This cavalier treatment of an officer of rank by the General, leads me to offer a few observations on the discipline of the French army, which is certainly preserved in a surprising manner, amongst the variety of temptations and provocations to in subordination. Although ill cloathed, badly paid, and often scantily fed, the soldier performs his duty with alacrity and chearfulness, and is seldom missing when called upon: but, on the contrary, is generally at the appointed rendezvous before the specified time, which saves the non-commissioned officers a world of trouble. The external appearance of the soldiers being deemed of little moment, they have no dress parades, but their arms they keep in good order for their own preservation, and are careful of their ammunition for the same reason.

The conscripts are perfectly drilled at a dépôt before they are sent to join their regiments, and this instruction seems to be so impressed upon them that they never forget it. In their regimental manœuvres there is often an appearance of disorder and confusion which surprises an English officer, but from which, however, the intention is finally accomplished; such, for instance, is the case in wheeling a column, when the pivots are always moveable; when broken they act on no fixed principle, and it would seem impossible that they could be again formed by the manœuvres they adopt: I have however seen this accomplished with great rapidity, even under a heavy fire. Indeed, instead of mere automatons put in motion by a power of whose principles they are ignorant, every French soldier reasons on the movements of the army he belongs to, and says what he would have done in such a case. I have been often surprised at the shrewd observations and theoretical knowledge of some of the private men, which often secured to pierce them above their officers. But though the want of fixed principles of action may not perhaps be of much consequence in an army of veteran soldiers, amongst raw ones it must often be fatal, and probably this will shortly be proved in Spain, where the veterans who composed the first invading armies are mostly “killed off,” and two-thirds of the present are conscripts, and mostly boys, and all of them without practical experience, which might make up for the want of theory. It is said that Buonaparte expresses his preference of young soldiers; however, in this respect, I doubt if he does not resemble the spendthrift, whose extravagance obliging him to cut down an ancient wood, told his friend he did so because he preferred young trees.

The confidence in their own judgment which forms a part of the general French character, is perhaps one of the causes which prevents Frenchmen from making good seamen, for a ship mast be very badly manœuvred, where every one of her crew pretends to have an opinion of his own. Conversing with some merchants at Bayonne concerned in privateers, they assured me that one-third of this description of vessels were either upset at sea, or run on shore, from the self-sufficient confidence of the men. To conclude my observations on French soldiers; I must do them the justice to say that I have never found them mercenary, but, on the contrary, I have often received civilities from them without their asking or appearing to expect, any pecuniary reward: I must also observe that their share of plunder is usually very trifling, the superior officers taking care not to forget themselves in the division.

I at length learnt (November 3) that the unusual bustle I had observed at the General’s was in consequence of a movement made by Blake, who was at this time at Baza near Lorca, with twelve thousand men; that the French troops were all in motion, and that Sebastiani was to set out the next morning to take the command. On consulting the map I found that the French army was so distributed, that in twenty-four hours a considerable force could be assembled in any point menaced with attack. At dinner the General informed me of all the circumstances of Blake’s movement, and on rising from table he received a dispatch from Marshal Soult, detailing the proceedings before Cadiz, the meeting of the Cortes, the nature of their deliberations, and the dismission of the Due d’Orleans from the isle of Leon by their order. From the manner in which Sebastiani spoke of the proceedings of this assembly, it was evident that its proceedings was by no means agreeable to the French interests.

In the course of the evening I entered into conversation with Monsieur Cussini, chief of the engineer department, who expressed much surprise at our not having possessed ourselves of the coast of the Mediterranean, to enable us to land small detachments at different points, by which the French must be much harassed, as in the state of the country it was impossible for them to be guarded every where. These observations in fact were perfectly just, for with a Levant wind a squadron could run down from Cape de Gata to Malaga in a few hours, the distance being but about thirty-five leagues; the troops embarked on board might be landed at Motril or Almunecar, at which latter place there was but a very trifling force, and no artillery; nor could the French immediately assemble any considerable force in that neighbourhood, while any troops Sebastiani might be able to spare would have to march upwards of one hundred miles through a mountainous country, scarcely practicable for heavy artillery, and subject continually to the attacks of the numerous bands of Guerillas who occupied these mountains. Thus a respectable force being once established on any part of the coast near Malaga, would be able to maintain itself against any detachments that could at this time have keen sent against it. Had I been fortunate enough to have been joined by the 82d regiment, it was my intention to have acted on this plan.

