92: SWABEY DIARY. 
Portuguese cried like a child, and it was not until I uncovered one 
of my pistols that he would stir. As he shared our fare, he got into a 
good humour at last and became very sociable, and out of compassion 
I took him up behind me, which restored his temper entirely. 
Our intelligent and hospitable priest let us into the whole secret of 
the fertile valley of Valverde; these are the proper people to gain 
information from, as they refer to the parish books, which may be 
reckoned “a tell truth,” he said he would inform me as to the number 
of inhabitants by those he confessed. 
4th October.—Proceeded to Valverde, and from a tour undertaken 
with the assistance of a friendly priest, together with the help of the 
Duke of Richmond’s name! and a letter of Lord Wellington’s aide-de 
camp, found materials for my report. Sutton was sent back in the 
meantime to prepare dinner for us half way to Val de Lobo, we over- 
took him by 8 o’clock, and made a famous repast with the aid of a 
pumpkin, which is an excellent fellow in soup. We arrived at Val de 
Lobo at § o’clock in the evening. wel KAN ig] See tle Ae 
5th October.—I was employed all day in drawing my plan and 
writing my report to the Quarter-Master-General of the division. 
6th October.—Rode to Pena Macor with Captain Macdonald, and 
found General Sontag ill and about to return to Lisbon. General 
Baron Alten now takes the command. General Leith has the division 
but is absent, it consists of two English? and two Portuguese regiments, 
les Chasseurs Britaniques, Duke of Brunswiok’s Oels light infantry, 
and two light battalions German Legion. 
The plan of the road was made to and through Valverde with 
the intention of ascertaining if artillery could assist our division in a 
project of surprising some troops in the neighbourhood of Plasencia. 
It was given up on account of the withdrawal of those troops, for 
which I am sorry, as activity and opportunity are all I wish for at 
present. My report, however, is forwarded to the Quarter-Master- 
General for his information ; much good may it do him, but I should 
have taken more pains and more time in the drawing part if I had 
known it. REE PINS tole ky sie ae oh ea) Oe GCL 
7th October.—Sent out to find a road from Val de Lobo to Pena 
Macor without crossing the mountains, which are formidable to artil- 
lery, in this object I met with success. I took my gun and “Clara” 
with me, in hopes of meeting with a sort of grouse that General Sontag 
had described to me, but did not succeed; the red-legged partridges are 
numerous. 
Sth October.—On duty and confined to Val de Lobo. Captain M. 
very uuwell with flux. Men sickly. A little corn arrived very season- 
ably to-day. ‘Two horses dead since our arrival here.’ 
1 Lieut.-General Charles Duke of Richmond. 
2The 68th and 51st Regiments. 
3 The mortality among horses in the Peninsula was great, Lord Wellington writing to Lord 
Liverpool, May 28rd, 1811, thus refers to it. ‘‘It must be recollected, however, that the Peninsula 
is the grave of horses; I have lost no less than twelve for my own riding since I have been here, 
and many more of an ordinary kind.” Despatches, Vol. 7, p. 698, 
