purchasing another animal to carry myself, I must ride the mule, and in consequence abandon a great part of my baggage, on the road, to its fate.

On arriving at this town, which is within two leagues of Astorga, I found it occupied by the army and headquarters of the Marquis de la Romana. Two Spanish officers, one of whom speaks French, are in this house. Their whole army, he tells me, does not amount to eight thousand. They have, in addition to their other misfortunes, a most malignant typhus fever raging amongst their troops, and nearly one-half are in the hospitals, into which they send sixty or seventy daily. Both these officers have had the fever, and are now far from well. Of their sufferings he has given me a sad picture, which I know to be but too true, from what I have seen. They are literally half-naked and half-starved.

The Juntas, speaking generally, are most miserable assemblages of ignorant, illiterate men, and possess not the talents or information of a parish vestry in England. Judge then what can be done by such men against the immense means of an enemy, equally distinguished for talent, vigour, and promptitude.

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I have taken care that none of my convoy should be

placed under the same roof with the infected Spaniards, and shall leave this place early to-morrow morning for Astorga. I hope in God that we are not to retreat much further, at least not in this rapid manner, for it is most dreadful, particularly for the sick. Formerly there was some remnant of the humane spirit of chivalry in our wars with France; now there can be none, or we should leave our hospitals behind, to the humanity of the enemy.

PONTE DEL ORBIGO. RASCALITY OF THE SPANISH PEASANTRY.-ASTORGA.-IMPERIAL GUARDS DEFEATED NEAR BENEVENTE.-GENERAL ORDERS ISSUED BY SIR JOHN MOORE.-MYSTERY THROWN OVER THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE ARMY.-FRENCH SYSTEM.-VILLAGE OF MANZANAL,--THE MAUREGATOS-CONJECTURAL ORIGIN.-CONTRAST OF BARBAROUS AND CIVILIZED LIFE. SIERRA DE FUEN SEVADON.-VILLAGE OF SEVADON.—MOLINA SECA.-PONFERRADA. VALLEY OF EL BIERZO. REACH CUBILLOS.

Cubillos, 30th December, 180S.

On the morning of the 29th I left Ponte del Orbigo. It is a small town, situated, as the name denotes, close to a large bridge of several arches, thrown over the river Orbigo, which unites with the Ezla, and after a considerable winding course, falls into the Iverto and Duero, about six leagues below Zamora.

On getting the sick and wounded placed in the springwaggons, I found that the rascally Spaniards had again

given us the slip, by setting off with all the commissariat mules. It was no time to repine or delay. I set off, and, about four miles from the town of Orbigo, saw at some distance four boors with oxen wains. I sent some

of the soldiers into the fields after them. They seized three, the fourth mounted his car, and drove off his cattle at full gallop. I therefore got some more of the poor fellows placed on litters, but the unfeeling Spaniards would not proceed by any force or persuasion. At length two scampered off, and the third remained to conduct the wains. In this style we reached Astorga, where I was in hopes to have found the end of my day's journey; but on seeing an officer there of the Quarter-master-general's department, it was decided that it would be better to carry the sick on to a village in the mountains, called Manzanal, as all the hospitals and convents in Astorga were crowded with the sick of Romana's army. After halting at Astorga for a few hours to exchange some of the spring-waggons, which had got out of repair, and get some necessaries for the sick, I set off for Manzanal,

With the name of Astorga you are familiar.. Poor Gil Blas was, you recollect, imprisoned here, after his escape, from the robbers' cave. It stands on a small plain, at the foot of a range of high mountains, called the Sierra de

Sevadon. It is surrounded with old walls, and there are the ruins of a handsome castle, belonging to the family of the Marquis of Astorga. Beneath winds a small river called Tuerria. There is a cathedral church: the Bishop is suffragan of Compostella, and Astorga was once called the City of Priests, from the number of them that had collected within its walls.

Be that as it may, here I found several regiments belonging to General Hope's and Fraser's division, who made me acquainted with an action which had taken place near Benevente on the preceding day, between our hussars and the chasseurs of Bonaparte's imperial guard. Our lads, I am happy to say, gave them a complete drubbing, and took upwards of seventy prisoners, among whom is a General of Division, named Le Febvre, the Colonel, and some other officers of the Imperial guards.

Every officer seemed anxious to learn whether Sir John really intended to retreat beyond the mountains. Those of General Baird's army who had travelled this road, thought that we would certainly not go beyond Villa Franca, near which place, I am told, there is an exceedingly strong position. Others, however, continue to assert that the whole army is to retreat to Vigo. An acquaintance put into my hand at Astorga the following copy

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