In 1855 I went to Portugal, at the request of the Government, to make arrangements for a general system of railways and other works. As we passed the Fort Belem, at the entrance of the Tagus, the view gradually opened out, until you obtained a coup d’œil of the whole, which really is very fine and striking. Fancy a range of streets, houses, palaces, and churches rising rapidly from the water’s edge until they crown the summits of the hills on which they are built, backed by the picturesque outline of the Cintra hills, and extending for upwards of three miles. We landed at the custom house, close by the Plaza, commonly called by the English Blackhorse Square, from the fine equestrian figure of the Marquis of Pombal in the centre. This is certainly a handsome square, surrounded by all the public offices, terminated in the centre, on the south, by a fine triumphal archway, which leads by a spacious street to the square of Dom Pedro. Beyond this are the public gardens, very tastefully laid out.
I was introduced to Dom Fernando, the husband of the late Dona Maria, Queen of Portugal, and at that time Regent during the minority of his son. He was of the House of Coburg, and brother to the late Prince Consort. He received me very graciously, and spoke English very well, although with a peculiar accent. His Royal Highness afterwards invited me to a ball and supper, at the Palace of Belem, which was extremely well managed, without magnificence or ostentation. I was there introduced to the Minister of Finance, Signor Mello de Fontes, a young man of great talent and an excellent orator. On the following day I attended a launch at the dockyard, which was honoured by the presence of the Prince Regent, and here I was introduced to the Duke de Saldanha, President of the Cabinet; the Duke de Terçeira and his amiable wife; Viscount de Bandiera, together with the distinguished men of all parties.
Before proceeding to Oporto I was obliged to remain several days until I could get my official instructions as to what they required. I employed the interim in visiting the different objects in Lisbon most worthy of the traveller’s notice. I first went to the great aqueduct, which is really a very grand and magnificent work, the finest of the kind in Europe, and every part is readily accessible. It enters at the highest part of the northern portion of the town, and conveys the water to a large artificial reservoir, whence it is distributed by pipes to fountains situated in different parts of the town, and from these fountains it is carried to the various houses by means of carriers and water-carts. These carriers are chiefly Gallegoes or Spaniards from the Biscayan Provinces, who are allowed to charge so much per barrel.
It is singular to see them travelling about from one part of the town to the other with cries of “Agua,” and it is more singular still that this practice should have been allowed to continue so long, to the great and unnecessary tax upon the inhabitants, where, if pipes were only laid to the houses, the water might be distributed at probably one-tenth of the cost. The Gallegoes are a hard-working, temperate race, who save every penny they can, and as soon as possible retire to their own country to enjoy the hard-earned fruits of their labours.
The water before it reaches the city is collected in reservoirs distributed about the valleys, at the base of the Cintra hills, but these reservoirs are upon too small a scale, and in dry seasons the water is very scarce. A Portuguese company has since been formed to enlarge the works, increase the supply, and deliver it direct to the houses, but, like most Portuguese companies of the kind, has failed from the want of understanding the subject and from mismanagement.
I visited the fine old Cathedral of Belem, built in honour of Prince Henry, the Portuguese navigator. The style is a species of richly florid Gothic, and the interior is spacious and imposing. There was an hospital for invalid sailors attached to it, which is now converted into a naval academy.
I also visited the Castle of Belem close by, where all ships coming to Lisbon are obliged to stop and show their papers and get pratique before they are allowed to proceed. The castle itself is a very small fortress, built in the Moorish style, and mounts a few light brass guns, and is manned by about fifty artillerymen. It is a very pretty object to look upon, but as a fortress it is good for nothing. There is another fort, called St. Julian, about five or six miles lower down, on the same side, which commands the channel passing close to it, but it also was in a dilapidated condition, with a few light guns. It is certainly much stronger than that of Belem, but wholly unfit to prevent the passage of any large vessel of war, or to resist a land attack. There is another small fort near the bar at the entrance of the southern channel. This fort is circular, and called the Bugia. In the centre is a lighthouse, with a revolving light. This also as a fort is good for nothing. I accompanied Dom Fernando and his ministers to examine the entrance of the Tagus, which was said to be deteriorating. In the northern channel, during the heavy south-west gales, which are very prevalent, there is a very heavy broken sea, which at times cannot be passed without great danger. The strength of these gales when at their utmost is extraordinary. The waves break with tremendous violence on the shore, and carry the sand in vast masses to a considerable distance inshore, so as to render the soil perfectly barren on the north side of the entrance. These sands extend for several miles, and the whole coast is covered with it. At low water, in some places, they are dry during the ebb for a mile and upwards.
