he case
otherwise, I confess that my opportunities of examining it were
not sufficient to authorize my entering upon such an attempt. The
whole extent of our sojourn was only during the remainder of that
day (and it was past noon before we got in) and the ensuing
night; a space of time which admitted of no more than a hurried
stroll through some of the principal streets, and a hasty visit
to such public buildings as are considered most worthy of
attention. The palace of the Duke d'Angouleme, the Military
Hospital, the Theatre, and the Cathedral, are all remarkably fine
of their kind; whilst the public gardens, the Exchange, and
fashionable promenades, are inferior only to those of Paris
itself.

MACAU

I have said that our sojourn in Bordeaux was limited to the short
space of a few hours. We could have wished indeed to prolong it,
but to wish was needless, for at an early hour next morning we
were again in motion, and proceeded to an extensive common, near
the village of Macau, about three leagues from Bordeaux, where we
found a considerable force already assembled. Judging from the
number of tents upon the heath, I conceive that there could not
be fewer than eight or ten thousand men in that camp, the whole
of whom, we naturally concluded, were destined for the same
service with ourselves. The sight was at once pleasing and
encouraging, because there could be no doubt that such a force,
ably commanded, would carry everything before it.

In this situation we continued, without the occurrence of any
incident deserving of record, till the 27th, when an order
arrived for the officers to dispose of their horses without
delay. This was necessarily done at an enormous loss; and on the
morning of the 28th, we set forward towards the point of
embarkation. But, alas! in the numbers allotted for the
trans-Atlantic war, we found ourselves grievously disappointed,
since, instead of the whole division, only two regiments, neither
of them surpassingly numerous, were directed to move; it was not
our business, however, to question the wisdom of any measure
adopted by our superiors; and we accordingly marched on in as
high spirits as if we had been followed by the entire Peninsular
army.

The remainder of our journey occupied two days, nor do I often
remember to have spent a similar space of time with greater
satisfaction; our route lay through some of the most fertile
districts in France, passing Chateau Margaux, famous