CHAPTER XXIII.
Passage of the River—Start for Orthes—Effect of the Battle—Feelings of the French—Wellington wounded—St. Sever—Church and School—Aire—Wellington on the Conduct of the Allies—Indurating effects of War.Head-quarters, St. Sever,March 5th, 1814.
Passage of the River—Start for Orthes—Effect of the Battle—Feelings of the French—Wellington wounded—St. Sever—Church and School—Aire—Wellington on the Conduct of the Allies—Indurating effects of War.
Head-quarters, St. Sever,March 5th, 1814.
My dear M——,
HereI am with head-quarters, and within two leagues of my old quarter, Mont de Marsan. We have had a most unpleasant, and, for the baggage animals, a most laborious journey, from the terrible state of the weather—hail-storms, rain-storms, with violent south-westerly winds almost all the time. By warm clothing and good living I have escaped with only one day’s return of rheumatism, which has now gone off, and I feel in very tolerable repair.
On the 1st of March we left St. Jean de Luz, and passed the grand bridge below Bayonne, in sight of, and I really believe within gunshot of the walls. We all filed over in safety, and then along the sea-wall for half a mile, with water on both sides, to Boucaut. I was surprised that the animals were not more alarmed.
The bridge answered perfectly; it consisted of thirty-six two-masted vessels, with anchors across all the way at the head and stern of each; a strong beam across the centre of each, between the masts, to which the cables were fastened, to form the road, so that each formed a separate bridge, and the destruction of one cable onlyaffected one space. The boards were then fixed on these cables, and were interlaced all the way by small cords, through notches in the boards; and thus we went safely along between the masts, in a road about twelve or fourteen feet wide, differing, however, from a common bridge, for the arches between the boats (from the stretching of the cables) formed concaves instead of convex arches, some of them descending nearly to the water’s edge. It answered, however, perfectly, and will continue to do so, unless the Spaniards suffer the Trench to come and destroy it. Of this I have my doubts. The crews were living in their vessels at the head and stern, cooking away and going on as usual. Five or six gun-boats were moored about it, then came the boom and boats ready to tow ashore any fireship.
At Boucaut we found Sir John Hope and his staff, so we were ordered to the next village on the road. Our managing Quarter-Master clumsily went to a bad village of a dozen houses, out of the road, when there was a very good one on the right road, only a few miles further on. Several of us had no houses, and were told we must find them for ourselves. After waiting for some time until my baggage came, I determined to go on the right road until I found a quarter vacant, trusting with full confidence to the good disposition of the inhabitants, which is most excellent towards the English. After looking into five, I found a vacant one a mile and a-half off, no officer within half a mile, and no English troops within two miles, and none at all towards the interior of France on that road. The people expected some one, and a bed was ready, and a hearty welcome I received.
In my way I went round by the picquet, within about eight hundred yards of Bayonne citadel, where my tailor was on fatigue-duty in the works, and I thus recovered my clothes. As I was just going to bed at eight o’clock, a violent cannonading and sharp musketry commencedsounding close by us. I did not think it prudent to go to bed until it ceased, for we were within about a mile and a-half of a garrison of eleven thousand men; but suspecting what was the case, that it was only our people driving the French out of a field-work on the hill, and hemming them in closer to the citadel, I was little alarmed.
My host and his family were great royalists in their professions, as they had for the last six months been more than usually oppressed by the French. He had a house and ten acres of land; the house probably worth about 10l.a-year in England. The rent of his land was one-half the produce of corn and maize; the taxes on his house had been already that year sixty francs, and his contributions fifteen bushels of maize and, I think, ten of corn. He said that no one could live if this continued, and that all the young men were carried off. He had one quarter to pay still, but expecting us every day, he put it off from time to time, though much threatened, and now thought himself safe.
