72 



PEHU, 



of the rights and privileges granted to the Colo- 

 nies by the Cortes.*" 



This proposition the Chilian Deputies declined 

 to discuss ; saying, they were not authorized to 

 negotiate on such a basis, and that they could 

 treat only on grounds not at variance with the 

 principles^ which the free Governments of South 

 America had laid down as the rule of their con- 

 duct. The Royalist Deputies next proposed, 

 " That the Liberating Army should evacuate the 

 territory of Peru, and return to Chili ; under the 

 express engagement, that deputies should be sent 

 with full powers to Spain, to request his Majes- 

 ty to grant their wishes.'^' This new proposal 

 convinced the Chilians, that the Government of 

 Lima had no serious intention of coming to 

 terms ; but as the Deputies were instructed to 

 leave nothing untried, and, if possible, to dis- 

 cover the real extent of the obstacles to peace, 

 they proposed, on the part of Chili, " That the 

 Liberating Army should evacuate Pisco, and re- 

 tire beyond the river Desaguadero, which lies in 

 lat. 18^ souths and forms the bounding line of 

 Chili and Peru ; and that the Royal troops 



