HISTORY OF EUROPE. 171 



C H A P. X. 



The Operations of the Spaniards and their English Allies, not confined to 

 the Defence of Cadis.— The Mountaineers of Alpujarras excited to 

 arms — andsupported— and also the Inhabitants of the Mountains ivhich 

 separate Murcia, Granada, and Jaen. — These Mountaineers defeated 

 and dispersed. — A combined Expedition from the Port of Cadiz against 

 Moguer — Successful. — French Batteries and Redoubts destroyed by 

 English Gun-boats. — A Secret Expedition from Gibraltar against 

 Malaga — Unsuccessful. — Reduction, by the French, of the Toion 

 and Fortress of Hostalrich, in Catalonia. — Fruitless Attempt by 

 General O^Donnel to raise the Siege of Hostalrich. — Effects of the 

 Reduction of Hostalrich. — Reduction, by the French, of the strong 

 Fortress of Mequineuza, in Catalonia. — The Siege of Valencia 

 raised by a Sally of the Spanish Garrison wider the Command of 

 Don Ventura Coro. — Reduction of Tortosa, by the French General 

 Suchet, after an obstinate resistance. 



THE operations of the Spa- 

 niards and their Enghsh al- 

 lies were not confined to the de- 

 fence of Cadiz. They acted on 

 the offensive in rousing, encourag- 

 ing, and aiding the natives in a 

 resistance of the invaders. It 

 has been observed above, that it 

 was a part of the general plan of 

 the French to cut the peninsula 

 into two divisions, by a cordon, 

 extending from Bayonne to the 

 Bay of Malaga, and that the corps 

 under general Sebastiani should 

 communicate with that under ge- 

 neral Victor. The mountainous 

 region between Marbella and the 

 near vicinity of Cadiz, became, 

 therefore, a scene of contest be- 

 tween the contending parties. 

 General Blake, who was employ- 

 ed in Murcia, as above noticed, 

 in collecting the remains, and re- 

 organizing the army of Ariezaga, 



excited the mountaineers of Alpu- 

 jarras to arms, and for their en- 

 couragement andsupport, sent out 

 a column from Almeira on Adra, 

 Torbision and Motril. Alpujar- 

 ras, or Alpuxarras, is a mountain- 

 ous district in the kingdom of 

 Grenada, about 17 miles in length 

 from east to West, 11 in breadth 

 from north to south, and so high 

 that their summits are visible, not 

 only from Gibraltar, but between 

 Ceuta and Tangier, from the coast 

 of Africa. On the advance of 

 the Spaniards to Motril, a French 

 battalion stationed there fell back 

 to Velez Malaga.* 



A detachment of 5,000 men, 

 under the command of the Spanish 

 general don Louis Lacey, disem- 

 barked at Algesiras, and marched 

 by St. Roche, on the town of 

 Konda. At this place there was 

 stationed a French force of 6,000 



• SouH to Berthier, GienaOs, I7tb of March, 1810. 



