ARMY QUITS BETANZOS.-BRIDGE OVER THE RIO MANDEA DESTROYED. FEELINGS EXCITED BY THE VIEW OF THE OCEAN-BRIDGE OF BURGO. SUBURBS OF CORUNNA. DESCRIPTION OF THAT PORT.EXPLOSIONS OF THE POWDER MAGAZINES.-ZEAL AND FRIENDSHIP OF THE INHABITANTS OF CORUNNA.-LOSS OF BAGGAGE AND HORSES. -STATE OF PUBLIC OPINIONS,

Corunna, January, 1809.

I SHALL now give you my journal from the morning of the 11th, when the army finally quitted Betanzos.

That town, distant three leagues from Corunna, stands on a peninsula, formed by the junction of two streams. Over one of these, the Rio Mandea, we crossed by a bridge of twelve or fourteen arches. A mine was in readiness to be sprung whenever the troops should have passed, and we had got about a league on this side, near a village called Inas, when we heard the explosion.

The weather was fine, the road good, and the troops got

on with more alacrity; yet several poor fellows dropped by the way, and it was often necessary to impress them with that sad argument of necessity used by Agib to his friend Secander:

"Weak as thou art, yet, hapless! must thou know
The toils of flight, or some severer woe.

Still, as I haste, the Tartar shouts behind,

And shrieks and sorrows load the saddening wind."

COLLINS.

The glow of delight which every individual seemed to feel, as the blue bosom of the distant ocean met the eye, on reaching the top of a hill some miles distant from Corunna, is not to be expressed. Winding along the bending side of a mountain, till we passed the bridge of Burgo, upon which a party was at work preparing a mine, the troops halted, and took up a position on the heights.The train was then fired, and the centre of the bridge destroyed. On entering the suburbs of Corunna, called St. Lucia, we met the inhabitants flying in all directions, carrying with them the most valuable of their moveables. Admiral De Courcy's ship, and only a few transports, were at anchor in the harbour: the grand fleet had previously gone round to Vigo bay, but had been recalled, and were expected back in a few hours.

Corunna is situated upon an irregular peninsula, the neck of which is occupied by the town, and defended by a

chain of bastions. Upon an angle stands the citadel, forming one horn of a small bay; on the other, called St. Diego's point, is a fortress, and in the centre is a rock, occupied by a building, called the castle of St. Antonio.

The soundings in this inner harbour are from six and seven fathoms to three and a half; and all the works are completely commanded, nearly within musket-shot, by the surrounding heights. To the westward of the town is a small inlet, called Orson's bay, bounded by the two points Misillosa and Orson: on the latter is a lofty light-housethe tower of Hercules. To the southward of the town is a double range of heights, on the lowest and least extensive of which our army is posted.

13th. This morning we were alarmed, while at breakfast, by two tremendous explosions, which shook Corunna to its foundations, broke the panes of the windows, and made the plaster and tiles fall from the roofs and ceilings.

The inhabitants ran out into the streets in the utmost consternation-the females shrieking and tearing their hair, believing for several minutes that some new and unheard-of calamity had befallen the place. On inquiry, this concussion was found to have arisen from the destruc

tion of two powder-magazines, on the heights of St. Margaret, in front of the right of our position, which were blown up, to prevent their falling into the hands of the enemy.

The people here are more friendly to us than the inhabitants of the other cities of Spain which I have seen. Several officers, who were at Cadiz with General Spencer, say they resemble the inhabitants of that city in spirit and enthusiasm. The streets are crowded with persons of both sexes, and of every age and rank, occupied in contributing to the defence of the ramparts, by mounting the guns, and distributing the shot and ammunition. Had we met with half as much zeal and good-will in other parts of Spain, our affairs would have borne a very different aspect. Most of us have lost the whole of our horses, mules, and baggage. For my own part, I have nothing left but the clothes on my back, and am even obliged to the kindness of an acquaintance for a change of linen.

Nearly the whole of the cavalry-horses have been shot on the retreat, owing, as I mentioned before, to their having fallen dead lame, from the want of shoes, and the debility induced from a change of food.

The artillery-horses, having the severest duty to perform, have died in great numbers, while dragging the

guns up the stupendous mountains on this side of Astorga. I cannot inform you of the perpendicular height of these Cordilleras; but you may judge of their altitude, by knowing that from Villa Franca del Bierzo, to the top of the mountain towards Lugo, is a continual ascent of fifteen miles; the western descent is at least eight.

As we have now a little breathing time, while waiting for the arrival of the ships, I shall employ it in acquainting you with the state of opinions here.

Many officers are inclined to blame our Commander-inChief for the rapidity with which he has conducted the retreat from Astorga, over a country which, to the most unpractised military eye, appears so admirably calculated for defence, more particularly on this side of Villa Franca. This conduct is defended on the plea of necessity, as it had become impossible for the Commissariat to procure supplies for the army, more particularly of bread, the country being destitute of corn.

To this reasoning it has been answered, that between Astorga and Lugo the hills are covered with sheep: that we have killed between five and six thousand horses, with many draught bullocks, mules, and asses-all which might have afforded subsistence to the army for several weeks, had Sir John Moore complied with the general sentiment