The port of Lisbon properly speaking is at the custom house, which immediately adjoins Blackhorse Square. It consists of nothing more than an open roadstead, where all the mercantile vessels lie at their anchors, and are loaded and unloaded by means of lighters, at great delay and cost, and with frequent interruptions from heavy gales of wind; but it rarely happens that the vessels suffer any material damage, as the mouth of the river, although about seven miles wide, is never seriously agitated. Docks or landing jetties might be made here with considerable advantage to the trade. At the request of the Government, I prepared some plans upon a moderate scale. Docks also might have been made in the bay to the westward, although it would have involved the removal of the custom house, which would, however, be a great improvement. The naval dockyard and Admiralty are close by, and, in fact, form part of the west side of Blackhorse Square. It is a miserable place, and consists of a dry dock, two or three building slips, with a ropery, and some warehouses, all in the most antique fashion, and supplied with cranes, tools, &c., of the last century. In fact, it required to be wholly remodelled and removed to the bay above mentioned. The Government has since then parted with this bay to a private company, which has nearly filled it up, and propose to convert it into building ground. As the Great Eastern and Northern Railway terminates on the east side of the custom house, docks in connection with it might be made between it and the custom house, and as these are so obviously wanted, it is not improbable that they will be made some time hence; but, unfortunately, from some cause or another, the railways have been mismanaged, and the Government has no funds to undertake any great works itself.
The roadstead for large foreign vessels of war is situated about a mile and a half lower down, nearer to the southern shore, where there is ample depth of water, and where they are completely out of the way of the merchant vessels.
The channel, from the entrance at Belem to Blackhorse Square, is about three miles long, and from two to two and a half miles wide. It then branches out to about seven miles wide, and continues more or less of about the same width for nine or ten miles, when it contracts to a mile, so that it may be readily imagined that the harbour is one of the finest and most spacious in Europe, always excepting that of Vigo.
At Lisbon I visited the collection of royal state carriages, which, without doubt, is the finest and most extensive anywhere. I think I counted nearly fifty, gilt and decorated with the royal arms in the most elaborate manner. Upon the panels are very beautiful paintings executed by first-rate artists. Some of these carriages are above two centuries old; and it is curious to observe, that whilst the decorations are most elegant and finished in the highest style of art, the ironwork, springs, &c., in many of these are of the rudest description.
The Sunday after my arrival there was a grand bull fight, which Dom Fernando and some of the royal princes honoured with their presence. These bull fights are totally different from those of Spain. Here the bulls have their horns capped with large bosses of wood, so that they can do no harm, whilst, on the other hand, they are never killed. Instead of being tortured with barbed arrows and spears by a host of banderilleros and picadores, and when thoroughly exhausted and worn out killed by the matador, they are encountered by about a dozen stout and most active men, accustomed to the fight. These grapple with the bull, and master him by main force, and pin him down to the ground, and some of the most powerful and skilful will, of a sudden, seize the bull by the horns, and throwing their whole weight upon the animal, completely roll him over, when he becomes perfectly helpless. This is a great feat, and is most enthusiastically applauded. But notwithstanding their strength and activity, the bull-fighters frequently get knocked about a good deal, and receive heavy falls and bruises, but they never get tossed, and are seldom severely hurt. The sight is by no means disgusting, cruel, or barbarous, like those of Spain. Indeed, there is a good deal of fun in it, and at times you cannot help laughing heartily, and generally go away much pleased. After every fight, the men came forward, and were handsomely rewarded by Dom Fernando and the audience.
There still exist the remains of many fine convents and churches; of some the building had never been finished. When monastic institutions were abolished these buildings became the property of the State, and have since been sold to the public and converted to different purposes; some to manufactories, others to barracks, others to domestic residences. The inmates have been dismissed, with moderate pensions, and thrown out upon the world. The property brought little to the State; and as they were in a great measure founded by the charity of private individuals, to which the State had no right, it would have been better to have allowed them to die a natural death. Religion has gained nothing, the State little or nothing, while gross superstition has degenerated into scepticism and infidelity. All violent changes have an opposite result to that desired. The roots of old institutions once torn up, it is difficult to substitute a new plant to succeed them. It would be better if such important changes could be made gradually, but, unfortunately, the old generation, strong in possession, and forgetful of the times in which they live, will listen to no alteration, and cling firmly to the past, as if it must endure for ever. The new generation, born under different circumstances, have no respect for old institutions, and regardless of what is good in them, will listen to no compromise, and are never satisfied until they have rooted them out altogether.
There can be no doubt that the institution of convents and monasteries was of great service to the world in the middle ages—in preserving the learning of past times, in teaching the ignorant, in distributing alms amongst the poor, and in healing the sick. They curbed the ambition, and controlled the violent passions of the barbarous feudal lords, who considered that the world was made for them alone, and gratified their lusts at the expense of the unfortunate people over whom they ruled. No power but that of religion could have controlled them. They felt its wondrous influence, and were told in stern, unmistakable language that there was a hereafter, and that the great God who governed the world would surely visit their sins with condign punishment, unless they sincerely repented of their wickedness, and prayed for His forgiveness. We must therefore be grateful for the services which religion, under its peculiar forms and ceremonies, rendered in those days; and although abuses by degrees crept in, yet these might have been remedied by much milder measures. The monasteries and convents, however, served their purpose; but now they are gone, and it is to be hoped that as the world becomes wiser and more enlightened the great Creator will be worshipped in a purer and simpler manner.
Having heard so much of the filthiness of Lisbon, I was most agreeably disappointed to find it so much the reverse. With the exception of the old part of the town, to the westward of Blackhorse Square, and which was filthy enough, few cities, certainly not London, were cleaner than Lisbon at the time of my first visit in 1855. The streets were broad and straight, well lighted and watered, and the buildings regular and handsome. The police certainly was not the most effective, but still the town was safe.
