With these views he embarked for England.
During his residence in Europe he regularly corresponded with his
daughter, Mrs. Alston, and also kept a private diary; but probably
from the apprehension that his papers were at all times subject to the
supervision of the government police, his memoranda are in a great
measure restricted to occurrences private and personal. An amusing
volume [1] _might_ be made of these daily records of his privations
and personal adventures during his protracted and forced residence in
Europe, but the limits of the present work compel us to pass hastily
over this period of his life.
He arrived in Falmouth on the 15th, and in London on the 16th July;
and on the same day, with characteristic promptitude, he presented his
letters of introduction, and, among others, to John Reeves, Esq., then
in the department of the secretary of state, through whom he seems to
have hoped to gain access to the ministry.
During the next three months he made, through Mr. Reeves and others,
various unsuccessful efforts to approach the government; but there
were two obstacles in his way, both of which were insuperable. The
Spaniards were then in the commencement of their noble resistance to
the invasion of Napoleon, and the enthusiasm of the British nation in
favour of the Spanish patriots, as well as the policy of the British
government, were absolutely opposed to any scheme for separating the
colonies from Spain.
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