The Sun.
London, England, 1833-08-21 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

OPORTO, AUG. S.
The "Etna discovtly ship and Buren cutter being mo-
mentarily expectA to sail for England, I hasten to inform
you that 111p::shal Bourtnont, with 3,000 men, has left
the lines before Oporto, and marched to Coimbra,
whit'.,er he was followed by a regiment of cavalry, corn-
raanded by Viscount Torrabella. Many of the heavy guns
hearing on the city are removing to the fortress of
Almeida ; those, however, commanding the entrance of
the river remain. In all appearance an attempt will be
made to retake Lisbon. 136 French officers have,
Within these few days, joined, the Migulite army,
many of them coming through Spain. That kingdom
itself is strongly suspected of an intention to declare im-
mediately for the usurper, who has repassed the Douro
three days ago, and had got as far as Carvalho, on his
progress to the southward. Twenty.three deserters came
in yesterday, and twenty more this morning. An officer
presented himself, also offering to make important disclo-
sures, but he was put into confinement until his facts are
on6rmed.
The Wine Company received notice to remove their
wines from the ledges, at Villa Novo, within three days,
under pain of the casks being staved. The time expires
to-day, and the circumstance has, of course, excited much
alarm. It seems, however, a contrivance to enable B tron
Huber, the agent of the Miguelite loan, to make a pur-
chase of the same on easy term., as Don Miguel owes
him a large sum, which he wishes to liquidate in this
way. This wine, about 20,000 pipes, was originally
confiscated by Don Pedro, but, unfortunately, not ree
moved before the evacuation of Villa Nova, which frus-
trated the attempt of making it the basis of a Constitu-
tional Loan Negotiation in London. The Baron has,
therefore, applied to General Saldanha, to allow him to
ship it unmolested, in consideration of which Don Miguel
offers to raise the blockade of the Douro for six weeks,
sensible perhaps of his inability to maintain it any longer
at present without cramping his military operations in the
interior, and particularly to the southward. This pro-
posal has occasioned much anxious deliberation at head-
quarters, the Commander-in-Chief, though invested
with full powers, having no instructions on this unfore-
seen emergency. The British authorities wets consulted,
and seem to be equally perplexed as to the manner in
which British interests may be affected by the result.
The Miguelite Commander-in-Chief leaves the third
division—the elite of his army—in the lines of Oporto,
which is numerically stronger than the Constitutional
forces in it; but whether the rest takes up a position on
the Tamega, in Tras-os-Montes, or in Beira Alta, we are
yet to learn. It is much regretted that the proposed oc-
cupation of Villa Nova by the marines of Admiral Par-
ker's fleet has not taken place. That important position
is now garrisoned by volunteers and fresh troops from the
interior, who keep up a perpetual fire of musketry, to
prevent the approach of boats favouring desertion ; not-
withstanding which fugitives are daily coming over, and
even provisions and live stock. A French officer, the
chief of Marshal Bourmont's Staff, arrived yesterday at
Villa Nova, and is reported to have used very strong lan-
guage as to the eventual measures of defence to be em-
ployed. Great apprehensions are entertained that prior
to the ultimate evacuation the place may be set on fire,
destruction being the aim of the desperate and reckless
enemy. The wine lodges of Villa Nova are computed to
contain 80,000 pipes—equivalent to one year's produce
—the spoliation and destruction of which would spread
ruin far and wide. A contribution or salvage of one
ruoidore per pipe has also been talked of, by way of a
feeler, but there is no probability of so impolitic a measure
being acceded to.

There is no fear for the safety of Oporto, should even
the enemy execute his threats of another attack. The
Constitutional troops, though diminished by near 1,000
men, put hors de combat during the battles of the sth and
25th of July, are in the highest spirits, and ready to take
the field in offensive operations.

