80 



PERU. 



Translation— Admiral Lord Cochrane's De- 

 spatch to General San Martin, Commander- 

 in-Chief of the Liberating Army of Peru. 



On board the Chilian States' Ship 

 " O'Higgins, before Callao, Nov- 14, 1820, 

 " Most Excellent Sir, — The efforts of his 

 Excellency the Supreme Director, and the sacri- 

 fices of the Patriots of the South, to acquire the 

 dominion of the Pacific, have hitherto been fi-us- 

 trated, chiefly by the enormous strength of the 

 batteries of Callao, which (being superior to those 

 of Algiers or Gibraltar) rendered every attack 

 against the naval force of the enemy impracti- 

 cable, with any class or number of ships of war. 

 Nevertheless, being desirous of advancing the 

 cause of rational liberty, and political independ- 

 ence, which is the great object your Excellency 

 has in view ; and to promote the happiness of 

 mankind; I was anxious to dispel the charm 

 which heretofore had paralysed our naval efforts. 

 With this intention, I carefully examined the 

 batteries, the ships of war, and the gun-boats in 

 this port ; and being satisfied that the frigate Es- 

 meralda could be cut out by men resolved to do 



