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as I have already represented, in general the whole of it, is a perfect flat, and the view of the horizon is obstructed by nothing but the immense herds of horses and cattle but principally horned cattle. Luxan is situated on a river of the same name, and where there is a bridge over it, and the route leading to all the interior provinces; and I rather think it will be adviseable, on many accounts, that I · possess myself of it, which I can do by a small detachment. Much of the treasure was caught actually going to Cordova; and the rest, but for the opportune arrival of the party, would have been pillaged. The waggons conveying this treasure may be expected here to-morrow. Those with the royal treasure, and that of the Philippine Company, arrived some time since, and is already embarked. The honourable major Deane, who is the bearer of these dispatches, will give any farther information to his majesty's ministers, that they may desire; and I beg to recommend him as an officer deserving of any mark of favour that his majesty may be graciously pleased to bestow on him."

[Then follows a proclamation, issued by general Beresford to the inhabitants, inviting them to shew their allegiance to their new sovereign, and repeating the offers of protection held out in the terms of the capitulation.] The proclamation thus continues :-"The majorgeneral thinks it necessary to acquaint the general and commercial interests of the country, that it is his majesty's most gracious intention that a free trade shall be opened and permitted to South America, similar to that enjoyed by all others of his majesty's colonies, particularly the

island of Trinidad, whose inhabitants have felt peculiar benefits from being under the government of a sovereign powerful enough to protect them from any insult, and generous enough to give them such commercial advantages, as they could not enjoy under the administration of any other country." It concludes with inviting the farmers to supply the markets with provisions, for which they shall be immediately paid; and it adds a promise, that such duties as are found to bear too hard on the enterprize of commerce shall be taken off.This proclamation is followed by another, giving up to the inhabitants all the ships, barges, and craft, and calling upon the owners to see that no imposition is practised on the captors for their liberality.]

Extract of a Dispatch from Majorgeneral Beresford to Lord Castle. reagh, dated Fort of Buenos Ayres, July 16.

I am now able to transmit nearly an account of the money which has been received as prize, under the terms of my agreement with the acting governor of the place, previous to my entering the town. The statement shews the various departments and public bodies, whence the sums forming the total has been derived. The sum of 1,086,208 dollars, is going home in his majesty's ship Narcissus, and sir Home Popham and myself have thought it right to reserve here, for the exigencies of the army and navy, a considerable sum; and for the purpose of keeping down the exchange on bills, drawn by the respectivé services, and which would otherwise bring the dollar to an enormous price. It is estimated that the

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merchandize in the king's stores, principally Jesuits' bark and quicksilver, and which is in the Philippine company's stores, with the little that is retained of floating property, will amount, if it can be disposed of, to between two and three millions of dollars. Of the bullion delivered in, some is claimed as private property, and which shall be delivered in the same spirit of liberality with which, we trust, it will be considered we have acted here. The 61,797 dollars were yesterday delivered to the consulada, on their assurance only that it belonged to the people of this town; and they have a claim upon 40 or 50,000 dollars more, which will be settled this day.

Total amount of monies, &c. received in consequence of an agreement on June 28.

Embarked on board the Narcissus, 1,086,208. Remain in the Treasury 205,115. Total 1,291,323 dollars.

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of Buenos Ayres, and its dependencies, the capital of one of the richest and most extensive provinces of South America. To the commerce of Great Britain it exhibits peculiar advantages, as well as to the active industry of her manufac turing towns. And when I venture, in addition, to assure their lordships of the extreme healthiness of the climate, I trust I only hold out a consolation that the friends of every person employed on this expedition are justly entitled to, and which I am satisfied will be equally gratifying to the feelings of every British subject. As I considered it an object of material consequence to obtain the earliest local information in the river, I placed the squadron under the direction of captain Rowley on the 27th of May, and preceded it in the Narcissus for that purpose. On the 8th ult. we anchored near the island of Flores; and, after passing Monte Video the following day, we detained a Por tuguese schooner, by whom the intelligence we had formerly received was generally confirmed. On the 11th, we fell in with the Encounter and Ocean transports, near the south coast of the river, and on the 13th we joined the squadron. It was immediately determined to attack the capital, and no time was lost in removing the marine battalion to the Narcissus, the Encounter, and the transports, for the purpose of proceeding to Buenos Ayres, while the Diadem blockaded the port of Monte Video, and the Raisonable and Diomede, by way of demonstration, cruized near Maldonado, and other assailable points. Our progress up the river was very much retarded by the shoalness of the water, adverse winds and cur

