_January 3._--Breakfast these people, and they start for Monterey. Go
three leagues on the road to Monbuey. Hear a lie, that the French are
at Castracontrigo.
Colonel Peacock comes in late, his party halting a league behind at
Otero.
_January 4._--A Spanish ensign endeavours to turn me out of my
quarters. I turn him out instead.
The inhabitants of Otero send to beg the Spanish soldiers may protect
them from the plunder of Colonel P.’s stragglers. I write to Colonel P.
to apprise him of this.
Mr. Murray, Com. G., arrives.
Commissaries, officers and soldiers, mules and devilment arrive all
day. Spies return.
_January 5._--Mr. Murray departs. Conceiving my commission to be
performed, I determine to start for the army to-morrow, and the
Governor writes to Marquis Romano and encloses my despatch to Sir John.
A Colonel of Spanish Artillery arrives with the cadets of Segovia in
charge. Poor little fellows! he is to take them to Corunna.
Don Alonzo Gonzalis tells the people that the English are going to
embark. They do not believe it. “What,” says he, “if the English have
not so many men as the French that follow them, would you have the
poor English stay and be destroyed?” “God forbid.” In the evening
I go to the Governor’s, and find round the brazier many Spanish
officers, principally Artillery. They talk of the destruction of the
bridge of Benavente, and speak theoretically of the line of least
resistance, etc., and I am asked if we do not carry with us some new
and extraordinary machine of destruction. I cannot make out what they
mean for a long time, so they send for the officer who had seen it.
He describes to the wondering circle a terrible machine, in which I
recognise the wheel car! Then have we, is it true, an invention for
carrying musketry to the distance of round shot? It was incredible.
Describe shrapnel shells. A little black fellow starts up and swears it
is no new invention. He is scouted and silenced. Take my leave.
_January 6, Friday._--Start for Villarviejo. Freezes hard, and the
ground is a sheet of ice. As the sun gets up, however, it thaws.
Pass numerous villages, and at three leagues encounter the first
Portilia, where the road goes over a high mountain, which is sometimes
impassable, and at this time bad and dangerous, not so much on account
of the quantity of snow, but because the road, undermined by the run of
waters in a thaw, becomes like the worst of rabbit warrens. And besides
this, the beaten path is so narrow that two mules meeting could not
keep it, and the one that leaves it flounders half buried in the snow.
Pass the other Portilia, not in so bad a state, at six leagues, and
reach Villarviejo, on the other side, at seven leagues. The general and
busy run of waters, as if to their appointed stations, calls forcibly
to my mind the description given by Milton of the assemblage of waters
at the great command to let dry land appear.
Scenery wild and very high.
Get put up at the curé’s house, which stinks excessively.
While cooking in the kitchen the whole family assembled round the fire,
pop on their knees as the curé rises, and say the Rosary aloud. “Santa
Maria! Madre de Dios!” is chimed out at the beginning of almost every
prayer.
Foster and I sleep in the same room with the curé, who blows like a
whale.
_January 7._--Start for Monterey. Excessive, heavy, and continued rain.
Overtake Colonel Peacock, in charge of £130,000, about four leagues
from Verin, which is at bottom, while Monterey is at top, almost
adjoining. Converse a good deal with him. Arrive at Verin completely
drenched.
These two days’ journeys, though each called seven leagues, are at the
lowest calculation eight.
About a league from Verin we are on a hill commanding a complete view
of it and the Valdi mountains, most beautiful and romantic, a fine
winding stream with green meads, and in the midst villages, woods,
groves, pastures, houses, gardens--the garden of Eden.
Find Mr. Murray at Verin. Consult. He has learned that the army was at
Lugo on the 5th, on which same day the English entered Orense. It is
therefore doubtful whether or no the English will be found there when
we arrive, the distance being ten leagues.
Get billets on an apothecary and go to bed. Much disturbed. Knocked up.
Sick and ill, and what rest soever my illness allowed was snatched away
by voracious and innumerable jumpers that bit me in all directions, and
where they did not bite they ran and hopped about my feverish body.
