Six autograph letters from midshipman William Armytage of the British Royal Navy to his mother, sister and brother. The letters are sent while William Armytage was stationed in Peru. The letters, dated between 1837 and 1839, were written during a period of great unrest in South America which was marked by independence movements and wars between several countries.
The documents detail Chile and Peru-Bolivia War of Confederation, the occupation of Peru by Chilean armed forces, the resistance movements, and so on. The letters also refer to the situation in Brazil including the proclaimed independence of Bahia and Pernambuco. In one letter, Armytage refers that some members of the “Yankee surveying expedition” (at the time staying in Peru) claim that they discovered the source of the Amazon… The letters also give a fantastic descriptions of Lima (including customs and peoples), Quito, Guayaquil, Callao, etc. Armytage also accounts for gossips inside the navy, including disputes among higher patents, etc.
The author encounters and describes several legendary figures of the period. Some of the personalities accounted for include:
Manuel Bulnes Prieto (letter of 18th June 1838): "Next came Bulnes [Manuel Bulnes Prieto] the great Chilean general followed by his staff, but he was so tipsy that he could hardly stand with a cigar in his mouth and a candle in his hand which instead of holding it upright used it as a walking stick and to clear his way."
Andrés Santa Cruz (at the time president of Bolivia and Supreme protector of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation of 1836-1839):
"Santa Cruz went on board the President yesterday to call upon the Admiral and was saluted by all the ships in the harbor."
"Santa Cruz gives a ball tonight and has invited the navy to it but I do not know if whether we shall be able to go…"
"[We were] daily expecting the arrival of Santa Cruz which did not take place till the 9th of November. A few days before his arrival the Chilean army who had occupied Lima for upward of two months were dispersed but joined again at Ancon where they embarked a few hours before Santa Cruz arrived there ."
"The revolutionists have now joined Santa Cruz who is now marching towards Lima to attack the Chileans"
Luis José de Orbegoso (1795-1847): "I mentioned that Orbegoso, the vice President of Peru, had raised a revolution against Santa Cruz but on our arrival here we heard that he had run away after he had allowed the Chilean army of five thousand men to enter Lima and no one knows where he is."
Manuscripts written with black ink on different type of paper. Signed by William Armytage.
Excerpts of the letters:
Letter dated November 27th, 1837
sent from Callo (Peru) to his mother, 4 pages, remains of wax seal and ink
stamps:
“My Dearest Mother,
As a vessel is to sail from here
tomorrow for England. I take this opportunity of writing to you .
The Fly arrived at Valparaiso from Rio de Janeiro sixteen days ago and we are
anxiously waiting either her or the Stag’s arrival here because then we
shall get our letters and go down to Valparaiso. A week ago a vessel
arrived here that sailed from England on the 6th August. I
have seen in the papers that these have been great goings-on in consequence of
the King’s death. One of them gave a long account of the disturbance at
Wakefield during the county election. I should like to have been there in
a secure place to have seen the fight between the two parties. The papers
do not say who was returned for the county but I am glad to see that Mr.
Lasselles was returned for the ?
We have been there nearly three
months & I am quite tired of it. About a month ago went up to Lima and
stopped with Mr. Kendall a week, both Mr. and Mrs. Kendall were very kind
& I enjoyed myself as well as I could for Lima is a very dull place.
They are both ? If ? so I was quite at house. I went out smiling nearly
every morning before breakfast. Lima is a very curious place. The houses
are only two stories high, the tops are quite flat and in the front these are
balconies on the upper story but the houses are very large and some houses have
sixteen rooms on the ground floors and as many on the upper story. It
seldom rains and the roof is only about two or three inches thick. The
streets are at right angles to one another and ran from one end of the city to
the other. In the middle there is a large square & on one side is the
cathedral which is very splendid both inside and outside. There are some very
nice sides about Lima and the country is quite flat. It very seldom rains
but there are very heavy ? which is nearly as bad and make it very unhealthy
but I have not felt any ? in it yet. I do not know where we shall
go after we have been at Valparaiso. The Dublin was to have sailed from
Rio for England two months ago. There is to be an Admiral on this side of
the ? instead of at Rio and we have heard that Admiral Ross is coming out in
the President a vessel the same size as the Dublin. These ? be three
opportunities tomorrow for sending letters to England , the quickest way will
be by Panama but it is not so safe so I think that I have better send this
letter by a merchant vessel which is to sail to England direct without stopping
at any other place. I was thinking that of you were to send my letters
enclosed to Mr. Stanifouth of Liverpool that he would be kind enough to send
them out here by merchant vessels because I know that three or four come here
regularly every month from Liverpool and it would be much quicker than by
sending them by the Palmonth packets because they are always delayed at Rio
tell a man of war comes ? here and that is only once ? from months.
