Boat rescued by a boat from the Hyperion, — Is brought along-side the frigate, — Horrid sight, — Some taken to the hospital, — Their danger of being murdered, — Erroneous impression, — Manner of their rescue, — Fugitives escape to our ship, — Their dreadful narrative, — Danger of Capt. Downes, — Reward offered for his head, — Secreted by the Viceroy, — Our unpleasant and unsafe position, — Awful suspense respecting our captain and the midshipman on shore, — Sinking the schooner Rampart, of Baltimore, — Escape of captain and crew, — Big Dick, — Send a flag of truce, — Midshipman Marshall and the wounded men, — Permission to visit the shore,— Obtain necessaries, — Permission to haul the ship back to the old position, — Intelligence of the captain by an Indian, — Boats fitted, — Proceed to Chorillias, — Captain returns in safety,— Is cheered, — Receives the congratulations of the Americans, — A general regret among the Peruvians, — Ascertain that there are a number of Americans prisoners at Casas-Matas, — Capt.
Downes demands them, — Permission to visit them, — Their miserable condition, — Contribution made for them, — Supplied with every comfort, — Promised their liberty in 90 days, — Removed to more comfortable quarters, — Had endured much suffering, — Joy at the prospect of being once more at liberty, — Fears of the Viceroy, — Large amount of specie on board the merchant ships, — Method of getting money on board merchant ships, — An American ship captured by Cochrane, — Came in to Guamas, — Fleet get ready to sail, — Cochrane's threats, — Order of sailing, — Ordered not to admit a boat along-side, — Arrangement of the English frigate Hyperion, — Beat to quarters, — Fleet sail, — Attempt to stop the ships, — Get out safe, and return to Guamas, — Account of the capture of the Esmaralda.
Those that were taken to the hospital, were in danger of being murdered while in their beds. There were many of the crew of the Esmaralda here, that were wounded in the fight, and were sent on shore by Cochrane, the morning after the capture. These desperate wretches, full of the impression that our ship was accessory to the capture, fairly gnashed their teeth with rage against our poor fellows that were so fortunately rescued from death; and made several unsuccessful attempts to get at them, in order to murder them. I should have stated that Mr. Marshall, and the other man who was shot through the body, were rescued from the hands of the infuriated soldiers, by a kind-hearted Spanish officer, who, with much difficulty succeeded in getting them to the hospital.
Our ship was now thronged with fugitives from the shore, who were principally Englishmen, but there were some Americans among them, all of whom gave a horrid account of the slaughter on the night of the battle. Gangs of armed and desperate soldiers perambulated the town, shooting down every foreigner they could find. One man told us of his narrow escape, as follows: " Himself and his shipmate were sitting in a grogshop, and when the soldiers passed by, they looked in, and seeing these men, were about to shoot them, but the landlord forbade them firing in his premises, and told the men they must run for their lives, which they did. We both made a rush through them, and ran for the landing-place.
I turned short round, and got among some old casks, and crawled into an empty hogshead. My poor shipmate was overtaken, and I saw them cut his throat from ear to ear. I now began to shiver in the wind, for I expected they would look for me, which, had they done, wTould certainly have found me, and wrould soon have dispatched old ' Jim Carrol/ " It was well known on shore that Capt. Downes was at Lima; parties were sent to search for him; a reward was offered for his head. Capt. Downes was soon made acquainted with these facts, and immediately sought the protection of the Viceroy, as he did not think himself safe at the house of the American minister.
The Viceroy was fully convinced that the Macedonian had no sort of participation in the Esmaralda affair; and knowing the excited state of feeling that prevailed, particularly among the lower class, and fearing that if it should be known that Capt. Downes was in the palace, a mob might collect, and thus create a tumult which nothing hut the spilling of blood could allay. He therefore had him secretly conveyed to the mint, where he was comfortably provided for. Tin? Macedonian lay some distance from her former moorings, and was not in a safe place, if it should come on t 2G7 blow. Here we were, without provisions, and in a, state of the utmost anxiety with regard to our captain, and the midshipman and two men that were on shore.