While thus blindly affording every encouragement to rebellion at home, Lizana took great precaution against the less imminent danger of foreign invasion. Out of the scattered companies formed by Iturrigaray in various towns, he organized battalions;[1] the regiment of Vera Cruz was increased, and arms were ordered to be purchased in London and the United States. In the exhausted condition of the treasury, the viceroy once more appealed for money to pay for these weapons, and considerable sums were contributed. A cannon foundry was established in the capital, Francisco Dimas Rangel engaging to furnish the government weekly with one piece of artillery. The cost of the establishment was $8,000, which amount was contributed by the dean and chapter of Valladolid.[2]
Meanwhile disaster attended the Spanish arms. After the battle of Talavera, Wellington had retired into Portugal, leaving the Spaniards to cope with the French as best they could; and Venegas, the future viceroy of New Spain, rashly giving battle at Almonacid was routed on the 9th of August, 1809. Then followed the defeat at Ocaña, and the retirement of the junta central from Seville to the island of Leon. The unpopularity of the junta was so great, however, that the members recognized the necessity of dissolving, and their last official act was the creation, on the 29th of January, 1810, of a regency composed of five members, the bishop of Orense, Pedro de Quevedo y Quintano, who had firmly opposed the projects of Napoleon at the congress of Bayonne; Francisco de Saavedra, president of the junta de Sevilla; Fran-
- ↑ This was the origin of the battalions of Tula, Cuautitlan, Tulancingo, and others. Alaman, Hist. Mej., i. 321.
- ↑ Gaz. de. Mex. , 1810, i. 247-8; Diario, Mex., xii. 535-6. The celebrated sculptor Manuel Tolsa was also engaged at this time in casting 100 cannon at the expense of the tribunal de mineria, the cost of which was $500,000. These cannon as already mentioned had been offered by that tribunal to Iturrigaray, and Tolsa commenced work at the close of Garibay's administration. Alaman, Hist. Mej., i. 300, 321.
