EVE
= Oe
xi,
EVENTS OF A MILITARY LIFE.
SECOND EDITION REVISED AND ENLARGED.
OS oa cetiee retrorsuin
Vela dare atque iterare cursus
——-———— relictos ’? —-_—— Horar,
VOLUME 1,
EVE
BEING
PENINS
EVENTS OF A MILITARY LIFE:
BEING RECOLLECTIONS AFTER SERVICE IN THE
PENINSULAR WAR, INVASION OF FRANCE, THE EAST INDIES, ST. HELENA, CANADA.
AND ELSEWHERE.
ate
BY WALTER HENRY, ESQ.
SURGEON TO THE FORCES, FIRST CLASS.
LONDON:
ce ene, a ye Ae ef oon
WILLIAM PICKERING. 1843.
29161
é
~~
SIR J
PH
DIRECTOR
THESE PAG
TO SIR JAMES M‘GRIGOR, BART. M.D. L.L.D. F.R.S.L. AND ED.
PHYSICIAN EXTRAORDINARY TO THE QUEEN, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE ARMY MEDICAL DEPARTMENT ETC. ETC, ETC.
THESE PAGES ARE INSCRIBED AS A MARK OF HIGH PERSONAL
AND PROFESSIONAL RESPECT, BY
The Author.
Tue firs
lished a terly Ré
having
drawn
affectati The ( kept wi The |
some on
Acs lo ea WORT
matter.
PREFACE.
Tue first Edition of this little Work was pub- lished anonymously in Quebec; but the Quar- terly Review, in the notice it took of the Book, having with some freedom though much courtesy drawn aside the veil of privacy, it would be only affectation for the Author again to assume it. The chief incidents are taken from a Journal kept with fidelity during a long series of years. The Book has been entirely re-written, with
some omissions and alterations, and much new
matter.
Boynoop.,— O’Donnell of Salmon
Adolescence. mouth.—!I
Lisbon.—F1 at the Hou for Figuer
Coimbra.—I Dinner on Fountain i
Cintra.—Lis Mates tor
- lington.—' P,M.O.
Lisbon.—Hi _ Galega.—
March to Cc _ Fugitives ~ of Badajc - Scene at ¢
| eA
CONTENTS OF VOLUME If.
CHAPTER I,
Boynoop.—River Eske, or Eask, in the County Donegal.— O’Donnell’s Castle. —Capture of my first Salmon.— Habits of Salmon.—An Entomological Cat.—Simon Stylites . «
CHAPTER II,
Adolescence.--Entrance into the Army.—Journey to Ports- mouth.—ILot Soup.—Voyage to Lisbon . . « «© » «
CHAPTER III.
Lisbon.—Embarrassment with my first Host.—Tragic Incident at the House of the principal Medical Ofticer.—Embarkation for Figuerazand Coimbra . . . « «© «© © © © + @
CHAPTER IV.
Coimbra.—Inez de Castro.—Turning up a Servant.—First Dinner on my Rations.—Rejoicings of the Frogs,—Fine Fountain in the Garden of the Santa Cruz Convent. . .
CHAPTER V.
Cintra.—Lisbon.—Nocturnal Rains.—Meeting of Hospital Mates to remonstrate against a General Order of Lord Wel- _ lington.—Their Remonstrance thrown in their Faces by the PERC eR eh ee ee) eee es
CHAPTER VI.
Lisbon.—Habits of the Ladies.—Great Earthquake.—Aldea _ Galega.—Quarrel with a Juiz da Fora,—Flirtation .
CHAPTER VII.
March to Coimbra.—Thence to Elvas and Merida.—Spanish _ Fugitives from Badajoz at Albuquerque.—Siege and Storm + of Badajoz —Exciting March.—Horrors of the Storm.— - Scene at Campo-Mayor the Night of the Storm . . .
Paue
21
28
37
43
53
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII.
Adventure with a refractory Patient at Badajoz.—Sickness of
the Author.—Hospitality and Kindness of a Priest and his Sisters.—Inconveniences of using Leeches internaily
CHAPTER IX.
Truxillo.—Love Matters.—Plot of Assassination discovered and frustrated.—Medical Treatment of a Spanish Rival.— Serenade.—March to Elvas
CHAPTER X.
The Adventures of a handsome Commissary.—A Souvenir of Truxillo
CHAPTER XI.
The Adventures of a handsome Commissary continued
CHAPTER XII.
Bridge of Alcantaraa—Nervous Passage.—The Author meets Lord Wellington travelling to Cadiz.—Ludicrous supposition. —Escape from Robbers on the Road.—Attack and capture of the whole Band by Don Julian Sanchez’s Cavalry.—Coria. —Galisteo.—Distancing an Ague-fit.— Easter Sunday at Plasencia . . ee ee ee .
CHAPTER XIII.
Opening of the Vittoria Campaign.—Affair near Salamanca.— Burgos Castle blown up.—Passage of the Ebro.—Anoint- ing a Horse ‘ a aa ;
CHAPTER XIV.
Battle of Vittoriaa—The Author nearly bobs his Head against a Round-shot.— Doubtful policy of Courtesy on such occa- sions.—Heroic Death of Colonel Cadogan.—Slaughter in a Field in front of Subijana de Aliva.—Fine Shot.—Pursuit of the Enemy through the Vale of Bastan.—Hospitality of a Priest at Elizondo ea OS cae Sade H
CHAPTER XV.
IN
Duty at Be wounded
French Off the Author
ivasion of F
by three O —Destruct of a Chef d Rape of a
ffairs before’ Hill.—Inci Circumstan mary Justid Employme
Aire.—Ard the News o down his & lington at th preparatory the Bourbor
4 March down t
guese and FE of the Inhal Bourdeaux
—Worryins longing to tl
4 Leave of Abse
for Bengal.. in France.- its Varietie Madras
Reorganization of the French Army by the Duke of Dalmatia. —Surprise of Maya.—Retreat.—Altered Physiognomy of the Elizondo Priest.—Action at Buenza.—Hard professional
4 Madras. —Po ~ Adjutants.-
+
-Sickness of iest and his iaily
1 discovered sh Rival.—
Souvenir of
qnued
uthor meets supposition. and capture lry.—Coria.
Sunday at
hlamanca.— b. —Anoint-
d against a such occa- hughter in a t.— Pursuit pitality of a
f Dalmatia.
lognomy of
rofessional
. 1324
. 141
“s
CONTENTS. ‘| Duty at Barrioplano.—Scene of violent Altercation between wounded Officers of the Chasseurs Britanniques and wounded French Officers who had been taken Prisoners. —Calmed by the Author.—Return to the Pyrenees
Pay
(it CHAPTER XVI,
Anvasion of France.—Storm ofa Field Redoubt on the Nivelle > by three Officers.—Distress of Madame Dupré at Espelette. ~ —Destruction of a big Drum by a Cannon-ball.—Cowardice © ofa Chef de Bataillon.— Passage of the Nive at Cambo.— Rape of a roasting Goose ;
CHAPTER XVII.
I Affairs before Bayonne.—Brilliant Conduct of Sir Rowland "" Hill.—Incidents at Espelette.—Affair of Garris.—Affecting , Circumstances in the Death of Captain Clitherov .—Sum- mary Justice on a Marauder.—Battle of Orthes.—Modern Employment of the Battleaxe in Action.—Affair of Aire
CHAPTER XVIII.
: Asad French Surgery after the Battle of Orthes.— March from : Aire.—Ardent Bourbonist Lady at Mirande.—Reception of the News of the Fall of Napoleon at Gimont.—Throwing ? down his Statue at Thoulouse.—Reception of Lord Wel- * lington at the Theatre.—Corps of Sir Rowland Hill assembled preparatory to resuming Operations.—-Adhesion of Soult to the Bourbons.—Peace . ts
CHAPTER XIX.
> March down the Vale of the Garonne.— Parting of the Portu- = guese and English Troops. —Great Hospitality and Kindness of the Inhabitants on this March.—Glut of Horseflesh in the Bourdeaux Market on the Embarkation of the English Army.
*~ —Worrying of a French Gentleman by a savage Horse be- longing to the Author.—His Treatment by a Spanish Capitraz
CHAPTER XxX.
: Leave of Absence.—Return to the Regiment and Embarkation + for Bengal.—Astounding News of the Landing of Napoleon
149 ) in France.—Bet as to his Success.—Voyage to India, with
its Varieties—Capture of Sharks.—Passing the Surf at Madras . 2. 1. « .
CHAPTER XXI.
4 Madras.—Poonamalee.—Calcutta.—Mischievous Tricks on * Adjutants—An Adjutant’s Lunch.—Renard au naturel.—
. 164
. 177
. 186
» S97
. 213
Xl
Page
207
Xli
CONTENTS.
Voyage up the Ganges to Dinapore.—Rencontre with a Dutaio Bull. 6 6 we Hw we ee eee
CHAPTER XXII.
Contrast between the Author’s domestic Establishment in Spain 1s and Bengal.—His Emotion on seeing the Despatch of the ae R Battle of Waterloo.—Shooting March from Dina,ore to the 4 Skirts of the Himalaya Mountains.-——Tiger Hunt. —Flirtation a with a female Elephant.—Preparations for invading the s Valley of Nepaul «1 1 1 ww ee ew ew wo 288
CHAPTER XXIII.
Invasion of the Valley of the Rapte by Colonel Nicol’s Column, —Treatment of a dangerous Patient.—Engagement on the Heights of Muckawnpore.—Superb Order of the 66th eee % ment.—Disappointment.—Peace . . . 246—@
BOyYnoop.—}
CHAPTER XXIV. eo DON NES
©) SIMON STY
March to Quarters.—Poisoned Elephants.——Hot Winds.— DV GicaL cat
Professional Duties.—Difficulty of getting through a hot Day in India.—The Author falleth in Love, and is ducked in a ia Thunderstorm . . «© «© «© + «© « «© «© «© © « © 258 6The Eske
a
CHAPTER XXV. % May still
+ Inrural ir
Voyage from Dinapore to Cawnpore.—Faakeer.—Ad venture Teem with in crossing a Brook with a Lady.—Suttee.—Reflections on § | For ever f
this horrible Custom . . . . . «es «© «© « « 268 @ With pain
CHAPTER XXVI.
| NESTLED i Cawnpore.—Extensive and fatal Sickness in the Regiment.— q 1, wl Indian Jugglers’ Tricks. —Imposition in catching Snakes.— my neg al, W Mistakes as to their supposed fondness for Music.—66th fected fro
Regiment receives the Route for St. Helena . . .. . 270 | Gyal form, a
CHAPTER XXVII. ahd woodec
Renewal >of an old Acquaintance.—Visit to Allahabad.— Bae ROSE LE: AE
Voyage down the Ganges.—Characteristic Death of Lieut. d cing the L—b—t, 66th.—Embarkation for St. Helena.—Amuse- € Heorge the ments on board Ship.—Visit to the Isle of France— | ‘ Arrival at St. Helena...) . ee. 200 Ment to Win
Teral basin
‘Binous ma ‘@fsues the c
Pave ‘ontre with a ee citer se? 4S Q20R
ment in S a Pe } h Be: it. —F lirtation o invading the x c+ vw 5 200
col’s Column. a
ement on the 4 CHAPTER I. he 66th Regi- a
. . e .
46 BO YHOOD.— RIVER ESKE, OR EASK, IN THE COUNTY DONEGAL. © o’DONNELL’S CASTLE.—CAPTURE OF MY FIRST SALMON. “)sIMON STYLITES,—HABITS OF SALMON.—AN ENTOMOLO-
lot Winds— =| 7 gicax cat.
ugha hot Day Be
3 ducked in a Ms: a ‘ Such , . 258 @ The Eske o’erhung with woods ;—
= : , : . e . Hail, native flood !
% May still thy hospitable swains be blest
+ Inrural innocence; thy mountains still
+ Teem with the fleecy race, thy tuneful woods
For ever flourish, and thy vales look ga
With painted meadows and the golden grain.” ARMSTRONG.
.—Adventure eflections on ° ° . . . 268. Be.
estep in a sheltering circle of the mountains of
ie ee Donegal, whose heathery summits are often distinctly i usic.—66th f¥flected from its calm bosom, lies a small lake, of
Pte ae q yal form, and dotted with some half a dozen green
and wooded islets. This remote and secluded loch siete Aas PpPssesses scarcely any other fame, than that of pro- ath of Lieut. | @pcing the shy and delicate char; which, “ when ar aa « eorge the Third was King,” were often potted, and . 289 ent to Windsor for the Royal table. Into its pretty
Wral basin pours many a torrent from the moun-
‘@inous margin; and out of the western extremity isues the clear, quiet, and sinuous river Eske, which
Bi) t
B
2 BOYHOOD.
runs a short course of five miles to the sea. The uiet purit valley of the Eske is well cultivated, and the rivey flows, for the most part, round the bases of thos¢ small globular hills, shaped like inverted basins—sqj common in the north of Ireland; with a fringe of alder at the bottom, small clumps of ash and whitd thorn, and a sycamore or two up the sides, and ¢ farm house and garden crowning the top. Forti years ago this vale was inhabited by a moral, hardy) need the good looking, and industrious population, chiefly ol oe end Scotch and English origin ; and I hope another gene@pout the ration of the same stamp flourishes there still. : Bands ae The river of which I write, is a stream of considers) ong did th able beauty, though small pretensions; and is the vainst the g least known of the two or three Eskes of the British
wakened t lizabeth, a f violence ¢ bood. The he Maids ¢ ‘Propriety, b if hairy an
ning all th Islands. It has the merit of extreme clearness and This cast! purity ; and its crystal waters meet the tide as pel retty town lucid ar when they gushed from the parent lake, fo: @etorna] oe
no defiling manufactory has been established on t banks. Nature, too, has given the river’s course si” slight an inclination, that it is untortured by rapid: or cataracts, and moves along at a calm and philos phic vace; never losing its temper, or getting into | burst of flinvial passion, ending in froth and folly Aver, and is: No sound, save the murmur of a gentle current, #hrow of this heard along our quiet river; and if, in times of yore, if She amber
ing deeme arly Tudor < may be, b wn. The1 scarped ro
had been ornamented by an attendant suite of demi] byish days deities, like the Grecian streams, a naiad might havq he only kn, invited a mountain hamadryade to breakfast, ant] rge owls, si thereafter, both might have reclined on the flower g ’ ia worthy | bank, in amicable colloquy, without a ripple on thy awake fre
placid stream big enough to wet their garters. a t up such Yet, though the Eske has for a long time glidey all the litt thus peaceably and “at its own sweet will” into thq
the castle Atlantic, the stream has not always run with sud gness to t!
4 KILLING MY FIRST SALMON,
mise ample
ivied front. No young owls were ever seen, for the old ; ? before agat
couple were unfortunate in their progeny. Whether it was, that the female was a bad mother—as a philo- sophic lady may sometimes chance to be—and did not attend to their food, bringing them old mice whichf were too tough for infantile mastication, or, that thelg One bea neighbourhood of the river, and the thick walls of the} boyhood, I old castle, were two cold and damp for the owlets, Ijgas the lake know not. But the fact was considered certain, thatijbank. Thg no chick attained mature owl-hood ; and the parentgjnot too hot birds were left with no other occupation than to snorejgwind, or th away their time in the apoplectic way already men-jjsenses, alo tioned. , dear to ang
Most boys have the organ of destructiveness soon) developed. My piscatorial bumplet—or that parti] cular nodule of cranium charged with the death of tishes—spouted early, in the course of my juvenile ramblings along the river banks. The Eske abounde( in trout and salmon; and when there was a flood, the stream used to form a pretty cascade over the sal¥ mon-weir, behind the castle; up which these active fish then jumped briskly; not caring a fig for the proprietor of the fishery, nor the wooden trap he had set to catch them.
You will probably, my dear reader, hear a good deal of the “ gentle craft” of angling in the course o
KI
oA A
A so A
The sky fleecy cloud water mome adages of tk Sascend the | | were music: in the first’ whole face smile.
this book; but in its most manly and fascinating At thie’ kind—salmon fishing. To begin with the beginning hocent of's then, Iam now tempted to give you, thus early, af on exubera account of my first boyish exploit in this way ; an could only confess that I do it, not so much from any merit o fortune, % novelty in the adventure itself, as from the “amor }aq freq) fandi,” or story-telling propensities of a middle aged sudden spl
gentleman ; and the pleasure which, after the long in terval, the recollection of my success evokes. I proj
down the st
iN.
een, for the old ny. Whether r—as a philo- —and did not
d mice which# n, or, that thej sk walls of the)
the owlets, I d certain, that nd the parent
1 than to snore) already men-)
dear to anglers. ctiveness soon} or that parti 1 the death off f my juvenile
iske abounded 2 was a flood,
, hear a goo the course o
the beginnins hus early, ag his way; an
any merit of m the “amo a middle age! er the long in
okes. I proj
gas the lake; purposing to return by the opposite
le over the sal h these active +a fig for the n trap he had®
d fascinating
KILLING MY FIRST SALMON,
mise ample breathing time, after this short story, before again resuming the subject.
KILLING THE FIRST SALMON.
One beautiful morning in June, whilst yet in early boyhood, I strolled up the valley of the Eske, as far
bank. The day was delightful, the air balmy, and not too hot; being tempered by a gentle south-west wind, or that mild favonian breeze, so grateful to the senses, along the western shores of Europe, and so
‘¢ A day with not too bright a beam, A warm, but not a scorching sun ;
A southern gale to curl the stream, And, master, half our work is done.”
The sky was hung with luxuriant festoons of white fleecy clouds; the shadows of which would darken the water momentarily, and disguise the artificial appen- dages of the fly—then glide across the valley and ascend the uplands. The bushes on the river banks were musical with goldfinches and thrushes, the trees in the first freshness of their vernal honours, and the whole face of nature was covered with one radiant f smile.
At this time I was only a trout fisher, and yet in- nocent of salmocide. But I felt that morning such an exuberance of high spirits and “lusty life,” as could only be in the presages of approaching good fortune. When I reached a favourite place, where I had frequently caught some fine trout, I heard a sudden splash in the water, and on looking a little down the stream, there, without doubt, were the large
6 KILLING MY FIRST SALMON,
expanding circles on the surface, caused by the rise ofasalmon. I had only a small trout rod and slender silk line, but they were good of their kind, and I de- termined to dare the contest. Approaching the place then, with some such feeling as the harpooner experi-+ ences when poising his weapon for a plunge into a whale, or the Spanish matador, when preparing to} transfix the neck of a bull, I threw my flies lightly) over the spot where the fish had risen, whilst my heart} palpitated violently, and my whole frame trembled) with emotion. Up he darted at the fly, but I struck too soon and missed him; and a second time I was equally unsuccessful. After giving him a little leisure}
to compose himself, I again placed the tempting objecti}
within his reach; and once more he dashed at it, but! carelessly and contemptuously, as if he purposed by a| stroke of his tail to wet the nimble wings that had| eluded him before. This last and lucky time I hooked} the fish by the edge of the tail; a most untoward place,|
—for thus hooked, a salmon has tenfold strength on} the line and chances of escape.