I left Lisbon about four o’clock in the afternoon, in a fast steamer, full of passengers, and after a fine passage of sixteen hours, with only a moderate swell ahead—which, however, made most of the passengers sick—we arrived off the bar of the Douro at six the following morning, when a pilot came on board, and we crossed the bar and proceeded up to the town quay, about two miles from the entrance of the river; I was recommended to the Peninsular Hotel, situated in the higher part of the town. This was entirely a Portuguese establishment and extremely rough, where you boarded and lodged at so much per day. At the table d’hôte I made acquaintance with a fine old Peninsular veteran, Colonel Owen, formerly attached to the Duke of Wellington’s army, where he was constantly employed on outpost duty, and he necessarily saw a great deal of hard service. He was a fine-looking man, six feet high, and seventy years of age, with a determined countenance, and full of fire and energy even at that advanced age. He possessed a good deal of talent, had studied much, spoke the Portuguese like a native, and was an excellent writer both in that language and his own. I found him a very agreeable, intelligent companion, and we soon became well acquainted with each other, which was the more agreeable as he knew well and had frequently served with Colonel Somers Cocks, a distant connection of mine, who was a distinguished officer and favourite of the Duke of Wellington. Colonel Cocks, much to the regret of the Duke, was killed at the siege of Burgos Castle. Owen knew his whole history, and at my particular request wrote a complete and very interesting memoir of him, which I privately printed. Owen was almost my constant companion, and having long resided at Oporto, knew all the principal merchants in the place, both English and native, and was much liked and respected. He introduced me to several, but being upon public business, namely, the improvement of the port, which all desired, I had no need of introductions, for the principal inhabitants called upon me and invited me to their houses; amongst others may be mentioned Messrs. Lambert, Sandeman, Herries, and others, the principal wine merchants of the place, who paid me the greatest attention and hospitality.
I lost no time after my arrival in proceeding to examine the port, and to consider what was best to be done. I soon discovered its defects, which were the exposed and dangerous nature of the bar at the entrance of the Douro, the depth of water over it being scarcely 10 feet at low water of spring tides, the tides rising only from 6 to 7 feet; the conformed and circuitous channel both within and without the bar, in which there were several rocks; and the prevalence during three-fourths of the year of strong westerly winds from south-west to north-west. Moreover, during heavy floods the outgoing current was so strong that it carried all before it, frequently tearing vessels from their anchors, driving them to sea, or wrecking them in the harbour. From these different causes the bar could only be attempted during the flood or ebb for entering or departing during the most moderate weather, and then only by vessels drawing 12 to 14 feet at spring tides. From all these combined causes the harbour of Oporto might be said to be hermetically sealed for three-fourths of the year, and frequent instances have occurred of vessels having made the passage to the Brazils and back again, whilst others have been beating about the offing waiting for a favourable opportunity to cross the bar; and equal time was lost by those vessels that were waiting, laden in the port, to go to sea. And the mails for Oporto, the second city in the kingdom, frequently had to be delivered at Vigo, 60 miles farther north, and to be transported thence by land, which occasioned the loss of one or two days. In consequence of these serious disadvantages the trade naturally suffered materially.
In order to remedy these defects, I drew up a plan by which I proposed to carry out two piers—one on the ridge of rocks on the south side, and another on the north—in such a direction that the entrance between them, which was to be 500 feet wide, should be least exposed to the prevailing storms; and the space between the piers on the inside of the entrance should be wider than the entrance itself, so that any swell which might enter would diminish as it proceeded up the harbour. I also proposed to remove the rocks both inside and outside, and to strengthen the channel. By this means I expected that the bar would be lowered about 5 feet; so that at high water of spring tides there would be about 20 feet, and a vessel drawing 18 feet could enter at springs, and 16 feet at neaps. The expense of these works was estimated at about 400,000l. This no doubt would have been a very great improvement, and worth the money, although at times even with this expenditure the bar would not be approachable either way.
Under these circumstances, I explored the adjacent coast in order to ascertain whether another and better place for a harbour could not be found, and at Mattozenhas, about three miles farther, I found that there was a detached reef of rocks, 2000 feet long, lying about a quarter of a mile distant from the shore, and between it and the shore there was a depth of from 25 to 50 feet at low water. This reef had been observed by others before me, and it had struck them that an excellent harbour might be made. As this also lay within my instructions, I made a design for a harbour; but upon maturely considering the subject, I thought it would be scarcely safe to make a close harbour at this point, as, from the great quantity of sand which lay along the coast, there was a chance of its filling up. I therefore proposed to make it open: that is to say, to construct a breakwater along the line of the rocks as far as they reached, and as much farther each way as might be considered advisable. In fact, this breakwater might be extended so as to make a magnificent asylum harbour for the largest vessels of any class; and by making an open landing pier within the breakwater, vessels could take in and deliver their cargoes, and send them to Oporto by rail, when vessels could not pass over the bar of the Douro.