I will enclose this letter to Selby & at the same time I will tell him to
send me by the first opportunity the Nautical Almanach for the two next years
which I thought he would have sent before but I suppose that he has forgot
it.……………….To our great surprise this morning we saw a Chilean man
of war come into this port because the Chileans are at war with the Peruvians
but we have heard that he has come here to tell them that a treaty has been
made & stopped the battle that was expected to take place at Arequipa a
city about 300 leagues from here much to the ? of Santa Cruz the Peruvian
President. It is the same person that we bought here from Arica some
months ago. This morning a marine died from the effects of a fever which
is very prevalent in this country. Since the ship has been in commission
we have only lost two men by natural death and one that fell overboard in a
gale of wind when coming round the ? We have been fortunate on that ……."
Letter dated February 20th, 1838 sent from Peru
to his sister Mary Armytage, 4 pages, remains of wax seal and several ink
stamps:
“My Dearest Mary,
The Imogen arrived here last
Thursday from Valparaiso and I had the pleasure one letter from home dated Sept.
1st which came round the Horn in a Russian Man of War from
Rio. The President has not yet arrived through she may be expected every
day at Valparaiso but it is very probable that she will be obliged to stay in
the Brazils for some time in consequence of serious disturbances that have
taken place in that part of the world and we have heard that the state of Bahia
and Pernambuco have declared their independence which is most likely true as
they have been in a very disturbed state for some time. By your letter
you seem to have only received one letter from me since I have been ?? I think
that this is either the eighth on ninth that I have written. I hope none have
been mislaid but I fear that some have. I wrote my last letter about
a ago & & sent it by a person who was going to England by way of
Panama which takes about half the time that it would to go round the
Horn. I have seen newspapers as late as the 23rd of September
but worth no particular records in them. In your letter you mentioned
that you had read in one of the papers that we had been to Coquimbo but you
right never to believe what you read in them for they only put down to fill up
the papers when weren’t on the coasts of Brazils. They said that we had
taken a slaver which was more than ? I ? myself I only whish we had. The
only time that we have been to Coquimbo was on our passage up here &
I never wish to go there again. The Imogen to sail for half ? on
Thursday and in two or three days time an English vessel called the ? will sail
for England & I shall send this letter by her. In my last letter I
mentioned that the Chilean squadron had paid us a visit but since ? we had not
heard any thing more of them and it is supposed that they have gone down to
Valparaiso. The Imogen bought news that the Chilean are very busy in
enlisting soldiers and when they have got us thousands men they are going to
try their luck again… If Santa Cruz gets them under his ? again he will not let
them go so easily as he did last time. The people of Chili are very much
against the government and it is expected that there will be a revolution in
Chili before many months are over. The unsettled state of things on this
side of the ? is the principle reason for sending an admiral in this
side. Another reason is that they are so found of reform that they alter
everything as much as they can. Mr. and Mrs. Kendall are living now
at Callao because Lima is so sultry and not besides that they have the benefit
of sun bathing. I have seen them several times and they are the most ?
and kindest people that I had met since I had left England. Lima is now
very dull but every Monday the old Spanish sport of bullfighting takes
place. It is very [describes in detail the bullfighting, the
place where it takes place and the audience, the society of Lima.]
The letter continues referring that some men got typhoid fever…..
