7 
1808,] 
r* 
This information spurred on Cesar’s 
oops to redouble their exertions, until 
at last he was able to transport his whole 
army to the east bank of the Segre, 
and to follow the enemy who had abin- 
doned Lerida, and were, proceeding 
down along the river toa bridge they 
had prepared upon the Ebro, in the 
Petbutticod of a place not known 
called Octogesa. 
To follow Cxsar in all the steps. he 
took in this most able and instructive 
campaign, uptl without striking a-blow 
he compelled the enemy to lay down 
their arms and surrender at discretion ;—, 
to do this is not the purpose of this com- 
munication; L will therefore content my-, 
self with saying, that owing to the high 
state of cultivation which prevails all 
ever the plain of Lerida, no vestiges of 
the entrenchments of the rival armies are 
now to be seen 5 and that the east banks 
of the Segre, although now in general 
in pasturage, have in former times been, 
cultivated for some leagues below Leriday, 
so that it would require some time and, 
care to trace the operations of Cesar 
and his opponents ip, that, tract. My 
time was too limited to allow me to do 
much in this way: bat, it is not to be 
Supposed that, lower down,towards the. 
@itinescs of the Segre and the Ebro,, 
no remains of camps or entrenchments, 
should be discoverable; for there. the 
country is ragged and mountainous, and, 
works thrown up in such situations may, 
probably. still be easily traced: 
To return to the ditches or reservoirs, 
(iors) begun to be digged by Caesar, 
for drawing off the waters of the Segre, 
mo vestiges of such works have ever been 
observed in the situation where, they; 
; popeey existed, It is.true,that above 
e ida, on the west side of the river, some, 
w marshy spots are found,; but whe- 
ther these haye been produced by Cessar’s 
orks, or whether his foss@ were intended 
to'draw the water into such natural de- 
ressions, these are.points, now nob to 
ascertained. — 
Many modes have. been suggested by 
mmentators for executing Czsar’s great 
rke for the above’ purpose; of these 
commentators it will bestlicient to men- 
tion two, thei firstis Le comte Turpin de 
Crissé, who soe time,agg published an 
edition, of Casar,in Latin and) French, 
with. some. very. extraordimary remarks 
illustrations. .of his own; the second 
, » Guise hard, known by the name of 
uintus Icilius, in his; Mémoines, Mili 
Gaines. “Uhis,tast anthory vi]idqa(tivin. bi 
‘ 
ity 
a 
Account of recent Travels in Spain. 
203 
skill in languages and antiquities, as well 
as in the modern art of war, winch he 
had studied under Frederic of Prussia, 
the whole guided by great natural saga. 
city,) is the.best commentator ot) the au- 
tient military art, has written very sensié 
bly on the campaign of Lerida: but 
misled by defective maps of the country 
he has been drawn into several’ errors, 
which have been. adopted by M. dé 
+ Crissé aud improved upon with a genius 
peculiar to himself; supposing the canal 
already mentioned which is drawn from 
the Noguera to be that river itself, and 
thus making Casar’s trenches convey the 
waters of the Segre into that stream, ¢ 
rejoin the Segre some leagues below 
Levida,whereas the Noguera falls into that 
river a couple of leagues above the town: 
The present town of Lerida consists 
of one narrow irregular street confined 
between the river and the hill, wp cha 
slopes of which run a few other streets: 
The summit of the hill is occupied’ by 
the remains! of @ palace of the’'kinys of 
Arragon, who were also masters of Cata= 
lonia. It) passed into the hands of tie 
Knights Templars; and partof itis now 
used as a powder magazine. On a level 
spot a little lower down stands! the® old 
cathedral’ with its tower, cloisters) Ke, 
of Gothic architecture, erected by ond 
of the Jamieses, kings of Arragon, of whore 
the first died in 1276, and’ the other ia 
1327: Ih the cloigters’ is: @ ‘spacion¥ 
well; sunk it is said 360’ feet to-the levek 
of ttie Segre. This ancient edificewill} 
while it remains, be a formidable hval te 
the'néeweathedral in the lower town) eres 
ted before ‘that attention to parity in archie 
teetaral’ design’ which distingtisty most 
of the: date botldings ia Spain, had beew 
generally introduced. 
Te'only remains to be added that! frat 
the many revolutions undergone by! Led 
rida, no traces of the antient Tlerda’ cad : 
now. be’ discovered: some ‘monumental 
inseriptions however are still to be seen. 
and'coins are frequently: met! with’s ‘this 
being ‘one of the cities of Spain’ endowed 
by the Romans with’ the” privilége’ of 
coining money. Str of the coins’ of 
Uerda are of that very aritient sort which 
seem peculiar'to Suaiv, having on’ then 
characte’s? hitherto “unintelligible; ‘als 
thonvit bearing a strong‘ reseinblance’td 
the Phoenician ur Carthaginian. 
Having as’ fav as my’ tine ‘would’ allow 
satisfied my curivsity respecting Leriday 
Eretarned by thésame'roud’ to Saracnsyat 
; és 5 f] 
to-prepere-for-my-—jonrney-to- Madrid 
(Losbe continued. 
For 
