The National Register.
London, England, 1808-10-24 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

passports for those Officer* were seni troni the foreign
Office, and at a few minutes after eight
,o'clock they set off
in a chaise avid four from Mr. Shaw's house, in Pimlico,
for Deal. They were but a few minutes gone, when Mr.
Shaw proceeded to Mr. Canning's office, and about three
hours after he was seen to pass over Westminster Bridge in
a chaise and four, from which it is supposed ise followed
the two Foreign Mes4engeli. Respecting the Latter, var.-
ous rumours pre ailed yesterday and the preceding 44ay. It
Was said, that both the Messengers were 11ns:dons, and that
the French Officer, who arriv ed in the flag of truce, had
been sent on board a ship of war in the l.onais. We can
undertake to say, that of the tvvo Courier.; who arrived on
Friday night, one was a Russian, and the other a
man. The former was clothed in a rich uniform and the
latter, who was plainly dressed, was recognized by several
persons about the Foicign Office.

Intelligence was received on Friday, by the Iris frig ate
from Spain. It proses the falsehood of a report. s%tiich
was very provident, a few days ago, of an engagement
having been fought on the Ist inst. ; in which the bpa
were said to have sustained a very considerable loss. The
positions of the two armies are such, however, that we may
expect from one day to another, news or the !ighe.3t.
portance. The following letter from a iiritish (Aker, '%
accompanies the army of General Blake, and has conse-
quently every means of obtaining- authentic information.,
will be read with interest. It contains a very circumstan-
tial account of the positions and relative of the
French and Spanish armies. The letter is as fofldws:

TRIAS, SEI'T. `i7, 1808.7
" As a courier is just setting out, I take the opportunity to
inform you, that every thing goes on here to- the inmost of our
wishes. The army of Ca-taros is at Levitt. A few days will
bring the enemy to a general action, the result of which cannot
be doubtful. Great discontents prevail among the evenly ;. and
;hey also labour under a scarcity of provisions. This army
gives a little disquiet to the right ; we shall close them to-mor-
row. I yesterday went with General Blake, close to .the ad-
vanced posts in order to recognuitre from a hill near Ona. We
plainly saw all the line and position in Nairanda and its vicinity.
Blake sees clear.
" The order of the enemy seem to be thus, (to use the words
of a Lieutenant Colonel, who deserted from the Frencit at VII-
' toria) ; Au yid elte s'est borne en appuyant les epaules de son
centre an Fort de Pampelune„i,ur proteger sees defiles dans lc
eas que lnm ne puisse sc tenir stir L'Ehro.—The right ap-
pose on the defile of l'ancorbo, irs contre being at Miranda nth
Ebro, the head-qm.rters of tho 5.,1-tii.stipt King. It tiles alt.ng
the Ebro to Legrano, the heaa quarters of the centre. The
left keeps up the communication ti:Tuye on the little moun-
tain of Lade, is hick is the head gnat ter- of Marshal .tloncey,
Ilis corps he says, is destined to keep in check Loreggo, a tat to
observe the Spanish corps at Callaborra and T %%100
threatens he says, to coo oft the communic:ition bet tt ern (be
left and the centre of the French army.
" This French Olticer adds, that there are in left of our side
10,000 men centre, 18,000 right. 15,000 : 60 pieces
of field artillery—nor does be diminish. According to thi, state-
ment, we are three times stronger than the enemy. Caiition,
indeed, is to be (Amerced in gicing credit to the statement of a
Frenchman.
—Timed Irlanao.s el deems i'erenles.
Now let me give you the amount of the Spanish force
a rll. Infant qt.
Castano's Army . . . . 2,-)00 OlO
Blake's ditto . . . . tiso `i:-„000
Cuesta's . . . . 1,500 ..... . 10,000
Llamas's . . . . 800
Palafox's 500
" In Asturias here are 18,000 men; besides armies of reserve
are forming in all the provinces to supply the respective (wet,.—
After this enumeration of our forces, can any fears be felt for
the result of the first general action."
According to this letter, the Spanish force, already

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