When I found him fast, I felt something akin to the sensation of being in the clutch of a tiger. Whizz!] whizz! whizz! sounded the reel, and away darted|@
the fish. Fortunately the bank of the river was! the edge of an extensive meadow, without trees or other obstructions; so that when my line was run out I could run too. I soon gained on the chase percep- tibly, and began to wind up; when he would again start away, pitching himself five or six feet out of the
water, and making his tail and fins whirr in the rarer?
element like the rise of a covey of partridges. After an arduous struggle of two hours, between his muscles} and mine, Mr. Salmo was at length fairly tired out, and landed on a shelving sandy bank. He wasa fine fish|
of twelve p insect still him in triu i felt very Homer in the sensati(
Mbestriding f
All the
accustomed
before prod
Mthe effect ¢
audience. never mou
| ordeal, but
was a vene This tabl
ing food.
cats, and o when she
© being fond ™ clination fc
nose at a b tremely th ing a neur drake, as 1 When I f opening h used to s small crac slight cur appearan¢ fly, the ol taches, st point, an
N.
sed by the rise rod and slender ind, and I de. hing the place pooner experi- plunge into a h preparing to
y flies lightly ;
hilst my heart} ame trembled) r, but I struck! id time I was} a little leisure! mpting object!) shed at it, but) purposed by a| ngs that hadj time I hooked’ 1toward place,} d strength on/
ng akin to the! yer. Whizz!) away darted| he river was! hout trees or} > was run out hase percep- would again set out of the r in the rarer™ es. After anf his muscles} ired out, and as a fine fish
~ (
AN ENTOMOLOGICAL CAT.
of twelve pounds, fresh from the sea, with a marine insect still adhering to his skin; and as I stood over him in triumph, whilst floundering on the greensward, i felt very proud of my exploit. A school boy, with Homer in his head, might be pardoned for comparing the sensations then experienced to those of Achilles bestriding the corpse of Hector.
All the world knows that the great Molicre was accustomed to read his comedies to his old woman before producing them on the stage, and to judge by the effect on her, what he might expect from the audience. So, to compare small things with great, I never mounted a new fly without making it pass an ordeal, but of a very different nature. My old woman was a venerable cat.
This tabby was rather peculiar in her tastes respect- ing food. She loved milk and fish as well as ordinary cats, and often regaled herself with a tender mouse when she could; but she differed from her race in being fond of eating flies. It is true, she had no in- clination for the larger kinds, and would turn up her nose at a blue-bottle—still she appeared to relish ex- tremely the lighter and more delicate genera ; enjoy- ing a neuropterous ephemera, such as a green or grey drake, as much as we should a snipe or a woodcock. When I found the light favourable, and grimalkin opening her eyes, after a doze on the hearth rug, I used to suspend the fly to be examined opposite a small crack in the window pane, through which the slight current of air agitated it sufficiently, to give the appearance of life. Ifit was destined to be a killing fly, the old lady looked greedy, twirled her long raus- taches, struck the rug with her tail, made a feline point, and a dash at the window; and sometimes
8 HABITS OF SALMON.
seized it in her mouth before I could snatch it away. If the simulated insect was but a clumsy imitation of lif -which, I regret to say, many of my early per-| for resumed her nod. I will not aver that, under thej sanction of her approval, I proceeded to my sport with all the confidence of a Roman going to battle, to! whom the augur had promised victory; but I usually” felt pretty certain that the fish would confirm the} opinion of the cat. 4 The salmon is, par excellence, a gentlemanly fish :/ in fact, we can scarcely conceive any thing ‘chehyousl 4 of more perfect physical and moral character. He|y is moulded in accordance with our notions of great’) muscular strength, combined with lightness of out- 7 line; and every quality of the animal corresponds |} with his appearance. is in the chastest taste—“ simplex munditiis :”
and graceful ; such high blood ought to be; but he can on emergency ©
bear hunger well, and even total abstinence for weeks, 1 His spirit is ardent, adventurous, ~
% for a littl and goes
A good deal of attention having been directed of a » there is n | ceedings | and affe
' . > | providenc seen and known certain facts bearing on the subject, 7 P
without injury.
and persevering, for he is a famous traveller; and his ©
speed is great.
late years to the habits of salmon in the fresh water, in consequence of the curious experiments of Mr. Shaw, in some Sutherlandshire rivers; and having ©
potas
in the course of my boyish explorations of my nativ
river, | may be permitted shortly to mention what I) 7
saw going on under my own eyes. My position was |
in differe
ten yards
ces were—she disdained any notice of it, and)
His tunic of rich silver tissue ~ his 7 movements in his own element are peculiarly easy 4 he is fastidious in his food, as a fish of 3
of breed
When ova is ch sand an the whole the begin can be ea male is hooked s The fema bird, con gravel, w a refractc > The male } neighbou has deni song, afte the less t > but swim > off interlc enough, v
circles ro!
of all imi
With
select a
a favourable one; for I have been concealed in a 3 oe thicket of the bank, on, I think, twenty-one occasions, | = a
HABITS OF SALMON, Y
in different seasons, whilst the proceedings of pairs of breeding fish were distinctly visible, from four to ‘ten yards distant from my high place of concealment. When the place for the gravelly bed, or nest of the ova is chosen, both fish set to work to scoop out the sand and gravel; and on those occasions in which the whole steps of the operation were witnessed from the beginning, the female commenced the work. She can be easily known by her matronly size ; whilst the male is generally distinguishable by the curious hooked spur projecting upwards from the lower jaw. The female, then, in singular analogy with the hen bird, commences digging into, and excavating the ‘tions of great || ® gravel, with her belly and tail; occasionally poking htness of out- 2 refractory pebble out of the way with her nose. 1 corresponds | a The male, all the time, keeps watch in the immediate 1 silver tissue ‘neighbourhood of his wife; and although nature unditiis :” his) 4 has denied him the power of serenading her with a eculiarly easy. song, after the fashion of the cock bird, he does not yd, as a fish of the less tenderly guard the privacy of his spouse, on emergency ) but swims round her in a protecting circle, to keep nce for weeks, © off interlopers. When the lady-fish has worked long adventurous, 4 enough, which may be about half an hour, she resis eller; and his’ for a little, and the attentive husband takes her place, “4 and goes on with the digging; whilst the female
: circles round, and watches over him inturn. Indeed, | there is no little moral interest excited by these pro- | ceedings; and I may add, that the reciprocal courtesy ,and affection with which this labour of parental | providence is carried on by the silent pair, is worthy of all imitation by more exalted husbands and wives. With admirable instinct, these creatures never select a part of the stream that is likely to dry up. | Itis essential, I believe, that the bed for the ova should be at the bottom of running water, of moderate depth ; B 2
snatch it away. Sy imitation of my early per- otice of it, andy hat, under the) d to my sport) } ng to battle, tol) but I usually | d confirm the
itlemanly fish: ‘ing ichthyous | haracter. He
n directed of | > fresh water, nents of Mr.|
and having | 1 the subject, of my native | ntion what I position was ncealed in a | ne occasions
10 HABITS OF SALMON,
not in too strong a current, which during floods would be likely to carry off and destroy the deposit ; nor in a stagnant part of the river, where a mud sediment,
the embryo brood.
The bed for the ova is a small trench, four or five feet long, and a foot and a half, or thereabouts, in breadth and depth. Soon after the roe and milt are
nor during the next day.
was dead. Catharine
to enjoy the sport as much as his mistress.
and the want of water sufficiently aerated, might choke
_ deposited by the parent fish, they commence simul- | taneously covering them up with the gravel they had | previously excavated with so much toil; and this | appeared to be a comparatively easy operation. I | noticed that both fish remained in the vicinity of the nest all the day, but were not visible next morning, |
4 gobble it I had an uncle in my native town, a physician, and | a man of ability and learning, who had lost his only 7 son at St. Domingo, an officer in a Man of War. Finding me somewhat docile and studious, he took | a fancy to me, which gradually ripened into affection ; § and I found myself, in process of time, established in | the vacuum which the bereavement of his promising J son had left. One beloved daughter remained, to | console and cheer her widowed parent. Her mother |
was my playmate and confidant [ from infancy ; she was a graceful and clever girl, and | of a very sweet and generous disposition. She was | frequently permitted to be my companion on my || fishing rambles, when the weather was fine ; and then | she would trip along the bank like a fairy, caroling
her light song, making bouquets, or chasing butterflies © with her little silk-haired lapdog Cato, who appeared |%
My cous and tame Simon. being disl s'tion, an But our soon acq domestica and woul even more of early g acquired { was caug a quicker distance h
but notwi meals, to lars of th poultry ya to forego From this a humouri learned re mit, that | There v was fed b this, as w fered frow head of th weeds. ( myself, w attention requested that case,
t floods would posit; nor in ud sediment,
might choke
» four or five ereabouts, in and milt are
mence simul- | vel they had | il; and this | pperation, I | icinity of the |
ext morning,
id confidant | ver girl, and | 1. She was | ion on my | e; and then |
ry, caroling
g butterflies ho appeared e
hysician, and | lost his only 4 Ian of War. | ous, he took | ito affection ; | stablished in | is promising | remained, to | Her mother |
SIMON STYLITES, ll
My cousin, who died in the West Indies, had caught and tamed a large grey Sea-gull, which he called Simon. Birds of this class are rarely made pets of, being disliked for their ferocity and voracious dispo- s'tion, and generally considered stupid and indocile. But our friend Simon was a bright exception; he soon acquired the habits of civilized life, became domesticated, and on the best terms with the poultry ; and would answer to his name, and come to be fed, even inore quickly than the rest; for a certain spice of early greediness still stuck to him, despite his acquired good breeding. If an unfortunate mouse was caught and thrown into the yard, the gull, from a quicker eye and former habits, would be sure to distance his competitors in a race for the prize, and § gobble it up first. One of his wings was kept clipped, but notwithstanding, he generally managed, after his meals, to take up a position on one of the high pil- lars of the gate, whence he would reconnoitre the poultry yard and garden ; being, I suppose, unwilling to forego altogether his habit of aerial exploration. From this circumstance my uncle, who was a bit of a humourist, called him Simon Stylites ; who, as the learned reader knows, was an ancient Egyptian her- mit, that lived thirty years on the top of an obelisk.
There was a large fish-pond in the garden, which was fed by a small rivulet. After my cousin’s death, this, as well as other parts of the establishment, suf- fered from the long apathy of grief which affected the head of the house, and became choked with grass and weeds. One day, when my uncle, his daughter, and myself, were walking in the garden, I directed his attention to the neglected state of the pond, and requested that it might be cleared out; promising, in that case, to stock it with trout, which might be tamed
=
SIMON STYLITES.
and taught to come for crumbs from the hand off Catharine. The old gentleman adopted the sugges- tion, and gave orders accordingly; whilst his fair |
daughter’s eyes sparkled at the idea of feeding the} finny pets—
‘*Qui norunt dominam, manumque lambunt Illam”
When the pond was ready, I put init several dozens . of trout, that had been caught without injury, and | took measures for feeding them regularly. 4
Some
the condition of their new subjects, but were both : much surprised to find they had all disappeared. As | my uncle always acted on the generous principle of
picion fell on Simon, who still marched about the yard | at the head of his turkeys with all gravity and pro- 7 priety ; but I had my own private opinion on the 2 subject. In a week a second batch of trout was pro- cured, and a watch was set on the fish-pond. Alas a for honest appearances !
caught in the very act of gormandizing a trout; and a all the marks of conscious guilt.
his deceased master, so punishing his offence as a | capital felony was out of the question.
rine and myself; and at last we devised a plan to |
ing to the most orthodox jurisconsults, would be :
accomplis
: gull lived ) unbarbed 4 the end of
> the lines 1 ) which ha ) the walk
to reconn
near the s supposing innocence, without proof of guilt, no sus- |
My poor uncle had been |% gulled, like many other sensible people who trust in © a grave face; forthe next morning Simon Stylites was 77 slunk away to herd among his feathered cronies, with :
The bird was a favourite, and a kind of legacy of |
The matter 7 was debated with due consideration between Catha- #
punish the offender, and cure him of the vices of glut- 7 tony and thieving at the same time; which, accord- ©
tice. Next n
to them ;
occasion t let out, M
discovered
all the ray by his ci was fairl soon had water, in although away, an valuable | by no mé contrary, panying salutary flourishe them no
SIMON STYLITES, 13
1 the hand off d the sugges- whilst his fair)) Next morning, before the fowl house where the sea- of feeding the | gull lived was open, I fastened two small trouts on > unbarbed hooks, and threw them into the pond near ) the end of one of the garden walks, with lines attached : to them; then hiding behind a lilac on the bank, with ') the lines in my hand, I awaited the result. I had no several dozens e occasion to wait long; for as soon as the poultry were it injury, and {7 let out, Master Simon darted through the garden gate, larly. Some!) which had been purposely left open, strutted down ont to inspect 2 the walk to the edge of the fish pond, and proceeded ut were both : to reconnoitre with all due precision. Having soon uppeared. As |¥ discovered the decoy fish which were kept in motion 8 principle of (4 near the surface, he pounced on them instantly, with guilt, no sus- |¥ all the rapacity of his early days, not a bit modified bout the yard |7 by his civilized education. When I saw that he vity and pro- |# was fairly caught, I started up, pulled the lines, and inion on the |} soon had my friend Simon floundering about in the rout was pro- |] water, in a state of no small astonishment. Now -pond. Alas @ although advice in such cases is generally thrown cle had been || away, and many an asthmatic judge might save the who trust in | valuable breath he thus wastes on criminals, this was 1 Stylites was |] by no means the case with my reprimand. On the a trout ; and @ contrary, the summary punishment, and the accom- cronies, with | 4% panying good advice, appeared to produce the most ~ salutary effect on the morals of the sea-gull; the fish flourished, and the reformed Simon Stylites troubled them no more during the rest of his life.
accomplishing the two grand objects of criminal jus- tice.
mbunt
pba aes
of legacy of | offence as a | The matter | ween Catha- 7 rd a plan to | ices of glut- = ich, accord- © 8, would be |
CHAPTER II.
ADOLESCENCE.——-ENTRANCE INTO THE ARMY.-——JOURNEY TO : cousin in ft
“soon folloy
PORTSMOUTH.—HOT SOUFP.—VOYAGE TO LISBON.
‘¢ And now, farewell. Time unrevoked has run
His wonted course, yet what I wish’d is done;
By contemplation’s help, not sought in vain,
I seem to have lived my childhood o’er again.” CowPER.
‘“‘ The Lord hath created medicines, and he that is wise will not despise them.” EcCEESIASTICUS.
I HAD now received a respectable country education, | was decently instructed in my mother tongue, and had |
made a tolerable progress in the classics. I had fol- lowed the Grecian army to Troy ; could enumerate all the general officers of corps and divisions, and detail the strength and characteristics of their respective quotas ; was familiarly acquainted with the names of the two Inspectors General of the Argive Hospitals— Drs. Podalirius and Machaon, though I could never make out much of their practice, except by inference from Homer’s remark, which would lead to the belief that it was very successful. When the city fell, I could track Ulysses and Aineas in their devious wan- derings through the Mediterranean ; and what I was no less proud of, follow the clergyman on a Sunday, through the Gospel and Epistle in the original Greek. I was thus as well prepared, as boys usually are, for the University; and it was determined in a family conclave, that I should repair to Edinburgh, study medicine at that prolific ‘‘ Officina Medicorum,” gra-
duate, and
Suncle’s sud
But sho and a wise
Sour hopes
cruel man
that would
| successor » strangers Pa amidst tho many reco
Time, at at length of mind a than adva pain. Th entered T1 and other don, wher
= cannot sa‘
struction - in his day
® witnessing
E. H. lit young in thirty yes had a pre attain the reached. After ¢ from the Lincoln’s
© fically th
JOURNEY TO HG cousin in the bloom of her youth; and my poor uncle
“soon followed her to the grave, the victim of a grief “that would admit of no alleviation, nor comfort. A
O LISBON.
aS run one ; Ny ain.” TPER.
lat is wise will 3IASTICUS.
ry education, | gue, and had |
» Thad fol- snumerate all is, and detail ir respective the names of Hospitals— could never by inference to the belief city fell, I evious wan- what I was 1 a Sunday, rinal Greek, ally are, for in a family irgh, study orum,” gra-
& witnessing his private or public practice.
| fically the King’s lieges, and my future disposal being
ADOLESCENCE, 15
duate, and in process of time, establish myself as my
Muncle’s successor.
But short-sighted man can only propose—a higher and a wiser power disposes. The cherished object of
"jour hopes and expectations was frustrated in the most
cruel manner. An untimely death carried off my
successor soon established himself; and the feet of
(y strangers were heard in the familiar chambers, and “amidst those flowery walks, that were hallowed by so ) many recollections.
Time, and the natural elasticity of youth, produced at length their usual soothing effects. Wounds, both of mind and body, will heal more quickly in early, than advanced life, although attended with greater
@ pain. The idea of home practice was given up. I
entered Trinity College, Dublin, prosecuted medical and other study there; and finally repaired to Lon- don, where I became a pupil of Sir E H yt
= cannot say with truth, that I derived either much in-
struction from the lessons of a man so distinguished in his day, or much improvement, in any sense, from I owe Sir K. H. little, but I owe a cleverer man, at that time young in fame, much. Even then, some two and thirty years ago, green and inexperienced as I was, I had a presentiment that Sir Benjamin Brodie would attain the distinguished eminence which he has since reached.
After a year’s residence in London, having obtained from the chirurgical wisdom of the great conclave in Lincoln’s Inn Fields their authority to cut up scienti-
16 ENTRANCE INTO THE ARMY.
left to myself, I resolved to enter the medical depart
ment of the army. Joining the army in the Peninsu- lar, was, at this time, a great object of my ambition; Lord Wellington was waiting “in grim repose’’ be- hind the lines of Torres Vedras, in hopes of a false move on the part of the “ Child of Victory.” It is true, the Whig quidnuncs of that day had doomed the English army to destruction, or embarkation, at the least ; and gave me, or any body else, small hope of joining it on Portuguese terra firma; indeed the best
promise they could afford, was of meeting its discom-f fited relics in the Bay of Biscay. But notwithstand-¥})... sunk si ing their gloomy and craven croakings, I persisted}
in my determination. mightily captivated by the achievements of Sir Ar-
of Assaye, seemed worthy of the great Macedonian himself.
There was little difficulty in those days for any} medical youth, duly qualified, to obtain a commission}
in the army; for Talavera, and other bloody fields—and camps or cantonments on the unhealthy banks of slug- gish rivers,—had caused a great demand for doctors; moreover, they were far less numerous then than
now. With my credentials from Surgeons’ Hall inj
my hand, I went to the Horse Guards, and from thence was referred to a tribunal, sitting at No. 4, Berkeley Street, Berkeley Square. The wise men on the me-
dical bench there, having examined me, and reported that I could feel a pulse and physic, as well as bleed, f I was in due course gazetted “Hospital Mate for @
general service to His Majesty’s forces.”
In times of yore, and not very remote either, young men of respectable families, good conduct, and fair classical education, when entering the army or navy
scarcely ra
Mferior in eve hen receiv
o 4
o
but one get
Mage, as the My young fancy had _ been Bhaving bee
Hand then c thur Wellesley, and his dashing chivalry on the field]
“form.
ns medical
or words 2
en, but cd
hey were
ppellation
he term ‘ nd sounde
Next da Th
= was calcul
sidered it s put mein n my patient About a to Portsm«¢ the same mate, bout where we the passet soup, mix with mucl mon with me into tk
isee much
one’s mol
2 little mon a
7
seemed, t
Y.
1edical depart n the Peninsu. my ambition: im repose”’ be. opes of a false ty.” It is true, d doomed the rkation, at the small hope of ndeed the best ng its discom-P notwithstand- s, I persisted
cy had _ been
ts of Sir Ar-
Macedonian
days for any}
@ commission ly fields—and
yanks of slug-|
d for doctors ; |
s then than
eons’ Hall in§
d from thence 4, Berkeley n on the me- and reported
vell as bleed, & al Mate for |
ither, young ct, and fair }
fmy or navy oy
1
mform. @was calculated to raise unpleasant ideas; and I con-
17
ns medical officers, were not looked upon as gentle- en, but considered as so many hospitable drudges, scarcely ranking with the ward masters or serjeants. hey were despised by every raw ensign, far their in- ferior in every estimable quality. The treatment they hen received from government, including the above appellation, partly accounted for their false position ; or words are things, and often things of weight too. aThe term “ Hospital Mate” grated on my ear at first, nd sounded odious aud cacophonous to thelast degree ; but one gets accustomed to disagreeable sounds. It has sunk since beneath the growing intelligence of the age, as the last relic of the times of barber-surgeons ; having been first softened into: Hospital Assistant,
JOURNEY TO PORTSMOUTH.
gand then changed into “ Assistant Staff Surgeon.” y on the field
Next day I went to an army tailor to order my uni- The awful black feather in my cocked hat
sidered it scarcely fair for the Commander in Chief to | put me in mourning so early for any accidents amongst my patients.
