I could not understand that the rockets had done more than cause some alarm, though twelve had been fired at once at the shipping, and from no great distance. Only one, or at most two, had fairly struck, and nothing had been burnt. The heavy guns had struck the corvette, but could not do much damage before she was off, and just at first the corvette and battery on the French side seem to have had the best of it. Count Damas, who was there with the Duke d’Angoulême, looking on, told me that the artillery had knocked off the colours of the corvette whilst he was there, and that one of the light Germans had jumped into the water, had fetched out the colours, and had presented them to the commanding artillery officer. Others say that these colours were on the gun-boat. The French were so alarmed at the rockets, that the vessel, when struck, was abandoned.
Close to our guns we found the other brigade of Guards, &c., making an immense fire with the fir-trees, which had been cut down on all sides, for the day, though fine, was very cold. Dr. Macgregor, one or two others, as well as myself, went up a little sand-hill near, just to look round, when a twenty-four pound shot from Bayonne came close to us point blank. The horses turned right round, and the Doctor losing his hat, I thought at first that he had been struck. Of course we soon beat a retreat, and found we were in a spot where this was the usual reception, and a position of which the French were jealous.
Just as I came away, a little before five, I saw a column of French, apparently about seven hundred, going very quickly through the wood on the opposite bank from the citadel towards our men, who had passed to attack them. I knew that we had nearly a battalion across, about seven hundred men, and did not feel much alarm with regard to the event. I pitied the men more for the cold night they were likely to pass on the bare sands, without baggage, &c. This morning I have heard an attack was made just afterwards, but that some of the rocket skirmishers were put in advance with the other skirmishers on our side, and the French were so alarmed that, though much superior, they would not advance, and our men beat them off.
The flotilla was this morning collected near the mouth of the Adour, and, I suppose, before this the bridge is begun. At any rate we could have passed across as many men as we wished before this. No one has returned to-day to this moment, and as I had business, and one of my horses was a little sore in the back, I staid at home. My grey pony started before six yesterday morning, and I was not at home till past seven at night, having ridden above thirty miles.
Some of the Spanish regiments were very fine men, and well equipped in every respect, much better than some of our poor fellows; but the officers looked very bad indeed; and when the men advanced, they were led on by their officers with cloaks on, folded over their mouths, looking as miserable as possible.
The men also, like the French, always march with their great coats on over everything, so that our good new clothes were all concealed by their own old threadbare overcoats. On the other hand, none of our men had their coats on, cold as it was, and everyone was alive and in activity. I stood next to Don Carlos d’Espagne, and heard him receive his directions and information as to what parts we occupied and what the French, &c. General Hope (though not well, and too soon, I believe) came on to take the command, of which the division were very glad.
I fear the Spaniards, though better than they were, and though only the best were in advance, will soon begin to do mischief. As I returned here I saw all their stragglers about the houses near the road, and telling every one that in Spain Francesi roban e rompen todos todos. They soon soil our new clothing, and go about with dirty and scowling discontented faces, like some of our good countrymen in Ireland. The industry of the French on the sand-banks had been very great in the cultivation of the vine. The south-east side of the very bank on which the sea beat on the north-west, a pure white sand, was divided with square reed enclosures, and covered with vines. The Anglet wine (which, as a very light wine, is in repute), I believe, is there produced. Many of the inhabitants at Anglet and the neighbourhood, remained, and, in general, seemed glad the movement was over. One old woman, in a house that was near the river’s mouth, said she was most happy to see us, as she had been for the last two months in complete misery, not being allowed to speak to any strangers by the French, nor even allowed to go to Bayonne to buy a few sous-worth of snuff. I suppose they feared the spread of information, for this was close to the spot intended for our bridge, of which I understand, and have no doubt, they had a very clear knowledge. Two persons of the better class have come in here by sea from Bordeaux, round by Passages, to pay their respects, and give information to son Altesse Royale. Colonel La Fitte told me that they were as anxious there for Lord Wellington as the Jews were for the Messiah, so sanguine are the emigrés.
February 26th.—All accounts now agree that the French have from ten thousand to above eleven thousand in the town and citadel, three thousand in the latter, the rest in the town and lines. Another show was made against our people the morning after they crossed, but no attack. Considering that the French had eleven thousand men, that it was eight or nine hours before we had above five or six hundred men across, this passage of the Adour and our establishment on the right bank is most disgraceful to their troops, or to their General, and proportionally creditable to ours. In the evening of the 24th our flotilla crossed the bar and got into the Adour over a most tremendous surf. Several accidents ensued in consequence, and many lives were lost; some say as many as forty in the whole, of all nations. I believe about fifteen English sailors were lost. None but the English sailors would have dared to enter at such a time. Five boats were upset, most of them very near it, and one brig, with stores, aground, as well as one small ship of war, a gun-vessel I believe. Some of the flotilla never got in at all. The place fixed for the bridge was not so wide as was expected and prepared for, so sufficient boats are ready, and last night all but about three were moored in their berths ready, and, in my opinion, the bridge would be passable to-day.
The loss of the French in the gun-boats and corvettes was greater than we supposed, for the inhabitants inform us that a Captain of cannoniers was killed, and several men, and the Captain of the corvette lost his arm. The rockets also did mischief on shore: one man who is now in here, had both legs carried off by a rocket. I have been since told, the French lay down on their faces, and then ran away from them. An order has been issued in Bayonne for all persons who have not and cannot procure six months’ provisions to quit the town, and numbers were coming this way along the road yesterday. I went out that way on purpose to meet them, and talk to them. They all agreed in the number of men, about eleven thousand, but said that a great part were conscripts and weakly.
This I concluded to be the case, as all those unequal to an active campaign would be naturally left in the walls for quiet garrison duty. The alarm had been terrible in the town, where an attack was expected two days since. Every householder was ordered to have an immense tub filled with water, ready at his door, &c. Count Reille has gone to the rear, some said ill, and Thouvenot commanded again, and most said that Marshal Soult was gone to Paris, some to Mount Marsan, and that Count Gazan commanded. A Frenchman, who came yesterday, told Monsieur d’Arcangues, an inhabitant here, that he had just passed through La Vendée, and that that country was in arms again; that he had himself seen several armed parties, amounting some of them to seven or eight hundred men. This will at least stop the conscription a little.