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abode at their houses, where, considering the short time since the enemy had left, they treated us with cheerful hospitality, and set abundance of good wine and victuals before us, Indeed I experienced the most kind and liberal reception; my wants of every kind were supplied even by anticipation, and my host perceiving that the rain had drenched me to the skin, actually compelled me to squeeze myself into some of his garments: bad any of my home friends then seen me, they could never have refrained from laughing, for my host was but a middle-sized person, whose largest coat hardly formed a jacket for me. His waistcoat and small clothes gave me a still more ludicrous appearance.

But the hospitality of the inhabitants had nearly proved our ruin, for a little after midnight the French made a feint to carry the town, and actually did drive in our piquets. Luckily they were unapprized of the drunken and disorganized state of our soldiery, (who almost to a man had been intoxicated by their liberal host), or had they been aware of our exact situation, I have no doubt they would have attempted in good earnest to drive us back from the town, where hardly a sober British soldier was to be found.

Very early on the morning of the 16th, the division of which our brigade formed the van, marched for Salamonde; all the small places on the road seemed abandoned by the inhabitants, and the furniture, utensils, &c. as well as the floors, doors, and roofs of the dwellings, had been either destroyed, burnt, or scattered about the adjacent fields.

The country between Braga and the village of Pinheiro is remarkably varied, and skirts a deep valley covered with Indian coru, vineyards, and orchards, all glowing with the best prospects of rewarding the cultivator's toil. Thence to Salamonde though there are a great number of fertile and well watered vallies, it has not so pleasing an aspect, for the view partakeş more of the terrific than of the agreeable, and the landscape is generally more awful than picturesque.

PARDIEIROS. Pardieiros is a village of 80 or 100 houses, pleasantly seated on the side of the mountains, overlooking a deep glen.

SALAMONDE. At Salamonde our advanced brigades came in sight of the French rear-guard posted in a field beyond the village, a little to the left of the high road, and under the brow of a hill. Towards the road was a stone wall, (the common fences in this district being composed of rough fragments of stone, piled on each other without any mortar to cement them) breast high. The further flank was secured by a steep, rugged declivity, which continued to the banks of the Cabado, distant about 500 yards. The guards, Cameron's, and the two brigades of Hanoverians, quickened pace, in the hope of bringing them to an engagement. Some dragoons of the 14th and 20th regiments who were in front, had been harassing, but were unable to dislodge the enemy from his position. The sight of our infantry, a part of whom ascended the heights on the right of the road, while another detachment penetrated along the banks of the Cabado,, however, soon prompted the French to retreat. It was now getting late in the evening, and the pursuit

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of the discomfited foe was in consequence discontinued. Sir Arthur Wellesley was perhaps the more induced to give this order, as he expected that the bridge at the end of the defile over the river Cabado, had been broken down, and as this was the only issue left to the French, they were therefore obliged to pass over it, if their purpose was to continue their retreat into Gallicia, Again, Sir A.W. might have further considered that the troops (having already marched thirty miles over an uncommonly rough and mountainous road, during a day of constant rain) required some repose, and that a renewal of the pursuit early in the morning would answer equally well, because the issue from the pass being closed, (for Sir A. W. had certainly given orders to have that done, and confidently relied on the efforts of General Beresford to effect it) the French would have found themselves obliged to surrender for want of provisions.

In fact no troops could need rest more than did our advanced guard during this night, for the march from Braga was one of the most trying and severe ever experienced. It led over a narrow, mountainous, miry, and winding road, very much out of repair. The troops had been under arms ever since half past four o'clock in the morning. The previous day they had assembled at the earliest dawn of light. The night before that they had had no resting place save the skirts of the high road, where they lay exposed to the torrents of rain, which all night long poured down on their unsheltered bodies; nor had they any opportunity of drying their clothing until they entered Braga, whence the enemy had just departed. The rations were not served out before ten o'clock at night, and those destined for the morrow's supply, could not possibly have been cooked before midnight, after which the men thought it scarce worth while going to sleep, as they knew the first drum would beat at three o'clock, A.M.