About a week after my appointment I was ordered to Portsmouth, to embark for Lisbon. I travelled in the same coach with a facetious brother hospital mate, bound to Cadiz, named M—d—le. At the inn where we stopped to dine, my companion electrified the passengers by emptying his snuff-box into his soup, mixing the compound well, and swallowing it with much gusto and delectation. I stared, in com- mon with the rest, not being then initiated, but he let me into the secret afterwards; though I could never /see much to admire in the queer taste of burning
f one’s mouth and throat, for the sake of exciting a
j little momentary wonder. It was a common trick, it seemed, to astonish strangers ; and was managed by
18 JOURNEY TO LISBON.
in the neig' Jonathan
sleight of hand between two similar boxes, one con- taining snuff and the other pepper.
After waiting several days at Portsmouth for a fair latitude a wind, I sailed in the transport Mary, John Hogg found ; 80, master, with four officers of the army, bound to Lisbon, je mancuvte I record Mr. Hogg’s name for two reasons—first, he fj but witho quarrelled with me one day after dinner, and chal- reefs, hoist lenged me to box, for telling him, in the course of ajp in pursu't.
than lay td and I pres
conversation on heraldry, when he wished to know§ what his crest was, that it must be a boar’s head;
and, secondly, because the said Hogg and his name & the powde formed a happy example of perfect identity of appel- for his ung lation, appearance, and character. When One beautiful morning, early in May 1811, we and me © proceeded from Spithead, through the Needles, with § res, name a fleet of three hundred sail, escorted by the Pheton & gale from , Frigate. The passage of such a large fleet through a consolatio narrow channel, with the Isle of Wight on one side f) ®ve 4" and the smiling coast of Hampshire on the other-— fF Pass8se¢ then the opening sea to the west, and the gradual with sevel development of canvass before a breeze as fair as it could enje could blow—formed altogether a very splendid pic- Fi) %* sickné ture; but to an inexperienced eye like mine it wasp, One ™ magic. | chair to We bore down channel gallantly all the day, and large tea- in the evening had the pleasure of witnessing a pretty Fy * glass w little chase. An American merchant brig, that had ful roll, § obtained permission to profit by the convoy, finding of the cé that some of the fleet were heavy sailers, and that the FF of the s easterly breeze was freshening, and promised to con- | gaged, I tinue, took it into her head to cut our acquaintance. provided No doubt she thought she might leave us when she hold ; pleased, and that our frigate would hesitate at quit- the rece ting her fleet in pursuit, particularly as it was near nolens ? night, and there were some Dunkirk luggers cruizing time m}
Oxes, One con-
houth for a fair v9 John Hogg
und to Lisbon, &
sons—first, he ner, and chal- € course of a
shed to knowk
boar’s head ; and his name tity of appel-
ay 1811, we
y the Pheeton et through a , ON one side 1 the other-— the gradual as fair as it splendid pic-
mine it was F
he day, and sing a pretty ig, that had voy, finding and that the ised to con- quaintance, is when she ate at quit- it was near ers cruizing
Needles, with &
19
in the neighbourhood. But it would never do to let Jonathan move off, and tell all the world in what latitude and longitude our large convoy was to be found; so, as soon as the Pheton saw the brig’s manoeuvre, she fired a gun, and a little after, a second, but without effect. Upon this she shook out her reefs, hoisted more sail, and stretched away beautifully jin pursuit. After half an hour’s trial of speed, Jona- than lay to, finding he had no chance of getting off ; and I presume he was made to pay the full value of the powder, besides getting a well deserved lecture
JOURNEY TO LISBON.
| for his ungenerous behaviour, gratis.
When an unfortunate landsman first goes to sea, and his evil star conducts him at once “ in medias res,” namely, the Bay of Biscay, during, or after, a
) gale from the westward, bad as he may be, there is this
consolation, that he is in about as ugly a sea as he ever can meet with afterwards. We had a boisterous
® passage across this stormy bay; but we were treated
with several amusing scenes in the cabin, which we could enjoy after the first deadening depression of the sea sickness was over.
One morning at breakfast, when I got up from my chair to manufacture some egg-cream, and had a
| large tea-kettle full of boiling water in one hand, and
a glass with the egg in another, the ship gave a fear- ful roll, sending me and my kettle to the other side of the cabin. I there endeavoured to anchor on one of the standing births; but both hands being en- gaged, I could only use my elbows, which, not being provided with hooks, like the bat family, would not hold ; consequently, back in a second I was sent by the recoil of the vessel, and a third time launched, nolens volens, on this perilous navigation. All this time my four fellow passengers were clinging to the
20 HOT SOUP,
breakfast table, oscillating with the motion of the
ship, throwing up their feet, to keep out of the appre-
hended scalding deluge, and screaming with hysteric
laughter, in which fear was a principal ingredient.
After two or three more turns across the cabin with
my dangerous companion, the vessel righted, and |
fortunately made good a landing on my chair, without §f | s30n.—2!
spilling a drop either of the water or the cream. INCIDEN Our dinners, of course, were generally enlivened OFFICER:
by similar little interludes between the acts. Often
our soup-tureen, impelled by some extraordinary
ground swell, would start from its moorings, smash
half a dozen decanters and tumblers in its passage,
and then unrelentingly pour its contents into the lap
of Lieut. Hooper, the Vice President. Then Captain
Maunsell, of the 39th, would exclaim, “ Any more
soup, Hooper?” “ Ogh, no, bad luck to you, don’t
you perceive I have just got my ze plus ultra.” On the 16th of May we made the rock of Lisbon,
were soon after boarded by a Portuguese pilot, and
after passing the imposing array of forts at its mouth,
we entered the Tagus with a fine breeze, proceeded
up the beautiful river, and anchored off Belem steps. Tus cele
play man anchor in ever, I admiratic without, For tl thousant scriptio1 day anc made m nose bel sense 0
motion of the
t of the appre: e with hysteric val ingredient, he cabin with righted, and | chair, without e cream,
ally enlivened Pacts. Often extraordinary orings, smash
n its passage,
S into the lap
hen Captain
CHAPTER III.
LISBON.—-EMBARRASSMENT WITH MY FIRST HOST.—TRAGIC INCIDENT AT THE HOUSE OF THE PRINCIPAL MEDICAL OFFICER.——-EMBARKATION FOR FIGUERAZ AND COIMBRA.
*¢ Quem nao visto Lisboa Nao tem visto cousa boa.” PorTUGUESE PRoveERB.
‘¢ What beauties does Lisboa first unfold.”
‘¢ But whoso entereth within this town,
» “ Any more That, sheening far, celestial seems to be, to don’ Disconsolate will wander up and down you, dont ’Mid many things unsightly to strange ee ; ultra.” For hut and palace shew like filthily,
The dingy denizens are rear’d in dirt; Ne personage of high or mean degree Doth care for cleanness of surtout or shirt, Though shent with Egypt’s plague—unkempt, unwash’d, unhurt.” CuiLtpe Harotp.
k of Lisbon, ‘se pilot, and at its mouth, 1€, proceeded Belem steps,
Tuts celebrated and scenic capital does certainly dis-
play many beauties to a stranger, as his vessel drops
anchor in the broad stream at its feet. There, how-
ever, I advise him to stay, satisfied with distant ah
admiration ; for though all is majestic and magnificent :
without, all is indescribable filth and stench within. * For the first week after landing, the smell of the
thousand unsavoury odours every where, of every de-
scription, and in various stages of concentration, by
day and by night, without abatement or cessation,
made me often wish it had been possible to leave my
nose behind me in England: for, withouta doubt, the
sense of smell is a misfortune in Lisbon.
22 LISBON. EMBARRASSMENT WITH
At the period of my arrival, our worthy allies, the Portuguese, had cooled not a little, from the first fervour of their hospitality and civility to their Eng- lish friends, as was but natural; for what good nature could bear up so long with a succession of strangers, forced into their domestic privacy, draining their resources, harmonizing little with their customs, of a different religion, and who sometimes requited kind- ness and politeness with rudeness or disdain? My first business was to look out for a lodging: accord- ingly, having reported myself at the proper places, | repaired to the town major’s office for a billet; and having procured one, proceeded to establish myself in my quarters—a matter then represented in Lisbon as analogous to taking possession of a post in an enemy’s country.
Previous to leaving England I had obtained a Portuguese Grammar and Dictionary, with the in- tention of studying hard on the voyage. But a transport, during a gale in the Bay of Biscay, is somewhat different from a bench in the groves of Academus ; consequently my progress was not great. On reaching my patroné’s door, as they quaintly but kindly call one’s host in Portugal, I found, on muster- ing my acquirements, that the sum total was half a
dozen words and one sentence—the Portuguese for bread, and wine, and water, and meat, and fish, and grapes—and ‘how do you do?” Moreover my voca- bulary, though commendably brief, had a chance of being quite unintelligible when reduced to practice, for it was unenriched by that nasal elegance so classic in Lisbon.
Thus moderately accomplished, I arrived in front of a good looking house in the Rua dos Placeres, in Buenos Ayres, the best part of Lisbon. I was ad-
mitted wi shewn in looking These wet indicatio subseq uel
| the introd
a little p had not f He knew
» and was
excellent English s to make d up a good we again and the c
ec
till, his K that he r well as I been taus manner, | terminus chatted ¢ of the da los’ —th Britanni sitanie, became finished
We « patroné siderabl
VITH
thy allies, the rom the first to their Eng- t good nature of strangers, raining their customs, of a quited kind. isdain? My ing: accord- per places, | a billet; and ish myself in in Lisbon as n an enemy’s
obtained a vith the in- ge. But a f Biscay, is e€ groves of AS not great. uaintly but on muster- was half a tuguese for id fish, and r my voca- chance of O practice,
e SO Classic
in front of lageres, in I was ad-
23
mitted with politeness by a well dressed servant, and shewn into an anti-chamber, where sat a gentlemanly- looking Fidalgo, with the Maltese cross on his breast. These were favourable circumstances ; and those first indications of respectability were not belied by thi subsequent deportment of my worthy host. After | the introductory bow to each other, we were both not a little puzzled to find that our literary acquirements had not furnished a mutual channel of communication. He knew about as much English as I did Portuguese, } and was unacquainted with French. It is true, the excellent Fidalgo had picked up a few oaths from the English soldiers; but these were not well calculated to make our ideas mutually intelligible, nor to keep up a good understanding between us. In this dilemma we again had recourse to the eloquence of courtesy and the countenance-bows,
MY FIRST HOST,
‘¢ and smiles and sparkles of the speaking eye ;”
till, his Knightly cross having haply suggested to me that he might understand Latin, I accosted him as well as I could in that language. Fortunately I had been taught to pronounce it in the broad, continental manner, so he understood me at once; and a “ medius terminus” being thus established between us, we chatted away as classically as we might, on the events of the day, the “ bellum internecinum adversus Gal- los’—the great “ Dux Wellington’’—the “ exercitus Britannicus”—the “ Rex Georgius”—the “ spes Lu- sitanie,”—and so forth, for half an hour, until we became cordial cronies, and the good old gentleman finished by inviting me to dinner.
We dined téte a téte, and I enjoyed my kind patroné’s multiform and manifold dishes with con- siderable gusto, notwithstanding rather too strong a
24 MY FIRST HOST.
savour of the “alho;” but the calm that had followed the perturbations in the Bay of Biscay was accom- panied with an accommodating appetite. Although we spoke in the Roman language, we did not carry our imitation of those stern ancients to the extent of reclining gracefully—
—— “ab ovo usque ad mala,”
nor would they, probably, if they had possessed Don Manoel’s well-stuffed and comfortable arm chairs. A roast duck happened to be one of the dishes; the “ala” and the “ crus” were easily recollected, but alliatum intritum ” was not, I fear, the term Apicius would have used for the stuffing.
By the assistance of my good host, I acquired in the course of a week as much Portuguese as relieved the Latin occasionally, and sometimes superseded it altogether. He was besides very useful to me in other respects ; acting as my guide in poin‘ing out the lions of the Lusitanian metropolis, and introducing me to several of his friends, after our acquaintance had ripened into intimacy. He was, I believe, a true patriot, loved his country, was cordial to the English, deprecated the convention of Cintra, and abominated Junét and the French for many reasons; not the least of which was, that they had personally insulted him, and stolen his plate and pictures. In fact, I felt then, and afterwards, and still feel, under the greatest obligations to this warm-hearted gentleman, Don Manoel Joze Mascarenhas.
When I first landed, I had called on Dr. B——, the principal medical officer, but he was not at home; next morning I was more fortunate, and found this gentleman, an old schoolfellow of my father, who received me graciously. After a short conversation,
in the co
day for fi preparato a violent
part of th exclaiming out of the
scream m tibly acce hand, deli pear, or W turn out s I was n a frighten¢ and reque entering a
i ing and so
was pale a in the left dreadfully requested proper me bleeding.
herself w: struck ag deep flesh had in thi spoiled th bosom, an
h a consider its flow: °
restorative silent in doctor; b
8 the woun
VOL. I.
had followed / was accom- ». Although lid not carry the extent of
ssessed Don m chairs. A
dishes; the ollected, but term Apicius
acquired in e as relieved uperseded it O me in other out the lions ucing me to intance had eve, a true he English, abominated not the least sulted him, fact, I felt the greatest eman, Don
Dr. B— _, bt at home;
found this ather, who nversation,
25 in the course of which he directe’ me to call the next day for farther instructions, and when I had risen preparatory to taking leave, we were both startled by a violent and prolonged female shriek, from the upper part of the house. Dr. B turned pale, and, exclaiming, “ By G—, she has killed herself!” rushed out of the room, and ran up stairs. Another loud scream met his ear almost immediately, and percep- tibly accelerated his steps; whilst I was left, hat in hand, deliberating whether it behoved me to disap- pear, or wait for the dénouement of what promised to turn out sufficiently tragic.
I was not left long in suspense, for in two minutes a frightened maid-servant came running down stairs, and requested me to hurry up without delay. On entering a bedchamber, I found the Doctor support- ing and soothing a very handsome young lady, who was pale and faint, and bleeding freely from a wound in the left breast. As the chief “ medico” was so dreadfully agitated that he could be of no use, he requested me to examine the wound, and take the proper measures for dressing it, and staunching the bleeding. I found that the fair suicide had stabbed herself with a stiletto; fortunately the point had struck against a rib, and glanced off, producing a deep flesh wound, but not penetrating the chest. She had in this attempt on her life—and it was a pity— spoiled the beauty of a very white and well formed bosom, and the blood was running down her side in
TRAGICAL INCIDENT,
f aconsiderable stream. I soon succeeded in stopping S its flow: the lady was then undressed, after the usual
restoratives, and put to bed. She was obstinately silent in answer to the reiterated questions of the doctor; but it appeared to me, that when I told her the wound was not mortal, she did not receive the VOL. I. Cc
26 TRAGICAL INCIDENT.
announcement in the mood to be expected from one who liad so recently made such a desperate attempt upon her own life, but quite the contrary.
The history of the case was this, and it may not be without its moral. Dr. B , although old enough to know better, had had this extremely pretty Portu- euese danseuse living under his protection for a con- siderable period; but, on making preparations to embark for England, he wished to cut the connection. The overture he made to this effect was very unpa- lateable to his mistress, who desired to accompany him, and either had some hopes of being one day made his wife, or as a “ pis aller” of picking up some English guineas on the boards of the London theatres. It appeared that, on the morning of my visit, there had been a recent and violent altercation between the parties. He swore she should not embark with him, and she said and swore she would. The ungallant Asculapius then flew into a passion, called her a fury and a fiend, and as many bad names as he could put into Portuguese; and the lady retaliated with inte- rest. Finally, the scene closed with the figurante on her knees, asking pardon of the “ Virgem purissima,” and her patron saint ‘ Francisca dos dolores,” for the solemn vow she made to destroy herself and the babe within her bosom. ‘The above catastrophe was the result. But the babe was only a “ rhetorical | artifice.”
I attended the fair lady for a week. She soon recovered, and I am evil-minded enough to suspect, that, previous to stabbing herself, she had carefully studied the anatomy of the fiiendly rib that had saved her life, and had skilfully directed her poinard’s point upon it. The selection of the beautiful breast for such a cruel wound appeared also to have been
made purpo the hard he At any rate her object, and the Se
About th
assistance,
north of Po in Spanish d’Onore, th Cristoval, @ Albuera, ha with wound chanced at
llth Foot ; were prepar They were it was arran Figueras, a and accomp I was direc orders.
ted from one erate attempt y. it may not be h old enough pretty Portu- ion for a con- eparations to 1e connection. AS very unpa- Oo accompany ing one day king up some idon theatres, y visit, there n between the rk with him, ‘he ungallant led her a fury he could put ed with inte- figurante on MN purissima,” dolores,”’ for rself and the astrophe was
She soon to suspect, ad carefully ib that had her poinard’s utiful breast o have been
“‘ rhetorical §
EMBARKATION FOR COIMBRA. 27
made purposely, and as a “ coup de theatre,” to melt the hard heart of the Medico into former affection. At any rate, I am happy to record that she failed in her object, the Doctor pensioned and discarded her, and the Senhorita Serafina returned to the Opera. About this period there was great lack of medical assistance, both with the main allied army in the north of Portugal and in Marshal Beresford’s corps in Spanish Estramadura. The battles of Fuentes d’Onore, the loss in the unsuccessful attacks on St. Cristoval, and the bloody combat on the ridge of Albuera, had filled the hospitals at Elvas and Coimbra with wounded, and there were many sick. There chanced at this time to be a large detachment of the llth Foot at Lisbon, which had lately arrived, and were preparing to join the head quarters in the north. They were without a regimental medical officer, and it was arranged that I should embark with them for Figueras, a small town at the mouth of the Mondego, and accompany them up the river to Coimbra ; where I was directed to report myself, and await farther orders.
CHAPTER IV.
COIMBRA.--INEZ DE CASTRO.—TURNING UP A SERVANT.— FIRST DINNER ON MY RATIONS.—REJOICINGS OF THE FROGS.—FINE FOUNTAIN IN THE GARDEN OF THE SANTA CRUZ CONVENT.
“ Doces e claras agoas do Mondego.” CaMOENS.
“« De noite em doces sonhos que mentiam— De dia em pensamentos que voavam ;
E quanto em fim cuidava, e quanto via, Eram tudo memorias de alegria.”
Ipem.
THE weather was fine when we embarked at Belen, in the beginning of June, 1811. After a pleasant voyage of two days, we reached the outside of the bar at Figueras, and anchored until the tide turned. When we again anchored off the town, the tide flowed so strong, that our old transport caught fire, from the velocity with which the cable ran out of a hawse hole which had lost its iron sheathing. We had many hands on board, and it was soon put out. Here the detachment was put. in flat-bottomed boats, and we proceeded up the rich and vine-banked Mondego to Coimbra.
