168 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



Albuquerque, who was desirous of 

 continuing his military career, 

 should be called on by the re- 

 gency to return to Spain to be 

 employed in the army. The 

 council of regency did not delay 

 a moment to send their orders to 

 Albuquerque, to repair immedi- 

 ately to Gallicia, to take the chief 

 command of all the north of Spain, 

 in place of general Mahe, who 

 was appointed to a command in 

 Murcia. 



Had these two dispatches reach- 

 ed the duke of Albuquerque at 

 the same time, it is probable that, 

 from a satisfaction at the conduct 

 of the Cortes, he would have de- 

 spised the insults offered by the 

 mercantile Junta of Cadiz. But 

 this was not the case. He receiv- 

 ed the letter from the Junta first ; 

 and that by the twopenny-post, 

 with the seal broken. This made 

 an impression on his mind, which 

 his nomination to the chief com- 

 mand in Gallicia and all the north 

 of Spain, was not sufficient to 

 efface. The insults of the Junta 

 rankled, and painfully agitated his 

 soul. Contrary to the advice of 

 his friends, who represented how 

 much he should despise them, he 

 spent three days and three nights 

 in drawing up a reply, almost 

 without taking any nourishment. 

 On the fourth, which was the 15th 

 of February, 1811, he was seized 

 with a phrenzy, which on the 

 18th terminated in his dissolution. 

 Thus perished, in the 37th year of 

 his age, the great pride and hope, 

 at that crisis, of Spain ; the vic- 

 tim of high and just indignation, 

 and of sensibility too lively and 

 exquisite. The remains of this 

 young warrior and patriot were 

 deposited in king Henry the 



Seventh's chapel, Westminster 

 Abbey, until they should be re- 

 moved to his native country. All 

 the ministers of state, foreign am- 

 bassadors, French princesdeputed 

 by Louis XVIII. and an immense 

 concourse of persons of the higher 

 ranks attended his funeral, which 

 was solemnized with a noble and 

 affecting magnificence, andsuch as 

 we never witnessed before or since 

 that of lord Nelson. His eulogy 

 was worthily pronounced in the 

 House of Peers by the marquis of 

 Wellesley. The assembly of the 

 Cortes poured forth their regrets, 

 together with the praises due to 

 the man who had been the first to 

 quit the Spanish army in Den- 

 mark, and fly to the succour of his 

 country ; who had always fought 

 the French with glory ; who, in 

 the character of a commander-in- 

 chief, had defeated them in a va- 

 riety of actions ; and, lastly, who 

 had preserved the ground on which 

 they now stood. 



While the French were em- 

 ployed in fortifying all the points 

 of the bay of Cadiz in their pos- 

 session, the Spaniards, employed 

 also in the erection of redoubts 

 and batteries, and the preparation 

 of other means of defence, were 

 receiving supplies of both money 

 and provisions, as well as rein- 

 forcements of troops. The most 

 liberal contributions, in dollars, 

 came in from the Spanish colo- 

 nies ; flour in great abundance 

 was brought by the trading vessels 

 of the United States of America. 

 In the month of May the British 

 force in the Isle of Leon amounted 

 to 7,000 men, the Portuguese to 

 1 ,500, and the Spaniards to 1 5,000; 

 making in all, 23,000. A con- 

 stant communication was kept up 



