236 
ployed in the conquest of Buenos 
Ayres, the line of battle ships of 
the squadron made demonstrations 
before Montevideo and Maldonado, 
in order to alarm and occupy the 
garrisons of these places, in which, 
as it afterwards appeared, were 
stationed the regular troops of the 
colony, while the defence of Buenos 
Ayres, from its situation supposed 
to be less liable to attack, had been 
committed to the militia. To this 
accident, and to the misconduct 
aud timidity of the viceroy, who 
was quite inexperienced in military 
affairs, the success of an expedition, 
undertaken not more in defiance 
‘of the rules of discipline than in 
opposition to the dictates of pru- 
dence, may in a great measure be 
attributed. In justice, however, 
to the British commanders it must 
be added, that in the execution of 
their enterprize, they displayed 
great boldness and intrepidity, and 
that after victory they shewed a™~ 
degree of forbearance -and modera- 
tion to the vanquished, which re- 
fiects on them the highest credit. 
Though the town was without de- 
fence when the English army ad. 
vanced to it, favourable articles 
of capitulation were granted to the 
inhabitants; and not only was the 
private property of individuals on 
shore religiously respected ; but the 
coasting vessels found in the river, 
which by the laws of war were 
good prize to the captors, though 
valued with their cargoes, at a mil- 
lion anda half of dollars, were re- 
stored by proclamation to the 
rightful owners. Policy had no 
doubt its share in this liberal con- 
duct ; for there were not seamen 
to spare from the fleet to navigate 
ihese vessels, and if they had been 
destroyed, the yiews of traffic, in 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1806. 
which the expedition originated, 
must have been entirely frustrated ; 
as these coasters afforded the only 
means of maintaining a commercial 
intercourse with the interior, ex- 
cept the expensive, and in the pre- 
sent state of the country, uncertain 
communication by caravans. About 
1,200,000 dollars of public money 
were found in the town and. sent 
to England ; besides which, public 
property in quicksilver and Jesuit’s 
bark, to the value of ‘near three 
millions of dollars, was scized for 
the benefit of the captors; but, 
before it was secured on board of 
ship, the place, as we shall after. 
wards have to relate, was eiptce 
by the enemy. 
We have already noticed ais 
extravagant joy and delusive expece 
tations, which the news of the cap- 
ture of Buenos Ayres diffused 
through every part of the British 
empire. A circular manifesto from 
sir Home Popham to the principal 
mercantile and manufacturing cities, 
announcing and certainly not un- 
derrating the value of the market 
he had opened, spread widely and 
rapidly the most exaggerated no- 
tions of his conquest ; “and led, as 
was naturally to be expected from 
so unusual and anprecedented an 
address from such authority, to 
many rash and improyvident mer- 
cantile speculations, in which the 
adventurers had reason afterwards 
amply to lament their credulity. 
The delusion was universal, and al- 
lowing much for ignorance and 
want of reflection, incredibly and 
unaccountably great. It was for- 
gotten, that Buenos Ayres and 
other parts of South America 
had been always supplied with 
English goods through Spanish. or 
neutral bottoms; and, though a 
direct 