The Imogene sails I believe that we are to go out with her in company with a French frigate and an American corvette and in the evening we all intend to anchor at Chorillos except the Imogene who will proceed to Valparaiso. Chorillos is the principal bathing place for the Lima and this season I believe it is crowded it is about ? miles here but it will take us upwards of four hours because the wind is right against us and we have to go round the island. We shall be able to see which ship sails the best but although the American captain has promised to sail it is supposed that we will try to get off because his ship is in such bad order. I think we shall stay about four days ……"
Letter dated September 16th, 1838 sent from
Callao (Peru) to his mother, 4 pages, remains of wax seal:
“My Dearest Mother,
Having arrived here today we found an English vessel that sails for England tomorrow. The last letter I wrote home was to Mary a few days after I joined the Samarang. The Harrier called here on her way to Callao and left here ? days ago. We are to sail in three days for Callao & we shall see her again. Captain Carero did not much like appointing me to this ship till he had seen and spoken to the Admiral and I still belong to the Harrier although I am doing duty on board of this ship but I am almost certain of being appointed and ? as soon as we arrive at Callao. We sailed from Valparaiso on the 6th of this month & have had rather a long passage. I find the ship very comfortable particularly among ourselves several of who I knew both at college and on board of Dublin. This ship is the same tonnage as the Harrier’s but has a main deck which the Harrier has not. She has 28 guns and is a very ugly vessel and what is worse a bad sailor. She has a very bad crew chiefly composed of boys and is in very bad order. She was built in the East Indies about 10 years ago and at that time was considered a very fine but since then ? vessel & that has been built has had some improvement. The Harrier had a very fine crew who took great pride in the ship so of course she was in very good order. Captain Brough is rather a curious sort of person & does not seem to be much liked but I think he is a good hearted man but the number of officers that have been in the ship and have left shows that he is not much liked. Since the ship has been in commission upwards of sixty officers have belonged to the ship and thirty of them have left. When the ship was in Bahia two middle officer men ran away from the ship and stayed away for three weeks when they were caught and brought on board they have since been sent home. The first lieutenant’s name was ? and a son of Dr. ? at the college but he was very wild sort of fellow and was much disliked by every person in the ship but he went home about four months ago and our present first lieutenant’s name is Louis. I like him very much . & so do all the officers the 2nd lieutenant belonged to the Dublin when I was in her & he is also a very mind obliging man. There are more ? in this ship than most ships ………. We sail for Callao in three days where serious disturbances are taking place. In my last letter I mentioned that Orbegoso, the vice President of Peru, had raised a revolution against Santa Cruz but on our arrival here we heard that he had run away after he had allowed the Chilean army of five thousand men to enter Lima and no one knows where he is. The revolutionists have now joined Santa Cruz who is now marching towards Lima to attack the Chileans and a strong force have possession of the battles of Callao and prevent the Chileans from embarking on board their ships. Admiral Ross the President is now at Callao. There have been very few people killed as yet but we expect to find plenty of fighting as soon as we get to Callao. If it lasts long the Harrier will not go home in November unless some more ships come around on this side soon. This ship will go home next November year & we shall get home about the beginning of March. ….? My pay will be increased to thirty pounds a year which is about sixteen pounds more than ? as a volunteer. The things that Selby sent are exactly what I wanted but they will not be much counted now but when I go……"
Undated letter (but November 1838) sent from
from Callao (Peru) to his brother George Armytage 4 pp, black on paper, remains
of black wax seal and ink stamps
“My Dearest George
It is now upwards of two months since I have had an opportunity of writing home nor as I know by what means I can send this letter. We are off tomorrow for Guayaquil and I shall not have a chance of writing for some time as I had better leave this here to wait the first opportunity of going to England. When I wrote last we had first returned from Chorillos, a town about fifteen miles from here where we had been to enquire into an affair that had happened in Lima between an Englishman and a Chilean soldier and was terminated satisfactorily to both parties. We have since been several times to Chorillos where most of the Chilean ships were at anchor but during our stay there we were not allowed to go on shore. ? daily expecting the arrival of Santa Cruz which did not take place till the 9th of November. A few days before his arrival the Chilean army who had occupied Lima for upward of two months were dispersed but joined again at Ancon where they embarked a few hours before Santa Cruz arrived there . All the horse soldiers escaped by land and Santa Cruz returned to Lima where he has since remained. The day he arrived several of us got leave to go to Lima but were sent back before we had got half way and the President sailed with us to Ancon which is about 20 miles from here. Not finding the Chilean ships we proceeded to Huacho which is about 90 miles when we found them but the soldiers had landed. Our object for going there was to make peace between the two countries but we did not succeed and were obliged to return here. We have since been on shore and to Lima where I spent two very pleasant days. Some of the streets of Callao are very much cut up with ? but there is no material damage done. Santa Cruz