indi- 

 vidual to be seen, except, perhaps, a solitary courier 

 galloping towards the fortress. In Lima itself the 

 difference was as striking : jealousy and distrust 

 of one another, and still more of strangers, filled 

 every breast ; disappointment and fear, aggravated 

 by personal inconvenience and privation, broke up 

 all agreeable society ; rendering this once great, 

 luxurious, and happy city, one of the most wretched 

 places on earth. 



Lima was not, however, on this account, the less 

 interesting to a stranger : and although we often 

 regretted not seeing her in her days of glory, we 

 could not but esteem ourselves fortunate, in having 

 an opportunity of witnessing the effect of a com- 

 bination of circumstances, not likely to be met 

 with again. The immediate cause of this unhappy 

 state of things, was the spirit of independence 

 which had recently burst forth in South America ; | 

 and it may be remarked, that none of those free j 

 states have achieved their liberty without first 

 running a similar course of suffering—a sort of 

 ordeal to purify them from the contamination of 

 their former degraded condition. 



Lima, up to this period, had been exempted 

 from the sufferings of the countries by which she 

 was surrounded. It is true there had been wars 

 of a revolutionary character, in the interior of 

 Peru ; but their desolating effect had not till now 

 reached the capital, the inhabitants of which went 

 on in their usual style of splendid luxury, in 

 thoughtless ease and security, till the enemy came 

 and knocked at the "silver gate of the city of 

 kings," as Lima was proudly called in the days of 

 her magnificence. San Martin's expedition took 

 the Limenians quite by surprise ; for they had 

 always held Chili in contempt, as a mere appendage 

 to Peru, from which no attack could be appre- 

 hended. The attack, however, was made by land 

 and by sea; and while San Martin was making 

 head steadily with his troops, drawing nearer and 

 nearer to the capital, cutting off its supplies, and 

 gaining over to his cause all the districts through 

 which he passed ; Lord Cochrane swept the sea 

 of Spanish ships ; blockaded the Peruvian ports ; 

 and carried off their finest frigate, from under the 

 very guns of their strongest fort. 



The violent irritation produced in Lima by these 

 operations of the enemy was quite natural ; for the 

 fortunes of the inhabitants, who had been accus- 

 tomed for ages to revel in luxury and wealth, were 

 now reduced to the lowest ebb ; and the Spaniards, 

 proud by birth and education, were cut to the soul 

 by such humiliating reverses, of which these unac- 

 customed privations made them only the more 

 sensible. As they were aware that Lord Cochrane 

 and the greater part of his officers and crew were 

 English, it was to be expected they would be jealous 

 and distrustful of all Englishmen, however uncon- 

 nected with the Chilians, or however circumspect 

 in their conduct. A person professing neutrality 

 is placed in an awkward situation, between two 