Nor were the officers any better off, (I speak of General Cameron's brigade, for with the guards the case was widely different) they had not been allowed to bring forward a single article of baggage, save what they themselves carried, for all the bat horses, mules, &c. had been detained at Aveiro. Not, however, that Sir A. Wellesley was guilty of partiality in this instance-God' forbid that I should ever encourage such an idea-I am most fully persuaded that the commander of the forces never knew the existence of such an order as that inserted in the brigade books relative to our baggage, cattle, &c. and equally sure am I that Sir A. W. would never have permitted the enforcing such an order, had he ever been formed there existed such a one.

I do not however mean to say, that the brigade marched trom Braga to Salamonde without a halt, for at Penedo the brigade did stop, but it was only to witness the passing of baggage, and it really did our men more harm than good: the sound of the bugle was, therefore, an acceptable circumstance, and joyfully heard by the men, who moved forward with much spirit and glee. Indeed their rapid advance, and handsome style of entry into Salamonde, drew from Sir A. W. a tribute of momentary applause, and his ex

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cellency there publicly thanked General Cameron for the haste and zeal his brigade displayed to support the guards already in contact with the enemy.

On the morning of the 17th, we expected to have made a rapid advance, but it was not long before we had the mortification to find that Soult's rear guard had escaped, not, however, without loss, as many of the enemy mistook the way, and fell down the precipices which border the road; others, in their hasty flight over the bridge at the end of the defile, missed their steps, slipped into the water, and were drowned. Some soldiers of our army gained great plunder by fishing up the dead bodies, portmanteaus, &c. Good horses were sold at 3, 4, or 5 dollars, and some very good from 20 to 40. Pieces of cloth, gold lace, plate, jewellery, &c. were hawking about in every direction.

It was here very strongly rumoured that a general officer commanding brigade had not reached the spot assigned him at the proper moment, and by this delay the enemy were enabled to escape. It was also reported, that Sir Arthur Wellesley had directed Marshal Beresford to move a part of the force under his command towards Ruivaës. In obedience to this mandate, the latter transmitted an order to the general officer commanding the British brigade attached to his army, but in lieu of sending it by an officer, or an orderly dragoon, he forwarded it by a peasant, who was desired to lose no time in delivering it. The timid messenger, fearful of falling into the bands of the enemy, took a long eircuit, and unfortunately did not reach the general's quarters to whom the letter was addressed, until the morning on which his brigade, consisting of three English, and one Portuguese battalion, ought to have marched. It was further added, that the letter was not very concise, as it directed the general to march with his brigade, on the morning after that on which he received the communication, which General T. did, but on reaching the appointed place, he learnt the enemy had passed the preceding day: to this mal-entendue may in a great measure be ascribed the escape of the French, for had the above brigade (which was in a fine effective state) reached the defile, and effectually destroyed the bridge over the Cabado, which it was destined to do, there is no doubt but the entire of the rear guard would have been hemmed in, and ultimately surrendered at discretion, with all their plunder and draft cattle. With day-break on the 17th the army moved forward on the road to Montalegre*. From Salamonde the road descends the slope of some mountains to a deep valley, through which flows the rapid torrent Rio das Caldas, whose waters fall with such a noise, that its course may be heard from afar. On the opposite side of this stream, and of the river Cabado (for these two hereabouts join their waters) the mountains get loftier, more escarped, and though bare of wood, a few scattered oaks rise from crags in the highest summits.

At Ponte de Cabado the road enters the province of Tras os Montes, and * Route.-Salamonde to Ponte de Cabado 1 league, to Ruivaës †, to Villa de Ponte 1, to Cala 1, to Villaca §, to Venda Nova §, to Venda da Serra 1, to Valarinho 14, to 1.-Total 8 leagues.

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continues winding down declivities, or over the sides of precipices, until it reaches the outskirts of the borough of Ruivaës, which appeared abandoned by its inhabitants, and in a miserable state. Its position is, however, agreeable, for it is seated on a plain bordering a feeder of the Cabado, covered with corn fields, meadows, orchards, &c. while the Cabado itself (like every other stream in this province) runs in the bottom of a deep valley or narrow plain skirted by hills or high grounds, the sides and faces of which are mostly clothed with lofty trees.

RUIVAES.-Ruivaës might originally have contained about 180 houses, and two churches. The houses had, however, been completely sacked and the churches plundered by the enemy.

On leaving Ruivaës, a road branches off to the left, in a more westerly direction than that leading to Montalegre. We followed this western track, which leads to a valley where flows a feeder of the Cabado, across which is a stone bridge of a light and picturesque appearance. The road traverses this bridge, and winds for some distance close along the stream.

