354 MISSION TO PORTUGAL. [1806. 



to examine the captain, and to check his information 

 by that of his crew. The result of my attempts is as 

 follows : The vessel is a port-schooner, the St Jose 

 Diligente. She sailed from Bayonne on the 18th, 

 entered the Port of Passage on the same day, and 

 arrived here on the 25th. There were two Italian 

 regiments at Bayonne, and a French invalid regiment. 

 It was reported that more troops were expected there, 

 and that they would be encamped about the town. 

 News were also circulated of a rupture with Eussia, 

 Prussia, and Sweden, and of Bonaparte having al- 

 ready marched his troops on that account ; so far 

 the captain. A sailor adds that the troops expected at 

 Bayonne would amount to thirty-five or thirty-eight 

 thousand men, reported to be destined for the invasion 

 of Portugal. A strong dislike of the present Govern- 

 ment is also mentioned ; and it is added that before 

 the schooner arrived at Bayonne a riot had been appre- 

 hended, the troops ordered out, and tranquillity re- 

 stored by this means. The two Italian regiments had 

 not been long there. I conceive that if the riot story 

 is true, these regiments may have been marched 

 thither in consequence of it. At any rate, this ac- 

 count quite confirms our former information as to the 

 non-existence of actual preparations. Letters received 

 in this place last night from Gallicia state that con- 

 siderable bodies of troops were assembling at Corunna 

 and Ferrol, supposed to be destined for South America. 

 This is given on the authority of respectable Spanish 

 houses in those parts of Gallicia. 



