Washington sentinel., 1853-10-09
Prom the Baltimore Patriot
The Chincha Islands Troubles.

Barring. dated from there on the 10th of August,
gives The following account Of the second conflict
between the parties:
ON Friday last there was large congregation
OF shipmasiers on board of the Defiance, TO assist
in getting her under weigh, she ready for
sea and il is customary for all vessels that not
very busy 10 send help To those that about
leaving here, with an officer from each ship that
sends boats crew. We mustered about eighteen
captains and from ten 10 fourteen first and second
officers from ships that were not busy loading, each
officer with boats crew of four men. Being calm
the boats were sent 10 tow ahead. had been on
board from an early hour in the morning, helping
McCerren 10 seal up aud copy letters and to settle
some money matters between hlm and me, &c,
which brought il 10 ii a. m.
Capt Mccormick, late of Darque Green Point
was empowered 10 act as pilot, a. II rs customary
10 have one Of the captains 10 act as pilot while
the captain of the ship entcrtalns his guests II
continued calm until about p. IA, when u light
air set in all sail was made, and with the assist
ance of the boats ahead, the ship began TO move
through the water. | took the wheel, by Capt.
McCerrens request; had not been there ten
minutes before one Of the large guns was fired as
signal for sailing, as was the custom, ana has
been done by every ship having guns that has sailed
from here since have laid here. The gun had not
been discharged two minutes. when three armed
boats from the Peruvian steamer oi war RImac
hove in sight, pulling directly for the Defiance
Al the same moment one from ihe guard-shp
which were soon along side Of the Defiance.
The officer in the first boat came ON board and
was received al The gangway by Captain McCer-
rem, who asked him his business he said he came
TO collect a fine Of twenty live dollars for hring
the run Captain McCerrcn paid him the line.
had then left the wheel and'camc 10 the forward
part of the house, where could hear and see
everything that passed. The officer, after taking
the money, turned IL over several tunes IN ms
hands, when Captain McCerren remarked To him
Al. ,ft th.,~ EArI
teen minutes, he would have another twenty-five
dollars To collect, he was gong 10 hre the
second gun When his friends left the SHIP the
officers remained standing as if TO ascertain what
next 10 do when Captain McCcrren, smartng
under the wounds and the indignity he had re-
ceived on board the gnard-ship asked hmm II he
should lsa force to compel him 10 leave his ship
AT the word force the officer called TO his men
to board the ship, when immediately rom eighteen
to twenty-five men from the three boats boarded
the ship and then commenced the most outrageous
assault that ever was committed on the American
people When these men-of-w war got on deck and
found themselves among few unarmed snip
masters, their valor knew no bounds--they be-
came fllrious--the officers (of whom there Were
threc) lost all command of themselves and OF their
men--thcy fired several times at random at IN
offensive spectators, Of whom we were all as
there was not one among us that was armed. The
Peruvian icutenants pistol went oil prematurey,
shot and killed one Of his own men, standing two
feet from McCerrcn and me- Then commenced
the in earnest.
The affair on board the guard ship was mere
sham to the brutal and ridiculous outrage com
mted here. McCerren was struck on the head
with the but OF a carbinc, andth with boarding
axe which laid his skull bare; four of these war
riors seized hold of him and commenced tying his
arms behind him, while another struck hlin III
the face with the fiat of his cutlass. Seeing
which ! hove a coil Of rope at the cowards head,
and sprang down from the top oithe house, where
had again placed myself, got hold OF the rope that
bound his hands, and partly looscned him, when
the second lieutenant evelled and snapped his
pistol al me !; the cap bursting, he drew his sword,
and in very good English gave me 10 understand
that he would run me through If ! attempted any
further assistance 10 McCcrren. During this time
there was firing in all directions, some shots taking
effect in the boats near the ship, shooting young
man named Dillingham; in the thigh, who
spectator in boat At some distance from the ship,
and for the want of proper attendance VIII prove
Il very severe wound ..'-
After Capt. McCerren was bound, they made
ropes end fast to him. bundled him over tho side,
and when half down. let him fall in the boat like
sheep This was too much for me. | spfang to
the gangway caught the main rope, and slid my
self down in the boat, and began casting McCer
ren's hands adrh, which Were swollen as if to
burst with the tightness of the chord that bound
them | succeeded in getting them partly adrf,
when was again threatened 10 be cleft in two
with their battlc-axcs. The boat containing Nc
Cerran then pulled to the gnard-ship, where he
was hauled up on deck, irons put on his leet, and
left living near the gangway until p. m, and no
one of his friends allowed 10 see or have any
conversation with him. His wounds had not been
dressed until Sunday. You will please convey
this news to the owners OF the Defiance, as also
to my owners. Yours, . L. bEAlll.
P. S. The Defiance has been abandoned to the
Peruvian government; the crew have full sway,
forward and aft. | have been on board and taken
nd st.
to Calao for assistance. The captain is still in
irons on deck fastened by the feet 10 an eyebolt,
and no one but the doctor from Lima allowed 10
see or speak to him, and then only with an officer
present #.. ..t.. t@,"
The doctor reports Mr.. McCerren TO be in
very critical condition and if he is not released
from his irons he will die in them; and yet have
tried everything in my power TO get hIm rehei,
but to no purpose, as his own son IS not allowed
TO speak to him. What state OF affairs
As already mentioned, the Defiance has been
abandoned to the Peruvian government and al
the latest account was at Callao. She is first
class vessel built in 1852, and belongs TO Messrs.
Jones " Johnson, OF New York city She cost
500, 600, and at the time OF the transaction, II is
represented, had two thousand tons of guano on
board, the freight on which would amount 10 S40,-
000
The New York Commercial says, the letter of
Capt. Beatty mentions that n new commandante had
arrived at the islands, in place OF the one whose
conduct is complained OF. E
This is confirmed by letter from Captain Dill
lingham, of the barquc Ienox, who adds that the
old commandant had been ordered to repair 10
Lima, where he would be court-martlaled. The
new officer, however, finding the troubles so much
increased, refused 10 take command until the De.
iance and her master had been sent to Callao.
The boy wounded in the encounter on board
the Defiance, was John d. Foster, OF Sandwich.
He was doing well at latest accounts.
WASHINGTON Oct. 7.--Commodore Daniels of
Baltimore, late commander-in-chief Of the Peru
vian feet was summoned here by telegraph, and
last evening and to-day had long consultation
with Mr.. Gushing, it is supposed relative To the
Chincha Islands difficulty, with which the com
modore is perfectly familiar. There is scarce a
doubt this subject viii become matter of immedi-
ate, earnest, and important diplomatic consd-
Grafton
nzss>GEN. DIX does not make much Roadway in
his pro-slavery letters The ProrideRcc ,IoWrRak"
dryly remarks that the general willnever persuade
the public that he was an honest bunker, and had
have loft Them N the belief thai he W. an