From thence we started early for Peyrehorade, rather a large place, nearly as large as Kingston-upon-Thames. It was a market-day, and the people of the country crowded in as usual. They all stared at us, most saluted us; all were civil, and we got our quarters with much more facility, and met with ten times the civility we had ever done in Spain. I never witnessed a single quarrel, though the town was crowded as it is during an election with you, and we had only about twenty dragoons to protect all the twelve hundred animals and baggage of head-quarters.
My host was particularly civil, and gave me a very good apartment and an excellent dinner—some roast beefà l’Anglaise, a duck, and a fowl. The whole family dined with us, wife, mother, and two daughters. The eldestson, who had been intended for an attorney, had been taken as a conscript, and was wounded at Leipsic—since that time they had not heard of him. I comforted them by suggesting that he must have been left at Mayence. The next son was sixteen, and at school at St. Sever; next year it became his turn to take his chance as a conscript. You may well conceive that we were considered as welcome guests; independently of the expectation of having coffee and sugar cheap for grandmamma, and English linens, muslins, &c., for the two ugly misses.
On the 3rd of March we started again for Orthes, the scene of the famous battle, of which you will have heard before you receive this letter, and of which we received several imperfect accounts as we went along. The reception all along the road, and at Orthes, was the same as at Peyrehorade. Dr. M—— and Major G—— just stopped in the stable of a château for shelter, when the owner came out and took them in, and gave them cold turkey and champaign. At Orthes I got an excellent quarter at the house of theJuge de Paix, who was very hospitable as usual; and as the weather was so excessively bad, and my Portuguese almost dead with their walk of twenty miles in the rain and mud, I stopped the night there, notwithstanding the head-quarters were regularly eight miles further at Soult. I knew the latter was a miserable place, which was another inducement with me to remain.
At Orthes I found about two thousand wounded, one thousand English, and the others French and Portuguese; the latter had behaved well, as usual. I found the Adjutant-general, Pakenham, confined to his bed, ill at the inn, but, at nine at night, and this morning, very much better. The hospitals are all established, and in full activity. Lord March was shot in the chest, but the surgeon hoped he would do well, and thought so; he could not, however, find the ball, but had reason to thinkit had not passed the lungs. Colonel Brook’s brother (a schoolfellow of George’s) was shot through the lungs, and there is little hope of him.
The affair at Orthes was quite unexpected; as they had suffered our army to pass all the rivers, no one expected this desperate stand, for such I am told it was, the French having seldom fought better. They stood some time after they had ceased to fire, and it is therefore concluded that they had had no ammunition left; and even after our cavalry (who behaved well) was in the midst of them cutting away. At last they gave way, and then fled quickly. Their loss no one knows, as the wounded got off to the villages round; but all say that their army is actually reduced above eight thousand men, as the conscripts are all running home as fast as they can. Above twenty had come back to Peyrehorade; and one gentleman-like young man I met at my quarter there was a convalescent conscript, and such he said he should now always remain, unless affairs took another turn again.
Our state here is most curious; all riding about singly, entering any house we please, and well received everywhere, the baggage straggling all over the country; every one declaring that one man had caused all their misery for the last three years. The Bourbons are almost forgotten; and few, even of the better sort of people, know who the Duke d’Angoulême is. All want peace, and, therefore, wish him well. The French people are just now humbled to a most astonishing degree—I could scarcely have believed it possible.
I went about talking to the people, and explaining a little who our “royal tiger” is, and why he came as he did. At Flagenan I found themaireand townspeople waiting to pay their respects to him in form. This was bolder than at most places; and I was sorry to mortify them by telling them he had already passed. At Peyrehorade, when the French army went by, every placewas shut up; when we came, every place and all the shops were opened.
Their horror of the Spaniards is, however, very great. Still the people would take no active part; they remained quiet, hoping for peace. At Orthes Marshal Soult ordered the inhabitants to arm and assist; and the action was so close, on a formidable position on the hills above the town, that several balls fell into the houses; but instead, the inhabitants all shut themselves up, and there waited the event. He vowed vengeance, and declared that the town should be pillaged in consequence. Of course they wished us success, as you may well conceive.
