South American Journal

This South American Journal of my Great Great Great Grandfather, Hans Jacob Fiellerup, gives an interesting insight into the life of this fascinating individual. Hans was a Factor[1] with the Anglo-Danish Company[2] and is described by T. W. Fraser in his unpublished book, Danish Bred, as a modern day Viking; rightly so! Hans, who was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1778, joined the Anglo-Danish Company as a Cotton Factor. He was sent to Tranquebar[3] in India, where he met and married Catherine Elizabeth von Braun in 1807. In the days of sail, Hans plied his trade in cotton as far afield as Manila, a round trip which took him six months; to Batavia, involving a family separation of over a year and he also had no less than three voyages backwards and forwards to Denmark.

In 1817[4] Hans and his family moved from Tranquebar in India’s South to Serampore[5], which is in the north of India near Calcutta. Only months after arriving in Serampore, Hans and Elizabeth were devastated by the loss of two of their four children (and only son) to illness (probably measles). They were not to remain long in Serampore, because only four days after this tragic event, they returned to Denmark, on a journey that took just over six[6] months. It had been nineteen years since Hans had seen his native Demark, although he was only there for four months before he was off again. He was sent as Factor to London and then back to India (still in the service of the Anglo-Danish Company) and was yet again separated from his family between 1818 and 1821. Hans had a short reunion with his family in 1821, when they returned to India, prior to leaving for Peru in the same year. (The same year that Peru gained its Independence - but I will leave that story for Hans). As Hans had not returned by 1827 his, by now, desperate wife with their two youngest daughters, set sail to go and find him.

Hans and his family left Peru in 1828 for London, where they stayed for eight months, before returning to Denmark. Because Hans suffered significant financial loss in Peru, this must have been a very uncertain time. They remained in Denmark until 1830, before returning to India via London. (There is an interesting fragment from a lost diary that covers this period). Hans died in Tranquebar in 1835, aged 57.

Fortunately, Hans was a meticulous diarist, of which the following account of his time in South America bears testament. It is also fortunate that he arrived in Peru at such an important period in history, right in the middle of the Latin American revolution. Hans arrived in South America when Peru had only just declared its independence from Spain[7]. This journal, which is essentially an eyewitness account of this time, is not only fascinating reading, but also an important historical document. Unfortunately, a large part of the journal appears to be missing, as it is hard to believe that someone who was so particular about recording details would have left his journal open for so many years. There are also no specific answers provided to the exact circumstances surrounding his financial losses. A letter, which Hans copied into his diary, (included below) provides some possible clues.

This journal has been translated from its original Danish, resulting in a document that is not grammatically perfect. To make this paper easier to read, I have taken the liberty to change the punctuation in parts. The text of Hans Jacob Fiellerup’s South American Journal, however, remains exactly as it appeared in Danish Bred. To assist the reader, I have also included footnotes for items of historical or other interest.

Start for South America - The passage through Cook’s Straits, between the Islands of

New Zealand – Arrival at Callao - Visit or Lord Cochrane - Unsuccessful time.

26th April 1821. We left Madras for South America and at this time of year it is generally considered to be the shortest route to sail to 51° or 52° S latitude, then to go round the Island of New Zealand between 36° and 38° and to continue eastward until at 90° or 100° W longitude the vessel can bear up at Valparaiso, Lima or Guayaquil, if bound for any of these places.

We met with a great deal of calm and contrary winds during the first week of our voyage, and consequently made little progress, until at 3° S latitude we encountered the Trade Winds, which quickly brought us into the stormy region.

On the 26th of June we met with our first gale, which lasted for three days and carried away the starboard gallery.

On the 1st of July we met with another storm, which deprived us of the larboard gallery.

On the 3rd of July following we sighted the S promontory Van Diemen’s Land about two leagues off. Our Captain was now determined, if possible, to shorten our voyage by passing through Cook’s Straits between the two largest islands of the New Zealand group. This proved afterwards to be very beneficial to our Indian crew, which would hardly have been able to endure the greater cold of a higher degree of S latitude, having already suffered a great deal in the present one of 43°, although the thermometer generally stood from 56° to 54° and at no time lower than 49°.

On the 18th day of July at daybreak we beheld New Zealand looming in the distance and on the 19th at 8 o’clock in the morning, after having laid to all night, we entered the Strait with Mount Egmont visible on the northern island about 70 miles distant. This mountain is said to be about 10,000 feet high and therefore next in height to Mount Pico on the island of Teneriffe. Mount Egmont appears to be pyramidical in shape and entirely covered with snow. It was a lovely winter's morning. All around was still and impressive and wherever I turned my eyes I beheld islands of snow and mountains clothed in ice. The sun shone on the summit of Mount Egmont and I took a pencil sketch of the mountain and I thought of ‘Old Norway’ in its winter dress, to which these mountains, our islands bear a great deal of resemblance.

