tion which placed him in his
present elevated situation? What would they say, were it promulgated
to the world that he intended not even to remunerate those employed
in the navy which contributed to his success?" Much more to the same
effect Lord Cochrane wrote, urging honesty upon San Martin as the only
path by which he could win for himself a permanent success, and making
a special claim upon his honesty in the interests of the seamen and
naval officers, to whom neither pay nor prize-money had been given
since their departure from Chili nearly a year before.

It was all in vain. San Martin wrote, on the 9th of August, a
letter making professions of virtue and acknowledging much personal
indebtedness to Lord Cochrane and the fleet, but evading the whole
question at issue. "I am disposed," he said, "to recompense valour
displayed in the cause of the country. But you know, my lord, that the
wages of the crews do not come under these circumstances, and that I,
never having engaged to pay the amount, am not obliged to do so. That
debt is due from Chili, whose Government engaged the seamen."

Lord Cochrane knew that Chili would decline to pay for work that, if
intended to be done in its interests, had been perverted from that
intention; and his crews, also knowing it, became reasonably mutinous.
After much further correspondence--in which San Martin suggested as
his only remedy that Lord Cochrane should accept the dishonourable
proposal made to him, and, becoming himself First Admiral of Peru,
should induce the fleet to join in the same rebellion against Chili to
which the army had been brought by its general, and in which Captains
Guise and Spry, always evil-minded, had already joined--Lord Cochrane
adopted a bold but altogether justifiable manoeuvre. A large quantity
of treasure, seized from the Spaniards, having been deposited by San
Martin at Ancon, he sailed thither, in the middle of September, and
quietly took possession of it. So much as lawful owners could be
found for was given up to them. With the residue, amounting to 285,000
dollars, Lord Cochrane paid off the year's arrears to every officer
and man in his employ, taking nothing for himself, but reserving the
small surplus for the pressing exigencies and re-equipment of the
squadron.

It is unnecessary to detail the angry correspondence that arose out
of that rough act of justice. Before the money was distributed,
treacherous offers to restore it and enter in