Coimbra, pronounced Quimbra, the most classical city, and the seat of the only University in the King- dom, is built on a fine hill, rising boldly from the broad and clear river. There is a long bridge, and on the opposite height are beautifully situated the ‘Convent of St. Francisco, half way up, and of Santa
Clara at th of this ang picturesqu groves of and orangé shewed ex sites for tl such utter to its vanit selves in every thin; Having the head directed td and take ¢ wounded in the Fr into a larg venience, Convent. The sec
in passing the avenu¢ saw a Very back in t immediate and that |! away his 1 way of int with the t frown on taken; bi its place, We then asked aft
P A SERVANT,— ICINGS OF THE OF THE SANTA
ked at Belem, ter a pleasant outside of the e tide turned. the tide flowed vht fire, from ut of a hawse ng. We had ut out. Here ed boats, and ked Mondego
most classical in the King- idly from the x bridge, and ’ situated the and of Santa
COIMBRA, 29
Clara at the top. In fact, every hill in the environs of this ancient and celebrated city has its convent picturesquely crowning the summit; embosomed in groves of pine, oak, chesnut, cypress, myrtle, olive, and orange trees. Indeed the friars of the olden time shewed excellent judgment in the selection of good sites for their domiciles; and though they affected such utter seclusion from the world, and indifference to its vanities, they generally managed to perch them- selves in a position affording a bird’s eye view of every thing going on in it.
Having reported my arrival to Dr. T t, then at the head of the Medical Staff at Coimbra, I was directed to cross to the other side of the Mondego, and take charge of a ward of about a hundred poor wounded meu, lately brought from Celoricc, and now in the Franciscan Convent, which had been turned into a large hospital. I was also, for greater con- venience, ordered to get a billet in a hamlet near the Convent.
The second morning after I had established myself, in passing under some fine chesnut trees, covering the avenue from the external gate of the Convent, I saw a very good looking Portuguese lad lying on his back in the shade, taking a comfortable sesta. It immediately occurred to me that I wanted a servant, and that here was the very criado I required, dosing away his time for want of a master; accordingly, by way of introduction, I touched him gently in the side with the toe of my boot. He started up, collected a frown on his handsome brow, at the freedom I had taken; but strangled it instantly, and put a smile in its place, when he saw my red coat and cocked hat. We then entered into friendly conversation, and I asked after his name and acquirements. Antonio
30
could neither make spatterdashes, nor play upon the fiddle, like Sterne’s La Fleur; but he said he could cook, and brush my clothes, and polish my boots, and groom a horse. He had no certificates, for he had never been in service; but he had an honest as well as a comely face ; and trusting to an ingenuous man- ner, and this natural recommendation, I hired him at once, appointed him Master of the Horse, Major Domo, and Factotum, and directed him to look after my rations.
My morning hospital duties generally occupied about three hours, and were performed with all the natural enthusiasm of youth ; luxuriating for the first time amidst those chosen professional scenes, in which he had long desired to participate. The arrangements in the hospitals appeared to me at the time excellent— the long corridors of the convents were occupied by a double row of beds, containing the sick and wounded, classed into wards according to the nature of the cases; with a medical officer, ward master, and sufficient number of orderlies to each—a common kitchen for the whole—a purveyor to provide supplies, and an apothecary to prepare medicines. Often have I stopped on entering, to admire the picturesque per- spective of the long corridors, in which the lazy and obese monks had so long listlessly sauntered about ; but which were now appropriated to the solace of pain, the preservation of life, and the best duties of humanity and benevolence.
One day after the morning visit to the Convent, I strolled up the river side, to the ‘‘ Quinta das Lagri- mas” or Garden of Tears, and thence to the “ Fonte dos Amores” the Fountain of Loves; so called, I think, with much poetic beauty, from having been the residence and death-scene of the celebrated Ines de
TURNING UP A SERVANT,
Castro.
full of re peasantr rounded umbraget The st torical f more app murdere robes—t and the j incidents triumphs The t of Camog creat bed Lusiad, a sages by Shakesp« It isn sublime descend amusem plation | scene 0 returnin lively fis my sent dilectio home, river's § in pers' pleasul I fou qualifi
play upon the said he could my boots, and ps, for he had honest as well genuous man- { hired him at
orse, Major b to look after
ally occupied
with all the ig for the first enes, in which arrangements e excellent— ecupied by a ind wounded, ature of the master, and —a “ommon ride supplies,
Often have uresque per- the lazy and tered about ; lace of pain, of humanity
Convent, I das Lagri- the “ Fonte 30 called, I ny been the ed Ines de
INES DE CASTRO, 31
Castro. The fountain, running over variegated marble, full of red spots—still believed by the neighbouring peasantry to be the marks left by her blood—is sur- rounded by some lofty cypresses; a tree peculiarly umbrageous and beautiful in Portugal.
The story of Ines de Castro is one of those his- torical facts, that are stranger, more affecting, and more appalling than fiction. The disinterment of the murdered lady—the attiring of the corpse in royal robes—the coronation—the homage of the nobility, and the pomp of the final sepulture of Alcobaga, are incidents strangely sublime—the proofs and the triumphs of a love stronger than death !
The theme appears to have overpowered the Muse of Camoens, though his verses on the subject possess ereat beauty. Every where in Portugal I found the Lusiad, and the most intelligent persons have long pas- sages by heart ; indeed Camoens is cherished as the Shakespeare of Port» al.
It is not very usual to jump the one step from the sublime to the ridiculous, but it is common enough to descend from this elevation to the occupations and amusements of ordinary life. Thus, after the contem- plation of the sad story of Ines, and fresh from the scene of her cruel death, my eye was attracted in returning along the bank of the Mondego, by some lively fish glancing and playing in the water. Instantly my sentimentalities took wing—the old angling pre- dilections resumed their ascendancy. I hastened home, put in order my cane-rod—repaired to the river’s side—began to fish—and in an hour succeeded in persuading a dozen good sized dace to give me the
pleasure of their company at dinner.
I found that my valet had not overrated his culinary qualifications. He had made some tolerable soup
32 FIRST DINNER ON MY RATIONS.
out of the tough ration beef, and fried the fish nicely with the azeite fresh drawn from the olives of the neighbouring hill. A bullock’s heart also was very correctly roasted ; and when the cloth was removed, I sipped my ration wine philosophically, over a dessert of delicious grapes and oranges ; with a full view of the city, the college, the gushing river, and the Serra de Busaco from my window. Thinks I to myself, this is mighty pleasant campaigning.
Next day I visited the University, where I was much disappointed; as from the dispersion of the professors and students by the recent French invasion, every thing appeared to be going to decay. The apparatus of natural philosophy, chemical apparatus, library, &c. seemed in a deplorable condition; but some of the professors had returned, and there were about a hundred students present. These were said to support themselves by manufacturing tooth-picks : hence in the Coimbra squabbles between “ Town” and ‘¢ Gown” they were nicknamed “ Palitos.”
The observatory appeared to be in better order than any other department, and there were several good French instruments, which perhaps the invaders had spared from patriotism. The view from the western side is very grand and extensive. It embraces a long reach of the Mondego, above and below the town, with the bridge in the immediate fore-ground—the Quinta das Lagrimas and rich bank adjoining, the Santa Clara and St. Francisco on the glorious hill opposite the city, besides fifteen or sixteen other white con- vents; with Busaco in the back-ground to the west, and the Serra da Estrella, the “ Mons Herminius” of antiquity, to the north and east.
A part only of the Santa Clara Convent had been given up for the use of the sick and wounded, but
the remal
frequentl of these s heretics b could see preserved sibility o English o box were | privation, that the fe had one y them, wh« officer, th thrown he of a fair that in lis associated nently sw trary, the like a pea At this of the San Friars, w1 admired ; it was a 1 heat of tk of water, meter, su: forty or island in worthy 0 comforta enclosur do the \
S.
2 fish nicely lives of the (oO was very as removed, ver a dessert full view of id the Serra to myself,
here I was sion of the ch invasion, ecay. The apparatus, lition; but there were 2 were said oth-picks ; Town” and
order than veral good vaders had ne western ces a long own, with he Quinta the Santa | opposite hite con- the west, Minius” of
had been ded, but
SANTA CRUZ CONVENT. 33
the remainder was still occupied by the Nuns. I frequently attended the chapel to hear the singing of these sisters, which was admirable ; but so many heretics being in the neighbourhood, this was all we could see or hear of them, for they appeared to be preserved with more than ordinary care, from all pos- sibility of the most harmless intercourse with the English officers. Even the usual grille and turning box were blocked up. However, to console us for this privation, report said they were mostly old ladies, and that the few young ones were not handsome ; but they had one young beauty of undisputed charms amongst them, who, crossed in her passion for a Portuguese ufficer, that had turned traitor to his country, had thrown herself into the Convent. Such is the witchery of a fair face, even an ideal one, over all the senses, that in listening to the choir in the chapel, I always associated Donna Theodora with one voice pre-emi- nently sweet ; although, for aught I knew to the con- trary, the said beautiful lady might have had a note like a pea-hen.
At this time there was a fine fountain in the garden of the Santa Cruz convent, belonging to the Augustine Friars, within the city, which all our officers greatly admired ; and to such of them as were convalescents, it was a very cool and pleasant retreat from the great heat of the town. The fountain was a circular sheet of water, as clear as crystal, some thirty yards in dia- meter, surrounded by a verdant wall of clipped cypress, forty or fifty feet high ; and having a little circular island in the middle, on which grew an orange tree worthy of the garden of the Hesperides. There was a comfortable circular bench at the bottom of the verdant enclosure, for the refreshment of the Padres; and to do the whole Santa Cruz establishment but justice,
B 2
34 COIMBRA.
they threw open their gates, and placed the garden, fruit, and fountain most handsomely at the disposal of the English. They permitted us to bathe in the foun- tain, into which I believe none of themselves ever ven- tured, for the good reason that they could not swim; and our common practice was to swim round the tiny island until we were tired, then land, and return loaded with as many oranges as we could bring away in our teeth.
The country around Coimbra, on both sides of the Mondego, is very rich and beautiful; and is probably unsurpassed by any district in the Peninsular—cer- tainly by none that I have seen. The slopes from the river rise into hills softly and gracefully, with the acclivities richly covered with Indian corn, vineyards, and olive grounds, mingled with groves and clumps of tall forest trees, and the crowning Quinta, or Con- vent, embowered in its deep mass of foliage at the top.
But the valley of the Mondego, so lovely to the
eye, and so rich in soil and natural products, has yet its drawbacks; and they are neither few nor unim- portant. During the winter the most frightful floods, bearing with them stones and rocks from the moun- tains, ravage the banks, and lay all the low country
under water. In fact there is an extensive inunda- tion every winter, followed by malaria and sickness, when the wet surface dries under a hot sun in spring.
Coimbra, like all Portuguese towns, is dirty, even to the taste of the least fastidious of the race of swine. These animals had been shot without remorse by the French, when they found them wallowing in the streets ; both to fill their own cooking kettles, and as a hint to the Portuguese to improve their muni- cipal police. Fora time the pigs that were left stayed at home; but when I was in Coimbra they had reco-
vered t the city ing as e Few than the this nois in the b resided, of the fi town, b I awoke and stu these re that all currence jubilee t of their Coimt sand Bri so that 1 many ha veries a these we Regimer cannon | on the b it had tu its way | tin befor sheer off ing at tk geon tie sent dov Thee furnishe
_ the garden, 1e disposal of 2 in the foun-
ves ever ven- d not swim; und the tiny eturn loaded away in our
sides of the 1 is probably nsular—cer- pes from the y, with the 1, vineyards, and clumps nta, or Con- e at the top. ovely to the icts, has yet y nor unim- htful floods, 1 the moun- ow country ive inunda- id sickness, n in spring. itty, even to pe of swine. orse by the ing in the ettles, and heir muni- left stayed had reco-
~
REJOICING OF THE FROGS. 35
vered their natural liberties, and in the choice pasture the city then afforded promised to be soon as flourish- ing as ever,
Few rivers can produce frogs in greater abundance than the Mondego; the yearly inundation affording this noisy fraternity great facilities of reproduction in the breeding season. In the quiet hamlet where I resided, I was screened by its situation, and the shade of the fine trees, from the great heat and dust of the town, but I was in the very focus of the frogs. When I awoke half a dozen times in a night, disturbed
and stunned by the terrific croak of some billions of
these reptiles, 1 was sometimes tempted to believe, that all «his tremendcus uproar could not be an oc- currence of ordinary seasons, but a kind of national jubilee this year, at the expulsion from the Kingdom of their natural enemies the ranavorous French.
Coimbra, at this time, contained nearly a thou- sand British sick and wounded, besides Portuguese, so that there was a fine field for practice. We had many bad surgical cases, and not a few happy reco- veries after terrible round shot wounds. Amongst these was a patient of mine, a grenadier of the 77th Regiment, who had been wounded by a ricochetting cannon ball that was nearly spent. It struck him on the back, and his knapsack and the tin vessel over it had turned the shot downwards, where it ploughed its way through the soft parts, carrying the lid of the tin before it, which cut every thing down to the bone sheer off like a carving knife. There was great bleed- ing at the time, but he fainted, and the nearest sur- geon tied up the large arteries. He was soon after sent down to Coimbra.
The cure was happily completed, and nature kindly furnished him with new skin over the enormous wound,
d i hy i] Ve q = | au & th) he MN rik i} ft | ® ; ay a | t 1 if of | “Hi ry iy iy td Gia eh 4 ik || ee AY jee Brat i ie ae ie nei af Nt oy %
36 COIMBRA,
about as extensive as the hide of a calf. Her vis medicatrix must have also supplied new glutei, for, when I left Coimbra, he was beginning to move about on crutches, to the extent of four or five steps ; but of course was still very lame and ricketty, from the great loss of muscle. At parting he expressed much gratitude for my attentions, and in return, [ wished he might get a good pension and a soft-bot- tomed chair for the remainder of his life.
In the latter end of July, apprehensions being enter- tained that another retreat to the lines might be ne- cessary from the junction of the French army of the south and that of Portugal, orders arrived to clear the hospitals and send the sick to Lisbon. Accordingly steps were taken to break them up, and a large de- tachment of two hundred was placed under my charge: we embarked on the river, dropped down to Figueras, where we were put on board a transport, and arrived without accident in Lisbon.
CINTRA.
at the | its surf singula tion, ev
I sail spent t the frag expatia contras abrupt landsc: ness 0 slopes cades-
if. Her vis ew glutei, ng to move five steps ; ketty, from e expressed in return, | | a soft-bot-
eing enter- ight be ne- urmy of the to clear the Accordingly a large de- my charge: o Figueras, and arrived
CHAPTER V.
CINTRA.——LISBON.——-NOCTURNAL RAINS.—-MEETING OF HOS- PITAL MATES TO REMONSTRATE AGAINST A GENERAL OR- DER OF LORD WELLINGTON.—— THEIR REMONSTRANCE THROWN IN THEIR FACES BY THE P, M. O.
“‘ The horrid crags, by toppling convent crown’d ; The cork trees hoar that clothe the shaggy steep—
The mountain moss by scorching skies embrown’d, te The sunken glen whose sunless shrubs must weep :
The tender azure of the unruffled deep— ji The orange tints that gild the greenest bough ; if
The torrents that from hill to valley leap— pe The vine on high, the willow branch below— i
Mix’d in one mighty scene with varied beauty glow.”
Byron.
Ons thinks one’s self at Cintra transported to a planet very different from this homely earth, It is assuredly, at the least, one of the most extraordinary spots upon i its surface; and though it offers to the eye the most h singular scenic paradoxes, yet, after a little observa- | tion, every thing, as a whole, appears in fine keeping. a I sailed three times close under the mountain, and \ spent two long summer days, luxuriating amongst the fragrant and gelid retreats of Cintra, but need not * expatiate on a place so well known. Itis a region of 3 contrasts ; and nothing can be more striking than the abrupt transitions of scenery—the alternations of rich landscape with barrenness and desolation—the dark- ness of the profound ravines, and the lovely sunny slopes at the top—the vast rocks—the romantic cas- cades—the oak and cork tree forests—the gardens
ica eae etdrabe ss ent ei
GC NN em ori - ~
FS Se RR Aa er AGI FSS APE
38 LISBON,
teeming with golden fruit—the palaces and convents, the vast conical and splintered mountwins, and the immeasurable view of the Atlantic from their high summits; all is pure, majestic, and glorious. Yet, alas! how small is the effect which this unequalled picture of the magnificence of nature has upon the evil passions of man! In the full view of it, he lies in wait for his brother and slays him, where yonder rude cross, surrounded by its cairn of rough stones, tells its tale of recent murder!
My first care, after returning to Lisbon, was to visit my fine old host, the Knight of Malta. There was an officer of the German Legion quartered in the house, but he was under orders to set out for the army the next day. In the mean time Don Manoel directed Antonio to go for my baggage forthwith, and I soon found myself comfortably re-established in my former habitation.
In the course of a couple of days I was directed to do duty at a small hospital, near the aqueduct, under the charge of a German staff-surgeon, a very honest man, but whose name it is not necessary to mention, I soon found that my worthy Teutonic chief was fully as fond of schnapps, as of surgery; and from keep- ing late hours, was not particularly punctual in his morning attendance at the hospital—in fact, sometimes not coming at all for several days together. Now, this was exactly what I wished, for it gave me the real management and all the practice of the establish- ment, and every body likes to have his own way. On one of the few occasions when we met in the morning I had pointed out to him a man with a bad leg, which required amputation to save his life; but the doctor
was not then in the best operating condition, for his hand shook sadly, so he deferred the matter until the
next day was agai urgent, W off the li and mys¢ we came goot frin honor, I now onl my toes. bed clot satisfied quarters I pres local pec of perio out the o’clock, One rem limited t the same common The con ficent ar showers, other sit non not ' which v premoni bling in no grea voice, a inhabita this rait from th
d convents, s, and the their high ious. Yet, unequalled 8 upon the it, he lies ere yonder igh stones,
vas to visit ere was an the house, } army the al directed and I soon my former
cted to do
under the
mest man, sntion, I was fully om keep- 1al in his sometimes r. Now, e me the stablish- vay. On morning 2, which he doctor 1, for his until the
NOCTURNAL RAINS IN LISBON, 39
next day, At the appointed time the vinous German was again absent; but the case having now become urgent, with the assistance of a smart orderly, I took off the limb myself. The day after the staff surgeon and myself went round the ward together, and when we came to the patient, he accosted him: “ Well, mine goot frind, how duz your leek?” “ Ogh, faith your honor, I was aised of it yesthurday althegither, and I now only feels a small thrifle of a pain like in aich of my toes.” The doctor stared a little, then lifted the bed clothes, and saw the stump; but he was quite satisfied with my explanation, and we went to his quarters to lunch.
I presume that every body, conversant with the local peculiarities of Lisbon, is aware of the occurrence of periodical nocturnal rains there, regularly through- out the year; beginning between ten and eleven o'clock, p. M. and lasting generally about two hours. One remarkable peculiarity is, that this fall of rain is limited to the city and its suburbs; though showers of the same description, occurring at the same time, are common in other large cities throughout the Kingdom. The confinement of the rains to the towns is a bene- ficent arrangement of nature; for, unlike all other showers, they are very prejudicial to vegetation. An- other singularity connected with them—a phenome- non not yet explained by any meteorological laws with which we are acquainted—is a kind of warning, or premonition, before they take place ; in fact, a rum- bling in the clouds immediately over the city, but at no great elevation, somewhat resembling the human voice, and most probably of electric origin. As the inhabitants of Lisbon dislike much to be caught in this rain, which is often charged with noxious atoms, from the upper strata of the atmosphere, and have
40
been morbidly sensitive of strange sounds in the air, ever since the great earthquake of 1755, which was preceded by noises of this kind; they are always on the alert about the time of the expected setting in of the nightly shower, and as soon as some such cabalis- tic sound as “ agoa vem !” is heard, a lively sensation is felt in the streets. and every body houses himself with great dispatch. Immediately the rains descend in torreats, particularly in the narrow and lofty streets, where they fall like a water-spout.
About ten days after my arrival in Lisbon, a brother medico and myself were returning from the Opera about twelve o’clock, dressed in our best coats. Not being then aware of this meteorological phenomenon, nor apprized of the premonitory aerial countersign, we had the misfortune to be caught suddenly in a very heavy shower, saturated with inodorous particles, probably from the breaking up of some soft erolite, that sadly stained our scarlet.
