APPENDIX IV. 
EXTRACTS 
FROM THE 
Correspondence printed in the Government Gazette of Chile, Feb. 24th, 1821, 
BETWEEN 
THE BRITISH COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, AND ZENTENO, THE CHILIAN 
MINISTER OF MARINE, 
ON THE SUBJECT OF THE BLOCKADE OF THE PORTS OF PERU. 
Tx British Commander’s letter is dated Buenos Ayres, September 7th, 1820. 
It begins by mentioning the news of blockade transmitted by Captain Searle. 
It goes on to say— 
«The British government knows very well that a blockade is not illegal on 
account of its mere extension; but the illegality depends, according to the 
law of nations, on the adequacy of the blockading force to maintain the 
ports and coasts it pretends to blockade in so constant a state of blockade, 
that no ship may enter or sail without eminent peril of being detained ; that 
if the force be inadequate to maintain the blockade generally, that is to say, 
in allits parts, it becomes null and of no effect ; and the blockading ships may 
not. form it partially where they may chance to find themselves, as I have 
pointed out in the instructions given to Captain Searle, and of which a copy 
was sent to Your Excellency. 
«‘ In consequence of the neutrality which His Britannic Majesty wishes to 
observe between the contending parties in South America, His Majesty’s 
subjects have been allowed to establish friendly correspondences with the 
people of Chile: nor can I resist the right which the government of Chile 
has to establish and maintain blockades, on the footing that other belligerents 
establish and maintain them consistently with the principles acknowledged 
by the law of nations. But it is clear, that if the state of Chile claims the 
exercise of this right, it must submit to exercise it within the limits, and 
subject to the restrictions, imposed by political rights. 
