Note 12 — Chapter III

The occupation of Cadiz was a favourite project with the English government at this period. They were not discouraged by Spencer’s unsuccessful efforts to gain admittance, nor by the representations of sir Hew Dalrymple, who had grounds for believing that any attempt to introduce British troops there, would bring down the greater part of Castaños’ army to oppose it by force; nor by the consideration that in a political view such a measure would give a subject for misrepresentation to the enemy’s emissaries, and that, in a military view, the burthen of Cadiz would clog all general operations in Portugal.