In many places the French have done much injury to the inhabitants as they went off, burning mills, bridges, forage, and the suburbs of Navarens, on military accounts, but plundering also very considerably on private accounts. The people now fear that we are too weak, and begin to tremble.
It is a trying time for them. The schoolmaster here has rubbed out hisCollége Impériale. This may be his ruin if matters change again. At Mont de Marsan, as I expected, we have found immense stores. This place, St. Sever, is larger than Orthes or Peyrehorade, and is said to have had muchémigréandancienne noblesse. The reception, however, as to quarters, has not been quite so good as hitherto, more from alarm, probably than anything else.
Lord Wellington and General Alava were close together when struck, and both on the hip, but on different sides, and neither seriously injured, as the surgeon told me who dressed them. Lord Wellington’s was a bad bruise, and the skin was broken. I fear that his riding so much since has made it rather of more consequence; but hope the two days’ halt here will put him in the right way again, as all our prospects here would vanish with that man.
From this vicinity the French took the road to Toulouse, and, you will observe, made another stand near Aire. The Portuguese, I am sorry to say, ran at that place; and we were at first repulsed, but General Barnes’s brigade came up, and set all to rights, by driving the French on again, and taking some prisoners. Our way here has been in some degree difficult and dangerous, from the flooded rivers and broken-down bridges, which have been hitherto only slightly repaired, so as to be just passable. At the Adour, it is reported that we have here actually been delayed two days. At Port de Lanne, we passed it on two large rafts, and two ferry-boats, with some risk: my boat was nearly over, from two spirited horses being on board; and my little mule, with his panniers on, jumped into the water. This put my linen and sugar, &c., in a pretty mess, as you may suppose, and drowned the live fowls on his back. At Peyrehorade I also lost a mule, and was obliged, consequently, to overload the rest.
At this place I last night recovered my mule, and lost nothing on the road, except the drowned fowls, which can now be replaced here. The history of all the mishaps on a march is curious. I dined at the ferry-house, and did not go away till all my own nine animals were clear over. Some persons have never heard of their baggage since, and are now here without it: it will turn up soon, no doubt, at least in great part.
My old host at Mont de Marsan has sent to inquire after me. One feels now quite strange in an enemy’s country, meeting deserters around on the road, gens-d’armes, the same conscripts going home, and a stout peasantry with great Irish bludgeons, all very civil and friendly; and Lord Wellington, by proclamation, ordering themairesto form an armed police, andprotect their own districts themselves from stragglers, muleteers, &c.
I always expected that Soult would retire towards Toulouse, to fall back on Suchet, and either hang on our flank, if we should go on to Bordeaux, or draw us from the sea and our supplies if we follow him up. We can push on to Bordeaux and the river, in my opinion, and then sweep on before us towards Toulouse. Time will show Lord Wellington’s plans, which no one can do more than guess at. In the end I was right as to his crossing the Gaves in force.
I have just met with the Baron de Barthe. He tells me that all prospers with the royal cause, and that the French provinces of Poitou, Guienne, Brittany, &c., are all in open insurrection, and the white flag flying. P——’s account of the state of France on his side coincides, as you must observe, almost precisely with mine, as far as I have yet seen. The people are all at market here to-day, just as if nothing were the matter, and we were not here. Hitherto there is only hatred in many of the lower classes and a few of the higher to Bonaparte; but no effort for the Bourbons, and much alarm in the purchasers of national property. Theancienne noblesseis beginning to talk and to stir a little, and thenouveaux richesare by some laughed at. Public opinion begins to dare to vent itself, and the minds of the people at large are, I think, veering fast. Many think us too weak at present. It is said that we move to-morrow to Aire, on the Toulouse road; but nothing is fixed. I went to inquire after Lord Wellington to-day; he was busy writing, and said he was better, and looked well enough. The Duke d’Angoulême has sent to Mont de Marsan as his agent aprofesseur, who was despised there, and this has given offence. The truth is that he does not know where as yet to find men of weight and talent.
