He also backed his mainvard. lowered a boat and sent an officer on board our ship, with a verbal request from Lord Cochrane that Capt. Downes would not persist in violating the blockade. When this officer got upon ou* deck and saw this preparation, he actually turned pale. Our captain's reply was, " Please communicate to his Lordship that it is my intention to anchor in Callao harbor before sundown at all hazards; and if his Lordship has any further communications to make, he must be quick about it. Fill away the maintop-sail, sir." The Chilian officer went into his boat, his ship, (Indepentia, 22 guns,) was now quite near us, so that we could easily perceive that they kept their guns trained upon us, and we, of course, kept ours upon them.
I am sure that we could have blown them out of water in a very few minutes. We were now going ahead at a pretty good rate, and very soon were surrounded by the whole squadron. The O'Higgins,* Cochrane's ship, was close along-side of us, within half pistol shot. Lord Cochrane came to the gangway, and in a pompous tone, hailed: "What ship is that?" " This is the U. S. Frigate, Macedonian." " Howr does Capt. Downes do?" " Quite well, I thank you. How is your Lordship?" We had now passed the O'lliggins, and were nearly alongside the Lotaro, a 50 gun ship, under the command of Capt. Guise, he however said nothing to us. We perceived the spyglasses on board Cochrane's ship were busily employed in *A 44 gun frigate taken from the Peruvians in the early part of the war. reconnoitering us; we really expected a brush, and so did the inhabitants and soldiers at Callao; for as we approached the town, we discerned that the forts and house tops were lined and crowded with people.
Had Cochrane opposed our entrance, it is very certain that with the excited feelino-s of our crew, we should have persisted in the attempt, while there remained a man to load a gun. Our arrival was a matter of rejoicing among the merchant ships; Cochrane hud publicly declared that not a ship should leave Callao with a Spanish dollar on board; and there were many ships, both English and American, lying here, and all of which had large sums on board, and felt much anxiety on account of Cochrane's threat. Cap. Downes received much credit and many compliments for his determination and perseverance in running through the blockade, and safely effecting an anchorage at Callao. Lord Cochrane, well knowing the determined character of Capt, Downes, and the efficiency of the Macedonian and her crew, (for he had been on board at Valparaiso) that notwithstanding the great superiority in number of ships and men, an action with her might, and most certainly would, retard his contemplated attack on the Esmaralda, besides the deserved retribution that would fall upon him, as soon as the attack should be made known in the United States.
All these things he very probably took into consideration, and did not resist us. Early on the morning after our anchorage, Capt. Downes received rather a tart note from his Lordship, severely censuring him for violating a regular constituted blockade. Capt. Downes, in reply, assurecf his Lordship that he should remain at Callao until all the American merchant ships had sailed; he also should protect them until out of danger, and should keep the Macedonian in a continued state of preparation, to repel any undue attack0 which might be made upon her, and declined any further communication, as it might have a tendency to vitiate his neutrality, and compromise the United States. Our ship was moored close in with the shore, and abreast * There had been a report among the ships at Callao, that Lord Cochrane had declared it as his determination to destroy the Macedonian, snould she attempt to violate the blockade. of a hot shot battery, a short distance astern the Peruvian frigate Esmaralda, of 44 guns, who was taking specie on board for the mother country.
Between our ship and the Esmaralda were two Spanish gunboats, well manned and armed, as a protection against any attack which might be made on the Esmaralda. I must here record an accident that befel me, and that came near using me up. While we were beating to quarters, previous to entering Callao, I had occasion to make a cleat for the security of one of the boats. I was amidships, on the gun-deck, and was working with a carpenter's adze; had just made a blow, when the man who was loading the gun near to me, hit my arm with the sponge, which caused me to receive the blow on my instep, severing the cords leading to the toes, besides making a fearful gash.