The Sun.
London, England, 1827-07-09 00:00:00

BUENOS-AYRES PAPERS.

BUENOS-AYRES, APRIL 21..—Since my last, the
arms of the Republic have sustained a triumph and
a reverse. You are aware that Buenos-Ayres pos-
sesses on the Patagonian coast the port or harbour of
Rio Negro, which, is rather difficult to enter from
the surf and a bar : it; hOWever. Served as a
rendezvous for ant-led vessels and their priies. A
number of the latter had been collected there, and
the Brazilians sent an expedition against the place,
consisting of the corvette, Itaparica, 22 guns, Capt.
Eyre; the Duchess of Gai'eta, 20 guns, Captain
Watson ; schooner brig, Escudero, Capt. Santier ;
and Constancia. They had troops on board, and
Captain Sheppard commanded the whole. On the
7th of March, they made the attack; all the vessels
passed the bar, except the Duchess de Gayeta ;
she took the ground upon the bar and went to
pieces, from 31 to 40 of the crew being drowned—
the rest are prisoners. The two schooners went up
the Rio Negro, and landed 300 troops, in order to
take the town in the rear. They were attacked by two
other schooners commanded and manned chiefly by
Englishmen, and forced to surrender. Observing
this loss, the troops endeavoured to retreat; but
incommoded by clouds of drift sand—parched with
thirst—and assailed by about 100 Gaucho cavalry,
they yielded themselves prisoners. Captains Shep-
pard and Eyre were with the troops; the former was
killed—a musquet-ball struck him in the eye he
struggled, and attempted to preserve a ring which
was on his little finger. Eyre is a prisoner. The
schooners proceeded to attack the corvette Itaparica;
she struck her colours without firing a gun. . Thus
all the expedition was captured, and the prisoners
amount to 750 men. The Buenos-Ayreans attri-
bute their success to the courage of Captain G.
Bysson, of the corvette Chacabuco. His vessel hap-
pened to be hove down : he collected the crews of
all the privateers, and manned the batteries. The
privateer Captains, James Harris and D'Autant,
are highly praised. The Creoles aided by the
English,,exerted themselves upon this occasion ; the
latter of which supplied from the vessels ammuni-
tion, &c. &c.
I must now give you details of an opposite de-
scription. On the 6th of April, at half-past seven
o'clock in the evening, the following vessels sailed
from the Fathom Hole (between the inner and out-
ward Roads of Buenos-Ayres) :—Brig Republic,
Admiral Brown and Captain Granville ; brig Inde-
pendence, Captain Drummond; bark Congress,
Captain Mason ; and schooner Sarandi, Captain
Coe. They passed the blockading squadron; but
in fact; the very idea of Brown terrifies these gentry.
From some mismanagement, the Republic and Inde-
pendence got aground just below Ensinada. The
Congress and Sarandi tacked in time to save them-
selves. On the morning of the 7th of April, the
Brazilians, observing the accident, brought all their
force down, consisting of three frigates, two corvettes,
four brigs, and ten schooners. The Congress fought
her way through them to Ensinada. The Sarandi,
anchored near her companions at nine o'clock in the
morning. The whole of the Brazilian force com-
menced firing. upon the unfortunate Buenos-Ayrean
vessels, passing and repassing them within shot,
firing grape-shot, each giving a broadside in passing;
this continued till dark. Brown's vessel returned
the fire from all the guns she could bring to bear.
This was renewed till two o'clock on the following
day, when the Brazilian Admiral, finding the little
effect his force had produced, determined to risk the
Paula, Captain Norton, which vessel began a well
directed fire from 32 and 24-pounders, with grape-
shot, chiefly at the Independence, which lay very
high out of the water; she was consequently torn to
pieces : her crew, seventy-two men, (the greater
part English) killed and wounded : and after de-
fending herself till past three o'clock, and expending
3,140 shots -in the two days, was obliged to strike;
the Brazilians keeping up a fire for nearly an hour
after that event. Captain Drummond, going on
board to consult Admiral Brown in the Sarandi, was
struck by a 24.-pound shot, and ceased to exist.
Thirty persons were all that remained of the crew of
the Independence, and she was then taken possession
of by the Caboclo. The Republic continued to fight
till half-past eight o'clock, although aground, and
Admiral Brown, finding no hopes of her getting off,
set her on fire, having previously removed to the
Sarandi, which vessel and the Congress returned to
Buenos-Ayres in the face of 19 of the enemy'S vessels,
not one of which had the courage to interrupt them.
The loss has been from 70 to 80 killed and wounded
in the Independence, and 30 prisoners. The brig
totally destroyed, and the wreck burnt; two killed
and 11 wounded. Sarandi, five killed and 12
wounded. 'Admiral Brown was slightly wounded,
but he has nearly recovered. Captain Granville