VILLA DE PONTE.-To reach Villa de Ponte the road descends a high, and very steep bank. Along the foot of that declivity, was, on the right, a most romantic deep valley, the sides of which, seemingly perpendicular, were covered with lofty trees, and in the centre flowed a feeder to the Cabado. Having gained the bridge, the road immediately climbed another cliff, overlooking the valley on the right, and commanding a view of a range of broken mountains beyond the valley, while another chain was also perceivable running on the left. The ascent towards Villa de Ponte was wonderfully steep and rocky, and had nearly cost me my life; for my horse, which I was leading, (being dismounted at the time) was extremely vicious, and ran at and knocked me over the precipice; but happily a projecting point of rock saved me from death: had I not been supported by that, there is little doubt I should have been dashed to pieces by the fall, as the height was nearly 200 feet perpendicular, and the face of the precipice a rugged rock. This was, however, a trifling act, compared with what he did to two of my brother officers afterwards, who, thinking themselves too knowing to be overcome by a po ney, begged me to let them manage the animal. Not satisfied with running at them, he seized one by the arm, and kicked the other so violently on the leg (even when the gentleman was riding on him) that they were both much alarmed, and declined re-mounting him. Indeed the horse alluded to had some very dangerous habits, though perhaps none more so than that of kicking his rider's legs when in the stirrups.

1

The shelvy banks of the Rio Caldas, covered with lofty trees, and the dark streams which glide beneath every strata of solid rock, afford many very romantic views.

Villa de Ponte, Cala, and Venda Nova, are comfortable villages; at the latter is a tolerable inn. The road beyond the bridge, over the Rin daş Caldas, kept continually rising, until it reached Venda da Serra: in fact, the

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steepness and roughness was so great, that our staff and field officers found, it necessary to alight, and lead their horses up the cliffs: the ascent appeared rather as if it had been cut out of the rock in form of steps, and then strewed over with earth, than as a path naturally formed, especially as the width barely exceeded six feet. In the dry summer season waggons do ascend, though even then they find it a difficult matter; but during the rainy season, when the earth is washed away, the path becomes so rugged that the strongest cars run some risk in passing it. From Venda da Serra to Valarinho do Furno the road traverses a lofty flat.

VALARINHO.--Valarinho has many wealthy inhabitants, and the environs produce a great deal of honey, as also some milk and fresh butter; this last is a very scarce article, and a very great treat in Portugal. The droves of cattle, flocks of goats, herds of swine, &c were numerous and valuable; many of these, however, probably belonged to the inhabitants of villages more accessible to, or more near the route of the flying enemy, and were sent thither for safety, which they could scarcely rely on finding, except in these mountainous regions. Behind Vallarinho appears the lofty chain of mountains called the Serra Amarella; these separate this high plain from the Spa nish province of Gallicia.

The dragoons received quarters at Ruivaës and Montalegre. The advanced brigades of infantry lay in some villages to the north-west of those places, where they halted on the 18th, and as the enemy had effected their retreat by Orensee into Gallicia, the pursuit was no longer carried on.

Thus ended the campaign, which, though of short duration, was most fortunately terminated by the expulsion of the enemy, whose loss of artillery, cavalry horses, draft cattle, &c. was matter of great importance. Indeed this sudden and rapid close of the northern enterprise was the more desirable as it not only restored this portion of the country to its legitimate sovereign, but enabled Sir A. W. to direct his attention more particularly towards the south-east, where Victor appeared to bend his views; for this marshal had already penetrated as far as Alcantara, where two roads from Portugal join, the one coming from Abrantes, along the north side of the Tagus, the other leading from Castello de Vide on the south of that river. It was therefore now our task to secure the districts on that frontier, and the advanced brigades consequently received orders on the 19th, to march back with the utmost dispatch to Oporto. Our brigade slept the first night of the return, in their old quarters at Salamonde.

Few circumstances could more sensibly affect me, or create more painful reflections than what occurred on the march from Salamonde to..... No guides having been provided, our brigade wandered at random: the country people in front had all either fled or hidden themselves, and we found the brigade on the skirts of the Serra de Gerez without a conductor, or even information whither we were to go, for the brigade had moved from Salamonde at day-break, and continued advancing as directed, "forward,” though