Star.
London, England, 1809-03-29 00:00:00

BRITISH ittemr IN PORTUGAL.

LISBON, MARCH S.
We have been in :tau quo ever since I last wrote ;
but, to-morrow advance towards the frontiers, re-
linquishing entirely our present quarters, except leav-
ing a few sick men, who are unable to take the field.
—The two first sqaadrons march at four o'clock to-
morrow morning, about three leagues on their way
to Boceliais, taking the advanced post, and the next
day will arrive there, where no doubt we shall re-
main till Something. farther transpires, as General
Craddock will certainly keep his head-quarters at
Lisbon, being only eight leagues from the above
place. The British army will occupy all the canton-
ments between us and head-quarters ; and the Porta-

gueae (consisting of about forty thousand) will co:
operate with us in case of an attack. Genera,
berestord (who is sent to this country to organize the
Pu:tuguese) arrived the clay before yesterday, after
a favourable passage of eight days. Captain Cooke,
a few days previous to General Beresford's arrival,
reached this place, where he remained one night, and
proceeded to Cadiz, for what we.know not; but,
when he left England (only eight days before his
arrival here), so little idea had Government of know-
ing where our army was, that he was desired to as-
certain " whether French or English colours were
flying," before he ventured too near oer batteries :
but we suppose that immediately after Captain C.'s
departure, General Craddock's dispatches reached
England, on the reception of which the defence of
Portugal was determined on. The affairs in Spain have I
ended as we feared they would ; we have only a few
days since real General Hope's dispatches : we are all
in tears for that ever to be lamented, inimitable, and
immortal Sir J.hn Moore. How things are going on
in Sp.in we know not- Sir R. Wilson is, we believe,
still h .v:ring about the frontiers, and we occasionally
hear of skirmishes. Captain Brotherton, of the 14th
Light Dragoons, is with Romana's army, recennoitei .
ing ; but what all this can mean is mysterious ! Is the
cause cf Spain to be abandoned or not ? Is Portugal
to be kept if Spain falls ? One moment we heard o
out' immediate evacuation of Portugal, now we hear
of Ministers determination to enter an its cause, and
to-morrow march towards its frontiers ; and though
several people are just come from England, hear not
one word of an army coming to our support ! The
state of ignorance we are in is perplexing, and what
is finally to become of us GOD aloae knows !
Yesterday a packet brought dispatches to Admiral
Berkeley, in the Tagus, from Admiral Duckworth,
requesting an immediate reinforcement to his fleet,
(three sail) having been insight of a French fleet of
sixteen sail. Three ships joined him soon after ; and
thesonly two line of ba:tle ships, the Norge (or some
such Danish name), and the Conqueror, went out of
IheTagus full sail, and tacked to the south (witha fine
north wind), where the French fleet are certainly gone,
and where Admiral Duckworth is, we suppose, lying
to fer them. Our fourteen sail will, I trust, prove
more than a match for them, if they fall in with them.
‘Ve hear they have an immense force of infantry on
board.
Several people here have been attacked with bilious
complaints, of various nature : but there are some
whom this climate agrees with beyond any: indeed
the greater part of the 14th Light Dragoons, officers,
men, and horses, are in general healthy. - The wea-
ther here is so intensely hot we can hardly breathe ;
and about three days ago we had a little shock, tho'
hardly to be called an earthquake.
The 14th Light Dragoons are the only English ca-
valry in Portugal, except a few straggling Gerrrains,
and four weak troops of the 20th, which remain in
Belem. Half our infantry are composed of small
detachments of different regiments. The whole of
the Buffs are her e, commanded by Colonel Blunt.
I`.l.t::Cil 6.—Nearly all the infantry, except the
45th and 97th, marched from hence yesterday for
Lurniar, there to encamp. Four troops of the lath
Light Dragoons also marched fur the same place, and
the remaining four troops march there to-morrow :
it is about two leagues from Lisbon. The 20th
Light Dragoons andpart of the 97th are to do the Lis-
bon duty. The cannon that were dismounted from
Fort St. Julian and Belem castle are again remoun-
ted, in consequence of the report of a French fleet
being seen off the coast. On Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday last, there were from six to seven hundred
men employed in remounting them. The Lavinia
frigate arrived here yesterday with ten or twelve
transports, with artillery and stores on board. They
came in eleven days from Plymouth. General Be-
resford arrived here on Thursday last. It is said that
he is to organize and command the Portuguese army.
MARCH 13.—Two fleets of transports arrived here
on Saturday last, one from Cove of Cork, with two
battalions of the guards, and the 87th and 88th on
board, they disembarked this morning ; the other
was fr ,m Cadiz, with the 91h, 27th, and 29th; they
sailed from hence six or seven weeks ago, but were
not allowed to land there except a few sick—they
had only four days passage from Cadiz here. Nothing
of any certainty here from Spain. It is generally be-
lieved that there are about from 15 to '20,000 French
troops at Chaves, a town on the frontiers, and on the
other hand they say, that the French are quitting
Spain. All the infantry, except the 45th, which is
doing garrison duty here, ,are quartered at Lumiar,
Povo, and Loires : the 14th light dragoons are quar-
tered at Loires and Cabeca. Lumiar may be four
or five miles from here ; and Loires three or four
leagues. They are throwing up intrenchments round
or outside Loires of great length. General Beresford
is appointed Commander in Chief of the Portuguese
forces. The Portuguese, lam told, are very much
displeased at this appointment.
MARCH 17.—The Princess Charlotte packet is to
sail at eleven o'clock this morning. The Raven sloop
af war sailed from here for Portsmouth en Wednesday
last ; by her I sent you a letter with Tuesday's Ga-
zette, and mentioned the arrival here on Saturday of
the army from off Cadiz, consisting of the 9th, 27th,
`29th, 87th, 88th, and two battalions of the Guards,
with several detachments. They are still at Lisbon ;
but I am told they are very soon to move up the
country, together with the army that are quartered at
Luiniar, Loires, &c.—lt is generally believed that
there are 16,000 French at Chaves, a frontier town 20
leaanes from Oporto. I have seen letters from Oporto
of the 12th instant,, but they contain no news. The
Fi sgard frigate arrived at the mouth of *the Tagus
yesterday, and in the evening brought up at Cascatse.
The Lavinia frigate is to sail on Monday next with