The following morning and in the narrowest part of the Strait, we met with the heaviest gale I have ever experienced, and I, who have spent a good part of my life on the sea say this. Waves tossed about round the ship and the sea was simply terrific. The storm, fortunately, lasted only 20 hours, but with a less experienced Captain and with less able officers, I should have considered the vessel and ourselves in the greatest danger. By their efforts and seamanship, however, we got well through this and many other storms and after having, on the 19th of September in the morning, sighted the highland of South America, we cast anchor on the 22nd following, at midnight, safely in the Bay of Callao. It was high time for us to come into harbour, as we had during this long and stormy voyage, lost several of our men and amongst them, the second and third mates, the head carpenter, a Scotsman with a frame of iron, several Portuguese sailors and some Indian lascars[8]. On the very evening we rounded the island of St. Lorenzo we had to bury two corpses in the sea. Many of the crew were ill and we scarcely had sufficient hands left to govern the vessel.

At the break of day we saw three ships of the Chilean squadron lying not far from us, from which we concluded that either the patriots had gained the victory or else were on the point of doing so. A canoe came alongside and four Mesdises came on board, apparently from Callao though at first they denied it and were very reserved, but after beingregaled with a bottle of Bengal rum and some bundles of cigars they became quite talkative and told us that the Chilean vessels were under the command of Lord Cochrane[9], that Lima had been in possession of ‘los buenos patriots’ for four months, that General San Martin[10] did arrive the day before at Callao and that at 10 o’clock the National flag would be waving from the fort. They presented us with a few nice oranges and sweet potatoes for which we gave them another bottle of rum. Thereupon their joy knew no bounds and they gave us two water melons and their remaining potatoes to the crew, for which they would neither receive money, nor anything else. This led me to draw the conclusion that the ordinary man in Peru is good-natured and not parsimonious.

Some time after, an officer (North American) from the corvette ‘La Independenza’ came on board, together with an English Captain, a Master of an English ship from Bengal, which together with several other ships are lying in Ancon Bay. They repeated what we already knew and told us that only a few days ago the Fort of Callao capitulated, and that about 10 o’clock today the patriot’s flag would be raised. They congratulated us on just having arrived at the right moment and then left the vessel. And so it turned out to be the case. At 10 o’clock the roar of cannons was heard from the forts at Callao and also from the Men-of-War, and the Banner of freedom - a broad white flag with two horizontal red stripes - was seen waving from three places in the three batteries, which constitute the fortifications. I was on board ‘La Independenza’ and I heard for the first time the shout of ‘Viva la Patria’! ‘Viva la Libertad’! The Captain, an Englishman named Forster, was not on board but the Lieutenant was very courteous and obliging and showed us over the corvette which carries guns and has a crew of about 250 men, consisting of Englishmen, North Americans, Chileans and Negroes. There appeared to be perfect discipline on board and everyone appeared satisfied.

From the corvette the Captain and I went on board the brig ‘Aracana’ on which Lord Cochrane was staying, in order that we might obtain from him passports for Lima. These he immediately ordered his secretary to make out and he personally signed them. His lordship was surprised when I informed him that the public papers at Madras had already, before our departure for South America, published the news of the capture by him of the Spanish frigate ‘Esmeralda’ taken just entering under the guns of the forts at Callao. Lord Cochrane’s remark was ‘How news can fly’! He enquired much about Marquis and lady Hastings in Bengal and asked if they were soon going home. I told him what I knew in this matter and that it was generally supposed that the Governor General would stay on in India a year or two 1onger. Lord Cochrane is a tall, fair Scotsman with strongly marked features. He has a small scar on his left cheek. He is plain but pleasant in manners. He was dressed in a blue coat with gold epaulettes, blue pantaloons with gold lace down the seams, three cornered hat with the Chilean white cockade and blue and red silk ribbons. His Lordship took leave of us in the most kindly manner but made it understood that the Captain was not to take the ship further into port without his sanction.

In the afternoon we landed at Callao, decided not to go to Lima at once but to see what was going on. We met groups of natives fantastically dancing and singing, swinging their banners of liberty and crying ‘Viva la Patria’! Most of them were more or less intoxicated; in short we were so little pleased with the scene we witnessed that within an hour of the time of landing we were again on board our ship. The noise of these folk of liberty, with their rockets and other fireworks we could see and hear till far into the night. Callao is a very insignificant place. What gives it some appearance of size are the Forts. The buildings are mostly of clay and in consequence few are more than one-storey in height. The Custom House is an insignificant one-storey building with a verandah running round it and this first view of South America convinced me that the Spanish descriptions or it are very much exaggerated.

My speculation regarding South America was taken with the hope that the metropolis, Lima, with the whole of Peru, should continue to be under the dominion of Spain and consequently the trade open only to privileged or yearly licensed vessels from India, the latter of which would doubtless have given us a profitable voyage here and an early return to India, but now the opposite is the case. We are meeting competitors from every quarter of the globe, a market quite full, declared to be good only so long as it is unknown to foreign nations, or limited to a certain yearly import. I shall, therefore, for the present, limit myself to a short account of Lima and its trade, and I hope later on to be able to give more definite and descriptive information about the same.

