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very business.

F. Bardett's in the evening, my with in Holland. M. de Chassen. house being at a distance.

I not ton was actually in the boat. I only did so, but I called at sir F. Bur. must bear witness to his determi.. dett's four days successively, for nation; for I am convinced that the sake of seeing this gentleman, nothing could have made this young and did see him several times in this man, remarkable for his merit,

quit the boat, if the well-grounded

Jown Cooper. apprehension which I entertained, Stamford-street,'

of seeing him exposed to certain May 18, 1807.

destruction, had not suggested to me the idea of declaring to him,

that the balloon was not capable of Second Ascension by Night of M. carrying up two persons. Garnerin. See p. 485.

66 It was thus in the most ad.

verse weather, and exposed to the “My second aërial journey by greatest opposition and the tumult night will not afford an opportunity of a cabal, the head of which it is for the brilliant narratives which I casy to guess at, that I ascended have had occasion to make in the from Tivoli, at half past ten o'clock course of my forty preceding ascen- on the night of the 21st of Septemsions. I shall not have to describe ber. An unexampled rapidity of the majestic appearances which na. ascension, but extremely necessary ture continually offers to the eyes to prevent me from coming in con. of an aëronaut who ascends in fa- tact with the adjoining houses, rai. vourable weather. I can only give sed me above the clouds, and in a a narrative of an aërial tempest' few minutes carried me to an imwhich was nigh terminating in a mense height, the extent of which I shipwreck.

cannot precisely ascertain, on 66 The obstacles which the wind count of the dangers and embarrass. caused to the inflation of the bal- ments which suddenly affected my loon, sufficiently apprised me of imagination, and prevented me from the approach of the storm; and to observing the declension of the the difficulties of the weather was mercary in the barometer. Eleva. added the turbulence of a party, ted in an instant to the frozen reby which I was prevented from gions, the balloon became subject to placing the cord of the valvc, so as a degree of expansion which inspi. to regulate the tube, which, in red me with the greatest'apprehen. case of expansion, was to conduct sion. There was no alternative be. the gas into a direction different tween certain death and giving an from the lights which surrounded instant vent to the gas; and this at the bottom of the balloon.

the risk of seeing the balloon take 66 I was to have been accompa. fire. I gradually opened with one nied by M. de Chassenton; but the hand an orifice of about two feet aërial storm, which continually in- diameter, by which the gas escaped creased until the moment of my de. in large volumes, while, with the parture, gave me reason to appre other, 1 extinguished as many of the hend such a disaster as Mr. Blan. lights as I could. During this er. chard, and another zëropaut, met fort, I several times was near over.

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balancing

ac.

balancing myself, and falling out of the boat.

"Deprived of the opportunity of regulating the valve, my balloon, like a ship without a rudder, floated in air, obeying the influence of the temperature, the winds, and the rain. Whenever the force of these made me descend, the storm, which kept still increasing, obliged me to throw out ballast, for the purpose of avoiding it, and escaping from imminent shipwreck. At length, at four o'clock in the morning, after having been almost continually enveloped in thick clouds, through which I could seldom see the moon, all my means of supporting myself In the air were exhausted. Whatver skill I possessed, was no longer fuse to me. My boat several imes struck against the ground, nd rebounded from thence.-The tempest often drove me against the sides and tops of mountains.— Whenever my anchor caught in a tree, the balloon was so violently agitated by the wind, that I experienced all the inconvenience of a violent sea-sickness. Plunged at one time to the bottom of a precipice, in an instant after I ascended, and acquired a new elevation. The violence of the concussions exhaust. ed my strength, and I lay for a half-hour in the boat in a State of insensibility. During this tempest I recovered; I perceived Mont Tonnerre, and it was in the midst of crashes of thunder, and at a moment which I supposed would be my last, that I planted upon this celebrated mountain the Eagle of Napoleon joined to that of Alexander,

"I was carried away for some time longer by gusts of wind; but fortunately some peasants came to my assistance, at the moment that

the anchor hooked in a tree. They took hold of the cords which hung from the balloon, and landed me in a forest upon the side of a mountain, at half past five in the morning, seven hours and a half after my departure, and more than 100 leagues distant from Paris. They took me to Clausen, in the canton of Waldfischbach, and department of Mont Tonnerre. M. Cesar, a man of information, and mayor of the neighbouring town, came and offered me every assistance in his power, and at my request drew up a narrative, of which he gave me a copy.

