On the 15th of May, 1800, the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked at Dover for Ireland, landed at Cove on the 6th of June, and marched directly to Cork, where a force was collecting for a secret service, to which it was added. On the 27th of June the embarkation took place, and on the 8th of July the armament reached the Bay of Quiberon; the twenty-third, THIRTY-FIRST, fifty-second, and sixty-third regiments landed on the Isle de Houat, where they remained encamped, under the command of Brigadier-General the Honorable Thomas Maitland, until the 19th of August, when they again embarked and joined the expedition under Lieut.-General Sir James Pulteney, destined for the coast of Spain. A landing was effected at _Ferrol_ on the 25th of August; the troops advanced to the heights which overlook the town, and the THIRTY-FIRST had some skirmishing with the enemy’s piquets. After viewing the town and its defences, Sir James Pulteney abandoned the idea of attacking the place; the troops were re-embarked on the following morning, and the fleet sailed for Vigo, where it arrived on the 27th of August. Here General Sir Ralph Abercromby joined with other troops, and assumed the command of the whole force. After remaining in Vigo Bay for some time, the fleet sailed for Cadiz, where it arrived on the 3rd of October. Sir Ralph Abercromby summoned the Governor to surrender, but an epidemic fever was raging in the city, and the fleet quitted the coast for fear of infection, and proceeded to Gibraltar. At this period General Sir Ralph Abercromby received orders from the British Government to proceed to Egypt; but the three battalions of the ninth foot, the second battalion of the twenty-seventh, the THIRTY-FIRST, and two battalions of the fifty-second regiment, being composed principally of volunteers from the militia, whose conditions of enlistment limited their services to time and place, were not available for the expedition to Egypt: they were accordingly ordered to proceed to Lisbon, where they arrived on the 27th of November, having suffered much from confinement on board ship, and the use of salt provisions. [Sidenote: 1801] On the 27th of January, 1801, the THIRTY-FIRST was again at sea, and on the 14th of February disembarked at Minorca, which had surrendered to Great Britain in November, 1798; this island was restored to Spain at the Peace of 1802. [Sidenote: 1802]