The situation of lima and Callao - Short description of Lima and its sights - The condition of trade with an extract as to the new Customs tariff, coinage, weights and measures - Costs of landing, consignees’ commission etc.

The situation of Lima, with its port of Callao, have been so often described that it would be superfluous to speak of it at length. According to Dr. Hippolyte it is situated at 120° 2' 5" South latitude and 70° 51' 51" West longitude after the meridian of Cadiz. Callao with the island at St. Lorenzo makes a beautiful port for vessels of every size and it was a splendid sight on the 23rd of September to see a number of about seventy large and smaller vessels all steering into this now, for more than three months, empty port. There was one salute after another as the British man-of-war, the ‘Superb’ with seventy-four guns, saluted the English vessels. It seems to answer to its name and is commanded by Captain McKinsey. It saluted first the fort of Callao and then Admiral Lord Cochrane, I believe a salute at fifteen guns, which, it is said, was answered by a smaller number from the Admiral, which somewhat upset the old post-Captain McKinsey. I and a couple of others set out in the afternoon for Lima, on a couple of wretched horses we had hired and arrived there towards evening in time, however, to see the handsome approach to the town of an avenue about 1 ¾ English miles long. The entrance gate into Lima is handsome. It consists of one large and two smaller side entrances, but all sufficiently wide for carriages to pass through. The Royal, as well as the City Arms, were quite mutilated, probably so that no sign of ‘La Cindad de los Regos’ could any longer be seen. Once entered, one beholds on both sides quarters of unfinished buildings, which the Spaniards intended, it is said, for poor houses and possibly for hospitals, but whatever may have been their intention, it is certain they will not be finished for years.

The road from Callao to Lima rises gradually and the town is said to be an elevation of 154 metres above the sea. On the road from Callao, about two leagues long, are long stretches of uncultivated ground and flow and then dilapidated farmhouses are to be seen, doubtless the result of the late troublous times. The country surrounding the town produces maize, sweet potatoes, yams, a root on which the natives feed, dyas, a kind of sugar cane and alfalfas a kind of Lucerne grass.

I lodged the first few days in the so-called ‘Philippine House’ and was on the following evening (Sunday) invited by a friend to go to the play, to see a piece performed called ‘Roma Libre’ or Rome Free. His Excellency the Protector San Martin honoured it by his presence and as a prologue the Buenos Ayres Song of liberty, ‘Vid Mortales’ etc. etc. was sung. As the first verse was being sung all stood up but during the second or third several ladies sat down. Then it pleased the Protector to stop the music and in a loud voice proclaim that he hoped the ladies would show the respect due to the National Song. A very handsome lady sitting in the same box as ourselves was annoyed at this, called it an undeserved disgrace, but her rage found consolation at last by smoking a cigar at the back of the box.

The theatre is small, but for the size of the town is sufficiently spacious. It is neatly arranged, the lighting of the place was passable, it consisted of three chandeliers; one large one in the middle and two smaller ones closer to the stage, besides these there were lamps or lights by the boxes. The orchestra was wretched and the decorations were poor. Of the actors, some are Spaniards, such as Rodriguez and others, these are not bad, the natives on the contrary are very mediocre. The singer ‘La Rose’ has the ear of the public, and of the actresses a ‘La Theresa’ is spoken of most but she has rather a coarse voice. The other singers and actresses are of but little value. I left the place before the conclusion of the piece but have since paid several visits to it, and it is from these that I have formed my opinion of the theatre as well as its personnel. An enormous lot of smoking is going on between the acts, both in the pit and the boxes and this together with the fact that after having paid reales at the entrance, you have again to pay in the pit 10, 8 or 6 reales during the performance is very trying.

The houses at Lima are mostly built of clay. The framework consists of posts and “canos” a kind of cane, which binds the clay to the posts. Most of the houses are but one-storey high and the outer part as a rule not of a very architectural appearance. Inside, however, they are comfortable and many, even elegantly arranged - fine big glass doors (Manparas) adorn the houses and an inner yard which can be seen through these, has a platform generally filled with pots of flowers of different kinds which give pleasure to those who pass by and a sweet perfume to those who live there.

Lima has a number of churches, beautiful both inside and out, which must have cost large sums of money. Some of the conventual churches, such as, La Merced; St. Augustine; St. Francisso; St. Pedro and others have large pieces of ground attached as have also the nunneries of La concepcion; Sta Ros; Sta Clara; La Encarnacion and several more and this makes Lima larger than it would otherwise be, according to the number of its inhabitants which at present may be set down at from 46,000 to 48,000. The town is surrounded by ramparts partly made of bricks and very high, which, however, are without guns although there are bastions for same and everywhere parapets for musketry. As, however, outworks are wanting, it might well be supposed that costly as these ramparts must have been for the Spaniards, they are erected for defence against internal rather than outward foes.

