Soult pursued the line of the right bank of the Adour, and concentrated at Plaisance and Maubourget, to await Lord Wellington’s attack--but finding the road to Bordeaux uncovered, the allied general marched his left wing directly on that city. On Beresford’s approach, the garrison evacuated the place, crossing over to the right bank of the Garonne; and the authorities and inhabitants generally assumed the white cockade, and declared themselves in favour of the Bourbons. TOULOUSE. Termination of the conference of Chatillon.--Wellington determines to reduce Bayonne.--Soult marches on Toulouse, and Wellington pursues him.--Description of Toulouse.--Passage of the Garonne effected.--Battle of Toulouse.--Subsequent events and movements. The celebrated conference at Chatillon terminated on the 19th of March, and the allied Sovereigns determined to march direct upon the capital, of which they obtained possession on the 31st. The intelligence of this momentous event had not reached the south of France--and Lord Wellington made immense preparations to enable him to invest and reduce Bayonne. Fascines and gabions were obtained in abundance--a large supply of siege artillery, with shot and shells, was landed at Passages from England--scaling-ladders were constructed in the woods--the site of the batteries marked out--and all was ready for an investment. One division being considered sufficient for the protection of Bordeaux, that city was intrusted to the care of Lord Dalhousie, while Marshal Beresford was recalled, and joined the army with the remainder of his corps. Soult had manœuvred to draw the allies from Bordeaux; and his _corps d’armée_ occupied positions on the right bank of the Adour, with advanced pickets in the town of Tarbes. On the 20th of March, Hill’s division was directed to attack the left wing of the enemy, after driving their outposts from Tarbes-- while Clinton, with the sixth division, and Ponsonby and Lord Edward Somerset’s cavalry brigades, should cross the river between Vic Bigorre and Rabastens, and, by turning the right of the French, gain Soult’s rear. To guard against this menaced attack, the French marshal retired under cover of the night, and fell back upon Toulouse, destroying the bridges as he passed them. The unavoidable difficulty in crossing flooded rivers, and moving pontoons over roads nearly impassable from heavy rains, delayed the allied march. Soult, therefore, reached Toulouse in four days, while Wellington, by great exertion, was only enabled to arrive before it in seven.