Having landed my passengers at Palermo, I embarked three hundred of the 44th Regiment to join the army of Lord William Bentinck on the coast of Catalonia. I met at the above city Viscount and Viscountess Mahon, with their two children, fine boys of ten and eleven years’ old. His lordship wished to go to Minorca, and, as we had orders to touch there, I had much pleasure in giving them a passage. On our arrival at Port Mahon we were placed under quarantine, which prevented my landing Lord and Lady Mahon and family. The accommodation being not suited to ladies at the lazaretto, I was delighted when my amiable passengers made up their minds to remain on board. Having received orders to proceed to the coast of Catalonia with the troops, we sailed at the end of August for the mouth of the river Ebro, but, not finding the expedition there, we shaped our course for Tarragona, and on the 4th of September joined the admiral, who directed me to land the 44th Regiment at Villa Nova. The town of Villa Nova and the village of Veneros nearly join. There is an open roadstead for ships, and the winds from the S.E. to S.W. throw in a heavy swell upon the bar and beach. The holding ground is good, and numerous vessels during many parts of the year arrive for the purpose of shipping wine, which is either rafted off or taken on board in the country boats. The wine is most excellent, and of different kinds, both white and red. The latter is so good, and so much resembles port, that when I was there ten ships and brigs were lying in the roads taking it in, to be landed at Oporto, and converted into port wine for the English market. I was informed that there were annually sent from this place to Portugal ten thousand pipes. Another very pleasant wine there was, “Alba Flora,” besides sweet wines of various kinds, one of which had the sparkling qualities of champagne. It had been blowing strong from the southward previous to our arrival, and the swell had not gone down. Between the ships and the landing-place was a bar, on which the sea broke with great violence, and which boats had to pass. Those belonging to the country being well calculated for going through the breakers, and whose crews were acquainted with the place, dashed through the surf extremely well.