Next day the municipality received orders to hand over to the English the public treasury as well as the money which the Viceroy had sent to _Lujan_, the commander giving it to be understood that this treasure was the price exacted for exempting _Buenos Ayres_ from pillage. With this possibility before them, the municipality hastened to beg Sobremonte not to prolong a useless resistance and to accept the terms offered. The terms were accepted, and an English officer was sent with an escort to _Lujan_, whence, on the 5th of July, he returned with four cars, bearing half a million of silver pieces, which treasure was forthwith transported on board the “Narcissus,” the flag-ship of Sir Home Popham. This ransom money, together with all that found in the public offices, was sent to London, and deposited with great ceremony in the Bank of England. The English general now announced the conditions to be granted to the conquered, who were required, in the first instance, to swear allegiance to George III. The Catholic religion might be freely professed; private property would be respected; all merchant-ships taken in the port would be restored; commerce would be free as in English colonies; and civil and judicial authorities who should swear allegiance to England should be permitted to retain their functions. But, notwithstanding the seemingly complete submission, the great majority of the people of _Buenos Ayres_ were not the mere passive spectators which they appeared. The greater proportion of the public _employés_ took the required oath of allegiance; the colonial society opened its _salons_ to the English officers, and the _Porteña_ beauties were not displeased to number them amongst their admirers; but the townspeople in general could not tamely reconcile themselves to see their city, with its seventy-two thousand inhabitants, at the mercy of a paltry force of sixteen hundred men. The Viceroy, Sobremonte, having tried in vain to assemble the militia, set out for _Cordova_, to which place he announced he had transferred the capital. General Beresford, on his part, was so sensible of the weakness of his position that he lost no time in begging Sir David Baird to send a reinforcement to enable him to retain his conquest. He likewise thought of seizing _Monte Video_; but, as this place was garrisoned by regular troops, he did not flatter himself with the idea that it would fall into his hands as easily as had _Buenos Ayres_, the malcontents of which latter place had a round-about means of communication with the royal troops by way of _S. Fernando_, the islands and the _Uruguay_.