The rain now fell in torrents for days together, and thousands of British and Portuguese soldiers (now crowding the churches which had been converted into hospitals) were dying by hundreds, of fever produced by the sickly season. The excruciating torments, suffering and privations of the common soldiers were such, that an adequate description is impossible,—many of them lingering in raging fevers, stretched out on the pavement, the straw that had been placed for their comfort, having worked from under them during their agonies, while hundreds of flies settled on and blackened their dying faces: and so stationary did these tormentors become, that those who still maintained sufficient power were obliged to tear them from off their faces, and squeeze them to death in their hands. Cars piled up, and loaded with the remains of these unfortunate victims to disease, daily passed through the streets for the purpose of pitching their bodies into some hole by way of interment. The medical officers were overpowered by the numbers of sick, and also fell ill themselves, so that it was a total impossibility, notwithstanding their strenuous efforts, to surmount all difficulties, and to pay that attention to all that could have been wished. The very hospital orderlies were exhausted by attending, burying, and clearing away the dead. These scenes of misery cannot be fancied: the sick pouring into the town, lining the streets, and filling every house, set at nought all theoretical conception. Our paymaster entered the town with a raging fever. His hopes were not realized: he never again beheld his wife or his comfortable fire side. At the end of a few days' anguish he expired, and was buried with the rest. Captain Poppleton was the commandant at this station. Officers of other corps held similar commands (with certain privileges) at _Belem_, _Santarem_, _Niza_, and other towns for the purpose of regulating quarters for the sick and stragglers of the army. At the expiration of four unhappy months I became so far convalescent, as to be enabled to proceed to join my corps. I counted every step forward which carried me further from the hated and detestable _dépôt_, where every surrounding object depicted misery, and where, when the _lively_ army happened to be in motion, such gloomy reports were spread, as to intimidate the sick and frighten the convalescents out of the country. Having passed through Guarda, Sabugal, and several miserable Portuguese villages, at the expiration of five days I reached Fuente de Guinaldo, the head quarters of the division. It is unnecessary to say that a hearty welcome hailed my arrival, and various interesting incidents, which had occurred since I left, were related by my companions, but none were more agreeable to my sanguine mind, than to hear that the division had not fired a shot during the time of my absence; so far dame Fortune had befriended me.