From the indulgence of this melancholy soliloquy I was roused by the Polish commandant slapping me violently on the shoulder, and addressing me with, “Allons, camarade, venez boire un coup d’eau de vie; vous n’êtes pas chez vous!” Indeed this observation was too literally true, for I never felt less at home in my life. I accompanied him however to a room, in which every thing was in disorder, and where officers and soldiers were promiscuously helping themselves to agua ardiente, from jars, while a succession of ruffians was every moment entering and displaying the spoils taken from our unfortunate soldiers made prisoners, or drest in the clothes and accoutrements stripped from the dead; the entrance of each of these plunderers was loudly applauded by bravos from the whole assembly. In order to shew their good fellowship, some one or other of this banditti would every moment slap me on the back, crying, “Allons, camarade, buvons, buvons!” The torment I suffered from my bruises, which produced a spitting of blood, was much increased by these acts of manual kindness; nevertheless, knowing I should meet no commiseration, I concealed my feelings and suffered in silence; and accepted some agua ardiente and water, which was the first thing I had tasted for twenty-four hours.

As soon as all opportunity occurred of conversing with my fellow prisoners, we naturally began to enquire into the causes of our capture; when I learned that most of the Germans had deserted to the enemy. Having rested nearly two hours in the castle, I was, with the rest of the prisoners, ordered to Mijas, and after being paraded, we set off with a strong escort of cavalry and infantry; Ensign Hopper and the rest of the wounded remaining in the castle. Lieutenant Petit, of whom I have before spoken, provided me with a horse, and the other officers were furnished with mules or asses. On our arrival at Mijas the officers were sent to a public house, and the soldiers confined in the prison. I was particularly honoured by having four centinels placed over me, besides a Polish officer for a companion. The good people of the house in which I was billeted, were all kindness and humanity; they immediately brought me some vinegar to wash my contusions, and drest me some eggs. Whenever the Polish officer quitted the room, the mother and daughter would enter, and sympathising in my misfortune, would lament it with tears in their eyes. Here I passed the first part of a miserable night; for at three o’clock in the morning (October 16), I was called up to return to Piangerolla to meet General Sebastiani. Though in the greatest pain I was obliged to mount a horse, and was escorted by one hundred dragoons, and several officers, while the rest of the prisoners were ordered to proceed direct to Malaga.

On approaching Piangerolla, I observed the General surrounded by a large body of troops, and was immediately presented to him. After the first salutation, he enquired what had become of my sword, and on my answering that I supposed some of the officers or soldiers had it in their possession, General Milhaw instantly took off his own and presented it to me, saying, “Monsieur le Général, here is one which has been employed in all the campaigns against the Austrians, Russians, and Prussians, and it is now much at your service.” This speech, though tinctured with the vanity natural to a Frenchman, was applauded by the bravos of both officers and soldiers who were within hearing; I accepted the sword, and indeed felt somewhat gratified at being paid such a public compliment by an enemy.

I begged permission of the General to visit the scene of action, which was readily granted, and two of his aides de camp, one of whom was his brother, were directed to accompany me. The scene was such as a recent field of battle usually exhibits; it was strewed with the naked and terribly mangled bodies of the soldiers of both parties. Such a scene would probably have lost much of its effect on my feelings, had fortune favoured instead of deserting me; but now the melancholy reflections on my situation, almost made me regret not having shared the fate of the gallant fellows that had fallen around me. On my return from the field I entered into conversation with the General, who, as well as his aides de camp, soon recollected me as having served in Egypt; and their attentions from this time were redoubled.

Quitting Fiangerolla we passed through a very mountainous country, and by a rugged pathway, not deserving the name of road, and which skirting the sea, I had still the mortification of contemplating our shipping cruising in the offing, and observed that they had been joined by the Circe frigate. The manner in which the French conveyed their artillery through this mountainous track is worthy of notice; two light pieces balancing each other are slung one on each side of a mule, their carriages are carried in like manner on another, and the ammunition boxes which are moveable on a third.

After passing through the romantic village of Belameda, we arrived at Torre a Molinas, a small town with about fifteen hundred inhabitants. Here we put up at the house of a priest, in which we found every thing clean and comfortable, and the General’s staff and some other officers, in all thirty-six persons, sat down to an excellent breakfast of cold and hot meats, pies, &c. At this place the detachment from Mijas joined us, and the officers signed a parole; this, however, seemed to be a very useless formality, for they were escorted by a strong detachment, in the centre of which they were placed; a necessary precaution, as it was affirmed, to prevent their falling into the hands of the brigands, whose parties were represented as formidable in this part of the country. Their concern lest I should straggle, and fall in with any of these bands was so great, that although I had also given my parole I was always attended by an officer, who repeatedly assured me that he accompanied me solely from this apprehension. It is easy to conceive how much I differed from him on this subject, for though I was well treated by the General and his staff, no condemned culprit ever looked with more anxiety to a rescue, than I did to the appearance of a formidable body of brigands coming to my relief. Discretion, however, directed me to conceal my hopes and wishes, and although I did not believe a word of my companion’s assurances, I replied to them all with a “Monsieur, vous êtes bien bon!” and on his repeating his expressions of care and tenderness for my safety, I could only change the note to “Monsieur, vous êtes bien aimable!” at which it was impossible for him to forbear smiling, while he persisted in his absurd declamations. However it may be with their other qualities, we must cede to the French the palm of dissimulation, in which indeed they are perfect masters, they not only justify and glory in the grossest deceit, but often gain the approbation of the spectators, by glossing it over with the name of finesse.

Within a few leagues of Malaga the country totally changed its appearance. Instead of the rugged mountains and barren rocks over which we had hitherto passed, we now entered a most luxuriant and highly cultivated plain, covered with gardens and vineyards, and dotted with handsome villas, of which the façades having generally a colonnade gave them a rich and, at the same time, a rural appearance. We crossed the Rio Guadajo by a ford, where the water was up to our saddle skirts, though at times it is nearly dry, being like all streams in the vicinity of mountains subject to very sudden rises and falls. At this river it was that Captain Hall proposed leading the troops to attack Malaga by a coup de main; I now found that my objections to this plan had been perfectly well founded, for here is an extensive plain in which cavalry could act to the greatest advantage, and the enemy had in and about Malaga, a large and well appointed force of that description.