The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-12-29 00:00:00

10TH DECEMBER.

" As you are much ineeri.sted in the politics of
Spain, 1 shall give pm some news ; prriniaing that
the French have already continued to throw their
shut and shells muck farther than you supposed :
they have sent several shot as I Snrapnell-shells
into the barrack-yard, and td•inch shell, Gout
mortars to within 100 yards of the wells: all of
them were fired from the Napoleon Battery
• (4,600 yards off), which is not so near by 700 yards
as M AtegOrd4; so that whenever they con get their
works completed at the tatter, they sill throw a
range of some hundred yards into the town. Luckily
none were hit io the barrack-yard; but they have
min found out Some of our working parties, and
this morning lie first that they fired took off one
of the men's thighs.
" Slake has arrived here, after having got a
drubbing from Sebastiatii--the eirproses of his ex-
pedition were defrayed by our Aloha...odor out of
your pockets at home !—Sebastiani has nothing
to oppose him, and it is ivargintil he is now
opposite to us with 11,000 gun-boats
can do nothing here. for in every attack they
lied the thattenes too strong Soult continues
opposite—Ate', are building' more gun-boats
at St. Lucie and other parts. In het there is a
gloom which daily thickens over this Peninsula :
one good thing is, that we have got rid of the epi-
deans. Provisions are very dear at present. All
your accounts of the starvation end desertion of
the French turn out as 1 repeated, to be erroneous,
and reinforcements are constautly coming up to
them.-111 now let you into • piece of news
which I dare _say has mot yet transpired at home,
and is only known to a few here. 1 have opportuni-
ties which others have not, auil this you may rely
upon—Ferditiaod the Seventh is betrothed to a
daughter of the Emperor of Germany, sister to
Nap's wife !!!--.Tne Cortes have had tome private
Sittiings an the subject; tad 1 leave you to judge
what effect this is likely to have an the politics of
the country."
ILIMACT or a LIMES raoM at omens wren
ME 11LITtsti Atltillf IN 141,141:0•Ier
" Almerria, Portage', Nov. ea, tete.
" On the 15th instant, the whole of the French
army retired from their position in front of our
lines ; and ou the pith, Lord Wellington advaoced
with about half of his troops towards them ; we
marched after the einemy for several days with
all possible expedition. but we could Dot get
up with them till they had arrived at the heights
of Santarem, in a position which Lord Wellington
has deetu-d to, strong to be attacked. General
hill's division has since crossed the Tagus. and is
now immediately opposite the town of Sautarem,
where nearly the whole of the French force is con-
centrated ; bus the Tagus is between us, sod they
have no memos of crossing it. Lord Wellington is
on the other side of the enemy ; and there area con-
siderable numher of Portuguese troops. and our
19th Light Dragoon., at Abranten and the neigh-
bourhood, in their rear. Therefore, in case M asaens
attempts to retreat to Spain. as we imagine he
wishes to do, lie will wawa a eery great loss; and
it is certain that he will never get Lisbon with less
than 100,000 men, lie brooght about PO.OOO men
from Spain, but cannot um, have snore than ti 43.900
effective. Thebattle at Bunco cost him 10.000.50il
several thousand deserted taus, inoi•ly German...—
Oar myelin were very linguini:, as we generally
started at four o'clock in the iaiiriuug.and we sel-
dom arrived at our quarters for Cie iii.4ht till see or
seven in the evening, and se L.! rani aluiost fiery
day: when see came in. we sit to take pl.lP.ltfoSl.tll
of darted bowies, churches, hr alai pre-
pare for coeditor our breskfast. Our oxen ate
driven with u., and killed and made uee of im-
mediately on our arrival at a place of h Oar-
ing oar march on the other side of the 'logos, I
we, constantly oitliessing the horrors of oar—the
roils bring strewed with the carcasses of hones
and mules. and even in some places with human
he.hes ; •inl the towns auJ idlers comidetely
deserted : what furniture reinsiord was thrown into
I:io irreets aril nothing hut llt sliel!, of the hou-es
were left. We are wow in a eoi:utry what lye