As there was plenty of fine granite on the spot, and labour could be obtained comparatively cheap, I considered that for the sum of 500,000l. an excellent harbour might be made here with a double entrance, and as there would be a free passage for the current both ways, no sand would lodge within the breakwater. In fact, the current, being confined, would force out the sand and make the harbour deeper, so that at low water (spring tides) there would never be less than from 25 to 30 feet in the shallowest part of the northern entrance, and above 50 feet at the southern. This place appeared, and, in fact, was so much better and more advantageous in every respect than Oporto, that, considering the increased cost would not exceed 100,000l., I strongly recommended it in preference to expending 400,000l. on the old entrance. Still, if the Government thought it advisable to improve the entrance of the Douro, to some extent this might be done advantageously by the expenditure of about 150,000l. Both the King and the Government approved of my plan for the breakwater and landing pier at the Secars Rocks, near Mattozenhas, and the Finance Minister—Fontes—gave me an order in writing to provide the necessary apparatus, and to commence the work immediately. But soon after, the Government being changed, the whole was stopped, and nothing material has been done since, although, I believe, some attempts have been made by the Portuguese Board of Works to blow up the rocks at the entrance of the Douro, with very little effect; and as funds are very scarce, it is probable that nothing of consequence will be effected for a long time, which is the more to be regretted, as meanwhile the trade of Oporto suffers most materially.
Having completed my investigation of Oporto harbour, I prepared to return direct to Lisbon, and report to the Government the results of my examination, when I received a telegraphic message saying that the Government wished me to examine the harbour of Viana, some thirty miles farther north, also that of Aveiro, twenty miles farther south, and that of Figuera, the mouth of the Mondego, about twenty miles south of Aveiro; and that they would send a small vessel of war to take me to those places. I therefore determined to await the arrival of the war-steamer, which came two days afterwards. It was not above 200 tons, mounting three or four small guns, and commanded by a lieutenant of the Portuguese navy, having with him about thirty men. I embarked and proceeded at once to Viana, which we reached about three o’clock in the afternoon. There being a heavy swell, we could not enter the port, and a pilot boat with six rowers was therefore sent out to take us ashore, where we were received by the authorities. As our time was limited, I immediately proceeded to examine the harbour, which was formed by the river Scina, the entrance to which was at times very dangerous, from the same causes as those already described as existing at the bar of the river Douro, namely, a shallow, much-exposed bar, little tide, tortuous channel, and exposure to a heavy swell during the prevailing westerly winds. I observed, however, that there was a long reef of rocks running parallel to the channel nearly as far as the bar, and that by erecting a breakwater upon the reef, for which there was plenty of stone adjacent, the current, instead of spreading over the rocks and losing its force, might be confined, and thus act more effectively upon the bar and deepen it several feet; and, further, by this means the entrance channel would be protected, and very little swell could get in. Thus the principal defects of the entrance would be remedied; and the small depth of water at the quays could be increased by dredging. I consulted the pilots and the practical men of the place, as I always do (for from experience they generally have a knowledge of the subject), and it was satisfactory to know that their opinions entirely coincided with mine. I accordingly made my notes, and returned on board the vessel in the evening about eight o’clock.
The days being long, and low water in the harbour, it gave me a very good opportunity of examining it.
I had occasion to visit Viana subsequently. It is a very pretty little commercial town, surrounded by a rich, thriving country; it does a good deal of trade, and is therefore very prosperous, there being some wealthy merchants and a good deal of property in the place. The valley through which the Scina flows is very beautiful and fertile, surrounded by mountains varying from 2000 to 7000 feet high. The large village of Scina, about twelve or fourteen miles above Viana, is particularly picturesque. It is situated in a delicious country, abounding in corn, wine, and oil, and apparently wanting in nothing.
As soon as I got on board the vessel weighed anchor. The night was fine, so that we reached the offing of Figuera, at the mouth of the Mondego, about noon the next day. I was met on landing by the captain of the port, who had received intelligence of our coming, and on account of the heat we were obliged to take refuge in his house, where he exhibited all his plans, and the measures which had been taken to improve the bar at the entrance, which, upon the whole, as far as they went, were satisfactory. After a couple of hours’ rest we took a boat and sounded the bar, upon which the water was very shallow. There was a very extensive reservoir for tidal and fresh water within, which, under proper management I considered might be rendered very valuable in deepening and scouring out the entrance, and in lowering the bar; but at low water there was a narrow channel, which was constantly changing, so that there was no good entrance, and consequently neither the fresh nor tidal waters could be either admitted or properly discharged; thus the quantity of water was reduced, and the effect upon the bar considerably diminished. I therefore saw at once that it was necessary to confine the low water channel to some extent by slight works, composed of osiers and faggots, extending from two to three feet above the low water level, so that it should be confined always to the same course; thus the low water line would be lowered, more tidal water would be admitted and discharged, the surrounding lowlands, which were frequently flooded, would be better drained, and the bar improved. I observed also that the channel at the entrance was too wide, and that consequently it was much exposed to the swell during westerly gales. I therefore proposed to reduce the width of the entrance to a certain extent; by this means a greater quantity of water would be admitted and discharged, the bar would be reduced, the drainage improved, and a less quantity of swell would be admitted; when I explained my views to the captain of the port, who was a very intelligent person, he quite agreed with me.