rents,

rents, continual fogs, and the great inaccuracy of the charts; but, by the unremitting and laborious exertions of the officers and men I had the honour to command, these difficultics were surmounted, and the squadron anchored, on the afternoon of the 25th, off Point Quelmey a Pouichin, about twelve miles from Buenos Ayres. As it was impossi. ble for the Narcissus to approach the shore, on account of the shoalness of the water, the Encounter was run in so close as to take the ground, the more effectually to cover the debarkation of the army, in case of necessity: the whole, however, was landed in the course of the evening, without the least opposition, consisting of the detachment of troops from the Cape, and that from St. Helena, with the marine battalion, under the orders of captain King, of the Diadem, which was composed of the marines of the squadron, augmented by the incorporation of some seamen, and three companies of royal blues, from the same source of enterprize, which had been regularly trained for that duty, and dressed in an appropriate uniform, The enemy was posted at the village of Reduction, which was on an eminence, about two miles from the beach, with the appearance of a fine plain between the two armies, which, however, proved on the following morning to be only a morass in a high state of verdure. This in some measure checked our advancement, nor did the enemy open his field-train, till the troops were nearly in the middle of the swamp, from whence he thought it was impossible for them to be extricated.

The able and excellent dis position of general Beresford, and the intrepidity of his army, very

soon satisfied the enemy, that his only safety was in a precipitate retreat; for we had the satisfaction of seeing from the ships near 4000 Spanish cavalry flying in every direction, leaving their artillery behind them, while our troops were ascending the hill with that coolness and courage, which has on every occasion marked the character of a British soldier, and has been exemplified in proportion to the difficul, ties and dangers by which he was opposed. I have probably tres, passed on a line that does not imme diately belong to me, but I could not resist the gratification of relating to their lordships what I saw ; assuring myself, at the same time, they will be convinced, if the ene my had given the squadron an equal opportunity, I should have had the pleasing duty of reporting an honourable issue to the effect of their eminent zeal and exertions. On the 27th, in the morning, we saw some firing near the banks of the river Chello, but it blew so hard that it was totally impracticable to have any communication with the shore during that day. Early on the 28th a royal salute was fired from the castle of Buenos Ayres, in honour of his majesty's colours being hoisted in South America, and instantly returned by the ships lying off the town. Inow consider it to be a proper moment for acknowledging, in terms of the sincerest gratitude, my high sense of the zealous and animated conduct of every officer and man in the squadron which I have the extraordinary good fortune to com, mand. Capt. Rowley, with captain Edmonds, under his orders, continued, as long as the weather would permit, an advantageous demonstration off Maldonado, Capt. Don

nelly,

vernment.

I am, &c.

Н. Рорилм.

I have sent lieutenant Groves to take possession of Ensenaba de Ba1agon, a port to the eastward of Buenos Ayres, where I understand there are two gun-vessels, and two merchant ships. H. P.

The Gazette of Sept. 20, contains an order of council, declaring that a lawful trade may be carried on to Buenos Ayres and its dependencies, in British ships, owned by his majesty's subjects, or native inhabitants of that country, upon paying a duty of 12 per cent. ad valorem, upon importation into the same; and that all commodities, the growth of that country, shall be permitted to be imported into the United Kingdom, in ships aforesaid, upon the same terms as from the West India Islands. Also an order in council for permitting the importation in neutral vessels into our West India Islands, for twelve months ensuing, of lumber, staves, and all kinds of provision, with the exception of beef, pork, and butter; and also the exportation of rum, molasses, and all other commodities, except sugar, indigo, cotton, coffee, and cocoa.

