22 CAPTAIN ZACHARY G. LAMSON 



English Admiralty courts were always 

 what the political and commercial interests 

 of that country at the moment demanded. 

 It was possible, however, to break the 

 voyage so as not to conflict with the ruling 

 of the Admiralty Court, but this was but 

 the first of a long series of attacks on neu- 

 tral rights. Napoleon, unable to invade 

 England or contend with her on the sea, 

 sought to force his continental system on 

 all Europe, and strike at England through 

 her commerce. The exclusion of English 

 goods and English ships from continental 

 ports, if thoroughly done, would, undoubt- 

 edly, in time bring England to terms. 

 With this in view, on the first of April, 1806, 

 Napoleon forced Prussia to close her own 

 ports and those of Hanover to British ship- 

 ping. England replied by a blockade of the 

 coast from the Ems to the Elbe, but pro- 

 mised not to disturb neutral vessels unless 

 coming from or bound to an enemy's port. 

 A few months later, Nov. 21, 1806, Na- 

 poleon issued his famous Berlin Decree, 



