however, with fear or cowardice, he had not done all in his power to take or destroy every ship of the enemy, and adjudged him to be severely reprimanded.
In the autumn of 1806, Rear-Admiral Stirling was appointed to the command of a squadron sent to escort a body of troops under the command of Brigadier-General Sir Samuel Auchmuty to South America. On the arrival of those officers in the Rio de la Plata, they learnt that Buenos Ayres had been retaken by the Spaniards; and found the miserable remnant of the troops that had so recently achieved the conquest of that city in a very destitute and exposed situation at Maldonado. It being of the utmost importance to secure possession of some post of strength, before any attempts were made for the recovery of Buenos Ayres, and Monte Video appearing to be the only place on the river which could be assailed with probable advantage, the troops, together with 800 seamen and marines, were landed, and invested that town on the 18th Jan. 1807.
Rear-Admiral Stirling seeing no advantage could result from any effort of ships against a strong fortress, well defended at all points, and which, from the shallowness of the water, could not be approached within a distance to allow shot to be of any use, disposed his ships so as to prevent any escape from the harbour, as well as to impede the communication between Colonna and Buenos Ayres, and confined his whole attention to give every possible assistance in forwarding the siege, by landing guns, ammunition, stores, provisions, and everything required by the Brigadier-General. The distance which the ships lay from the shore, with the almost constant high winds and swell, and the great way every thing was to be dragged by the seamen, up a heavy sandy road, made the duty excessively laborious. The squadron had almost daily 1400 men on shore, and the flag-ship (Diadem) was often left with only 30 men on board.
The defence made by the enemy protracted the siege longer than was expected; and reduced the stock of powder so low, that the men of war, with all the transports, and what a fleet of merchantmen had for sale, could not have furnished a further consumption for more than two days, when a practicable breach was fortunately made, and on the 3d February, early