Few mortals pass through life without having to lament numerous youthful indiscretions. One of my early follies 1 may be permitted to relate.
About the month of August 1811, some General Order of Lord Wellington, respecting a certificate from the Principal Medical Officer at each Hospital station, about servant’s allowance, excited great wrath among the numerous officers of the Medical Staff, then in Lisbon. The obnoxious order, directed in a way sufficiently ungracious, certainly—that this al- lowance should orly be issued to those officers who were provided with a certificate, from the P. M. O, that the offices of a servant were absolutely necessary. This awkwardness of expression was probably occa- sioned by the bungling of some clerk at Head Quar- ters. However, the young Doctors took fire at what
LORD WELLINGTON’S GENERAL ORDER.
they consi body was steps were circumsta of Esculay President in the cha After a] oratory al pointed to the Com order. T into effect another ge days after was then should pr 13) ,t ters. The to our ent finished tl At the mittee wa Remonstr position. and proce we were ] When he their cas 66 D— y¢ what hav a remons d—d He and cons quash yc
ER.
in the air, which was always on tting in of h cabalis- sensation es himself 1s descend fty streets,
, a brother the Opera ats. Not nomenon, untersign, enly in a particles, ft eerolite,
having to ne of my
» General ertificate
Hospital eat wrath
ecessary, ly occa- id Quar- at what
MEETING OF HOSPITAL MATES. 4}
they considered an insult, and a meeting of the whole body was held at Lecor’s Hotel, to deliberate on what steps were necessary to be taken under these grave circumstances. There were about sixty irate children of Esculapius present; and, after due balloting for a President and Secretary, I had the honor to be placed in the chair.
After a prolonged discussion, and much impassioned oratory about our grievances, a committee was ap- pointed to draw up a Petition and Remonstrance to the Commander of the Forces, against the recent order. The committee lost no time in carrying this into effect, and submitted a very lofty document to another general meeting, held at the same place, a few days after. This was unanimously approved, and it was then resolved that the President and Committee should present this Petition, signed by all, to Dr. EL , the P. M. O. for transmission to Head Quar- ters. The business being thus happily put in train to our entire satisfaction, we had a hot supper, and finished the evening with singing and jollification.
At the appointed hour, the President and Com- mittee waited on Dr. B with the Petition and Remonstrance, which we considered a model of com- position. He received us civilly, put on his spectacles, and proceeded to read our laboured document, which we were pretty certain he would approve and admire. When he had done he wiped his glasses, put them into their case, and addressed us in a stentorian voice: “ D— your young bloods, you hot-headed fools,— what have we here—a petition and remonstrance, aye, a remonstrance to Lord Wellington, from a parcel of d—d Hospital Mates! Be off, and be d—d to you, and consider yourselves lucky that I dono more than quash your folly—thus!” And with that he tore our
42 MEETING OF HOSPITAL MATES.
eloquent appeal into a thousand pieces, and flung them after us as we hastened out of the room.
When we had proceeded a few yards, a messenger called me back. The Doctor then addressed me. “And you, sir, have wisely become the President of this fine deliberative meeting. Why, sir, if I forwarded your petition, the others might be overlooked, but you would be made an example of.’ He then in a more friendly tone, pointed out the danger and impropriety of bodies of officers meeting for this, or any other pur- pose, without due authority. We then conversed on indifferent subjects, he asked me to dinner, and we parted good friends.
A meeting at the hotel had been summoned for the next evening, to learn our proceedings respecting the petition ; and there was a very fullattendance. The President took the chair, and narrated gravely, and with as much power of face as he could muster, the transactions at the P. M. O’s, office. When he had done, there was first a murmur of disapprobation, but this soon was drowned in loud and general laughter. It was then proposed and carried, First, that the consideration of our grievances should be postponed, sine die; Second, that an inquisition should forth- with be made into the quantity of Colares in the cel- lar; and Thirdly, that in the event of this turning out satisfactory, a large instalment should be mulled and produced immediately. As may be well sup- posed, we passed a most hilarious evening; the wine was delicious, and not strong—the weather was warm, and we were thirsty—temperance societies were yet unborn—the night was short, and the morning sun lighted us to our homes.
LISBON. —ALDE ——FLII
Ex ACTL two good part of t cool of gilded b attention sisted in cian wate painted | Gallego him, “ T used to t look up; would gi retort by ankles, | sides. — respecta As ou a narroy generall which 1
and flung yom. messenger ime. “And of this fine rarded your 1, but you 1 in a more mpropriety y other pur- mnversed on er, and we
ned for the pecting the ance. The ‘avely, and nuster, the hen he had bation, but Ul laughter. |, that the postponed, ould forth- in the cel- us turning be mulled well sup- ; the wine was warm, s were yet ting sun
CHAPTER VI.
LISBON.—HABITS OF THE LADIES.—GREAT EARTHQUAKE. —-ALDEA GALEGA.—QUARREL WITH A JUIZ DA FORA. ——FLIRTATION,
ch animam ne crede puellis, Namque est foeminea tutior unda fide.” PETRONIUS.
ExactTLy opposite Don Manoel’s house there resided two good looking young ladies, who passed the greater part of their time, when the shade of the house or the cool of the evening permitted, in their handsome gilded balcony. I watched their manceuvres with attention, and found their principal amusement con- sisted in playing tricks on the Gallegos, or Galli- cian water-carriers, passing beneath, with their little painted barrels on their shoulders. No sooner did a Gallego approach, than these damsels would accost him, “ Tio! Tio!” Uncle! Uncle! the familiar term used to the lower classes. The man would stop and look up; then, I am shocked to say, the playful girls would giggle and spit in hiseye. The Gallego would retort by a squirt from his barrel about the ladies’ ankles, and this was considered great fun on both sides. Yet my patrone told me these ladies were of respectable family and irreproachable character.
As our respective balconies were only separated by a narrow street, I soon introduced myself, and we generally had a little conversation every fine evening ; which was wont to become more animated as the
44 HABITS OF LADIES AT LISBON.
increasing darkness screened us from observation. Mutual compliments would be then interchanged : I praised the brilliancy of the ladies’ eyes, and their fine persons, which merited a compliment not often deserved here, where dumpiness is a common charac- teristic. I smiled on perceiving that my lively neigh- bours were much at a loss to discover a laudable personal quality about me, and were obliged to con- tent themselves with “ Vmd tem muito bonitas dentes.” ‘ Your worshi:> has good teeth.”
Except occasionally playing a Modinha, set to music on the guitar, I believe those girls never read, no. vorked, nor drew, nor visited, nor went out, except to Cnurch ; and their whole employment, during che time I was their neighbour, appeared to consist in lounging through the house, looking out of the win- dows, lolling on the couches, amusing themselves with the Gallegos, and making love to me, after the fashion above described. And such was the general outline of unmarried female life in Lisbon: I hope it is different now.
Don Manoel, unlike the Portuguese, was fond of boating; and we often made little excursions on the river together in the delightful Lisbon evenings. Nothing can be finer than the views from the river for an extent of nine or ten miles; the city rising majestically from the water on one side, and the bold and beautiful banks on the other. One evening we stopped when approaching the quay, and Don Manoel exclaimed, “ On this spot, where the water is now deep, my grandfather and grandmother, and four children, stood on dry ground during the great earthquake, with a crowd of other fugitives, felici- tating themselves on their escape; when the river suddenly rose and engulfed them all. My father
was the
clinging Few structiv known, Saints’ proport Church perisheq escaped the eart sources thre ag: in the gd down, 2 and, i only th worshi calamit It is nation | for the liberali of the | conspit large § private wretch thing | the cit wonde bal, a unfort city, a Fro
bservation. erchanged : }, and their t not often on charac- ely neigh- a laudable ed to con- to bonitas 99
ha, set to never read, but, except during the consist in of the win- themselves 2, after the he general : I hope it
as fond of ons on the evenings. a the river city rising » and the ne evening and Don the water other, and the great ves, felici- the river My father
EARTHQUAKE AT LISBON. 45
was the only individual saved out of the family, by clinging to a boat.”
Few earthquakes on record were so awfully de- structive as that of 1755. It happened, as is well known, about nine o’clock in the morning of All Saints’ Day, the first of November, when a large proportion of the population was assembled in the Churches. In five minutes sixty thousand people perished! Even in those churches that partially escaped the first dreadful shock, fire destroyed what the earthquake had spared ; and these edifices became sources of mischief in spreading the conflagration threagh the city. The innumerable lights employed in the gorgeous Roman Catholic ritual were thrown down, and set fire to every thing combustible around ; and, in the frightful confusion of the moment, the only thought was personal safety. A simpler form of worship would have prevented a large amount of calamity.
It is pleasing to find that the Spanish court and nation behaved well on this sad occasion, and succours for the distressed city flowed in from Madrid with liberality. Our own country, always in the first rank of the beneficent when misfortune calls for aid, was conspicuous among the European nations, for the large sums voted by the legislature, and raised by private subscription, to relieve the misery of the wretched inhabitants. We can scarcely conceive any thing more poignantly distressing than the state of the city for a year after the earthquake; nor need we wonder that it required the utmost exertions of Pom- bal, a great man as well as minister, to prevent the unfortunate people from quitting for ever their doomed city, and emigrating in a body to Brazil.
From time immemorial Lisbon, and all Portugal,
ON BONE I ENERO A AOR Fm REN eT
46 ALDEA GALEGA.
have been subject to earthquakes; but only three have done any mischief. The whole country is pierced by numerous hot springs, shewing that a magazine of fire exists at no great distance from the surface. One evening, as my- host and I were taking our coffee, a shock occurred, which, although of short duration, was yet sufficiently lively to jingle the cups on the marble table where they stood, and set a mandarin figure shaking his head very gravely at the phe- nomenon.
After a residence of four months, spent agreeably in the Portuguese capital, I was ordered to Aldea Galega, a village on the other side of the Tagus, at the commencement of the high road to Elvas. There was a strong detachment of Royal Marines of the British Navy quartered there, of which I was directed to assume medical charge. In the course of a few weeks, the three officers and greater part of the men were withdrawn, and only a serjeant’s guard remained ; but although I remonstrated against heing kept where there was literally nothing to do, I was not relieved. Here then I continued in this “ otium sine dignitate ;” although I was Principal Medical Officer and Com- mandant, and had under my authority a Commissariat Clerk, a Serjeant, twelve jolly Marines, and Antonio.
Gentlemen who have had the honour of being born in Ireland are generally represented as great adorers of the gentler sex. There may be some truth in the “‘ soft impeachment ;” but if my countrymen are a little ultra in this matter, they know that it is ex- pected from them, and that they would lose caste in public female opinion if they did not keep up the national character. It is not their fault so much as the dear ladies, who no doubt would be offended by any other line of conduct; and have been long accus-
tomed to
gentlemal Quaker.
I happ Galega, i was bette in it, nan whom I ¢ only Briti menced a vantage q the fair obsolete t all their
But lov veyed ong Portugue and soft concludin that I mi sounds 0! confined | the slave of enclosi a piece 0: by all m me an an immediat as the m
The ol
So my p
only three ‘Is pierced agazine of face. One r coffee, a duration, ps on the mandarin the phe-
agreeably to Aldea Tagus, at is. There es of the s directed of a few “the men emained ; ppt where relieved. gnitate ;” nd Com- missariat Antonio. sing’ born adorers h in the en are a it is ex- caste in D up the much as nded by hg accus-
A LOVE AFFAIR. 47
tomed to look on innocent gallantry in an Irish gentleman as natural and decorous as gravity in a Quaker.
I happened to occupy a very good quarter in Aldea Galega, in fact the best house in the town ; and what ° was better, there was an extremely pretty young lady in it, named Theodora, the daughter of my host, with whom I could not well help falling in love, being the only British officerin the town. Accordingly, we com- menced a vigorous flirtation, though under the disad- vantage of an inmate in the house, a maiden aunt of the fair Theodora; who, as nearly the last of the obsolete tribe of Duennas, concentrated in her breast all their watchfulness and malignity.
But love laughs at Duennas. My trusty Antonio con- veyed one day a note to my mistress, written in choice Portuguese, filled with the usual amatory hyperboles and soft fibs, at which Jove is said to laugh; and concluding by soliciting a short meeting on the stairs, that I might, if only for a moment, hear the dulcet sounds of her voice, for as yet our amour had been confined to the eyes, and assure her how much I was the slave of her charms, &c. &c. I took the liberty of enclosing her a Limerick fishing-hook, fastened to a piece of silk line, en pecheur, which I implored her by all moving considerations to employ in dropping me an answer at night from her bed-chamber window, immediately above mine, and to preserve it carefully as the medium of future communication.
The old song says—
‘¢ T took it in my head To write my love a letter,
But alas! she cannot read, And_I like her all the better.”
So my poor Theodora cc. 'd not read; but she either
48 A LOVE AFFAIR.
found some female confidant who could, or, with her sex’s sagacity, conjectured the mystic meaning of the hook and line; for as soon as it became dark, down they came stealthily, with a beautiful red rose fastened by the stem, which the most obtuse under- standing could not avoid considering “ le premier gage d’amour.”
And certes, I may here observe in passing, “ if things inanimate can feel pleasure as well as grieve,” my trusty O’Shaughnessy No. 4 must have thrilled to the top of the barb, at the novel and delightful exchange it had made, from dragging cold and stupid trouts out of the water to conveying fragrant flowers and catching lovely young women.
We met on the stairs, she descending and her lover mounting. Ifour position had been reversed, I should have found falling on one knee a little awkward. I exhausted my stock of Portuguese in whispers of love and devotion; and the amiable girl had just acknowledged in return, that she esteemed the “ valo- rosos Inglezes,” and had blushed no insuperable objection to myself in particular, J had even been suffered to kiss her hand, and was in a fair way to her lips, when the confounded old Hecate, her aunt, made her appearance at the top of the stairs. Poor Theodora was thunderstruck—she wept and embraced her aunt’s knees, and kissed her shrivelled hand, and begged hard for concealment of the matter from Papa. I implored the old lady to be propitious to us both, appealing to her kindness of heart and womanly feel- ings, and even daring to compliment her on the good- ness and benevolence expressed in her countenance, although, in truth, she had the visage of a Gorgon. But entreaty and flattery were equally lost labour. With a withering scowl she cursed me as a “demonio”
and ‘‘ mg
girl, she | cation of withstand brought note as af! In the day the J me, and a wished, fo made a tl was unde ter; but, give rie a The fact General © his way t which I « given to strated, th and Mili in the tow for only polite, he language, soever he turn out. continued fear, Swol the Gene inch. Tt a towerin¢ and swore diabos thi parted. VOL. I.
r, with her neaning of came dark, ul red rose use under- le premier
issing, “ if as grieve,” ive thrilled delightful and stupid ant flowers
id her lover d, I should ‘kward. I vhispers of ‘l had just the “ valo- insuperable even been fair way to » her aunt, irs. Poor 1 embraced hand, and rom Papa. o us both,
anly feel- the good- untenance, a Gorgon. pst labour. ‘demonio”
QUARREL WITH A JUIZ DE FORA, 49
and ‘“ maldito eretico,” and seizing the trembling girl, she hurried her to her apartment by the appli- cation of five or six terrific slaps on the back. Not- withstanding this cruel treatment, the hook and line brought me that night another rose, and I sent up a note as affectionate as possible.
In the mean time treachery was at work. Next day the Juiz de Fora, or Mayor of the town, sent for me, and after an embrace much more cordial than I wished, for he was redolent of tobacco and garlic, he made a thousand apologies for informing me, that he was under the painful necessity of changing my quar- ter; but, as some compensation, he said he would give me a billet on the next best house in the place. The fact was, he assured me, that a Portuguese General Officer was every hour expected at Aldea, on his way to Elvas, and the best quarter in the place, which I occupied, must, as a matter of course, be given to him during his stay. Hereupon I remon- strated, that it was hard to turn out the Medico Mor and Military Commandant, permanently quartered in the town, for the accommodation of any Brigadier for only one night. The Juiz was superfluously polite, he smirked and bowed, and used the blandest language, but concluded by declaring how much- soever he regretted the necessity of the case, I must turn out. After half an hour’s farther debate, he continued inexorable. I then waxed wroth, and, I fear, swore lustily, that I defied him and his friend the General 4 l’outrance, and would not budge an inch. The fat little magistrate then blushed up into a towering passion; looked very livid and apoplectic, and swore by one and twenty thousand demonios and diabos that he would oust me, vi et armis, and so we parted.
VOL. I. D
50 FLIRTATION.
I had gota hint through Antonio, from an untrusty secretary of the Jviz de Fora, that some trickery was intended; and | determined not to be bullied out of my good quarter and the vicinity of the fair Theo- dora, So I immediately posted a Marine as sentry on the Commandant’s door, with specific directions to defend the garrison; a piece of impudence which nothing can excuse. For two days the post was thus held by regular reliefs, but no General made his appearance; in fact, no General came at all; and after a day or two more I triumphed over the con- spirators, and dismissed the sentry: but alas! my poor mistress was carried away by her old aunt, and I saw her no more.
In the beginning of December, 1811, I was once more ordered to Lisbon; where, as I had been tired of idleness on the other side of the Tagus, I volun- teered to be resident attendant Officer in a convent full of sick, near the Campo d’Ourique. It is true, when at Aldea, I had been studying Portuguese hard; and had cantered through the sandy lanes and cork-tree forests all over the country, and sauntered among the vineyards, and chatted with the civil pay- sanos, and assisted them to prune their vines, as far as a penknife would go, and kept a journal, and made love besides—still, isolated as I was there, Time had moved with leaden sandals. The experience of my life, as of all rational people, proves that the lazy Sybarite who first exclaimed, “ Dolce cosa far niente,” told a prodigious fib.
The Christmas Day of 1811 was one of the most beautiful days the sun ever saw, and he has seen not a few in his time. The geraniums, and roses, and passifloras were blooming in the open air, and the temperature was as warm as May in England, though
the sk
pariso muddy for hav the go Igreja ¢ almost the air lights, garlic-d the rid amidst rich su Onn in the § Patron its safe dations and pc althoug his pos this co upon it little re his ban did all Arthur Abot of the ¢ Officer, to see < It was | there ci present remark
an untrusty rickery was illied out of
fair Theo- ie as sentry > directions ence which st was thus | made his it all; and er the con- | alas! my d aunt, and
I was once | been tired is, I volun- 1 a convent
It is true, Portuguese y lanes and d sauntered e civil pay- ines, as far purnal, and there, Time kperience of at the lazy far niente,”’
of the most as seen not
roses, and ir, and the nd, though
FLIRTATION, 5]
the sky was much clearer; and there was no com- parison between its pure and delicate azure and our muddy blue. I enjoyed the delicious time the more for having sat up half the preceding night, witnessing the gorgeous ceremonies of Christmas Eve in the Igreja da Renya. The church had been then crowded almost to suffocation ; and the heat and foulness of the air, from the fumes of incense, the thousands of lights, and the exhalations from such a crowd of garlic-eating people, were admirable preparations for the ride I took, and the enjoyment I experienced amidst the Atlantic breezes, magnificent views, and rich sunshine of Cintra.
On my return . dined with a medical friend residing in the San Jeronymo in Belem. San Jeronymo is the Patron Saint of Lisbon, and watches continually over its safety, preserving it from fires, earthquakes, inun- dations, and such calamities. His zeal, vigilance, and power, of late years, admit of no question; although it is confessed that in 1755 he slumbered on his post, and did not awake until his statue, now in this convent, was pitched from its pedestal prone upon its face. He was also, it cannot be denied, a little remiss in permitting the entrance of Jundt and his band of marauders ; although it is averred that he did all he could to make amends, by wafting Sir Arthur to Portugal to drive them out.
