The country, which near Andujar is level and rich, soon became poor and rocky, and continued so to Baylen; an insignificant town four leagues from Andujar, where we arrived at an early hour, and found wretched accommodation; it having suffered greatly from the French, who at this time occupied a large and strong Moorish castle on the left entering the town. Here the army of Dupont, consisting of eight thousand men, laid down their arms to the Spaniards, commanded by Castanos, Reding and Venagas. This check caused Buonaparte to send a fresh army of two hundred thousand veterans into Spain, to ensure its conquest; an event which, at the moment I am writing this, is certainly as far distant as ever, after the loss of half a million of French soldiers and, indeed, it requires little penetration to discover, that the exterminating system of warfare adopted by France, although it might succeed in a country where the inhabitants could be hemmed into a little space, must inevitably fail in one so extensive and so naturally strong as Spain. Cruelty, therefore, serves only to exasperate the whole nation, of which, while one individual remains, the remembrance will never be obliterated. The assembly of the Cortes has infused a new spirit into the Spanish people, who look with confidence to the wisdom of this august body, for the salvation of their country and the preservation of their liberty. It was a similar confidence in their Congress that carried the Americans through every difficulty to final success, and similar causes produce similar effects.

Quitting Baylen early in the morning of the 23d, we passed through Guaraman, the first of a chain of villages built by Charles the Third, for the reception of a colony of Germans, which he established in the Sierra Morena. This village is regularly built, and the houses exactly alike, but they were now totally deserted, in consequence of the French invasion. Indeed the colony never arrived at any great prosperity; and perhaps it may be admitted as an axiom in politics, that the mere will of the sovereign is totally inadequate for forcing the progress of industry, commerce, or manufactures, and more particularly the latter, whose birth is in general spontaneous, and their growth the effect of local causes and circumstances.

From Guaraman we approached the colonial town of Carolina by a fine shaded alley, with rich gardens on each side. This town, as well as five others which we passed through in the Sierra, is surrounded by a wall, with loop holes, and has been regularly fortified by the French, by whom, however, several of the houses have been burnt, and most of the inhabitants had fled. In short, the cruelty and exactions of the invaders have caused this tract of country to be nearly deserted, and hence the grounds remaining uncultivated, the French find it extremely difficult to subsist themselves; thus, in every respect, their exterminating system injures their cause.

At Carolina we put up at a large inn built with cut stone, which however did not afford a single convenience, not even shelter from the weather; for the windows and doors had been burnt and the roof destroyed, so that the wind and sleet found a free entrance into every apartment: it is not therefore surprising that we were anxious to quit this scene of desolation, and at break of day (November 24), resumed our route over a most barren tract, and through two colonial villages, both destroyed, and arrived at St. Helena, six leagues from Carolina, and similar to it. This is the last of the colonial towns, it is situated at the foot of the Sierra, and is now totally abandoned. Here we received information that the brigands meditated an attack on the convoy; and the troops in consequence bivonaqued round the town, and other precautions were taken. In a council of war, composed of the principal officers of the escort, it was determined that the Spanish prisoners should be indiscriminately put to death at the moment of attack, and they were accordingly tied two and two, to wait their fate. With this resolution I was made acquainted the following morning by Monsieur Garnier, who added, that “it had been determined to spare the English prisoners, because they were sure they would join in repelling the brigands.” My only acknowledgment of this favour was by replying, “that we had six Frenchmen at least in England for one Englishman in the power of the French, and that certainly any violence perpetrated on an individual subject of England, would be severely retaliated; that for my own part, I had no fears either for my personal safety or for that of any one of my countrymen, fellow prisoners; and I was sure the commander of the convoy must reflect, that any atrocity of this nature would not only subject him to the execration of mankind, but that he would also be answerable to his own nation for sullying its honour, and to the whole civilized world, for a violation of the laws of war, as well as of the principles of humanity.” I immediately retired, and put on my uniform.

Towards the foot of the Sierra, among a profusion of romantic views, are many defiles, in passing which the convoy might certainly have been attacked to the greatest advantage: and indeed the expectation of it was so great, that every preparation was made for it; the individuals of the civil part of the escort arming themselves according to their fancy, with guns, swords, or pistols, and some with all three, while their martial appearance was increased by an immense cocked hat, generally stack on over a red night cap. At length we reached the famous Penon de los Peros, a tremendous rocky precipice, from the sides of which a great variety of large trees and shrubs grew out in such a manner, as, on a cursory view, to create astonishment how they could vegetate amidst such barrenness; but a nearer examination shews that the rock is split in every direction, and the cavities filled with rich and humid mould, in which the trees strike their roots, while the rock, which is calcareous, affords a prolific warmth that renders the vegetation extremely luxuriant. At the foot of the precipice flows a river, which was now much swollen by recent rains, and increased the romantic effect of the landscape. Near the precipice is a drawbridge, and on the left of the latter some elevated batteries, commanding others beneath them, the possession of which, had the brigands attempted an attack, would have been of much consequence to the convoy. Farther in advance were the remains of several other batteries, all commanding this formidable pass, which it was expected in England would have prevented the penetration of the French army into Andalusia.

Accompanied by General Briott and several French officers, I visited this pass, and found that, like most defiles, its appearance of strength is very deceitful; but even the Spaniards did not know how, or neglected, to make the most of its natural advantages. The sites of their batteries were ill chosen, being commanded on all sides by musquetry, and therefore at the mercy of an enemy who might gain the heights in their rear, or turn their flanks; both of which the French succeeded in. In the passage of the French army, Joseph Buonaparte commanded the centre, with Marshal Soult and General Desolles. Marshal Victor’s corps proceeded to the right three days before the movement of the centre, and entered the Sierra nearly opposite Cordova, advancing in the rear of the Spaniards, with the intention of turning their left; while Sebastiani’s corps advanced on the left, in order to turn their right; and thus the Spanish army being flanked and commanded on every side, fled in all directions, with scarce any resistance, and left the French an undisputed passage into the heart of Andalusia. This unexpected misfortune was attempted to be accounted for in various ways, and many persons attributed it to treachery; but this idea, when the nature of the pass, and the force of the Spaniards are considered, must be abandoned; for, first, there was no natural protection for either of the flanks, such as a swamp or river; and, secondly, the Spanish army was barely sufficient to defend the road by which it was to be presumed the French would attempt to pass; as the latter had several other points open to them, by which they might cross the mountains, whose extent is so great, that their general defence requires a force greatly superior to what Spain and her allies could at this time have spared for the purpose. The less the event was expected, the greater was the consternation on its arrival, and the Junto of Seville, who had placed entire confidence in this Thermopylæ of Spain, was cautiously and tediously proceeding in its deliberations, without having once thought of providing against a disaster, which it had not the most distant idea could ever arrive.