Welsh Journals

9 February of seeing a running fight between the two squadrons which was the first I ever saw. A few days ago 120 men of our squadron were killed in an attack on Colonia del Sacramento, a town and fort exactly opposite Buenos Ayres on the other side of the river. The number of foreigners has doubled the last year; shiploads are constantly arriving introduced by a society here in conjunction with the Government so that you hear as much English as Spanish spoken in the streets. 5 September 1826 The effects of the Blockade are severely felt in the city; every article of import has become, on an average, 5 times the price they were previously. The country is entirely drained of specie, so much so that it is not common to receive copper to the amount of 6 pence; the circulating medium is all paper as low as the value of 3d pence and that paper is depreciated in value to an uncommon degree; the dollar which twelve months ago was worth 45 pence in England is now as low as 251 The war by land has hitherto been conducted in a very desultory manner but we hope from the measures now taken that something effective will be accomplished though the prospects are not bright, the Emperor possessing large forces and the command of the River. About a week ago a very sharp impressment took place in the city and its neighbourhood to reinforce the army; several thousand men have been taken; in riding 50 leagues you scarcely see a peon or labourer and they who remain are constrained to hide themselves out of fear. Lord Ponsonby is at Rio de Janeiro acting as mediator between the belligerents but hitherto with no success. The Emperor refuses all moderate terms and resolves to sustain by force what he gained by injustice. We expect his Lordship here in a short time which will enliven the monotony which the blockade has caused. From all accounts he is a highly polished gentleman and remarkable for his urbanity'. He returned to the subject again in January 1827. 1 January 1827 'We are yet in a state of blockade; our little squadron is at present up the River Uruguay, a branch of the River Plate, where it has hemmed in a small lagoon a larger squadron belonging to the Brazilians; unfortunately, they are so well secured as to prevent our Commander (Brown)1 from attacking them but they must ultimately surrender as he has taken the precaution to secure his squadron from attack in the rear by throwing up a battery covering the mouth of a small passage through which the Brazilians must make their way before they can operate upon them. The whole city is in considerable suspense concerning the issue of these circumstances. To see fighting on the water is now as an old tale to me; the Brazilians are every day in sight of the city and frequent skirmishes take place between them and the Republicans (our party) in which the former display the most consummate cowardice and the latter, when under Brown's eye, the most consummate bravery. Our Army has opened its campaign in the Banda Oriental which will give him (The Emperor) sufficient occupation; moreover, the news has arrived here that the Empress is dead; her death took place after he left Rio de Janeiro and it is possible that he will return thither and give up for the present his Utopian schemes. Report states that she was poisoned but I don't believe it, at least on the present. Everything is extremely dear in consequence of the blockade which has now been in force upwards of 12 months and added to the depreciation in the value of the paper money issued by the National Government and stagnation of commerce. It has had very serious effects on the national prosperity but there is reason to predict that the war will not continue many months longer; the resources of each party have been greatly diminished and the results to each nation will be a great exhaustion of treasury and diminution of credit, though ultimately there is little 1 William Brown, born in Ireland in 1777 and Admiral of the Argentine navy from x814.