Silveira, an insufficient man, naturally vain, and inflated with his former successes, had indeed, already attacked Claparede, and was defeated with the loss of two hundred men at Ponte Abad, on the side of Trancoso. Baccellar, alarmed for the safety of Oporto, then recalled Miller and Wilson. The first moved upon Viseu; the last who had already repassed the Mondego and taken a hundred stragglers of Drouet’s division, marched hastily towards the same point. Meanwhile, Silveira again provoked Claparede, who pressed him so closely, from the 10th to the 13th of January, that he drove him with loss over the Douro at Pezo de Ragoa, seized Lamego, and menaced Oporto before any troops could concentrate to oppose him. Yet when Baccellar brought up his reserve to the Pavia, and Miller’s and Wilson’s corps reached Castro d’Airo, Claparede returned to Moimenta de Beira, being followed by Wilson. Meanwhile, the arrival of the ninth corps having relieved the French troops in Leon, the latter again menaced Tras os Montes, and Silveira marched to Braganza. Miller died at Viseu, but Wilson and Trant continued to harass the enemy’s parties. Claparede taking post at Guarda, according to his instructions, seized Covilhao; while Foy, who in returning from France had collected about three thousand infantry and cavalry convalescents, was marching by the road of Belmonte. Foy had escaped innumerable perils. At Pancorbo he was fain to fly from the Partidas, with the loss of his despatches and half his escort, and now at Enxabarda entering the Estrada Nova, he was harassed by colonel Grant with a corps of ordenança from the Lower Beira; and although he suffered nothing here by the sword, three hundred of his men died on the mountain from cold. On the 2d of February he reached Santarem, where affairs were working to a crisis. During December and January, the country being always more or less flooded, the armies continued in observation; but Massena’s positions were much strengthened, his out posts were reinforced, and his marauding excursions extended in proportion to his increasing necessities. The weak point on either side was towards Rio Mayor, any movement there created great jealousy, especially as the season advanced and the roads became firmer. Hence, on the 19th of January (some reinforcements having landed at Lisbon a few days before) a fear lest the allies should be concentrating at Alcoentre, induced Junot to drive the out posts from Rio Mayor to probe the state of affairs, and a general attack was expected; but after a skirmish he returned with a wound which disabled him for the rest of the campaign.