OPORTO, AUG. 10.
At last the besieging army of Oporto is breaking up
from some of its positions round this town, and the 12
months of close blockade it has endured is on the point of
terminating. Yesterday morning, at daylight, the Migue-
lite batteries of Monte Crasto, Ervilha, and Seralves, were
found abandoned, and immediately occupied by the Con-
stitutionalists, who hoisted the Queen's standard in each
of them. The enemy had withdrawn the cannon the
night before, and burnt some of the stockades. The Fort
de Queijo, the Camp of Matozinbos, Lessa, St. Gens, and
N. S. da Boa flora, were likewise evacuated as far as
Pedroa do Logoa, but he still occupied the road to Braga,
and his old head quarters of St. Mamedo de Infesto, with
a considerable force, and in the evening sent a strong
column to reconnoitre westward. The Miguelite troops
still remaining on the north side of the Douro seem to
have concentrated themselves on the Tamego, making
Amarante their place d'armes and d'appui. The country
people for miles ronnd flocked to town to observe the
havock made by the bombardment, and seemed surprised
to see so much of it still standing; they brought cattle
and provisions of all kinds, but some of the foreign troops
made them bad returns for their sympathy, several
straggling parties having been on a maurading expedi-
tion to Matozinhos, from whence sad complaints arrived
this morning.
That part of Don Miguel's army which crossed over to
the south side of the Douro has taken up a position at
Grijo and Carvalho, three leagues south of Villa Noa de
Gaya, which is still occupied by them, as well as the
whole south shore, ready to march towards Lisbon, or
attack Saldanha, should he enter Villa Nova, the bridge
having already been reconstructed. Don Miguel has is-
sued a proclamation to the people and army, commanding
a levee en masse in vindication of the throne and altar.
This may be considered the Usurper's last kick. When
he talks of the natural clemency of his Royal mind, and
ascribes the capture of the fleet and capital to venalty and
treason, without the least bravery on the part of the con-
querors, one must pity the ignorance of the people to
whom such silly excuses are addressed. I beg leave to
annex a translation of this delectable morceau.
On Thursday 40 deserters came in, yesterday 23, and
this morning 36, of whom 14 were cavalry mounted on
decent horses, five dismounted dragoons, two army
couriers, and the rest Royalist volunteers, some of whom
swam across the Douro. About 250 men have deserted
in this vicinity from the Usurper since the battle of the
2ath July. This is well, but not enough to cause the
dissolution of his army, which has still a retreat to Vizeu
and Almeida, in Upper Beira, open, but may resume the
offensive, as happened in the Algarve, when the Royalists
re-occupied Villa Nova, de Portemao, and Sylves. Their
resources are, however, daily shrinking—the spell being
once broken. Still the Constitutionalists must not relax
in their efforts in the field, nor trust too much to the
crimes and atrocities of the intrusive Government being
revealed by myriads of liberated prisoners, and working
its fall ; scarce a day passes without some of the victims
of despotism returning with an eye poked out, or being
otherwise mutilated. Several British soldiers, taken last
year at Pena6el, have arrived here, as well as Dr. Sanlin,
of the 3d British battalion, taken prisoner the 24th Ja-
nuary at Navagilda, who was cruelly beaten with sticks,
and treated with great brutality, and much abused by Sir
J. Campbell himself.
The wine question with the Company is not yet settled.
The term of three days allowed for the removal of 20,006
pipes belonging to it at Villa Nova, expired on Thursday
noon, when the Miguelite Commander threatened forthwith
to stave the casks. Captain Glasscock called at 1 o'clock,

UTU, A UG9.
The Government cutter Sparrow,VALK LieO
ut. Riley,. arrived
here this afternoon, from Portugal. She left Lisbon on
the Stb, and Oporto on the 11th, with mails and de-
spatches; the latter for our Government. The accounts
by this vessel are again important and unexpected, as an.
nouncing the fact of General Bourmont's having, on the
7th instant, raised the siege of Oporto, and with the
whole Miguelite army, with several pieces of cannon,
directed bis march towards the capital, which it was be.
lieved he intended to attack, after effecting a junction with
the late garrison of Lisbon, now at Torres Vedra.,
amounting to 4,100 raen. General Saldanha, by his
opponent's movement towards the South, took possesaion
of the lines northward, and intended occupying Villa Nova
without loss of time. Colonel Bacon, with the Lancers,
occupied Meteauchas. The Douro was free for vessels to
enter on the 11th, the batteries commanding beiag
abandoned.
The intelligence from Lisbon represents the Duke of
Terceira as particular l. active in bringing his forces into
a full and efficient stat, marching to the northward.
In Dumber they are states to be on the approach to
..eO,OOO men, and were expected to leave in a few days,
when they would, no doubt, come in collision with the
army under Bourmont. That General is understood to
have procured a considerable number of French volunteers
to command with him during the next attack. They are
represented as officers possessing considerable military
ability, and have reached head-quarters through Spain.
The Royalists, by these accounts, seem determined to make
a desperate effort to regain the capital. We may, there-
fore, expect to bear by another arrival that a battle has
been fought by the rival armies of a very decisive nature,
and such as will entirely remove all doubts as to whom
shall be the future ruler of Portugal. Admiral Napier,
with the major part of his fleet, continued in the Tagus
refitting.