The New York herald., 1873-09-08

NEW YOI
Don Carlos, her "Lorondo naDso ." tsears ssIne my
Words and fell senseless under his white Andalu-
sian stallion. ~4
Purposeless and unbusiness-like az all these mill
tary promenades OF Pretender may look abroad
must confess my belief that Don Carlos has done
more for his by this tresome journey through
Navarro, Alava and Biscaya than he could have
done by half dozen Of those mountain battles in
which several thousand cartridges are used on
both sides Tor the purpose of killing two and
wounding three men.
But amidst this and similar snowy marches some
more serious business was also transacted. Briga-
der General Velasco, holding the superior COM
mand OF the Carlist forces in Biscaya, met us at
Orduna, reported his having began the siege at Bill
bao with SIX battalions, and asked his master to
pass review OF the remaining four. 1t would be
quite unfair not 10 mention here the really excel
lent state Of the troops under his orders. They
are positively the best clothed, best drilled, best
armed and best disciplined Carllst troops have
yet. The generals commanding in other provinces
explain 1t by the fact that Biscaya is richer prov
ince and that the Carlists there had not yet seen
much in the way OF fatigue and fire. But on the
other hand it ought not be forgotten that while
clothing and armaments are question Of money,
discipline and drill are not, and sure 1t Is that
within few months of its first organization the
Carlist army in Biscaya, numbering 1t the present
moment ten battalions fabout 200 mem, had been
brought to a much higher standard than any other
portion OF Don Carlos troops. Old soldiers OF the
Seven Years. War say here that the Navarro bat
talions contain the best fighting elements. That
may be- and every one will certainly soon have an
opportunity to Judge OF the respective quail ties OF
these various corps. But at present it must be
said that while the "Bizcainos" look like we'll
dy;lled militia, dressed in blue and red cotton
blouses and armed with first rate Springfield guns,
the Navarro battalions even now, when brigaded
and led by Don Carlos himself look still very much
ike disordery mass OF armed ragamunins,
dressed as every one OF them pleases and armed
with anything that can be got
Velasco's forces present also another interesting
feature. OF the ten battaions he has formed eight
only are "Bzcainos" while the two remainder are
Castilans Now this is highly important The two
CASTLE battalions will soon form the nucleus Of
separate Castian force and before such force has
been got up there be little thought OF crossing
the Ebro, for the provinces OF CASTLE would not
stand an invasion OF Navarro and Biscaya men
only They will rise only in SO far Carlism shall
be represented to them by their own men, not by
men of other provinces.
THE ENGLISH PRESS
is constantly urging upon Don Carlos to cross the
Ebro If he desires to be regarded with proper
Difference by London leader writer's; and in this
that press shows an utter ignorance Of Spanish
anairs and Spanish character. II Don Carlos
enters CASTLE with three or four Castilan battal
ions and plenty OF firearms he can within lew
days, have quite an army there which his Navarro,
Bscaya and Guipozcoa troops will simply reinforce
with tried strength. But II he attempts entering
the provinces OF CASTLE only with the troops he has
now, he will appear as conqueror entering by the
help OF strangers and will be received eco rdingy.
BY forming the two
CAsTILIAN BATTALION
velasco has built the first arch OF the bridge by
which Don Carlos can some day cross the Ebro.
But If our journey through Biscaya presented
many business like features, 1t had Its comical side
also. In the first place all Europe was fancyng,
thanks to Reuters kilograms that Don Carlos had
marched with the whole Of his forces on Bilbao,
while he was simply making show Of his person.
We never approached Bilbao nearer than ten or
twelve miles, and none Of the young Pretender's
generals would have allowed him in that way to
throw both himself and the whole OF his troops
into venture which, II unsuccessful, would not
have left any escape except the sea, SINCE all the
republican troops were concentrated at vittoria
and could come to the rescue Of Bilbao within
something like twenty -four hours. Still the rumor
was spread that we were marching on that rich
seaport, and General Sanchez Bregua moved with
something like eleven thousand men and a great
number of cannon from vttoria on the
very same day when we were witnessing
the Gueraica festivities. We learned Of
that more on the next day, when we
had ourselves started from Zornsza towards
Durango, on our way back to the Alava and
Navarro We were already half way from Durango
when the news reached us, and though we could
muster nearly 10000 men with the four Bscaya
battalions not engaged in the blockade, the generals
thought 1t more reasonable to return to Zorn0za
and to watch from little village behind that town
what the enemy's intentions were. In the mean
time the republicans learned that we were moving
on them just as we did OF them, and the comical
point was that they did exactly what we did-that
is to say, turned OF the Bilbao-vittoria road and
marched to vargara and thence on San Sebastian,
leaving us to do what we pleased. In this way the
two armies presented the curious spectacle OF
apparently marching on each other and turning
their backs to each other as soon as it became
evident that they must meet. The truth was, how
ever, that Sanchez Bregua, believing that we were
going to take Bilbao, wanted to attack from the
rear or to get us at disadvantage while we were
engaged in street fighting with The Bilbao troops
and militia, but as soon as he learned that we
were marching away from Bilbao. he thought 1t
safer not to expose himself to fight in the
mountains. This
BILBAO
affair, OF which good deal had been already said
and still more is sure to be heard requires q few
words OF explanation. Bilbao, as 1t is well known,
is not fortified place, but is one OF the richest
ports OF Span and although not very republican
in its tendencies, is by no means as thoroughly
Carlist as the rest OF Biscaya. What the Carlsts
want 1t for is its money. All those merchants who
are known to be opposed to Carlism would have to
pay heavily, and If the town were taken it might
also be made the seat Of some sort OF central Car
list government. But as port it is of no value to
them for a couple Of cruisers could always prevent
any war supplies reaching Bilbao. In this respect
the Carlists rely much more on the daily decreasing
severity OF the French Custom House on the land
frontier than on any seaport. Consequently the