/)4 MEMOIR OF Dlt WRIGHT. 



The British officers were greatly amused with the 

 manners of the Frenchmen, and with their habits and 

 discipline, or rather want of discipline, on ship-board. 

 M. Mariex, the commander of the Bourgogne, is de- 

 scribed as a sloven in his dress, at table a gourmand, 

 and a gascon in conversation. The favourite topic of 

 the day was the supremacy of the House of Bourbon, 

 and the speedy prostration of all Europe, before the 

 arms of the Allies. On the 29th of August, the fleet 

 cast anchor in the Bay of Cadiz, and, on the 3d of 

 September, the British officers were placed on their 

 parole, and permitted to land. On this occasion Dr 

 Wright had the greatest difficulty in escaping from 

 the courtesies of M. Marien, who thought it neces- 

 sary to express his sorrow at parting with his prisoners, 

 by kissing them from ear to ear, 



The officers were landed at Santa Maria, and con- 

 ducted to the Passado, where they were civilly saluted 

 by well dressed people of both sexes, with " How do 

 senor Inglese." They afterwards went to the amphi- 

 theatre to see a bull-baiting, which seems to have been 

 a sad scene of butchery, nine wretched animals having 

 been first goaded to madness, and then destroyed ; but 

 the Spaniards pronounced it poor sport, as neither man 

 nor horse had suffered any injury. 



On the following day they were marched into the 

 interior, under a military escort, commanded by an 

 Irish officer in the Spanish service, of the name of 

 Malone. The town of Xeres de la Frontera, so fa- 

 mous for its white wine, completed the first day's 

 march ; having passed through a district in a high 



