The price of Indian Corn at Montemor Velho, which regulates for Coimbra and all that neighbourhood, was last week at 11 Testoons[22] the Alqueire. It had been at 12 T. the fortnight before.
Believe me ever, my dear Father, Your most sincerely affectionate son,
Wm. Warre.
[22] Testoon = about 5d. Alqueire = about 3 Imp. gallons.
To His Brother
Hd. Qrs., P.A. Francoso, Nr. Pinhel, June 27, 1810.
My Dear Tom,
We removed our Hd. Qrs. here two days ago and the English Hd. Qrs. to Almeida, on account of the very interesting situation of Ciudad Rodrigo, and to be within reach of immediate information respecting any movements of the French Army, which becomes every day more interesting. Their heavy Artillery being arrived, they on the evening of the 24th commenced a brisk fire on the place, which was returned with great vivacity by the besieged, and continued until 10 o’clock on the 25th in the morning, when a most tremendous explosion took place in the French lines from their Powder Magazine blowing up, (N.B. has since been ascertained to have been in the town), and immediately after two lesser explosions (which were in the French lines). The quantity of Powder must have been very great, as it was seen at this place by several of our officers, nearly 40 miles off, and at Almeida, half-way between this and the Ciudad Rodrigo, the shock was very strongly felt, and Governor Cox writes that it shook the whole place. Certain it is that the French batteries ceased firing and the Spaniards continued for two hours after.
If their loss is what we suppose from these circumstances, it will be a most serious loss to them, as I know not how soon they can replace it in Spain, and will probably delay their attack upon us for 6 weeks or 2 months, a great point gained for us, whose object is by gaining time to complete the discipline of our Army, etc., and who are getting very healthy. These, however, are the effects we wish for, and, like other people, we are very apt to fancy the probability of what we wish for, though at the same time you must not imagine that we are the least afraid of them even now. We know that their army is very sickly. They average deaths 46 to 50 a day, are in want of everything, and their intercepted letters show that they are very much disgusted. The Spaniards carry on a desultory and most destructive warfare. They scarcely dare move out of their Quarters without risking to be assassinated, and their losses in this way and by desertion are very great in every part of Spain.