DUTIES OF THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 



naval officers, but it was one which from their 

 being the only disinterested individuals on the 

 spot, they alone were qualified to undertake. The 

 greater number of the misunderstandings alluded 

 to arose out of commercial regulations, which the 

 merchants complained of as oppressive ; some- 

 times they originated in the actual seizure of En- 

 glish vessels, on the plea that attempts were made 

 to introduce goods without paying the established 

 duties ; sometimes the merchants were accused of 

 concealing Spanish property in their ships ; at 

 others the laws of the port, or of the country 

 generally, were said to be infringed, the imputed 

 delinquency being followed by imprisonment, or 

 by confiscation of property. On these, and many 

 other occasions, appeals to the local government, 

 from the captains of his Majesty's ships, were 

 looked for : it was, however, their special duty 

 merely to remonstrate, and, if possible, to arrange 

 matters amicably, but on no occasion to threaten 

 or to act in a hostile manner without instructions 

 from the commander-in-chief, in reply to the 

 representations made to him of all the circum- 

 stances. In almost every case it was of imme- 

 diate consequence to the advancement of the 

 commercial interests, that such disputes as have 

 been alluded to should be settled at the moment. 

 The state of trade, indeed, and of every political 

 circumstance in those countries, was liable to such 

 perpetual fluctuation, that, long before an answer 

 could be received from the commodore, every- 

 thing material in the case might be altered. The 

 impossibility of foretelling changes, or of estima- 

 ting, with any precision, the probable effect of the 

 great political convulsions by which the country 

 was torn, rendered it a matter of extreme diffi- 

 culty for the commander-in-chief to give instruc- 

 tions to his officers, for whose proceedings, how- 

 ever, he was officially responsible. Still less, it may 

 be supposed, could his Majesty's government at 

 home have any clear conception of what ought to 

 be the details of management, in the midst of such 

 a prodigious confusion of circumstances, varying 

 every hour. In the end, it became obvious that 

 the only method was, to make the officers well 

 acquainted with the general principles by which 

 their conduct was to be regulated, and to leave 

 them afterwards, as a matter of absolute necessity, 

 to act to the best of their judgment and ability, 

 according to circumstances, but always in the 

 spirit of their instructions. With every possible 

 care, however, cases would sometimes occur, so 

 difficult and complicated, as to seem utterly inca- 

 pable of adjustment, without an extension of their 

 powers. On such occasions, a reference to higher 

 authority became indispensable. 



The port duties, on the other hand, were of 

 an easier nature, relating chiefly to matters of 

 difference between our own countrymen, and 

 regulated, to a certain extent, by established 

 written authorities, which might be referred 

 to. As the number of merchant-ships in har- 

 bour was generally considerable, these discussions 

 became very engrossing, and, when superadded to 

 our ordinary professional avocations, often left 

 us little leisure for attending to the novel scenes 

 of a local and characteristic nature daily passing 

 around us. 



It will readily be understood how materially 

 our objects, in the official intercourse above alluded 



to, were likely to be forwarded by a previous per- 

 sonal acquaintance with the parties on both sides 

 of the question. For it often happened that both 

 were to blame ; the only mode of adjustment, 

 therefore, was by compromise, through the instru- 

 mentality of a disinterested third party, the success 

 of whose interference would evidently depend very 

 much upon his knowledge of the respective cha- 

 racters of the disputants. It was on this account, 

 chiefly, that I wished to have remained longer in 

 the capital, to see more of the different members 

 of government, as well as to extend my acquaint- 

 ance amongst the English residents, and the mer- 

 chants of the country. 



I reached Valparaiso before the French ships 

 made their appearance, and was much struck 

 with the ill-suppressed anxiety with which the 

 inhabitants awaited the event. National pride 

 forbade the expression of any alarm ; but a know- 

 ledge of the defenceless state of the place filled 

 them with very natural apprehension. Nothing, 

 however, as the event proved, could be more 

 unfounded than such fears ; for the Frenchmen, 

 after a short and friendly visit, sailed away again, 

 carrying off the hearts of half the ladies of the port. 



Previous to their departure the Governor gave 

 a grand ball to the French Admiral and his 

 officers ; and, without considering the size of his 

 rooms, invited the whole beauty and fashion of 

 the town to meet them. Many of the company, 

 well known to be in indigent circumstances, and 

 whose ordinary style of living was of the humblest 

 description, surprised us by appearing in rich 

 dresses, and wearing jewels of considerable value. 

 There is nothing upon which the women of South 

 America, especially those who can least afford 

 it, so much pique themselves as being able, 

 upon great occasions, to dress splendidly ; and it 

 is alleged that they often submit to many severe 

 privations to attain this grand object of their 

 vanity. 



In the course of the evening, the room becoming 

 close, I was glad to seek fresh air on the platform 

 surrounding the Governor's house. Returning to 

 the ball, I perceived an open door leading to an 

 antechamber separated from the principal apart- 

 ment by the hall where the music was stationed. 

 On entering this room, I was struck by the ap- 

 pearance of several lady-like young women stand- 

 ing on chairs and straining their eyes, as they 

 looked over the heads of the servants and musi- 

 cians to catch a glimpse of the strangers in the 

 ball-room, from which they appeared to be ex- 

 cluded. Seated on a sofa in the corner near them 

 were two stately old ladies, simply though elegantly 

 dressed : they did not appear to sympathise with 

 their children in eagerness about the ball, but 

 remained apart quietly conversing together. In 

 their countenances, which retained traces of con- 

 siderable beauty, there dwelt a melancholy ex- 

 pression ; while their demeanour indicated a total 

 indifference to all that was passing. On inquiry, 

 I learnt that they were Old Spaniards, who, under 

 the former administration of the country, had 

 been persons of wealth and consequence, but 

 whose very existence was now scarcely known. 

 The recent revolution had stripped them of their 

 fortune and their rank ; and they were now living 

 in such poverty and obscurity, as not to be 

 thought worthy even of an invitation to the ball. 



