"On my return to Valparaiso, after the first cruize, I hoped to find the manufacture of rockets completed, according to the promise of the government, made to me before I sailed; but I found that even the manufactory was not finished; that notwithstanding the various solicitations made by the late Lieutenant-colonel Charles, for the necessary materials, that these were retained, or denied through jealousy, or some other criminal motive; this might have involved the whole of the squadron in complete ruin, had the forces arrived at Callao, which were expected from Spain. As it was, the operations of that expedition became a reproach to the officers and crews employed in it, and allowed the enemy to call it imbecility in them, and ignorance of their undertaking; but, in reality, the neglect or treachery lay in those appointed by your government to construct those missiles, on whose speculations the persons employed in the expedition were induced to rely. The unexpected result of this expedition obliged me to raise the blockade, to the apparent disgrace and positive injury of the interest of the squadron; although it had been destined for the purpose of contending with the enemy before a re-union could be effected between the vessels in Callao, and the expected reinforcement from Spain.
"My orders were limited to impracticable operations, by the concurrence of unexpected accidents, which deprived me of destroying at once the force of the enemy in the Pacific. Our provisions were exhausted; the ships of war had neither rice, cocoa, sugar, wine, spirits, nor any substitute for those articles; with the addition of a considerable number of sick on board. In this dilemma, it was once my intention to return to Valparaiso; but not wishing to provoke the indignation of your excellency, and bring down condign punishment on those persons who had been the cause of this state of the squadron, I determined on taking from the enemy at Pisco spirits, wine, and other necessaries, although my orders expressly forbade such a procedure, I being limited by them to take only water, and that in a case of necessity. But the government of Chile inadvertently believed that foreign seamen would be content with putrid water, a short allowance of beef and bread, a total want of wine, or grog, when they were on an enemy's coast, where those articles might be procured in abundance.
"On being informed that the Spanish frigate la Prueba had sailed for the Puná, and that she was the only vessel of the expedition which had doubled the Cape, I again found myself either obliged to abandon the attempt to capture her, or to take upon myself the responsibility of violating my instructions, by taking provisions from the enemy on the coast of Peru. I determined on the latter, and although a large quantity of cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar, and other valuable articles, belonging to Spaniards, were collected at Santa, they were all abandoned for the purpose of following the enemy with all possible despatch; although I was fully convinced, and still remain so, that nothing is obtained by excluding the enemies of liberty from contributing to support the defenders of so just a cause;—for the purpose of exacting from them the whole of the sacrifice.
"Your excellency must be completely satisfied, that our efforts in the river of Guayaquil to take the Prueba were rendered nugatory by the want of soldiers; there I requested that they might co-operate with the squadron, when the efforts of the squadron alone were of little avail; my request was opposed; but why the opposition was made, or on what principles it was founded, I am totally ignorant, and more so of the reasons that exist for communicating such strange determinations of the supremacy to any one except myself; because, if any difficulties presented themselves in what I had the honour to propose to your excellency, why was I not requested to explain them, and to do away with what were accounted obstacles; but the conduct observed implies a want of confidence in my knowledge, as to the proper application of such a force, or a conviction on the part of my opponents in your councils, that they could not support their opposition, because their arguments are founded on unsound principles. Perhaps what took place at Paita may have been quoted by some of your senators, who did not recollect the assurance given by the flags of truce which I sent in, that nothing, except the property of the king of Spain, would be touched. The enemy fired on the flag, and now, allow me to ask, if I had any other alternative, than, like a coward, to submit to such an insult offered to the flag of Chile, or permit the indignant and provoked soldiers to obliterate the outrage?
"When I had the honour to see your excellency last, at Santiago, a plan was established, and as I then believed, a secret one, the only persons present being your excellency, General San Martin, and the minister of marine; this to my utter astonishment, soon became as public as if it had been given to the gazette, or the town crier; the detail was in the possession of every speculator, who calculated solely on his private gain. I was ordered to equip the transports Aguila, Begona, Dolores, and Xeresana, and my orders for the accomplishment of this object were scarcely issued, when I was officially informed, that these being prize vessels, were to be sold immediately; and the orders given by the government to me were unexpectedly abolished, for the purpose of placing the fate of the expedition in the hands of mercantile speculators, who to the present moment have only finished the equipment of one vessel, which has been allowed to sail from this port, when declared under an embargo; and this for the purpose of conveying merchandize belonging to one of the contractors to Coquimbo. This happened at the very moment when I was assured that the expedition was about to be verified. This conduct of the government most positively evinces that a mercantile speculator enjoys more of the confidence of the supreme authority than I have the honour to deserve. I had subsequent orders for the San Martin to sail, and to cruize off Talcahuano, she being the only efficient vessel of war in Valparaiso; that the Montezuma should sail for Callao for the purpose of obtaining a correct account of the state of the enemy; next that the San Martin should cruize in the mouth of this port. I was shortly afterwards informed, that instead of an expedition of two thousand men that should be ready to sail within fifteen days, that one of four thousand would be ready within the same time; this led me to inspect the naval preparations made by the contractors, which I found to consist of one new rigged ship. I next visited the provision store, and found there no preparations whatever; there was not even a sufficient quantity for the consumption of the crews of the vessels of war for one month.
"These circumstances, and many other similar ones, oblige me to adopt a line of conduct which my duty to your excellency, to the States, and to myself, most imperiously prescribes; this is, to solicit your acceptance of the important commission with which I have been honoured, and which I now beg leave to resign.
"I have detailed some of the motives which oblige me to abandon the service of a state, in which I have been so highly honoured, particularly by your excellency; but my firm conviction is, that if I agree to the tardy and procrastinated measures of the government, I shall make myself tacitly instrumental in forwarding that ruin which cannot but be the result of the plans of the advisers of your excellency.
"Allow me to offer to your excellency, &c.—Valparaiso, May 14th, 1820."
The official answer to this note consisted of a mere list of excuses from the minister of marine, indicating any thing but the real cause of the inconsistency of the government; indeed, the real cause was enveloped in mystery for a considerable time afterwards. However, the determination of Lord Cochrane, not to continue in the command of the squadron unless that part of the management of it which was not under his control was placed on a better footing, seemed to rouze the government from the state of apathy which they now began to perceive would soon lead to a state of imbecility.