About this time I witnessed the grand Lisbon hoax of the cork boots. The wag was a British Artillery Officer, who managed to bring half the city to Belem to see a man walking on the water across the river, It was a humbug on the largest scale; for I suppose there could not be less than thirty thousand people present, by land and water. The matter was managed remarkably well; and such was the implicit confi-
52 FLIRTATION.
dence of the multitude, that a lane was made by the police for the performer, from the house where he resided to the Belem steps, to keep off the pressure of the crowd. The thing passed off good naturedly ; and when the joke became known, the immense mass melted away insensibly, and without any disturbance of consequence.
In the month of December I was appointed Assistant Surgeon to the 66th Regiment, and directed once more to proceed to Coimbra.
In consequence of the severe loss this Corps sus- tained on the bloody field of Albuera, it had been formed into 2 Provisional Battalion, with two or three other weak Uorps. The Regiment bore an excellent character, and had behaved admirably at the passage of the Douro, and at Talavera. A high compliment had been paid to its good conduct, on the advance to Oporto, in 1809, by Sir Arthur Wellesley, which was told me by the Officer through whom it was conveyed. A sharp little affair had just taken place on the march from Coimbra, which the Commander of the Forces witnessed ; and on riding past Captain Goldie, of the 66th (lately Colonel Goldie, commanding 11th Foot) he thus addressed him, “ You may take your men back, and tell your Commanding Officer they have fought like lions to-day.”
Mov bagga from | agreea compa Saccar and sa of To Saw OI militar these | with w
We poor ir the me and di emacia of sorr
de by the where he e pressure vaturedly ; lense mass isturbance
1 Assistant cted once
Jorps sus- had been vo or three 1 excellent he passage ompliment advance to which was conveyed. the march he Forces die, of the 1th Foot) your men they have
— iti —
CHAPTER VII.
MARCH TO COIMBRA.—-THENCE TO ELVAS AND MERIDA. SPANISH FUGITIVES FROM BADAJOZ AT ALBUQUERQUE,.—— SIEGE AND STORM OF BADAJOZ.—-EXCITING MARCH.—— HORRORS OF THE STORM.—SCENE AT CAMPO MAYOR THE NIGHT OF THE STORM.
«¢ What rein can hold licentious wickedness When down the hill he holds his fierce career ? We - as bootless spend our vain commands Upon the enraged soldiers in their spoil,
As send precepts to the Leviathan
To come ashore.”’ SHAKESPEARE.
MovunteED on my bay horse, Liberdade, with my baggage on a mule in charge of Antonio, I set out from Lisbon on the 23rd of January, 1812. An agreeable brother Medico named Reeve travelled in company. Our first day’s march was a short one, to Saccarem; next day we passed through Alhandra, and saw the eastern extremity of the far famed lines of Torres Vedras. In common with all who ever saw or heard of them, we admired the foresight and military sagacity that had appreciated the value of these mountain bulwarks, and the skill and secrecy with which they had been made impregnable.
We witnessed much misery and distress among the poor inhabitants of this devastated tract of country on the march, who were slowly returning to their burnt and dilapidated homes, with exhausted means and emaciated frames, every one having his peculiar tale of sorrow to tell, but all unanimous in bitter hatred
54 MARCH TO COIMBRA.
of the cause of all their sufferings, the “ malditos Franceses.” The cutting down of the valuable olive trees for fuel was one charge constantly reiterated against Massena’s troops. The poor people said they did not mind so much the burning and breaking up of their furniture, or even making bonfires of their houses, as the wanton destruction of the trees from which their revenue was mainly derived, and which took so long a time in coming to maturity.
Between Thomar and Espinhal, after a long wet march, we were benighted in a wretched condition of cold and hunger, still two leagues from our desti- nation. A light being observed half a mile from the road, we turned our horses’ heads up a lane leading to it, and threw ourselves on the hospitality of the owner of a large house, which we soon reached. The Fidalgo appeared a very hospitable person, and ‘e- ceived us with great kindness. A huge pine fire was kindled forthwith on an ample hearth; our clothes were dried, and a couple of hares and a leash of partridges put down to roast, and in less than an hour we sat down to a good supper, our jaded animals having been also well fed. After supper, a kettle of vin du pays, with sugar and spice, was put on the blazing logs, with which we regaled ourselves in com- pany with our host, who expatiated on the prowess of the Portuguese Army and the wonders of Rio de Janeiro, whither his daughter had accompanied the Royal Family on their emigration, as Maid of Honour to the Queen.
I should feel more pleasure in recording the civility of our host if he had not made a dead point at my fine mule the next morning, which he wished me to ex- change with him for one not halfitsvalue. But Antonio laughed in his face when he made the proposition.
W fallen, the so the t
quarte I was having about purpo As leavin ment inas wound media on pa surro to be the his sw bling, throw upon was S« died t turn t Ant crosse ceede of the sand | which durin ceedit had a
‘ malditos 1able olive reiterated » said they eaking up 2s of their trees from ind which
long wet ndition of our desti- 2 from the ne leading ity of the hed. The n, and re- ne fire was ur clothes A leash of s than an ad animals 2 kettle of ut on the es in com- € prowess of Rio de anied the of Honour
he civility at my fine e to ex- it Antonio osition.
\
?
j *
|
MARCH TO ELVAS., 55
When we reached Coimbra, Ciudad Rodrigo had fallen, and artillery and troops were fast moving to the south, where preparations were now making for the third siege of Badajoz, The 64th, I found, was quartered in Spanish Estramudura, near Merida, and I was directed to proceed to join it without delay— having, it appeared, marched, according to orders, about three hundred miles out of my way to no purpose.
As I was sitting at breakfast the morning before leaving Coimbra, Major C , commanding a regi- ment of Portuguese Cagadores, rushed into the room in a state of great agitation, and begged me to see a wounded soldier of his regiment. I went with him im- mediately, and found the Cagadores drawn up in line on parade, with a group of officers in the middle, surrounding a soldier who was moaning and appeared to be in great pain. I found that in dressing the line the Major had used the point, instead of the flat of his sword ; and the wounded man, either from stum- bling, or that strange fascination that is believed to throw the bird into the jaws of the snake, had pressed upon it and given himself a mortal stab. The wound was scarcely visible, and there was no bleeding, but he died the same evening. A caution to officers not to turn the points of their swords against their own men.
Antonio and myself retraced our steps to Thomar— crossed the picturesque Zezere at Punhete, and pro- ceeded from thence to Abrantes along the right bank of the golden sanded Tagus., I examined the shining sand here, and found it full of small plates of mica, which had been washed or worn out of the granite, during the long course of its impetuous stream. Pro- ceeding on our march, we crossed to the Alem-tejo ; had a shot at an impudent wolf that approached us,
56 ARRIVAL AT ELVAS.
but without hitting him, and reached Elvas on the 20th March.
At this time the siege of Badajoz was commencing, and Lord Wellington’s Head Quarters were at Elvas —-the town was full of the Staff, and all was bustle and note of preparation. But the weather was most un- favourable, and the trenches were half full of water. The heavy rains had swollen the Guadiana, and the main bridges had been carried away—thus cutting off the communications of the divisions investing the place, with their provisions and military stores on the Elvas side. Serious apprehensions were entertained at Head Quarters, that the sieve must be raised, and every body looked long-faced and unhappy. Elvas is only three leagues from Badajoz, and from the top of the house in which I was quartered, I could, with a glass, command every thing that was going on there.
The direct road to Merida is through Badajoz, but now it was necessary to go round by Albuquerque, which town we reached in two marches from Elvas— entering Spain for the first time. The change was agreeable—the houses were cleaner and better fur- nished than in Portugal, and a glass window would
.be seen occasionally; the people too were better dressed, and the women were far superior in every respect. But every body knows the fascinations of the sweet Espagnolas, and a hundred writers have made the world acquainted with their merits; so that I can only corroborate what has been so often said on the subject. For my own individual part, all I can say is, that they are such semi-divinities—they skim over the ground so aerially, and wear the basquina and dear little mantiila so gracefully, and their Cinderella shoes so daintily, and manceuvre their fans so coquet- tishly ; and have such magnificent eyes and lovely
_— aise Un Sa
sites
shape and s —tha hazel W at Ba weat hill o1 ing Ss} Alt heard favou coverd tolera moun arriva them every now @ either Frenc thems quirec to reti famili be pre Ye fest in th any § the k make ter. off tl less ¢
Elvas on the
commencinc, ere at Elvas as bustle and vas most un- full of water. ana, and the iS Cutting: off ivesting the stores on the entertained » raised, and opy. Elvas rom the top could, with ng on there, sadajoz, but buquerque, om Elvas— hange was better fur- dow would were better br in every ions of the have made so that I en said on all I can they skim bquina and inderella
SO coquet- nd lovely
ARRIVAL AT ALBUQUERQUE, 57
shapes ; and talk so endearingly, and lisp so prettily, and sinile so affectionately, and waltz so charmingly —that I wonder I brought away the bigness of a hazel-nut of heart untouched out of the country.
When we arrived at Albuquerque the cannonading at Badajoz had begun; and the next morning, the weather being fine, all the world mounted the high hill on which the castle is built to witness the excit- ing spectacle.
Although twenty miles distant, every shot could be heard distinctly, when it was calm, or the wind favourable; and at first, before a broad pall of smoke covered the town, the operations before it could be tolerably made out with a good glass. When I mounted to th. sp of the hill, the morning after my arrival, I found a great crowd of spectators, an’ among them many ladies. Deep interest was expressed on every countenance ; and no wonder, for many of those now assembled were inhabitants of Badajoz, and had either been forced out of the city by Phillippon, the French governor, because they were unable to provide themselves with the three months’ provisions he re- quired for all who staid, or had obtained his permission to retire. Many of them had left their husbands and families behind ; and every shot they now heard might be pregnant with the fate of some dear relative.
Yet though concern and apprehension were mani- fest in the countenance, there was nothing unmanly in the demeanor of the male part of the crowd, nor any silly expression of violent emotion on the part of the ladies. Indeed the scene was well calculated to make an impression favourable to the Spanish charac- ter. As the visitation that might in a moment cut off their dearest. connexions, and render them home- less and destitute, was inevitable ; and as the capture
D2
58 SIEGE OF BADAJOZ.
of the place was for the ultimate benefit of their coun- try, they appeared to acquiesce in the sad necessity of the siege without a murmur—only hoping it would soon be over.
There was one fine and handsome woman, Donna Thereza Solvielta, and two sweet girls her daughters, whom I particularly observed, as they chanced to be ascending the castle-hill at the same time with myself. When they took their position at the top and directed their eyes towards the beleaguered city, I noticed that every shot, as the sound boomed sullenly on the ear, paled the cheeks of the young ladies, but the mother stood the fire better. At the first report there was a faint exclamation, “O Virgem, madre de Deos!” from one of the daughters ; but they all soon became composed ; and as I was beginning to feel an interest in the group, and my uniform as a British officer was a sufficient introduction, I accosted Donna Thereza, and thus commenced an acquaintance with a very amiable family. When I informed them, that in all probability no bombs would be thrown into the town, and that the English fire would be chiefly directed against the ramparts and defences of the place, and thus that there was scarcely any danger of their house being hit, which they told me was in the square near the cathedral—they were muck consoled, for they had feared a general bombardment. It appeared that the husband and two boys had remained in Badajoz. After listening and reconnoitering through a glass until we were tired, I walked about with the ladies until the sun became hot, and then escorted them to their lodgings in the house of an old female relative.
The rain that fell lately had swollen the rivers crossing the road to Merida so much, that they were unfordable, and the bridges had fallen in the wars.
I was lengt canno afford music forma Me miles the se the R There of the found large § Naum preser in the Traja a tem base 0 it stat and it lowins conse: Thi suspe amon read | about avoid the p Amo marb the fi tions
f their coun- sad necessity ing it would
man, Donna r daughters, hanced to be with myself, and directed y, I noticed llenly on the ies, but the report there re de Deos!”’ soon became 1 an interest h officer was una Thereza, with a very , that in all to the town, fly directed » place, and their house square near d, for they peared that in Badajoz.
a glass until
ladies until
em to their
ative,
the rivers t they were on the wars.
MARCH TO MERIDA, 59
I was thus detained three days in Albuquerque; at length Antonio and myself set out for Merida, the cannonade sounding in our ears the whole way, and affording the accompaniment of this sublime military music on our march. I joined my regiment and was formally introduced to the officers.
Merida is on the right bank of the Guadiana, forty miles above Badajoz. It is a very ancient city—was the seat of a Provincial Military Government under the Romans, and is still full of fine Roman remains. There is a long and beautiful bridge over the Guadiana, of the time of Charles the Fifth, but on a Roman foundation—a Roman and a Moorish aqueduct—a large segment of an amphitheatre—the remains of a Naumachia—a Residium in a very perfect state of preservation, with several busts of Roman Emperors in the niches, amongst which I noticed the heads of Trajan and Galba—a triumphal arch—the portico of a temple of Mars, with ‘‘ Marti D. O. M.” on the base of the pediment. This portico is quite perfect ; it stands in front of a church of Dominican Friars, and immediately under the old inscription is the fol- lowing—“ Jam non Marti, sed Jesu Christi D. O. M. consecratum est.”
This must be a fine field for an antiquarian, and I suspect it has never been fully explored; at least, amongst the Books of Travels in Spain which I have read there is no good account of Merida, In roaming about the vestiges of ancient granveur I could not avoid smiling at the base uses to which some of the purest relics of Paganism had been appropriated. Amongst other metamorphoses, a handsome white marble fagade of a temple of Diana had been built into the front of a modern house, which by certain indica- tions from two or three unblushing damsels at the
60 SIEGE OF BADAJOZ.
windows, was now any thing but a temple of chastity. This, and the modern use of the amphitheatre as a Plaga de Toros, are no great proofs of the superiority of Spanish Christianity over the old religion.
But on this occasion I had little time for antiquarian explorations. Soult was at this time collecting what force he could to relieve Badajoz, now hard pressed, which the covering army under Sir Thomas Graham and Sir Rowland Hill was determined to prevent ; con- sequently a fight was expected, and it became neces- sary to clear the hospitals and send all incumbrances to the rear. The sick of the Second Division, there- fore, were ordered to Altar de Chao, an Hospital Station in Portugal, and although I had only just ar- rived, after a march of near five hundred miles, »nd ought in all fairness to be last on the roster, I w: - rected to take charge of the convoy.
The siege of Badajoz was still going on, and t march, like the former by Albuquerque, was of hi interest, from the vicinity of the route to the investe:| city. Our road now described a segment of a circle round it, within the former course and much nearer ; and the citadel was visible from every elevation of the way, rising above a heavy canopy of smoke, which overhung the ramparts and lower parts of the town, as well as the besieging batteries. Generally in the afternoon there was a suspension of firing on both sides for a short time to allow the guns tocool. Then the smoke would be wafted away by the wind, and the whole fortress become distinctly visible. Soon a salvo would thunder from the breaching batteries, and be immediately answered by the garrison; and then the incessant roar of the heavy artillery on both sides would proceed without intermission as before. During all this time the weather was remarkably
fine a for th com on th much prove deed very during than hund were them of the from marc selves their amon} cover our I‘ brisk salvo:
le of chastity. itheatre as a le superiority gion.
yr antiquarian llecting what hard pressed, mas Graham orevent ; con- ecame neces- ncumbrances vision, there- an Hospital
only just ar-
d miles, ond
er, I w: q
on, and t was of hi. the investe:! t of a circle uch nearer ; vation of the noke, which f the town, rally in the ng on both tool. Then > wind, and e. Soona tteries, and ; and then both sides ore. emarkably
SIEGE OF BADAJOZ. 61
fine and clear, as if the elements wished now to atone for their severe treatment of the allied troops, at the commencement of the siege. I reached Campo Mayor on the 6th of April, with my convoy of sick, and was much pleased to find that the poor fellows had all im- proved wonderfully in health during the march. In- deed the good effects of locomotion, in recovering very debilitated subjects, were strikingly displayed during the whole Peninsular struggle, but never more than on this occasion. My convoy consisted of a hundred and twenty sick; thirty or forty of whom were so ill of bad fevers that it was necessary to tie them on the mules’ backs, or put a muletier, or one of the guard behind them to prevent their falling off from weakness. Yet at the end of the second day’s march, these enfeebled subjects would ride by them- selves bravely and vigorously, and call out lustily for their rations. Iam convinced that the lives of several amongst them were saved by this march, and the re- covery of all was materially accelerated. It is true our route was a peculiar one, we were enlivened by a brisk cannonade the whole way ; and the sound of the salvos of heavy artillery thundering away at the breaches, the view of the smoke-wreathed city, and of the French flag flying on the castle, formed, alto- gether, a moral cordial, more tonic and restorative than all the elixirs in the world.
On the 6th of April, as we approached Campo Ma yor, the cannonade was much louder and closer than usual, and as I rode along I became more and more convinced that a crisis was approaching. It was on that morning that “ the besiegers’ guns being all turned against the curtain, the bad masonry crumbled rapidly away; in two hours a yawning breach appeared, and Wellington, having again examined the points of at-
62 STORMING OF BADAJOZ.
tuck in person, renewed the order for the assault. Then the soldiers eagerly made themselves ready for a combat so fiercely fought, so terribly won, so dread- ful in all its circumstances, that posterity can scarcely be expected to credit the tale.”*
On our arrival in the evening at Campo Mayor, we found the whole population in a state of great excite- ment and anxiety; for it was generally known that Badajoz was to be stormed that night; and as we were only seven miles distant, even the pattering of the musketry could be heard in the calm of the evening, between the heavy reports of the artillery. As the tht advanced, every accidental swelling of the sound was deemed the signal for the terrific conflict at the breach. During this eventful night few eyes were closed in Campo Mayor, the priests were performing Divine Service in the churches, and praying fervently for success; and the entire adult population were either engaged in this solemn duty, or traversing the streets in extreme agitation and alarm. All this time the thunder of the bloody conflict sounded awfully ; and as the work of death advanced, and the air be- came cooler and stiller, the report of the heavy artil- lery appeared actually to shake the roofs of the churches over the trembling masses crowded within. The scene altogether was tremendous and sublime. I proceeded from one church to another, but all were alike—all were filled with people praying with ex- treme fervency; weeping, exclaiming, sobbing—en- quiring wildly for intelligence, and listening intently to the loud and confused sound of mortal strife.
At length came an ominous lull and calm. Did this bode good or evil? Was the city taken, or had
* Napier, vol. iv. 417.
the std had t had ré ing th ports anxlo fear a As d churc eyes 1 thing two p full sp beca neare} stirru a sho
brigh liantl so aff have was 1 all tl that start cante [ quar conc ever
r the assault. Ives ready for won, so dread- y can scarcely
po Mayor, we f great excite- y known that nd as we were ‘tering of the the evening, lery. As the . of the sound ‘onflict at the Ww eyes were e performing ing fervently ulation were raversing the All this time led awfully ; | the air be- heavy artil- oofs of the yded within. sublime. [ but all were g with ex- bbbing—en- ng intently strife.
alm. Did en, or had
STORMING OF BADAJOZ. 63
the storming parties been shattered and repulsed, and had the garrison ceased its fire because the besiegers had retired from the reach of the guns? People ask- ing these questions, and circulating the thousand re- ports that had been created on the instant, looked anxiously into each other’s faces, pale and shrunk with fear and suspense, and the harassing vigils of the night. As day dawned the greater part left the streets and churches, and repaired to the ramparts, straining all eyes in the direction of Badajoz. Fora long time no- thing could be descried on the wide plain between the two places: at length a horseman was seen galloping full speed along the road. The agony of suspense then became almost intolerable ; but when -e » ~proached nearer, and was seen to stop suddenly, sta up in his stirrups, and wave his hat repeatedly round his head, a shout of ten thousand “ Vivas!” rent the air, which were prolonged and reiterated along the fortifications, until lost in the overwhelming pealing of all the bells in the city.
