“Nov. 8th. Almeida.
“Nearing fast the borders of Portugal. Reports continue to reach us of the immense and warlike enthusiasm of the Spaniards. Even the peasantry, ’tis declared, are Ardent to fight. Sixty or seventy thousand Spanish soldiers, under their Generals, Blake and Romana, await our advance, and they are said to be ‘full of contempt’ for the French. Jack says contempt won’t help ’em so well as hard fighting. Boney is no Enemy to be despised. But at most there are, if accounts be true, only some fifty thousand French to be dealt with, and our twenty-five thousand, backed up by the entire Spanish Army, should be well equal to that.[2]
“Nov. 11th.
“Little baggage allowed. Conveyance the grand difficulty. Some grumbling at this. A lot of young fellows here, who have never been in the field before, and who don’t know what to make of Discomfort. Seem to expect that everything should be as in Barracks at Home! Good for me to have had experience of a Bitche dungeon. That’s like to knock the softness out of a fellow, if anything would.
“The General toils night and day unceasingly. What he gets through is Amazing. Large number in our force of untrained levies, and these have to be, as Major Napier would say, ‘drilled and rattled’ into shape. The difference in ’em already wouldn’t be believed. One man has had unfortunately to be shot for marauding; otherwise discipline is splendid, and everybody in the Highest Spirits.
“The Portuguese nobles en route have received Sir John well at their private houses. Country we’ve come through anything but beautiful. Villages wretched. Roads not so bad as reported beforehand by the Portuguese. Red cockades ready—ordered to be worn by the whole force so soon as we cross the border, in compliment to the Spanish.
“Nov. 12th. Ciudad Rodrigo.
“Here we are in Spain. Red cockades in full swing. Little time for writing. Everybody busy, and the General has his eye on each one. Grand reception of him here by the Spaniards; and shouts of ‘Vivan l’Ingleterra y l’Inglese!’ Doing my best to get up a smattering of Spanish. Find my knowledge of French useful already; likely to be more so.
“Rodrigo stands high; right bank of the Agueda. Had time to take a look at the ancient rampart yesterday evening, Jack and I together. The word ‘rampart’ brings Verdun to mind, and all who are there. What wouldn’t Denham give to be here!—and what wouldn’t I give to have him! Yet I often think how lucky it was I knocked down that bust, and got myself sent to Bitche! But for that, I might be kicking up my heels at Verdun to this day.
“Nov. 13th. Salamanca.