ficulty of getting on the artillery so great, that it was day-light before they came up with the enemy, who had full time to be alarmed, and immediately retreated, skirmishing the whole way with our troops, to Oliveira, a distance of 8 miles, where the English halted for the day on the 11th, the enemy took upamost advantageous position on the hights of Grijon, ten miles from Oporto. They were attacked and defeated with great loss, and they then retired to the heights of Villa Nova, immediately opposite to Oporto: they retreated into the town in the course of the night, and at 3 in the morning of the 12th they blew up the bridge over the Douro. The English arrived on the banks of the river about 12 o'clock of that day: the Germans under General Murray had already been sent to cross it about four miles above Oporto: two or three small boats had also been collected at a ferry about a mile above the town. The banks of the river here were remarkably steep, so that the troops, as they landed, formed under them, just below a large building called the Collegio do Bispo unseen by the enemy: General Paget had the management of this, and when the troops were landed in sufficient force, they moved forward. Marshal Soult, in person, attacked them repeatedly, and with excessive fury; but they stood their ground. In the meantime, the 29th regiment of the Guards crossed the Douro in a few small boats between Villa Nova and Oporto, ran up the streets at full speed as the regiments formed, and attacked the enemy on the right. General Murray coming down on their left, they were then between three fires, and immediately fled in the greatest possible confusion, leaving the road covered with baggage, cannon, horses, &c. &c Every thing considered, the passage of the Dourois certamly one of the most billiant at. chievements on record. The troops had made a forced march of above 80 miles from Coimbra in 5 days,

and the whole of the artillery was got on, though some parts of the road were so excessively bad, that it seems wonderful how the guns ever got thro' them, from the heat of the weather, and the great length of time which the stoppage of the artillery forced us to be op the different marches. The fatigues which the troops underwent was extreme; the current of the Douro is very rapid, the opposite banks were high and steep, in possession of the enemy, and we were ignorant of his force and defences. There was no means of crossing the river, except in such small Portuguese boats as the enthusiasm of the people brought to us, at their own peril, from the French side of the river; and the troops that first passed had to wait till these boats went backwards and forwards, and successively brought over the remainder. Notwithstanding such difficulties, Sir Arthur Wellesley did not delay one moment in crossing the river. The animation and bravery of the troops seconded his activity and presence of mind; the enemy's batteries were soon taken, himself defeated at all points, a vast number of prisoners made; and when the pursuit was ordered to cease, one sentiment of regret pervaded all. The bridge over the Douro being destroyed, there was no means of getting over the artillery, and only about sixty of the dragoons had already cros sed. Under these circumstances, Sir Arthur durst not, in prudence, pursue, tho' we have since learned from some English officers, who were prisoners with the French army, and afterwards made their escape, that the confusion was so great, and the troops so entangled with baggage, guns, &c. &c. that the greatest part of them must have been taken prisoners if we had continued the pursuit. The country was so hostile to the French, that they could not get any information of our movements: the advance from Coimbra was therefore unexpected, and it was so very rapid, that they were.com

pletely

pletely taken by surprise.

Seven hundred sick were by this means left in the hospital. Marshal Soult's dinner was preparing, and was actually eaten by Sir Arthur Wellesley. Some of the captured generals were taken in the streets of Oporto. Many men were killed in the streets by the 29th regiment, and General Laborde's baggage was taken just beyond the entrance of the city. The scene was altogether most beautiful, and perfectly unique. The day was very fine, and, the tide being in, the river was quite full. Immediately opposite to Oporto is the town of Villa Nova, where we embarked to cross the river. Here on the beach was raised an immense standard of white cloth, on which the sign of the cross was embroidered; the opposite walls of Oporto were lined with people waving white handkerchiefs to us, expressing, by their signs and gestures, their extene anxiety for our passing the river: the Portuguese rowed their own boats, and the animation these poor fishermen displayed, and their exertions to get us quickly over, were very striking. The houses in Oporto are very lofty, and there is a range of balconies to each floor: as we passed through the streets, the houses were chiefly shut, from fear of being pillaged by the French in their retreat; but the balconies were full of people, chiefly women, and from one end of the street to the other there was a continued line of white handkerchiefs waved to us from the balconies.

:

As we ran up the town, there was a continued cheering and greeting from the people: bread, wine, and handkerchiefs, to wipe their faces, from the excessive heat, were stretched out to the soldiers from the people as they passed; and if we halted for a moment, the women literally came and embraced us. There were not many persons in the streets; but the same feelings pervaded every indivi

dual: nor was it the least remarkable thing, in this so unusual scene, to observe the different ways in which the people expressed their feelings: some were cheering and tumultuously glad, others stretched out their arms to us, but were unable to speak for tears; while others, more tranquil, were occupied in prayer, but showing, by their attitude and expression of countenance, much more forcibly than by any words, the extent of their thankfulness for our assistance.

The conduct of the French army in Portugal has been most scandalous. Oporto was given up to pillage, and every sort of horror, for three successive days; and to the latest moment of their stay, rape, theft, and violence, were commited with impunity. The hatred of the Portuguese was, therefore, most inveterate towards them, and wherever they approached, the country was immediately deserted.

On our march from the Vouga to Oporto, a distance of near 60 miles, we scarcely met with one inhabited house. The country was all sown, and in great luxuriance, but the crops were uncut, and we hardly ever saw a living creature, except now and then some very old man, or a very old woman, who, standing at the road side, stretched out their hands to heaven, and, by their mute and expressive attitudes, demonstrated as well the extent of their misery as their thankfulness for our arrival. The effect of this sad and desolate scene was heightened by the objects we met with along the road; these were either unfortunate peasants, whom the French had hung up, and being refused burial, were in the last state of corruption; or else the dead bodies of the French soldiers, which the Portuguese had universally stripped, and had dishonoured and mutilated, in a manner too shocking to mention or think of.

(To be concluded in our next.)

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