¥811.] 
they were commanded by Don Juan de 
la Cruz Mongeon, and they defended 
themselves against 2,000 infantry and 
300 cavalry, until they had not a car- 
tridge left; and they had refused the flags 
of truce which the enemy had offered to 
them: toward the end of the day of sur- 
render, the enemy displayed howitzers 
and cannon, with 6,000 ora iy and 
300 cavalry, whom the sharp-shooters 
wished to charge with the bayonet, rather 
than surrender; but they were prevailed 
on at last by La Cruz, to offer a flag of 
truce, which was accepted by the enemy, 
and in consequence of their gallant de- 
tence they were permitted to surrender 
prisoners of war; and the officers had 
their swords returned to them by the 
French. Nearly all the sharp-shooters 
have since deserted trom the French, and 
La Cruz has arrived at Madrid,” 
The smugglers and others, who inha- 
bited the deserts and mountains of Spain, 
were a few years ago very numerous; but 
a cordon. of troops having been esta- 
blished ‘on the frontiers during the pre. 
sent war, an end was put to their trattic, 
and those men have chiefly entered into 
the army. Of the very few regular sol- 
diers now here, the greater part are com- 
posed of them; they are robust active 
fellows, but badly disciplined, and worse 
clad as soldiers; and on parade, remind 
one of Falstaff’s ragged regiment. They 
wear a brown jacket and pautaloons, 
often in tatters, with scarcely a shoe on 
the foot, or a shirt on the back, seldom 
looking cleanly, and the face is almost 
covered with the mustachios and enor- 
mous whiskers. An English soldier, on 
a march of eight-and-forty hours, would 
not, appear so dirty and miserable as 
these men when presenting -arms to the 
governor, ‘There is no attention to neat. 
ness abuut the men, either from their own 
inclination or the pride of their officers ; 
nar ean one much wonder at it, while 
their oy sis so small, that after a va- 
riety Of deductions for clumsy accoutre- 
metits; shGes} and other clothing, besides 
their pr , which are found them by 
cone ae € barely a penny per 
day. clear pickets; and this is left: 
them toe piit etbacco with! If 
in throwing a la 
ten or twelve = fich they cast 
Sty attitude, to 
the distaies of hina 
this, their only amusemetit, i. 
bidden enjoying. ; 
The garrison duty-is perfosnied & oy VC 
Tron we eighmg: 
\ 
Account of the Duchy of Courtland. 501 
lunteers of the place, who amount to up- 
wards uf three thousand ; they take great 
pains to acquire a good discipline, and 
have a very respectable appearance; they 
wear an uniform of brown cloth, and ano- 
ther of scarlet, which is handsomely and 
superbly adorned with silver lace. , The 
officers are very fond-of shewing them- 
selves as such, by wearing an undress 
uniform, according to their taste, when 
not on duty; and in this respect they are 
peculiarly fanciful. Their muskets are 
principally Spanish: some of the corps 
have English ones, but they are not much 
approved ; the complaint is, that the lock 
1s too delicately made, and the men often 
break it in exercise, and that the barrels 
are too short. Their own muskets are, 
to be sure, most clumsy heavy things, 
and the bayonet ts shorter by three or. 
four inches than our’s; this is not re- 
garded, as the Spaniards do not practise 
the charge, but you know how efficacious 
this instrument 1s in the hands of English’ 
soldiers, 
The spirit of patriotism seems to be 
infused into all ranks, conditions, and 
ages; the very infants in arms, and 
school boys, are dressedin the national 
uniform. Many little bands of the latter 
parade with their wooden muskets, anx- 
ious to imbibe ‘* the bubble reputation 
at the cannon’s mouth ;” 
through the streets with music, and some 
favorite saint preceding them, to which 
every person on its approach reverently 
takes off his hat. 
( To be continued.) 
See 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
Account of the vucHy of couRLAND: 
Jrom MALTE-BRUN’S lute PICTURE of 
POLAND, 
ITH the loss of Prussia, the Poles 
received the first intimation of 
their ill-fortune. They beheld themselves 
almost wholly excluded from the sea 
which, towards the north, formed the 
natura} frontier of Sarmatia : they turned 
their attention and their efforts towards 
the repossession of Livonia, which oftered 
them soifie'sea-por ts, 
beet to have strenythened 
those tie," igh united Courland to their 
Republic, eae aving mre Swedes in pos- 
session of” 1 ¢- which rendered 
al ant Consequently ene- 
dsdovites; but neither the 
establishing 
tfey march | 
Lhey should have 
5) \ tural falhiawies: the utility of: 
phos ély circumseribed. according | 
tO locality, hor, in fact, the necessity of 
