only in its climates. The N. of the province of Traz os Montes, the high table-land of Beira, Viseu, Trancoso, Pinhel, Guarda, Almeida, and Sabugal, are in winter bitterly cold, have the spring late and uncertain, and have little advantage in these respects over England. Here snow is not uncommon in the months of January and February; but even the highest peaks can hardly be said to retain it throughout the whole year, though in certain deep glens of the Soajo, the Gerez, the Estrella, and Montezinho, it occasionally lies through the whole summer. But in the greater part of Minho, in the low grounds of Beira, and in Estremadura, snow is a very rarely occurring phenomenon, and the winter consists only of a few weeks of heavy rain. In Alemtejo and Algarve frost and snow are unknown; and the winter in the latter province may be called the season of flowers. On the whole, Portugal may be considered a very healthy country. The principal exceptions are the vicinity of Bragança, Miranda, Chaves, and the wine-country in the N.; the country round the mouth of the Vouga; the tract between Coimbra and that of the Mondego; Pinhel in Beira; the southern side of the Tagus, from Salvaterra to Alcochete; the flat marshy country called the Sesmas de Ourem, by the rivers Zetas and Tera; the vicinity of the Sado; that of the Guadiana; the neighbourhood of Silves, and above all of the river Quarteira in Algarve. Here intermittent fevers and agues (seisões) are always more or less prevalent. §3.-WAYS OF REACHING PORTUGAL. We will first describe that by sea, and then the overland route. The Peninsular and Oriental steamers leave Southampton on the 7th, 17th, and 27th of each month, at 2 p. m., except when those days fall on Sunday, in which case they start on the Monday. With an average passage, the vessel will go into Vigo harbour on the evening of the third day. After leaving this magnificent bay (for a description of which see the 'Handbook for Spain'), the traveller will find that the iron-bound character of the coast insensibly alters: population increases, and villages become larger and closer together. Four hours from Vigo will suffice to reach the mouth of the Minho; in fair weather the vessel keeps close to the shore, so that the town of Caminha, and the remarkable conical head of Mount S. Thecla, afford conspicuous objects. Vianna is next passed, with its long straggling white suburbs; then Espozende; and from thenceforward the mountains die away, and are succeeded by a low sandy coast, presenting almost a continual succession of villages and scattered houses. Villa do Conde will easily be distinguished by its aqueduct ; and in 9 or 10 hours from leaving Vigo the steamer will lie to off Porto. The port of S. João da Foz is to the left, and at some distance up the river the higher parts of Porto will be seen, the tower of the Clerigos forming the principal object. Hence the coast becomes exceedingly dull, and consists principally of sand-wastes and pine-woods. The next remarkable object is Cape Peniche, with the white pilgrimage church of N. S. de Nazareth. To the right are the Berlengas, between which and the main land the vessel passes; there is an excellent lighthouse on them, and also on Peniche. Some distance further a momentary glance may be obtained of the turrets of Mafra. The traveller's eye will next be caught by a remarkable castlelike building, that crowns the summit of a very steep mountain: this is the Penha Convent at Cintra. Next the vessel passes the abrupt precipice of the Cabo da Roca, called by the English the Rock of Lisbon, and begins to alter her course to the eastward. Soon after this the high land towards Cape Espichel, on the other side of the Tagus, comes into sight: then, in rapid succession, Cascaes and its fort, and Fort S. Julian, are passed to the left, and the Bugio Fort to the right: then Oeiras and Paço d'Arcos are seen to the left the Tagus, properly so called, is entered; to the right are the rich fields and vineyards of the Capa Rica; next follow, to the left, the castle and church of Belem, the palace of the Necessidades, the Estrella church, when the whole magnificent panorama of Lisbon comes into sight. The vessel passes the Praça do Commercio, and casts anchor a little higher up the river. This voyage may, under very favourable circumstances, be performed in 4 days, but generally takes 5, and sometimes, especially in winter, extends to 6. The traveller has his choice of leaving the vessel at Vigo, at Porto, or at Lisbon. Vigo has the advantage of a perfectly easy landing in all weathers, and by daylight: since, if the steamers do not reach before sunset, they lie in the bay all night. If the traveller land here, he can proceed to Tuy, about 16 miles, either by diligence or on horseback: the road is excellent, and there is tolerable accommodation at Tuy. Hence he can either enter Portugal by Valença, which will give a 2 days' journey to Porto, or drop down the river