by
wholesale smuggling; neutral ships continued to ply between continental
ports, and Napoleon did not disdain to clothe his troops with 50,000
British overcoats during the Eylau campaign. Still, Great Britain was
enabled to cripple, if not to destroy, the merchant shipping of all
other countries, and the interests of consumers all over Europe were
enlisted against the author of the continental system. On the other
hand, a heavy blow was dealt to friendly relations between Great Britain
and the United States, the chief victim of these belligerent
pretensions.[36]

[Pageheading: _FRUITLESS EXPEDITIONS._]

In the meantime, the prestige of Great Britain had been injured by three
petty and abortive expeditions projected by the Grenville ministry. The
first of these was sent out to complete the conquest of Buenos Ayres,
the recapture of which was unknown in England. Sir Samuel Auchmuty, who
commanded it, finding himself too late to occupy that city, attacked and
took Monte Video by storm with much skill and spirit, on February 3,
1807. Shortly afterwards, he was superseded by General Whitelocke,
bringing reinforcements, with orders to recover Buenos Ayres. In this he
signally failed, owing to gross tactical errors. The British troops were
almost passively slaughtered in the streets, and Whitelocke agreed to
withdraw the remains of his force, and give up Monte Video, on condition
of all prisoners being surrendered. On his return home, he was tried by
a court-martial and cashiered, being also declared "totally unfit to
serve his majesty in any military capacity whatever".

Equally ill-managed was the naval expedition, directed to support
Russia, then in close alliance with Great Britain, by coercing the
sultan into a rupture with France. Collingwood, who was not consulted,
was required to entrust the command of this expedition, which started in
February, 1807, to Sir John Duckworth. Everything depended on
promptitude, and the admiral found little difficulty in forcing the
passage of the Dardanelles, as it was then almost unfortified. Having
reached Constantinople, he allowed himself to waste time in fruitless
negotiations, contrary to Collingwood's earnest advice, and not only
effected nothing but gravely imperilled his return. Instructed by the
French minister Sebastiani, the Turks had armed their coasts, and
erected batteries along the Dardanelles, through which the British fleet
made its way with considerable loss. Inste