110 TIIK BRITISH LEGION IN SPAIN. 



grammar, and they pointed to a dialogue commencing with ' Gentle- 

 men, if you please let us go into the dining-room.' I accepted the 

 invitation thus strangely given ; and a very good dinner we had. It 

 consisted of eight different dishes, and only one with garlic. 



" The respectable people here are Queenhites, but the lower orders 

 are all Carlists ; and I regret to perceive that the Spanish soldiers 

 hate the English, and look upon them with feelings of jealousy. I 

 will give you an instance: A short time ago a quarrel arose between 

 some Spanish soldiers and some men of our regiment, and one of the 

 latter was stabbed with a bayonet. Another time a Spanish and an 

 English soldier were on guard at the same place. The Spaniard 

 pushed the Englishman, and the Englishman knocked him down. 

 Upon this some Spanish soldiers fixed bayonets; our guard turned 

 out, and one of our cadets interposed for the purpose of putting an end 

 to the disturbance. A Spaniard levelled his musket at the cadet, and 

 would certainly have fired if it had not been knocked out of his hands. 



" It is reported that there are six Carlist battalions in the neigh- 

 bourhood, and the only regiment near us is the tenth, under Colonel 

 O'Connel, stationed at a convent about four miles from us. If we 

 should have a brush^with them, there certainly will be a dreadful in- 

 equality of force on our side ; but never mind, we do not fear them. 

 Last Thursday we were inspected by General Alava, who stated that 

 he was highly pleased with our appearance. The same day he pro- 

 ceeded to Madrid, with an escort of Spaniards. Santandar, with the 

 exception of a few houses on the quay (in one of which I am billeted), 

 is a very poor, dirty, ill-looking town. It is surrounded with moun- 

 tains. In fact, the whole country about is mountainous, and of a de- 

 scription very unfavourable to the operations of troops. As the 

 Carlists are very numerous and in considerable force between here 

 and the capital, it is impossible to go almost any where without a 

 strong escort." 



The next letter is of a much more recent date, and gives an ac- 

 count of the late operations of the legion. It perhaps may be ne- 

 cessary to state that in the interval the writer was promoted from the 

 lancers into an infantry regiment. 



LETTER III. 



St. Sebastian, 28th June, 1836. 



" I fear you have all forgotten me, as I have not heard of or from 

 you since last October. Whenever I go to the post-office I am always 

 doomed to be disappointed, and I must, there fore charitably suppose 

 that you have written by officers coming out ; but that is the worst 

 possible way, as, either from neglect or forgetful ness, they very 

 rarely deliver the letters entrusted to their care. Immediately you 

 receive this write and give me all the news, both private and public, 

 and do not be afraid of putting me to the expense of postage, for 

 we have plenty of money at present. The last pay I received was 

 in bills, and it amounted to nineteen pounds. I got it cashed here 

 for five per cent. Three months pay is still due to us, and I believe 

 we are to receive it in bills in a few days; if so, I intend to remit it 

 'to you. I dare say you must be anxious to hear from me, as I have 



