About five, we perceived two battalions wearing grenadier caps coming
on. They turned out to belong to a Nassau regiment which had occupied
the advanced post of the enemy, and, hearing that Napoleon had met with
great reverses in Germany, signified to us their intention to desert.
They were a fine-looking body of men, and appeared, I thought, rather
ashamed of the step they had taken. On the same day, we were relieved,
and on our way back met Lord Wellington with his hounds. He was dressed
in a light blue frock coat (the colour of the Hatfield hunt) which had
been sent out to him as a present from Lady Salisbury, then one of the
leaders of the fashionable world, and an enthusiastic admirer of his lordship.

Here, I remember seeing for the first time a very remarkable character,
the Hon. W. Dawson, of my regiment. He was surrounded by muleteers,
with whom he was bargaining to provide carriage for innumerable hampers
of wine, liqueurs, hams, potted meat, and other good things, which he
had brought from England. He was a particularly gentlemanly and amiable
man, much beloved by the regiment: no one was so hospitable or lived
so magnificently. His cooks were the best in the army, and he, besides,
had a host of servants of all nations - Spaniards, French, Portuguese,
Italians - who were employed in scouring the country for provisions.
Lord Wellington once honoured him with his company; and on entering
the ensign's tent, found him alone at table, with a dinner fit for a
king, his plate and linen in good keeping, and his wines perfect. Lord
Wellington was accompanied on this occasion by Sir Edward Pakenham and
Colonel du Burgh, afterwards Lord Downes. It fell to my lot to partake
of his princely hospitality and dine with him at his quarters, a farmhouse
in a village on the Bidassoa, and I never saw a better dinner put upon
table. The career of this amiable Amphitryon, to our great regret, was
cut short, after exercising for about a year a splendid but not very
wise hospitality. He had only a younger brother's fortune; his debts