Had not the Protector prevented the Spanish Commandant, La Mar, from
accepting my offer of permitting him to retire with two-thirds of the
enormous treasure deposited in the fort, Chili would, at the lowest
computation, have received ten millions of dollars, whilst the Spaniards
would have retired with twenty millions. Surely this would have been
better than to permit them--as General San Martin did--to retire
unmolested with the whole.

Foiled in this attempt to relieve the necessities of the squadron,
whilst the Protector's Government pertinaciously refused to supply them,
it was impossible to keep the men from mutiny; even the officers--won
over by Guise and Spry, who paid midnightly visits to the ships for the
purpose--began to desert to the Protectoral Government.

The following letter, addressed to Monteagudo, will shew the state of
the matter as regarded the squadron:--

Most Excellent Sir,

I have written you an official letter to-day, by which
you will perceive that the consequences which I have long predicted
will have so far come to pass, as to render the removal of the
large ships of the squadron indispensable. If by a total neglect
of all I tell the Protectoral Government through you, things happen
prejudicial to the service, the Protector and yourself will at least do
me the justice to feel that I have done my duty; the base,
interested, and servile, for the promotion of their selfish views, may
clamour, but I regard them not.