436 SWABEY DIARY. 
before given, but to me the opinion about the trial to his constitution 
is by no means satisfactory. 
25th November.—Upon calculating our losses on the retreat, we find 
we have only destroyed four horses and two mules, and brought in all 
our carriages; one brigade. of artillery lost 48 horses and blew up 
various carriages. ! believe in proportion to our numbers, no regi- 
ment, troop, or company has come off so well in the whole army. 
26th November.—Went out coursing; killed a hare which we sent to 
poor Macdonald. 
27th November.—Marched by route through Villa Mayor to Minsella, 
crossing the Coa at Ponte de Aigues. Never was such a place for 
artillery. St. Hstevao,! Val de Lobo, and Villa Velha are jokes to 
this; we were obliged to take the guns down by hand. It is owing to 
the difficulty of the country from Almeida to the mountains of Plasencia 
that the Coa is esteemed a defence. We did not arrive till late at 
night. The circumstance of a triumphal arch being built on this 
bridge, leaves no doubt in my mind of its being a Roman work, which 
idea is strengthened by the antiquity of Villa Mayor though I cannot 
exactly trace the Roman building in it, but this is very seldom to be 
found here in consequence of so many different superstructures being 
erected on the ruins. ‘ 
28th November.—Marched to Sardiera where, bad as they were, we 
had our quarters to ourselves. 
29th November.—Marched over the Guarda mountain, part of the 
Estrella, to Ponte de Carne. The road is very difficult for artillery, 
and it is to be noted that facing towards Celorico there is a road round 
the right of the Guarda mountain, which though difficult is far prefer- 
able to the ascent at Guarda. In crossing it the perch of an 
ammunition waggon broke, and I remained till we contrived to make 
it fit to travel. This job took us till dark and under these circum- 
stances I descended the stone road from Guarda. The hill is at least 
a league in length and so rough that nothing but the fact of its being 
dark and our not seeing it could have given us nerve for the attempt ; 
one shaft horse fell three times. By dint of perseverance I arrived 
after dark at Ponte de Carne, where I overtook the troop. 
50th November.—Began to reascend to Celorico by terrible hills, the 
final one up to the town being next to impassable for artillery. One 
of my waggons was overturned into a deep hole, and I can scarcely 
account for our getting it out; but we accomplished it with such 
promptitude that it surprised every one. We passed through Celorico, 
a place of which I had heard a great deal, but like all Portuguese towns 
ib is filthy and has little trade or other recommendation. Quarter- 
masters may get tolerably supplied here on Tuesdays, and it is a safe 
situation for a depot. We halted at Villa Cortes, where we did not 
arrive till late. Captain Brandreth’s brigade? of artillery, which we 
passed on the road, was obliged to leave all its spare carriages at 
1 Passes in the Sierra de Estrella. 
2 No. 10 Company, &th Battalion, R.A., reduced 1819, 