Through most of the crossroads run canals with running water which all comes from the River Rimac which has its source in the province of Kuarchiso. In its course it waters many ‘Chacras’ or farms and is of great use to Lima, which, without it would be a very dirty and un-healthy town. It is contended that its water is somewhat rough to the taste and In consequence indigestible, but its use for drinking purposes is generally restricted to the animals and it is only made use of for washing and cleaning the houses and for cleaning the streets. As drink for the inhabitants, there is an abundance of spring water, as the great number of insolent ‘Aquaderos’ or watermen, who on their ‘Baricos’ daily cross the streets testify by the presence. Of public places there are but few; the best known are Place de Palacio and Place de la Inquisition. The Place de Palacio is the largest and it is decorated in the middle with a fountain where Fame with a trombone blows its good or evil towards the town. Of marketplaces, the best known are those by the churches of St. Augustine and St. Francisso.

The Palace which occupies a whole quarter or square of the place has been built upon by so many Viceroys that it has got a crooked and motley appearance, and the St. James's Palace in London is even said to have been erected by Pizarro, who was also murdered in it. Pleasant was it for me to observe a portrait of Christopher Columbus on my first entrance into the audience hall of the President. Thus, after a fashion is the memory of this famous man honoured. When alive, he was rewarded by ungratitude, chiefly on the part of his master and king. For economical reasons I suppose, the shops or the hardware men, the dealers in ribbons and the shoemakers, with others, are under the Palace.

Another square portion of the place is occupied by the Cathedral and the palace of the Archbishop. The Cathedral is a grand building with two towers in the front and the inside is most beautifully decorated. Here most of the greatest solemnities take place and from this church do the largest religious processions start.

The other two squares or sides of the place are occupied by two long two-storied buildings - perhaps they might be taken to be several houses. Under them are the so-called ‘portales’ with arches towards the place, whereabout eighty shopkeepers have their shops, mostly for cloth, silk and fancy goods. On Sundays, especially during High Mass between 12 and 1 o’clock, these arches are a resort for young gentlemen for the purpose of admiring the ladies ‘Saya y Mantos’, perhaps also of arranging for the afternoon rendezvous. The state mongers here also gather into groups to discuss the welfare of the Republic. They flock together through compatriotism which is widely spread, not only according to the province but also every little town is the same; thus, there are Purians from Pura, Cuscians from Cusco, Piscoans from Pisco, Trusalos from Trusilo, Paytans from Payta, etc., too many to name. The Place de la Inquisition is next to the Place de Palacio and about in the middle of the town. In this is situated what was formerly the Inquisition Chapel and Inquisition House with the houses of detention. The cells in these latter are not pleasant spectacles. Dark and wretched as such are generally said to be, they are not quite so bad at Lima. It is also insisted upon that the Inquisition was always less strict here than in the more bigoted Spain.

The Mint, which is situated in this neighbourhood, is a large and remarkable building. A great deal or gold and silver is here turned into doubloons, piastres, 4, 2, 1 and ½ reale pieces. It is not easy to say how much is used just now, as only a few plato-pina or silver bars arrive from the country on account of the silver mines being still in the hands of the Royalists. There have also been but few coins struck since the arrival of the Army of the Patriots, and these with the Spanish impression, doubtless because the stamp of the patriots is not yet ready. Everything seems to be ordered well in the Mint, and the coinage is done with great rapidity. The machinery is not different, however, to what is seen elsewhere.

The streets are pretty straight, but some are not paved and it is a wonder that the nice ‘Li Manerjudes’ silk-shod feet can stand the sharp stones. The streets most frequented are those nearest the Place de la Palacio, such as Callo de Bodagones; de los Judios; Melchior Malo; de Argo Bispo; Calle de Palacio; de St. Augustine; de las Mantess; de Valadolid, de Mercaderos and de la Merced. In these, there are shops in nearly every house and also the most traffic and movements, while in the majority of the roads and streets there is but little stir, and those in the outskirts of the town as by the Catcharca gate, de Circan and others are nearly without inhabitants and when for the houses near the Place de la Palacio from 800 to 3,000 piastres is paid yearly but 20 to 25 piastres a month or at most $300 a year is paid for a house with garden and, more comfortably arranged in de Ciran.

Behind the palace is a stone bridge with three arches over the ‘Qi Mae’, which river flows towards Callao, but it is too shallow and stony even for small boats. The bridge has a very handsome porch consisting of a large arch with several ornaments and a clock. The approach from this side is quite open, and on the other side is a nice little suburb, which leads to another and longer, called Malambo. This little suburb leads to two ‘Alamedas’ or promenades, one of which has an amphitheatre for bull fights, with a very large circus and three rows of boxes and is able to hold a considerable number of people. In one end of it, opposite the place from which the bulls are let loose is the box for the Viceroy or now, the Protector, which seems to occupy the better part of the building and, if I am not mistaken, is built of brick. At present there are no bull fights but as these and cock fights are the rage here, their desires in this direction will doubtless sooner or later be satisfied. In the other avenue are three fountains, and at the end of it by the foot of the mountain,which gives it quite a romantic appearance, lies a small chapel. ‘Ia Almeda da Callao’ or the avenue to Callao, is however, considered the nicest and is also the longest. All the avenues are used for driving as well as riding and walking; they consist of four rows of trees with seats at the sides, but are said to be but little frequented to what they were in Spanish times.

