ROAD TO LIMA. 



251 



Having at this time no business of any conse- 

 quence to transact in Lima^ I went on board, and 

 removed the Conway from Callao Roads to the 

 harbour of Ancon, lying about twenty miles to 

 the northward of Lima ; in order to be near the 

 English merchant-ships, all of which had recently 

 gone to that port. The Spaniards, on abandon- 

 ing Lima, retained possession of Callao, which, 

 being impregnable, was for the present merely 

 blockaded by sea andland, and all itssuppliesbeing 

 cut off, there was an expectation that the garrison 

 would eventually be starved into submission. 

 While things were in this situation, no intercourse 

 could be allowed with Callao, and the merchant- 

 vessels went to Ancon to land their cargoes. I 

 anchored there also on the 17th of July, and, ha- 

 ving remained two days, was obliged to return by 

 land to Lima, to arrange some business relating 

 to the detention of two English ships by the Chi- 

 lian squadron. 



I rode to the capital in company with several 

 gentlemen, and do not remember to have made a 

 more fatiguing journey, although the distance was 

 little more than eight leagues. At first, the whole 



