from the _Cabildo_ to visit the
city, and on landing, found that preparations had been made to give the
visit the character of a public entry, carriages being provided, with
deputations from the various corporations. Finding this to be the case,
I declined entering Lima in a manner so ostentatious, as General San
Martin had entered the city privately by night. I was, however,
compelled to hold a _levee_ at the palace, where the compliments of the
established authorities and principal inhabitants were tendered to me.
General San Martin declined to attend this complimentary manifestation,
remaining at La Legua, about halfway between Lima and Callao, where he
had established his head quarters; probably considering such honours out
of place towards one whom as Captain-General he might regard as a
subordinate, and the more so, as no such compliment had been offered to
himself.

On the following day, General San Martin directed a civic guard to be
organized in place of the Spanish guard which had evacuated the city,
the Marquis of Torre Tagle being appointed its commandant. At the same
time the General retained the whole of the liberating army, though had
even a portion of these followed the retreating Spaniards, the greater
part would have joined the patriot standard--it being afterwards
ascertained that Colonel Rodil who commanded them, had shot great
numbers in the attempt to desert; even the patriot guerilla parties,
unaided, had defeated those who were kept together; so that had a
division of the liberating army been sent to co-operate with the
guerillas, the entire Spanish force might have been annihilated, in
place of forming the _nucleus_--as they afterwards did--of a force
which, after my departure from Chili, threatened not only the
independence of Peru, but even that of the Chilian Republic itself.

Being thus unopposed, and the towns which had given in their adhesion to
the cause of independence being left defenceless--the retreating
Spaniards committed great excesses amongst the inhabitants of the
interior, who found themselves exposed to more than the rigours of
martial law, without the least attempt for their protection; though a
promise of this had formed one of the principal inducements for
throwing off their allegiance to the Viceroy, at whose mercy--or rather
want of it--they now found themselves exposed.

In place of protecting the Peruvians in the interior, a number of highly
inflated proclamations wer