S5G LON 
neither was there any rout, or any detachments entirely 
cut off. It is ellimated, on the part of the allies, in killed 
and wounded, at 7000. 
Meantime, the affault of St. Sebaftian’s, to avert which 
had been the main objefl of Soult’s daring enterprife, did 
not lead immediately to the expedted rel'ult. A breach 
having been effedted, and the approach of the enemy ren¬ 
dering it expedient to lofe no time, the affault took place 
on the morning of the 25th of Auguft. Every thing was 
done which could be expedted from the gallantry of Bri- 
tifh troops ; and part of the column even forced its way 
into the town ; but defences had been railed, which poured 
upon its flanks fuch a torrent of grape and mulketry, as 
foon convinced general Graham, that to perfevere longer 
would be a vain facrifice of troops which deferved a bet¬ 
ter fate. Immediate retreat was ordered. In this attack, 
the royals, who advanced to the attack 4.00 ftrong, loft 
nearly 300 in killed and wounded. The breach having 
thus proved impradticable, all the operations of the liege 
were to begin anew. The repulfe of the French army, 
however, had left the aflailants at full liberty to carry 
them on. The firft objedt was to cut off" the communica¬ 
tion which the belieged carried on by fea with the coaft 
of France. Sir George Collier, with a party of marines, 
Itormed the ifland of Santa Clara, which lies at the mouth 
of the harbour, and took the garrifon prifoners. Mean¬ 
time new breaching-batteries were railed, and carried for¬ 
ward with fuch vigour, that on the 31ft of Auguft it was 
determined to make a new affault. The refult of this 
however appeared in the firft inftance Hill more unpro- 
miling than the former. The enemy had employed the 
long interval allowed them in preparing defences of every 
poflibleand conceivable kind ; and the breach which, at a 
diftance, kad appeared very ample, proved to be of fuch a 
nature, that it would admit the men only in fingle files. 
All the works and buildings in its vicinity were filled 
with troops, who, covered by intrenchments and traverfes, 
could pour the raoft deftrudtive fire on the aflailants. 
Matters feemed quite defperate, till the genius of the com¬ 
mander fuggefted a relource. This was, to direft the 
guns to be fired over the heads of his own troops againft 
thofe works of the enemy from which fo deftrudtive a fire 
iflued. With fuch ability and precifion was this delicate 
adtion conduced, that the balls palled within a very few 
feet of the Britilh troops, without doing them any injury, 
A powerful effedt was foon produced; and, after a fucr 
cetfion of vigorous efforts, the ftorming party was at 
length eftablilhed within the town. Defences had been 
prepared in the ftreets and houfes; but thefe were foon 
fwept away by Britilh impetuofity, and in an hour more 
the garrifon were driven out of the town, and forced, af¬ 
ter a fevere lofs, to take refuge in the caltle. On the 9th 
of September, the caftle furrendered, and the whole of 
this important bulwark of Spain was transferred to its 
rightful poffelfors. 
On the 31ft of Odtober, Pamplona furrendered, after 
a blockade of four months. The garrifon became pri¬ 
foners of war, and all the artillery and ftores were given up. 
Nothing now detained lord Wellington from pulhing 
his vidtorious career into France ; and the French, who 
had fo lately aimed at the entire fubjugation of the pe- 
ninfula, fought only to defend the approaches to their 
own territory. They formed two fucceffive lines of de¬ 
fence; the one along the river Nivelle, the other immedi¬ 
ately in front of Bayonne. Thefe, ever fince the battle 
of Vittoria, they had been diligently employed in fortify¬ 
ing ; and, till they were driven from them, the Britilh 
could not advance into the interior, of the kingdom. The 
better to provide for its defence, a decree had been re¬ 
cently palfed, by which a new levy of thirty thoufand 
confcripts was to be drawn from the provinces immedi¬ 
ately bordering on the Pyrenees ; and the reinforcements 
thence derived were beginning to arrive. Lord Welling¬ 
ton’s advance was delayed for a few days by the heavy 
rains and confequent ftate of the roads; but on the 10th of 
DON. 
