The Sun.
London, England, 1832-09-07 00:00:00

ALMEIDA.

The fortress of Almeida is situated in the
dprovince of Beira, on an extensive plain, about
a mile from the river Coa. There is no object,
such as a house, village, or hatiet, to be found
within a mile and a half of the town, not even
a tree, to cover the approach of an enemy.
About a good league (huma legea boa I means
tiredly speaking, any thing a little better than
Eve or six English miles) from Almeida, on the
road to Ciudad Rodrigo, was the fort called La
Conceptiao, but it was totally destroyed during
the last war, as was indeed the town of Alm6da;
for, at the time I was there, there were not
above forty or fifty habitable houses in it.
During the time the French were before it,
it so happened that about lout hundred
artillerymen were in the citadel drawing
their rations, when the great magazine exploded ;
the citadel in an instant was a heap of ruins,
and every man in it was killed. The town
shared the same fate ; every person in the houses
was unshed under the ruins ; many in the
streets shared the same fate, and none were saved
except those on duty on the ramparts. How
this dreadful accident happened may be sur-
mised, but cannot easily be ascertained. When
I was there in 1812 all was a heap of ruins.
After this explosion the French got possession
and kept it till they were nearly starved by the
blockade of the British. They, however, de-
stroyed the works and got out, through the
British lines, without wakening a single sentry.
The British, of course, took possession of the
ruins, and a Portuguese garrison was placed in
it, After the retreat of the allies from Burgos
the army moved into cantonments near Almedia,
head-quarters being about four leagues off at
Frenada. The garrison then consisted of a dis-
mounted regiment of Portuguese cavalry, two
regiments of militia, and one company of the
Royal British Artillery, under the command of
Colonel Le Nlesurie, a British officer in the
Portuguese service. The works were then not
quite repaired, and there was a very great scarcity
of cannon and ammunition, as well as forage
and provisions. The Governor was most atten-
tive to the works. The British artillery, such as
were out of hospital (for this company formed
the battering train at Burgos) were employed
teaching the Portuguese to make grape-shot,
and other things necessary. (There were only
two grape-shot in the garrison when they went
there .) Luckily for the garrison, the French
did not venture so far, though many was the
sleepless nights they caused us. Of course now
all the works are repaired, though but a few of
the houses have been rebuilt, on account of the
number of dead bodies buried in them. Another
explosion took place afterward in 1812. A
Spaniard had stolen some powder from Ciudad
Rodrigo, and deposited it under the counter in
a wine-shop. The old woman, ignorant of its
being there, was looking for something with a
pipe in her moth, when it blew up, and she and
eleven persons were killed. One man was drawn
out unhurt. Old Father Kelly, an Irish priest,
well known to the soldiers, was killed there.
The writer of this saw the eleven buried to-
gether, in one hole, near the citadel. The
works of Almeida are nearly a regular octagon ; it
is the most regular work in the Peninsula. There
are not many Outworks, and none farther than
the ravelins, covert way, and glacis. Being
situated on a slightly rising ground, on an ex-
tensive plain, and not commanded within more
than cannon shot, if properly defended, it should
hold out long. It is about four leagues from the
Spanish frontier, and about six from Ciudad
Rodrigo. On the road from Oporto the nearest
town of any consequence is Pinkel, which is a
curious place, situated on a hill, with some works
of little consequence. The road from here passes
the Coa, a deep and rapid river. The bridge
near Almeida is over a deep ravine, with tre-
mendous rocks on both sides ; the scenery is
most wild and romantic. Part of the bridge
was destroyed, but rebuilt with wood. Some
distance above, there is a deep ford, whence a
good road was made by the British, for the
battering trains to go to Ciudad Rodrigo.
Such are the localities of Almeida and its vici-
nity.---From a Correspondent of the Caledonian
Mercury.

firm of the Russian army. The oath which they have to
take contains an infinite number of obligations with respect
to the use of arms and an engagement to lend their a.sistance
in adding to the Russian dominions, arid to the number of
his Maje%ty'a subjects, ail these regulations, with the
new levy, the ntmber of conscripts amounts to 25,000
men ; thetre Iter part of the Male population, and al-
most all the young men of education, are lost to their
country..

‘" it is imps.sible (says one letter ) to describe the si-
tuation of families on the publication of this order ; de-
spair and shame are on tOery countenance.' All those
who were taken is!riAnners during the campaign, and have
since lieeu 'Sent to the interior of Russia, were obliged to
enter the different corps stationed it Stliai•ia.
A letter has reached WaFjaW from a young man of good
family, whose pat'Z'als are very rich. He was taken at the
h-ginnittg of the war, and is now a common Cossack,
4,100 wersts from Warsaw. The Polish officers who re-
turned, confiding in the amnesty, are still left unmolested :
they receive a moderate pay, and are allowed to enter the
the Russian army, a permission of which they do not avail
themselves. At the beginning of April, General Rautens-
trauch istued an invitation to all officers of the en-
gineers to accept places in the Russian service, holding
out to them the most advantageous prospects of rapid pro-
motion, giving them to kinderstand that they would be
employed only in ilirecting the works of the fortress of
Modlin and the citadel of Warsaw. Not one answered
to fhb invitation. They have all declared that they
would not wear any Russian uniform ; but they offered
their services in civil employments.
The same proposal was made to 26 Polish officers,
who returned from Russia, where they were at the be-
ginning or: the war, and had been detained, so that they
could not he implicated in the resolution ; they refused in
like manner. So much offence was taken at this in a
high quarter, that each of them was called upon to give
a declaration in writing of the motives of his refusal."—
Allgemeine Zeitung, Sept.
(To be ci

,ntinued.)

DAY AT ONK O'CLOCK.

New 5 per Cent.
India Stock
Ditto Bonds
South Sea Stoek 5 4 pm.
93%
Old Annuities
New Ditto ............ 83
3 per Cent. Ann. T 751 -
Ex. Bills, ..-Ci,oon l4 15 pm.
14 15 pm.
Ditto Small
Ditto Commercial pm.
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Bank for Accoun.
llndia for Account -
COOL for Oct. 12 843,E

THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
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Ditto Account
Portuguese Bonds
I Ditto Account 47,4
Regency Scrip 4% 5 dis.
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Prussian Bonds 99
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Ditto Bonds, 1822.-- 10014
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Ditto Account

Neva Loan 93
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Ditto Account 113%;
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Ditto Account
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Exchange ...... —f —c.
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PRICES OF SHARES THIS DAT AT ONZ O'CLOCK.
Paid. Per Share.
Anglo Mex. Min. Co. (iss. at 5/. pm.) £loo 76
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British Iron Mining Company. £so
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Australian Co.
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3&4
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4!4
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X I 5 0
7

PRICES OF IRISH STOCXS, DUBLIN, SEPT. 4.

Bank Stock
St. Patrick lnsur.(perShare)
Consols, 3 ner cent
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t per Cent Hibernian Bank 20%
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Royal Canal Stock ..«..... Royal Irish Mine
Grand Canal Stock — Imperial Mine
City Deh. 4 per cent.... Mining Co. of Ireland
llallast Office Deb. 4ix c. Commercial Buildings

HAILS.
arrived. Due. Arri,eti.
0 America 0 0 Hamburg
O Brazil
O Buenos Ayres 0 0 Jamaica. 0
0 Carthagena 0 1 Leeward Islands ... 0
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O Guernsey &Jersey.. 0 ' 1 Waterford

Due.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW.
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