The Sun.
London, England, 1827-09-26 00:00:00

LISBON., SEPT. 15

(FROM OUR CORRICSFONDENT.)

Yesterday a portion of the British army had a grand
held-day and sham-fight, in Campo d'Ourique and the fields '
between that piece of ground and the Valley of Alcantar!a.
To avoid the heat of the day, operations did not commence
until a quarter before four o'clock in the evening. The
two battalions of Guards formed one party, supported Isy
four pieces of artillery; and commanded by Major-General
Sir 11. Bouverie. The other party consisted of the 63d
Foot, the 10th Hussars, and 12th Lancers, supported by
the same number of guns, and commanded by Alalor-Gen.
Sir Thos. Arbuthnot. The space was rather confined ;
but both parties showed considerable spirit, tact, and neat-
ness in their different movements;' and, as it is recorded
that a desperate engagement took place in the olden time,
on the same, spot, between the Moors and Poittigneie, it of
course rendered the ground more interesting. • The Guards
took up their position in front of art enclosure, on.which
the barracks• of one of the battalions stand, and which
forms one side of the Campo d'Ourique ;' the other party
occupied the rising ground in front of them. The Guards
Commenced the attack by throwing out their sharp-shooters,
and afterwards moving their columns and forming line,
which had a very fine and, imposing appearance. They
did not proceed far, however, before they were obliged to
retire to their original position ; birt, gathering fresh cou-
rage, they again moved forward, and ilrove the other party
within their supposed redoubts, beyond their first station.
The beautiful and quick • manlier in which the' Guards
formed their solitl•squares, tboth in their retreat and ad-
vance, to repel the repeated charges of the cavalry, excited
universal admiration. Part of their skirmishing party,
4owever, on the second advance, was cut off, and sur-
rloanded by a party of the 10th Hussars, in very neat style.
4--(The fine manceuvre.of forming squares was what baffled
to desperate efforts of the French Cuirassiers at Waterloo.)
1--The troops, at the conclusion of the fight, rested for a
Mort time on their arms; after which, the,whole formed
line, and marched past Sir W. Clinton. All the Dons of
Lisbon were present on the occasion, and seemed highly
gratified. •

I wish I could give you an equally pleasing account of
Political matters here,' which, I regret' to 'say, are' in a Sid
fLate. The poor weak woman who is at the heat! of 'al-
airs is so much under the influence of the Apostolicals,
that any good intentions of her own are brought to nothing
by, the religious craft which they use to work upon her
feelings. There has been another change of Ministers, in
which the Conde da Ponte and others have been excluded.
The publication of newspapers has been suspended, on ac-
count of some alleged misconduct of the censors, who have
been dismissed, so that the poor. Constitution is under a
cloud. Row matters will turn out it is difficult to con-
jecture ; bUt the month of October, in which Don Miguel
becomes of age; 'will, no doubt, bring some 'change. The
people seem to despair of Don Pedro's coming. • in Spain,
I understand, matters are still worse. The Intendant of
Police at Madrid is now here, after having fled from his
post, where he states he could not have remained any
longer with any degree of comfort .or safety. Oppression
and misery ate driving their ',halms beyond Imam en-
durance; but the presence and strength of the French army
render any effort to relieve themselves hopeless. Disturb-
ances and small insurrections have taken place, and it is
hard to say what desperate men may accomplish. The he._
lief amongst the greater portion of our army still is, that
we go horns soon ; but, as the writer in Moore's Alino-
nach has it, " there are signs of troubles in the times,"
and we may, therefore, not go home so soon as some of us
expect. • '