Captain Cox and myself, with about sixty men, followed the enemy down into the valley through the Pass of Vera. We took some prisoners and two French horn-players, and, laughably enough, our men requested them to play some French tunes. What with alarm and fright, they made sad music of it. We moved up to our encampment, and thus ended a day of as pretty rifle practice as I had ever seen, and the enemy driven from a position that had cost them much labour and trouble in putting into a state of defence. [Sidenote: 8th] [Sidenote: 9th] One particularly high mountain named La Rhune was still in possession of the enemy, and from the top the French were amusing themselves by firing long shots at the Spaniards all day. In the evening their force was withdrawn and this morning La Rhune was occupied by the Light Division. A smaller mountain, from its similarity and position, was called Petite La Rhune, and divided from it by a valley. Our advanced piquets were now posted on one side upon the slopes, and the French on the opposite side within 200 yards of us. From these stupendous mountains we had a most commanding view of a vast extent of highly cultivated French territory, innumerable villages, and the town and port of St. Jean de Luz. We could also see our cruisers sailing about near the French coast, which gave us an additional interest in the view before us. [Sidenote: 13th] This morning one of our ships was observed to be chasing a brig of war, and got between her and the shore. We observed the batteries near the town trying to aid the escape of the French ship, but without success. As the boats from the English went to board her, the Frenchmen got into theirs and made for the shore. Some English sailors went on board, but soon left her. A short time after she was one mass of fire and soon blew up. A dense smoke arose from the spot, but in a moment there was not a vestige that we could perceive remaining upon the bosom of the ocean. It was a beautiful morning, and some thousands of veteran Englishmen having a bird's-eye view of the whole affair, took a lively interest in the gallant manner our brave Tars performed their duty. How delighted the sailors would have been if they had been aware that so many of their countrymen were observing and applauding them from the tops of the Pyrenees! [Sidenote: 30th]