$50 
flying about the town, and lodging upon 
the churches and houses, with as little — 
timidity, and as unmolested, as pigeons 
do with us. The inhabitants: have, I 
believe, some superstitious ideas _respect- 
ing them, and coasequently hold them- 
sacred. 
On the 7th, we halted and hutted in a 
wood about four leagues from Coria, and 
on the banks of the beautiful Alagon; 
which, on the 8th, we forded; and 
having proceeded about two miles, again 
crossed: the same river, by a handsome 
bridge, and passed under the walls of 
Galister, a moderately-sized town, and 
completely surrounded by a very broad 
and lofty wall; which, added to the ele- 
vated-situation of the town Nself, effec- 
tually secures it from the incursions of 
freebooters, or indeed of any other 
enemy unprovided with cannon: from 
hence, we prosecuted our march for 
about twelve miles, and then entered the 
town or city of Plasencia, the capital of 
Estremadura ; the inhabitants we!comed 
our entrance, by waving their handker- 
ebiefs, loud huzzas, and other demon- 
strations of joy. Plasenciais a large, but 
not a handsome, town, has old Moorish 
walls, and is situated on the river Xerto, 
over which it has two bridges; some of 
the houses are extremely large, though 
think none particularly handsome. In 
one private mansion, we had accommo- 
dation (that is to say, room, for the fur- 
niture and inhabitants were gone) for 
two thousand men, besides stabling for 
most of our horses. In this neighbour- 
hood, most of the mountains are upped 
‘with snow, which is brought to the town 
in considerable quantities, forthe pur- 
pose of cooling creams, lemonade, &c. 
Plasencia is aiso famous for its manu- 
facture of chocolate; and has- besides a 
number of respectable shops,- though 
their tenants were at first afraid of open- 
ing them. to us; their recent visitors, the 
French, not being accustomed to trouble 
themselves with accounts. A most sea- 
sunable supply of shoes. was also pro- 
cured here for the soldiers; many of 
whom had been totally bare-footed and 
woefully foot-sore for several preceding 
days. Comforts of other kinds. might 
also have been obtained, beth for officers 
and men, but for the selfish and: impo- 
litié conduct-of owr commander in chief, 
or somebody actiug under his authority, 
With bread and meat we were decently, 
though not abundantly, supplied. Wine 
also, of ‘a-superior kiad, was to be had ; 
but when we went with money in our: 
Fournal of an Officer, belonging to the 
[Nov. 1,. 
hands, and entreated permission to pur- 
chase it, we were repulsed: by a sentry at 
the threshold, and the foilowing adver- 
tisement on the door: “ Wine stores 
for head-quarters only.” Can they wou- 
der, that men deprived of comforts 
within their grasp, exhausted, and tan- 
talised, should-resort to theft? Those who 
do wonder at it, know but little of 
human nature; at least but little of the 
hardships attending a campaign. No 
instance of plunder, however, I believe, 
occurred in the case alluded to; and If 
did afterwards hear, that this cruel and 
selfish embargo was taken off; but this 
was not during my stay in the town, or 
its vicinity. : j 
Ou the 9th, we left Plasencia, and 
hatted in a valley about three miles off; 
this situation was both beautiful and 
beneficial, a delightful stream of crystal 
water in our front, and m cur rear,’ the 
snow-clad mountains J} -have before 
spoken of. On the evening of the 10th, 
we received an. unexpected route; and, 
returning through Plasencia, marched 
two leagues to Malpartida, a village con- 
taining about four hundred inhabitants, 
and nearly the same number of misers 
able hovels; a good church, containing, 
amongst other figures, one of our Saviour 
supported in the Virgin’s arms, and de- 
corated with a laced cocked shat, anda 
full-dress velvet suit. - In the ‘centre 
of the church was an open sepulchre, 
with human bones exposed to view this 
I particularly mention, because I ree 
“member the Annual Reviewer, in his 
Criticism upon M. Fischer’s “ Picture of 
Madrid,”. doubts: the veracity of thag 
author, for asserting a similar fact: the 
bones I saw, continued to be exposed 
during the three days which [remained 
in the village. Here the French had pil- 
laged to excess, and the consequent mi- 
sery of the inhabitants may be conceived, 
but cannot be described. I know no-« 
thing of philosophy; but, in spite of my 
partiality tothe army, and zeal in the 
seryice, common sense, and unavoidable 
observation, will sometimes obtrude: re~ 
flections by no means favourable to war, 
or its promoters ; and when I have heard 
the people of this country, and of Por- 
tugal, censured, or, in Our more uncere- ~ 
monious language, “damned,” for nos- 
furnishing all the supplies we require, I 
have caught myself asking the question, 
What is-it to the cottager: or the farmer, 
what to the haif-starved inhabitant, by : 
whom. his. misery is occasioned?) Whe- 
ther by friend or foe, his crops and his 
cattle 
b Sl P 