St. Sever, March 6th, 1814.—The mail is to be dispatchedto-day, so I add a few lines, as we halt here again to-day, and probably to-morrow, owing to the flooded state of the river, and the enemy having destroyed the bridges in their retreat to Auch, where we are told they now are. Marshal Soult, it is said, finding that the Italians also are now beginning to desert since Murat’s new alliances, has ordered all Italian soldiers to be disarmed. Another story current, but not so much to be relied on, is, that Bonaparte has been badly wounded, and desired General Macdonald to put him out of his misery; and that the latter took him at his word, and shot him.
The Duke d’Angoulême was at high mass again to-day, at which some hundreds of the new levy attended, my hosts tell me, known by their short cropped heads. Our situation here is so different from what it was in Spain, that it is quite droll. I have a general invitation from my host whilst I stay. To-day I go to Lord Wellington’s.
Later on the 7th.—We stay to-day, as the bridges are not repaired and the floods have not quite subsided. I walked down to the bridge with Lord Wellington yesterday, and observed him limp a little, and he said he was in rather more pain than usual, but that it was nothing. At dinner yesterday, he said he was laughing at General Alava having had a knock, and telling him it was all nonsense, and that he was not hurt, when he received this blow, and a worse one, in the same place himself. Alava said it was to punish him for laughing at him. At dinner we had the new Swedish tiger, the Prince’s aide-de-camp, who had been here a few days, covered with gold. His pantaloons are mostmagnifique. He seemed a good-tempered man, but I did not think very much of him.
Two of the Bordeaux people were also there, who are to return to-day, and General Frere’s aide-de-camp fromPeyrehorade, as he is marching up that way by Orthes. The people in office at Pau sent to say that they were ready to declare for the King, and Count Damas boldly enough went over there to see the state of things. He has come back safe, and reports them ready, but that they cannot take any public step until we are in force there. Amongst other opinions and feelings here, we, the English, have our partisans. Many say they should like an English Government, and Lord Wellington told me, laughing, he believed we had almost as many friends and partisans as the Bourbons. Peace certainly is by far the most popular project of all. I am excessively hurried with business to-day, and must prepare to see Lord Wellington.
Head-Quarters, Aire, March 11th, 1814.—By a sudden order we moved from St. Sever to this place yesterday, so far on our road to Toulouse, and the scene of the battle a few days since, when the Algarve brigade (all Portuguese) took to their heels, and the English brigade of General Barnes behaved so well.
We are now playing a bolder game than usual. The French, as I suspected, took the Toulouse road from St. Sever, and have a column in our front on the road to Auch, I believe, and another near or towards Tarbes. This leaves Bordeaux open. To take advantage of this, we have also divided two divisions under Marshal Beresford; the seventh and the fourth are gone to Bordeaux, and must be by this time close to the town, which is said to be ripe to join us, and declare for the King, The Duke d’Angoulême is gone that way.
In front here we have Sir Rowland Hill’s corps, the second and sixth divisions, and also the third and light divisions; and General Frere’s Spanish army of twelve thousand men, to be fed by us, is on its road up, and to be, it is understood, at St. Sever to-day; and to support this main movement against Soult, who is said to benear Auch. In the meantime, General Hope remains with the first division, including all the Guards and German Legion (the choice men and in high order, and undiminished by service nearly), together with the fifth division and General Don Carlos d’Espagne’s Spanish brigade, and, it is believed, also Lord Aylmer’s British one, to blockade and take Bayonne. It is most unfortunate that so large a force should be required for that object; but we dare not trust, I conclude, the bridge and our communications to the Spaniards’ keeping.
