LIMA. 



125 



had ever set their foot on board any one of the 

 Chilian squadron. The Viceroy admitted that 

 the character of the witnesses was utterly worth- 

 less ; but he did not, or, perhaps, could not, do 

 me the justice to act upon that admission. It was 

 clear enough that he doubted his own power ; for 

 he said very candidly, that the tide of popular 

 feeling could not be safely resisted, without a 

 little delay. This want of confidence on the part 

 of the Executive Government was a real source 

 of alarm ; and I was made still more uneasy, by 

 learning that the officers were to be tried by a 

 military commission — an ominous court at best, 

 and one, in such times, of a nature not to be 

 trusted. 



The Viceroy told me, at this interview, that he 

 had just received advices of ten or twelve desert- 

 ers from the Chilian squadron having arrived : 

 he had ordered them to Callao, that their evi- 

 dence might also be taken in the case of the offi- 

 cers. The testimony of these men, he thought, 

 would probably not agree with that of the first 

 five witnesses, who might well be suspected of 

 having concerted their story. This seemed sen- 