I was splendidly entertained the next day at Deux Ponts by a society of friends of the arts, consisting of public functionaries, the officers of the 12th regiment of cuirassiers, and of the members of the lodge of freemasons.

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"GARNERIN.”

Surrender of Buenos Ayres.

The London Gazette of Jan. 27 contains a dispatch, dated Oct. 13. from lieut. col. Backhouse, commanding a detachment in Rio de la Plata, to sir D. Baird, announcing the re-capture of Buenos Ayres, and his assumption of the command of the land forces. Another letter from this officer to Mr. Windham,dated Oct. 31, states, that an attempt was made on the 28th by him and sir H. Popham, to take Monte Video by storm, but the water was too shallow to admit the ships to come sufficiently near to bombard the town with effect; they therefore withdrew, and, after refreshing the troops, the lieut, col, landed on the 29th, with 400 men, principally

from

from the 23d, under col. Vassal, who advanced against Maldonado, which seemed to be occupied by about 600 regulars and militia, mostly mounted, with one howitzer, and one 4-pounder field-piece. Though our troops were without any artillery, they soon dispersed the enemy, with the loss of their guns, and about 50 men killed and wounded. The loss on our side was two killed and four wounded, of the 38th regiment.

Colonel Backhouse adds,-" To the cool intrepidity of our little column on this occasion, much praise is due, as it advanced with the utmost steadiness and alacrity, and without firing a shot, until sufficiently near to make a certainty of carrying both the guns and the town, which was principally done by the bayonet, notwithstanding the advance was made under heavy discharges of grape and musketry. -To the well-known gallantry and ability of col. Vassal, I feel myself much indebted; and the con duct of every other officer in the field has commanded my thanks.”

The next day the heavy batteries on the beach of the harbour, and the peninsula, surrendered at dis. cretion to sir H. Popham. The marines and armed seamen sent ou shore by sir H. were of the great. est assistance in the capture of Maldonado. Col. Backhouse closes his dispatches with mentioning the great services he received from major Trotter of the 83d, and major Tucker of the 72d.

Return of Ordnance, Ammunition,

howitzer, with 10 rounds of ammunition; 1 six-pounder, with 10 rounds of ditto.

Iron Ordnance. 12 twenty-sixpounders on sea-batteries; 20 twenty-four-pounders, on the island of Goretti; 700 muskets, 200 pistols, 300 swords, 180 barrels of powder.

Then follow copies of two let ters from sir H. Popham to W. Marsden, esq. The first is dated on board the Diadem, in Rio de la Plata, August 25th, and describes the circumstances which progressively led to the surrender of the settlement of Buenos Ayres.

"Pueridon, (says sir H.) one of the municipality, appears to have been the greatest organ of the revolution. He applied himself with great art and address in preparing the people for a general insurrection. The arms in the town were secreted, ready for the moment of action; the discontented assembled every night, and attended to his instructions, and he raised all the rabble of the country by the ample supplies of money with which he was furnished on the north side of the river. Col. Liniers, a French officer in the Spanish service, and on his parole, successfully employed himself in collecting people at Colonia. Terror was established, and every person who refused to contribute his assistance to this conspiracy was threatened with immediate death. I have traced this from very unquestionable authority; and so rapid was the progress of the revolution, when it first shewed itself, that it was not till the 31st of July that I learnt, by a dispatch from the general, which reached me at Ensenada, on my return from Monte Video, that he was appre

and Stores, &c. taken from the
Enemy in the Town and Vicinity of
Maldonado.
Brass Ordnance. 1 Six-inch hensive, from the information he

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received, an insurrection would in the harbour, but he was not able shortly be made. I heard at the to get there till the following day. same tinie from capt. Thompson, On the 5th, in the morning, it mo. that seventeen of the enemy's ves. derated, and I reached the Leda ; sels had just arrived at Colonia; and, when I received a report from capas it was reported that force was tain Thompson, that in the gale of still to be increased from Monte the preceding day the enemy crossed Video, I sent orders for the Dio. from Colonia totally unobserved by mede to be brought to Ensenada, any of our ships, except the schooand for capt. King, of the Diadem, ner under the command of lieuteto come up with the remaining few nant Herrick; but the easterly marines, the two companies of wind had thrown so much water in Blues, and as many other men as the river, that the enemy were could in any degree be spared from enabled to cross over any part of the ships, for the purpose of arming the Patmas bank without the neces. some vessels to attack the enemy at sity of making a greater détour Colonia, as it was impossible to pre- by going higher up the river.-On vent his crossing from the north the 6th and 7th it blew a hurrishore whenever the wind was fair, cane; the Leda was lying in four

