1 806 .] State of Public Affairs in September, 1 806. 



295 



hh Majcfty's forces being in full pofTelTion of 

 Buencs Ayros and its dependencies ; the ca- 

 pital of one of the richeti and molt extenlive 

 provinces rf South America. 



To the commerce of Great Britain it ex- 

 hiMt's peculiar advantages, as well as to tJie 

 ac^^ive induftry of her manuf.iftiiring towns. 

 And whon I venture in addition to afiure 

 their l.ordiliips of the extreme healtliinefi of 

 the climate, I trufti only liold out a confola- 

 tion that the friends of everv perfon employ- 

 ed on this expedition are jultly entitled to, 

 and which I am liitislied will be equally gi'a- 

 tifying to tlie feelings of every Eritilh fub- 

 jeft. 



As I confidered it an ohieiS of material 

 confequcncc to obtain the carlieft local infor- 

 mation in the river, I placed the fquadron 

 under the dircflion of Captain Rowley on the 

 27ch of May, and preceded it in the Narcif- 

 iiis for that purpofe. 



On tiie lith uU. we anchored near the 

 Ifland of Flore: ; and, alter palling Monte- 

 Video the following day, we detained a Por- 

 tuguefe fchooner, by v,'hora the intelligence 

 we had formerly received was generally con- 

 firmed. On the lUh we fell in v/ith the 

 Encounter and Ocean tranfport near the fouth- 

 ccr.:!- of the River, and on the 13th vire joined 

 the fquadron. 



It was immediately determined to attack 

 the capital; and no time was loft in remov- 

 ing t)ie marine batralion to the NarcifTus, the 

 Encounter, and the tranfports, for the pur- 

 pofe of proceeding to Buenos Ayres, while 

 th;; Di.idcm Idockaded tjie port of Monte- Vi- 

 <]eo, and the Raifunable, and Diomcde, by 

 way of (lemonftr.irion, cruized near Maldo- 

 jiado and other available points. 



Our progrefs up the river was very much 

 retarded by the /l.oalncfs of the water, ad- 

 verfe winds and'currents, continual fogs, and 

 the great inaccuracy of the charts; but by 

 the unremitting and laborious exertions of tlie 

 officers and men 1 had the honour to com- 

 mand, thefe difficulties were furmounted, and 

 the fquadron anchored on the afternoo.a of 

 the S.'ith otl" Point Outlmay aPouichin, about 

 twelve miles from Bue.nos Ayres, 



As it was impolTible for the NarcifTus to 

 approach the fliore on account of the fhoalncfs 

 of the water, the Encounter v/as run in fo 

 dole ai to take the ground, the more effcdlu- 

 iiUy to cover the debarkation of the army in 

 cafe of neceifity : the whole however was 

 landed ifi the courfe of the evening wifhout 

 the ieart oppo.fition, conf;!fing of the det.ich- 

 'n.'.iit o ■ his Majcfty's, troops from the Cape, 

 and that from St. Hel'^na, with the marine 

 tattalio:/ uniler the orders of Captain King, 

 of his r.lijefty's /liip the Diadem, wjiich was 

 compof^d of t!je marines of t!:e fquadron aug- 

 Wientf J by the incorporation of fiime feamen, 

 and three co.mp.inits of Royal Eluts from thi; 

 fiime lource i)f enterprise, vvMch had been re- 

 gulifly trai/'ed lor that duty, ancf 'drcffed in 

 an ajjfivpria.e unifi.'i/n. 



The enemy was poftcd at the. village t>f 

 Retluciion, which was an eminence about 

 two miles from the Beach, witii the appear- 

 ance of a fine pl.iin between the two armies, 

 which however proved on the following 

 morning to be only a morals in a high ftaCe of 

 verdure. 



1 his in fomemeafurc checked our advance- 

 ment, nor did the enemy open his field train 

 till the traops were nearly in tlie middle of 

 the fwamp, from whence he thought it was 

 impoJiible for them to be ex;r:cateci. 



The able and excellent difpofition of Gene- 

 ral Bercs.ord, and the intrepidity of his army, 

 very foon however fatisfied the cr-emy that 

 his only fafety was in a precipit.ite rotreat, 

 for we had the futisfaction of feeing from the 

 ftips near fojr thouf.ind Spanilh cavalry fly- 

 ing in every direftion, leavinj; their artiUcry 

 behind them, while our troops were afcendin"- 

 the hill with that coolnefs andcour.ige, whi;h 

 has on every OL'cafion marked the character of 

 a BritiJh foklier, and has been exemplified in 

 proportion to the ditnculties and danger by 

 wliich he was oppofcd. 



I have probably trefpaffed on a line that 

 does not immediately belong to me, but I 

 could not refift the gratification of relating to 

 ti-icir Lordfhips what I faw ; alluring myl'elf, 

 at the fame time, they will be convinced, if 

 the enemy had given the fquadron an equal 

 opportunity, I ftiould have had the plealin" 

 duty of reporting an honourable iffue to the 

 elTeft of their eminent zeal and exertions. 



On the 27th, in the morning wo faw fome 

 filing near the banks of the River Chueio, 

 but it blew fo hard that it was totally im- 

 practicable to have any communication wit i 

 the ihore during that day. 



Early on the 28th, a royal falute was fired 

 from tlie Caftle of Buenos Ayres in honour o/ 

 his Majefty's colours being hoifted in South. 

 America, and inllantly returned by the Aips 

 lying off the toxn. 



I now confiJ.^r it to be a proper moment for 

 acknowledging in termiof the fincereft grat?-- 

 tuile, my high fenfe of tile zealous and ani- 

 mated conduit o." every officer and man in tuc 

 fquadron which I ha^<5 the extraordinary good 

 fortune to.conimand. " 



Captain Rowley, with Captain Edmonds 

 under his orders, continud as long" as the 

 weather would perm!: an advantageous demon- 

 ftration off Maldonado. 



Captain Donnelly, who did me the favour 

 of requeuing 1 wiiuld go up the river in the 

 NarcHfus, and to whoiw, from his rank, no 

 fpecific fervice co ild be aliigned in our fraatl 

 fcale of operations, applied himfeif in every 

 occilion v/here h: could proir.uti: the objeils of 

 tiie expedition; — and, as he is charged with 

 thiidifpatch, 1 take tlie liberty of recommend- 

 ing him to tliL-ir Lordihip^s proteilion u;ider a 

 full conviction t'.cy will obtain, through 

 hira, every inferm.itlcn which they have a 

 liilht to expe^ft from an officer of greit i-ncet- 

 ligentc iind iung mKTii'jr'm Icnice. 