to Caminha, which though it may be performed in 2, will more pleasantly occupy 3 days in reaching the same city. The landing at Porto can never be depended on, both because the steamers are only bound to call there if the mails have not previously been sent ashore at Vigo, and because the frightful bar of the Douro makes landing almost always difficult, and often dangerous. In the following Handbook, however, the traveller will be assumed (with one exception, hereafter to be named) to have landed at Lisbon, and to set out on his tour from that city. Besides other advantages, there is this obvious one-that, supposing the tour to be made, as it ought to be made, in the spring, it is desirable to accomplish its southern portion first, in order not to risk exposure to the intense June heats of Algarve. If Portugal be entered from Spain, there is the choice of several routes. The tourist may either go from Zamora to Bragança, and so through Traz os Montes, a course only to be recommended to those who, in pursuit of scenery, are willing to encounter any hardship;—or he may enter from Salamanca or Ciudad Rodrigo, and so drop down the Douro, a very pleasant voyage;-or, he may go from Madrid to Badajoz, and so by the lately established diligence to Lisbon ;-or, finally, if he be in the south of Spain, he may take advantage of one of the vessels that are constantly sailing between Cadiz and Castro Marim, and so make the tour of Algarve before proceeding to Lisbon. § 4.-PORTUGUESE MONEY.-WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. Portuguese accounts are kept in Reis, an imaginary coin, of which 20 are about equal to a penny. Though Reis do not now exist, in earlier times there was an actual coin called a Ceitil, equal to half a Rei; that is, to the tenth part of a farthing. The 12-Vintem piece, or half-Crusado, 240 Reis (but 6 d. 1s. 1d. 2s. 2d. 2s. 3d. The Crusado Novo or Pinto, or 480 Reis (but marked 400) The Dollar or Milrei, 1000 Reis 4s. 6d. In order to avoid the confusion which would otherwise exist between coins of so nearly the same value as the half-testão and 3-vintem piece, and again between the testoon and the 6-vintem piece, the testoon and the testoon have, on the reverse side, a plain cross; the 3 and the 6-vintem pieces a Maltese cross. The Crusado novo cannot be mistaken for the half-dollar, the latter being quite a new coin and having no cross at all. The gold coins, the Moidore (moeda), equal to 4800 Reis, or 17. 1s. 8d. ; the small gold piece, equal to 5000 Reis, or 17. 2s. 6d. ; and the gold piece, or 8000 Reis, equal to 17. 16s., are not often met with in the provinces. But in making purchases the account is sometimes verbally given in moidores. The English sovereign is a legal tender throughout Portugal for 4500 Reis. In changing one it is convenient to remember that the sum to be received is 9 pintos and 9 vintens. The best coin to be provided with is the vintem and the testão: the latter, as the Scotchman said of sixpences, are 'canny little dogs that will often do the work of shillings." 1 pipe, or 115 gallons. 6 Gallegos are said to be able to carry, suspended from their shoulders, 60 arobas, 1920 lbs. A bullock-cart will carry the same. xiy § 5.-METHODS OF TRAVELLING. § 5.-METHODS OF TRAVELLING-RAILWAYS-ROADS. "There Portugal is behind every other European country in its roads; or rather in those tracks and watercourses which, by courtesy, are called so. still exist," says an able writer (in 1852), "numerous proofs that in the time of the Caesars there were roads in Portugal; but now it will hardly be credited that the government mails between Lisbon and Porto are still conveyed on horseback at the rate of 3 miles an hour; that horses are never used for draught, except in the large cities, and there only for carriages; that there is neither coach, omnibus, diligence, nor even a carrier's cart in communication between the capital and the second city of the kingdom; that there is no public conveyance of any kind throughout the whole country, excepting in Lisbon and Porto"-and now excepting also between Porto and Braga, Lisbon and Badajoz, and (May 15, 1855) between Lisbon and Coimbra (which last event will considerably modify the statement inade above about the government mails)—" that travellers can only move from place to place on mules, or on horseback, or in litters; that, with the exception of the vicinity of Lisbon, there is hardly a carriage-road of twenty miles in extent proceeding from any one city or point in the country; that in the interior, not only are there no roads worthy of the name, but that the very streets and thoroughfares are converted into mere nurseries for manure; and that the only mode of conveying heavy goods from one part to another is in bullock-carts, and for light goods on mules or on the backs of gallegos." In a late debate in the House of Peers, when a measure for the improvement of roads was introduced, one of the leading members