206 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



traced by the French, pillaged, 

 and insulted. Some persons, re- 

 puted to be rich, they attempted 

 by the most brutal usage to tor- 

 ment into a disclosure of secreted 

 treasure. When they evacuated 

 Coimbra, the furious soldiersburnt 

 what they could not carry away 

 with them, in the streets. Not a 

 little of what they did attempt to 

 carry off, they threw away on 

 their march to Leyria. This booty 

 falling into the hands of the pea- 

 sants, was sometimes more than a 

 compensation to individuals who 

 had been plundered of what be- 

 longed to them. 



A considerable force of the 

 French made some resistance to 

 colonel Trent's troops at the 

 bridge of Mondego ; but they sur- 

 rendered at discretion, on the pro^ 

 mise of protection from the insults 

 of the peasants. Of 5,000 prison- 

 ers that fell into the hands of the 

 Portuguese, 4,000 were sent to 

 Oporto, 3,500 muskets were 

 found, all of them charged ; 

 which may convey an idea of the 

 effective strength of the French 

 left at Coimbra. It is precisely 

 the number that we have seen 

 stated by Massena. The arras 

 were distributed among the pea- 

 sants. A great number of cattle 

 was found that had been collected 

 for the subsistence of the French 

 troops. It was extremely difficult 

 to keep the Portuguese, especially 

 the Ordinanza, or armed peasants, 

 from plundering their prisoners. 

 Six or eight of those poor men 

 ■fell victims to the rage of the pea- 

 sants. Colonel Trent did every 

 thing in his power to protect the 

 French prisoners. Leaving one of 

 bis brigades at Coimbra, he went 



himself with the prisoners to 

 Oporto ; for this was absolutely 

 necessary, so much enraged were 

 the Portuguese against the French 

 army, particularly those in the 

 districts between the Mondego and 

 the Vouga. 



The longer that the French ge- 

 neral lay inactive in the front of 

 the British lines, the more his dif- 

 ficulties increased. The heav)' 

 rains falling at that season of the 

 year, rendered it impossible for 

 him to bring up his heavy artillery. 

 From the same cause the Mondego 

 had overflown its banks. He was 

 hemmed in on every side. To at- 

 tack the allies, posted as they were, 

 would have been madness ; to re- 

 treat northwards, extremely ha- 

 zardous, if not altogether impos- 

 sible. The hardships and suffer- 

 ings of the army for want of pro- 

 visions, and the danger of absolute 

 famine, have already been de« 

 scribed. In these circumstances 

 hehad only a choice of difBculties. 

 To endeavour, by enlarging his 

 quarters, to maintain himself on 

 the right bank of the Tagus, until 

 he should receive both a reinforce- 

 ment of men, together with a 

 supply of stores and provisions, or 

 to make a desperate attempt to 

 cross the Tagus, and support him- 

 self in the Alentejo ; which, how- 

 ever, he could not have done for 

 any great length of time, as that 

 province is but a poor country. 

 He made a shew, however, for oc- 

 cupying the attention of the allies 

 by the construction of boats, pon- 

 toons, and flying bridges, of in- 

 tending this; while, at the same 

 time, he moved faftber up ibe 

 river, exchanged Alentqueer for 

 SaoLareiq, wiuch jhe istfEeogthened 



