delusive reasonings on diseases, of erudite men even of superior capacities, especially of those who read medical books; who not being of the profession, are ignorant of the elements of that science.

As the council wavered on what was to be done, Moore offered to go himself privately to Admiral Cochrane's squadron lying off Ferrol, and learn the amount of the information which he and the Captains had acquired. He said that the preparations for the expedition might proceed, while he ran into the bay, and observed what could be seen from the deck of a ship, and endeavoured to form some opinion on the feasibility of the plan. This proposal was warmly approved of, and his brother's ship was appointed to convey him to Ferrol.

Tempestuous weather occurred in the passage, but they joined the squadron in Betenzos bay in December. Sir John Moore took a fictitious name, and lest some one in the flag-ship should recognise him, Admiral Cochrane visited him in his brother's frigate,

The Admiral informed him, that the Spaniards had taken an alarm; great bodies of troops had marched into Ferrol, and no boats were suffered to land on the Peninsula. But in order to give him some view of the place, he proposed that the frigate should proceed up the bay and anchor near the shore, while the rest of the squadron should retire,

Though there was very little wind next day, Captain Graham Moore sailed a good way up, and cast anchor in the evening. In the following morning, Admiral Cochrane came to breakfast, and brought a couple of dogs and fowling-pieces. He said they might land safely on the east side of the Bay, and walk up a hill, under the pretence of shooting, and thence see Ferrol far better than from the deck of a ship.

Accordingly, the Admiral and Captain Moore, in blue jackets, and Sir John in plain clothes, went ashore with two boats; they ascended the hill, which was about two miles from the shore; whence they had a bird'seye view of Ferrol, distant five miles; and of

the harbour, the arsenal and the batteries erected for their protection. On the way, they met some people who spoke to them with civility; but before they had been half an hour on the hill, Sir John saw a boat full of soldiers rowing towards the spot where their boats lay. He suspected that they were discovered, and a man was instantly despatched to order the sailors to row round to a sandy bay behind the hill on which they stood, and to which they hastened. It was about three miles to this bay, which they reached before the boats, and tried in vain by a large bribe, to prevail on some fishermen to take them off. At length the boats arrived, the sailors pulling the oars with all their might.

All jumped in and got away in safety. The sailors were equally glad, who told them, that the soldiers, who came in the boat, had only ordered them to leave the shore; but before the boat's crew had collected, a second party of near forty soldiers suddenly appeared marching towards them. On which they

pushed off, and left a midshipman and two men, who were made prisoners.

The soldiers ran along on the shore in the direction they steered: but the sailors rowed faster than the soldiers could run; yet these were within a quarter of an hour's walk from the sandy bay, when all embarked.

This project of the Admiral, on whom Sir John confided, might have had a very serious conclusion, if they had been captured. For as none of the officers wore uniforms, their dresses might have been construed to be dis-guises, and themselves to be spies.

The view from the hill had been too distant to be of much use, yet no better could be obtained. But the Admiral had got information that the Spaniards had become vigilant ; that troops marched daily into Ferrol; and they were mounting their different batteries with cannon. He himself had never seen the defences near, but the description he had got was, that the batteries which defended the entrance of the harbour, could either prevent

any shipping from passing, or destroy them when they got in. That the bastions of the place were solidly constructed, between fifteen and twenty feet high, and mounted with heavy cannon; and Fort St. Felipe was a work of considerable strength. Also that the fortifications of the town, if tolerably garrisoned, were too strong to be assaulted, and could only be taken by a battering train and a regular siege.

This was the amount of the Admiral's information, and as nothing more precise could be procured, Sir John resolved to return to England; but so violent a gale of wind sprung up, that the ship dragged its anchor, and was driven towards the rocks. To escape being wrecked, the cable was cut in the middle of the night, and the ship fortunately hove her head round the right way, and got to sea. It continued to blow tremendously for three days, yet the men-of-war all escaped; but had there been a fleet of transports filled with troops in that bay, many must have been lost.