We marched on to Vittoria without firing a shot; and on the left of the town I had the pleasure of seeing the whole baggage, treasure, &c. of the enemy, in the hands of our troops. It was now getting late in the evening; the whole army continued the pursuit; but too much was done during the day to expect that the troops could advance much beyond Vittoria; they did, however, a couple of leagues, when they halted; and thus the scattered French escaped farther punishment. I was sent on duty to the town of Vittoria, and there passed the night. The scene which presented itself in the town that evening may be easily imagined:--prisoners--wounded--drunken Spaniards--stray horses and mules running to and fro--broken carriages--dead and dying--the inhabitants panic-struck--the rear of our light dragoons galloping through the town--fires in the streets--drunken plunderers rolling about--the groan and the laugh and the imprecation--all mingled! Such was Vittoria after the battle. To increase the confusion, an explosion took place, which shook every house and spread consternation around: none could imagine the cause. I at first supposed treachery from the Spaniards, but a moment’s consideration removed this suspicion. In a short time our Provost and his assistants informed us of the nature of this explosion. The 18th Dragoons, and many stragglers of infantry, had remained to help themselves to dubloons from a French military chest, which fell into our hands near the town, and plunder raged for two or three hours; our soldiers would not _take_ silver--nothing but gold would _pass_ with them; the former they left to the Spaniards, for it was absolutely a “_drug in the market_.” About ten o’clock it became dark, and amongst the crowd of waggons, many, containing the treasure, might escape; therefore a number of Spanish peasants, muleteers, &c. procured candles, and went in search of farther golden discoveries, in order to open an _opposition mine_ for themselves, as the _English_ showed such monopoly in their _companies_. In the prosecution of this _speculation_, one of them happened to thrust his candle into a powder waggon, while his coadjutors were surrounding it, waiting for the _report_ upon its merits; the _mine_ sprung, and hurled the _company_ into the air: many were blown to atoms, and those who escaped immediate death, I saw next day--they were as black as Africans, their heads and faces swollen, and their eyes closed up: poor creatures, they presented a pitiable sight! very few of them recovered. Had these men been satisfied with humble silver, and not have run after _mining speculations_, they would have done better; but such folly is not confined to ignorant peasants--the great metropolis of London has furnished us with examples of far greater avarice and folly in the pursuit of _gold mines_.