_January 8, Sunday._
Because I dare not touch them for my life,
Enticing grapes and honey were produced,
And when my parched palate prompts my hand,
My qualmish stomach sends its veto up.
Baboon-faced John projects my certain cure,
And gives me burnt bread sopped in scalding wine.
I go to the Corregidor, and there
Find Murray’s information is confirmed.
I write to Colonel Peacock, and resolve
To take the shortest road to Vigo Bay,
Passing the Minho, by a ferry boat....
Engage a mounted guide, and disfatigue
Our weary bodies with two hours’ repose.
Then, rising in the dark of night, we go
And wonder how the practised guide can find
The labyrinthine way, how he can tell
The rocks and waters manifold (from snow
Just thawed, and pushing for the lowest place)
With such sure step to evitate at night.
At last a little village we descry, and thunder at a cottage door, but,
alas! the inhabitants of this cottage persist in a death-like silence
and a dread repose. Thus we remain, we know not where, in a very cold
night. At length the guide goes to another house by himself, and gets a
Galician with straw torches, which are very pretty and convenient.
The road is very dreary and unpleasant, and still three leagues to
Villadita. On arriving we get a woman to show us the way to the
Corregidor’s. It was three o’clock in the morning. Corregidor looks
out of his window and says with a loud voice, “Alguacil.”[24] The
old Alguacil leads to one and another, but we make him give us a
smart-looking house with windows to it. The mistress makes a rail,
but first the maid comes to the balcony and says, “Good morning,
gentlemen.” “A curse, you ugly witch,” says Bernardo, “is this a time
for the compliments of the morning?” When we get into this house it
is so mouldy, forlorn, and faded fine that, late as it is, we try
another, where we find a man in bed in every nook and corner. Get very
comfortably lodged, and find that we are only nine leagues from Vigo.
_January 9, Monday._--Get a most excellent breakfast, and,
notwithstanding my increasing malady, I venture to swallow a quart of
rich new milk, which I have not tasted for a long time.
The people come and bother and say, “Behold here are two dear
Englishmen that don’t know what good news we have for them. The
English, pursued by the French, have headed round at Betanzos and
driven the French before them sixteen leagues, and orders are come to
halt the troops at Orense that were going to Vigo.”
Although I did not think this account entitled to credit, coming from
the Spaniards, who give and take lies with greater assurance and
credulity than any other people, I thought that I might so far trust
it as to the intelligence which respected Orense, only two and a half
leagues distant; and they said the ferry across the Minho was not
always passable.
Not feeling safe in the hands of the precarious, headlong Spaniards,
I was rather anxious to get to a British column, as the circumstances
of the evacuation would not be much longer in spreading, and who could
tell the impression it might create.
[A break occurs here in the Journal, but we know that Captain
Boothby was now on his way to join Sir John Moore at Corunna _via_
Vigo Bay, and the next tidings we hear from him occur in the
letters to his father and brother after the battle of Corunna.]
* * * * *
ON BOARD THE “BARFLEUR,” _Jan. 18, 1809_.
MY EVER DEAREST FATHER--I am very anxious that you should have a
line from me as soon as you will hear of the action of the 16th,
the result of which, had it not deprived us of Sir John Moore,
would have been everything that could be wished. He was killed by
a cannon shot early in the action, which tore away his shoulder.
He, however, lived till nine o’clock, being perfectly collected,
sensible, and great to the last.
The French in attacking us had at last complied with his most
earnest wishes, and the battle had the effect which he foresaw,
that of ensuring to us an unmolested and complete embarkation,
which took place the night of the action and yesterday, the French
contenting themselves with throwing a few shot among the shipping,
which, operating on the fears of the masters, caused two or three
transports to be lost. Otherwise it had the beneficial effect of
getting the fleet under way most expeditiously.
The action was very obstinate and warm, and lasted three hours.
It is the first I have been in. Our loss in killed and wounded,
particularly in officers, has been very severe, considering the
number of troops exposed to fire, which was not more than half the
army.