For two or three days after this disturbance by the Indians, a sharp lookout was kept by Cambiaso, and every visit to the Florida from the shore gave me accounts of the alarm of the rebels. At last, I heard that we were all to leave the place, and the settlement was to be abandoned. I eagerly asked Tapia, from whom I heard this, if he would tell me where we were going; but I found he knew no more of our destination than I did: indeed, it was only from what he had observed on shore, and from the surmises of the men around him, that he had drawn his conclusion. I felt very anxious to go on shore and try to discover for myself how much truth there was in this report, but the remembrance of my last visit and its risks deterred me. I could only question Tapia, who went to the fort very often, and who seemed as anxious as myself to know what was to be done. It was evident that the men did not trust Cambiaso; that they feared his securing the treasure and one of the vessels, and abandoning them to the mercy of the Indians or to the Chilian government, when the news of the insurrection should reach Valparaiso. This seemed not improbable; but for myself, I judged it more likely that Cambiaso was making some preparation to join the insurgent party under general Cruz, in the province of Conception, for I was convinced that he had in some way held communication with them before he rose against governor Gamero. He had several times in his conversations with me, declared himself a sworn partisan of general Cruz; and once, in answer to my complaint of the outrages committed against my vessel and myself, he had said that if general Cruz succeeded in overthrowing the government at Santiago, everything connected with my case should be satisfactorily adjusted, and that I should have no reason to complain. In speaking thus, he must of course have referred to my pecuniary losses. No reparation could be made to me or to his friends, for the barbarities inflicted upon my friend, Mr. Shaw; but in Cambiaso’s scale of injuries, the loss of property probably stood highest. Somewhere about the 29th or 30th of December, several workmen were sent on board the Florida, evidently for the purpose of making preparation for her departure. Her name, which was beautifully painted on her stern, was smeared over, a fresh coat of paint put on, and the word “Inesperado,” (the unexpected,) inserted in its place. Wood, water and provisions in great quantities were sent to the Florida and the Eliza Cornish, and the two vessels were put in as good order as could be expected from such unseamanlike workmen.
These workmen took the opportunity to ransack the two vessels, secreting everything of value that they could lay their hands on, and throwing overboard what they thought useless. Among other things, they came across some bags of silver ore which had been overlooked in the former searching of the Eliza Cornish, and doubtless would have appropriated this treasure to the deep, if the English mate had not been standing by them at the time of the discovery, and threatened to inform against them. The bags were worth about two hundred dollars apiece.
On the morning of the last day of the year, Cambiaso himself came on board, attended by his aids, fully armed, and evidently intending to surround himself with all that could impress us with an idea of his authority. He went into the cabin, and then sent for me to come to him. When I entered, he was seated by the table, with his pistols lying before him, and dressed in his full regimentals. He received me with much politeness, and offered me a seat; then commenced by telling me that the marks of hostility shown to the colony by the Indians, and the difficulty of obtaining supplies for his followers, had determined him to abandon the place, and that he had made up his mind to keep me with him, to navigate the vessel; and that he expected me to use my utmost skill, and to obey his orders to the letter, with regard to the course of the vessel. I answered him very coolly, that he had left me no choice; since I was entirely in his power, I must perforce obey his orders; that with regard to using my utmost skill, I had too much regard for my own life and the lives of my crew in that perilous navigation, not to do my best. My coolness did not seem to offend him, for he smiled as I spoke, and rising, said, “You shall be well watched, Sir Captain, and it will go hard with you if you give any cause for suspicion.” After going through the vessel and giving some orders to his workmen, he prepared to leave, when I said to him that if he would give me authority, I would give directions to the workmen in regard to such repairs as the vessel might need to render her sea-worthy. To this he assented, apparently with much satisfaction, and entering the boat, his men pushed off for the shore.
New Year’s Day dawned, clear, bright, and summer-like, and early in the morning the boats were all busily engaged in bringing off the colonists to the two vessels. My crew and the crew of the Eliza Cornish were sent on board their respective vessels, and my old companion, the English mate, was put in command of the E. Cornish.
We had a busy time of it on that New Year’s Day. Men, women, children, provisions, water, camp furniture, and so forth, were crowded on board our vessels, and my ingenuity was taxed to the utmost to make stowage for them all. About two hundred of the colonists were put on board the Eliza Cornish, and nearly two hundred and sixty on board the Florida. Cambiaso, with Garcia, and his other officers, took possession of the cabin and state-rooms, taking with them Mr. Dunn, captain Avalos, and some others. The rest were crowded into the hold with the common soldiers. I was allowed to retain my state-room, as captain of the vessel, and my mates and crew were put under my command. The treasure was stored in Cambiaso’s state-room, or near there, nailed up in heavy wooden boxes. I found that all the prisoners of any importance were to be put in the Florida, probably to retain them under Cambiaso’s own supervision. Captain Salas, however, was sent to the E. Cornish.
Among our passengers were about a hundred goats; and as we had no pens to confine them in, a few dogs were sent with them as guards, whose duty it was to keep them within bounds. Two dozen hogs were to share the privileges of the deck with the goats.
On the evening of the 1st of January I managed to exchange a few words with captain Avalos and Mr. Dunn, who had been sent on board just before dark. They told me that everything of value had been taken from the fort, what was portable sent to the vessels, and any things too heavy to carry away, and too valuable to be left to the Indians, had been buried in different spots around the cantonment and in the yard of the barracks, by order of Cambiaso. It seemed to them that he meditated a return to the colony, in case he met with any difficulties in navigating the vessel, and that therefore he was unwilling to abandon any thing to the Indians. We were not able to talk long, as some of the officers were standing by, and evidently watching us.