Junot had received prompt information of the landing of the British in Mondego Bay; on the very day after it had commenced he was able to send orders to Loison to abandon his post in front of Badajoz and to march at once to join the main army. Meanwhile Delaborde was sent out from Lisbon on August 6 to observe and, if possible, contain Wellesley, till Junot should have concentrated his whole field-army and be ready to fight. He was told to expect Loison from the direction of Thomar and Santarem, and to join him as soon as was possible. For his rather hazardous task he was given no more than five battalions of infantry and a single regiment of _chasseurs à cheval_, with five guns[202]--not much more than 5,000 men. [202] Delaborde’s numbers at the combat of Roliça have been the cause of much controversy. Wellesley in one of his dispatches estimated them at as much as 6,000 men; the unveracious Thiébault would reduce them as low as 1,900. But it is possible to arrive at something like the real figures. Delaborde brought out from Lisbon two battalions of the 70th, the 26th _Chasseurs à Cheval_, and five guns. Thomières joined him from Peniche with the 1st Provisional Light Infantry (a battalion each of the 2nd and 4th Léger) and with the 4th Swiss. The numbers of these corps had been on July 15:-- 70th of the Line (two batts.) 2,358 2nd Léger (one batt.) 1,075 4th ” ” 1,098 4th Swiss ” 985 26th Chasseurs 263 ----- 5,779