EXTRACTS FROM A JOURNAL 



WRITTEN 



ON THE COASTS OF CHILI, PERU, AND MEXICO, 



IN THE YEARS 1820, 1821, 1822. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



Sketch of the Duties of the Naval Commander-in-chief on 

 the South American Station, before the appointment of 

 Consuls. 



The nature of the service on the coast of South 

 America, during those troublesome revolutionary 

 times, is so little known to the public, that a slight 

 sketch of its general features may, perhaps, be 

 read with interest ; and it will serve to place 

 the delicate nature of our situation in a more dis- 

 tinct point of view. 



Owing to the unacknowledged political existence 

 of the South American governments, they were for 

 some time diplomatically neglected by European 

 nations ; Great Britain, at least, had no ambassa- 

 dor there, nor consuls, nor indeed any public 

 authorities whatever, until towards the end of 

 1823. But as the commerce of those countries, 

 upon being freed from the Spanish yoke, imme- 

 diately became considerable, and was rapidly in- 

 creasing, and as many British merchants were 

 resident there, and much commercial capital was 

 floating about, it became necessary that some pro- 

 tection should be afforded to those interests, and 

 a watchful eye kept over the proceedings of states 

 which, though still in their infancy, were never- 

 theless respectable from their wealth and extent. 



As it had always been usual to station men-of- 

 war wherever commerce was in activity, there 

 was nothing novel, or calculated to excite jealousy, 

 in our having a squadron in South America. The 

 duties of this squadron became important in pro- 

 portion as the new states, feeling their growing 

 strength, were inclined to give trouble, either by 

 oppressive commercial laws, or by interfering 

 with the personal liberty, and sometimes by de- 

 taining the ships, of our countrymen. Many of 

 the countries of which we are speaking were then, 

 it must be recollected, in a state of war. Some 

 of their ports were blockaded, and every source of 

 jealousy and distrust let loose. Others had more 

 than one government — and the consequent confu- 

 sion was greatly augmented by the eagerness of 

 commercial speculation, which led many indivi- 



[PART II.] 



duals to despise all prudence, and all local regula- 

 tions, in order, at every hazard, to force their 

 trade : this was naturally followed by seizures, 

 confiscations, and a long train of appeals. The 

 governments, too, were often ignorant of what was 

 customary ; and were generally obstinate in pro- 

 portion to their ignorance. Not unfrequently they 

 were right — and our own countrymen were not 

 always easily defended. Under these circumstances, 

 the greatest temper and judgment and the nicest 

 discretion were necessary. 



It is scarcely possible, without entering into 

 long details, to afford a just conception of the 

 effective manner in which these complicated duties 

 were conducted by Sir Thomas Hardy, commo- 

 dore and commander-in-chief. 



It will be easily understood why services of this 

 nature are not suited to strike the public eye in a 

 gazette ; but it is certainly to be lamented, that 

 the successful exercise of such qualities should be 

 confined to the knowledge of a few officers whom 

 accident had placed within its view, and be utterly 

 unknown to the public, and to the body of the 

 naval service, to whom the example is of so much 

 consequence. These things are the more worthy 

 of remark, from their requiring an exertion of 

 powers very different from those which it has 

 heretofore been almost the exclusive duty of offi- 

 cers to cherish. It is pleasing also to see that 

 patient foi'bearance and conciliatory kindness may, 

 at times, prove quite as useful to the public service, 

 as the more energetic qualities of enterprise and 

 action. 



In South America, indeed, where we were at 

 peace, any show of violence must have been mis- 

 chievous to the British interests, and could have 

 accomplished nothing. Yet there was no want of 

 provocation ; for injustice was often committed, 

 and the nationallionour, it might seem, sometimes 

 threatened ; and although there could not for a 

 moment be a question that these things required 

 adequate redress, yet there was no ordinary skill 

 and dexterity displayed in seeking and obtaining 

 it, so as always to leave things better for us than 

 they were before. These cases were scarcely 