Lima has its cemetery (or cemeteries) outside the town, which is called the ‘Pantheon’. It has a neat little octagonal chapel surrounded by cypresses. The gravediggers have their abodes by the chapel. Already, for years no one has been buried in the town or by the churches. In the Pantheon are raised several walls of the length of a coffin which have a number of small rooms or cells for the dead who are placed in two rows one above the other. In one of these the corpse is placed and the place is then walled up. When a certain tax is paid, the relatives are allowed to place a monumental stone in the wall, but for costly epitaphs there is not sufficient space. The other graves are opened up at certain times for further burials.

This Pantheon is, no doubt for several reasons, a good institution, especially in a land where the religion is Roman Catholic and where the desire for all is to be buried in the churches. Doubtless it has not been instituted without much trouble from the objections made by the prejudiced, zealous and bigoted clerics. Yet, I prefer our own cemetery, the Garden of the Dead, outside the northern gate of Copenhagen, where many a mound, marked only by a simple wooden cross, a myrtle tree or a rosebush denotes that those who were dear to us in life, are here resting in the mother’s womb of Earth and, if scripture is to be believed,in the same mould from which the Creator fashioned them.

At a time when so many vessels of foreign nationality had arrived, with merchants ready to open up new business, super cargoes, captains, etc., it was rather difficult to get a house or even a lodging. I and my Captain and two other friends were, however, fortunate enough to obtain rooms with a very pleasant Spanish family who did everything to make us comfortable during the two months we stayed there. As a proof how a Revolution can mar the prospects of a family I will shortly state the fate of my hostess Dona Maria, a Spaniard, handsome, well educated and gifted with good sound commonsense, all made her a very pleasant and refined woman. She was the mother of several children; two well educated grown-up daughters, three sons and a little daughter. With her husband, who was appointed Judge in Buenos Ayres, she left Spain; but the revolution which broke out there soon forced him to leave for Chile where he was again appointed Judge, but there also a revolution broke out and he had to go to Lima, where again he did not lack appointment and was a special friend of the Viceroy Pezuela. When the Generals La Serne, Cantera, with others took away the rule from the Viceroy, and at the same time the expedition from Chile against Lima occurred, which place shortly after came into the possession of the patriots. The Judge, who was an earnest Spaniard, thought it incumbent on himself to get away, and went on board the English frigate ‘Andromeda’ leaving orders to his family as soon as possible to follow him. Many Spanish families of note as well as rich have already left Lima and others will soon follow. Some possibly do this by their own inclination, but many also because it is said to be the pleasure of the Protector to have everything that is Spanish driven out of Peru. This can hardly be called good policy as a great deal of capital is in consequence leaving the country. The Indian ship ‘Lord Lindoch and another English ship ‘St. Patrick’ are already hired by different Spaniards. I have come to know a few of these and have found them highly respectable, they have been in Lima many years and their children are Peruvians who are now sent away by no fault of their own from the land of their birth.

Politics is the theme of the day. Many praise San Martin to the skies, others blame him, especially are many dissatisfied with his conduct in allowing the Royal troops, about 3,000 strong, not only a short time since to get near to Callao, but also to be in communication with the Fort and General La Mar its Commander, the Royal troops then went away triumphant, without being attacked by the stronger army of patriots, into the interior of the country and the mountains. A short time after this La Mar made an honourable capitulation. San Martin’s Prime Minister, or at least he who performs the duties, is a Dr. Jose de Murlenqudo. He is of dark complexion, some insist that he has Kaffir blood in his veins; but be this as it may, he seems to be a man with a head upon his shoulders, and possessed of great natural powers. He is not, however, good-natured and his morality is utterly bad. This latter is not infrequently the case with the leaders of the patriots. Between Lord Cochrane and San Martin, a state of complete disagreement exists. His Lordship has retained some prize money shipped by San Martin for another purpose, but with which the former paid the officers and men of the Chilean fleet their wages, to their complete satisfaction. Lord Cochrane has returned San Martin’s invitation to come to Lima, and it is said, will in a short time, sail with his squadron of all the Chilean ships in order to find the remaining two Spanish frigates in the Pacific.

