his almost Herculean strength, the elegance of his manners, and his impetuous valour in battle, gave the impression rather of a royal knight of chivalry, than of a republican soldier.[171] The influence and popularity which in a few short years he acquired in his adopted country, by his own unaided exertions, and under the many disadvantages of being a stranger in a strange land, best prove that his talents were of the first order, and that he was no common character.  And that fraternal affection may not be supposed to have dictated this eulogium, the following impartial testimonies of its correctness are appended, in justice to the memory of one whom a combination of cruel circumstances drove to a distant land to shed that blood, and to yield that life, winch he had in vain sought to devote to his own country.

An English gentleman, of ancient family, and author of travels in South America, who knew Colonel Tupper intimately, thus wrote of him: 

“He was certainly one of the finest fellows I ever knew—­one of those beings whose meteor-like flame traverses our path, and leaves an imperishable recollection of its brilliancy....  I have often held him up as an example to be followed of scrupulous exactness, and of a probity, I fear, alas! too uncompromising in these corrupt times.”

The American charge d’affaires and consul-general in Chile, said, in a letter to Captain P.P.  King, then of his majesty’s ship Adventure, both strangers to the family: 

“The heroism displayed by Tupper surpassed the prowess of any individual that I ever heard of in battle; but, poor fellow! he was horribly dealt with after getting away with another officer.  A party of cavalry and Indians was sent in pursuit, and they boast that poor Tupper was cut to pieces.  They seemed to be more in terror of him, on account of his personal bravery and popularity, than of all the others.  Guernsey has cause to be proud of so great a hero—­a hero he truly was, for nature made him one.”

And one of the British consuls in Chile wrote: 

“I trust you will believe that any member of the family of Colonel Tupper, who may require such services as I am at liberty to offer, will be always esteemed by one who, for many years, has looked upon his gallant and honorable conduct as reflecting lustre upon the English name in these new and distant states.”

An anonymous French traveller, who published in a Paris newspaper, Le Semeur, of the 4th April, 1832, his “Souvenir d’un Sejour au Chili,” thus expressed himself: 

“Les Chiliens sont jaloux des etrangers qui prennent du service chez eux, et il est assez naturel qu’ils le soient, quoiqu’on ne puisse nier qu’ils aient de grandes obligations a plusieurs de ceux qui ont fait Chili leur patrie adoptive.  Depuis mon retour en Europe, un de ces hommes, digne d’une haute estime, a cesse de vivre.  Je veux parler du Colonel Tupper,