by John Marshall

“ On returning from the interior, April 9th, I found the Endymion still lying in Finisterre bay, where she had been joined by H.M. ship Loire [1] , a frigate despatched from England, with a supply of arms and ammunition expressly for the insurgents of Spain. The whole world at Corcubion were thrown into extravagant joy by this unlooked-for piece of good fortune; and nothing certainly could have been more seasonable than a supply of several thousand muskets, being nearly one for every unarmed peasant at our camp – of those at least who were in some degree organized and drilled. ”

“ The captain of the Endymion now became seriously alarmed for the fate of the town he had been called upon to protect. But all he could possibly do, was to send a fresh supply of ammunition for the gun-boats, and a message to the Junta – of which I was the bearer – to say, that if they wished it, the frigate should instantly be warped close to Corcubion to cover the escape of the inhabitants, since, from all he could learn, the enemy were coming in such force as to break through and overwhelm the half-armed peasantry at Paisas. ”

“ We had stood the cast of life or death, and the throw was successful. I now steered confidently into the Straits, and we were soon in that part of them formed by the northernmost of the two islands I have spoken of, and Timor. Here we were perfectly sheltered from the fury of the monsoon, but our difficulties were not all over. Our chart, owing to the illiberal conduct of the Dutch government, whose invariable practice was to preclude strangers from all knowledge whatever of their seas, contained no details, and I knew not in what part to look for an anchorage. ”

“ The muskets and swords landed from the Endymion were then placed in carts, and off we set to the field, in grand cavalcade, accompanied by all the younger inhabitants, and half the older ones, of this pretty village – too soon to become a terrible scene of misery and bloodshed. * * * At every step, as we rolled along, the crowd gained fresh numbers, till, by the time we reached Bernun, at the distance of a league or so from Corcubion, our cavalcade made a very respectable army of itself – as armies then went – and we began to think we really were destined to be the liberators of Spain! ”

“ Now that we had brought our ship within range of the enemy’s shot, it became of consequence to establish for ourselves something like a proper system on shore; and for this purpose. Lieutenant Thruston, who enjoyed as much of the confidence of the Spaniards as any foreigner can ever hope to gain, and who had by this time become personally acquainted with the useful men amongst them, endeavoured to rally their forces, and once more to muster them in strength. ”

“ As the main body drew near, some riflemen threw themselves in the front, and, under the protection of every piece of uneven ground, kept up a destructive fire on the patriots. In vain did Lieutenant Thruston urge a body of men he had placed in reserve, to advance, and support the broken line. About fifty French dragoons, who had gained the hill by a circuitous route, soon made their appearance on the high level ground in the rear. Their presence alone decided the business; for in a very few minutes the hill was deserted by all except the old Spanish soldiers, not exceeding 100 in number. ”

“ It is proper here to observe, that the Spanish priests were the most active and determined opponents of the French, and from that class most of the officers of the newly raised patriotic army were selected. The partial organization of the troops was ultimately effected under the direction and guidance of Lieutenant Thruston, to whose advice and orders Don Pedro Lapido, although dubbed a marechal, implicitly submitted, conceiving that every British uniform contained under it military knowledge of all kinds, and consequently that every Englishman wearing a sword must be a complete general. ”

“ The fugitives, who followed their motions, re-assembled on the beach, about a mile from the scene of action, and there met the boats of the Endymion, under the command of her first lieutenant. Thus ended the battle of Corcubion, which the renowned Junta of that place ever afterwards spoke of as a victory.
After this, the armed peasantry of Gallicia never acted together again in any great force, but dividend themselves into small parties, attacking only when certain of success. Owing to this mode of warfare, the French were at no time masters of more ground than they actually covered ”

“ I was in hopes, by the intervention of some canoe, to have opened a communication with the shore, and to have gained this so necessary information; but neither men nor habitation presented themselves in this quarter. I continued in the Straits all night, and in the morning sailed out to explore the northern coast of Timor. The weather had somewhat moderated when I quitted the shelter of the Straits. The land of Timor formed, I found, a deep bay to the northward, at the bottom of which, I suspected the settlement I was in search of existed. ”

“ Lieutenant Thruston was sent off to the insurgent head-quarters at Paisas, to render any service to the cause, which his talents and activity might bring to bear upon the sadly misdirected fortunes of these poor Spaniards. In the mean time, we assisted the fishermen, and more stirring part of the town’s-people, in completing the equipment of several gun-boats, which, in the absence of better means, it was thought might keep the enemy at bay, should they come near Corcubion, as the fire from these vessels commanded the main road for a considerable distance. ”

“ The gun-boats, stationed off the beach, were soon driven back by the fire of several hundred men, also accompanied by field-pieces. The French troops then entered the ruined town; but the unfortunate inhabitants had already escaped over the hills, or in boats. There was nothing left, therefore, for the ship to protect; and, of course, she made sail out of the harbour as fast as possible, with an escort of flying artillery on each side of her; followed by two bodies of troops, scrambling and running along the rocks, just too late to catch their expected prey. ”

