HISTORY OF-EUROPE. 
the Cape, no instruction, direct or 
implied, public or confidential, had 
been given to him, which could 
authorize his leaving that colony, 
and employing the force, under his 
command, in any service uncon- 
nected with its conquest or pre- 
servation. His~ mind, however, 
which had been formerly occupied 
with schemes of conquest in South 
America, was some time after the 
reduction of the Cape, again turned 
to such speculations, in conse- 
guence of information received of 
the weakness of the Spanish colo- 
nies on the Rio Plata, and exagge- 
rated reports of the disaffection of 
the people towards their govern- 
ment. Having also got accounts 
from Europe of the dissolution of 
the third coalition, and of the re- 
duced state of the French marine, 
in consequence of the battle of 
Trafalgar, and being satisfied, that 
the squadron of Villaumez, origi- 
nally destined for the Cape, had 
gone to the West Indies, he was so 
far influenced by these considera- 
tions, and by the prospect of public 
and private gain from the conquest 
of Buenos Ayres, that, forgetful of 
his duty as an officer to remain in 
the station which his superiors had 
assigned to him, he determined on 
carrying off the whole of the naval 
force at the Cape, and attempting 
with it some exploit in the Rio 
Plata; and having perswaded sir 
D. Baird to acquiesce in his plans, he 
obtained from that officer a small 
body of troops under general Beres. 
ford, to co-operate in any enter. 
rize he should attempt. 
Thus assisted, he sailed from the 
Cape about the middle ef April, 
leaving that settlement without an 
armed vessel to protect it from in- 
sult, and directed his course in the 
235 
first place ‘to St. Helena, where 
he had the address to procure from 
the governor a small reinforcement 
to his little army, which after all 
did not exceed 1600 men, including 
marines, With this very inade- 
quate force for so great an enter- 
prize, he steered for the Rio Plata, 
and arrived at the mouth of that 
river in the beginning of June. 
It was now debated, whether an 
attack should be made on Buenos 
Ayres or Montevideo, and the 
former being preferred, the troops 
were removed from the line of bat- 
tle ships into the transports and 
frigate that accompanied the ex- 
pedition, in which, after surmount- 
ing with great skill and perseve. 
rance the difficulties of a most in- 
tricate navigation, they arrived be- 
fore Buenos Ayres on the 24th of 
June, and next day disembarked 
without resistance at the Punta de 
Quilmes, about twelve miles from 
that city. A body of Spaniards 
placed on a height at two miles 
distance, witnessed the landing of 
the British army without opposing 
it, and general Beresford having 
marched against them on the fallow- 
ing morning, they {fled with preci- 
pitation at the first fire, leaving 
behind -them their artillery. No 
other difficulty occurred ‘after this 
success, except the passage of a 
river, which it was necessary to 
cross, before getting to Buenos 
Ayres ; but this being eflected with 
the help of rafts and boats, the 
bridge having been burnt by the 
enemy, general Beresford entered 
the city on the 27th, the viceroy 
having previously abandoned it and 
fled to Cordova, with the small 
body of troops under his com. 
mand, 
While the army was thus em- 
ployed 
