ypeu_, whose condition was even more deplorable than their own,
the fetters on their legs having worn their ancles to the bone, whilst
their commander, by a refinement of cruelty, had for more than a year
been lying under sentence of death as a rebel. Upon this, I sent a flag
of truce to the viceroy, Don Joaquim de la Pezuela, requesting him to
permit the prisoners to return to their families, in exchange for the
Spanish prisoners on board the squadron, and others in Chili--where
there were great numbers, who were comparatively well treated. The
Viceroy denied the charge of ill-treatment--asserted his right, if he
thought proper, to regard his prisoners as pirates; retorting that after
the battle of Maypeu, General San Martin had treated the Spanish
Commissioner as a spy, and had repeatedly threatened him with death. The
exchange of prisoners was uncourteously refused, the Viceroy concluding
his reply with an expression of surprise that a British nobleman should
command the maritime forces of a Government "unacknowledged by all the
Powers of the globe." To this latter observation, I considered it
incumbent upon me to reply that "a British nobleman was a free man, and
therefore had a right to adopt any country which was endeavouring to
re-establish the rights of aggrieved humanity; and that I had hence
adopted the cause of Chili, with the same freedom of judgment that I had
previously exercised when refusing the offer of an Admiral's rank in
Spain, made to me not long before, by the Spanish Ambassador in London;"
this offer having been made by the Duke de San Carlos, in the name of
Ferdinand the Seventh.

Our means being clearly inadequate to any decisive attack on the Spanish
ships of war, I resolved to try the effect of an explosion vessel, and
accordingly established a laboratory on the island of San Lorenzo, under
the superintendence of Major Miller, the Commandant of Marines. Whilst
engaged in this duty, that able and gallant officer was so severely
burned by an accidental explosion, as to render his further services on
this occasion unavailable.

On the 22nd of March--our preparations being completed--we again stood
towards the batteries, the flag-ship going close in under the combined
fire of the forts and shipping, in order to divert the attention of the
enemy from the explosion vessel, which was set adrift in the direction
of the frigates, but, unfortunately, when within musket shot of them,
she was struck by a