CHAPTER IX.
ARRIVAL AT GUAYAQUIL—ADDRESS TO GUAYAQUILENOS—INJURIOUS MONOPOLIES —MINISTERIAL FOLLY—DEPARTURE FROM GUAYAQUIL—ARRIVAL IN MEXICO—ANCHOR AT ACAPULCO—MOCK AMBASSADORS—PLOT AGAINST ME—RETURN TO GUAYAQUIL—VENGANZA TAKEN POSSESSION OF—AGREEMENT WITH JUNTA—GENERAL LA MAR—ORDERS TO WITHHOLD SUPPLIES—ABOMINABLE CRUELTY—COURTLY SPLENDOUR—DESTRUCTION OF A DIVISION OF THE ARMY—DISSATISFACTION OF OFFICERS—RENEWED OVERTURES FROM SAN MARTIN—THEIR REFUSAL BY ME—WARNING TO THE CHILIAN GOVERNMENT.
The orders of the Protector to proceed to Chili were not complied with, 1st, because having thrown off his allegiance to Chili, he had no right to interfere with the squadron; and, 2ndly, as the Spanish frigates remained at large, my mission was incomplete till they were taken or destroyed.
Before going in quest of them, it was essential to repair, equip, and provision the ships, none of which purposes could be effected in Peru, the Protector not only having refused supplies, but having also issued orders on the coast to withhold necessaries of all kinds even to wood and water. From want of stores, none of the ships were fit for sea; even the Valdivia, so admirably found when captured, was now in as bad a condition as the rest, from the necessity which had arisen of distributing her equipment amongst the other ships; and to complete her inefficiency, the Protector refused to restore the anchors which had been cut away from her bows at the time of her capture, thus adding to our embarrassment.
Many of the officers had gone over to the service of Peru, and the foreign seamen had been kept on shore in such numbers, that there were not sufficient left to perform the duties of reefing and steering. I therefore resolved on sending part of the squadron to Chili, and with the remainder to proceed to Guayaquil, in order to repair and refit for a cruise on the coast of Mexico in search of the Spanish frigates.