356 MISSION TO PORTUGAL. [1806. 



lose not a moment, and shall possibly be with you on 

 Tuesday morning, if I can get change of mules to go 

 by night ; if not, certainly on Wednesday evening. 

 I send back your courier with this in the mean time. 

 My business is completely and most satisfactorily 

 finished in this quarter. In Bracana, Valenca, and 

 the rest of the northern frontier, I had an oppor- 

 tunity of seeing much with my own eyes that may 

 serve present purposes, and can't fail to be useful, 

 at any rate, hereafter. Kespecting my main object, 

 everything is on the very best footing. We have 

 now in Bayonne and Ferrol two proper agents ar- 

 rived ; and for Bayonne several others, of the very 

 best qualifications, on their way by different routes 

 through Spain. All that can be desired from corre- 

 spondence in various quarters must be obtained, and 

 in many different ways. This branch of the business 

 is in such hands that it may continue, so long as 

 there are British merchants here and in the north. 

 Information from the Spanish frontier, on the side of 

 Almeida, is settled in a way equally satisfactory, and 

 for no expense whatever. The expenses of the com- 

 missaries are as limited as possible ; and should 

 Government not choose to defray them, I will take 

 them on my own head. For this purpose I have 

 advanced all the small sums necessary out of my 

 own credit, and where it was necessary have extended 

 that credit by the assistance of friends. The whole 

 has been arranged with the utmost secrecy; and 

 even Mr Warre only knows of what has been done 



