had been prowling about the field of battle, immolating in secret many of their wounded Gallic oppressors, were now collecting around the cottage. Our fears were awakened for our wounded, but particularly for the prisoners who had fallen into our hands; who, from a knowledge of the disposition of the Portuguese, and knowing what little mercy they had a right to expect at their hands, were apprehensive of being butchered during the night. A representation of the matter was sent to the camp, and the speedy appearance of a subaltern's guard, relieved us from this disagreeable situation.

Another care remained-that of providing a little warm gruel, or soup, for the unfortunate sufferers, who, parched with thirst during the long day, had scarcely been able to procure a drop of water to moisten their clammy lips. A poor Highland woman, the wife of a non-commissioned officer of the 71st regiment, whose leg had been amputated, assisted me in ransacking the house; and we fortunately found a little Indian corn, and a quantity of tallow and hemp; by means of the latter we eked out a few lamps. I left her to distribute to each of the wounded a small portion of the liquid she had made for them, and to attend to their wants during the night. An hospital mate was likewise left in charge of them till the morning, and not until eleven o'clock at P. M. I left them to proceed to

wards the village, accompanied by Staff Surgeon F*****. The night was so dark, that it was necessary to have recourse to a Portuguese guide. By this time the peasantry had assembled, and were carousing around a large fire in the neighbourhood, boasting to each other, in high glee and spirits, the number of Frenchmen they had severally put to death. From the time of my breakfast till the hour before mentioned, I had been unceasingly engaged in my professional avocations, and the drop of sour wine from one of their leathern bottles, which they were circulating among each other with great rapidity, and which they solicited me to partake of, seemed to my palate at that moment more grateful than any Burgundy I had ever tasted. After many intreaties, we prevailed on one of them to shew us the road to Vimiera, two miles distant. We then armed ourselves with one of the long poles of quince-tree wood, which the peasants make use of to assist them in skipping over the ditches, and embankments of the vineyards.

On crossing the fields to get into the Lourinha road, I shuddered as we involuntarily stumbled over many an unburied corse of man and horse. We found the road almost impassable from the number of tumbrils and artillery waggons of the enemy, which were broken down in every direction. Our ears were saluted on passing the

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church-yard by the heavy moaning and exclamations of the wounded French, with whom the church and the cemetry were crowded-Ah, mon Dieu, mon Dieu, le sang coule, je meurs, je meurs. At length, with a good deal of difficulty, we reached Vimiera. The streets of the village were choaked up by the long line of oxen-wains, bearing in from the fields the wounded, whose haggard countenances appeared more wretched from the glare of the torches which blazed around them, and increased the horrors of the impressive scene.).

Having requested the Commissary-general to send some bread and wine to the cottage on the hill, and taken a little refreshment, F***** and I retired to our straw pallets, completely exhausted by the duties of the day.

LETTER IV.

POOR HIGHLAND WOMAN.-ALARM AT CAMP.-TROOPS TURN OUT.ARRIVAL OF THE FRENCH GENERAL KELLERMANN WITH A FLAG OF TRUCE. PROPOSITIONS FOR AN ARMISTICE.-COLONEL MURRAY SETS OFF For Lisbon.-SIR JOHN MOORE'S ARMY ARRIVES AT MACEIRA.SIR CHARLES COTTON OBJECTS TO THE CONVENTION.

Village of Amial, 23rd August, 1808.

EARLY in the forenoon of yesterday I returned to the field hospital, in company with two other medical officers. During my absence the souls of several had winged their flight to another and a better world.". On inquiring of the survivors how they had passed the night, and whether their wants had been attended to, they answered with one voice in the affirmative; concluding with so strong an eulogium on the poor Highland woman's benevolence and assiduity towards them, that it brought forcibly to my recollection that beautiful passage in Marmion.

O woman, in our hours of ease,

Uncertain, coy, and hard to please;

And variable as the shade

By the light quivering aspen made;

When pain and anguish wring the brow,
A ministering angel thou.

Having discharged my duty at the hospital, and taken a list of the corps and numbers of the wounded, I pro

ceeded to visit a house further to the left, which was occupied by the French soldiery. In general they appeared to be more desperately wounded than our men; many of them being shot in both legs, besides being stabbed in the trunk.

Having procured a statement of their numbers, I was preparing to return to Vimiera, when several soldiers belonging to the pickets, gave the alarm that the French were again advancing. A moving cloud of dust at some distance was visible to the naked eye, on the high road which leads from Torres Vedras to Lourinha; and with a telescope I could distinctly perceive a considerable body of cavalry approaching. On returning to Vimiera. I passed through our lines, where I found the drums beating to arms and the troops falling in. I was greatly surprised, I confess to you, as I did not conceive the French were in a situation to renew the attack; nor could I suppose they were willing to hazard the repetition of the drubbing which they had received only the day before. Shortly after my return to the village, a flag of truce was announced, bringing in General Kellerman, who was conducted to Sir Arthur Wellesley's quarters, who, by the bye, is now only third in command, Sir Harry Burrard having landed from the Brazen sloop on the morning of the 21st, soon after the commencement of the action, and Sir Hew Dalrymple