"French army marched to Lisbon, to be ex"cused two-thirds of their contribution as

an indemnity. The lands of religious or"6 ders, and the commanderies of the military 66 orders, are not to be included in this indém"nification."

Of this contribution, as well as of every other kind of extorted property, General Junot appropriated five per cent. to his own use. His next act was to march a great portion of the best of the Portuguese army into France, and to disarm and disband the remainder, forbidding at the same time the use of fire-arms throughout the country, even for the purposes of protection or for killing game. Nine unfortunate wretches were hung at Caldas for a disobedience of this order, and many imprisoned in other parts of the country.

Matters remained thus, Junot governing with an iron rod, until the revolution in Spain began to open the eyes of their neighbours to the miserable state of slavery and subjection in which they were held by their Gallic masters. The surrender of the French fleet to the patriots at Cadiz on the 14th of June,

was followed by an insurrection at Oporto on the 18th, the day of the procession of the Corpus Christi, when the French garrison were overpowered and made prisoners, and the Portuguese standard hoisted on all the forts of the northern provinces. A division of the French army under General Loison, which had been to the north on a pillaging expedition, received orders to march on Oporto for the purpose of quelling the insurrection; but was attacked on the march near Pezo de Regoa by the brave peasantry of the Tras os Montes, and obliged to re-cross the Douro with considerable loss.

CHAPTER XII.

44

Sketch of the Campaigns in Portugal.

I SHALL pass over the various skirmishes. and rencontres between the Portuguese peasantry and the French soldiery, and proceed to the period when the army of Sir Arthur Wellesley landed in Mondego Bay, which took place on the 1st, 2d, and 3d of August, 1808. The junction of Major-general Spencer's division a few days afterwards augmented the army, which remained encamped at Lavoos till the 10th, to 13,300 men. On the 12th, the advance of the army arrived at Leiria, and marched on the 13th on its route towards Lisbon. On the 15th, a detachment of four companies of the riflemen who were in advance came up with the piquets of the enemy at Obidos, where a sharp skirmish took place. Our loss on this occasion was 1 officer 1 rank and file killed, 1 officer 5 rank and file wounded, 17 rank and file missing. The detach

ment however succeeded in driving the enemy from their post, which was occupied by the riflemen.

.

On the 17th, the army marched from Caldas in three columns, in order to attack the position on the heights of Roliça, which was occupied by a division of the French army under General Laborde, consisting of about 6000 men, 500 of which were cavalry, with 5 pieces of cannon. The right column of the combined army, consisting of 1200 Portuguese infantry and fifty Portuguese cavalry, was destined to turn the enemy's left, and penetrate into the mountains in his rear. The left, consisting of Major-General Ferguson's and Brigadier-General Bowes's brigades of infantry, 3 companies of riflemen, a brigade of light artillery, with 20 British and 20 Portuguese cavalry, was destined under the command of Major-General Ferguson to turn the enemy's right on the heights of Roliça, and also to watch the motions, of General Loison who had moved in the night from Rio Major towards Alcoentre. The centre column, consisting of Major-General Hill's, Brigadier-General Nightingale's, Brigadier-General Craw

ford's, Brigadier-General Fane's brigades, (with the exception of the riflemen detached with General Ferguson,) 400 Portuguese light infantry, the British and Portuguese cavalry, a brigade of nine-pounders, and a brigade of six-pounders, was destined to attack the position of the enemy in front. The reserve was formed of General Crawfurd's brigade, with half of the brigade of ninepounders. In the above order the combined army advanced and drove in the outposts of the enemy, as well as a line formed in the plain at the foot of the heights; this line retired with great regularity by the passes into the mountains, and their loss in the plain was but trifling, owing to our want of a sufficient body of cavalry.

The riflemen were already in the mountains on his right, and no time was lost in supporting them. The Portuguese infantry were ordered to move up a pass on the right of the whole; the light companies of Major-General Hill's brigade and the 5th regiment moved up a pass next on the right; and the 29th regiment, supported by the 9th, under Brigadier-General Nightingale, a third pass; and