convoy for Portsmouth. 'Phe-following men of war
are here at present—the Ganges, 74, with Admiral
Berkeley's flag ; the Isis, of 50 ; the Niobe, Amazon, ,
Lavinia, nand Semiramis frigates, and the Nautilus
sloop of war.
MARCH 18.—General Beresfotd is to have the coat-
Inland of all the Portuguese troops. The following is
the manner in which his appointment is announced in
the Lisbon Gazette :—" The Prince Regent our Lord,
in consideration of the 'qualities and merits which are
united in the person of William Carr Beresford, Lieu-
tenant• General in the service of his Britannic Majesty,
has, by a decree of the 7th inst. nominated him Mar-
shal of the Armies and Commander in Chief of the
troops of this kingdom, in order to to his exercising
the said command with all suitable authority, in con-
formity to the laws and military regulations."

Cc cr Ihismss.—Yesterday a Cont. of Aldermen
was held at Guildhall, at which the price of the guar-
tern loaf was ordered to remain as last week. Seve-
ral persons were sworn into the respective offices of
Brokers and coal-undertakers ; as was Mr. A. Young,
into that of corn-meter, in trust, vice Mr. Margary,
whose term has expired.—€ll,Soo Orphan's Stuck
was ordered to be paid cif on the 10th of October.
A Common Hall will be held at Guildhall, on Sa-
turday, to consider cf returning thanks to Col. WARDLE
for his late motions in the House of Commons.

Monday a numerous meeting took place at Rod
chester,,of the Freemen of that City, in order to ex-
press trair sentiments respecting the late Parliamentary
enquiry. The MAYOR having taken the Chair, ad-
dressed tlae meeting in an elegant speech, which was
received with much applause, and concluded by mo-
Icing the following resolutions, which were seconded'
by Mr. SIMMONS, in an energetic appeal to the inde-
pendent spirit of his fellow citizens, and unanimously
carried with the most enthusiastic applause :
Resolved, That this Meeting, duly sensible of the advantages
the country will derive, from the charges produced by G. 1..
Wardle, Esq. M. P. in the Honourable House of Commons, against
the late Commander in Chief, the same having, as this Meeting
conceives, occasioned his resignation ; and highly appreciating the
collected and dignified manner he conducted himself throughout
the arduous and critical Investigation; beg leave to offer him their
best and most grateful acknowledgments for his manly, zealous,
and patriotic exertions.
Resolved, That it is the opinion of this Meeting, that the con-
eu.,yt of John Caicraft, Esq. our worthy Representative, has, by
the aid he affotded the Honourable Mover of the Charges, and
the ability he evinced on the occasion, entitled himself to the gra-
titude and support of every citizen ho wishes well to his coun-
try, and the independence of this city.
Resolved, That the best Thanks of this Meeting be given to
Lord Folkstone, Sir Francis Burden, and Samuel Whitbread, Esq
M. P. and those other Members of the House of Commons who
sum) ted Mr. Wardle, on the late momentous question.

The interesting 21-hours' foot-race between Captain
HLWETSON and Mr. Howe, for 290 guineas, and
which was decided at eight o'clock yesterday morn-
ing, terminated, rather unexpectedly, four hours be-
f .re the given time. It has been stated that the pe,
destrians started at Cobham Common on Monday
morning, and at two o'clock the Captain had gone
39 miles in the six hours, and 1:Ir. Howi 35 only.
•At ei&ht o'clock, half the tithe having expired, the
Captain had gone 62 miles, and Mr. HoWE 60, but
the latter appeared the more fresh of the two. The
pedeStrians went into their marquees at the same time,
and rested until one o'clock, when they renewed their
efforts. Captain lIEwETsoN went 1 miles in three
hours, and retired to rest without being able to start
again, having completed 78 miles. Mr. HowE per-
formed 80 miles by a quarter past four, and retired
also, leaving a watch on the Captain's motions ; but
I to all appearances he could not have gone ten other
miles, had his adversary again made his appearance.
At eight o'clock Mr. I-lowk. was declared the winner.
Magnificent Presents are now distributing—every
one may have a Sham.

Until lattly the Lottery Advartisetr.etit told
That Ticks is and Shares for tleir value were sold;
We then were oblig'd for onr Prizes to ray,
But nol.v the Contractors give 'rickets away;

Twenty Thousand Whole Tickets they bought, as they tell,
And but r. etteen Thousand Five Flurdred they sal:
And ac a grand Present to graze the kirst Day,
They promise to give a full Thousand away ;
On the Second Day's Drawing Five Hundred more fall,
Free, gra•is, without any purchase at all.
Then to Corebill and Ch. ring Cross hastc--nor delay,
Where BISH Lives the fortunate Numbers away.
Drawing begins 12th APRIL, 1809.

FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.
BANKRUPTCY ENLARGED.
April R. Josue de Prado, of Lime-street, London, lead-merchant,
- dealer and chapman, at ten, at Guildhall.
April 22. Peter Bentley, late of FluclrJersbury, but now of Col-
lege-Hill, Thames-street, London, stonemason and builder,
at ten, at Guildhall.