was the general admiration of the population on both sides of the Douro The conduct of Mr. Jonas Coaker, acting master, who was left in charge of the Orestes, merits my approbation. This officer, in my absence, procured fire-engines from the town of Oporto, but failed in his efforts to transport them to the vicinity of Villa Nova. I have the honor to be, &c.
This disinterested and hazardous service, in the responsibility of which the British Consul refused to share, was not even acknowledged with one solitary expression of thanks on the part of the British merchants; Captain Glascock’s conduct, however, obtained him the official approbation of the commander-in-chief in the Tagus.
On the day after the destruction of the wines at Villa Nova, the constitutional General, Saldanha, resolved upon making a sortie. He accordingly left the town of Oporto at midnight, broke through his opponent’s line, destroyed part of his camp, pursued him as far as Valonga, took about 200 prisoners, and captured 600 barrels of gunpowder. On the night of the 19th August, the Miguelites on the southern bank of the Douro withdrew their piquets, and the entire force at St. Ovidio marched about nine leagues to the rear of that town. On the 20th, Villa Nova was in possession of the constitutionalists, the Douro was again accessible to vessels of all nations, and people were passing to and fro perfectly unmolested. Don Miguel was then, with the Spanish Infanta Don Carlos, at Coimbra, to which place a field officer was posting with accounts of the demise of the King of Spain. On the 18th of the following month, Captain Glascock departed from the Douro, after a truly arduous and most unenviable service, in that river, of nearly twelve months.
This officer is the author of the “Naval Sketch Book,” “Tales of a Tar,” and other professional publications. The following are the names of the officers who served under his orders during the siege of Oporto:
Commanders Lord George Paulet and Edward Belcher, of the Nautilus and AEtna. Lieutenants William Dickey, Kynaston Corbet, and
