AFFAIRS OF SPAIN..

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a willing ear to their entreaties for aid against the common enemy. Abandoning their original intention, whatever it might have been, they determined to commit the skill and fortune of their Indian General to a grand struggle with those victorious leaders, whose names were the terror of Europe, and who had hitherto found nothing able to resist them.

On the 12th of July Sir Arthur sailed from Cork in the Donegal, but scarcely had the fleet got clear of the Irish coast than he transferred himself to the Crocodile, and sailed to Coruña for the purpose of inquiring into the actual state of affairs in Spain, and of co-operating, if required, with the Spanish generals against the common enemy. Here he learnt that the French had about a fortnight before defeated the armies of Castile and Gallicia, under Generals Cuesta and Blake, yet still the Junta declined the proffered assistance of the troops under his command, though they were willing to receive money, arms, and ammu-nition. Accordingly the sum of two hundred thousand pounds was given for their use, and their requisition for arms was sent home immediately. Such too was their jealousy of being subject to British officers, that they pressed him to land his army in the north of Portugal, and drive the French from that part of the peninsula.

Finding this indisposition on the part of the Spaniards to any union with the British forces, Sir Arthur joined the fleet off Cape Finisterre, and landing at Oporto held a conference with the bishop. By this prelate various plans were proposed, none of which he felt inclined to adopt; but, after some discussion, it was finally agreed that a division of five thousand Portuguese soldiers on the Mondego should co-operate with the British army, whilst the rest of

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SIR CHARLES COTTON.

the native forces, if indeed they existed anywhere but upon paper, should look to the defence of the Tras Os Montes against Bessieres. The bishop likewise promised to supply the English troops with mules, and other means of carriage, and with slaughter cattle.

From Oporto the General proceeded to the Tagus to confer with Sir Charles Cotton, at his express desire, as to the proposed plans of attack upon that river, or upon the coast in the neighbourhood of the rock of Lisbon. After due consideration it appeared to both that this favourite scheme of the Home Government was unadvisable, if not impracticable; and for these very obvious reasons; though ships of war might be able to pass Forts Saint Julian and Bugio, and the other works by which the Tagus is defended, yet the guns of these places could not be so completely silenced as to enable the troops to land at Paço d'Arcos, as was proposed. Then as to any attack on Cascaes Bay it must fail, because it was impossible for the large ships to approach the coast near enough to subdue the fortress. In the next place, the shore was at no time very accessible, and there was a risk that when a part of the army should have landed, the violence of the surf, which prevails upon the Portuguese coast, might prevent the disembarkation of the rear ; and even if the whole army should effect a landing, any change of weather might separate them from their necessary stores and provisions; lastly, the operation would take place in the neighbourhood of the whole disposable force of the French, and the British troops would be exposed to their attacks in a state of inefficiency. It was agreed, therefore, to disembark the army in the Mondego river.

DISEMBARKATION OF THE TROOPS.

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This point being settled, Sir Arthur wrote to recall General Spencer from Andalusia; but without waiting for his arrival, or for the junction of General Acland's corps, which was expected every hour, he immediately rejoined his transports, and commenced the landing of the army. It was a bold and decisive measure; and, the rather, as he now received despatches announcing that he was to be superseded by Sir Hew Dalrymple; but it was founded, as the event proved, upon sound calculations. Loison, as he learnt from good authority, had been detached from Lisbon across the Tagus, to suppress an insurrection in Alemtejo, in addition to which, the Portuguese were already much discouraged by the delay in the disembarkation. Fortune, too, assisted this resolution. On the defeat of Dupont, by Castanôs, General Spencer, without waiting for orders, had embarked his division at Puerto Santa Maria, and sailed with it for the Tagus, whence he had been directed by Sir Charles Cotton to the Mondego, and he arrived before the landing of the troops was completed.

The British General now found himself on the soil of Portugal, with an army of only twelve thousand three hundred men, few of whom had ever been under fire; with officers, for the most part, strangers to actual war; with a commissariat utterly ignorant of its duties; with cavalry, so few in numbers, that he could neither hope to obtain any certain information of his enemy's position, nor follow up a victory, if he should gain it; without sufficient horses to draw all his artillery; and with allies that had no confidence in his troops, no faith in his talents, and who feared to commit themselves in hostilities