November 4, according to arrangement, General Sebastiani set off for Baza early in the morning of the fourth, leaving his aide-de-camp Lavoisteen to keep me company, and with orders to his servants to furnish our table as usual; this day, however, I was engaged to dine with General Dufour, Governor of the city, who though he has not the character of being a great General, is a most respectable old gentleman of the ancient régime. After dinner information was received of the total defeat of Blake’s army, of which I shall have occasion to speak more fully hereafter.

The next morning (November 5) I breakfasted with Lavoisteen, when it was agreed that we should dine tête à tête during the General’s absence. In the evening I visited the Alhambra, and directed each of our soldiers confined there to be furnished with a shirt and pair of shoes; for though, on my previous demand, I had been assured that they should be immediately supplied with the cloathing they might require by the French government, I now found that no steps had been taken for that purpose. From the Alhambra I rode to a village three miles from Grenada, situated in a fertile plain, where I observed their manner of separating the corn from the ear. The corn is placed on a paved circular spot, round which two mares are driven, as we ring horses, and who tread out the corn. I have observed that in Spain, in Egypt, South America, and the Cape of Good Hope, mares are kept for this purpose and for breeding alone, never being used for the saddle or draft, while in France mares are seen employed for these uses, the horses being all bought up for the armies.

The valley which called forth these observations is well irrigated, and indeed this seems to be the only part of husbandry in which the Spaniards take any pains. Their farming utensils in particular are most wretched, the harrow being furnished with wooden pins only, and is often drawn by an ass and a goat, while it is very common to see a plough worked by two mules or bullocks only, with tackling of cow hide and rope mixed, and no pains being taken to make the animals step together, they fatigue themselves and do scarce any work. In France, where agriculture is carried to much higher perfection, I have often seen a mixture of animals yoked to the plough, such as two half-starved horses at the wheels, two bullocks in the middle, and two asses as leaders; or else the bullocks at the wheels and the horses in the centre for I never remember to have seen the bullocks as leaders, though, from being the slowest animals of the three, this arrangement would certainly be the best, as it is the leaders that regulate the pace.

On returning from my ride I found Growtowski, whose regiment had marched but a short distance when it received orders to return. He shook me very cordially by the hand, and, forgetting himself I suppose, congratulated me on the recent victory, as if I had been a Frenchman. According to agreement Lavoisteen and I dined tête à tête, à l’Angloise, over a good fire, to which, as well as to our customs in general and our countrymen, he pretended to be very partial. This gentleman’s knowledge, as is the case with most Frenchmen, is very multifarious, but superficial, and his quotations from Voltaire and other philosophic writers were so rapid, and often so unconnected, that there was no answering his arguments; but although I do not pretend to a profound knowledge of history, I found that even in quoting from Voltaire’s historical works I had the advantage in correctness, which my talkative companion was obliged to acknowledge.

On the 6th I received a trunk of cloaths from Gibraltar, and at the same time learnt that the moment my servants heard of my being made prisoner, they plundered every thing they could get at. I felt the more sensibly this ingratitude, as I had treated them with more than common kindness, and even studied to make them comfortable.

On the following day (November 7) a Polish officer arrived, who had been wounded in the late action, and from whose account it would have appeared that the victory was entirely owing to his individual prowess; he also informed us that Sebastiani had gone on to Baza, and would not return to Grenada for five or six days. The arrival of several other officers gave me an opportunity of enquiring by what mismanagement the army of Blake bad been defeated by a force so very inferior; for it appeared that of the French army the 5th dragoons, one regiment of Polish Lanciers, and an inconsiderable detachment of infantry, had alone been engaged. I learnt that the Spanish army was composed principally of recruits totally ignorant of the use of their arms, and it was crowded into a plain without any protection in front, nor did they even take possession of some broken ground, or forma trous de loup as a defence against cavalry; so that on the first charge the army was broken, and the men throwing down their arms cried for quarter. About eighteen hundred were said to be killed, and upwards of eleven hundred, including forty-seven officers, made prisoners. I had seen General Blake at Gibraltar, when on his way from Cadiz to Carthagena to take the command of this army; he had the appearance of a good honest farmer, but nothing in his countenance or manners that denoted superior talents. His staff was wretchedly made up, and, it was said, set the example cf seeking safety in flight.

