HEAD-CiUARTERS. 



249 



friend'*s amusements, and told him he might now 

 sketch away as much as he pleased, and might 

 have an escort, if he had any wish to extend his 

 researches into the country. 



An old man came in at this moment with a lit- 

 tle girl in his arms, his only object being that the 

 General should kiss the child, which he good-na- 

 turedly did, and the poor father marched off per- 

 fectly happy. The next person who entered de- 

 livered a letter to the General in a manner some- 

 what mysterious, and we found, on inquiry, that 

 he was a spy who had been sent to the enemy's 

 camp. A deputation from the city followed, to 

 speak about removing the situation of a military 

 hospital from the village of Bellavista, which was 

 within range of cannon-shot from the Castle of 

 Callao. In this way he passed on from one thing 

 to another with wonderful rapidity ; but not with- 

 out method, and all with great patience and cour- 

 tesy to every one. This might be useful at first, 

 but if a Commander-in-chief were to undertake to 

 manage perfectly so many details in person, he 

 would waste his time to very little purpose ; so, 

 perhaps, the General thought, for, in the course 



