160 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



nish garrison ; and it was settled 

 by the Junta, that the English 

 who might disembark in the bay 

 of Cadiz, should be stationed at 

 Santa Maria, St. Lucar, Xeres, 

 and some other places. But their 

 wish was that they might be sent 

 to Catalonia ; and that the whole 

 English army in the peninsula 

 should be split into different de- 

 tachments, to be attached to the 

 several Spanish corps. To quiet, 

 however, the apprehensions of the 

 English, they consented to the ad- 

 mission of two English regiments 

 into Cadiz, on the solemn promise 

 that they should on no account re- 

 main in the fortress of Cadia. 

 The British minister, Mr. Frere, 

 according to instructions from 

 home, urged the necessity of hav- 

 ing some strong position on the 

 sea shore, for the purpose of re- 

 ceiving reinforcements, or re- 

 treating if necessary. If the Spa- 

 niards would not consent to the 

 admission of British troops into 

 Cadiz, his Britannic majesty did 

 not reproach the Spanish govern- 

 raent, or complain of that resolu- 

 tion. But if it should remain in- 

 sensible to what appeared to be so 

 greatly conducive to its interests, 

 as well as essential to the interests 

 of an Englisli army in Spain, his 

 Britannic majesty must withdraw 

 for the present, and leave the con- 

 test between Spain and France to 

 the sole military efforts and means 

 of the Spaniards ; yet his majesty 

 would remain faithful to his en- 

 gagements. Portugal had not he- 

 sitated, or made the smallest objec- 

 tions to the admission of a British 



army ; a considerable British army 

 was at that moment in possession 

 of its fortresses, and a port for 

 embarkation in case of disaster. 

 The British army, with the assist- 

 ance of the Portuguese, might be 

 able, not only to protect Portugal, 

 but, in favourable times and 

 places, to cover the adjacent pro- 

 vinces of Spain.* 



Sir Arthur Wellesley, from what 

 he had seen of the proceedings 

 of the Central Junta, was much 

 afraid that, in the distribution 

 of the forces, as well as of offices, 

 they paid less regard to the mili' 

 tary defence of the country and 

 the importance of the operations 

 of the campaign, than to miser- 

 able intrigues and political objects 

 of very inferior consequence. 

 They reinforced the army of Ve- 

 negas, though not at all neces- 

 sary, or desirable in a military 

 point of view, merely because they 

 considered that the dangerous in- 

 strument of an army was safer in 

 his hands than those of any other 

 general. They left only 12,000 

 men in Estremadura, under the 

 duke of Albuquerque, whom both 

 the Wellesleys, the marquis and 

 sir Arthur, regarded as the fittest 

 person in Spain to be generalis- 

 simo of the army ; because they 

 were unwilling to trust so great a 

 mind and so large a fortune. The 

 duke, from his high rank, great 

 family estates, lofty spirit, and po- 

 pularity with the array, might not 

 have been so obedient to their or- 

 ders as either Venegas, or Aries- 

 saga, who succeeded him in the 

 command of the central army.t 



• Correspondenre relative to the affairs of Spain and Portugal, published May, 

 1810, by order of che British parliament. 

 t Correspondence relative to the affairs of Spain, Sec. 



