The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1807-07-24 00:00:00

EXTRACT OT A LETTER FROM AN orrice' To NH

AI HUI lii PLYMOUTH, D•1II) MON I" I •IDIO,
•PRIL 24,1397•

We are all of is obliged to be on the alert for
fear this place may share the fate of Buenos Ayres.
I suppose General Beresford is arrived home safe
by this time, as he made his escape from Ruenos
Ayres same days sines. kVith respect to living,
we fare extremely well; beet in plenty, and very
cheap; as are also mutton and lamb; a profasion
of Madeira wine, and somettmes port, sherry, and
vie de grave. Our rations, per diens, are, as fol-
low-11b. of bread, of a superior quality, whiter
and better than an English Frenc'r roil; one pound
and a half of beef; ram: gill of TUT ; arid half an
ounce of salt (which article is very scarce). I
went on board a ship, when first we came here, to
purchase some porter for a brotSer offieer of our
corps, who was iII ; the master asked t:n doTlars
(sterling) p sr d zsoi, and one dollar for boat-hire ;
but from the nunsier of vessels now here. and to
show you now the market is, the masters now
Ming the same kind of porter ASUOTT, p.ty the duty,
Illi_reer 'me. and sell it at 5 dollars per dozen.
The merchant, complain most bitterly, es some
of thew have paid she duties. but cecnnt sell the
goods. and have applied for a draw-back, which
has been refused, and they are now re-shipping
their variaus articles for the West Indies, as t'•ere rs
but little chance at present of a market at lisieens
Ayres, which we cannot attemrt to recaprure
without a considerable reinforcement, as we should
endanger Monte Video. general Sir S Auchmuty
is gone for a few days to Col,rnia, to ill spea the
troops at that post, arid will reTno soon again to
Monte Video. Ilere has been a dreadful conspi-
racy found oat. within these rive Jays, in this gar-
rison : some of tire treacherous reseals intended
to blow up the magazine, but the principal ring-
leader, a Man with w:.ons the Commissary-Ge.
nerd had large dealings for stores, ice. has been
fortunately discovered and apprehended, with seve-
ral ether Spaniards concerted in this dirardical plot.
We wait with impatience for the arrival of the
Geueral from Colonic, to have t!;cro tried. If they
had succeeded, a large party of them, io the con-
fusion, were to have disabled every Enzliihman
they could-lay hold of. We are nose more trait ever
on the alert. English pistols, of which 1 aiked the
price of a brace, are from six to 30 guineas. Yes-
terday one of our hunters (who is a Spatii,tr:) arrd
whom we employ to get cattle, .:as attempted to
be snared by the Spaniard;, who have made several
attempts at hint before. Indeed they would have
had ham yesterday, but a British Officer shot the
Spaniard w:to was trying to snare him. The mare
is a long piece of hide, curiously twisted, ab.ast 40
yards in length, with a sing at one eud, by way of
making a running noose, which is fas:ened to one
side of the saddle; so when the rider has any ob-
is% he wishes to catch, he turns his snare neer his
shoulders five or six times to give it a sprine. and
throws it over any particular pan of :he animal,
and direflly as the hcrse on which the rider sus
feels the snare going, he sets off full speed. With
these Slimes they caught some of our soldiers at
Maldonado ; they laced them, as it is called, and
rode off with them. until they were quite stunned,
and then the riders very deliberately dismounted,
and stabbed them, by which means we lost some
valuable fine fellows. I had forgot, in my last, to
account to you for the sudden alarm of the ripani.
ards on our first approach to Monte Video : after
we had commenced our march, we met near the
place several drores of wild dogs, which set up such
dismal howling` AS to alarm the garrison of Moat.

Video, whist they hung out lights, and discovered
our troops under the walls, which Occasioned the
great slaughter amongst them, already mentioned ;
bad it not seen for this accident, we might have car.
tied Monte Video with very little loss. Cloth i,
very dear here, 2d hrn.i cl.ith is 10 dollars per
yard. We are all, thank God, very healt'l and
well, antiookly waiting fur reinforcements from
Old England, to atttck Buenos Ayres, where we
hope to get a golden chain or a wooden leg."