106 SWABEY DIARY. 
16th November.—Rode to Guinaldo and saw a rehearsal of the play 
(Henry IV.), giving me a very fair expectation of being amused. 
I7th November.—Intelligence came from the paymaster to say that 
Lord Wellington would not allow a halfpenny to be issued to the troops, 
but had appropriated the money to the payment of the muleteers and 
others concerned in the transport of the provisions for the army. 
These people are paid at the extravagant rate of a dollar per day for a 
mule and a dollar per week for a man. When at the Commissary 
General’s, I saw hundreds of these fellows standing in the streets and 
gambling with their dollars all day long, this indeed is practised in the 
streets of every Spanish village. 
1Sth November.—After coursing unsuccessfully in the morning, I 
went to dine with Captain Duffey of the 43rd, and went afterwards to 
the play, where I was most highly gratified. Captain Kent of the 95th 
in Hotspur was excellent, the rest of the performers exceedingly good, 
and Falstaff received great effect from an officer of the 95th! This 
division appears to have the start of the army, they have all sorts of 
amusements in their cantonments, coursing, cricket, rackets, fives, etc. 
I was invited to dine with Colonel McLeod, 48rd, but declined, I supped 
with Colonel Bernard, 95th, and did not get back to Puebla de Azava 
till daylight. I met Charles Heles® who, poor fellow, carries poverty 
written in his countenance. 
19th November.—Spent the morning in coursing and the evening as 
usual. When I looked over my amusements this evening, I thought 
with what little relish I entered into them, and how inferior they were 
in my estimation to the delightful hours I used to pass about this time 
last year, and experience has taught me how vain all other pleasures 
are when weighed in the same scale. 
20th November.—Ross’s troop received an order before daylight to 
advance to Hl Boden. I had decided to set off home, but having to 
go round by Malharda de Surda to withdraw my receipts from the 
paymaster, since 1 could get no money, I got on my mule much earlier 
than I had intended, Being rather in a hurry I rode fast, and when I 
had got a league on my road got off my mule, when the provoking 
brute set off at a full trot back to the village. There was no remedy 
and I followed, in not a little passion, I could not catch him till he got 
into the stable whence he came. Here was a subject for the misery of 
human life! I did my business with the paymaster and got to Sabugal, 
Sutton having already reached it by a shorter road. Dined with 
1 Apropos of threatricals we have a good story. The late Sir William Cator, who was fond of acting, 
and in spare time during the siege of Cadiz, and in the lines of Torres Vedras found many oppor- 
tunities, used to relate that when he played Bob Acres in “ The Rivals,’”’ on one occasion at the 
supper which took place after the performance, he proposed that they should all go out next 
morning with Lord Wellington’s hounds,* in the threatrical costumes in which they were then 
sitting. The suggestion was received with acclamation, and when carried into effect, his lordship, 
who was out, was much amused and laughed heartily at the prank. ; 
* The hounds, above referred to, were given to the officers of Gibraltar, and formed, with the 
few they already had, the well-known Calpe hounds, which exist to this day. Since Cator’s day 
many R.A. officers have managed them.—f.4.W. 
2 Captain Eeles, Adjutant 95th, he was killed at Waterloo, 
