orted to by the
most ferocious of the leaders on either side. In honour of Lord Eliot,
Zumalacarregui set at liberty the prisoners he had made in the recent
action of the Amezcoas, in which Valdes had been roughly handled. Lord
Eliot having expressed a wish for an autograph of the Carlist leader,
Zumalacarregui took a pen and wrote, in Spanish, as follows:--

"At Asarta, a village of the valley of Berrueza, celebrated for the
various combats which have occurred there in the course of the present
century, the honour of receiving his Excellency Lord Eliot was enjoyed,
on the 25th April 1835, by Tomas Zumalacarregui."

Colonel Gurwood made the Carlist chief a present of an excellent field
glass, which had been used by the Duke of Wellington on some occasion
during the Peninsular war. "This telescope was so esteemed by
Zumalacarregui," says his biographer, "that as long as he lived he
always carried it with him; and at the present day, in spite of its
trifling intrinsic value, it is treasured by his family as the most
precious heir-loom they possess."

The non-success of Valdes's expedition to the valleys of the Amezcoas,
and the fatigues and losses sustained there by his troops, had greatly
discouraged the latter. On all sides the Carlists were obtaining
advantages, and their adversaries began to entertain a panic terror of
Zumalacarregui, who availed himself of this discouragement and temporary
inaction of the foe to attack several fortified places. Amongst others,
the town of Trevino, situated between Vittoria and the Ebro, and at only
three or four hours' march from the cantonments of Valdes's army, fell
into the hands of the Carlists. Assembling thirteen battalions at the
Venta of Armentia, Zumalacarregui brought up his artillery, consisting
of one cannon and one howitzer, with which in two days he forced the
place to capitulate. Although Valdes, from where he was, could hear the
sound of the guns, he did not venture to show himself till the Carlists
had destroyed the fortifications, and effected their retreat with
prisoners and artillery.

It was after this successful expedition, and at what may be considered
the most fortunate period of Zumalacarregui's career, that Don Carlos
conceived the idea of conferring a title on him. He caused this to be
intimated to the general, and also that he was only waiting to know what
title it would be the most agreeable to him to receive. "We will talk
about it," replied Zumalaca