of that house exclaimed, "Estradas! para que queremos estradas, se não for para facilitar a invazão do amigo vizinho?""Roads! what do we want roads for, except to facilitate the invasion of our good Spanish friends ?" The bullock-carts above mentioned have probably not altered their shape since the time of the Romans. The wheels and the axles in many parts turn round together, and make, in revolving, the most horrible noise, something between a shriek and a groan (chilrazia), which it is possible to conceive. The word is Arabic, and proves that matters are unchanged since the time of the Moors. This noise is supposed to drive away the devil and to frighten wolves, as indeed it well may: it has also the advantage of giving notice at the entrance of a defile that a cart is already passing. If the tourist happens to get behind a string of these carts in a narrow lane, proceeding as they do at the rate of a mile and a half an hour, he will ever after remember the half-hour or hour which he thus passed. However, the sound, when heard at a great distance, as for example from the bottom of a wooded ravine, is not unmusical. The oxen are universally of a light bay colour, with most enormous horns: when a rider passes them, the driver holds their heads by a strap. They are either yoked neck to neck, as is generally the case, or, as in Traz os Montes, they pull with their heads, which are cushioned for that purpose, and present the exact appearance of wearing spectacles. The yoke (canga) is sometimes very finely carved; there are specimens in Traz os Montes and Beira Baixa which must date from the time of D. Manoel. At present (Jan. 1855), diligences run on only three roads, from Porto to Braga, from Lisbon to Elvas and Badajoz; and from Lisbon to Coimbra. The second was only established in April, 1854, and will probably work a great revolution in travelling: it is intended to have a branch diligence to Evora. It is probable, however, from the pains bestowed upon it, that, before many months, the Estrada Real from Lisbon to Porto may be passable by carriages. (We have already said that this has in part been accomplished.) As to Railroads, two grand trunk-lines are designed. From Lisbon considerable progress has been made with the line to Santarem under an English Company, and the able superintendence of Mr. T. Rumbull, C.E.; and as wealthy Brazilians have spiritedly bought up above half the amount of shares, there is every prospect that the line will speedily be completed. From Santarem a grand trunk-line will be carried through to Oporto, and a branch-line to Elvas on the Spanish frontier. From Aldea Gallega to Vendas Novas the concession of a railroad has been given to a French Company, and this enterprise will be carried out with vigour. From Lisbon to Cintra, by the right margin of the Tagus, a railroad is also to be constructed by another French Company under the Count de Lucotte. In the provinces of Minho and Traz os Montes good macadamized roads are in active progress, and as an earnest of the success of the works, we may mention that some of the wealthiest and most influential of the British houses at Oporto were the first to come forward to take shares in the respective Companies. From that town one branch will go north to Porto, and the other east to Elvas on the frontier, where it will be met by the Spanish line from Madrid; but probably many years will elapse before these arrangements are complete. For the present, however, with the exceptions above named, and that of the steamer which runs at uncertain intervals between Lisbon and Porto, the traveller must trust entirely to horses or mules. The price paid for them by the day varies in different parts of the kingdom, but nowhere ought the charge to be greater than 12 testoons (5s. 6d.) each, and the traveller will scarcely procure them for less than 8 testoons-10 may be considered about the fair average. The method of hiring them is this. Each traveller will of course require one beast (cavalgadura); a sumpter mule will easily carry the luggage of two or three persons; and if the driver (arrieiro, so called from the word arrè, the Arabic for gee-up) gives satisfaction, he will expect to be paid at the rate of half a beast, though less than that sum will be amply sufficient if he does not turn his hand to any service that may be required of him. The traveller will further have to pay for his food and wine, but not for that of the beasts: every attempt at the latter charge is to be resisted as downright imposition. In addition to this, back-fare will be expected, but this is an item which a little arrangement will almost entirely get rid of. For example, a party might hire their mules at Porto, and, after taking them through the whole north and east of Portugal, a six weeks' tour, might dismiss them at Santarem, whence the back-fare would be only for three days. The expenses of a tour for two persons may probably average per day, as follows: |