My military dress procured me two or three score of warm embraces ; the pale countenances of the women brightened up, and their dark eyes beamed out bril- liantly. Never were fair ladies so condescending and so affectionate, and I believe if I had chosen I might have kissed half Campo Mayor. “ Viva os Inglezez !” was in every mouth. At length, getting satiated with all this hugging and embracing, and remembering that my day’s march was a short one, I delayed the starting of my sick convoy for a couple of hours, and cantered over the plain to Badajoz.
I reached the bridge over the Guadiana in three quarters of an hour, but, to my great surprise and concern, instead of finding every thing quiet, and
every body occupied in attentions to the wounded,
ny
eat a
64 SCENE AT CAMPO MAYOR,
and preparations for burying the dead, as I had an- ticipated, I beheld a scene of the most dreadful violence and confusion. Parties of intoxicated men were roam- ing and reeling about, loosed from all discipline, firing into the windows, bursting open the doors, plundering, violating, shooting any person who opposed them, quarrelling about the plunder, and sometimes destroy- ing each other.
I proceeded amidst this dangerous mob to the Talavera gate, and thence to the main breach. There indeed was a most awful scene, where
“© Mars might quake to tread.”
There lay a frightful heap of fourteen or fifteen hun- dred British soldiers, many dead but still warm, mixed with the desperately wounded, to whom no assistance could yet be given. There lay the burned and black- ened corpses of those that had perished by the explo- sions, mixed with those that were torn to pieces by round shot or grape, and killed by musketry, stiffen- ing in their gore, body piled upon body, involved and intertwined into one hideous and enormous mass of carnage; whilst the morning sunbeams, falling on this awful pile, seemed to my imagination pale and lugubrious as during an eclipse.
At the foot of the Castle wall, where the third Divi- sion had escaladed, the dead lay thick, and a great number were to be seen about the San Vincente bastion at the opposite side of the works. A number had been drowned in the cunette of the ditch, near the Trinidad bastion, but the chief slaughter had taken place at the great breach. There stood still the terrific beam across the top, armed with its sharp and bristling sword blades, which no human dexterity or
strength could pass without impalement. The smell
of bur
gusting Join beginn the wo forenoo with gt returne my wa same d city we Mayor every had jus sand o and do piteous my he still fre: I ha many | ceeded delivers Whe Elvas, approa: French five hu Englar troops strikin the ve had a porte- allons.
as I had an- vadful violence
en were roam- scipline, firing s, plundering, pposed them, times destroy-
mob to the reach. There
r fifteen hun- warm, mixed no assistance d and black- by the explo- to pieces by etry, stiffen- dy, involved prmous mass s, falling on on pale and
e third Divi- and a great ente bastion umber had h, near the
had taken d still the
sharp and Hexterity or
The smell
SCENE AT CAMPO MAYOR,
of burned flesh was yet shockingly strong and dis- gusting.
Joining some of the Medical Officers who were beginning to assist the most urgent cases amongst the wounded, I remained during the morning and forenoon; then hastily eating a biscuit blackened with gunpowder, and taking a mouthful of wine, I returned to my charge at Campo Mayor ; passing in my way to the Elvas gate of Badajoz, through the same dreadful ordeal as before, for the sack of the city was now at its height. The bells at Campo Mayor were still ringing merrily at intervals, and every body was rejoicing. Rejoicing! after what I had just witnessed! After the sacrifice of two thou- sand of the bravest troops in the world in the storm, and double the number during the siege: after the piteous moanings and dying ejaculations yet torturing my hearing: after the blood-cemented pile of slain still fresh in my eye: rejoicing after all this!
I hastened to get my party in motion, and with many bitter reflections on the horrors of war, pro- ceeded on the march to Altar de Chao, where I delivered over my sick.
When the escort and myself were returning to Elvas, we saw at a distance a large body of men approaching, whom we soon made out to be the French garrison of Badajoz, about three thousand five hundred in number, on their route to embark for England. As would be the case, with any other troops under similar circumstances, there was a striking difference in the appearance and bearing of the veterans and the young soldiers. The former had a bold and self-confident look, that said, “ N’im- porte—c’est la fortune de guerre—notre temps viendra- allons.” The poor conscripts, on the contrary, ap-
66 OUTRAGES AFTER THE STORM.
peared completely abattus; and their timid furtive glances betrayed the fear of discovering a loaded gun, or a Portuguese knife, in every object round them.
I found Elvas full of wounded, with a strong muster of Medical Officers, and obtained permission to remain there a fortnight. I never witnessed such cheerful- ness in suffering, and such manly bearing, as amongst these wounded men; nor any thing equal to the kind- ness and sympathy they shewed to each other. It seemed as if the imminent risk they had so recently undergone had created a mutual friendship, and something akin to brotherly affection, between them, which was most pleasing to witness, Nor could one see these noble fellows without deep interest and admiration, for there was no neutralizing feeling. They had been engaged in a conflict, exhibiting the most unflinching, sustained, and desperate valour witnessed for ages; and in their case no atrocity after conquest, and no taint of pillage or violence had dimmed its lustre.
On our return through Badajoz, I entered that ill fated city with very painful feelings. All was still gloom and dismay, no reaction had yet taken place after the horrors of the storm; and the citizens, by a kind of tacit understanding, agreed to be silent as to the past, for it was too dreadful to contemplate. Almost every individual of any respectability in the city had been outraged, either in his property or the sanctity of his relatives and friends. Happy were the ladies that had left the place before its investment. Happy were those beautiful solvieltas that I met at Albuquerque !
Although the British and Portuguese troops bear the principal share in the odium, the lower classes of
the inh
As 800 the Cat in the s ducted inhabitd joined i It o Spaniar and tre On Me José de eight tl at hand followed But eve April, t troops 0 the des thus din riated s comrad the cit} pretext the eno On 1 Alman tile pl: Hill’s |
RM.
r timid furtive ring a loaded y object round
i strong muster sion to remain such cheerful- ng, a5 amongst 1al to the kind- ach other. It ad so recently iendship, and between them, Nor could one ) interest and lizing feeling. exhibiting the perate valour se no atrocity r violence had
itered that ill All was still t taken place citizens, by a e silent as to contemplate. ability in the roperty or the ippy were the s investment. hat I met at
2 troops bear ver Classes of
OUTRAGES AFTER THE STORM, 67
the inhabitants were also performers in the tragedy. As soon as the magazine of brandy in the vaults of the Cathedral was opened, the mob got drunk, joined in the spoil, and, having better local knowledge, con- ducted the strangers to the houses of the principal inhabitants, and when the doors were burst open joined in the brutalities of the tine.
It ought not to be concealed, however, that the Spaniards had chiefly their own imbecility, cowardice, and treachery to thank jor the sufferings at Badajoz. On Mendezabal, but chiefly on the cowardly Governor, José de Imaz, who surrendered with his garrison of eight thousand men, when he was told that help was at hand, rests the moral responsibility of all the ill that followed after the occupation of the city by the French. But even during the tremendous night of the 6th of April, the Spaniards fired from their houses on our troops of the fourth division, as they marched through the deserted but strangely illuminated streets; and thus directly provoked the wrath of the already infu- riated soldiers. This would naturally be told to their comrades ; and when the whole allied force burst into the city, so treacherous an act would serve as a good pretext, or be, in truth, a considerable palliation of the enormities that ensued.
On the 22nd of April I rejoined my regiment at Almandralejo, a considerable town, situated in a fer- tile plain covered with wheat, where Sir Rowland Hill’s head quarters were established.
68
CHAPTER VIII.
ADVENTURE WITH A REFRACTORY PATIENT AT BADAJOZ.— SICKNESS OF THE AUTHOR.——HOSPITALITY AND KINDNESS OF A PRIEST AND HIS SISTERS.—-INCONVENIENCES OF USING LEECHES INTERNALLY.
‘“‘ A phlebotomia auspicandum esse curationem, non a pharmacia.” HEINSIUvs.
In the beginning of May the Cavalry picquets of our Division posted near Hornachos being considered too much exposed, and without support, the Light Companies of General Byng’s Brigade were sent to a small village called Puebla del Prior, immediately in their rear, and I was directed to accompany the detachment.
This village is situated on a rising ground, and was uncomfortably close to the enemy’s videttes. One day a brother officer and myself rode to Hornachos, a town still farther in front, not occupied by either French or English, but occasionally patrolled by both. It was a silly excursion, for we might have been caught by a patrol, which entered one end of the town as we were entering the other; but a friendly inhabitant told us in time, and our “better part of valour” turned our horses’ heads, though not before the dragoons saw us and gave chace. We soon found we could distance our pursuers, and checked our horses, with the intention of inveigling them into the neighbourhood ofa troop of our own cavalry. But they
were ol stood, tl out eve After were dis of a stro our ad French the bag when th but find halted, merely Rowlan¢ enemy's Wher plished, towards we had two reg equal m physical to have commar by Gen for war saw the of Usas arrive ¢ and m1 dressin; said th Head ¢ Duke Gurwo
f AND KINDNESS NVENIENCES OF
onem, non a
HEINSIUS.
ricquets of our | ng considered |
ort, the Light were sent toa mmediately in company the
bund, and was idettes. One Hornachos, a ed by either olled by both. t have been e end of the ut a friendly etter part of rh not before e soon found checked our hem into the ry. But they
69
were old hands, and when they found how matters
SKIRMISH AT USAGRE.
; stood, they deliberately turned and went back, with-
' halted, and ultimately declined an attack.
: by General S
out even honouring us with a shot. After passing a fortnight quietly at Puebla, we were disturbed one day when at dinner by the approach
© of a strong body of the enemy’s cavalry, before whom
"AT BADAJOZ.— [ our advanced picquets were slowly retiring. The
French gave my faithful valet just time to pack up the baggage, and his master to swallow his soup, when they came within musket shot of the village; but finding it strongly occupied by infantry, they It was merely to feel our force, during the absence of Sir Rowland Hill, who had marched to destroy the enemy’s forts at the bridge of Almaraz on the Tagus.
When this object had been handsomely accom- plished, the whole corps of Sir R. Hill advanced towards Zafra and the Sierra Morena. At Usagre we had the mortification ot witnessing the defeat of
_ two regiments of our heavy cavalry, by about an | equal number of French, for whom, from the superior
physical strength of our men and horses, they ought
* to have been more than a match. The French were
commanded by General L’Allemande, and the British ,» who was much blamed at the time for want of judgment in leading on his men. We saw the whole affair distinctly from the church steeple of Usagre. In the evening the wounded began to arrive at the village, and the Surgeon of the 66th and myself sat up the greatest part of the night dressing the sabre wounds they had received. It was said this unfortunate business gave great disgust at Head Quarters ; which is confirmed by a letter of the Duke of Wellington adverting to it, published by Gurwood,
70 ILLNESS OF COLONEL DODGKIN.
Soon after this we retired down the Guadiana, a
large French Corps having collected in our front. |
We took post on the old fighting ground of Albuera, and commenced fortifying the position with field works. The dry grass, luxuriant after the slaughter
of the year before, was set on fire to clear the front of © the redoubts, and prevent a repetition of the calamities of Talavera, where the wounded on both sides suf- 7 On § this occasion it was painful to see hares, and part- : ridges, and game of various kinds, with which the x country abounded, straying about unnaturally tame, as if scared out of their instincts by the flames; and | looking sadly disconsolate, from the premature de- |
fered so much from the accidental conflagration.
struction of their young.
Towards the end of June, my Commanding Officer, |
Colonel Dodgin, was attacked with a violent inflam-
matory fever, and I received orders to convey him to © Badajoz, and attend him there. Notwithstanding ex- |
tensive depletion from the temporal arteries, and other
means necessary to subdue ardent fever in a patient of |
large and robust frame, strong asa horse, and weigh- ing twenty stone, he became violently delirious. Under the hallucination that he had been appointed Aide-de- Camp to Sir R. Hill, he insisted one morning on
dressing himself, to go back to Camp. After fruit- :
lessly attempting to reason him out of his project, |
found I must employ stronger measures; accordingly © having first removed the Colonel’s sword, pistols, and ©
trowsers out of the way, and left him in charge of two servants, I proceeded to the General Hospital in quest of a strait waistcoat.
Here I found a certain eccentric Staff-Surgeon named B , whom I begged to afford me the neces- sary aid, and also to give me his personal assistance
in subd that Dr. badly we had sevé but hap draughts wound, gaged il plaining him stil would d fractory mount | dear sir, one inst Look th too hig flesh, bo rib relie down a ¢ an hour we sallie
[ had from thi reached both hot at the de Weallr was on then acc alight, a
* 6 Ge ment whe! fell covere could sury
IN.
e Guadiana, a &
in our front. nd of Albuera, on with field ' the slaughter var the front of
jaar er etniien ea oe . $e. cele oe
the calamities &
oth sides suf- | On | res, and part- | ith which the §
agration.
aturally tame, ie flames: and
premature de- ©
unding Officer, |
violent inflam-
convey him to © thstanding ex-
ries, and other in a patient of e, and weigh- lirious. Under
inted Aide-de- ©
e€ morning on © . After fruit- 7 ‘
his project, |
wiincaly i 5; accordingly | d, pistols, and ©
charge of two spital in quest
Staff-Surgeon me the neces- bnal assistance
Bee
roe
7f in subduing my sick Hercules. Now, it so chanced
that Dr. B. had attended General Walker, who was so badly wounded in the storm.* The gallant patient had
A REFRACTORY PATIENT.
| had several ribs broken, «+h other dreadful inuries,
but happily recovered; and his doctor being a good
© draughtsman, had made a sketch of this remarkable
wound, and was, unfortunately, when I called, en- gaged in giving it the finishing touch. After ex- plaining my wishes I waited a few minutes, seeing him still intent on his work; but then requested he would delay no longer, as I was apprehensive my re- fractory patient would break through all opposition, mount his horse, and ride himself to death. “ My dear sir,” he replied, “don’t be impatient--just wait one instant, it will not take more tian a moment. Look there, what do think of that? Is the colouring too high? I had much difficulty in managing that flesh, both ways—-eh—... you take? Doesn’t that rib relievo a leetle too much—Stay, I’ll just soften it down a shade.” At last, after spending a quarter of an hour in shading down General Walker’s rib, out we sallied, with two orderlies and a strait waistcoat. I had anticipated mischief at the Colonel’s quarters from this delay, and was not mistaken; for when we reached the top of the street where he lived, we were both uorror struck at seeing the patient fully dressed
_ at the door of his house, preparing to mount his horse.
We all ran down the street as fast as we could, but he was on horseback before we came up. The docte: then accosted him very eloquently, imploring him to alight, and representing that he was not in a condition
* « General Walker, leaping forward sword in hand, at the mo- ment when one of the enemy’s cannoneers was discharging a gun, fell covered with so many wounc: that it was wonderful how he could survive.” Napier, vol. iv. p, 429.
72 A REFRACTORY PATIENT.
to travel in a hot sun, &c. &c. Tbe Colone} desired him to begone, and cursed kim for a meddling mis- chievous fool, interfering where he had no business, in a matter of duty—and then seeing his opponent still resolutely obstructing his path, he set spurs to
his great black charger, and rode right at the poor ¥
doctor. The latter jumped aside in great alarm, and disappeared through a low window that was fortunately
open. The patient then proceeded in a canter down : the street, making for the Elvas gate; but Iran bya @
near cut, and arrived there before him, and with some difficulty persuaded the Spanish Lieutenant on guard to shut the gate. Presently the Colonel arrived, ordered the gate to be opened, and flew into a great rage when he found he could not get out. He then turned his horse’s head towards the Talavera gate, at the opposite side of the town; but he found himself forestalled there also ; for when I had run to one gate, I had sent a servant to the other. A good deal fatigued by all this exertion in a burning sun, and weakened by loss of blood, the Colone! rode home, lay down on his couch, and feil asleep. [He slept nearly thirty-six hours, wakening only twice to take some drink, when he awoh. free from all complaint but weakness, and recollectio” nothing that had happened.
It appeared, that on my departure he had started out of bed, soon mastered all opposition, and proceeded to dress himself. The absence of his inexpressibles was a puzzler, but with a soldier’s presence of mind, even when the mind was all wrong, he made one of his servants surrender the pair he had on, threatening him and striking him with a stick he had picked up, until the poor man complied, The man’s trowsers were too small, but he forced his legs into them, tearing up the seams into frightful rents; and indeed he might
> ee Bi aie
sides medi lous desir as I urge! after my p the y buck story in m tain the f all y ther came H Bad
Ve
iT.
-Colone} desired a meddling mis- 1ad no business, ng his opponent he set spurs to
ight at the poor F creat alarm, and § t was fortunately \ na canter down | ; but Iran bya @ n, and with some ©
itenant on guard
Colonel arrived, © lew into a great |
He then ;
+t out. Talavera gate, at ie found himself | run to one gate,
ood deal fatigued |
, and weakened
me, lay down on é nearly thirty-six 7
ome drink, when t weakness, and ed.
he had started , and proceeded s inexpressibles esence of mind, made one of his threatening him picked up, until S trowsers were hem, tearing up ndeed he might
Sat pe
73 as well be absolutely sans culottes when he got on horseback. We had saddled Black Tom himee!f, and actually brought this great war horse into his bed chamber, until he found his cocked hat. Had we failed in blockading him at the gates, the Colonel would have ridden, in all probability, until he dropped dead from his horse.
After this adventure, Colonel D. soon recovered, and went to join the Regiment, but without hissurgeon. It was the time when the banks of the Guadiana are annually afflicted with bad remittent and intermittent fevers. I caught the disease, struggled against it for a little, but at last was obliged to take to my bed.
I had no desire to employ the facetious rib-painter —though I dare say he would have treated me skil- fully, and h .ve made a sketch of my pallid phiz be- sides; so I confided myself to the care of a young medical friend, who watched me with the most sedu- lous attention. From a kind, but not very judicious desire to economize strength, he would not bleed me as I wished; but when the head symptoms became urgent, he sheered and shaved my curly locks one hot afternoon, and attached three or four dozen leeches to my poorcaput. A few hours after, they carried me into the yard, placed me erect, and poured five and twenty buckets of cold well water over me, from a third story window, to drive away all the blood that was left in my brains. For the first two hours | was not cer- tain whether my head had not been carried away by the flood, my feelings were perfectly acephalous, and all was a cold nonentity above the shoulders—but there was violent re-action during the night, and I be- came delirious in the morning.
However, I was not destined to leave my bones in Badajoz, or add to the pyramid of British bones al-
ILLNESS OF THE AUTHOR.
VOL. I. E
"s
ne
Bea: > Seah a=
74 HOSPITALITY OF A PRIEST
ready there. By the blessing of Providence—which, laughter loving mortal as I may be, I am not ashamed to acknowledge—I at lengih recovered ; but in the dreadfully hot weather we then had in Estramadura, the convalescence was tedious.