On the 8th of October San Martin, the ministers and other high authorities took the oath to the new constitution. A platform decked with velvet and other tapestries was raised for the occasion in the Place de la Palacio. Not far from the Palace some artillery and a few other troops were stationed, all in rather motley uniforms. The bells chimed, the guns boomed and everything was as it should be on such an occasion. The citizens did not, however, seem much interested in these solemnities and but few were present on the place itself. No cries of ‘viva’ were heard and it appears that it is chiefly the Buenos Ayres and Chilean soldiers and the Marines who have cause to rejoice over the change in Peru. Nearly all the shops under the arches were open and in the neighbouring streets buying and selling was going on as usual. I thought of what I, as a young man, read about the festivities of the people in France; or the talking of taking the constitutional oath in 1790 on the Camp de Mars in Paris, and the comparison was not flattering to this new Republic. Without defending the Peruvians, it may be said that they are far behind the Europeans in North America, both in culture and strength of mind. Granting even that their natural powers are equal to these, their education and civilization are not. They need instruction and knowledge both in the higher, lower and different forms of government and as a consequence the yet more difficult ‘judicum’ to choose the best and most convenient form for their own country. Nor is their enthusiasm of the most burning or disinterested kind and it seems as if the Peruvians are a tool in the hands of a few ambitious persons, who seek to destroy all that is old, whether it is useful or not, in order to raise themselves and gain thereby. For the present, the state of discontent continues and will, doubtless, sometime hence be succeeded by others and it will take years before perfect quiet is established.

But I see that I have said more about Lima itself than I originally intended and I will, therefore, at once, give a short description of its commerce, such as it was in 1821 after the capture of the town and forts by the patriots.

Among the seventy vessels, which, together with ours sailed into the port of Callao, were some from Chile with provisions and these met with a good market and quick sale as a blockade of several months duration had sent up the prices of all food. Rice was sold at $7 to $9 per quintal or 100 Spanish lbs.; wheat at $10 to $11 per farega or 135 Spanish lbs.; North American flour at $20 to $22 per barrel or 195 Spanish lbs.

Several European articles also met with a good sale, of which I will only mention English and French broad-cloth more especially black and navy blue which was sold wholesale at from $10 to $12 the vara and retail or in the shops at $14 to $16 the vara.

For Indian goods of whatsoever assortment and description there was no sale whatever and very little prospect of there being any, so long as the Royal troops occupy the inner part of Peru and the mines, which provide the merchant with silver wherewith to purchase any foreign shiploads. This has forced two vessels from Bengal to leave here for other ports on the coast, an example we in future will doubtless have to follow, and so much the more as I have noticed that one of the best houses here shipped some time since, its imported and duty paid cotton cloth from Bengal, with Ceylon cinnamon, to Mexico and Acapulco. The Lima trade can hardly ever have been much extended and although there are some wealthy inhabitants most of the commercial men here are nothing but shopkeepers, who mostly sell their goods retail and restrict their purchases accordingly, which at the time when the trade was restricted to a few yearly vessels from India and Cadiz did not require much judgment or knowledge of trade.

A coast trade was also done with small vessels, generally brigs and schooners and this I should think will again, with greater vigour, be revived when the present state of unrest of the country has somewhat settled down. Insurance companies, commercial banks and loan offices, Exchange, Chambers of Commerce and other useful institutions for commerce and shipping have, as far as I can gather, not been in existence in Lima or any other large towns in the former Spanish portion of South America. The large sums yearly shipped for Europe and India, as well as the coasting trade, would surely require the existence of an insurance company to facilitate and make trade speculations more secure and also assist in keeping the money spent in insurance premiums in the country which now goes to foreign under-writers causing loss of both money and time.

According to Baron Humboldt, or rather the Viayero Universal par Alvear y ronce, the population of Peru in 1796 was 1,445,000; the amount of imported goods was valued at 11,500,000 piastres and the export of silver and gold, as well as the other products of the country, 12,000,000 piastres. The population, one would imagine, has since then increased, for though several Spanish families have lately left the country, we must not forget that during the whole time the other states have fought for their independence, Peru has enjoyed almost unbroken tranquility, and only once or twice taken part in the commotion of the neighbouring republic, Chile, by sending troops there.

With regard to the present state of trade, import and export, in Peru nothing certain can be said. The market is filled with all sorts of goods and many merchants from Buenos Ayres, Chile and England have established business in Lima, from which I conclude that much is expected from the future. From a respected merchant from Buenos Ayres, I received a somewhat extended price list, but as these so often change I will not give this or any other until, possibly, I close these fragments of my diary.

Since our arrival here until the first days in October, no cargo was allowed to be landed. It was said that the Protector, together with Spanish merchants, amongst whom was the distinguished Don Pedro Abodia, was working on the new Customs Tariff, which was published on the 28th September 1821. It is short and only temporary, but San Martin promises in the preface, to publish in a few months another tariff which is to be more complete and more up to the present enlightened times. The one now published contains twenty-seven articles, of which the following extracts are the most important to foreigners and the vessels of foreign nations:-

ART. I Allows all vessels from Europe, Asia, Africa and America to enter the ports of Callao and Kuanchaco on the following conditions:-

ART. II Three hours after the vessel has cast anchor the Captain or Supercargo must hand in a manifest of the vessels cargo, which may be written in the language of his native land; but within 48 hours it must be translated by one of the translators appointed by the government, and then delivered at the custom-house; after which, the landing of the cargo can take place.

But should the Captain or Supercargo desire mean-while to land the goods at another port, they shall after 6 days, including the day of arrival, leave this port.

