On the morning of Mar. 4th, at day-light, after bombarding the town during the night, the troops of Don Miguel made a grand attack in the direction of Lordello and St. John De Foz. A diversion had been made in the vicinity of Aguadante, but it soon became perceptible that the main object of attack was towards the Lordello line. The Miguelites Mere completely repulsed, and sustained considerable loss. On the constitutional side, the Scottish corps suffered most – one officer was killed, and almost every other, with the exception of its commander. Major Shaw, wounded. On the same day, the Migiielite piquets fired several shot across the water at the place where the British boats generally landed, and Commander Glascock nearly received a musket-ball in the arm.
On the 6th March, the Pedroite brig of war “Twenty-third of July,” secured to the quay on the northern side of the river, in a line with two British merchant brigs – one close ahead of her, and the bowsprit of the other over her taffrail – was sunk by a solitary gun on the heights over head. She attempted to return the fire, but not one of her guns (18-pounder carronades) could be elevated half the height required. Three of her crew were killed, and fourteen wounded. Her commander was a fine gallant fellow, and had lost an arm in the service of Donna Maria. On the 8th, Commander Glascock complained to General Lemos that a system of fusilade had again commenced on the banks of the Douro. On the night of the 10th, seventy-two boats, laden with cattle and other supplies for Don Pedro, landed their cargoes, without molestation, in the vicinity of the light-house. On the night of the 12th, a transport succeeded in disembarking 240 Irish troops: a considerable quantity of provisions was also brought safe on shore. On the 17th, at 11 a.m., the British merchant brig Avon, which had been for some days at anchor off the bar, watching an opportunity to land a cargo of flour, oil, and other supplies for the town of Oporto, slipped her cable, and, taking advantage of a squall, bore up for the river, carrying at her mast-head a British red ensign reversed, the usual signal of distress; “but,” says Com-
