482 
sisting of 10,000 men, was marching on the 
heights of Ghisra, with a view of cutting off 
2 division of his army posted in that place, 
He therefore put his troops in motion at day- 
break of the Sch, and at one o'clock attacked 
the enemy. After an obstinate battle, which 
lasted till dark, he completely put them to 
the rout, with great slaughter, and the loss 
@f many prisoners, one howitzer, twoammu- 
nition waggons, and a considerable quantity 
of provisions. ‘Till eleven o’clock of the 
night of the 5th, when the dispatch was sent 
ott, prisoners and baggage continued to be 
brought in. The number and rank of the 
prisoners cannot be exactly stated, as Our troops 
eontinued the pursuit, and there were the best 
foundedhopes they would be able to capture a 
great part of the French division,who, finding 
their retreat by the high road cut off, defiled 
by the edge of the mountains, skirting the 
Vallies, iu which direction they were closely 
pursued. On the morning of the 6th, all the 
army marched forward, and earnestly solici- 
ted permission to enter Bilboa at the point of 
the bayonet. 
Corunna, Nov. 8.—A dispatch has been 
received by the Junta of this kingdom, from 
his Excellency General Joaquim Blake, Cap- 
tain-General of Gallicia, dated November 1, 
containing the duplicate of a dispatch, which 
he had sent to the President of the Supreme 
Central Junta of Government, at Aranjuez: 
and is as follows : 
**Mostr ExcertenT Sir-——The enemy, 
having received great reinforcements from 
‘France within these few days, and having- 
eullected the whole of their forces into one 
body, attacked yesterday our troops posted at 
Sornosa, who iought with great bravery; 
but, after an action that-lasted the whole of 
the day, they were forced by the superior 
numbers of the enemy, who threatened to 
cut them ff, to abandon their positions. I 
cannot yet inform your Excellency of the 
amount of our loss, or of the particulars of 
the action, not having yet received the re- 
ports of the commanders of the divisions en- 
gaged. Athick mist which concealed the ~ 
Movements of the enemy, favoured greatly 
his attack. Wherever L was present, I wit- 
nessed the utmost bravery on the part of our 
generals, officers, and soldiers, aud, from 
the obstinate resistance which they made to 
the enemy in every pointwhere theywere at- 
tacked, 1 am persuaded, that they have all 
behaved themselves like true Spaniards, and 
in this conviction, and in the belief that the 
enemy has suffered enormously, 1 am con- 
firmed by his not attempting to follow us. 
When I saw the troops falling back, and the 
greater part oi them taking che direction of 
the high road, 1 formed a junction of thie 
different corps engaged in the action, and led 
them to the Sierra of Viscargui on the Jeft 
flank of the enemy, from whence, after al- 
lowing them to rest for about two hours, I 
marched them by Legana to the heights of 
1 
State of Public Affairs in November. 
[Nec. £, 
Bilbo, the rear guard of the army. being co~ 
vered in this retreat by the Marechal de’ 
Camp, D. Nicolas Mahy, and this morning I 
left them at Bilboa under the command of 
that officer, while 1 proceed to take new po- 
sitions for the army, adapted to its present 
circumstances, availing myself for that pur 
pose of the Asturian troops 3 the army come 
fron the North, and the second division of the 
army of Gallicia, which were no: engaged i in 
the action. 1 communicate the whole to your 
excellency, for the information of the Su- 
preme Junta, 
© God preserve your excellency many years. 
Joaquim Brake, 
‘¢ Hirandegui, Nov. 1, 1808. 
6 To ‘his Excellency ‘Count Florida Blanca. 
P.S. Tam this instant informed, that the 
whole of the French army has appeared be- 
fore Bilboa, in, consequence of which, and 
the orders given to General Mahy, that town 
will be evacuated, andthe troops under his 
command will fall back to join the rest of 
the army, the hea@-quarters of which I mean 
to establish at Valmaseda. 
TURKEY. | 
Mustapha Bairacter, who at present 
holds the reins of government, takes his 
measures for the security of the empire 
so effectuaily, that the most complete 
tranquillity reigns in this capital. Ifis 
chief attention is directed to. the corps of 
Janissaries, who are, at this moment, 
subject to the strictest discipline. The 
political relations between Russia and 
the Sublime Porte remain in the same 
state of uncertainty. All that is known 
is, that the Russian army in Moldavia 
and Wallachia has received considerable 
reinforcements. 
GREAT BRITAIN. 
A. meeting of the freehalders of Mid. 
dlesex was held on Friday, pursuant to.’ 
requisition, at the Mermaid, Hackney, 
to address his Majesty on the late treaty 
concluded in Portugal, when the follow- 
ing was agreed to :— 
To the King’ s Most Excellent Majesty, 
We, your Majesty’s loyal subjects, the 
freeholders of the county of Middlesex, feel+ 
ing in common with the rest of our country- 
men, deep regret and indignation at the late 
events in Portugal, which have disappointed. 
Our most sanguine hopes and our best founded 
expectations, pray your Majesty to take into 
your consideration this our most loyal state- 
Mitnt and petition. 
We prejudge the case of no man, but we 
feel under such circumstances of national 
disappointment, that to demand a strict, a 
rigorous, and an impartial inquiry into all its 
causes, is not only an immutable principle of 
Justice, but has been the invariable practice 
of our ancestors. 
Withoyt such an inquiry, the guilty cen- 
not 
. | 
