Star.
London, England, 1808-09-06 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

COIMBRA, AtI.GUST ss.
The following is an extract of a letter from Obidos,
dated the 21st inst.
" The English army, consisting of 17,000 men,
began their march for Caldas on the 14th histint.
The French were no sooner informed of their ap-
proach, than they precipitately retired from Aljubar-
rota to Obidos, without firing a single shot.
On Altiticlay the 15th, the English, on entering
Obidos, were attacked in the evening by the French
advanced guard, who nevertheless speedily fled to
Dethe army under the command of Thomiers and
De Laborde, posted at the distance of a league from
that town, at Rolissa and Columbeira.
66 Here a most obstinate engagement took place
on the 17th ; and, notwithstanding the enemy's ad-
vantageous positions on the summits of the neigh-
bouring mountains, the English carried every thing
before them, and attacking the French with their ar-
tillery, they compelled them to fly in dismay, and
pursued them as far as Cruz da Miseractrdia, situa-
ted beyond the village of Zambejeira. The chasseurs
of Oporto were engaged in this glorious- action, and
accompanied the English rifle corps in their advance
to the heights of Montanha, which are covered with
a very thick brushwood.
66 The engagement lasted from eight in the morn-
ing until five in the afternoon ; the fury manifested_
on both sides exceeded all description : but victory
• declared for us, and the French fled, directing their
retreat• towards Torres Vedras. De Laborde was
badly wounded in the neck. The French had
1500 killed, and we have 300 of their wounded in
our hospitals. •
" On Thursday the 18th a number of persons met
on the road between Bellas and Torres Vedras, 64
carts filled with wounded soldiers, going to Lisbon,
and saw a great number of dead bodies by the way.
" In the hospitals of Caldas and Obidos, there
are five Portuguese wounded, and between Igreja
and Rolissa, only a single dead body has been found.
The English have in our hospitals 360 wounded; their
loss in killed was from 150 to 200.

" On the 18th the Portuguese army marched from
Leiria towards Caldas, where they arrived on the
18th, making a very brilliant appearance ; and yes.
terday they arrived from thence at Obidos.
The English have advanced as far as Laurin-
.heia, where they still continued yesterday ; a body of
7000 men, who landed at Paimogo joined them near
.Pcniche, and they expect 14,000 more.
" On the 19th, the French passed through Par-
meniz, about three leagues on this side of the Sierra
-do Monte, on their march to Torres Vedras, where
they arrived the sa.me night. They plundered, and
committed every hind of outrage on their march. In
this first action the French had about 5000 troops.
. .

Junot- marched out to meet us from Lisbon on
the 16th, at the head of several thousand men. He
issued a Proclamation, 'to inform the inbabitatits. of
• ,bon that he was going to chastise the rebels, whom
described as being armed with bludteOns, with the
:eption of a small number of arms, furnished by a
•w English who had joined them, and that he would
turn in three days.
He formed a junction with Loison, Thomiers,
at Torres and Serra de Monte Junto, being una-
ware of the number of the English troops, and-,disco-
vering his mistake only when he saw them in the field
• battle. •
gg Another engagement took place this day at Tor-
, the noise of the firing having been heard in that
direction, but no account has yet reached us of the
result. It is said, that the English are surreubding
French at Torres, where the anal decisioif•Urill
;e place.. • - , .
At Lisbon there are left only a few soldiers -to
guard the city.
Peniche is about to be attacked. The—Vreneh•
General yesterday sent away from it all the Portu-
nese Who chose to go ; and more than 60 artillery-
ten have joined the Portuguese army. A conside-
Ile number of the police guard have also fled from
;bon. _ .

General Bacellar set out from Abrantes for San-
tarem, and thence for Rio Major, in order to join the
-tuguese army. The instant Loison was inform-
that he was in his vicinity, he made a precipitate
retreat to Muge, where he formed a junction with
sot. The French have fled from St. Übe's, after
iking the guns and throwing the powder and hall
into the sea.

Loison was on the 17th at Alcoentre, where he
performed his usual military bravadoes ; for it is in
4 character only that he has figured in Portugal.—
'is expl(lts have consisted only in plundering and
Issacring a disarmed population, and in shamefully
'ing from every place where he expected any resis-
nce, or to which any force was approaching.
" Junot pays for nothing in the villages he passes
rough. The Portuguese army is abundantly pro-
,ided with every thing, and the English carry along
.ith them 500 waggons loaded with provisions of all
kinds. They punctually pay for every thing they
-:Ant, eveu *for the water brought to them. What a
noble contrast !"
The ftlllowing is a copy of a letter addressed to
• Excellency the Governor of Coimbra :
" The English have attacked the French in the
)rmidable pcsition of Columbeira, and totally routed
:them. This was on the 17th ; the enemy consisted
r 3000 men, under the command of De Laborde ;
the decisive action took place this day. •
3 The French, to the number.of between 11 and

12,000, commanded by Junot, and all the rest of their
Genera'•. advanced to attack tbe'English at the vil-
lage of Vimeiro. The enemy were totally defeated,'
with the loss of their artillery, and in immense num-
ber of killed. Thomiers and 800 men were said to
:ve been made prisoners.
" The French troops in Portugal were more mime-
toms than we im-agined. In the course of our march
>Fool-, ow, we shall have an opportunity of seeing
both the fields of action. The first is about a league,
other three leagues, from this place. Until then,
, :hall not be able to give you the details of both en-
gagements.—l am, with the greatest respect, &c.. -
" FRANCISCO SOARES FRANCO.

Obidos, Aug. 21. eleven o'clock at night."
Letters from Figueira positively state, that the Eng-
lish army, ,which began to disembark there last Fri-
`ay, v. ereigain embarking with the intention of pro-

southward.
On the 17th, Isedoro Antonio do Amaral Sem-
blano, the Judge al Foto de Serra, placed hitisself
at the head of 400 troops, and being joined by from
CO to 80 peasants, under the command of two gal.
last and enthusiastic Clergymen, he attacked the
Castle of Abrantes, and made himself master of it
after an hour and a half's fighting, in which the
I French had SO men killed. The survivors, consist-
sing of 111, were marched prisoners to Sena, where
they arrived on the 19th, on their way to this place.

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