Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-06-23
NEW YoHK, June 10, 1854

cha Islands.
NEW loRK, June 10, 1854.
I noticed in the Free Press Of few days since an
item in referenc, to the difficulty at the Chncha
Islands between the Peruvian authorities there and
the officers Of the American ship Defiance. An ac-
count Of the affair which heard short time since
from a shipmaster who wa. there and saw it all in
tcrestcd mo and may interest you although it is
sometime since the transaction occurred and the story
can hardly come under the head of " Late News -
Capt Robert McCerren of the ship Defiance i, one
of a class ~ shipmastcrs who happily are less
numerous than they used to he. He is man of bad
character, of violent passions and little principle
but energetic and driving that though he cannot
have good crew in his ship because good sailors
will not sail under him, yet he always commands
fine ships, because shipping owners here are
more apt to look at the frequency and speed Of the
voyages which their ships make than at the charac-
ter ofthe Captains who command them. McCerren
is withal perfect daredevil, who had lief do
thing say it, and who might we'll command
ship bearing the name of Defiance.
The Defiance was at tho Chncha. to load with
guano. My impression i, that she one Of the
feet chartered originally for the Lobos Islands, but
am not certain. There she was. at any rate, and
you may easily understand that a of McCerren's
character would not be very likely to get
along easily and smoothly with the petty officials
stationed there by the Peruvian government. So it
was that it constant succession of qunrrels all
the time he there. The guano vessels
compelled, after leaving the Chncha, to g. to
Calao, and clear from thence for their home ports
This requirement McCerren claimed that the Defiance
was exempted from by special stipulation in
her favor, and great difficulty this point
when be was ready to leave. He declared that he
would not go to Callao, and the Commandnnte
threatened, in he did not to send the Peruvian
vessel of war, then lying there, after him. The
difficulty arranged somehow and the Defiance
weighed anchor 1t is contrary to law to FIRE gun
there, the noise frightens away the sea birds
which have for ages congregated there, and fine Of
S25 is imposed for every breach Of the law. asked
my informant if the law was never broken by
American ships when they left. lie said it was
sometimes, but they generally waited till they got
two or three miles offng, when with fresh breeze
they rarely paid the s?5. He was on the deck Of
the Defiance with McCerreu when she sailed. Both
finer bow guns loaded and one of them shottcd
and McCerren vowed he would fire gun and if the
reru'hn vessel shouia attempt 10 stop hin' ne
would hre into her with the shotted gun saying to
my informant with oath, " This one (the un-
~, '"'' ' 'o' u0NA"Ce '""' o"' 'o' ''''"s'
There was scarcely any wind, and the boats out
'''e '1' sup " nov ''e "a'''y
"' o"'''' "'e' CIV" Po''''t
'"s e"' ~ 'A' ~ ~ ~
~ Luz ''0"' - -" Y' '"a' p'""e '''o
Tho tha al, la anpl, ,t a,l
''o All AZ 'i' iepo'' anos. ua'Ao"Vd 'H' SUM- anu
'e''' ''e'' screaming anu '''o'i"S uau 'eas'''
'''H 'He e'"' ia" ma" VI wal pu',e' ~, 'A'
'"1 Au 0ine'' AHO'''eu He' ue'"' a"N "e'
i"aHueN Tue uH' '''Oe''eH pau NJ ou' win ar
~ ,,-a,,ol 49,. .,;.,, -. It. a.
ans, -,.o b;ob ,-l, ,oa ~ ,,a CO.. -,
ri: man - o,,,o -, d.oI e,,,, tis bo.. H.
,ho account. digcr Ncr7orror, saiI tho, ;,,,
80 tho r,r,-orj man ,o,,o oror ,bo sii.
fred from the mates ROOM and the Peruvian soldier
fell dead. But the men were very hostile 10
McCerren and rather incline to believe the account
given by my other informant, to be the true one,
viz, that as the soldiers came over the side one Of
them by accident discharged his musket, the bullet