Having finished my examination here, we embarked at sunset and proceeded to Lisbon, which we reached on the following morning, when I took my leave of the commander of the vessel and his officers, who had treated me most kindly, for which I felt very grateful; I wanted to make a present of some champagne, but this was most politely declined. I therefore renewed my thanks, and went on then to the Braganza hotel. I next day called upon the Finance Minister, Fontes, and Vicomte de Luz, the chief officer of the Board of Works, reported generally what I had done, and said that I would proceed to England at once, and send my plans, estimates, and reports as early as possible. I accordingly left two days afterwards, and reached England in the middle of June, after an absence of between six and seven weeks.
When I was in Portugal I had a good deal of conversation with M. Fontes about their railways. He said that they had already given a concession for them to an English company, Messrs. Shaw, Waring, and Co., of whom the Government was now desirous if possible of getting quit. M. Fontes also talked to me about their financial affairs, and said that they had had a good deal of trouble with our Stock Exchange. I did not know the precise cause of this at the time, but it was afterwards explained to me that the English Stock Exchange would not allow their funds to be quoted in the English money market in consequence of the Portuguese Government having reduced the interest of the last Portuguese loan without the consent of the subscribers, so that unless this was remedied, it would not be possible to raise another loan in England. I saw the full force of this, and told the minister frankly my opinion, which he appeared to take very well, for he then said that he wished me to lay out a line between Coimbra and Oporto, and gave me instructions accordingly.
In the month of August, Dom Pedro, the heir apparent to the throne, and his brother, Dom Louis, paid a visit to our Queen at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, and Count Lavradio, the Portuguese minister in London, recommended me to go there to pay my respects to his future majesty. I therefore went, and was honoured with an audience on board Her Majesty’s yacht, which was lying off Osborne, and in which Dom Pedro and his brother were living at the time, as the Queen did not wish them to be on shore, on account of the prevalence of the smallpox in the vicinity. Dom Pedro and his brother received me very courteously, and we had a great deal of conversation about Portuguese affairs, particularly concerning the various engineering works that he wished to see carried into effect, such as railways, harbours, docks, &c., and he said that until these were done Portugal could not be on a par with other nations. He also very kindly invited me over to Portugal again. I took my leave and returned to Southampton, where I dined with Count Lavradio at Radley’s hotel, and then returned to London. It should be added that Dom Pedro attained his majority on the 15th of September, when he was crowned.
As soon as I got my harbour plans and reports ready, I determined to go over and present them in person after the coronation. As I had been commissioned by the Government to make the surveys and estimates for the proposed railway between Coimbra and Oporto, and consult two other English contractors about making railways in Portugal, I went to Messrs. Peto and Betts, who said that they would be happy to undertake them, provided that they could make proper arrangements with the Government, and that they did not interfere with any other contractors or companies who were then employed; and that in order to ascertain the Government views, they would send over their agent, Mr. Giles, with me. As I had previously agreed with Mr. Cheffins to make the survey of the line between Coimbra and Oporto, he preceded me with his staff, while Mr. Giles went to Lisbon with me in the Royal Mail Company’s vessel the ‘Trent,’ leaving Southampton on the 9th September, 1855.
After a fine passage we reached Lisbon on the morning of the 14th of September. I immediately presented myself to M. Fontes, the Finance Minister, and the Duke de Saldanha, President of the Cabinet, and delivered my plans, which were well received, and tickets were sent to us to visit the various ceremonies of the coronation.
It happened just before our arrival that the Government and the English contractors of the Great Eastern Railway from Lisbon to Santarem, who had been quarrelling for some time past, came to an open rupture, and the Government took possession of the whole of the works and all the materials, machinery, and plant, with an armed force, turned the Company adrift, and would have nothing further to do with them. The contractors complained to the British representative, Mr. Ward, Chargé d’Affaires, who was very indignant at this summary mode of treating his countrymen; and M. Fontes was equally indignant at the way in which the Company had behaved; but more of this hereafter. In the meantime the coronation took place, and a very pretty sight it was. We had the usual demonstrations of fêtes, reviews, illuminations, salvos of artillery, &c. To heighten the spectacle a British fleet of five line-of-battle ships was sent over to do honour to the occasion. These fêtes lasted for three days, and no business was done; but in the mean time I had the honour of being presented to the king at the great palace of the Ajude; and when M. Fontes returned to his office again, I called upon him and presented Mr. Giles, Messrs. Peto and Betts’s agent. Afterwards, when Mr. Giles had left, M. Fontes commenced talking to me about their dispute with Shaw, Waring, and Co. He spoke very temperately on the subject, and said that justice should be done to them. I said that I did not wish for a moment to defend them; in fact, I did not know the merits of the case on either one side or the other. At the same time, I said that it would be far better to arrange with them amicably; and if they could not agree, they should settle accounts and dissolve the agreement; as until this matter was satisfactorily concluded, it would be impossible to get any fresh English contractors of respectability to finish the works, or form a new English company, or indeed to raise any money in England, which the Government at that time wanted to do. Moreover, it was desirable above all things to arrange matters with the English Stock Exchange, and until the affair of Shaw, Waring, and Co. had been settled this could not be done. These arguments appeared to have much weight with the minister, who replied, that he would think them over; that he was desirous of coming to an amicable settlement; that he had very little doubt but it would be ultimately arranged properly; and that when Mr. Griles and I returned from our examination of the country, he would be glad to see us again.
