Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 11.djvu/178

 Cochrane's mind was particularly fertile, and which, more than even the brilliant dash, mark his achievements. There were present in the harbour an English and an American ship of war. Cochrane noticed that as soon as the firing began these hoisted position lights. He at once saw that this was by prearrangement with the authorities on shore, and immediately hoisted exactly similar lights on board the Esmeralda. The garrison were perplexed; in the darkness they were unable to distinguish, and fired by preference on the two neutrals, which were struck several times, the Esmeralda escaping comparatively untouched. Cochrane intended to go on from the Esmeralda and capture or set fire to every ship in the harbour. Unfortunately he was incapacitated by his wounds, and the officer on whom the command devolved, less venturesome and less ingenious than his chief, cut the Esmeralda's cables. There was then nothing for it but to loose her topsails and get out of range. The exploit, however, though not complete in itself, was so in its results. Not only was the Spanish navy reduced to inaction, but Cochrane, after a short time, finding that there was no further work for him afloat, induced San Martin to lend him some six hundred soldiers, with which and the ships of the squadron he so harassed the coast from Callao to Arica that he virtually compelled Lima to capitulate on 6 July 1821. San Martin, though he had taken little or no part in the work, now appeared to receive the honours and reward. On 3 Aug. he proclaimed himself Protector of Peru, and on the 4th refused to advance a single real for the payment of the seamen unless they, and Cochrane especially, transferred their allegiance to the new-founded republic. Cochrane declined the offers of the protector, sailed to Ancon, and took possession of a large quantity of captured treasure which San Martin had deposited there. With this he paid off the arrears of his officers and men, reserving the surplus for the re-equipment of the squadron. After an absence of more than twenty months Cochrane returned to Valparaiso in June 1822; but though received with popular enthusiasm he found that ministerial jealousy and corruption rendered further service in Chili impossible. San Martin, having been expelled from Peru by a popular insurrection, came back to Valparaiso in October, and, though denounced by Cochrane as a traitor, was loaded with honours and rewards, while Cochrane was unable to obtain payment of the sums due to himself or of the wages due to his men. Had he chosen to enter into the struggle of parties, he might possibly have reaped pecuniary advantage; but declining to do that the only course open to him was to resign his command in the Chilian navy, which he virtually did on 29 Nov. by requesting leave of absence for an indefinite time.

He had received invitations to enter the service of Brazil, of Mexico, and of Greece; and though intending ultimately to lend his aid to the Greeks he accepted provisionally the offers of Brazil, and sailed from Valparaiso on 18 Jan. 1823. He arrived at Rio de Janeiro on 13 March, and on the 21st was appointed by the newly proclaimed emperor 'first admiral of the national and imperial navy.' The spirit of faction, however, ran exceedingly high, and though during the next eighteen months Cochrane succeeded in quelling the efforts of the Portuguese and completely establishing the naval supremacy of Brazil, he was so embarrassed by the powerful opposition at court that the most serious part of his work was the maintenance of his authority, and at times even of his liberty. Notwithstanding the generally successful results of his operations, they lacked the extreme brilliancy of his exploits under the Chilian flag; much of his work was administrative rather than naval, and he repeatedly expressed his wish to retire from the service, in which he continued at the urgent request of the emperor. In the beginning of 1825 he was at Maranham, and having restored order and finding his ship's company sickly he resolved to go for a cruise into the temperate latitudes of the North Atlantic. He put to sea on 18 May, and in about three weeks was off the Azores, when, in some strong gales, the frigate's masts and rigging were found to be rotten and no longer serviceable. The provisions, too, ran short. It was therefore necessary to make the nearest friendly port, and he anchored at Spithead on 26 June. He at once reported his arrival to the Brazilian minister in London, and requested to be provided with the means of refitting the ship. None were given him; he was ordered to return at once; he was accused of deserting, of attempting to carry off his ship, and the officers and crew were ordered to repudiate his authority and return without him. Some months thus passed away, and on 3 Nov. peace was declared between Brazil and Portugal. Cochrane seized on this as his opportunity, and on 10 Nov. wrote to the emperor, formally resigning his commission.

He had already received repeated invitations to take the command of the Greek navy. Burdett, Hobhouse, Hume, Bowring, and other leading members of the Greek committee, all agreed that he was the only man capable of achieving the liberation of Greece, though some reminded him of the jealousies 