“Your excellency is aware of the exhausted state of this country. The difficulties encountered by sir J. Moore were of the most serious nature, even before the sources of supply were so much drained as they now are.” WANT OF TRANSPORT AND SUPPLIES. _Sir J. Cradock to lord Castlereagh, 17th March._ “I have been obliged to send officers of the artillery and commissariat department to Gibraltar to attempt the supply of horses from the Barbary coast; and, such is our actual want, that the proper movement of even the force we have is nearly impracticable.” _Sir J. Cradock to lord Castlereagh, March 26._ “The means of transport are so confined that I must not expose any thing to loss; and the artillery must be preserved with the greatest care, for I cannot equip more than two brigades of six-pounders, and one light brigade of three-pounders, the latter being of a very inferior description.” _Commissary Rawlings to sir John Cradock, March._ “The precarious tenure of this country by British troops has hitherto precluded the possibility of establishing such an advantageous contract for the public as, in more permanent cases, might necessarily be expected: we have literally been supplied from hand to mouth.” _Colonel Robe to sir J. Cradock, March 20_. “It is necessary for me to add that every exertion has been made to supply the artillery with horses and mules by the deputy-commissary-general, but, from the exhausted state of the country, and the demands upon it for the Portuguese army, no more than two brigades have been furnished with those animals, and these are much too slight for the general service of the artillery.” _Sir J. Cradock to Mr. Villiers, March 20._ “From the first moment of my arrival in this country, unceasing exertion has been employed to purchase and procure them” (horses and mules) “at any price or by any means, but the adequate supply for even the former small number of the British army could not be obtained. I have also made repeated representations to England.” _Sir J. Cradock to Mr. Frere, March 29._ “I want eight hundred horses and mules for the common conveyance of provision and the equipment of the artillery.” _Commissary Rawlings to sir J. Cradock, April 9._ “Some of the persons employed to provide cattle for the troops have returned without effecting their mission. This disappointment must be attributed to the movements of the enemy in the north, from whence our supply has hitherto been obtained.” _Sir J. Cradock to marshal Beresford, Caldas, April 18._