T RAV

88 TRAVELS IN EUROPE.senfthemselves.War, we aIl. know,resembles chess; and the consum...mate master of the game compels hisantagonist to come forward uponthe point of attack, which he selects for bim.'The works of the uppertown are antique. 'To the north i8 a small modern fort. The bridgehere is of twenty-five arches.The gan'isoll consists of three hattalions,some squadrons of the volunteers of Arragon, (the Arragonese soldierisheld in high estimation,) and a company ofartillery.Sorne very military-Iookingofficers were specified as belonging to the militia. Theofficers of the garrison werecommunicative, expatiating much on theseverity of Portuguese discipline in éomparison with their own, whichthey ascribed entirely to the English.From this it may he concludedthat thei1' own affairs go on very smoothly; and the orderly and temperatehabits of the Spaniards testify as much. But the fJ'{lgiinent dellnfantehere, was al' Allemagne in point of exteriOf at 10ast. 'The prevalentidea concerning tactics among the Spanish officers is, thaL it is a mattervery good for employing people's minds and time during thê leisure dfpeace, but to be put completely on the~shelt whenever real businesswas to be proceeded on. ln plain Englisb, it seems in a ',vorse situ;.ation than even not being understood; and while such ideas prevail,the world must not he surprised, as in the case of Algiers *, at Spanisharmies not mèeting aU the success in their operations that they me1'it.The diversity which appears too in the exte1'ior of regiments indic'âtesa deficiency of system, yet the establishment at large s~unds8ome,~hat'* ln regard to the failurc of the Spani~rds in their attaèk on. Algiers, it may not be imprqper toobserve, that when a general onI)' intends a coup-de-main, he should debark his troops as near aspossible to the object of attack, the success depending greatly on secrecy, expedition, and surprise.But when he proposes to wage war in a country, he shouId land them at a proper distance {rom hisprincipal object of attack, and occupY some position capable of covering his necessary preparationsfor proceeding gradually to the point he has in view. G.eneraI O'ReiIly, by adôpting a dif",ferent ~iue of conduct, failed in his enterprise against that place, and not only Io$t a great part ofhis army, but also his OWIl reputation as an officer.