pet 
811.7 
twenty thousand men; he met the enemy 
unexpectedly near Cuenca ; his army re- 
treated without scarcely firing a gun; 
they dispersed in the end, and left their 
arms and baggage to fall into the hands 
of the French. Castanos was accused 
of treachery, he was sent to be tried at 
- Seville, and the people were crying out 
-thathe should be punished. 
I cannot 
learn that his conduct is likely to be ex- 
amined into, for he is a prisoner at large 
at Seville, and walks where he pleases, 
attended by a guard of honour, 
A friend of mine lately came from 
thence, while the French army were at 
Teuxillo, about one hundred and thirty 
miles off; he says, he never could. 
have imagined that the inhabitants would 
have been so indifferent to their impend- 
ing fate; and that if the enemy had ap- 
peared before the piace, their careless- 
ness was such, that they would rather 
have yielded to him than have made any 
‘resistance; and that at this very time a 
French Chargé d’Affairs was permitted 
to reside there, and received attention 
from persons connected with the govern- 
ment. It seems, that when treachery is 
sounded in the army, it has its first rise 
from the fountain-head ; there is’ no 
doubt now of Morla having given up 
Madrid, of his wishing to sacrifice every 
Spanish army; and by some unaccount-_ 
able means the Junta and he have con- 
trived to blind Mr. Frere, our ambassa-- 
dor, so far as to make him, according to 
report, recal the British army when on 
its retreat from the capital, at a moment 
when the place had actually been taken 
by the French. But I am telling you 
what you will be better informed of al- 
ready ; for I dare say, that the facts are 
known in England, while we judge only ’ 
ffom contradictory intelligence circu 
lated here. 
In the mean time, there is at fength 
some shew made towards protecting this 
place; the fortifications are putting into 
4 state of defence; the cannon arg to be 
mounted on the ramparts, and additionat 
forts constructed, A number of foreiga- 
ers have been arrested ; those who belong 
to any country in alliance with France, | 
have had their property embargoed, 
their shops locked up, and their pergons 
arrested; no distinction was made be- 
tween such as have resided here all their’ 
lives, and the more recent inhabitants. 
any of them, aware of the event, with- 
drew to ‘Tangiers, and some are gone to 
Gibraltar, his measure of the gover- 
nor’s has proved to be a humane one; 
for the rage of the populace. was at ome 
* Journal of a recent Voyage to Cadte. 
139 
time so great, that they had assembled 
in the streets, calling out for vengeance 
on every Frenchman they could. find. 
This was on a Sunday; the governor 
went to the theatre and informed the 
audience that things were going on well; 
he was believed, their fury was allayed ; 
and at midnighta file of soldiers entered 
the houses of the foreigners, explained 
the reason of their visit, and in this mane 
ner they arrested upwards of two hun. 
dred persons. 
The countenances of the inhabitants 
hetray their fears of what will happen;. 
every man suspects his neighbour to be 
an enemy; the. first question in the 
morning is, for the news of the day; and 
the last at night, what report shall we 
have to-morrow? The streets are 
crowded with groupes of men, conceal- 
ing their desponding looks with the, 
cloak, and shrugging their shoulders in 
terror; scarcely a smiling face is to be , 
seen. The theatre, it is expected, will. - 
be shut; and the governor has issued an 
address to the people, recommending the 
utmost decorum to be observed there, , 
even in dress and behaviour; as well as 
the practice of religion and morality, on. 
all occasions. Card-parties are in many 
families suspended, and have given place 
to the making of cartridge-cases, and 
picking lint for the use of the army. 
Certain it is, that the Andalusians. 
have great reason to dread the presence 
of the enemy. The short time that Du- 
pont’s army was in command of the pro- 
vince, until its defeat Jast July, at the 
battle of Baylen, has sufficiently shewn 
them what is to be expected from their 
conquerors. ‘The system of plunder that 
they exercised, almost surpasses belief. 
The most costly and elegant articles of 
gold and silver, and the most trivial 
trinkets, were taken from the people; 
whatever had the appearance of being 
valuable did not escape them; even 
plated buckles and buttons, and paltry 
ornaments of dress, in abundance. The 
plunder was publicly exposed for sale at 
the custom-house, and the room ap-« 
peared as if it contained the rummage 
of a score of pawn-broker’s shops in St. 
Giles’s. Among other articles were a 
number of pewter-plates, which the. 
owner it seemed had preserved in a 
bright. polished ‘state, to deceive the 
eye, and looked like silver, and some. 
large wedges of gold and silver mixed 
together, by melting of articles which 
were probably too .cumbrous for the’ 
knapsack, ss, ' 
2 have not heard’ of any singularly” 
alreeioug 