ART. III Within the above named 48 hours the Supercargo or Captain shall name the consignee, who must be a citizen of Peru.

ART. IV During the landing of the cargo the Captain and Supercargo are bound to receive the Resguardo or smaller custom-house officers on board, and also permit visits or inspection of the cargo before the same is landed. Further to pay for anchorage at 4Rs. per ton.

ART. VI All kinds of goods imported in foreign vessels at Callao or Kuanchaco pay a duty of 20% and valoram, to be reckoned according to general prices of the market.

ART. X All articles prejudicial to the industries of the country, as ready-made clothes, tanned hides, boots and shoes, books, chairs, sofas, chests of drawers, carriages, chaises, riding saddles, sword belts, lamps, wax, sperm and tallow candles, gunpowder, etc. to pay double the duty mentioned in Art. VI.

ART. XI Goods free of duty, imported under any flag: quicksilver, all instruments and machines for work in the mines, all articles for purposes of war, gunpowder excepted, all scientific books, maps and charts, engravings and useful machineries.

ART. XII Abolishes all custom-houses inland, and permits the inhabitants or Peru, without further permission from the customs authorities to send their goods, of whatever kind, throughout the country or to any town in same, from which is only excepted gold, silver etc. specified in the three following articles.

ART. XV. All gold and silver in bars or lumps or unwrought…..to be exported under penalty or confiscation.

ART. XVI Every other product of Peru shall pay an export duty of 4% when shipped in vessels of foreign nations.

ART. XXI Everything imported for re-exportation shall pay a transit duty of 1% and in the ART. XXVII it is said that the present customs tariff shall be in force until a better one can be made and published, in which no alteration shall take place without giving the public eight months notice.

The English merchants in Lima hoped to be able to arrange the affairs more to their own advantage, by offering to pay the Government the additional 5% duty, which otherwise was to be paid by the consignee, on the condition that they should be allowed to land or ship their goods in their own name.

For this purpose Captain McKenzie of the British 74 was approached in order that he might make representation about it, which he immediately did, with the result that the 5% was accepted by the Government, it being at the same time understood that this 5% should make up for all further demands. Nevertheless two days after this a Bando (proclamation) was issued and (by means of an officer’s guard) read on all public places and street corners, which imposes on all British and foreign merchants the same taxes and imports as on Peruvian citizens, and moreover, ordering them, if required, to take up arms for the defence of Lima, only excepting them from fighting against the Spaniards.

The coinage is as yet the royal Spanish as I have already noted, it is reckoned in Piastres, Reales and Quartos or Quantillos – 4 qua⁰to 1 reale, 8 of these to 1 peso or piastre and 1 peso or piastre to 1 doubloon or ounce of gold. There are 1, 2 and 4 reale pieces, which is very convenient for exchange purposes and for payment of small sums, but as they are not available for shipping purposes, it is generally mentioned in Bills of Exchange that payment has to be made in pesos ..… or duros, whereby is to be understood that these are to be paid in pieces of 8, or full piastres of 8 ….. of doubloons or ounces of gold for ….. from .…. to 8 ..… in reality not worth more than $18 in Bengal, with ….. in India is seldom higher than 30 ½ to 31 silver rupees. The weights are quintal, arrobas and libras or lbs. 25 lbs. or libras to 1 arroba, 4 arrobas to 1 quintal, 100 lb is equal to 104 English lbs.

Landing charges in Callao are very high. At the landing of a cargo there are certain labourers (Cargadores) appointed or permitted by the Government, and these demand in consequence the right to take all goods to the custom-house but as no set price is authorised for this, the stranger had better arrange the cost beforehand.

There are two custom-houses, one in Callao and one in Lima, and this causes both delay and trouble to the merchants. To both of these a manifest of the cargo must be delivered and then compared, and yet after all this, difference will arise between these two wise Inspectors of Customs, giving more trouble to those who have any business at the custom-house.

As Lima is about 7 miles distant from Callao, all goods must either be carted or carried on mules. The latter are hired at 18 reales each and a car generally drawn by oxen costs $10. A mule can only carry one gurrah's bale of 80 pieces on its back and from …..

The rest of Han’s journal has been lost. The remainder of this paper is also from Danish Bred.

Exactly what Fiellerup got up to during this long sojourn so far away from his usual haunts can only be conjectured. This is a tantalising fragment, and it is much to be regretted that the remainder of his journal has been lost. Not only would it have completed a fascinating picture of the swashbuckling life in this part of the Spanish Main, but it would also have provided some clue as to how he came to get unstuck in his trading ventures, which was to ruin him financially. On the other hand, it could perhaps be inferred from his journal that because there was no sale whatsoever for Indian goods of any description in Peru, he was forced to do what other merchants from Bengal had done, namely, to leave Callao and try his luck at other ports further up the coast, transferring his stock in trade to one of the smaller vessels engaged in coastal trading.

