INTRODUCTION. g 5 



out by the chiefs of the expedition. Views in which Lord Cochrane 

 sincerely participated ; and his sentiments in favour of leaving the 

 Peruvians to govern themselves were so well understood, that San 

 Martin, fearing lest they should thwart some private projects of his 

 own, actually obtained from the Chileno government secret instruc- 

 tions, empowering him to act as a check on the admiral's conduct ; 

 but it was long ere he found it convenient to make known that he 

 possessed such instructions. 



The Chileno officers, both native and foreign, of the army and 

 navy, certainly believed in the sincerity of their leaders ; and they 

 imagined that, prepared as Peru was to receive them, they would have 

 been led immediately to attack the capital, in order to put an end 

 to the war at once. All were in the highest spirits, and on the 21st 

 of August, 1820, San Martin hoisted the captain-general's flag on 

 board the ship named after himself, and sailed with the squadron 

 and transports, amidst the congratulations of all ranks of people. 

 San Martin had with him the soldiers of Chacabuco and Maypu ; 

 and Lord Cochrane himself commanded the squadron. Victory was 

 considered as certain ; and the departure of the army was like a 

 triumph. * 



The soldiers and sailors were animated by the hopes of extraordi- 

 nary rewards : San Martin having promised them a bounty of a year's 

 pay, in addition to their wages, on the taking of Lima. 



At Coquimbo, the squadron stopped to take in more provisions, 

 and to embark the troops assembled in that town, and then pro- 

 ceeded towards Peru. Meantime, the director declared all the ports 

 between lat. 2° 12' and 21° 48' south, or from Iquique to Guayaquil 

 in a state of blockade, unless they should fall into the hands of the 

 Chileno leaders : but in order not to oppress neutrals more than was 

 necessary, the admiral had full powers to grant licenses upon certain 

 conditions, for landing or trans-shipping their cargoes, f 



* Among the poems that appeared on the occasion, the farewell of the ladies of Chile 

 to the liberating army, and the answer, are the most considerable. 



t Against this blockade the British commander-in-chief remonstrated, somewhat intem- 



K 



