My dear Parents—-A friend made me a present of this sheet of English paper, which I dedicate to you. I have long been in expectation of a letter from you, and luckily received yours, dated the 30th of August, the other day. I am happy I had it in my power to remove your anxiety, though I am sorry to say my leg does not feel so strong as I could wish. I have left Lisbon and removed into this small village by the seaside for the purpose of bathing. I have already found some benefit, and hope soon to be able to rejoin my regiment. I assure you my feelings are much hurt at being so long idle, and at a time when we daily expect a great battle is to be on the eve of taking place. You make me blush at the idea or observation in the letter, "_a dangerous regiment_." My dear father, "the more danger the more honour." Never let such weak thoughts enter your head. When I turned soldier it was not for the purpose of admiring myself like a peacock in gaudy plumage; no, it was to meet the enemies of my country and go wherever my duty called me, and merit the name of a soldier, which I now say is the greatest pleasure I ever enjoyed. Thank God, I have succeeded far above my expectations in everything; I mean I have established my name as a man worthy to rank with the veterans of my regiment, and am esteemed and respected by every brother officer. This, my dear parents, is a pleasure which makes me proud of myself, and increases when I think my friends must also allow I have done my duty and not mistaken my profession. A most dastardly and nefarious plot was found out on the 13th of the month. The 15th was the day appointed for the conspirators to have assembled in the evening, or rather at midnight, to have rushed out and surprised the guards at their different posts, murdered them of course, and also assassinated all the wounded and sick English officers; a fine reward for fighting for such a villainous set of cowardly rascals! One-half of Lisbon was implicated; two hundred of the first people in the town have been arrested and put into a fort. On the evening of the 15th inst. strong patrols of Dragoons were moving through the streets all night. The Marines were ready to land at a moment's notice, but the affair was checked in time. Marshal Beresford took a leading character in the conspiracy, and gave timely notice, so every one was on his guard. I could scarcely be convinced that any set of men would think of acting so infamously and illiberally. Assassination is not now so common as it used to be in this country, but still the diabolical practice is not yet done away with. One morning on looking out of my window in Lisbon, and asking what a man was laid in the street for, I was told that he had been stabbed in the night and must lie there until a sufficient quantity of money was collected to bury him.