Presently he came upon Colonel Cox, who had just been joined by Captain Hewitt, the only British officer with him; who had instantly gone off to see the amount of damage done to the defences, and had brought back news that the walls had been levelled in several places, and the guns thrown into the ditch.
Da Costa, Bareiros, and several other Portuguese officers were loudly clamouring for instant surrender and, the French shells again beginning to fall into the town, added to the prevailing terror.

In vain the commandant endeavoured to still the tumult, and to assure those around him that the defence might yet be continued, for a short time; and better terms be obtained than if they were, at once, to surrender.
"Can I do anything, Colonel ?" Terence said.

"My men are still available." The officer shook his head.
"Massena will see, in the morning," he said, "that he has but to march in.

If these men would fight, we could still, perhaps, defend the breaches for a day or two.

But it would only be useless slaughter.