who, deeply wounded by what had taken place, preferred obscurity,
and even poverty, to further serving under such circumstances.
The British ship of war, _Superb_, was in the bay, and several of
the officers, expecting to see the decisive blow struck in Peru,
repaired to San Martin's head-quarters, and were astounded at the
coolness of a general, who, commanding 12,000 men, could abandon
a favourable position in which he might at least have intercepted
the convoy of cattle, and so at once have compelled the surrender of
Callao, instead of permitting them to pass without a single shot
being fired."[2]

[Footnote 2: "_Twenty years Residence in South America_," by W.B.
Stevenson. Vol. iii. London, 1825.]

The preceding extract, published in London by one who was by my side
during the whole affair, is perfectly correct. The Limeños were deeply
humiliated by the occurrence, nor was their annoyance mitigated by the
publication of the following proclamation in the ministerial Gazette of
the 19th, in which General San Martin informed them that he had beaten
the enemy and pursued the fugitives! though, the said enemy had relieved
and reinforced the fortress, and then coolly walked off unmolested with
plate and money to the amount of many millions of dollars; in fact, the
whole wealth of Lima, which, as has been said, was deposited by the
inhabitants in the fortress for security.

Limeños,

It is now fifteen days since the liberating army left the
capital, resolved not to permit that even the shadow of the Spanish
flag should again darken the illustrious city of Lima. The enemy