" On the 1st of August, in the fathoms, with two anchors down, afternoon, the Leda anchored off and her yards and topmasts struck. Bucnos Ayres, about twelve miles -On the 8th I heard from captain distant; and on my landing on the King, that five of our gun-boạts had 2d, which I did as soon as the wea

foundered at their anchors; that ther would admit of a boat getting the Walker had lost her rudder, on shore, I found the general had and that the launches and large cutjust made a very successful attack

ters of the Diadem and Leda were on about 1500 Spaniards under lost.-—The torrents of rain that fell Pueridon, five leagues from the during the 6th, 7th, and 8th, bad town, with 500 men; in which he rendered the roads totally imprac. took all the enemy's cannon, (I ticable for any thing but cavalry ; think nine pieces,) and several pri- and consequently general Beres. goners.-On the 3d I attempted to ford was most seriously disappoint. return to the Leda, in the Encoun- ed in his determination to attack ter,

which captain Honeyman the enemy at a distance from the brought within a few miles of the town ; in which, had it taken place, shore for this purpose, as it blew I entertained no doubt that his very strong ; but the wind fresh. army would have added another ened so considerably from the east- trait of its invincible spirit under ward, that we could not get to his dispositions. The enemy, how. . windward. On the 4th, in the morn- ever, by his inexhaustible supply of ing, it was very thick weather, horses, suffered little inconveni. and the gale increased so much, that ence from the state of the roads, it was impossible to weigh.-About and he was therefore enabled to apnoon, captain King arrived in a ga. proach the town by several direc. livat with 150 men from the Dia. tions, without giving the British dem, for the purpose of arming the army any opportunity to attack few small vessels we had collected him. On the 10th,

the evening, the Castle was summoned ; and on ever, reinforcements crowded the the following day I landed, while tops of all the houses commanding our remaining vessels were firing on the great square from the back. the Spanish posts, and I learnt, that,' streets, and our troops were soon cxclusive of the Spanish army, considerably annoyed by people they which was divided into many co

could not get at. The enemy com. lumns, occupying the various ave. manded the Castle in the same way, nues of the town, the inhabitants with the additional advantage of a were all armed, and sheltered on the gun on the top of one of the chur. tops of the houses and churches, ches, which I consideran inde. with a design of carrying on a war lible stigma against the character of of ambush. Under these circum. the bishop, not only from his situstances, and the manifest dispo. ation, but the professions he made. sition of the enemy to prevent an - can easily conceive how the engagement, it was determined to feelings of general Beresford must, embark the wounded that night, and at this moment, have been on the cross the Rio Chello, for the pur. rack. Disappointed in his last ef. pose of moving towards Ensenada; forts to induce the enemy to a gene. but this measure was in a great de. sal engagement in the great square, gree frustrated by the weather, his gallant little army falling fast by which became very violent during shots from invisible persons, and the night, and consequently retard- the only alternative which could ed the progress of cmbarkation, present itself to save the useless ef. though the enemy added a consi. fusion of so much valuable blood, derable number of men

to the was a flag of truce, which was hoist, houses and churches near the Castle, ed at the Castle about one o'clock. and advanced by all the streets not ļo an instant there were near 10,000 under the influence of its fire; in men in the great square, pressing short, sir, Kis object was to forward in the most outrageous man, avoid by every means a general ac, ner to get into the fort, and eren tion, and to place his men in such firing at our men on the ramparts; a situation that they could fire at so much so, that it was with extreme our troops while they remained in difficulty the British troops were perfect security themselves. On prevented revenging this insult; inthe 12th, at day-light, I understand deed the general was obliged to tell a smart fire began from the enemy's the Spanish officers, if their men advanced posts, but was soon re

did not retire in the course of one turned with great cffect from our minute, he must, as the only mea. artillery, which was planted toward sure of safety, haul down the flag the principal streets leading to the of truce, and recommence hostiligreat square; for a short time the ties: this firmness had the desired enemy, by his immense numbers, effect, and he then sent his conditions shewed a greater degree of firmness to the Spanish general, and they than on any other occasion, and were instantly acceded to.” pushed forward with three pieces of From the subsequent part of this artillery, which colonel Pack, of letter, it appears that our loss on the 71st, soou charged and took the above occasion amounts to 2 from him. During this time, how. officers, 2 serjeants, 1 drummer,

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and

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