April 3rd: I was very happy after several troublous years of separation to be again united to my good wife and two children in South America, who from affection for me had come hither. My eldest daughter Maria had remained in Bengal married to Mr. Thomas Campbell. The youngest named Harriet I had never seen before, as she was born a fortnight after I had left India …With what fatherly joy did I embrace this little six year old girl only those can feel who themselves are parents.

The other sister accompanying them was, by now, the well-seasoned traveler Louisa. They were to remain nine months in Peru before all four of them set sail for Copenhagen. The diary again:-

1828 January 26th: Left Lima for England with my wife and two daughters. Rounded Cape Horn March 5th and arrived at Cowes on the Isle of Wight on June 27th. In London I heard that my other daughter, Maria Campbell in Bengal, was confined of a son on November 10th 1827, whom the parents have named Thomas.

On September 18th we left London for Copenhagen, where we arrived at midnight on October 3rd after having landed at Elsinore.

We have therefore traveled round the world and are perhaps the first Danes who ‘en Famille’ have done the same.

But, his was a home-coming fraught with emotion, because Fiellerup, having lost his all, must have been in a pretty depressed state, with the dismal prospect of having to accept the generosity and hospitality of friends and not knowing what the future held in store for them.

The only hint we have of the nature of his troubles is the following letter copied into his diary:

Since our parting in Callao I have not been honoured with any letter from you, other than your friendly one dated Guyaquil the 29th July 1826, until sometime since I received your esteemed favour of the 22nd December last from Copenhagen, which illness has for a long time prevented me from answering.

One or two days before my departure from Peru I received through Mr. Osterling a letter from London, which informed me that the insurance on the Brig ‘Sophia’ had expired five days before the capture took place, my frame of mind over your as well as my own loss thereby, I cannot describe. I determined not to inform you of this my unlucky intelligence to us both, which could not now be helped, as you had enough cause for grief through other losses, as well as anxiety over your noble family being expected in Peru. Mr. Nixon must therefore have misunderstood me in our conversation about it at Liverpool, namely, that I might claim through the Government, compensation from the Spanish Government for the undeserved loss of my property. Two dispatches have arrived from the present Charge d' Affaires in Madrid, which give some hope of compensation. The last of these asks for an explanation on the three points on which the Spanish Authorities ground the confiscation of the ‘Sophia’ viz:-

(2) That the ‘Sophia’ in conjunction with the Insurgent Brig ‘Crouela’ meant to attack the Spanish naval

(3) That the ‘Sophia’ had every appearance of belonging to an Insurgent of Chile named Juan de Dias.

My explanation of these accusations, which has perfectly satisfied the Cabinet here, was in short the following:-

(l) (1) That the ‘Sophia’ was actually forced into the Transport Service, which is again mentioned in a protest in duplicate from the Captain and Supercargo, one in Guyaquil against the freighter ‘Condicido’, who instead of lawfully freighting the vessel with merchandise, transferred the charter-party to the Columbian Government. Besides, the ‘Sophia’ was taken for Transport Service long after, and if such had happened, I should have been entitled to compensation from the Columbian Government. Moreover, if the Transport Service can justify confiscation, why did they not ….. seize other English vessels lying at Callao .

(l) (2) This point, foolish as it is, falls entirely to the ground, for no hostility took place between the ‘Sophia’and the ‘el Quintella’ as the latter took away the Brig ‘Crouela’ of Talca ….. without any hindrance from the ‘Sophia’. This is again proved by a letter to me from Lloyds Insurance Company, stating that I acted under the circumstances, as a prudent mariner ought to do.

(3) (3) That two-thirds of the ‘Sophia belong to me, and one-third to Herr Andrea of Gothenburg is proved without doubt.

[1] A Factor is an agent who buys and sells for others.

[2] As far as I can tell, the Anglo-Danish Company is the same as the Danish East India Company.

[3] Tranquebar, a former Danish colony in India, is now called by its original name of Tarangambadi.

[4] In Danish Bred, Fraser has this year as 1816, a translation from the family Bible, has this date as January 1817.

[5] Serampore, a former Danish colony in India, is now called Shrirampur.

[6] Fraser stated the journey took seven months. The dates given in Danish Bred are consistent with those in the family bible. They departed India on the 15^th of May and arrived in Denmark on November the 22^nd, making the journey closer to six months in duration.

[7] Peru declared its independence in 1821, although freedom was not achieved until 1824.

[8] A Lascar is an East Indian sailor.

[9] Admiral Lord Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald. Known as the ‘The Sea Wolf’, this tall red headed Scotsman was a distinguished naval commander who fought under Nelson in the Napoleonic Wars. In 1818 he took command of the revolutionary Chilean Navy (then in revolt against Spain). With his characteristic skill, Cochrane rid the South American Pacific coastline of Spanish ships and hence helped secure independence for Chile and Peru.

[10] General San Martin was the liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru. He assumed government in Peru with the title of Protector. Because of rivalries and dissents, he resigned from all his duties, leaving to Bolivar the glory of finishing the freedom of Peru.