o land on the
beach, with our guns and carpet-bags. It was market-day; the market was
full of vegetables and other provisions, and the place bore a very
cheerful aspect. We heard that, in spite of the want of level ground,
the town has very rapidly improved in the last few years. The country
generally, since order has been established, has become prosperous.
Everybody praises the climate, and perhaps there is not a finer in the
world; for, although hot in summer, the air is dry and pure, and
tempered by the sea-breeze, which regularly sets in every forenoon. In
the harbour were two or three old hulks, the remains of the fleet
commanded by Lord Dundonald, when he performed one of his most gallant
exploits--the cutting out of the _Esmeralda_ frigate, belonging to the
Spaniards, from the port of Callao. Fleming was with him, and told me
all about it.

"What a lucky adventure!" I remarked.

"No, Mr Harry, it wasn't luck, it was prudence and forethought which
gained the day with him then at all times. There never was a more
prudent, and never a braver man. He feared nothing, and took every
precaution to insure success. We were three days getting ready. We
were all dressed in white, with a blue mark on the left arm--160
blue-jackets and 80 marines--and armed with cutlass and pistols--all
picked men. Every man knew exactly what he had to do--some to attack
one part of the ship, some another; others to go aloft and loose pails,
some to the main, and others to the foretop. The admiral sent all the
ships of the squadron out of the bay, except his own flag-ship. At
midnight we were told off into fourteen boats. A line of booms had been
placed across the mouth of the inner harbour, with only a narrow
entrance. Just then the admiral's boat, which led, ran foul of a
Spanish guard-boat; but he whispered to the crew, that if they gave any
alarm he would kill every one of them; so they held their tongues, and
we were quickly alongside the _Esmeralda_. The Spaniards were asleep,
and before they had time to seize their arms, we were upon them, the
frigate's cables were cut, and we were running out of the harbour. Had
the admiral's directions been followed in all points, we should have cut
out every craft in the harbour, and a rich treasure-ship to boot; but he
had traitors serving under him, and all was not done which ought to have
been done." Fleming told me also how Lord Dundonald took the strong
forts of Valdivia, t