To-day we halt here, for the French are disposed to stand a little further. Our cavalry moved last night to Almandos, two leagues on,—the 14th, and some Germans, and General Hill’s head-quarters, to Berrueta, whence the French retired. The reports now are that General Hill sent word last night that the French were strongly posted a little farther on, and that the peasants said they were eight thousand; but though he could not see so many, he did not much like the position. Lord Wellington sent him word that he would be there by ten o’clock this morning, and he is gone with most of the military staff. We have heard firing very plainly, but know not where it is. This is famous ground for sharp-shooting, as you cannot see in general a hundred yards before you. General Byng, with some British and Spanish, is gone along the Roncesvalles road, toward St. Jean Pied de Port, and Graham proceeds by the great road. Some stores are ordered round to land at Deva; I conclude we shall only secure the passes, and that we shall not enter France. Ground is broken up before Pamplona, but I think only for form sake; very few men at work. Only the six eighteen-pounders are at hand. An artillery serjeant I hear deserted from Pamplona two days since, and is supposed to have given important information. General Wimpfen tells me that the French have some works at Elisondo, which is, I suppose, the place General Hill is stopped by, and that they seem disposed to make a little stand there. I wish Suchet would either come up by Saragossa and fight near Pamplona, and thus save us that long trip, or that he would be off at once, like the rest; the latter is, however, I fear, more to be wished than expected. With Clausel, he will have probably, including garrisons, about forty thousand men. If after all a peace should be made, leaving out England and the Peninsula, we must even now still be off, and I only hope it will be settled before the autumn bad weather; another rainy retreat from this part will never do. I think we may at least stand towards the Astrinos and Gallicia, and not go back to Frenada, for Bonaparte, with all his energy and activity, can scarcely be ready to follow us in force this autumn.
My old witch of a patrona came in just now, into the place where I am, and moving the heavy bed, disappeared down a trap-door under it to get up a little clean linen from her hiding-place, where she conceals things from the French. She also produced a guerilla soldier’s shirt, which he had left to be washed, and called for to-day. She was very much frightened at us yesterday, as all here are, but is more sociable to-day.
We have turned about three hundred mules and horses into the meadows here, and have cut down two or three fields for the feeding at night, instead of the green oats or barley, for that is scarce here. How would you like all this in England? The peas and beans also are pretty well pillaged by our soldiers, and frequently the cattle get in besides. I do not pity the Spaniards for this; but as they are obstinate, they will not pick and sell to us officers who ask them, consequently the soldiers and our muleteers pick for themselves gratis. I do not think the crops here are so forward as in England; we are, therefore, luckily for the horses, just in the grass season. If we go back to the barren, brown, southern plains, it will be rather a disagreeable change. We shall then, however, probably, get corn for the horses, which now is very scarce. For the present, adieu.
If the French do not move, probably we may halt here to-morrow again; but I doubt we shall proceed. Twelve Portuguese field-pieces were following us up this horrible road; the French got two guns by the same road to Pamplona last year. For the last fortnight we have found the people of Navarre very stupid, and their language unintelligible. They do not understand good Castilian, but have a lingo of their own, very barbarous; the little Spanish I have picked up is here, therefore, of no use, and I am nearly reduced to the state of the deaf and dumb, to have recourse to signs and acting.
Head-Quarters, Irurita, July 7th.—From Lans and Arriez we proceeded on the 6th to Berrueta, through Almandos, across a part of the Pyrenees. The first league was through a fine oak wood, and very hilly; the next there was more hill, and, if possible, worse roads, and in particular a very long descent. The hills were, however, green and wooded to the summits, rounded, and not wild or savage, in short it was hilly scenery and not mountain—this is the Lower Pyrenees. From one part on the Lans road, the sea, I am told, was visible. Some Portuguese artillery followed us all the way, and have arrived safely.
We then reached Almandos, which contained a few very large houses for head-quarters; there the artillery, engineers, and Spaniards of head-quarters remained, and we descended a zigzag hill, and then ascended to Berrueta. I there got a very bad quarter, but staid, in order to be at the head-quarter village, to inquire into some complaints of public money taken by a Commissary at Vittoria. On the night of the 5th I was sent for at nine at night from Arriez to Lans by Lord Wellington about this business. It is a most horrible road even in the day time, and in my way back alone, I lost myself on a boggy common, and did not arrive until nearly one o’clock, having for about an hour and a half splattered about in a bed of wet clay, up to the horse’s knees at times, and having some notion of wolves, &c. This made me anxious to be at the head-quarters village, where I dined with Lord Wellington, and examined the Commissary in General Pakenham’s presence.
Berrueta was a small French post against the Guerillas, and the ground was strong; the church and about four houses, and a wall near were cut with loop-holes for musketry, and a little round bastion built in front with a double row of loop-holes commanding the roads, and a little tiled roof for one sentry at the top. The house had a rough eagle in black drawn upon it, and the inscription “Place Napoleon.” The little street or alley within the enclosure was called Rue Impériale. In spite of this the French, about three thousand strong, had the day before been driven from this ground and position by about five hundred of the second division, and had left us in possession, allowing General Hill to go on to this place, Irurita, a good league further, where we have now the head-quarters. General Hill has proceeded this morning to try and drive the French from a position about two leagues and a half further on near the French frontier at Maya, where they have made a semblance at least, with about eight thousand men, as if they meant to defend the pass there.
The road from Berrueta to Irurita was over one long hill of a league, but good enough, and then brought us down to this place at one extremity of the valley of Bastan. This valley is a very rich tract, surrounded by cultivated hills, well built and peopled, and terminated on the other extremity by the pass of Maya.
General Hill has moved on his head-quarters from hence to Elisondo, full a half league further, near the centre of the valley; and if the French give way, is to proceed further. Lord Wellington and all his suite are gone on forwards to watch the event. This place contains a number of large houses, but is in general dirty and bad in the interior. Lord Wellington’s house, and that of Marshal Beresford, and a few others about here, are in the French style, with glass windows in folding doors, and French blinds, &c., and they are clean and comfortable; at Elisondo, there is more of this, I hear. This valley has a sort of nobility of its own, and most of the numerous good houses belong to an inferior nobility. They almost all sport arms, and most the chequers. I understand this valley is also famous for the number of men of talent who have at different times issued from it. There is also trade in the valley, and commercial connexions even with Cadiz. These second-rate nobles have had the sense not quite to despise that mode of getting money, and thereby all other comforts. The effects of the war and of the times are, however, equally manifest here, but on a higher scale than in the ruined cottage, or the farmer stripped of his cattle and corn. Lord Wellington’s patron, whose house is now opposite and very handsome, was a native of this place, and went as a merchant to South America: he was engaged there in trade twenty-six years, and then returned to enjoy himself, like our Scotch Indians, in his native place. He, however, foolishly bought no land, and continues engaged in trade by means of an agent at Cadiz, and another at Vera Cruz, living here on the profits. One rich vessel we took from him before the declaration of war; this shook him a little: since that his Vera Cruz agent turned gambler and failed. We have taken another vessel of his since, and he thus was reduced nearly to his moveables. To supply French contributions, and to find the à quoi vivre for himself and two sons, he has sold all his plate, &c., and jewels. He has now only some tolerable bedding in twelve bedrooms, and straw chairs and deal tables. The little man, however, told all this to General O’Lalor in my presence with much good humour, and did not seem very unhappy. He was very anxious to please Lord Wellington in his quarter.
Here we see the miseries of the contest in another shape. The old mad Marquis d’Almeida left this to-day to go on with General Hill, very anxious to beat the French in their own territory, and give them back their own again. He has attached himself to General Hill’s corps all along.