Great preparations are making against Bayonne, and the garrison have been driven in very close to the citadel; but no steps have been hitherto taken for the actual siege by regular approaches or batteries. Our army is thus very much divided just now, and the communications would be difficult, except that the country is with us. All the French posting establishment has remained, and nearly everything goes on as usual. The people quietly suffer us to take our own measures, and offer no opposition, though not openly declaring or helping us. It is remarkable that we go about as if in England, and yet no mischief has been done either to officers, men, or baggage. If the country people had been like the Spaniards, and against us, what we are now doing would have been out of the question. Half our army, by straggling about, would have been knocked on the head. We have, fortunately, just now plenty of money, and pay for everything; and the English are in the highest repute.
In general, also, we have behaved well. There are, however, many instances to the contrary; and many more, I am sorry to say, amongst the Portuguese. When the Spaniards come, I am afraid things will be much worse. The mischief done by, and injury arising from, the passing through a country of the very best disciplinedarmy is considerable. The people feel that, and are ready in general to submit to much, especially as the French army has been so much worse than ours, and does not pay for anything, whilst, on the other hand, we enable many to make almost little fortunes against quiet times; and Lord Wellington begins upon a plan, which I hope he will have funds to continue, of paying for all damage done when fairly stated. Some most exaggerated and unreasonable demands have been made to him in consequence. Guineas are already spread all over this province, and pass most readily.
I am at an apothecary’s here, who was, I am sorry to say, robbed by our men just after the attack. Lord Hill offered to send him the money, nearly 15l.and a watch; but he declined taking it.
Lord Wellington has a cold, but rode here yesterday in his white cloak, in a terribly cold day, with the snow directly in his face; for we have now got another little winter here, which is unusual.
At the latter place there was a large church which was built by the English. In general, it is exactly in the style we call Saxon, or Old English, circular arches and Saxon ornaments. I suspect, however, it must have been built just as the Gothic style was coming into fashion, as the side aisle arches and part of the body of the church were Pointed or Gothic; and this did not appear to have been, like some of ours, a subsequent alteration. A handsome small old Corinthian façade was inserted within the large Saxon heavy arch, which formed the original entrance of the front of the church. In the town was a very good school, calledLe Collége Impérial. About ninety-two boys were then in the school, who all remained, and were very civil to our officers whenever we went there. The boys seemed to wish us well; and they do not usually conceal their real opinions. The establishment was in an old Benedictine abbey, and wasexceedingly good. The lower cloisters and the great church, gutted at the Revolution, formed excellent play-places; and all the great corridors above were half enclosed by small wooden rooms for the boys, each having one to himself about eight feet by five, holding his bed, his chair, table, and box; and, by being all open at the top to the gallery, they were airy and yet retired and private. The expense of this school is about 400 francs, or 20l.a-year. For this, Latin, writing, French, geography, music, dancing, and a little mathematics were taught. Some boys could read Livy, Tacitus, and Cicero. The dinner and other arrangements are cleanly and good. Napoleon gave them the building. The funds were all private, no foundation, lands, or allowances from Government.
The road from St. Sever here was through a rich flat bottom near the Adour, with a high bank all the way on the south side, with several chateaux. We crossed the Adour to come here at Sever, over our newly-made bridge; came along the great road on the north bank, and recrossed again at a ferry at this place, this for the fourth time since we left St. Jean de Luz. The country seems well cultivated, and not unlike parts of the Bath road, in Berkshire—a flat corn country, with wooded, rising grounds and villas at some distance, which formed the valley. We passed Grenade, rather a large village, about eight miles from St. Sever, and a large chateau about six miles off, belonging to the Marquis de St. Maurice, the chateau deriving its name from him. We also passed a small village, about four miles further on, called Cageres; and four miles more brought us here. The bridge at Barcelonne is about a mile and a half higher up, over the Adour, and has not been destroyed by the French; they only broke one arch of wood, which we have repaired. We were to have crossed there to get hither, but I came almost the first, found a ferryjust re-established, and came over; most followed the same way.
