420 SPANISH AMERICA. 



tween them for that purpose, dated the 5th 

 of February 1819,) came to the determina- 

 tion of commencing offensive operations 

 against the royalists, by making an attack 

 upon Peru ; a measure which was first pro- 

 posed by San Martin, and which was un- 

 doubtedly dictated by sound policy, as the 

 Chilians could never consider themselves 

 decidedly safe, whilst the royalists possessed 

 the means of assembling a force so immedi- 

 ately in their neighbourhood. 



Peru was left nearly defenceless, in con- 

 sequence of the numbers of troops it had 

 seyit to attack the patriots in Chili ; but, 

 owing to various circumstances, it was not 

 till March 1820 that any active progress 

 was made in the Chilian expedition ; nor 

 would the Cliilians then have had a suffi- 

 cient naval force, (that of the Spaniards in 

 the Pacific being considerable,) had it not 

 been for the exertions of Lord Cochrane, 

 who, on the invitation of the Chilian govern- 



