“_Reise nach Brazilien, durch die Provinzen von Rio de Janeiro und Minas Geraes_;” Burmeister, Berlin, 1853; “Purchas,” iv.; “Travels in _Brazil_,” Koster (H.); 1817; Conder (Josiah), “_Brazil and Buenos Ayres_,” 1830; “_Relation d’un Voyage dans l’Interieur de l’Amérique Meridionale aux cotes du Brazil_;” Maest, 1778; and “Duguay-Trouin, _Mémoires de_;” Petitot, _2nde ser._, lxxv. CHAPTER XVIII. _REPULSE OF GENERAL WHITELOCKE AT BUENOS AYRES._ 1806-1807. [Sidenote: 1805.] Spain having taken part with Napoleon against the English, by granting the former a monthly subsidy, gave the latter power to make reprisals on the Spanish colonies. The first act of war was the seizure of four transports coming from _La Plata_--an act which decided Charles IV. to declare himself openly the ally of Napoleon in the war, which declaration was followed by the destruction of the Spanish fleet by Nelson at Trafalgar. To this disaster may in a great measure be traced the facility with which the Spanish possessions in South America were subsequently enabled to throw off the yoke of Spain. At the time when Nelson and the waves were accomplishing their work of destruction the English Government despatched to the Southern Atlantic a force of six thousand six hundred and fifty men, under the orders of Sir David Baird. The destination of this expedition was kept a secret, but it took the direction of _Brazil_, then in alliance with England. Sobremonte, the ninth Viceroy of _La Plata_, when he heard of the arrival of this force at _Rio de Janeiro_, became alarmed for the safety of the provinces under his charge, and judged it probable that the English would in the first instance attack _Monte Video_. He therefore transported thither all his available troops, abandoning _Buenos Ayres_ to the care of the local militia of that place; but scarcely had he completed his preparations for the defence of the Uruguayan capital, when he learnt that the English had turned their prows in the direction of the Cape of Good Hope, which important position they wrested from Holland. The Viceroy breathed again, and returned to _Buenos Ayres_. It was at that time the prevailing opinion in England that the Spanish colonies in the southern continent of America were as anxious to throw off the yoke of the mother country as had been her own colonies on the northern continent to free themselves from their connection with Great Britain; and this opinion was confirmed by General Miranda, a native of _New Granada_, who had been long resident in England. This officer, who had been banished from France, succeeded in persuading the English Government that they had only to show themselves on the Southern Atlantic and Pacific to be hailed as liberators. The assurance was the more welcome in that the spoil was tempting, for South America was still the land of gold and silver.