* * * * * I do not propose to tell here the full story of the rebellion of the River Plate Provinces and of the revolution that ended in the complete overthrow of Spanish power in South America, since I have already roughly sketched these events elsewhere. So far as the main events are concerned, the transition from the colonial stage to the condition of independence was slower in the Banda Oriental than was the process upon the eastern bank of the great river. In Julio of 1810, when the Junta of Buenos Aires had already established itself to cast off the yoke of Spain, Montevideo still remained faithful to the mother-country, and rejected the advances of the Argentines. Thus at the beginning of 1811 Montevideo found itself, if only for a short while, the seat of the viceroyalty of the La Plata Provinces, and from that point of vantage Elio, the Viceroy, declared war upon Buenos Aires. Almost immediately, however, the spirit of independence became manifest in Uruguay itself, and it is at this juncture that occurs the name that has perhaps stamped itself most deeply of all upon the history of the Banda Oriental. CHAPTER IV HISTORY--_continued_ The advent of Artigas--First revolutionary movements in Uruguay--The appointment of leaders--First successes of the Uruguayans--The germs of future jealousies--Montevideo besieged by the patriot forces--An incident of the investment--Spain appeals to Portugal for assistance--Invasion of Uruguay by the latter--The Buenos Aires Government concludes a treaty with the Spanish Viceroy--Raising of the siege of Montevideo--Position of Uruguay--Discontent of the Orientales--The exodus of the nation--Incidents of emigration to the Argentine shore--Montevideo in Spanish hands--The country overrun by Portuguese--Buenos Aires effects a treaty with the latter--Resumption of the campaign against the Spaniards--Disputes between the Argentine and Uruguayan leaders--Montevideo again besieged--Some battle incidents--Artigas reappears on the scene--Drastic measures towards an ally--A national Congress convened--Oriental deputies rebuffed by Buenos Aires--Artigas withdraws from the siege of Montevideo--Price set upon his head--War declared between Uruguay and Buenos Aires--The Argentine littoral provinces adhere to Artigas--Fall of Montevideo. The personality of Artigas, the central figure of the Uruguayan revolutionary era, is fully described in a later chapter. It is necessary here, therefore, merely to give the record of historical occurrences, without laying stress on the individuality of the Oriental leader, a matter that is not easy of accomplishment, since the figure of Artigas seems to have dominated the field of action in whatever direction it lay.