the lonely crags of the mountain, from whose dark sides, here and there, glittered a silvery thread-like stream. The chapel is dedicated to the genius of the place, and, as well as the adjoining ridge (Serra de St. Miguel), bears his hallowed name.

I took out my pencil and sketched this romantic scene, and you will receive it inclosed in this letter.

Over the Serra de St. Miguel the road is extremely bad. The wains employed in conveying our ammunition were broken down in all directions. A serjeant of the royal artillery, with a party of men, had been left to bring them on, but had found great difficulty in procuring oxen and waggons. We passed some of these men sitting by the fragments, who said they had lain out three nights in the rain, amid these dreary mountains.

Passing the solitary chapel of St. Miguel, we reached a spot, whence we had a sublime view over the adjacent mountains. The sun was declining in the west, and threw dark purplish shadows over the Alpine precipices. We witnessed here a very singular appearance. Excepting one prodigious lofty ridge, the contour and lines of which were square and perpendicular, all the surrounding hills presented a gentle undulating appearance. This ridge, as I

BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER NISSA,

amid the Mountains of the Sierra de Miguel.

Published June 15.1809, by Richard Phillips. Bridge Street, Blackfriars, London.

have since discovered, is a continuation of the Serra, which is primitive, and composed of a reddish marble; the others are all secondary, being schistus, formed from decayed granite.

We soon after arrived at the celebrated pass of Villa Velha, to which we were led by a rapid descent. The Tagus here rushes through a chasm, formed in the Serra de St. Miguel, which seems rent asunder to form a passage to the eddying flood of the majestic Rivergod. On a rock overhanging the pass, stands a ruined square tower, the only remains of the castle of Villa Velha.

The sun sunk splendidly behind the rifted rocks as D*** and I stept into the large flat-bottomed boat, which wafted us over the river, and in a few minutes we reached this ruined city.

Villa Velha (the ancient city) now consists of a few miserable hovels. It stands beneath the brow of an impending mountain, which attracting the passing clouds, keeps it in an eternal drizzle.

Dumoriez, whose ingenious work on Portugal I have now with me, gives an interesting account of a gallant ex

ploit, performed here by a Scotch officer named Hamilton, in the war of 1762. He states, that on the removal of the old Marquis de Sarria, the Count d'Aranda was substituted to command the Spanish army. But I had better give it you in the General's own words.

"This new General made an attack upon Villa Velha, on the banks of the Tagus. Nevertheless, the Portuguese, encouraged by the indecision of the Spaniards, strengthened by the support of the English, and animated by the Count de Lippe, ventured to take the field, and encamped to the number of twelve thousand men at Abrantes and Punhete; while a small camp of Portuguese volunteers, commanded by a brave Scotchman, of the name of Hamilton, and reinforced by two English battalions, and some companies of grenadiers, were posted upon the left bank of the Tagus, opposite Villa Velha, whose castle was garrisoned by three hundred Portuguese. Alvarez (a Spanish officer) had taken this castle without much danger, as it surrendered at the first musket shot. During the march to Villa Velha, the Count de Lippe had sent Colonel Burgoyne with his English dragoons and six companies of grenadiers, four of which were Portuguese, to attack Valença de Alcantara, of which that officer got possession without any resistance, and afterwards pillaged it. Valença is surrounded with walls, and con