Court of Brazil, was strangely at variance with a letter received precisely at the same time by the Junta from the Conde de Linares, in which he assured them of the high regard of his master, the Prince Regent of Brazil, and of his desire to cultivate their friendship and alliance. To this letter the Junta returned a reply, full of similar professions.

Elio now issued a decree declaring lawful prizes all vessels (not even excepting the English) which should attempt to enter the port of Buenos Ayres, or be found there after the 15th of March, 1811. He found at his hand, and at his nod, a naval officer, ready to uphold (Oh, tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in Askelon!) with English artillery, and under the British flag, this unjustifiable decree. Captain Elliot, who was still in the Plate in his fine sloop of war, the Mutine, performed the work of Elio, warning vessels off the port and out of it; and when a respectful remonstrance was sent off to him by the British merchants, he ordered the bearer of it, Mr. David Stevenson, to be shown over the side, threatening at the same time, should such another deputy again dare to set foot on board His Britannic Majesty's ship, that the boatswain's cane

A NEW JUNTA IN BUENOS AYRES. 133

would be applied to his back. What a contrast to little Lieutenant Ramsay (already mentioned) of the little schooner Mistletoe!

While the war in the Banda Oriental was assuming every day a more favourable aspect, and Casteli's campaign in Peru was attended with good success, a popular commotion took place in Buenos Ayres; and the unwieldy Junta, of about twenty members, jarring in principle, desultory in debate, tardy in council, wavering in action, and more employed in seeking personal partizans than in the promotion of the public weal, was superseded by a junta of three, namely, Chiclana, Gutierrez, and Alagon, with the addition of Doctor Campana as their secretary.

A revolution of a less justifiable kind threatened at this same time to desolate the capital of Chile with blood; but the author of it, Tomás de Figueron, who, for his reckless enterprize, had seduced two battalions of the troops, was taken, tried at twelve o'clock at night, sentenced half an hour afterwards; and at four in the morning was seen hanging on a gibbet in the great square. Such checks as these to the successful unity and continuity of general operations against the common

134

BELGRANO, ARTIGAS, AND RONDEAU.

enemy were of frequent occurrence; and if they did not wholly paralyze military affairs, they beyond all doubt entangled them, and retarded final success.

To return, for an instant, to General Belgrano. Having congregated at Mercedes the remains of his army defeated in Paraguay, and augmented it by some partial enlistments and succours, particularly at San José, the command of it was made over to General Rondeau, who, named by the government commander-in-chief of the army of the Banda Oriental, infused by the aid of different military chiefs, especially of his second in command, José Artigas, great spirit into his troops. Rondeau took over with him from Buenos Ayres a reinforcement of from two to three thousand men, a considerable sum of money, and other military requisites. Artigas had eighteen hundred men under him, being then encamped near the River Santa Lucia, not far from Monte Video. San José had fallen, and Maldonado been taken by Manuel Artigas, the brother of the general. Colonia was threatened; and a concentration of the troops was ordered at the head-quarters of Mercedes, thence to march, and establish the siege of Monte Video. Elio made underhand and de

grading offers of compromise to Artigas, which were indignantly rejected by him. He shortly afterwards, over greatly superior numbers of the Montevidean army, gained the celebrated victory of Las Piedras. This victory delivered the whole Banda Oriental, except the fortress of Monte Video itself, into the hands of the patriots; for at almost the same moment Benavides took Colonia. Foiled in his formal proposals for an armistice, both by the Junta and by the army, the thwarted but energetic viceroy was obliged to shut himself up within his fortress. There, while closely confined within his walls, he made his preparations for warlike aggression. His position was alike disheartening to the soldier, and humiliating to the viceroy, seeing that his appointment as such gave him delegated dominion over one-fourth of South America. But now his last and only strong hold was about to be attacked; for after a spirited proclamation to the troops, from head-quarters at Miguelete (distant from the fortress about three miles), Rondeau laid formal siege to Monte Video.

Your's, &c.

THE AUTHORS.

LETTER XXXII.

THE AUTHORS to GENERAL MILLER.

Reinforcement from Chile-The British Consul, Robert Ponsonby Staples, Esquire-Casteli's operations in Peru-Abascal and Goyoneche—Casteli and Goyoneche—Belgrano and Goyoneche— Affair of Yuracoragua-Casteli's Defeat-Revolts in Oruro, and dispersion of the Army-Pueyrredon's Retreat admirably conducted-His Difficulties-The Account-His Retreat, continued -And concluded.

London, 1842.

As a reinforcement to Buenos Ayres, and as a proof of the cordiality of Chile, a small auxiliary legion crossed the Andes, and marching over the Pampas, entered the city covered with dust, and overcome with fatigue; but amid merry peals of bells, firing of cannon, and the most kind and hospitable reception from the natives. In mitigation of one of the hardships of war, an exchange of prisoners was effected between Elio and Rondeau. The former having endeavoured to implicate the gallant Captain Heywood, of the Nereus frigate, as a partisan, aiding and abetting the cause of the