The Spanish prisoners arrived on the 8th, and were marched through the Plaza de Triompha, which was crowded with the inhabitants. The officers seemed to have been all wounded by the sabre: one-third of the privates were half naked, and half starved boys from fourteen to sixteen; another third infirm old men, just able to crawl, for those who could not get on were charitably shot on the road by their escort; the last third were composed of men of a tolerable appearance, and could alone have opposed any efficient resistance to the French.

The next morning (November 9) I accompanied Lavoisteen to meet the General: we had a pleasant ride of three leagues, through a most romantic country, the appearance of which seemed to denote its having undergone some great natural convulsion. At a short distance on our right rose the Sierras de Grenada, a mountainous ridge of considerable elevation, at the foot of which stretches an extensive plain, reckoned one of the most fertile tracts of the kingdom. This ridge is inhabited by a brave and warlike people, so well protected by the natural strength of the country, that while they continue to defend their fortresses it must be impossible to subdue them; nor indeed have the French yet been able to retain the positions they have occasionally occupied among them.

About three leagues from Grenada we met General Sebastiani, escorted by the Lanciers Polonois and a detachment of cavalry: the 12th dragoons also joined near Grenada, to render his entrance more imposing. The Plaza de Triompha was, as usual, crowded with spectators to view the triumph of their invaders. Having, however, seen the miserable wretches the French had to contend with, could give them but little credit for their victory; nevertheless, according to their usual gasconade, every individual had encountered a host and destroyed legions. In the evening, I went to a concert at Mr. Galway’s, an Irish merchant, married to an agreeable Spanish lady; in their sitting room was a chimney, the comforts of which were so well appreciated by the lady, that she assured me she seldom quitted the fireside.

The 10th was employed by the General in making arrangements for the security of the prisoners, but the succeeding morning he proposed a ride to the village of Roback, two leagues from Grenada; the country between is richly cultivated, and the village a very good one. We alighted at the house of a respectable priest, who possessed a tolerable library and a collection of pictures. While walking with him through his garden, which was in neat order, he told me that he had belonged to the household of Charles the Third, and indeed I soon found that he united the polish of the court to the knowledge of the scholar. Feeling that he had no occasion for reserve with me, he described what his flock had suffered from the invaders, with the tenderness of a parent, whilst unaffected benevolence was marked in his countenance. When his eyes filled with tears, as he drew the picture of the horrors he had witnessed, I could not help exclaiming:

Merciful Heaven
Thou rather with thy sharp and sulphurous Bolt
Splits the unwedgeable and gnarled Oak,
Than the soft Myrtle :–– O, but Man ! proud Man,
Drest in a little brief Authority,
Plays such fantastic Tricks before high Heaven
As makes the Angels weep !

On our arrival in the town the General abruptly informed me that the prisoners were to be sent off the next day, and that I must prepare to accompany them: I, however, procured a day’s delay for myself, in order to provide the necessary conveyance for my baggage; and this being the General’s birthday (November 12), I had an opportunity of being present at the fête given on the occasion. In the morning, before breakfast, he received the compliments of the staff, of the garrison, and the officers of corps, presented by their respective commandants; to these succeeded the civil staff of the army and the civil authorities of the city. This ceremony concluded, breakfast was served, during which an officer entered with a verbal report of some deserters being retaken: “qu’on les pend tout de suite!” replied the General, without altering a feature, or saying another word on the subject, and the officer bowed and retired. Such are the steps deemed requisite under these circumstances.

After breakfast Sebastiani proceeded to church, attended by all the authorities, in the greatest pomp, and as the procession was crossing the Plaza de Triompha, the eleven hundred prisoners of Blake’s army appeared under a large escort. Whether this rencontre was accidental or premeditated, I cannot say, but should rather suppose the latter, and that the General meant by it to remind the gaping multitude that he united the hero and the christian. I could not help reflecting, that probably at this very moment another multitude was assembled in a different part of the town, to witness the execution of the unhappy wretches whom the unjustifiable invasion of Spain by France deemed a necessary sacrifice.

A ball, fireworks, and illuminations closed the day’s rejoicing; but the former was rather meagre, there being few attractive females. Waltzes and what were called English country dances chiefly prevailed, one set only performing French country dances, in which the men far excelled the women. There was also deep play at Trente et Quarante and Pharo. An elegant supper was served after the ball, and the whole evening’s entertainment was in a stile of magnificence and cheerfulness that precluded ennui.