The Enquirer

Sept 12.

There has been no fresh arrival from Portugal since our last, but the following particulars from the latest official returns, and other authentic sources, have not yet been made generally public:

"The British army now in Portugal amounts to 28,000 fighting men, all in excellent health & spirits. Of these 24,000 are under the immediate command of Lord Wellington, including General Hill's division. The remainder are at Tomar, under General Leith, with the exception of one regiment at Lisbon. Further reinforcements will soon go out from this country. The 79th and 84th have already left Cadiz, for Portugal; two more regiments are to follow; and another corps is daily expected from North America; so that in a short time our force in Portugal will be very formidable. Still, however, it will be far outnumbered by that of the enemy, as appears by Massena's Proclamation, which asserts that he has under his orders 110,000 men.

"CELERICO, Aug 21. The main body of the British army is now at this place in high health and spirits. Massena is concentrating his forces, preparatory to a general action, before the rainy season sets in—a period which will be equally destructive to his forces and to ours.—Lord Wellington, in the mean time, is making every exertion which bravery and prudence can suggest to meet the coming storm whatever it may be. In the position which we occupy at present the French cavalry cannot act; their only chance will be in a charge by the bayonet, and they know well that we are more than a match for them in such an encounter. Gen. Hill has taken up a new position in advance: and Lord Wellington frankly says, that though he is surrounded with dangers, if he is blessed with health and a continuance of good spirits, he has no fear for the result of the expected general action."