CHAPTER VIII.
Surveys in Portugal and Tunis.
After visiting, with a great deal of pleasure, Batalha, by far the finest ecclesiastical edifice in Portugal, we reached Coimbra, than which, with its environs, it is difficult to conceive a more beautiful prospect. The town, with its numerous churches and academical buildings rising from the opposite shore of the Mondego, and situated in a rich fertile plain, backed by the lofty and picturesque hills of Busaco, clothed with wood to their summits, with a fine old bridge in the foreground, while the Mondego is seen winding through the valley until it is lost in the sea, which forms the distant horizon, altogether made a picture which, for loveliness, was unsurpassed by anything I have seen in Portugal. We found here, a rare thing at that time in Portugal, a clean, comfortable little hotel, near the Rocio, where Mr. Cheffins and his assistant had arrived before us. We accordingly made preparations to start next morning at six o’clock, on horseback, to explore a line along the coast to Oporto.
We started punctually at six, and crossed the valley of the Mondego, which is here about three miles wide, and is quite flat. It has a rich and fertile alluvial soil, but is frequently inundated by the floods of the Mondego, so that the roads, such as they were, viz. extremely bad, were formed by rough causeways raised 3 or 4 feet above the level of the adjacent land. In fact, at the time of my visit there were no roads worthy of the name in Portugal, except the road above mentioned, from Cairegado to Coimbra; and upon this, what was still more extraordinary, a regular four-horse mail-coach, like those of England, had been just established for the first time to run from Lisbon to Coimbra, at the rate of about seven miles an hour. Another similar road had been commenced from Oporto to Braga, and had been carried only a few miles. In fact, unless you had seen and visited Portugal you could hardly have conceived such a state of things possible. All the other roads were nothing but mere horse-tracks, in the most wretched state imaginable, full of holes and great stones, so that you could seldom go faster than a walking pace without danger of breaking your neck at every step, except in those parts where the track lay through forests and open plains. Over these the rude bullock carts jolted up and down at about the rate of half a mile an hour, and the creaking of the axles might be heard two or three miles off. As for inns, for the most part there were none, and the wearied traveller had to carry everything with him, and take refuge in some miserable cottage full of filth, which he was obliged to clear away before he could establish himself with anything approaching to comfort. I had heard of this before leaving England, and I took care to provide myself with a light travelling-bed, and a canteen with the necessary provisions.
Leaving Coimbra, we reached Aveiro the next evening, after a most fatiguing journey of fifteen hours in the saddle; during a great portion of our ride we were exposed to a terrific storm of rain, and lost our way, and narrowly escaped passing the night in a pine forest. Not far from Aveiro, Messrs. Pinto, Basto, & Co. had established a large manufactory for porcelain and common crockery ware, which was in a very thriving state, and the imitations of the English porcelain were very creditable, as well as the artistic decorations; as they were well protected by high import duties on foreign porcelain, they enjoyed a monopoly for a time, and made considerable profits. These duties have latterly been greatly modified, and it has not been found worth while to continue this establishment. It has, however, I understand, answered very well for the proprietors, who have, by this and other enterprises, realized considerable fortunes. In fact, it was quite evident that such an establishment, which had to import all the materials and the fuel from England, could not compete with the superior talent and industry of England without extraordinary protective duties, which are nothing more or less than a heavy tax upon the country. Portugal is not a manufacturing country. She has a most genial climate and generally a rich soil, and can produce a variety of raw commodities which England and the north of Europe cannot. Portugal therefore, by exporting these articles, such as wine, oil, fruits, cork, salt, cattle, &c., can always realize a good profit, which will enable her to import all other articles required at a far less cost than they can be produced at home, besides contributing materially to the State revenue. Messrs. Pinto and Basto were not at the establishment when we visited it, but their manager had received notice from them that we were coming, with orders to show us everything, and to give us a handsome entertainment, which he did to the very letter, and we returned to Aveiro much delighted with our reception. Indeed, the manager regretted greatly that we had not stayed there the previous night, and if we had known it, we certainly should have done so. For although, considering all things, we were not badly off at Aveiro, still we should have been much better off at Messrs. Pinto and Basto’s establishment, and should have been saved the severe fatigue of the last ten miles of our journey.
The next day we started for Oporto, and passed the thriving little town of Ovar, situated at the north end of the Aveiro lagoon, but having a separate entrance from the sea, formed by a small stream passing through the town. Our railway passed along the base of the hills, which was very favourable. From Ovar we continued near the shore through a forest of pines for several miles; these pines would furnish excellent sleepers for the railway at a very moderate cost. From the forest we continued along the shore through most favourable ground, until we reached the entrance of the Douro: the distance from Ovar being about twenty miles. From the entrance of the Douro there was a favourable line for the railway for two miles along the banks to Oporto, where it would have been necessary to cross the river by a rather expensive bridge to reach the chief part of the city. This, however, must have been done in any case, and as all the great wine depôts or lodges, as they are called, are on the south side, and as the wine trade of Oporto is the most important, this would have been a great advantage; moreover, there is on the south side, near the entrance, a much better position for docks.
