Their centre or reserve, composed of black columns, crowned the heights on each side of the Puerta de Bera, and also the wooded heights extending to the base of the rock of La Rhune, on which their left was stationed in an old ruin.
The ground having been fully examined, and the picquets properly placed, we re-entered the mouth of the pass, and, having cut down two or three small fields of Indian corn, and stored it up as provender for the animals, we encamped on the stubble close to the river. The day was fine, but during the night the rain descended in torrents, and continued to fall so heavily for two days, as to swamp the ground on which our tents were pitched, and it was with the utmost exertion that we could keep them upright, owing to the frequent gusts of wind tearing the pegs out of the liquid mud. In these damp and chilly regions the tents proved of incalculable service to the army. The weather again clearing, our first brigade ascended the bare heights of Santa Barbara, the second brigade occupied a rising ground to protect the entrance of the defile leading to St. Estevan, and the picquets were pushed into the town of Bera, (within half a stone's throw and beneath those of the enemy), and into the farm houses in the valley, enclosed by orchards.[55]
The stupendous and lofty chain of the western Pyrenees being now taking up for the purpose of covering Pampeluna and St. Sebastian, the second division occupied the various rugged paths and passes winding Up the steep sides of the mountains near Roncesvalles and Maya; the seventh division those of Echalar; the light division the heights of Santa Barbara, and the road leading to St. Estevan, opposite to Bera; and the first division and Spaniards guarding the left bank of the Bidassoa to the sea-coast. The latter troops helped to block up the numerous gaps, all along the crest of the position, such as mountain paths, goat tracts, and dried water-courses, as well as the numerous fords across the Bidassoa. This extended position is about thirty-eight miles in extent, as the crow flies, running north west from Roncesvalles to the town of Fontarabia, (which is situated near the mouth of the Bidassoa, where this river empties itself into the sea,) but necessarily following the rugged and zigzag flinty roads, along the winding or crooked valleys, or over difficult mountains, intersected with deep glens, chasms, craggy defiles, tremendous precipices, and through almost impenetrable forests. The distance may be fairly calculated at sixty miles for troops to march from right to left.
On the 13th, the Duke of Dalmatia came from the north for the purpose of taking the command of the French army. The 15th being the anniversary of Napoleon's birth-day, the enemy at night illuminated their bivouac, by ingeniously festooning the branches of the trees with thousands of paper lamps, which produced a very bright glare, and of course presented a very novel appearance.
Four days after this, the fifth division began to dig the trenches at St. Sebastian, for the purpose of erecting batteries to batter en brêche. The third and fourth divisions, which had been kept in the neighbourhood of Pampeluna in reserve, and also to assist the Spaniards in drawing a line of circumvallation round that place, for the purpose of hemming in and starving the garrison into a surrender, now moved forward (leaving a Spanish corps to guard the lines); the former went to Olacque, and the latter to Biscarret; the sixth division was at St. Estevan: these three divisions being the reserve, and ready to succour at those points where their assistance might be required. The cavalry and artillery were cantoned in rear of the centre and left of the whole army.
One evening, while reclining on the parched and sun-burnt turf at the tent door, our milch goat nibbling particles of hard biscuit out of my hand, on looking around, I was much struck with the beauty of the scenery; the azure sky was reddened and glowing with a variety of brilliant tints, reflected from the glare of the setting sun, whose bright rays glided the rugged peaks of the towering and great bulging mountains which every where inclosed us. A long line of grey-coated French sentinels lined the opposite ridge, and one of their bands was playing a lively French air. In the valley below us, the little active Basque boys and girls were pelting each other with apples,[56] between the hostile armies, while the straggling and half-starved Spanish soldiers (who dared not pluck the fruit) pretending to enjoy the sport, but in reality were picking up the apples, and carefully depositing them in their small forage bags. In the back ground sat our tanned and veteran batman,[57] employed in mending a pack-saddle, after a long day's forage, and casting an eye of affection towards his animals, which were tied round a stake, feeding, with ears turned back, on some fresh heads of Indian corn. In the meanwhile my messmate was conversing with, and drawing a caricature of, a dowdy woman,[58] (from the Asturias,) loaded with an oblong basket of fresh butter, with her arms akimbo, and her nut-brown knuckles resting on hips which supported no less than four short coarse woollen petticoats; from underneath these branched out a pair of straddling legs, of enormous circumference, the feet being wrapped in brown hairy skins, by way of sandals. In this position of things my contemplative mood was all at once interrupted by an officer of the rifle corps riding up, who, with a mysterious air, whispered me, by way of a profound secret, that he had become acquainted with a Spanish family, residing in the town of Bera, and offered to introduce me, provided I would agree to limit my attentions to the eldest daughter, Maria Pepa, who, he acknowledged, was endowed with very ordinary attractions, whereas her sister, Ventura, of seventeen, possessed charms of a far superior description. As a matter of course, not wishing to throw any impediments in the way of so liberal an offer, I readily acquiesced in the proposal, and forthwith accompanied him to the destined Casa, for as such I may justly nominate it, as I may affirm that this introduction was subsequently the means of the life of a wounded brother officer being preserved, owing to the kind attention of its inmates, who watched over his mattress night and day, until he was out of danger: his hurt in fact was so severe, that when a doctor was asked how he found the patient, he replied. "Pretty well, but no man can ever recover from such a wound."
On alighting from our horses we entered the house, and having ascended the staircase, we found el Padre, la Madre, y las dos hijas seated in a spacious apartment, with the casements open, and a French sentinel, who was posted on a projecting grey rock, so thoroughly overlooking the house, that we could almost fancy he could overhear the lamentations of the anxious parents, who, devoutly crossing themselves, prayed that the siege of St. Sebastian might be speedily brought to a conclusion, to enable them to return to their house at that place, and secure the valuable plate and property, which they had been forced to abandon in great haste, to escape being confined in that town during the siege. Having passed some hours with them in a very agreeable manner, we took our departure, with a promise of shortly renewing our visit.
The left and main body of the French army, being now concentrated, formed a line at the foot of the Pyrenees, in the vicinity of Forage and St. Jean Pied de Port, in France, with its right wing occupying the mountains from the Rock of la Rhune to Bera, thence by the right of the Bidassoa to Andaye, and flanked by the Bay of Biscay. This ridge immediately covers the country in front of St. Jean de Luz and Bayonne.
Preparatorily to offensive movements, the French marshal issued a flaming proclamation to his troops, in which he reminded them that the standards of Britain waved aloft, and that her army, from the summits of the Pyrenees, proudly looked down on the fertile fields of France,—an evil which he attributed to the want of decision in the late French commanders. "Let us then," said the Marshal, "wipe off the stain from our faded laurels, by chasing the English beyond Vittoria, and there celebrate another triumph, to add to the many victories which have so often decorated your brows, in all parts of Spain, and on many a hard-fought day."
[51] Lieut.-Colonel Ross of the Horse Artillery, as usual, commanded this troop.