nelly, who did me the favour of great liberality of his majesty's go. requesting I would go up the river in the Narcissus, and to whom, from his rank, no specific service could be assigned in our small scale of * operations, applied himself in every occasion where he could promote the objects of the expedition: and, as he is charged with this dispatch, I take the liberty of recommending him to their lordship's protection, under a full conviction they will obtain, through him, every information which they have a right to expect from an officer of great intelligence, and long meritorious service. I consider captain King, with the officers of the marine battalion, so completely under the report of gene. ral Beresford, that I shall only state to their lordships my extreme satisfaction, on hearing personally from the general, how highly he appreciated every part of their conduct, particularly the celerity with which they transported the artillery and troops across the Rio Chuelo, after the bridge was burnt by the enemy. Lieutenant Talbot, of the Encounter, manifested great zeal in every instance where it was necessary to call on him; Lieutenant Groves, of the Diadem, was also very active in landing the ordnance and ordnance stores; and I think it highly proper to state to their lordships, that the masters and crews of the different transports behaved with great attention during the whole of this service. I inclose a copy of the terms granted to the inhabitants, after the capture of the city, by which their lordships will see that the coasting vessels in the river, supposed with their cargoes to amount to one million and a half of dollars, were restored to the proprietors, for an early record to the country of the

Dispatch from Captain Brisbane, with an Account of the Capture of the Pomona, and twelve Gunboats, at the Isle of Cuba.

Arethusa, off the Havannah, Aug. 23.

SIR,

I have the honour to inform you of a successful attack having been made by his majesty's ships Arethusa and Anson, on the enemy near the

Moro

Moro castle, in the island of Cuba, on the morning of the 23d instant. The result has been the capture of the Spanish frigate Pomona, of 38 guns, with a complement of 347 men, and the destruction of 12 gunboats, each carrying a 24-pounder, with a complement of 100 men each

after, a melancholy and dreadful explosion took place in the castle, after which all firing ceased. It now becomes a pleasing part of my duty to recommend to your particular notice the steady and gallant conduct of capt. Lydiard, the officers and men of both ships, all appear

thusiastic zeal.

CHARLES BRISBANE. Vice-admiral Dacres.

Arethusa, 2 killed and 32 wounded.-Anson, none.

Spanish frigate Pomona, captain and 20 men killed; 2 lieutenants and 30 men wounded.-Gun-boats, the loss of men must have been conside rable, as very few of them reached the shore, from those boats which were blown up and sunk.

(Signed)

C. BRISBANE.

and the explosion of a castle mounting to be animated with the same eniog 16 36-pounders. On the morning of the 23d instant I discovered the enemy within two miles of the Mo. ro castle, rather to leeward, carrying all possible sail to get into the Havan. nah. I therefore made the signal to lay the enemy on board on my coming up with her, but my design was frustrated by the Pomona bearing up, having been joined by 12 gun-boats from the Havannah, and anchoring within pistol shot of a castle mounting 16 36-pounders, in in three fathoms and a half water. The gunboats advanced from her in a line abreast. These boats were sent out expressly to protect the Pomona at her anchorage. At 10 A. M. 1 anchored his majesty's ship Arethusa close alongside the Pomona, in one foot water more than the ship drew; the Anson on my larboard bow; when the action became general, but not of long duration. The Pomona having struck her colours in 35, two gun-boats blew up, six were sunk, and three driven on shore on the breakers.-Notwithstanding the severe fire from the castle, the Pomona was instantly taken possession of by licut. Parish, first of the Arethusa, and follow. ed by lieut. Sullivan, first of the Anson. The castle had now commenced firing red-hot shot, which occasioned the Arethusa to be set on fire, but it was soon extinguished by the very proper arrangements of Licuts. Higman and Griffith, commanding the main deck. Shortly

The Pomona was from Vera Cruz, bound to the Havannah, laden with specie and merchandize. The money belonging to the king was landed at the castle by the governor of the Havannah, and the Spanish admiral, who had previously come out to place the Pomona in safety, as they considered her under the protection of the castle, and had only left her 10 minutes before the action commenced. The freight belonging to the merchants, with plate, and various kinds of merchandize, I have captured.

C. BRISBANE.

Officers wounded.--Capt. Brisbane, but did not quit his deck; lieut. Higman, of the navy; lieut. Fennel, of the marines.

Trial of Lord Melville before the high Court of Parliament.

On Tuesday, the 29th of April, 1806, the peers being assembled in Westminster Hall, and the court

opened

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