general Beresford then summoned Buenos-Ayres to surrender on a capitulation, and, while the articles were preparing, took quiet possession of that city, the viceroy and his troops having previously fled to Cordova. On the 2d of July the capitulation was signed, and that upon terms highly favourable to the inhabitants. The quantity of specie captured in the place, and which was afterwards embarked on board the Narcissus frigate to be conveyed to England, amounted to 1,086,208 dollars.

The marine battalion, whose services were highly and justly extolled by the major-general, having re-embarked on board the squadron, the troops alone remained in the town of Buenos-Ayres. For a while all seemed quiet ; but at length the Spaniards, recovering from their panic, saw by what a handful of men they had been dispossessed of their town and its treasures. On the 31st of July Sir Home became apprized, by a despatch from the major-general, that an insurrection was forming in the city. On the 4th of August M. Liniers, a French colonel in the Spanish service, crossed the Rio de la Plata in a fog, unobserved by the British cruisers, and landed at Conchas, above Buenos-Ayres, bringing with him about 1000 men from Monte-Video and Lacramento. On the 10th the insurrection burst forth ; and on the 12th Major-general Beresford and his troops, after an action in which they lost 48 officers and men killed, 107 wounded, and 10 missing, were compelled to surrender ; but, owing to the firmness of the major-general, on terms highly favourable to the prisoners, in number about 1300. The loss on the part of the Spaniards, who are represented to have assembled in the city nearly 10,000 men, was stated at 700 in killed and wounded.

Commodore Sir Home Popham, with the squadron, remained at anchor at the entrance of the river, blockading the port, until, by the arrival of reinforcements on the 5th and 12th of October, he was enabled to recommence offensive operations. Sir Home's first attempt was upon Monte Video ; but, finding the water too shallow to admit the ships to approach near enough to batter the walls with effect, the commodore, on the 28th, retired, with the intention of possessing himself of the harbour of Maldonado, formed by the island of Goretti, a strong place, defended by a battery of twenty 24-pounders. On the 29th the frigates of the squadron anchored in the harbour, and disembarked, without opposition, a detachment of troops (including sailors and marines about 1000 strong), under Brigadier-general Backhouse. Having, after a slight skirmish, obtained possession of the village of Maldonado, the commodore, on the 30th, summoned Goretti to surrender, which it immediately did ; and thus matters remained in the Rio de la Plata at the close of the year 1806.

In the failure of the expedition to Buenos-Ayres, not the slightest imputation attaches to the soldiers or seamen engaged

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