Chapter 2

1809 – Hard Lessons for All

Throughout late 1808 and the first part of 1809 there was still a small British presence at Lisbon, and work continued to make the place more defensible. Engineer officers were also ordered to improve communications by building bridges over the river Tagus.¹ Edmund Mulcaster had been sent in early October 1808 to survey the possible sites and reported back to Fletcher on the 19th. General Mackenzie, commanding at Lisbon, wrote to Moore on 13 December reporting:

Captain Landmann of the engineers has been sent to Abrantes to assist in throwing the bridge across the Tagus there, and also to strengthen the flying bridge [floating platforms made of boats or pontoons, secured and moved by ropes] at Villa Velha and at Punhete on the Zezere. When he has accomplished these objects he is to examine as far as he can the best positions in Upper Beira, where almost all the best Portuguese engineers are now employed on surveys.²