went on board the President yesterday to call upon the Admiral and was saluted by all the ships in the harbor. Last Saturday two vessels hired by the Peruvian government were sent to attack three Chilean men of war who had been cruising off the port for some days but as they sailed better than the Peruvians they managed to get away from there soon after they had had commenced the action. One of the Chilean vessels was struck with shot several times. They have not appeared since but the Peruvian vessels have gone in ? of them when the action ….We were not more than three miles from them and we could see all their movements. They have not been seen since so we suppose they have joined the rest of their ships. The Harrier is now at San Blas and is to sail for England soon after her arrival at Valparaiso which will probably not be before the 1st of February and we will not arrive before June. No other man of war has arrived since this ship came ? but we expect the ? daily. If ships come …………… we do not know what we are going for as the Admiral is very silent everything is kept secret but we all strongly suspect that there is some disturbance up there. A Chilean General named La Fuente is now in north Peru endeavoring to raise a small body of soldiers & he had not behaved well to them. We have had reports lately that those soldiers who have been enlisted are now very discontented so I would not be at all surprised if there is a revolution there. When I was at Lima I saw Mr. & Mrs. Kendall who are very nice people and have several times asked me to stay at Lima but since I have been here in the Samarang we have only had two days leave. We expect that the President will soon go to Valparaiso but we shall not go there for some time. I get on very comfortable in the Samarang but she is not so roomy a ship as the Harrier nor so handsome but that does not interfere with comfort. She is one of the old ? ships that were built some time ago in the East Indies and the only good quality in them is that they are strong. Nearly all the ? in this ship were at college with me. The officers are liked very much and the Captain is not a bad sort of fellow. I hope before long to hear from you how you are getting on at……….I suppose you all mutter French fluently but by the time I get home intend to beat you in Spanish. Santa Cruz gives a ball tonight and has invited the navy to it but I do not know if whether we shall be able to go. If I can I will leave this letter here by a private hand as it will be better than leaving it on board the President. ……"
Letter dated 15 jan. 1839 sent from Lieutenant
Armytage from Peru to his mother in London, 4 pp, black in on paper,
remains of red wax seal.
“My Dearest Mother,
We arrived here on the 11th of this month from a very pleasant trip to Guayaquil having sailed from here on the 1st of December. On our way to Guayaquil we called at several ports which were much like all other miserable places in Peru and of no particular notice. These were Huacho, Santa, Huanchaca and Payta, at each of these places we stayed only for news and letters concerning the Chilean army who were obliged to run on the arrival of Santa Cruz and his army at Lima. Most of them managed to get on board their ship and afterward landed at the different places. Several towns have been ransacked and churches robbed. The small bodies of the Peruvian army were inflated into their service besides several Indians who had never been out of their native villages. We arrived in Guayaquil river on the 9th of December but were obliged to anchor off the island of Puma which is about forty miles from Guayaquil. The scenery about Guayaquil is beautiful and the whole country thickly wooded being totally different from any other place I have seen on this side of the ocean. On clear day Chimborazo is distrait by sun, it was generally supposed to be the highest in South America but about three years ago Captain Fitzroy discovered that there was a higher one near Valparaiso called Aconcagua. The city of Quito is near Chimborazo and is the highest city in the world. Close to where we anchored was a small town not built as most towns are but upon poles to keep out alligators and snakes. The people get into them by ladders. The climate was very hot and I think I never felt it so close and ? as it was during our short stay, which was only three days although the place seemed so pleasant we were all very glad to be away from it. On our return to Callao we stayed a few days at each of the places we had called for freight for the Harrier to take home so we did not get back here till the 10th of this month having spent Christmas day and New Year’s day at sea. On our arrival at Santa the ??? finds the whole of the Chilean squadron there and heard that Santa ? and his army were within fifteen leagues of them and we have since heard that a part have had an engagement in which he gained the day and had taken several prisoners and ???And we duly expect to hear that the Chilean army has been ? or that they have ………but after a amusing action of about four hours the ?? got away. ? the action first commissioned the ??were within three miles of us and we ? every shot that was fired. About a week after the same vessel went to ? where she cut out a large Chilean brig of war ???? transports ???privateers have been fitted ? and have ??attack ? of the Chilean squadron ? at Santa …for the cast from months no other man of war has yet arrived ……… It uncertain where we go ? but the captain thinks that it will be two years before our arrival there as he says that we shall probably go the Northern tip. But most of us suppose that we shall go to the South Sea Islands. I went to Lima two days ago but was only allowed one day leave. This letter will go home in a merchant vessel ??? a few days & I ? direct it to Selby who I will tell to send me a ? of blue as I shall be very much ?? of it before long but I shall not want ………"
Letter dated 18 June 1839 sent to his mother (HMS Samarang from Callao Peru to London): 4 pages, black ink on green paper with blind stamped mark, remains of wax seal.