Between Ovar and the Douro stands a rock surrounded by extensive sands. On this rock is a chapel, reputed to be of peculiar sanctity, which is annually visited by immense numbers of pilgrims. It is very curious to see the extent to which these devotions are carried, and the occasionally strange results. In going one day, on foot, from Mattozenhas to Oporto during one of these festivals, I was surprised to meet a man walking, or rather shuffling, along in an extraordinary manner, in what appeared to me to be a sack. I immediately stopped to look at him, and gazed on him with astonishment. Several persons, apparently friends, accompanied him, and I inquired what it meant; I was informed that the person whom I saw enveloped in a sack had, during a severe illness, prayed to the Saint of the church of Mattozenhas to deliver him from his illness, promising that if he recovered he would annually on the Saint’s fête-day walk to the church in his grave-clothes, to return his thanks for his delivery from death. The poor fellow seemed to be much fatigued, and no wonder, as travelling for two miles in such hot weather over a dusty road in such an uncomfortable costume must have been very severe work.
Next day we were off before daylight, and reached our old quarters at Aveiro the same night. I soon saw that it would be difficult to get a good line for the railway over this district; it was too hilly and expensive, and would have required long tunnels through granite rocks and heavy embankments. I therefore gave up this line, that is as far as Ovar. After leaving Aveiro we took a new route nearer to the hills, and with the exception of a part of the river Vouga, it was preferable to the coast line formerly mentioned. The summit near the Busaco hills was a little higher, but there the line was shorter, and on the hill there was plenty of fine limestone fit for bridges and any other works. This line evidently therefore was the best; I ordered it to be minutely surveyed and levelled, and the result proved that my anticipations were correct.
We reached our old quarters at Coimbra, and having examined the city again were much more pleased with it than before. The University is a very handsome building upon an extensive scale, with an excellent library, museum, extensive lecture rooms, and a competent establishment of professors and lecturers. The costume of the professors and students, although totally different from that of our own, was very appropriate; and the method of teaching and conferring degrees was extremely good, although a little too much savouring of sacerdotalism, but still greatly improved in this respect to what it was only a few years before. The city moreover was comparatively clean, and there appeared to be a degree of outer tranquillity and prosperity about it which pleased me much. I have seen many foreign universities, but none delighted me more than Coimbra. After leaving Coimbra we passed through Thomar and reached the valley of the Tagus; this we descended until we arrived at Santarem, which is but an inconsiderable place; it is situated on the highest point of the ridge, and bounded by precipitous rocks which abut on the Tagus, there being a small valley on the north, also on the east and west. Being thus isolated, it occupies an admirable position as a fortress, and might easily be made impregnable; commanding, as it does, the country all around, if it were properly defended, the approach of an enemy would be extremely difficult; and if fortified according to modern ideas, with a sufficient garrison and provisions, it might hold its own against all comers for almost any length of time; in fact, it may be considered as one of the keys of the kingdom. When I saw it, its works were in a very unfinished and dilapidated state. From Santarem we proceeded down the river to a small place termed the White House, where we embarked on board the steamer for Lisbon. The hills on either side of the Tagus alternately advance and recede; but the whole scenery is very rich, the soil being highly cultivated to the very tops of the hills, and in places abounding with cattle. In the flat country, however, bordering on the river, malaria and intermittent fever are very common, and indeed the whole course of the Tagus requires regulating.
We reached the Braganza at Lisbon in the evening, after a rough but satisfactory journey. Mr. Giles was now anxious to go to England, and a few days after our arrival he sent in a general proposal to the Government, on the part of Peto and Betts, for making railways, and then started in the packet for England, leaving his assistant, Mr. O’Neil, with me, to make any further necessary explanations. The season was getting late, and we had no time to lose, for it was now nearly the middle of October. I saw M. Fontes several times, and he always received me very civilly, and said that he was determined to meet Messrs. Shaw, Waring, and Co., fairly.
Mr. O’Neil and myself then started to survey the country for lines suitable for railways in the east and south. After being detained for a time by heavy rains at the White House, we reached Salvatierra, a wretched place on the left bank of the Tagus, about seven o’clock in the evening, fully two hours after dark; it was a nasty pestilential hole, close by the marshes; however, bad as it was, we were very glad to get there. There was no inn in the place, but after a little inquiry we found a shopkeeper who was willing, for a consideration, to accommodate us. We accordingly agreed with him, and took possession; we found the rooms full of corn, beans, &c., which we soon cleared out, swept the floors, walls, and ceiling as well as we could, and unpacked our things. I sent out my man for some provisions, we got a good wood fire lighted, and after about an hour and a half had a tolerable supper, turned into bed, and slept soundly until the morning. In fact, I never grumbled; I took the people as I found them; they were generally very civil, and did everything in their power to make us as comfortable as possible. I always carried plenty of cigarettes and cigars, and distributed them liberally, not only to the men attending the horses, but also to the people in the house and to any casual visitors that might come in; as I had by this time acquired some knowledge of the Portuguese language, I made myself as agreeable as possible, and in consequence every one did the best they could to help me. The Portuguese are a very civil, quiet people, and if you only treat them properly, as I always did, they will do everything they can to accommodate you. I of course also took good care of the horses and men, and they were so much pleased that they never grumbled, and would do anything I required. Throughout the whole of my journeys I never had a single squabble; we all went on merrily together, and whenever I could get a good laugh I always did, and this was not seldom. We left Salvatierra at daylight, and proceeded over a gently undulating country, and in three days reached the old fortress of Estremoz. The people of the district through which we were now travelling were extremely primitive, and in one large village, where we halted, as usual, at midday, the whole population, it being Sunday, turned out to have a look at us.
