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their correspondents, or to me the bearer. Shortly 

 after my arrival at Peru, I took care to deliver all 

 these letters and messages in person. The let- 

 ters were few, but the neighbours flocked in on 

 hearing that tidings had come from Valparaiso ; 

 and though many were disappointed, many also 

 were made happy by hearing of their friends, 

 from whom they had received no other direct com- 

 munication for a long time. I had fortunately 

 taken the precaution to write down the very words 

 of the different messages from the people at Val- 

 paraiso in my pocket-book ; so that when these 

 little memorandums were torn out and given to 

 the parties, they became a sort of letter, and were 

 prized as such by the receivers. For my own 

 part, I was well satisfied with seeing people so 

 easily made happy, and thought no more of the 

 matter. Just now, however, when I had become 

 an object of suspicion, and when the lives of two 

 pf my ofiicers were at stake, it was of some con- 

 sequence to maintain any good will that accident 

 might have gained for me amongst the mob — a 

 mob, it may be added, of a notoriously sanguinary 

 character, since, on a recent occasion, they had 