“ Dearest Mother,
Yesterday I had the pleasure of receiving
four letters from home, the latest of which was from you dated July 15th
from Baden-Baden one from Mary June 27th, one from George the same
and the other from you May 29th. They all came from
Valparaiso, but how they got there I know not as no English man of war had
arrived lately. I had also another acceptable piece of paper in the shape
of a pay ticket from the Harrier which I suppose had been neglected as the
sailed in a great hurry. This pay ticket entitles me to receive £20 at
any time. I may want it as I never received any pay from Harrier during the
whole time I was in her. If it had not been left behind I would have had
great trouble about getting it as it is required to be signed by the Captain, master,
purser, and first lieutenant. I am so glad to hear that you had started
your grand trip but I did not expect to hear you were going so far as
Italy. How I would like to be with you. We are still likely to
remain here some time as some serious news have taken place on Break ? the
President between the Admiral and the Captain (Scott) of men and the Admiral
says he will never ? his flag in her as long as captain Scott belongs to
her. You must know that ever since the President has been in commission
Ms. Ross and her two sisters have been living on board which besides being
direct in opposition to the Admiralty instructions is very inconvenient in a
man of war particularly in the President as there are so many more officers in
her than there would be if she was not an Admiral’s ship and consequently so
many more cabins. Now exclusive of these the Admiral and the three ladies
take ? of ? the main deck so the ship is actually crammed. It appears
that the Admiral had got leave to bring them out in his ship to Valparaiso but
no further. Captain Scott had frequently spoke to him about it but the
Admiral always put it off but the other day when captain Scott pressed the ?
matter further than usual the Admiral got in a passion so they had a row which
was decided by the Admiral and family leaving the ship. Captain Scott has
broken all the cabins down and making one for himself of which he had formerly
been partially deprived of. He is certainly on the right side of the
question as I think it is rather ? that a Captain can not do what he likes with
his own ship besides which he has? His ship serviceable and fit to go into
action which ?certainly was not before. The Fly is now flag ship but we
expect to have it on board the Samarang before long. I have been staying
at Mr. Kendall’s for four pleasant days Mr. and Mrs are very kind and when I am
there I feel quite at home and just do as I wish. They are a very happy
couple and of course make all happy who are with them. While I was there a
grand procession and I got a capital view of it. If had not seen it I
could hardly believe that ??? could take place. It was on a very
particular saint’s day called Habeas Corpus and ought to have been a religious
procession but instead of that it turned out quite the contrary. First
came a crowd of black fellows making tremendous noise and where they got
opposite the balcony where I was they began to dance the fandango a sort of
country dance which lasted half an hour during which time they were making a
tremendous noise. Then came the bishop and padres with candles in their
hands trying to make terrible long faces while some made ? as much noise as the
people. Then came the host during which time the peoples were perfect by
quiet but only to break out again as soon as it had passed. Next came
Bulnes [Manuel Bulnes Prieto] the great Chilean general followed by his staff,
but he was so tipsy that he could hardly stand with a cigar in his mouth and a
candle in his hand which instead of holding it upright used it as a walking
stick and to clear his way. Then came the remainder of the Chilean army
about 2000 men very handsomely dressed and in beautiful order being a great
contrast to the few country soldiers in Gamarra’s army who had all been
(impressed)? a few months before and looked very dirty and miserable. The
whole affair was truly ridiculous. I dare say you may have heard of the
great Yankee surveying expedition that has been sent to this
coast. It is composed of ten vessels all commanded by very young officers
and will in all probability be a total failure. They have been out two
years and have done nothing but try to find one another, two are now missing,
two more are in here ??? the rest are somewhere between here and Cape ?
???them here several of the officers set off order to ?????and since their
return have been relating wonderful tales which off course are not believed but
laughed at. They pretend that they have found the source of the Amazon
which had never yet been seen which some people would had believed had not one
of them let the cat out of the bag by saying that they were nearly starved and
had been nothing. No confidence will ever be ? in their survey so I
think they had better go home as nearly a million sterling has been expended
already on them. Not ? has get arrived from Rio but one is expected ?
daily. In the present state of affairs it is impossible to say whether we
go to Mexico? Or not but it is almost certain that we shall sail for England in
April (perhaps before). This country ? remained quiet and ???? the
Chilean army have gone. We have lately had several refuges who lately
belonged to Santa Cruz army but they have all followed him to Guayaquil.
We have now a general ? on board who arrived a few days ago in a vessel
from I ??? commanded a division of the army under Santa Cruz but for the last
three months has been concealed in the woods near Arequipa in order to escape
being taken prisoner and flogged which is a new custom. All his family supposed
him dead they live in Lima and came to see him today. I send this letter
in a letter bag that goes to Valparaiso. Tomorrow good bye till we meet
about next June perhaps earlier & I remain ever your most affectionate son.
W. Armytage "
Condition: Several tears and some letters with a hole due to the wax damage. One letter reinforced with tape. Letters in a folder with some modern research documentation.