Throughout the Peninsular campaigns, many offi- cers have complained that they never had the good luck to meet with civil treatment in their billets; a few others have been more lucky in uniformly coming in contact with good patronés, occupying respect- able houses, with both the means and the inclination for the exercise of attention and hospitality. I belong to the more fortunate class, and on this occasion, when I so much required the aid of the social charities, I was as lucky in my billet as when landing in Lisbon. I lodged in the house of a kind-hearted young Priest, Don Juan Jozé Martinez, who had two sisters living with him, and a third, the Abbess of a Convent, in the same street. The young Senhoras were exceedingly kind and attentive; perhaps the more so when they heard from Antonio that I was a Senhor Irlandez— which in Spain is synonymous with Roman Catholic. But to do these good ladies justice, when undeceived in this respect, they did not relax a whit in those thousand little affectionate attentions which my help- less situation called for, and those soothing offices of female kindness, that are so delightful to the object, when on a bed of sickness in a strange land. They were verv urgent ia their charitable endeavours to convert me from my heresy, and bring me within the pale of their own church, seasoning each cup of the nice broth they prepared with zood advice on this subject ; and often calling in their brother to their assistance. He was stronger-minded and more liberal, however, than those dark eyed maidens, and used to reply to
their Let h and c
Wi gentle desire ing thank querq as I r¢ and le maine after open, amou exem
happy
sisters ladder quietl first m in yell by sin the mt in and pleade his bre smalle ing wl
away,
nce—which, not ashamed ; but in the Estramadura,
is, many offi- ad the good eir billets; a rmly coming ying respect- e inclination ty. I belong scasion, when il charities, I ng in Lisbon. young Priest, sisters living mnvent, in the > exceedingly so when they or _Irlandez— nan Catholic. n undeceived hit in those hich my help- ing offices of o the object, land. They
deavours to e within the up of the nice this subject ; ir assistance. ral, however, d to reply to
Tt
RETR WSS OSE
eee TO
AND HIS SISTERS, 7)
their entreaties,—“ Deixa lo, deixa lo, Pobrecito.”’ Let him alone, poor fellow—we must cure him first, and convert hin afterwards.
When I became convalescent, a strange Spanish gentleman called to see me. He said he had been desired by his wife and daughters to enquire concern- ing my health, and to express on their part grateful thanks for the attentions they had received at Albu- querque. It was Don Ignacio Solvielta; and as soon as I recovered sufficientiy I called on my fair friends, and learned with pleasure that their house had re- mained untouched during the siege; and in the pillage after the storm, although the door had been blown open, a bag of a couple of hundred dollars was the amount of their loss. . I felt a lively pleasure at their exemption from the misery that bowed down the un- happy city.
My patroné gave mea graphic description of the state of his family during the two dreadful days that Bada- joz was the prey of a drunken and infuriated soldiery. He had sagaciously anticipated the plunder, and pro- vided two purses,—a larger and a smaller—placed his sisters on the top of the house, and then destroyed the ladder ; after these precautions, the courageous priest quietly awaited the result. About eight o’clock the first morning, a party of half drunken British soldiers, in yellow facings, blew off the lock of the street door, by simultaneously discharging their muskets, with the muzzles in a close circle round the kev hole, rushed in and seized him and demanded his money. He pleaded poverty, but they presented their muskets to his breast ; and at last by horrid threats extorted the smaller purse. They then searched the house, pillag- ing whatever struck their fancy ; at length they went away, and the door was barricaded as well as circum-
Peel SS
i SS
Si ie ES pte ee SR
Set a di 3 ro = ee ee tae m
-
ei
ess
- fapatist
isa a
a Poe Oo ae ak alg o Aes :
ee nal ciel nee
join, and marched ten days before I ought to have set
76 OUTRAGES AFTER THE SIEGE OF BADAJOZ.
stances permitted. In the course of the day another party broke through the poor priest’s defences, roamed through the house, and by threats of instant death forced him to surrender the larger purse. The door was then left open, but the house was no more mo- lested. The poor trembling girls remained on the roof till some degree of order was restored in the town.
During the siege two twenty-four pound shot had penetrated the back wall of the house, and lodged in the front, without doing farther injury than piercing a wooden partition, and demolishing an arm chair, from which one of the sisters had just risen. The priest said he intended to keep them both, though they were not in the habit in his church of preserving relics so substantial.
A veil was thrown purposely over the sufferings of his sister the abbess, and the inmates of the convent, which was never withdrawn; for when I ventured to enquire if they had escaped insult and outrage, Don Juan’s brow grew black. It was then only I could fully appreciate the fine character of the man. Smarting under recent violence and spoliation; and moreover touched, as there was too much reason to believe, in a point on which Spanish honour is so peculiarly susceptible, he yet had the good sense not to confound the innocent with the guilty, and the magnanimity still to treat me with the greatest tenderness, when lying helpless under his roof.
At this time the heat of the weather was extraordi- nary—the Fahrenheit thermometer rising to 97° in the shade. Under these circumstances it was not easy to recover strength fast; but having heard that the Army was about to move to the front, | became anxious to
lee
out.
road ; not hé chatte and I named
The and cd narro ranks, Two o when vising emerged giment a lette at Fue giving compa might | was th this su sion.
I kr have a ing ob way of my est son, al similar nature quarte ment.
At |
tro jus
ADAJOZ,.
» day another ences, roamed instant death e. The door no more mo- ained on the tored in the
und shot had ind lodged in than piercing n arm chair, t risen. The both, though of preserving
sufferings of the convent, I ventured to butrage, Don I could fully » =Smarting nd moreover to believe, in 0 peculiarly
to confound nagnanimity brness, when
as extraordi- to 97° in the S not easy to hat the Army b anxious to t to have set
Ae Hi a %
LIBERALITY OF COLONEL NICOL, 77
out. The consequence was an attack of ague on the road; and though the temperature in the sun could not have been less than 130°—my teeth danced and chattered for an hour or so like a pair of castanets ; and I was forced to halt in a village on the road, named Santa Martha.
The army was then six months in arrears of pay, and consequently a good deal of inconvenience from narrow finances was experienced by officers of all ranks, particularly when absent from their regiments. Two or three days after my arrival in Santa Martha, when taking a farewell look at my last dollar, and de- vising some plan of ways and means suited to the emergency, I saw a mounted soldier of the 66th Re- giment riding up to the door, enquiring for me, with a letter from Colonel Nicol commanding the Regiment at Fuentes del Mestro. It was a very kind letter, giving me unlimited leave of absence, and was ac- companied by three doubloons, which he thought I might require ; and it appeared afterwards, that such was the scarcity of money, he was obliged to borrow this sum from a Sutler who accompanied the Divi- sion.
I know not how others feel on the subject, but I have always experienced singular pleasure in express- ing obligation: though it is certainly a very cheap way of requiting it. I record this act of kindness of my esteemed friend, General Nicol, first, for this rea- son, and secondly because it was one of a series of similar deeds of thoughtful and unostentatious good nature and liberality, towards his officers, during a quarter of a century that he commanded the Regi- ment.
At length I rejoined the 66th at Fuentes del Mes- tro just in time to accompany it on another advance
ST |
# b oi %
a |
78 USING LEECHES INTERNALLY.
of the Division, in the direction of Llerena; but on some intelligence being received of the concentration of a strong force under Drouét on our right, the Di- vision was countermarched, and General Byng’s Bri- gade, consisting of the Buffs, or 3rd Foot, the 31st, 57th, and 66th, returned to their old quarters at Fuentes del Mestro.
The day of our return was hot and windy, and the road very dusty. When the Brigade reached the im- mediate neighbourhood of the town, they halted and piled their arms, until the men got their billets. Near this spot was one of the old fountains, from which the place had taken its name; which was a square now in a ruinous state, and half filled with grass and weeds, but still containing clear water. The thirsty soldiers, fatigued with the heat and long march, flew at once to this reservoir; and kneeling, and placing their hands on the low wall that surrounded it, they dipped their dusty muzzles up to the ears in the cool element, and quaffed away like fishes.
“¢ The consequence was awful in the extreme.”
Next morning, about a hundred and fifty of them came sick to the different regimental Hospitals, and at first their cases looked alarming, for they were all spitting blood. On examination it was ascertained, that they had fished up three or four hundred leeches from the old fountain, which, it seemed, was full of the little wretches. These blood-suckers had attached themselves in the mouth, nostrils, throat, gullet, and even the stomach ; higher or lower, according to the vigour of their own adhesive powers, or the strength of suction of the drinkers, We certainly had a bloody day at the Hospital, although no lives were lost, ex- cept the leeches, and they were attacked in all man-
Ete
ade
ner of were off lea loged used t4 oust t of the quired was fi slaugh their | The of sixt¢ motio the for Wellit cuatiol and ad of Aus Benito over a ment f tridges occasic seen 10 and w shouti: an offi and ar as the Dor the Gi the im by Vi on the
Y.
rena; but on concentration right, the Di- | Byng’s Bri- oot, the 31st, | quarters at
indy, and the ached the im- »y halted and illets. Near om which the , Square now ss and weeds, rsty soldiers,
flew at once lacing their _ they dipped cool element,
Qc
fifty of them ospitals, and hey were all ascertained, dred leeches
was full of ad attached
gullet, and rding to the he strength sad a bloody ere lost, ex- in all man-
Baers acta sue putea te BN et mes tie
USING LEECHES INTERNALLY. 79
ner of ways, both by stratagem and open force. Some were noosed with a silk ligature, by the tail, and torn off leaving the head still sticking. Several were dis- loged by a strong solution of salt, and tobacco was used to others. Powerful emetics were necessary to oust the knowing ones, that had reached the citadel of the stomach; and one obstinate sanguisuga re- quired three or four in succession, At last the enemy was finally beaten from all their positions with great slaughter, and the doctors of the Brigade washed their hands and went home to dinner.
The whole Corps of Sir Rowland Hill, consisting of sixteen or seventeen thousand men, was now set in motion towards the Sierra Morena, to co-operate with the forward movement of the main force under Lord Wellington, assist in harassing Soult during his eva- cuation of Andalusia, and finally push up the Tagus, and advance to Madrid. We marched on the 27th of August, reached Llerena on the 29th, and Don Benito on the 6th of September. During these marches over a fine level country, the officers had great amuse- ment from the quantity of game they met with ; par- tridges were very numerous, and fine bustards were occasionally killed. As for hares, they were to be seen in scores, and often traversed the line of march, and were killed or caught by the men, amidst great shouting and fun. On one march of four leagues, an officer of the 66th killed seven with a greyhound, and arrived at the end of the march at the same time as the Regiment.
Don Benito is a large town, a short distance from the Guadiana, and close to the field of Medellin, where the imbecile and obstinate Cuesta had been defeated by Victor with such dreadful loss, It is averred, that on the evening of the battle, the arms of the French
IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3)
16
14
1.25
6”
hoe a RT Bakr | ve essere
aan, ae
Ne ee ee hee Sk ee SMO Reo an ND
ios a ui ye gedetnartay > Nort ey aA aot PTE AEE SR ee SSO whe Duta Sarat sO Daas te
apr is Ty VO) es ache ae E ee ee eae Eee gre eee
80 BATTLE-FIELD OF MEDELLIN.
Dragoons were so much swollen by their exertions in cutting up the Spanish infantry, that they could not be pulled out of the sleeves of their jackets. The Spunish cavalry had fled as usual, leaving the artillery and infantry to their fate.
Colonel Nicoland myself rode out one beautiful even- ing to the scene of action, intending to visit Medellin before we returned. The ground was still covered with the usual relics of the combat—broken bits of arms and accoutrements—shreds of uniforms—here and there a cap with a sabre cut, or the crown stove in, and occasionally a human skeleton, or that of a horse. When we came to a level piece of smooth ground, ex- tending a long way before us, we commenced a brisk canter; and I am not sure that I did not apostrophize the Colonel’s lazy Spanish horse, El Medico, by some such speech as ‘ Come along, old Medico.” If so, my triumph was short; for I had not proceeded a hundred yards, when a brace of partridges whirred up under Liberdade’s nose—the startled animal bolted to one side, at right angles with the road, depositing his rider across the skull of some huge grenadier, which nearly stove in three or four of his ribs. The Colonel was with me in a moment, and supported my head until I recovered from the shock, which was far from agreeable, and impressed upon me the advisableness of burying the dead after all battles. I then proceeded to make an examination of the extent of the injury— set the ribs to rights—my friend caught the horse, and we resumed our ride.
The English had never been in Don Benito; con- sequently, we enjoyed the pleasing effects of the first burst of patriotism, friendship, and hospitality of the in- habitants, after the long and oppressive occupation of their town by the enemy. Nothing was seen or heard
but tutio “ Vi had ¢ all m temb quis desps party corps terrib as we nearly morn dippe
The portu poor was Ss it clea
retreé
IN.
their exertions hat they could ‘jackets. The ng the artillery
beautiful even- visit Medellin ll covered with n bits of arms ms—here and rown stove in, hat of a horse. th ground, ex- 1enced a brisk t apostrophize dico, by some dico.” If so, , proceeded a es whirred up imal bolted to Hepositing his adier, which The Colonel ted my head was far from ndvisableness en proceeded the injury— t the horse,
Benito ; con- Ss of the first lity of the in- cupation of pen or heard
HOSPITALITY IN DON BENITO. 8]
but patriotic songs—swearing allegiance to the Consti- tution before the ugly portrait of Ferdinand the Seventh, “ Vivan los Inglezez!” and féting and dancing. We had a ball every night, and the people seemed to be all mad with joy. On the night of the 12th of Sep- tember, when all busily engaged at a ball, the Mar- quis of Worcester arrived from Head Quarters with despatches for Sir Rowland Hill; in half an hour the party was broken up, and early in the morning the corps was put in motion for Truxillo. I recollect the terrible wetting we all got in a heavy thunder storm, as we were leaving the town, and when the sun had nearly dried our clothes upon our backs, during the morning march our lower integuments were again dipped mid-thigh deep in fording the Guadiana.
The angry elements pelted us pitilessly on every op- portunity till we arrived at Truxillo; and then, after a poor muleteer had been killed by the lightning, who was sitting on his mule, singing “ Viva Ferdinando !”’ it cleared up, and we had very fine weather.
A large depot of provisions and stores, and an hos- pital were established at Truxillo. Head Quarters remained here and in the neighbourhood for some days, and then the whole corps moved onward to Ma- drid; whilst, to my great mortification, the Medical Officer who was ordered to take charge of the hospi- tal fell sick, and I was directed by the Staff Surgeon of the Division to take his place. I thus escaped much discomfort and suffering during the Burgos retreat, but I missed seeing Madrid and the Escurial.
82
CHAPTER IX.
TRUXILLO.—-LOVE MATTERS.—PLOT OF ASSASSINATION DIS- COVERED AND FRUSTRATED.—MEDICAL TREATMENT OF A SPANISH RIVAL.—SERENADE.—MARCH TO ELVAS.
‘¢ Cujus a vertice ac nigricantibus oculis Tale quiddam spirat ac ab aurea venere.” AUvSONIUs.
TRUXILLO, corrupted from Turris Juli, its ancient name, is a place of high antiquity, having been a Ro- man Presidium, and the head quarters of a legion. In modern times it is only known as the birth place of Pizarro; and the house in which he was born is still to be seen in the principal square. It is a large un- inhabited, half-ruined building ; indeed half the town is inruins. I occupied the palace of the Medina Si- donia family as a general hospital ; and it was melan- choly to see the straw beds of the sick spread on the floors of the most magnificent apartments, and to be- hold on all sides similiar incongruities, and even much greater, and every thing in the town hastening rapidly to decay. A condition of things but too em- blematic of the siate of the monarchy.
I lodged in the mansion of the Condé de Q 58 descendant of Pizarro, a little old man, who, in right of his ancestor, always wore a small gold key outside the flap of his right coat pocket, of which he was very proud. He was very grandiloquent—as most Spanish gentlemen are—formal, courteous, needy, and pedantic. When he found I could read Spanish
~
he gé best lish Span lian Pam inflat the §
Th Fran who foun very spen¢ inam Com far o duri sick, comp the e were 1essol like :
natic it to more pani
ASSINATION DIS-
TREATMENT OF
1 TO ELVAS.
lis e, 1IUS.
”
lu, its ancient ing been a Ro- rs of a legion. 2 birth place of as born is still is a large un- | half the town he Medina Si- | it was melan- spread on the its, and to be- es, and even wn hastening ‘s but too em-
ade Q 58 who, in right d key outside vhich he was ent—as most eous, needy, read Spanish
-
wie Rat,
2 Sonu amas MEN O05 SRA i
83
he gave me the entrée to his Library, which was the best I saw in Spain; and I found there several Eng- lish works, which I did not expect, translated into Spanish, and looking grotesque enough in their Casti- lian dress. Amongst these were Robinson Crusoe, Pamela, and Hervey’s Meditations—the florid and inflated style of the last being exactly conformable to the Spanish idiom.
The Condé de Q had two daughters, Dona Francesca, and Dona Bernarda; with the latter of whom, who was the younger and the prettier, I soon found myself falling desperately in love. They hada very beautiful cousin, Dona Serafina, who used to spend most of her evenings at our house, whilst her inamorato, a very handsome Officer of the English Commissariat, whom I shall call Stanley, was never far off on these occasions. My time was fully occupied during the whole of the day; for I had two hundred sick, and a number of officers to attend, with one in- competent Spanish Medical Officer to assist me; but the evenings were for the most part my own. ‘These were devoted to dancing, forfeits, blind man’s buff, ‘essons in Don Quixote, singing, the guitar, and such like authorised modes of making love. In these very plea:ant pastimes the loves of the Commissary and the Doctor throve amazingly. I may make his story the subject of an episodical chapter.
It is customary in Spain to take one’s chocolate in bed, very early in the morning, and as there is no harm in doing at Rome what the Romans do in such matters, I found it good policy to conform to the national custom ; and Antonio would sometimes bring it to me, fuming and fragrant, by day light. But more frequently the fairy-footed Bernarda, accom- panied by Francesca, would give a slight tap at the
LOVE MATTERS,
5 fatale weigereminon - ge cae al pe ey
Pca dee
Ss sai et =
we
eA A RA es
Oe epee ae
84 LOVE MATTERS.
chamber door, and then appear at my bedside, bearing a little silver salver, on which was a small gilded cup of chocolate, so thick and rich, that the little delicate parallelopiped of toast, its unvarying attendant, would stand upright in the middle. Then would the lovely sisters remain, ar twin cherries on one stalk,” in all honest confidence, laughing and joking, and lisping their beautiful language, till I had finished my chocolate—a matter which I was never in much hurry to accomplish.
Let no man of vain imagination, nor woman either, entertain fora moment a thought prejudicial to the amiable couple; for no sweet brace of sisters on re- cord, chaste as
6 the icicle
That hangs from Dian’s Temple,”
could have uniformly comported themselves with greater propriety.
Love, they say, is as much the pabulum of poetry, as “ Music is the food of Love.” But as my poetical efforts here were mere lessons, to be submitted to the revision of my fair instructress; and, moreover, were about as unclassic Castalian as Castillian, I shall not inflict any of them on the reader. But, to shew him what is expected from a Lover in Spain, particularly when the nights are warm and pleasant, I shall in- troduce an English version of a serenade composed at Truxillo, and inteuded to be sung. Alas! there was not time to learn the guitar accompaniment.
I re not afi mensid a com at the tures ¢ when | of “ |: begon would must partie matte sion. of my} chillo
threa whicl mous Anto:
>dside, bearing all gilded cup little delicate endant, would uld the lovely
stalk,”
| joking, and had finished ever in much
voman either, idicial to the sisters on re-
selves with
m of poetry, s my poetical
itted to the breover, were » I shall not to shew him particularly » I shall in- e composed Alas! there iment.
i) ”: at
Liq
EE Sof CT ER OT EEE eg eae
A SPANISH RIVAL. 85
SERENADE, TRUXILLO, SEPTEMBER, 1812.
By the Moon’s imploring light Which calls thy beauties into sight ; By the soft and balmy air That longs to fan thy form so fair ; By the Nightingale’s sweet strain, Warbling amidst our secret grove— Burst dull Sleep’s ignoble chain— Awake! arise, my Love!
By Music’s soft mysterious power, Mellower for the midnight hour, By thine own melodious song— By the thoughts that with it throng— By the scene that song recals, But known to us, and to the Dove, Hid in the Arbour’s fragrant walls, Awake ! arise, my Love!
I remained three months at Truxillo, and were I not afraid of swelling out my book to inexpedient di- mensions, I could detail numerous incidents both of a comic and tragic nature, but all interesting enough at the time in which I was engaged. The adven- tures of various English officers, too, at this period, when robbed and maltreated by the numerous bands of “* ladrones” on their way to join, and their woe- begone appearance when