‘I see.’ Popham kept his tone level. ‘Then it appears this council-of-war has a majority agreement on the way forward for the operation. Gentlemen, there’s much to be covered in preparing for this assault and I propose that it be accomplished by forming two planning groups, one naval, for landing and support, and one army, for operations ashore. I shall head the naval. Might I ask General Beresford to head the army?’
Renzi was neither in the gunroom nor his cabin. Kydd hid his irritation and went on deck looking for him; he couldn’t set messengers to finding him because a captain’s summons would be relayed in the strongest terms – which was not what he wanted with his friend in the mood he had been under these past days.
After several blank looks at his enquiries he remembered that when the vessel was at anchor Renzi sometimes secured solitude, that prize above all things in a small ship, in one favoured place. Kydd made his way forward and swung up into the fore-ratlines, climbing up and over the futtock shrouds into the fore-top.
Renzi was there, his back to the mast and with a book. He looked up coldly. ‘Do I inconvenience at all?’
Kydd sat next to him. With all sails in, no men aloft and lookouts absent, it felt strangely bare and deserted, the maze of rigging thrumming softly in the quiet with the far-off sad keening of a sea-bird carrying across the water.
‘You’re not at your scribbling, then.’
‘No.’
‘Er, it would oblige if you could favour me with your presence at this time.’
‘If that is your order.’
‘Time presses, Nicholas. We make our move on the Spaniards very shortly but there’s a mort o’ planning to be done first. This is not work for the captain’s clerk and I’d appreciate it if-’
‘I’d hoped to have escaped an embroilment in this absurdity.’
Kydd’s voice hardened. ‘And could I remind you that you’re aboard this ship courtesy of a position which carries duties. If you’re not of a mind . . .’
‘Very well, I shall come, if such is necessary.’
‘Damn it, Nicholas!’ Kydd burst out. ‘What more have you got against the man?’
‘Since you ask it,’ Renzi replied coolly, ‘I shall point out to you how this whole business must look to the world.
‘Here we have a flag-officer who quits his station for the other side of the ocean – and for what? Not only is it for the fantastical notion of invading a continent but now it appears he has persuaded his command that they abandon the reduction of the enemy’s fortress stronghold for an attack on the seat of the viceroyalty itself. Why? Well, in the meantime he has learned of a king’s ransom in silver in the city’s vaults, and-’
‘This is not the way it is, Nicholas,’ Kydd said thickly, ‘and unworthy of you!’
‘-therefore most would be hard pressed to find a real difference between this and Drake’s raids on the Spanish Main two centuries past. No strategics but gain and plunder.’
‘You’ve the opening of trade and-’
‘Do spare me the recitation, old fellow. I’ve said I’ll come,’ Renzi said wearily, and got up. ‘Shall we get on with it?’
The first draft of planning brought back from Popham was a sobering document. Shifting the objective had brought with it some near insuperable problems, the worst of which was Russell’s emphatic statement – confirmed by boat – that the depth of water was such that not only were the sixty-fours unable to penetrate much further into the River Plate but neither were the frigates.
This was a severe blow for it meant that their landing far up the river would go in without heavy gunfire support of any kind, the boats at the mercy of any artillery brought to bear from the shore as well as being under the merciless lash of musketry as they tried to group on the landing beach, with no chance to reply.
Actual forces defending were unknown: the viceroy could be counted on to garrison a battalion or two, but what if a much larger militia force had been mobilised? Perhaps an army in the interior was on forced march to the coast even as they delayed.
Their own force was frighteningly slight. Eight hundred or so officers and men of the 71st and a handful of light dragoons, together with the reinforcements from St Helena, bringing the total to something over a thousand all told. Against a city of so many tens of thousands.
‘If you are determined upon it, then there’s only one rational course,’ Renzi pronounced.
‘What, pray?’
‘Suspend your immediate ambitions and wait patiently for reinforcements.’
Kydd gave a grim smile. ‘There’s another.’
‘Oh?’
‘Our ships are obliged to lie at anchor, idle – if we make levy of every marine and seaman who can carry a musket we’ll have half as many troops again. Remember the sea battalion at Blaauwberg? And we’ve a mighty ally that’ll count for a whole army.’
‘I’m intrigued to know what.’
‘Surprise! No one will believe we really intend to fall on Buenos Aires with what few we have.’
‘True indeed,’ Renzi agreed fervently.
‘We tide up in one of these damn fogs and set ashore as close as we can to the city, then go straight in. I’ve heard there’s a pitiful harbour there and now I know why, but we’ll be coming ashore south o’ the city.’
‘And the Good Lord have mercy on us all,’ murmured Renzi.
‘Damn it all, Nicholas,’ Kydd blazed. ‘If ye can’t think of else to say, clew up y’r jawing tackle an’ stand mumchance f’r once.’
Renzi started at the return of Kydd’s fo’c’sle lingo. He shuffled awkwardly at the sudden realisation of the depth of his friend’s feelings. ‘My apologies. If there’s aught . . . ?’
Kydd subsided, but growled, ‘Then what’s to do with your painting friend? A general rising an’ natives flocking to our colours would be prime at this time, I’d believe.’
Renzi’s face shadowed. ‘There’s been no signal from Puerto del Ingles these five days. I’m sanguine Vicente will be doing what he can, so it has to be assumed there’s to be no immediate action on the part of the rebels. Whether this is due to him not being able to find or communicate with the leaders, or that he hasn’t been able to secure their agreement to meet us, I’ve no idea.’
‘Or he’s been taken by the Spanish before he’s spoken with ’em.’
‘Er, just so.’
The next morning Kydd arrived back from consultations on the flagship with a wry grin. ‘He’s already thought of my idea about landing seamen and takes my bringing it to him as a mark of enthusiasm. Be damned to it, and I’m therefore made chief of the Marine Battalion.’
‘My earnest felicitations, brother.’
‘I’ve two days to bring ’em up to snuff. So let’s begin – an order on all captains for a return of men trained in muskets, the ship’s company set to stitching up some sort of red coat for each one. We’ll have – let me see – a field mark on the left arm of a stripe o’ white cloth. No harm in taking precautions. Then we have to know what they’ll need in their knapsacks and such.’
He snorted. ‘But this is all lobsterback territory. I’m to send for our l’tenant o’ marines, I believe.’
Clinton heard Kydd out gravely and promised to bring his recommendations within the hour.
‘Now we’ve only to find seats for a thousand and a half men in craft as will swim among the shoals.’
‘And more for the running in of stores and ammunition,’ Renzi added.
‘And the field guns,’ agreed Kydd. ‘And we’ve horses to get landed. So let’s be moving on it.’
‘It’s a miracle, I agree, Mr Gilbey,’ Kydd said, waiting for the boat to take him to Encounter, the little craft that was to have the honour of leading the expedition in its thrust into the heart of the enemy. Hollow-eyed and weary beyond feeling, he surveyed the scatter of humble vessels that was now the invasion fleet. Small transports, captured coasters, the largest ship’s boats – anything that could carry men was now crowded with soldiery, on time and ready to sail.
And, praise be, one of the cold fogs had rolled in right on cue. This was the chance they needed to slip past Montevideo and achieve some measure of surprise, but at the cost of all landmarks obliterated as they closed with their objective among the fearful shallows and reefs. It would take seamanship of the highest order to get through without casualty.