The mountain region which they occupied, presented peculiarly grand and picturesque features; with the exception of the fertile and beautiful southern end of the vale of San Estevan, the eye of the beholder sees only the stern and wild variety of alpine scenery. Mountains of the most varied forms are piled together, at one part piercing the clouds with their gray and jagged pinnacles, at another, long and laborious paths conduct to green and rounded summits. Every where are wild ravines, and torrents choked up by huge fragments of rocks. These wilds are traversed by narrow and stony roads, winding through dark and shadowy fastnesses; the only sounds heard by the solitary traveller, are the rush of the torrent, and the screan of the eagle.

Soult's first object was the relief of Pampeluna; and he intended to attack on the same day both the passes of Roncesvalles and Maya, the roads from which converge upon that fortress. The right of the allied army, as we have already mentioned, was at Roncesvalles, ground consecrated by the genius of romance. On the 24th, Soult attacked General Byng, at the latter pass, with nearly 40,000 men; Sir Loury Cole moved up to his support, and the two generals maintained the post throughout the day against great superiority of numbers, with distinguished bravery; but in the afternoon their position was turned, and in the night they retreated to Zerberi. The same day Hill's corps was attacked by two divisions of the enemy's centre, who were aided by an unexpected chance. Two advanced videttes, posted on a high ground, to give timely warning of their approach, fell asleep during the heat of the day; the enemy thus advanced unnoticed, and were in the camp almost before the

alarm could be given. Favoured by this unlooked for accident, they gained the position, which afforded them a passage to Pampeluna in the rear of the British right flank; and though Hill, after a heavy loss, recovered the key of the position, he was unable to pursue his advantage and re-assume it, as he had heard of General Cole's intended movements; he therefore fell back to Irurita. Wellington having been acquainted with these events during the night, took immediate steps to concentrate the army on the right, still keeping up the investments of the fortresses, for the relief of which the enemy directed their efforts. This would have been accomplished on the 27th, had the post of Zubiri been tenable, but Picton and Cole, convinced of the contrary, retired that same morning to a position four miles from Pampeluna, to cover the blockade; and here as they took up their ground they were joined by Lord Wellington. His presence was required there, for the garrison's confidence was high because of the approach of their friends; and the Spanish general, despairing of success, thought of raising the blockade, had spiked some of his guns, and the enemy having sallied forth, took fourteen of them. But the hopes of the garrison were doomed to be soon blasted."

The French assaulted a hill on the right, and vainly endeavoured to possess it, till night ended the conflict. Next morning Pakenham with the 7th division arrived from San Estevan, and formed across the valley of the Lanz behind Cole's left. Scarcely was this position taken up, when a supe rior force attacked them; but it was so well chosen and defended, that the French were met by a simultaneous and well-directed fire on their front, rear, and both flanks, and driven back with im- .

mense loss. Soult never recovered this false movement; the battle became general along the whole front of the height held by the 4th division; only in one point did the French succeed in establishing themselves upon the British line, and from that they were speedily dislodged. Every regiment of this brave corps charged with the bayonet ; and four of them made four different charges. Soult now perceived that no impression could be made upon the allies' front; till he could do so in safety, he sent back his guns to France, and now determined to attempt the relief of Pampeluna, by attacking Sir Rowland Hill, and thus turning the allies' left.

The numerous and superior force which had caused Hill to retire, followed him, and arriving at Ortery on the 29th, brought a strong reinforcement to Soult. The position of the French, Lord Wellington considered, to be one of the strongest and most difficult of access that could be occupied ; but he resolved to attempt it; and as they were manœuvering upon the British left, and endeavouring to turn it, he attacked them on both flanks, and in front, and notwithstanding the extraordinary strength of the post, carried it. In proportion as he gained ground, he sent troops to assist Hill, who was thus enabled to attack in his turn; and Soult, now baffled on all points, began his retreat, which he accomplished in an orderly manner, but with severe loss. The loss of the French in these actions was estimated at 15,000; the British and Portuguese had 862 killed, 5,335 wounded, and 700 missing; the Spaniards, who were only slightly engaged, lost but 204. "The actions of the Pyrenees were remarkable for the extent on which the operations were carried on, the nature and celebrity of the ground, and the importance of the object at

stake. Lord Wellington had never more occasion for all his skill, and that skill was never more eminently displayed; his movements were all well-directed, well-timed, and well-executed; and the superiority of the British and Portuguese armies, generals and men, was never more decisively proved than on this occasion, when the French displayed their utmost talents and exerted their utmost courage.

No sooner had Soult retreated, than preparations were made for the renewal of the siege of St. Sebastian; the stores and besieging train were relanded, and more artillery arrived from England. The garrison had spent the interval in strengthening and adding to their defences. The plan now formed was to lay open the two round towers on each end of the first breach, and connect it with the second, which was to the right; add to it another on the left, and demolish a demi-bastion to the eft of the whole, by which the approach was flanked. A mortar battery was also erected to annoy the castle across the bay. The siege recommenced on the 24th, and the batteries opened two days after; two unsuccessful sorties were attempted by the garrison, who endeavoured to repair at night the injury done during the day; cleared away the rubbish, and at the point to which the guns were directed, let down large solid beams, to break the force of the shot. On the 29th, the enemy's fire was nearly subdued, and they had lost many men by the spherical case-shot. On the 30th,

the breaches seemed practicable, and men were invited to volunteer for the assault-" such men," it was said, "as knew how to show other troops the way to mount a breach." Sir Thomas Graham conducted the operations in person. The column

of attack was composed of the 2nd brigade of the 5th division, commanded by General Robinson, supported by 150 volunteers of the light division, 400 of the 1st, and 200 from the 4th, with the remainder of the 5th as a reserve, the whole under Sir James Leith's direction. About eleven o'clock on the 31st, the advanced parties moved out of the trenches, and the enemy almost instantly sprung two mines, to blow up the wall on the left of the breach, along which the troops moved; but as they were not in very close order, or very near the wall, not above twenty men were crushed by the ruins.

The garrison prepared to make a most formidable resistance, and from two batteries of the castle opened a fire of grape and shells on the columns. The forlorn hope was cut off to a man, the front of the following parties were swept away as by one shot; the breach, when the assailants reached it, was presently covered with their bodies; many as they ascended, were overthrown, by those above them rolling down, and the living, the wounded, and the dead, were hurled down the ruins together. From the Murador and Prince batteries, from the keep of the castle, from the high curtain to the left of the breach, from some ruined houses about 40 yards in front, loop-holed and lined with musketry, a concentrated fire was kept up; a line of intrenchments carried along the nearest parallel walls swept the summit of the breach; and the hornwork flanked and commanded the ascent; almost every possible point was manned.

All that the most determined courage could do, was repeatedly tried in vain by the troops, as they were successively brought forward from the trenches. "Nothing," says Sir Thomas Graham,