Whilst I was thus employed Lord Wellington and his staff passed. I was sorry to hear Longa had missed him, and that he was much mortified at this, especially as his men scarcely knew Lord Wellington and his party, and he had almost passed before they irregularly presented arms to him. The one thousand men at Eranos were more fortunate, for at a hazard I told them, when they inquired, that he would pass in about twenty minutes, and he actually passed within the half hour. I followed in Lord Wellington’s train to this place, Ernani, over a road still worse than the last, a mere water-channel, with irregular broken steps and slippery clay; most of our horses got more or less on their haunches. The road ran up and down on the side of a thick wooded hill on the banks of the river, near which we saw two or three works for iron, in which this country abounds.
We arrived safely, about four o’clock; very little baggage got in that night. All mine came in by seven o’clock, except one mule load and man, who stuck, knocked up, at a house two miles back. I bought some eggs and bacon and went to bed. About eight, next day, my stragglers arrived, the mules strained in the shoulder and scarcely able to move. Dr. M’Gregor had two mules killed down the mountain, and many have suffered as well as myself.
The next morning after my arrival at Ernani, I walked off to see what was going on at St. Sebastian. Not knowing how long we might be here, my horses being tired, and having no shoes, I made this survey on foot. The road is a wide camina real, a rough sort of pavement, but a good road. About half a league distant I saw the fort or citadel of St. Sebastian, and the smoke of the guns, the noise of which I had heard before. I proceeded on by our heavy guns, which were near on the road side, passed about four thousand Spanish troops of the Gallician army drawn up to receive Lord Wellington, and then our reserve park of artillery, with some small works around. Here I began to hear the distant whistle of the balls, which occasionally got near the road. At about a league from Ernani, just at the brow of the descent to St. Sebastian, and about half a mile from the latter, a barrier of tubs of earth was placed across the road and sentries posted, our advanced sentry being at a turn of the road a hundred yards forwards. I went to the left to take a sketch, and soon heard a musket-ball whistle by me, which I took at first for a rocket behind me. I thought this an accident, but soon came a second, and a third. I then concluded that I was the object, and leaving my sketch rather in a hasty unfinished state, I returned behind the barrels as the last shot came into a bush close to me.
Our trenches were open about fifty yards to the right, against a convent on the side of the hill, which was full of French, and from which almost all the musket-shots proceeded. I determined just to peep into them before I went off, and having been cautioned how to proceed, I looked in: but having had one more shot whistle close to me, and passed a bloody hole where a shell had just fallen, which had carried away a man’s arm, I walked home, to dine at Lord Wellington’s at three o’clock. At dinner I met Castanos, Jeron, Alava, Mendizabel, and a number of inferior officers, amongst them the Major who had been left as a Captain to defend Villa Alba de Tormes, when we retreated last year, and who held out the time he was ordered to remain, and brought off two hundred out of three hundred of his men to Frenada. For this he was made a Major, I believe, at Lord Wellington’s request. General Alava also introduced an officer who came to present to Lord Wellington King Joseph’s sword—his dress sword set in steel and diamonds, and very handsome. Where taken from, or whence obtained, I did not learn. Lord Wellington just looked at it as he took his seat at dinner, and telling his man to put it by safely somewhere, fell to at the soup and said no more.
On the following day the alarm was spread that we were all to go back to the mountains the next day by the same road. At last, however, orders came out that Lord Wellington was going, and that only his immediate staff, and those who could be very useful, were to attend him. Even General Murray, the Quarter-Master-general, the life and soul of the army next to Lord Wellington, staid here, not being quite well. He appears to me decidedly the second man; and it is thought that without him, and perhaps Kennedy, the Commissary-in-Chief, we could never have done what we have; even Lord Wellington would be, in some degree, fettered and disabled by a bad Quarter-Master-general and a bad Commissary-general.
Not to lose a day, Lord Wellington, the first day he was here, rode all about St. Sebastian to examine it in all directions, &c., and was provoked at the Spaniards parading for him, when his object was to be unobserved. The second day he went to Irun, on the frontiers, on the Bidassoa, to see how things were going on there. The day before yesterday, having waited till eight o’clock (morning), just to receive the “Gazette,” with his battle despatches and his appointment of Field Marshal, away he went, nine leagues over the mountains, for St. Estevan. He is going to see more of the mountain passes that way, and says that he shall be back the fourth day, if possible, though many think it impossible.
We have heard of Lord Wellington eating some trout at Gaygueta at twelve, and arriving at St. Estevan at five, the day he left this. All baggage nearly is left here. The day he went I was occupied all day, by his desire, in examining some gentlemen on a report which had got about concerning some of the captured money, which report Lord Wellington had been caught by, and had suspicions. I hope I have sent a very satisfactory explanation. To me it is so, at least. I sent it off by express the same night to General Pakenham, who is with Lord Wellington on his tour. One idle day, since I have been here, I went to see Passages, about five miles distant, but an infamous road. There are two towns of that name, the Spanish and French, as they are called; one on each side of a narrow deep stream, or inlet from the sea, which forms rather a picturesque basin within. I should have thought more of it had I not seen Exmouth, Dartmouth, and some other western English scenery of the same land first, which I think superior. The towns were built with the same kind of narrow alleys, only fit for a horse to pass through; these standing up the side of the hills. They were, however, a better description of houses, and four stories high, with balconies. The scene was more enlivened than usual by our transports, by the landing of biscuit, rum, shot, ammunition, the twenty-four pounders from Sir George Collier’s ship, and other great guns, with their apparatus, for the siege; two Portuguese regiments at work, and about three hundred mules, besides the oxen, &c., for the guns: gabions and fascines were making in every direction by the Portuguese. The road was so narrow and slippery in one place, that my horse, as I led him, nearly slipped into the sea.
Yesterday, having a few hours again to spare, I went round to look at St. Sebastian by the right, where I witnessed a sharp conflict, and saw more than I had done before, with much less risk. I was out of the way of the musketry, and only had one cannon-shot, which went over the intended mark from the town, and, whistling along, dashed into the water just under me. It was nearly spent, as I heard it, I think, long enough to have got out of the way had it come up higher. If it clears up to-day, I mean to go to the lighthouse, on the left of the town, or the cliff, where it is said the view is very fine, and where, with a glass, you see much and in safety.
There was almost as much firing yesterday as in a battle, cannon-shot and musketry, particularly on the French part, and many shells; and we made a feint to obtain the convent with only a few men, yet I hear that only four were killed on our side, and about ten wounded.
The convent is almost in ruins, but we have in vain tried to burn it with hot shot, and the French continue to pepper from it. A shell of ours fell amongst their men in a redoubt in rear of the convent, and they ran. I believe this led to our attempt, but it was soon found that they were strong just behind, and several men still in the convent; and three new parties were pushed along the causeway from the town—about two hundred and fifty men—to strengthen the convent party. Ours, therefore, were off very quickly, not being supported. One shell of ours fell just into one of the three new parties, and killed one man and dispersed the rest. Several wounded French were seen carried back over the causeway and bridge. The number of cannon in the town is very considerable; and though our works proceed fast, the town is considered formidable.