SWABEY DIARY. 99 
ground for not a Portuguese would have had the spirit to go within 
smell of it, however, with our fellows about us we had not much difficulty 
in getting it under. Even the pudding survived though at one time 
threatened with calamity, and we had the blessings of the Priest as well 
as the grateful smiles of our fair hostesses. One of these ladies I re- 
member had some complaint which was consuming the rose (damask 
rose) on her cheek, and during our stay the Doctor succeeded in 
restoring its pristine bloom, but with true professional fidelity he never 
told us the nature of the malady or the cure. 
Not myself occupying the long library amongst the learned rats, I 
slept at night in a small quarto just big enough to contain my camp 
bed. It had a window, but time or tlie French had disabled many of 
the glass panes, so in that land of nil, I soon made some glazed paper 
to keep out the cold at the smallest possible expense of light, but much 
did I rue my ingenuity, probably acquired from an erudite grower of 
cucumbers in some Hneglish cottage garden, when I was requested to 
stop all the broken panes in the spacious Quinta. Amongst these 
simple people I believe I passed for a prodigy of human ingenuity just 
caught from a manufacturing, machine-loving, scientific country. 
25th October—Taylor set off to return to England, we lose in him a 
good companion and an honest-hearted fellow, I hope he is cured of 
rambling. Had he been here in an active time there would have been 
hardship enough to make home acceptable, but as yet we have done 
nothing. 
Macdonald and Newland went off for a tour to the different canton- 
ments. We received a report to day that the forage in a village where 
we have a guard had been entirely consumed, but on my examining it 
I found at least enough for a week’s consumption. Sergeant Johnson 
who was away with a requisition for corn, locked his bullocks, wains 
and drivers in an outhouse, where they pulled down a wall and made 
their escape. 
26th October—Rode off at daylight for Freixadas in a regular Port- 
uguese wet day, which I have already described as being the summit of 
luxury ; my road lay by Belmonte and Guarda, I arrived at my 
destination at half-past 4 o’clock, having riden 11 leagues by din- 
ner time, and those who travel in this country only know what such 
a performance is. This is the first day that has been dedicated to 
pleasure. I found Walcott at Freixadas. Major Downman! and Cup- 
tain Bull’s Troop. Walcott? was so kind as to entertain me and give 
1 Major Thomas Downman (Kane’s List, No 742) served under the Duke of York in Flanders in 
1793-4, was present at Lamoy, Roubain, Mourveaux, and in the action near Tournay was wounded 
and taken prisoner. He commanded  B” Troop, R.H.A., in the Coruiia Campaign, present at 
Sahagum and Benevente. 
He commanded the H.A., in the Peninsula under the Duke of Wellington, from September 1810, 
to May 1818. He was present at the battle of Fuentes de Honor, affair at Aldea de Ponte, siege of 
Ciudad Rodrigo, battle of Salamanca, capture of the Forts of Salamanca, entry into Madrid, and 
capture of the Retiro. He was at the siege of Burgos, and distinguished himself in covering the 
retreat of the army from there. He received the gold cross, and one clasp, silver medal and three 
Gespeand the K.C.B. Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Downman died when Commandant at Woolwich 
in 1852. 
22nd Captain Edmund Yeamans Walcott (Kane’s List, No. 1127), Adjutant R.H.A, served 
in “C” Troop, R.H.A., in the Corufia Campaign. He was appointed Adjutant R.H.A., in England 
in 1811. In the Waterloo Campaign, he was 2nd Captain of “F”’ Troop, and was especially 
eee for his gallant con luct in the battle. Licut.-Colonel Walcott died on 28th February, 
