405 SWABEY DIARY. 
- d’Hrlon’s head-quarters were at Cordova yesterday, he having joined 
Soult. Seville is certainly taken by Skerrett and the siege of Cadiz 
raised. 
On August 27th, an attack was made by the allies under General 
Lia Crux on the enemy’s rear guard at Seville, in which 
attack the allied British and Portuguese troops under Colonel 
Skerrett. distinguished themselves. The bridge of Seville 
was thereby saved, and the enemy prevented from destroying 
many guns and valuable stores which the town contained.— 
Wellington Despatches, Vol. IX., p. 429. 
Ist September.—Instead of getting up early to kill partridges, I rose 
at 4 o’clock and marched to Maguilla where the light brigade was 
badly accommodated. allemand made this a favourite post at which 
I am not surprised as it is very well protected by ravines against 
any sudden attack. 
2nd September.—We marched to Corteja de Frayles the name of 
two or three cottages about a mile distant from each other, and 
encamped. ‘The cavalry went to El Campillo, another bad place to 
which we were ordered by the Quarter-Master-General, but being 
-better informed than he, we learnt the road was impassable and 
General Long permitted us to go round. 
3rd September.—Marched to Zalamca. This place was for 9 months 
-d’Hrlon’s head-quarters, notwithstanding which the expressions of 
loyalty and the readiness of the authorities to assist us, were new traits 
in the Spanish character which in our old track we never met. 
4th September.—Remained at Zalamca and there being a castle T 
went antiquity hunting. With some difficulty I climbed up one of the 
towers there being no other means of ascent. From its top I had an 
interesting view of the country and found my map very accurately 
-drawn. I saw Benalcazar, a castle into which last year we made some 
fruitless attempts to get. It was the magazine of the French in this 
quarter and they retired with such precipitation that they left quantities 
of stores. 
The news of the day is that at the passage of the Guadalquiver, 
d’Hrlon has thrown some artillery he could not take on into the river. 
It appears too that General Maitland has been successful against 
- Suchet. The town of Zalamca shows many remains of Moorish build- 
ing, and part of the castle is decidedly of their constructing. I 
believe it from situation to have been a valuable town to them. 
General Maitland with a Sicilian division of troops under his 
command landed at Alicante on the 10th of August. With 
the Spanish troops under Generals Whittingham and Roche 
he advanced to Hida, but on the approach of the King to join 
. Marshal Suchet he retired to Alicante, where he was directed 
by Lord Wellington to maintain himself as the place was of 
importance. He does not appear to have been engaged with 
the enemy.—See Wellington Despatches, Vol. IX., pp. 265, 
300; Goon eens 
