Betrayal

Domingo a visitor to Buenos Aires may stand before the actual colours of the 71st Regiment of Highlanders, surrendered on that fateful day by General Beresford.

As usual, for space reasons, I am unable to acknowledge everyone I consulted in the process of writing this book, but to all I owe my deep thanks. Special mention, however, must be made of Sarah Callejo in Madrid who gave unstintingly of her time in respect of various queries on Spanish sources. I also owe a debt of gratitude to the staff of the British Library and the University of London Library.

And, as ever, my huge appreciation must go to my wife and literary partner, Kathy, my agent Carole Blake and my editor Oliver Johnson.

Glossary

agent-victualler

Admiralty-appointed port agent for supplying naval victuals

aguardiente

rough Spanish brandy

avast

stop or desist an action

aviso

dispatch vessel

balandra

cutter or sloop-rigged South American privateer or fishing boat

beakhead

the ornamented support and small deck around the bowsprit

becket

piece of rope to secure loose gear

Blaauwberg, battle of

defining battle in 1806 that secured Cape Town for the British

blandengues

South American colonial militia

block

a sea-going pulley

boomkin

spar under the bowsprit to take the block to stretch the foresail to windward

bridle

rope span attached to leech cringles to tauten the sail when close-hauled

caballero

Spanish honorific for gentleman, literally horseman

calesa

two-wheeled carriage for notables

canister

small iron balls in a tin case fired by cannon for anti-personnel effect

carronade

short-barrelled, large-calibre gun for use at close range

catblash

nonsense

coxswain

in charge of a boat; captain’s coxswain is in charge of the captain’s barge

crow

a bar with claws to lever around the great guns in aiming

cruiser

an independent vessel, normally a frigate, sent to annoy the enemy’s trade

cutting out

a daring raid by boats into an enemy harbour to capture or destroy enemy shipping

davit

a boat hoist in place of the usual midship stay tackle

distinction

bringing to notice by exceptional courage or achievement

duck

a fine strong white cloth made from untwilled linen, much favoured by sailors

falucho

decked craft local to the River Plate, used in coastal defence and trade

Felucca

small lateen-rigged cargo carrier, corsair

fo’c’sleman

the division of men stationed on the fore-deck; the most experienced seamen

gasket

rope to secure furled sail to the yard

grape-shot

intermediate between canister and solid shot, tiers of smaller balls separated by discs fired as one shot