I accordingly wrote on the night of the 3d March to this effect to Mr. Frere, sir J. Cradock, and lord Castlereagh. But on the 4th, in the evening, captain Cooke, of the Coldstream guards, arrived from England with despatches for general Sherbrooke, who had not yet arrived. Captain Cooke came in the Eclair brig of war, and had stopped at Lisbon, which he left again on the evening of the 2d, and brought me a message to the following purport from sir J. Cradock, viz. ‘That he was determined to defend Portugal to the utmost of his power; that in this situation he considered my detachment as the choice part of his little army; that the enemy were actually on the borders, though there was not yet any intelligence of their having entered Portugal; and that unless some extraordinary circumstance, of which he could form no idea, prevented it, he should look for my immediate return to Lisbon.’ This order, of course, put an end to all further deliberation. The idea of proceeding to Tarragona was abandoned. I wrote to this effect to Mr. Frere, and embarked at midnight on the 4th. Contrary winds detained in Cadiz harbour the whole of the 5th, but on the 6th the fleet sailed, and arrived in the Tagus on the 12th. I trust, in the whole of these proceedings, in a very intricate and delicate situation, an honest and anxious desire has been evinced on my part, to accomplish the object of my mission; the failure of which, I am persuaded, will be found to arise from the apprehensions and disunion of the central junta, and not from the inclinations of the people of Cadiz. (Signed) J. R. MACKENZIE, _Major-general._ _Lisbon, March 13, 1809._” * * * * * No. X. COMMUNICATIONS WITH MINISTERS--NEGLECT OF PORTUGAL. SECTION I. _Mr. Canning to Mr. Villiers, January 24, 1809._ “You are aware, by my despatch, No. 4, of the 24th of December, enclosing copies, &c. &c. _that, in the event of the evacuation of Portugal, by the force under sir J. Cradock’s command, an event rendered the more probable by the transactions in Gallicia_.” _Lord Castlereagh to sir J. Cradock, February 6._ “_Should you be compelled to evacuate Portugal_,” _&c._ _Admiral Berkely to sir J. Cradock, February 6._ “The period of the British army’s stay in this place _appearing to draw near to its conclusion_.” SECTION II. _Sir J. Cradock to colonel Guard, January 3._ “The garrisons of Elvas and Almeida have engaged my most serious thoughts.”--“But, as they were occupied by the command of his majesty’s ministers, and _we remain without any fresh instructions under the present critical circumstances_.” _Sir J. Cradock to general Richard Stewart, January 10._ “I feel what a risk I run in thus leaving Lisbon defenceless, but _I obey the original orders of government_.” _Sir J. Cradock to general Richard Stewart, January 12._ “_We are still without any instructions whatever from England._” _Sir J. Cradock to captain Halket, January 13._