November the whole army was brought forward, and enabled 
to commence its attack upon the Frenchentrencbed pofition 
along the Nivelle. Their right was on the Spanilh fide of 
the river, in front of St. Jean de Luz; while the centre 
and left extended along the oppolite fide, and occupied 
the villages and mountains fituated upon its bank. The 
right had been fortified fo ftrongly, that an attack in front 
was judged impracticable ; but it could be turned, if the 
centre were made to give way. Againft: the centre there¬ 
fore the main attack was diredted. It was conducted by 
three Britilh and one Spanilh divifion, under generals 
Cole, St. Cyr, Colville, and Giron ; and, after a defperate 
reliltance, the enemy were driven from all the ftrong and 
fortified pofitions which they there occupied. At the 
fame time generals Clinton and Hamilton drove them 
from thofe which they occupied on the left. All the 
heights on the Nivelle being thus carried, and the enemy’s 
centre driven back, lord Wellington immediately directed 
troops to advance upon the rear of their right; but, be¬ 
fore this movement could be completely followed out, 
night intervened. The enemy took advantage of the 
darknefs to quit their impregnable pofition, and retire 
upon Bidart, leaving the whole of the ground which they 
had occupied in poffefiion of the allied army. As the ac¬ 
tion of this day confifted wholly in the ftorming of en¬ 
trenched pofitions, and Lifted from day-light till dark, 
the lofs was neceffarily confiderable. It confifted of 2500 
Britilh and Portuguefe killed and wounded ; befides Spa¬ 
niards, of whofe lofs no regular account has beet) given. 
The enemy now retired into his la(t line of defence, 
which was formed by the entrenched camp in front of 
Bayonne. The left occupied the peninfula formed by 
the confluence of the Adour and the Nive, from whence 
it communicated with the army of Catalonia. The right 
and centre extended from the left bank of the Nive to 
the Adour below Bayonne; and the front was here de¬ 
fended by an impaffable morals. Lord Wellington, on 
furveying a pofition thus defended by nature and art, 
judged it impregnable againft any diredt attack. The 
only means by which the enemy could be driven from it 
was, by a movement to the right, to threaten his rear and 
his communication with France. Operations were again 
delayed by the condition of the roads ; but on the 8th of 
December, generals Hill and Beresford were diredted to 
crofs the Nive with two divifions. The paffage was ef¬ 
fected almoft without oppofition ; the enemy loft their 
communication with St. Jean Pied de Port, and were 
driven towards Bayonne. A detachment, which endea¬ 
voured to maintain the town of Ville Francbe, was ex¬ 
pelled by the eighth Portuguefe regiment; and general Hill 
placed his right upon the Adour. Soult could not be in- 
fenfible, that, unlefs fome vigorous meafures were taken 
to arreft this movement, his pofition would foon be no 
longer tenable. Not only would he lofe his communica¬ 
tion with France, but the navigation of the Adour, by 
which his fupplies were tranfmitted, would be in the 
hands of his enemy. He determined inftantly upon the 
molt vigorous operations. His project was, with his 
whole force, to attack that part of the allied army which 
had not palfed the Nive, and thus induce them to recall 
their advanced divifions. With this view' he concentrated 
his troops, leaving merely a fufncient number to defend 
the works oppofite to general Hill; and on the morn¬ 
ing of the 10th made a mod defperate attack upon the 
Britilh left under general Hope. He was repulfed with 
lofs ; and, after the adtion, two German regiments came 
over to the allies. New attacks took place in the after¬ 
noon of the following day, and the morning of the 12th, 
always with the fame refult. The enemy were uni¬ 
formly repulfed ; and general Hill continued to extend 
his line from the Nive to the Adour. Soult, having failed 
in this point of attack, refolved now to diredt his efforts 
againft: that wing of the allied army which had adtually 
crofted the Nive. With this view, he palled a large force 
through Bayonne to the other fide of that river, and on 
