And cutting across all was a divide: on one side the loyalists, who stood with Spain and the old ways, and on the other the patriots, who strove to free themselves to achieve independence.
‘And will they succeed, do you think?’ Kydd asked carefully.
‘Only a little, a very little, and the city will explode. Then – God help us all!’ Rodriguez said fervently.
Over the next few days the city settled to a strained quiet. Beresford’s proclamations were received without murmur, the first a restating that the supremacy of the Roman Catholic Church would remain unchallenged and untouched, closely followed by a state opening of the cabildo and the installing of the previous alcalde de primer voto to officiate from his same chair.
Bull-fighting at the Retiro would continue; currency reform and the judiciary could wait. The most vital matter was the opening of the port to free trade. Kydd found his time taken up with explaining over and over that this was no Byzantine ploy to entrap traders into incurring punitive fees later, but when a few nervous shippers began loading and sailing others started to come forward.
Passing vessels with no knowledge that the port had changed hands were agreeably surprised to be welcomed in, and from the roof of the fort Kydd could take satisfaction in looking out at a fair number of sails moored in the River Plate, goods being lightered to and fro, and the sight, unique in his experience of a major port, of the strange high-wheeled carts wending their way out across the mud-flats to the flat boats.
Renzi, his curiosity satisfied, preferred to stay with the ship, no doubt in a fever of creativity with his novel, but from time to time various L’Aurores were sent as relief.
Kydd was in a conference when a subaltern of the light dragoons galloped into the square and demanded to be taken instantly to General Beresford.
‘Sir!’ the young man declared, as he was shown into the room. ‘Captain Arbuthnot is in need of escort.’
‘Why so?’
‘Sir, on account we caught up with the viceroy’s treasure, and having relieved ’em of it the captain’s on his way back. He’s now encumbered with fourteen mule-carts of bullion.’
The meeting broke up in a buzz of astonishment. Beresford snapped orders detaching part of the garrison, then growled, ‘And now we’ll have every gold-crazy lunatic in Buenos Aires about our ears until we’re rid of it.’
It made an incredible sight, winding into the square: an endless file of carts accompanied on each side by troops of soldiers. A gathering crowd was held at bay while the treasure was transferred into the fort’s strong-room.
In the evening word came through: a first count had the amount in the sum of an incredible half-million pieces of eight, as well as gold and silver bars, more than a score boxes of doubloons and at least a hundred pouches of coins, three thousand clinking in each.
Together with what had also been discovered hidden in the city treasury they were now in possession of considerably more than a million Spanish dollars. The dragoons, royally entertained that evening, told of how Viceroy Sobramonte, disbelieving that the British would chase him so far into the interior, had panicked. Dropping everything, he had fled towards distant Cordoba, leaving his party to throw the treasure down wells. It had been a tense day or two in the recovery, for roving bands had come down to dispute it, but discipline and haste had won the day.
Needing to report, Kydd went to see Popham in his flagship off Maldonado.
‘A prime catch,’ the commodore purred, ‘as will warm the cockles of every man in the fleet.’
‘If it’s not deemed Droits of the Crown,’ Kydd said, uneasy at what others might see as naked plunder.
‘It won’t be.’
‘We did main well in the article of guns, Dasher. Eighty-six pieces of artillery and five hundred-odd barrels of powder found in the arsenal, not to mention some hundred or so stand of muskets.’
‘Very good indeed. I would like to think that at last things are going our way.’
He extracted a sheet from out of a neat stack of papers before him. ‘Do look at this, old fellow, and tell me your opinion.’
Kydd read:
To the Mayor and Corporation of Manchester, . . . I consider it a duty to the commercial interest of Great Britain . . . that the conquest of this place opens an extensive channel for your manufactures . . . Hitherto, the trade of this country has been cramped beyond belief, and the manufactures could only find their way to this rich province by neutral bottoms and contraband intrigues . . . from this moment its trade will be thrown open . . .
‘If that doesn’t set them in a tizzy of speculation as to who’s to be here first, then I’m a Dutchman!’ Popham added.
Kydd was impressed: it was a direct call to the northern industries that a market of immense size was suddenly open to them with premium prices going to the first to satisfy the hunger for manufactured goods. The River Plate should very soon be thronged with enterprising merchantmen.
‘And our reinforcements?’ It was critical that these were not delayed for it would not be long before the Spanish in the north heard about the catastrophe and, stretched as the British were, there could be only one result.
‘In St Helena I sent dispatches to England with our intentions, and now by fast frigate I shall tell them of our victory against the odds. This news will be accompanied by freight to the value of a million silver dollars to delight the crowd. Do you not think then that the Admiralty would wish to safeguard the nation’s hope?’
Kydd came to the alert instantly. Any frigate captain fortunate enough to return with news of a famous victory and treasure to prove it would be the talk of the hour, not to mention the considerable fee he would earn by right for carrying specie. ‘Er, have you given thought to who-’
‘Oh, well, it will have to depart very soon, of course,’ Popham said airily. ‘I’ve dispatches to complete and General Beresford pleads for much in the way of army stores and supplies – I’d think Narcissus would answer, she being new-victualled for sea.’
Kydd kept his thoughts to himself: was Popham taking the opportunity to rid himself of Donnelly, a senior captain and outspoken critic of his handling of the expedition?
‘And, of course, as a heavy frigate she’s of limited value in these shoal waters,’ Popham finished.
Smiling briefly, he enquired, ‘So. How is our port captain taking to his responsibilities? Does all march well on the waterfront?’
‘No, sir.’ His adjutant was polite but firm and Beresford had no choice but to hear him out. ‘Since your proclamation went out six days ago, there have been but sixty-five citizens sworn.’
‘So few?’ the general said incredulously.
‘Sir.’
This was perplexing: of the tens of thousands of inhabitants only a tiny handful had come to pledge allegiance to the Crown. Did this suggest that the people had no sense of relief at having thrown off the yoke of Spanish rule, or had it deeper significance to do with the King of Great Britain also being Defender of the Faith but not the old one?
‘Should we perhaps follow it up with some form of coercion, loss of citizen’s rights, that sort of thing, do you think?’
The officer spoke carefully: ‘Sir, your words to the deputation of patricios were, I’m persuaded, not best calculated to settle their fears. They asked for an undertaking that we would defend them against a Spanish counter-attack and you-’
‘I know what I said, damn it! They wanted me to guarantee their security against all and every motion of the enemy. This is militarily impossible and I cannot sacrifice my honour to a false promise, sir.’
‘Yes, sir,’ the officer said patiently. ‘But it were better you didn’t say so in so many words. The implication now is that, if it suits us tactically to withdraw from the city before the Spanish return in force, they will be subject to reprisal for collaborating with us, and your Spaniard is well known to be cruel in vengeance.’