“ Amongst these people were several old soldiers, who, having seen a little service in their day, knew the value of discipline; and had learned in the course of their campaigning, that the chief element of good order is a well-grounded reliance on the skill of the commander. These men naturally wished to appoint as their chief a person named Camaño, who, from having served twelve years in the regular army, it was reasonable to think, knew something of military manners. The priest of the parish, however, had the voice of the peasantry with him. ”

“ The Spanish vessels, laden chiefly with salt fish, were given up to the Junta; the West Indiaman was sent to England for condemnation.
“Some division now took place in the councils of the redoubtable statesmen at Corcubion. There were two parties, – one of which had lost every thing by the late visit of the French; the other had still some property to lose, and could count some relatives unmurdered. Those who had lost all, were hot for war; and so in fact were the rest, but with this difference; – the ruined party were for beginning again instantly, and with most unwonted energy ”

“ When the French reached the foot of the hill, from the top of which the Spaniards were contemplating the destruction of their homes, the infantry very coolly sat down on the grass to rest from their labours, and the cavalry dismounted quite at their ease, as if iu perfect security, though it was clear they must have seen the ridge of the hill covered with armed patriots. ”

“ I remained on deck all night, during which the weather was excessively bad, and the ship drifting fast to the eastward. The. day had not yet broken, when the alarm was given – ‘breakers on the lee bow;’ the vessel was instantly wore round, and scarcely had she gone on the other tack, when again – “land a head;" and the surf was seen breaking over the rocks with tremendous fury. I could now only hope that we were in the Straits; but our preservation depended on various circumstances, – upon the correctness of the latitude of the Straits, as marked down in the chart ”

“ The Spaniards on board this vessel had been sent as a deputation from a body of insurgents, anxious to obtain assistance from any English ship on the coast. They entreated us to bring our frigate into their bay, and assured us that, with a little additional aid, the inhabitants would be enabled to expel the French from this part of the country altogether. These men were the bearers of supplicating letters from the Junta of Corcubion, setting forth, in most moving terms, that they were in want of nothing but arms – ‘Falta solamente annas!’ was the grand theme ”

“ They offered to be guided by us in every thing – wished us to lead them instantly against the enemy, lest he should escape, – even the privates in this enthusiastic army, forgetting all order, left their ranks, to come crowding round us. ”

“ About 10 p.m., their mules refusing to face the storm, and they themselves being wet through, and benumbed with cold, the little party sought shelter in a hovel, distant from the road about ten or twenty yards; but had not been seated many minutes before their host rushed out to ascertain the cause of an unusual murmuring noise: in a moment after he returned, uttering, in a low whisper, “los demonios estan aqui,” (“the devils are here,”) – an appellation then invariably given to the French. ”

“ He returned in a few minutes, and his report induced Lieutenant Thruston to dash at once into the thick of the fray. Round the house of the curd of the village, a throng of men had assembled, armed in every way according to their abilities, endeavouring to force their way in, and preventing one another by the general pressure. ”

“ Thruston had considerable experience: he soon acquired, also, an influence in the camp, which, if the materials he had to deal with had been more energetic, might have saved these poor troops from great disasters. His first object was, if possible, to place the men in a situation of security against any sudden attack of the enemy, which he had too much reason to fear might overset the whole of their plans. ”

“ Scarcely had they mounted, and struck off in a direction at right angles from the high road, when the heavy march of men and horses was distinctly heard, though nothing could be seen. The mules were goaded on, over rocks and foaming torrents, till it was ascertained that pursuit, if any had taken place, was given up. The troops from which they thus narrowly escaped, had been sent by Marshal Ney to destroy Corcubion. Had not Lieutenant Thruston been compelled by the severity of the weather to turn into the hovel, he would have trotted, with his guides, into the very head ranks of the enemy ”

“ They had already more than suspected the distressed and sickly state of our force, and exclaimed loudly against the pusillanimity of the governor, in lending a credulous ear to the improbable story I had told him; my trusty servant also told me of a report that was prevalent, that a conspiracy was entered into by the governor, the principal inhabitants, and the four native rajahs in the vicinity; who, on a pre-concerted signal, were to join their forces, make myself prisoner, and re-hoist the Dutch flag. ”

“ To give efficacy to these qualifications, he was gifted with talents and resources which it is a thousand pities should not have found higher exercise in the service of his country, than in this inglorious campaign of Corcubion. It was of the greatest importance, however, to the cause, to have one man amongst us whom all parties esteemed and were quite willing to follow ”

“ Shortly after the departure of the admiral from the island, a report was brought from Europe by a vessel just arrived, that a squadron of French frigates had left Brest, bound, as was supposed, for the relief of Java. The British naval officer left in command, immediately made the necessary arrangements for their reception, in the event of their finding their way into these seas; and I received orders to proceed with H.M. sloop under my command, to the Straits of Bali, to watch well their southern entrance. ”

“ We could spare our new allies only 150 muskets, and as many cutlasses; but these, together with a due proportion of boarding pikes and tomahawks, with plenty of powder and ball, when displayed on the quarter-deck, made a considerable show, and greatly delighted the deputies, who had been a little disappointed at first when told of our small supply.
“The enthusiasm amongst the peasantry and towns-people on shore rose to a still higher pitch than any thing we had seen enacted on board. ”