The Sun.
London, England, 1837-05-11 00:00:00

SPAIN.

SAN SEBASTIAN, MAY 4, Six A.M.--I have the pleasure
to acquaint you that yesterday the village of Loyola, and
all the heights and positions by which it is surrounded,
were taken possession of by the Queen's troops.
" This was done in a masterly manner, in pursuance of a
previously well-arranged plan, and with only the loss of two
Chapelgorris killed and three wounded ; a midshipman of
the Spanish navy, and two or three Spanish and one Eng-
lish soldier were slightly wounded.
At two, p.m., a sufficient number of pontoons having
previously been floated up the river Urumea, were thrown
across it and formed into a floating-bridge. This service
was well performed by a detachment of British sailors,
under the command of Lieutenant the Hon. Plunkett,
commanding his Majesty's ship Royalist, and by some
Spanish seamen belonging to the gun-boats, together with
a body of the Sappers and Miners of the British Legion ;
the whole being under the able superintendence of Major
Humphrey, commanding the engineering department of the
British Auxiliary Legion. The enemy made scarcely any
resistance to this operation, only a few shots having been
fired upon the party employed in making the bridge ; which,
having been completed, about six thousand troops passed
over it, and immediately occupied the village, together
with the heights and picket-houses by which it is sur-
rounded, the enemy firing with little or no effect from be-
hind their parapets.

. .
The artillery and rocket brigade of the Legion covered
the advance of the Queen's forces, as did the British
Royal and Marine Artillery, under the orders of Colonel
Colquhoun. Several wounded Carlists were perceived be-
ing carried off the ground.
At the close of the day we were in possession of all the
heights and houses as far as a building called the Casa de
Aguirre, overlooking Astigarraga, and the plain on which it
is situated on the one side, and an extensive tract of country
on the other. This advanced post was occupied by three
companies of Chapelgorris.
As much ground was thus gained in one day as was taken
possession of in three, during the operations from the 10th
to the 14th of March ; our positions being the same as
those we occupied on the morning of the 15th of Mardi.
Good quarters have been obtained for the troops, and our
renewed operations have so far commenced well.

The bearing of the British Legion was highly creditable ;
and I feel thoroughly convinced that if that force had been
called into action it would have distinguished itself as it has
done on so many brilliant occasions.

On the eveninc, of the Ist inst., his Majesty's steamer
Phoenix arrived from Portugalete with 1,100 Spanish troops,
viz., 500 belonging to the Bourbon Regiment, and half a
battalion of the Royal Guard. General Gurrea also cam 3
in that vessel. On the same day, General Seoane (Colone,
de Senhilles) arrived from Bayoane, whither these officers'
had been to confer with General Harispe.
It would appear that 40,0001. sterling has already arrived
at Bayonne, in money and good commercial bills, to pay the
troops ; the whole sum on its way is said to be 120,0001.
of which 80,0001. or 85,0001. are to be applied to paying
arrears due to the British Legion—a great portion of whom
would probably re-engage if their present claims were justly
attended to.

ELEVEN P.M., MAY 4.—At about ten this morning the
enemy opened a fire from one of the redoubts to our left
of the Yenta-hill upon this Casa de Aguirre. They have
two guns mounted on this redoubt, and they have thrown
nearly thirty shot from them in the course of the day,
without, however, wounding a man. One shot hit the
house, and several others fell within our parapet. A party
of Carlists crept down to within half a musket-shot of
where some men were working, and fired so sharply upon
them as to force them to retire for the moment ; but the
former were speedily driven back. There are two mere
guns on the other redoubt near Oriameudi, and two others
in a battery erecting in front of the church of Astigarraga,
at which place there is a depot of bedding, &c., for the
reception of wounded men. Although they do not show
many troops, there can be no doubt but that the Carlists
are concentrating a very large force in this neighbourhood ;
and it appears that the ex-Infante's (Don Sebastian) head-
quarters are at Oyarzun. The insurgents.have three pieces
of artille,ry at Tolosa, and four guns Lunt two mortars at
Villabona.

The Rhadamanthus and Phoenix have arrived from Por-
tugalete with 1,900 more fine troops ; one of the regiments
is the Ist Provincial Battalion of the Royal Guard. New
clothing and shoes are issuing to several of the Spanish re-
giments. The men of the British Legion are perfectly well
clothed and equipped.
It is impossible to form a correct opinion as to the period
or nature of the forthcoming operations. There are still a
considerable number of troops to come ; 400 cavalry, and a
number of horses and mules : all this and other arrange-
ments may occupy ten days or a fortnight.