Aire is not so large a town as St. Sever or Orthes; it is about the size of Epsom. It is close to the river, is old and dirty, and half deserted. Several good houses gutted, or, at least, without furniture; and the ruins of a very large modern-built bishop’s palace, destroyed during the Revolution, when this place suffered much. At Upper Aire, which stands well on a hill half a mile above this, is a celebrated school or college, or rather two united. It was first formed about sixty or eighty years since, a handsome building erected for the purpose, and well contrived—in plan much like that at St. Sever. It was in great repute before the Revolution, but was then destroyed, and almost completely gutted. Within the last ten years, the professors and clergy have by degrees, by charities, charity sermons, and great exertions, nearly restored the whole again without Government assistance; and, before this late attack, above two hundred boys were there. In one building there are above a hundred boys, all destined for the church; in another, above a hundred for lay employments. An old church built by the English, but much altered, and in a much later style than that at St. Sever, stands between the schools, is used by them as a church, and unites the two establishments. The whole has a good broad play-terrace on the brow of the hill above the river. Education here is cheaper than at St. Sever, though there are no Government funds at either. The yearly cost is about three hundred or three hundred and fifty francs. I rather think clothing was, however, included in the estimate at St. Sever, and that would make the two much alike. The studies are the same. It puts me in mind of Maynooth College, near Dublin, and seemed what our colleges were three or four centuries ago.
My patron or host at St. Sever is a sort of small landholderand noble, with his house in town and villa two miles off, which dated, as he took care to tell me, 130 years, as the builder’s mark and his ancestor’s name proved, and therefore, “C’est clair, mais ce n’est rien pour moi, c’est bien vrai maintenant, que ma famille est supérieure à celle de M. le Maire de notre ville,” &c. M. le Maire had made most of his money by dabbling with national property during the Revolution, and succeeded better than many others here. “But,” continued my host, “as I have always been considered one of the noblesse, I have suffered accordingly;mais n’importe—I am grown a philosopher. I never can see such times as Robespierre’s again; so I see English, Spanish, Portuguese, and all with indifference, and remain quiet. At the same time I am now English (he always saidnous autres, which often puzzled me), and I wish the cause well, and would contribute much to its success.” He seemed surprised that this contribution of maize for our horses was all paid for instantly, and that in gold, and at a fair good price, even though M. le Maire, who managed it (no one knew for what), detained eleven sous out of every eighty from all to whom he made payments. M. La Borde de Menos was my host’s name. He was very civil, and I dined with his family—his wife, two daughters, and a son—whenever I was not engaged, which happened only twice, at Lord Wellington’s. He also gave my men wine, &c.; in short, I believe he rejoiced much at the change he had experienced in having me instead of a whole company of officers, men and all, which he had one day when we first came.
In return for his treatment, I bought toys for the lad; gave some tea to Madame in case of sickness, and a pretty cadeau to Mademoiselle. In a word, we parted excellent friends. The many stories he told me of what had passed in Robespierre’s time were curious. M. La Bordewas obliged to act with the Representant, and attend all meetings, to be only pillaged and abused by every one, and to bow and say, “Thank you all,” with his hat in his hand; and this was to prevent their having an excuse for guillotining him, as thirty of the principal people were put to death in the small town of St. Sever. The living alone and staying away was of itself a heinous offence, and every requisition of a cart for a day’s use was called forsous peine de mort. That was the form of all demands. A ball was given by the Representant. Every one was obliged to go or be suspected. Madame went. She had a valuable gold watch-chain; but not daring to show it, she went with a cut steel one. The Representant said, “Mais où est donc votre chaine d’or? Le publique en a besoin.” She was obliged to swear it had been stolen, and to hide it ever afterwards. The Representant seemed incredulous, and the risk of this fraud was great, but it answered. Monsieur was not so lucky; he had a valuable ring, and attended one of the meetings with it on. The Representant said, “Tu F—— Noble, donnez moi ta bague, ce n’est pas pour des gens comme toi; le publique en a besoin.” He took it off and gave it up, and some months after saw it on the finger of one of the Representant’s relations.
