The Sun.
London, England, 1832-11-29 00:00:00

OPORTO.

Extract of a letter from a gentleman just arrived
by the Numa transport, from Oporto, which place
she left on the 18th instant :--
" On Saturday, the 17th, another sortie was
made by Pedro's troops from the points of Bomfim
and Agoa Ardente, in whiCh they not only destroyed
the whole of the enemy's encampment in front of
the centre of the lines, and likewise Santa Martha's
head-quarters, but brought away the whole of their
stores, sufficient to supply the garrison in bread,
beef, fresh pork, Indian corn, and barley, for two
months. At the same time the country people took
the opportunity of driving into Oporto a great
number of oxen, pigs, and sheep. This affair, by
all I could learn from friends previous to our de-1
parture, had quite restored that confidence which
certainly was much shaken by the former sortie on
she Villa Nova side on the 14th, which, although
anything else than a iilure, was most injudicious,
and unfortunately thought so by every person in
Oporto.
" The encampment destroyed contained from
2,000 to 3,000 men in straw tents, in about twenty
long rows, within about a mile and three-quarters
distance from the line.
" The English brigade was out, but not engaged;
the Lancers accompanied them, more, 1 fancy, for
show than anything else. They make a fine ap-
pearance, and are about 200 strong; the only indi-
vidual of them wounded was Major Shaw, shot
through the leg by a chance ball."

(From the Times.)
The steam-boat the London Merchant arrived
last night at a late hour in the river, having left
Oporto on the 22d inst., and Vigo on the 23d.
It has brought the Marquis of Palmella on an im-
portant mission, with despatches for our Govern-
ment from Colonel Hare and the English Consul at
Oporto.
The news brought by this conveyance are of great
interest, though we cannot now enter into details.
The sortie which took place on the nth had
been crowned with complete success, the Constitu-
tionalists having dispersed 2,000 of Don Miguel's
troops and destroyed their batteries.
Another sortie was projected against Villa Nova,
with 0,000 men, to terminate the annoyrnces of thi
enemy on that side of the city.
Admiral Sartorius, in his flag-ship, the Don
Pedro, had put into Vigo-bay with all his squadron.
He intended, as soon as the weather offered any
chance of landing troops, to return to Oporto, and
to convey troops thence for disembarkation at
Figuerias, or on the coast further to the south.
But probably the most interesting part of the in-
telligence to Englishmen brought by this steamer,
is what concerns our own navy, and the steps which
we shall be obliged to take to punish insult and to
assert the national honour. The military comman-
ders of Don Miguel have forbidden our vessels of
war to enter the Douro for the pro,ection of British
subjects in the conflicts between the parties. They
have, we are informed, even fired upon them from
the shore when tempting to pass the bar. The Ravetz
cutter was compelled by this means to retire, after
receiving sixteen shots.
We need not say that such insults cannot longer
be borne, and that the Government would be want-
ing in their duty to the country if they allowed them
to as with impunity.
Perhaps the mission of the Marquis of Palmella
may not be unconnected with these events; and
if he likewise derives aid from the present position
of Spanish affairs, in inducing Lord Palmerston to
take a more decided course than he has hitherto
pursued, his arrival will make an important epoch
in the history of the Portuguese contest.

" PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESDAY EVENING,NOV. 28.
" Don Pedro really seems to be in a difficult situ-
ation. The Swallow cutter, Adams, master, has
just returned from the entrance of Oporto, which she
left on the 19th, having been unable to manage an
entrance into the Douro. On the 18th, when she
arrived there, she understood the Raven English
man-of-war cutter intended to go over the bar with
communications to our ships lying in the river : she
therefore, with the Osprey, intended to take the
same opportunity, and get in, if possible. The
Osprey was loaded with shot, shell, and ammuni-
tion, and the Swallow had about 80 men on board ;
however, as soon as the three vessels got within
range of Miguel's battery at the south entrance of
the river, it opened a file on them, and with very
good cl,rection. About 21 shots were fired, when
the three craft wined tail, and stood out in
the offing again, and had no communication
with Oporto. It appears that Adams, the master
of the Swallow, allowed two officers, who were
passengers, to attempt to get to Don Pedro, in a
fishing vessel, with a letter to the Minister at War,
stating what reinforcement was outside the bar,
and requesting water and provisions, but as no re-
ply was sent out, it is strongly suspected the fisher-
men carried the two officers to Miguel; certain it is,
the sortie we have heard so much of on the 17th,
could not have been very successful, or else the
battery which prevented the entrance of these vessels
would have been destroyed.
" The Miguelites had possession of the country
between Oporto and the spot where Don Pedro
originally landed, and therefore these reinforcements
could not be landed there, the shore being swept by
two strong batteries, and a constant look-out kept
up. The Swallow was obliged to return for fear of
a want of waier and provisoes, and therefore of the
real state of affairs inside the Douro, we are as much
in the dark as ever."

The Colonelcy of the 86th Regiment of Foot
is vacant, by the death of the Earl of KILMOREY.
MADAME JUNoT.--The English Transla-
tion of the Fourth Volume of this Lady's Memoirs, corn-
prising the 7th and Sth volumes, just published, of the
French edition, is now on the eve of appearance. The
same delightful gossip which characterised the former por-
tions of the work, will be found to pervade the present
volume. As the narrative proceeds to detail the more re-
cent, and of course grander, events in the life of the Em-
peror, it be omen doubly attractive. The reader will not
be a little surprised at the new light which the authoress
has thrown upon many mysterious transactions which
other biographers have in vain a►tempted to elucidate,
particularly Justar's secret mission to Portugal.
HABITS OF THE WOLF.—Asafaitida has
a remarkable eff-ct on this animal. If, when a fire is
m,de in the woods, a portion of this drug is thrown on it,
so as to saturate the atmosphere with the odour, the wolves
within reach of the scent immediately assemble round,
bowling in the most mournful manner ; and such is the
remarkable fascination under which they seem to labour,
that they often suffer themselves to be shot down ra-
ther than quit the spot.
SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE—A young man,
who resides near the foot of the stupendous and fir-famed
Skiddaw, having, for a long time, had an inveterate
hatred to a mischievous •' Tom Cat" (which belonged to
a ne..r neighbour), chancing the other night to be out
rather late, found the family with which he lived, all in
bed ; and on his opening the door, Tom, as was usual on
those occasions, made the best of his way past him, having
previously satisfied his gentle appetite, on the young
tn's supper, which had been set out preparatory to his
arrival. Enraged at the circumstance, Tom was pur-
sued with gun in hand, the pursuer being determined to
put in practice his long projected p'an of shooting the
thief, and thereby preventing all further depredations.
On cauticut,ly looking over the wall of an adjoining
garden, in which it was Tom's custom to halt a little,
after having committed one of those wilful tres-
passes, he espied, as he thought Tom, washing hi,
face with his fore paw. Alter taking good aim, he
fired, and immediately there issued forth most pitiable and
distressing cries. Judging that Grimalkin was not quite
dead, he leaped over the wall and heinhoured Tom most
unmercifully with his strong shoes, until life was entirely
extinct, leaving his body 'for interment on the following
rot rning. At the dawn of day he went forth for the
purpose of interring the criminal, when to his agreeable
astoni.liment,instefd of the rapacious Tom Cat, it tumid
out that the ohj.ct upon which he had so unscrupulously
gratified the full force of his long premeditated revenge,
due to the thievish cat, was a very fine Slb. hare, which
bad been feeding on same btocoli pl:nts!--117hiteltaren
Herald.