r see them
again; for I looked upon the period that I had spent there as so much
time lost.

CHAP. XIII.

A Review. Assembly of the Army. March to Salamanca. To Aldea
Nueva. To Toro. An Affair of the Hussar Brigade. To Palencia. To
the Neighbourhood of Burgos. To the Banks of the Ebro. Fruitful
sleeping place. To Medina. A Dance before it was due. Smell the
Foe. Affair at St. Milan. A Physical River.

May, 1813.--In the early part of this month our division was reviewed
by Lord Wellington, preparatory to the commencement of another
campaign; and I certainly never saw a body of troops in a more
highly-efficient state. It did one's very heart good to look at our
battalion that day, seeing each company standing a hundred strong, and
the intelligence of several campaigns stamped on each daring, bronzed
countenance, which looked you boldly in the face, in the fullness of
vigour and confidence, as if it cared neither for man nor devil.

On the 21st of May, our division broke up from winter-quarters, and
assembled in front of Ciudad Rodrigo, with all excepting the left wing
of the army, which, under Sir Thomas Graham, had already passed the
Douro, and was ascending its right bank.

An army which has seen some campaigns in the field, affords a great
deal of amusement in its assembling after winter-quarters. There is
not only the greeting of long-parted friends and acquaintances in the
same walks of life, but, among the different divisions which the
nature of the service generally threw a good deal together, there was
not so much as a mule or a donkey that was not known to each
individual, and its absence noticed; nor a scamp of a boy, or a common
Portuguese trull, who was not as particularly inquired after, as if
the fate of the campaign depended on their presence.

On the 22d, we advanced towards Salamanca, and, the next day, halted
at Samunoz, on our late field of action. With what different feelings
did we now view the same spot! In our last visit, winter was on the
face of the land, as well as on our minds; we were worn out with
fatigue, mortification, and starvation; now, all was summer and
sunshine. The dismal swamps had now become verdant meadows; we had
plenty in the camp, vigour in our limbs, and hope in our bosoms.

We were, this day, joined by the household brigade of cavalry from
England; and, as there was a report in the morning that the enemy were
in the neighbourhood, som