Video also completely in our power. Owing to the nonarrival of reinforcements, however, Buenos Ayres was unfortunately wrested from us, on the 12th of August following, even before the intelligence of its capture had reached England.

Pueridon, one of the municipality of Buenos Ayres, as we learn from the official dispatches of Sir Home Popham, was the greatest organ of the revolution, which restored the colony to the possession of the Spaniards. From the first, he applied himself with great art and address in preparing the people for a general ins surrection. The arms in the town were secreted, ready for the moment of action, the discontented assembled every night, and attended to his instructions, and he raised all the rabble of the country by the ample supplies of money with which he was furnished on the north side of the river. Colonel Liniers, a French officer in the Spanish service, and on his parole, successfully employed himself in collecting people at Colonia. Terror was established, and every person who refused to contribute his assistance to this conspiracy was threatened with immediate death. So rapid was the progress of the revolution, when it first shewed itself, that it was not till the 31st of July that Sir Home Popham learnt, by a dispatch from the General, which reached him at Ensenada, on his return from Monte Video, that he was apprehensive, from the information he received, an insurrection would shortly be made. Sir Home Popham heard at the same time, from Captain Thomson, that seventeen of the enemy's vessels had just arrived at Colonio; and it was reported that force was still to be increased from Monte Video, he sent orders for the Diomede to be brought to Ensenada, and for Captain King

of the Diadem to come up with the few remaining marines, the two companies of blues, and as many other men as could in any degree be spared from the ships, for the purpose of arming some vessels to attack the enemy at Colonia, as it was impossible to prevent his crossing from the north shore whenever the wind was fair. On the first of August, in the afternoon, the Leda anchored off Buenos Ayres, about twelve miles distant, and on Sir Home Popham's landing on the 2nd, which he did as soon as the weather would admit of a boat getting on shore, he found that General Beresford had just made a very successful attack on about fifteen hundred Spaniards under Pueridon, five leagues from the town, with five hundred men, in which he took all the enemy's cannon and several prisoners. On the 3d Sir Home Popham attempted to return to the Leda, in the Encounter, which Captain Honyman brought within a few miles of the shore for that purpose, as it blew very strong; but the wind freshened so considerably from the eastward, that he could not get to windward. On the 4th, in the morning, it was very thick weather, and the gale increased so much that it was impossible to weigh. About noon Captain King arrived in a galivat, with one hundred and fifty men from the Diadem, for the purpose of arming and commanding the few small vessels which had been collected in the harbour; but he was not able to get there till the following day. On the 5th, in the morning, it moderated, and Sir Home Popham reached the Leda, when he received a report from Captain Thomson, that in the gale of the preceding day the enemy had crossed from Colonia totally unobserved by any of our ships, except the schooner under the command, of Lieut. Herrick, who was lying in the narrow gut

leading to Conchas and St. Isidro, but the easterly wind had thrown so much water in the river, that the enemy were enabled to cross over any part of the Patmas bank without the necessity of making a greater detour by going higher up the river. On the 6th and 7th it blew a hurricane; the Leda was lying in four fathoms, with two anchors down, and her yards and topmasts struck. On the 8th Sir Home Popham heard from Captain King that five of our gun-boats had foundered at their anchors; that the Walker had lost her rudder, and that the launches and large cutters of the Diadem and Leda were lost. The torrents of rain which fell during the 6th, 7th, and 8th, had rendered the roads totally impracticable for any thing but cavalry, and consequently General Beresford was most seriously disappointed in his determination to attack the enemy at a distance from the town; in which, had it taken place, no doubt was entertained that his army would have added another trait of its invincible spirit under his dispositions.-The enemy, however, by his inexhaustible supply of horses, suffered little inconvenience from the state of the roads, and he was therefore enabled to approach the town by several directions, without giving the British army any opportunity to attack him. On the 10th, in the evening, the castle was summoned, and on the following day Sir Home Popham landed, while our remaining vessels were firing on the Spanish posts, and he learnt that, exclusive of the Spanish army, which was divided into many columns, occupying the various avenues of the town, the inhabitants were all armed, and sheltered on the tops of the houses and churches, with a design of carrying on a war of ambush. Under these circum❤ stances, and the manifest disposition of the enemy to

prevent an engagement, it was determined to embark the wounded that night, and cross the Rio Chello, for the purpose of moving towards Ensenada; but this measure was in a great degree frustrated by the weather, which became very violent during the night, and conse. quently retarded the progress of embarkation, though the enemy added a considerable number of men to the houses and churches near the castle, and advanced by all the streets not under the influence of its fire; in short, his object was to avoid by every means a general action, and to place his men in such a situation that they could fire at our troops while they remained in perfect security themselves. On the 12th, at day-light, a smart fire began from the enemy's advanced posts, but was soon returned with great effect from our artillery, which was planted towards the principal streets leading to the Great Square, and for a short time the enemy by his immense numbers shewed a greater degree of firmness than on any other occasion, and pushed forward with three pieces of artillery, which Col. Pack, of the 71st,

During this time,

soon charged and took from him. however, reinforcements crowded the tops of all the houses commanding the Great Square from the back streets, and our troops were soon considerably annoyed by people they could not get at. The enemy commanded the castle in the same way, with the additional advantage of a gun on the top of one of the churches, which was justly considered as an indelible stigma against the character of the bishop, not only from his si tuation, but from the professigns which he had made. Disappointed in his last efforts to induce the enemy to a general engagement in the Great Square, General Beresford's gallant little army was falling fast by shots from

invisible persons, and the only alternative which could present itself to save the useless effusion of so much va luable blood was a flag of truce, which was hoisted at the castle about one o'clock. In an instant there was near 10,000 men in the Great Square, pressing forward in the most outrageous manner to get into the fort, and even firing at our men on the ramparts, so much so that it was with extreme difficulty the British troops were prevented revenging this insult; indeed the General was obliged to tell the Spanish Officers, if their men did not retire in the course of one minute, he must, as the only measure of safety, haul down the flag of truce, and recommence hostilities, this firmness had the desired effect, and he then sent the following conditions to the Spanish General, and they were instantly acceded to :

"(Cory.) Fort Buenos Ayres, Aug. 12, 1806. "The British General having no further object for remaining in Buenos Ayres, and to avoid an unnecessary effusion of blood, as also the destruction of the property of the inhabitants of this city, consents to deliver up the fort of Buenos Ayres to the Commander of his Catholic Majesty's forces, on the following conditions :--

"1st, The British troops to march out with all the honours of war; to be considered as prisoners of war, but to be embarked as soon as possible on board the British transports now in the river, to be conveyed to England, or the station whence they came from.

2d, The British on their entrance into this place made many Spanish prisoners of war, which remained on their parole, and as the number of officers is much greater on one side and of men on the other; it is agreed that the whole shall be exchanged for the whole, the