DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. 261 



to the palace to receive Lord Cochrane, who had 

 just arrived from Callao. 



Next day 5 Sunday, 29th of July, Te Deum was 

 sung, and High Mass performed in the Cathedral 

 by the Archbishop, followed by an appropriate 

 sermon preached by a Franciscan Friar. 



As soon as the church service was over, the 

 heads of the various departments assembled at the 

 palace, and swore " to God and the country, to 

 maintain, and defend, with their opinion, person, 

 and property, the independence of Peru from the 

 government of Spain, and from any other foreign 

 domination.'' This oath was taken and signed by 

 every respectable inhabitant of Lima, so that, in a 

 few days, the signatures to the declaration of Pe- 

 ruvian independence amounted to nearly four 

 thousand. This was published in an extraordi- 

 nary Gazette, and diligently circulated over the 

 country, which not only gave useful publicity to 

 the state of the capital, but deeply committed ma- 

 ny men, who would have been well pleased to 

 have concealed their acquiescence in the measure. 



In the evening, San Martin gave a ball at the 

 palace, in the gaiety of which he joined heartily 



