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306 with Whitelocke and Liniéres, also gave it as his opinion that the prosecution of the enterprise was useless, since it was clear that the inhabitants of the colony did not wish for the dominion of the British. The conditions of the treaty were—that general Whitelocke's army, with its arms, equipage, and stores, was to be conveyed across the La Plata to Monte Video; his troops to be supplied with provisions; and that at the end of two mouths the English were to surrender Monte Video, and retire from the country.



Such was the humiliating result of the attempt on Buenos Ayres. That that colony was not to be conquered by a force of twelve thousand was so clear, that the ministry who attempted it were deserving of the severest censure for their ignorance, as well as for their illiberal rapacity. They might have assisted Miranda to free the colony, but they wanted to seize it for themselves, and they were justly punished. As it was, the most condensed odium fell on the general, and nothing could be more disgraceful and incompetent than his conduct; but, then, theirs was the fault for choosing such a general. Nothing could exceed the fury of all classes at home against Whitelocke on the arrival of the news of this disgraceful defeat. It was reported that he had made the men take their flints out of their guns before sending them into the murderous streets of Buenos Ayres; and, had he arrived with his despatches, his life would not have been safe that at the end for an hour. There was a general belief that the court was protecting him from punishment; and, in truth, the delays interposed betwixt him and a court-martial appeared to warrant this. It was not till the 28th of January that he was brought before such a court at Chelsea Hospital, when he was condemned to be cashiered, as wholly unfit and unworthy to serve his majesty in any military capacity whatever.

Another expedition, planned by the Grenville ministry, produced no favourable result. This was to Constantinople. Buonaparte had sent thither the artful and audacious