SWABEY DIARY. 411 
reported there were some was written to him, to which he replied 
positively denying there were any, though he himself had provided 
transport to bring them from Almaraz. I wish I had the hanging of 
him as an example. 
19th September.—Marched to Javaicejo a place totally destroyed; no 
forage to be had, and nothing but the barren face of a deserted 
country to be seen. 
20th September.—To-day we crossed the mountains overhanging 
the Tagus through the truly grand pass of Miravete. A fort and the 
castle of Miravete command the approach. The fort was destroyed by 
General Hill, when he took the works at Almaraz, and the castle and 
depot subsequently were dismantled by the enemy. The road, the work 
of Engineers, descends in a zig-zag to the river, the passage of which is 
defended first by the famous fort Napoleon, constructed by the French 
and stormed in the summer by General Hill. On examining it I did 
not think the exploit deserved the fame it acquired ; it is ready for the 
Spaniards. On the opposite side is fort Ragusa commanded by Napoleon 
on which Lieutenant Love, R.A., very judiciously turned the guns. 
The pontoon bridge had been laid the day before for our reception. 
As it was necessary to take our horses out to cross, General Howard, 
much to his disgrace, ordered us to halt and put the infantry over first 
notwithstanding the representation of Colonel Tulloch, who had orders 
to press one of his brigades of Portuguese artillery on to Talavera. 
General Howard was not satisfied with this arbitary unmilitary pro- 
ceeding, but even ordered the baggage (which took two hours to pass 
the bridge) over before us, which delayed us till it was near dark and 
we got to Saucedilla a ruined village by 8 o’clock having no forage. 
General Howard will be surprised to find his conduct reported to 
General Hill. 
21st September.—Found ourselves as soon as it was light in a valley 
full of towns, once populous but now dismantled, and their fields 
uncultivated ; we had indeed to our satisfaction joined General Slade, 
being heartily sick of the infantry, whomI never wish again to see 
except in the field of battle. 
With great difficulty one day’s forage was raised. 
22nd September.—To-day partly from curiosity and partly on duty I 
rode to look for forage. Nothing can exceed the desolation that reigns 
in this once fertile region. The mountains which skirt the edges of the 
valleys, formerly looked at with admiration because of their rude unculti- 
vated tops, now present the only object of cultivation, being hung with 
vineyards, at this season luxuriant and beautiful, and wherever there 
remains a roof in the neighbourhood it covers a wine-press; all these 
inhabited places could only produce one day’s hay for the cattle. 
23rd September.—Still in the regions of desolation and want, there 
being, however, a remnant of population in a village near, I was sent 
to reconnoitre it with a view of removing there. I was sorry to find 
none of the requisites for forage so necessary to us, for a more romantic 
hamlet I never beheld. I use the expression hamlet, because it was so 
