concentration of Junot's army. There was fought, on August 21, the first
important battle of the Peninsular war. The British troops, estimated at
16,778 men (besides about 2,000 Portuguese), outnumbered the French
considerably, but the French were much stronger in cavalry, and boldly
assumed the offensive, confident in the prestige derived from so many
victories in Italy and Germany. Wellesley's position was strong, but the
attack on it was skilfully designed and pressed home with resolute
courage. It was repelled at every point of the field, and the French,
retiring in confusion, might have been cut off from Lisbon. But Burrard,
who had just landed and witnessed the battle without interfering, now
absolutely refused to sanction a vigorous pursuit.

On the following day he was superseded in turn by Dalrymple. The new
commander determined to await the arrival of Moore, whose approach was
reported, but who did not disembark his whole force until the 30th. In
the meantime, overtures for an armistice were received from Junot, and
ultimately resulted in the so-called "convention of Cintra," though it
was first drafted at Torres Vedras and was ratified at Lisbon. Under
this agreement the French army was to surrender Lisbon intact with other
Portuguese fortresses, but was allowed to return to France with its arms
and baggage at the expense of the British government. Having dissented
from the military decision which had enabled Junot to negotiate, instead
of capitulating, Wellesley also dissented from certain terms of the
convention. He was, however, party to it as a whole, and afterwards
justified its main conditions as securing the evacuation of Portugal at
the price of reasonable concessions. This was not the feeling of the
British public, which loudly resented the escape of the French army and
insisted upon a court of inquiry. The verdict of this court saved the
military honour of all three generals, but its members were so divided
in opinion on the policy of the convention that no authoritative
judgment was pronounced. Napoleon felt no such difficulty in condemning
Junot for yielding too much, and the inhabitants of Lisbon were
infuriated not only by the loss of their expected vengeance, but also by
the shameless plunder of their public and private property by the
departing French. Under a separate convention, the Russian fleet, long
blockaded in the Tagus, was surrendered to the British admiral, but
without its officers