was struck in the left arm by a cannon shot : it has

been amputated just below the elbow. Excep
Drummond, no other officer of note has been hurt.

The Brazilians must have suffered very con-
siderably. One of their brigs got aground, and 'but
for a breeze springing up, would have been taken.
The traits of courage shown by the crews of the
Buenos-Ayrean vessels were numerous. Au English
sailor, who had just had his leg amputated, entreated
the doctor to put his leg into a gun and fire it at the
enemy. The Government treat the wounded most
kindly, and every comfort is bestowed on them.
Captain Drummond is very much lamented at
Buenos-Ayres. The privateers are reaping a rich
harvest • the San Par (Matchless) has sent in
prizes that will sell for 350,000 dollars. The
General Manila has been nearly as successful, and
her prizes are worth 250,000 dollars. The Em-
peror's subjects must feel the depredations on their
commerce. I have seen thousands of letters, con-
taining Bills of Exchange and other important
Papers. The privateering is almost wholly carried
on by foreigners, and they have a harbour called
Salado, in the river Samborombon, on the south side
of the river Plate, distant about 45 leagues from
Buenos-Ayres, from which there is a good carriage
road. The Solado is full of prizes.
Garcia, the late Minister, is going in the packet,
Eclipse, to Rio Janeiro and England : in conse-
quence we have great talk of peace. He is the
complete courtier, and his appointment offends the
plain, honest-dealing folks.
The Exchange on England is now ls. 6d. the
dollar; doubloons, 50 paper dollars. The paper
issues continue, and thus remove the evil day. Com-
plaints of the war are seldom heard. The goods
taken in the prizes supply the market. I have not
any news to communicate from the army. They are
encamped on the Brazilian territory of Rio Grande,
repairing the losses sustained in battle, and from their
laborious marches. The Vengador privateer sailed
on a cruise; she is schooner rigged, and has 100 men.
We hear that the Brazilians suffered great loss in
the battle with Brown. Six of their vessels have
got into Monte-Video, dreadfully shattered. The
Brazilians acknowledge the loss of two to one, and
they amount, it is calculated, to 200 men. Unfor-
tunately Buenos-Ayres cannot so easily repair her
naval losses.

The restoration of trade in the manufacturing
towns is already felt over the whole kingdom. A sober
vivacity is experienced in business, and the price of al-
most every commodity is advanced. The improvement was
remarkable at the great Annual Wool and Sheep Market
of Inverness, held a few days ago.—Fife Herald.
SUDDEN DEATH.—Yesterday afternoon an
elderly person, an inmate of St. Giles's Work-
house, who had seen better days, called at the
King's Head public-house, near Exeter'Change,
Strand, as was his constant habit, when he got
liberty, to dine with Mr. Fean, the landlord.
He partook of a hearty dinner,. and drank a little
weak gin and water, after which he sat down in
the parlour, where he was suddenly taken ill.
A surgeon was sent for, who opened a vein, but
without effect, as before he arrived the old man
was a corpse. It is supposed he broke a blood-
vessel in the head. The deceased was upwards
of 80 years of age? and a man- of sober habits.