pair of new shoes, and another horse, to replace the one that I lost on the road from Bembibre.

From Villa Franca we entered the side of a deep valley, completely closed in on each side by tremendous precipices. In its windings, the rapid river Valcarso rushes from the mountains. For some miles lofty chesnuts and oaks shaded us on the left. The road itself is a caminha real, cut at great expense, the whole way from Astorga to Corunna, and does the engineer who planned it great credit. · It resembles a good deal Wolfe's grand military road through the Highlands of Scotland. Five leagues from Villa Franca we reached Herresias, where we halted for the night. During this afternoon's march, I was in the rear of the gallant forty-second regiment. Many of these poor fellows were obliged to fall out of the ranks, and throw themselves down in despair by the road side. It was a sad sight to behold the wretched state of the troops. A degree of spirit approaching to mutiny was manifest among them, owing to the excessive fatigue which they had undergone, and the disgrace, as they deemed it, of running away from the enemy.

I should be afraid to repeat to you many of the reflections which these poor men made. What they chiefly appeared unanimously to wish was a few hours pause, or

rest, and to have an opportunity of trying their strength with the enemy.

Early on the morning of the 3d, we continued our march up the mountain. The road is here cut through the rocks. These, all the way from Astorga, are granite, either primitive or secondary. We winded along the left side of a stream, which was led off with great art, so as to irrigate the sides of the mountain. These verdant acclivities presented an extraordinary contrast to the savage, rugged heights above. At intervals, in the deep valleys, the eye is occasionally arrested by the smoke of a solitary hamlet, or cottage. Under any other circumstances, I should have thought the views delightful; but now nothing could please, or call off the attention from the contemplation of the horrid scenes every where to be witnessed on the road. The irrational part of us had, of course, suffered severely : dead bodies of horses, mules, oxen, asses, &c. met the view at every turn. Arriving at the Puerto, we soon after reached the village Cabrero, on the summit of the mountain which is the boundary of Gallicia. Here again we had to scramble through deep snows.

Broken waggons and carriages, money-carts, dead animals, and the bodies of human beings, who had perished from the inclemency of the weather during the night,

night, strewed the way for miles. Never had I conceived, much less witnessed, so awful a scene. I believe that all the dreadful images which the poetic imagination of the great Poussin collected, in his plague of the Philistines, were here united. In one baggage-waggon, which had overturned during the night, an unfortunate soldier's wife, as I have since learnt, with several children, were frozen to death. But why dwell on these horrors; the bare idea of which must make you shudder? Descending the western side of the mountain, by a road many feet deep in mud, we reached the village of Honorias, situated close to a fine oak wood. This part of the mountain is very rich in plants and shrubs; I particularly remarked great quantities of black hellebore growing very luxuriantly. The aspect of the country improved as we descended some miles farther towards Nogalis, where we halted for the night. Owing to the number of regiments here, it was with difficulty a house could be procured for the sick and wounded. The village, as usual, was deserted by the inhabitants.

The magistrate had behaved very ill towards some part of Sir David Baird's army during the advance; in consequence of which he had been reprimanded, if not chastised, in the manner he deserved; he had therefore fled on hearing of our return. Here, as well as at Villa Franca,

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