Page:The founding of South Australia.djvu/36

 General and his brave corps for the purpose of executing my new and difficult commission. I could not quit these fine fellows without considerable emotion; I felt conscious that if I ever rejoined them, many whom I there saw would have fallen sacrifices to their patriotism, and this conviction cast a gloom over my mind I could not conceal&hellip;

"November 2nd.—After four days and nights of uninterrupted travelling, I found myself at, Paris. Here I remained a few days, during which the evil tidings arrived of the complete defeat of Valdes and the loss, or dispersion, of his whole column. With him sunk all the hopes of the constitutionalists, and a week after the French Government ordered those of the refugees whom the Royalist bullets had spared to be removed to Bourges, an inland town of France, thereby completely putting an end to all future hostilities.

"November 8th.—I once more landed on my native shore."

Bound up with this diary—which contains excellent descriptions of the country through which he passed, the scenes he witnessed, and the persons he met—are the orders issued by General Valdes to his corps, and the MS. letter authorising Mr. Gouger to make terms with any British officers or volunteers who might desire to engage in the cause. At the end of the volume a note is added: "The total defeat of Valdes, the consequent retreat and eventual dispersion of all the revolutionary forces, with the excitement I found in the popular mind in England on my arrival, quite prevented even the endeavour to raise the body of men I had been commissioned to attempt."

It may be mentioned here that Captain Light,