I have now a will to draw up in case of accident, for Sir N. P——, bart., to secure 10,000l.to each of his younger children. He is here with his regiment; so adieu.
Lord Wellington abuses the Allies for having been beaten when they had the game in their hands; and says, one ran his head against the Marne, and the other against the Seine, and the whole was ill-managed. We have the further news of a French column having made its way from Lyons to near Geneva again; but a report still later, that the Allies, under Blucher, got into Bonaparte’srear. These checks are, even if they end in nothing, of the greatest use to him. They deter people from declaring their opinions; may make every difference in that way here and at Bordeaux; and I should not be surprised if they encouraged Marshal Soult to make another stand near here, on this side the Garonne, which I do not think he would otherwise have done.
I am told that he is in a position at present from Tarbes to Plaisance, on a ridge of hills, and that the country is full of positions. My news is from M. D——, the husband of my young Spanish Bilboa lady, who came to me to-day. They have left Bayonne from fear, and are waiting the events of the war at Pau, whence he came over here—and like a true placeman, thinking matters were about to change, he insinuated to me that he should like an appointment under the new order of things—under the direction of the Bourbons or the English.
He also wanted a passport for his little wife’s brother to go back to Bilboa, from General Alava. This I have obtained for him; but on condition that the civil authorities are written to, and the brother examined on his arrival, as to his conduct, &c. M. D—— was Colonel F——’s friend and not mine; and to confess the truth, I had no great opinion of him, but thought he was only attentive to Colonel F—— to serve his own purposes, and seemed to be rather an intriguing gentleman. It is, however, quite my principle that every one should be allowed to go home, and go about his business; and I am sure that Spain will profit by the residence of any one who has lived at all with the French, and acquired some notions of what mankind are capable of, and of human exertion.
In my walks to-day, I met a poor gentleman who told me we had taken all his forage, and that his oxen werestarving, and that he must sell them; he was going to a contractor for that purpose. I advised him to go to our Commissary Haines, to whom I took him, for I thought each would gain by a bargain direct. His oxen are to be inspected to-morrow. During our conversation, he told me that he was the brother-in-law of Dulau, the French bookseller in Soho Square, and that the latter had no nearer relation, but that he could never hear of him, or write to him. I undertook to send his letter. If such a letter is enclosed to you, therefore, you will know all about it, and my poor man may get a legacy or something by it, from the great Mr. Dulau, for such he must be.
Saturday, March 12th.—We remain here to-day, and shall do so probably for a few days, unless the French move off. We seem to be moving up. A brigade of artillery and some troops were yesterday taking the direction to Pau, to secure that town, I conclude, as we have now only artillery there, and also, perhaps, to turn the left of the French position at Tarbes. Lord Wellington is better; his hounds go out to-day, and I should not be surprised at his being out with them. As a proof how savage war makes every one, even an English soldier, I may tell you that poor H——’s body was stript by the English soldiers of his own division, to which he was acting as Adjutant-general, and almost before his body was cold. I believe two or three men have been flogged for this. By degrees we all get hardened to anything.
I find the same sort of custom here as to letting land, as is to be found near Bayonne. The landlord puts a peasant into a little farm, furnishes it, pays the taxes, and finds the necessary cattle, beasts, and horses, for the cultivation of the land; in return, he receives the full half of the clear produce as rent, but in kind, and very littlemoney is seen. Before we came, bread was three sous the pound, which would be about sixpence three-farthings the quartern loaf. A goose has been five francs of late, but that is dear. Fowls are now only half-a-crown or three shillings each, and very good even to the English. If we remain long in a place, we soon cause the prices to rise.