The country here is elevated and very well cultivated. The olive-trees are planted in regular rows, and carefully attended to, a thing I had not before observed in Portugal, as they are generally in forests, and left entirely to nature. The vines also were more looked after, and some excellent wine is made here. Upon the whole this was certainly a thriving district. We took a ride to the ridge of mountains about ten miles to the south, which, extending east and west, separates this district from the southern part of the Alentejo. They are covered with verdure to the top, afford excellent pasture for sheep and cattle, and form a very picturesque prospect. Estremoz is in a commanding position, but its fortifications were in a dilapidated state. After having spent a day here, we proceeded over an elevated, fertile, cultivated country, to Elvas, on the frontier. The Government had been employed for some time past in making a good road here, and a considerable portion had been finished, so that we made tolerable progress, and reached Elvas soon after midday, and found a very clean, comfortable little hotel.
Elvas is a very strong fortress, situated upon the summit of the ridge of hills forming the western boundary of the valley of the Guadiana, which winds through the extensive valley below, about seven miles distant, and the boundary or frontier line between Spain and Portugal is about half way between Elvas and the Guadiana.
The fortifications are very extensive, and upon the whole well laid out and tolerably well kept up. There are several large outworks, particularly that on a hill about a mile to the north, which may be said to be the citadel. It commands the town, being situated upon the highest part of the ridge. The view from this is very extensive, overlooking the dreary and bare valley of the Guadiana, with Badajoz, the Spanish frontier fortress, about nine miles distant; and farther on the bare bleak hills of Estramadura bound the horizon. On the west you have a fine view of this part of Portugal, whilst north and south you command the view of this elevated ridge, which bounds the Guadiana as far as the eye can reach.
Having explored this part of the country, and having satisfied ourselves that it would be difficult to get a good line here, we turned our attention to the southward, and again leaving Estremoz, reached the poor but considerable village of Oçana, not many miles from the frontier. I therefore determined to stop there for the night, and to my surprise found that there were two or three small inns. I selected the best, and bad was the best. I was informed that Oçana was the resort of the worst characters of all sorts, both Portuguese and Spaniards, who made this their head quarters, from whence they could easily cross the frontier of either country, according as either Spain or Portugal became too hot for them. I was told that we ought to be upon our guard, for it was not improbable that we might be attacked in the night, or waylaid on our route the next day, for the country through which we should have to pass was very wild and lonely. Therefore, as is always the case, I thought the best plan would be to put a good face upon it, and to show that we had no fear, put confidence in the people around us, and make them friends. I therefore invited as many as I could get, men and women, to a sort of ball, inquired for some musicians, and found half-a-dozen with guitars, castanettes, and tambourines, and as the inn where we were would not hold all the guests, I engaged the other two inns also. The whole population crowded to the balls at these inns, and I visited them alternately, danced with the women, and made myself as agreeable as I could. Wine and refreshments were not wanting, everything passed off in the best manner, and nothing but mirth and good humour prevailed. Soon after midnight I had had enough of it, and the guests below, excited by wine, became very noisy. I told my servants, guide, and horse-keepers to have everything ready by four o’clock on the following morning, the horses saddled and the baggage packed, outside the town, and having previously paid the reckoning, we quietly departed, without beat of drum, leaving our delighted guests in the midst of their revelry, and in no disposition to follow us. By daylight we had travelled five or six miles without encountering any person on the way—for road there was none. We laughed heartily at our adventure, and I was afterwards congratulated at having succeeded so well, for we had had a narrow escape of being robbed, and probably something worse. We passed through a wild but not unpicturesque country, and reached Abrantes, on the Tagus, without further adventure, on the afternoon of the second day. This is one of the most considerable fortresses in the kingdom, situated in a commanding position of great strength; but the works were very much neglected, and there was scarcely any garrison. The town itself is a poor place.
As regards the country through which we had passed being adapted for a railway, there was no doubt that a good line could be made through it, although at considerable expense; the difficulty was how to cross the main ridge which separated the valley of the Guadiana from that of the Tagus. It certainly was most desirable to connect Abrantes with Elvas, but the descent from it to the Guadiana valley was too rapid; still, this was only a matter of expense. I thought that some more practicable gap through the ridge might be found farther southward, but this I was obliged to leave for future investigation.
I now determined to proceed northwards, in order to ascertain whether a line for a railway could be obtained preferable to that which we had previously examined when returning from Coimbra.
Having slept at our old quarters at Thomar, we proceeded to the banks of the Zezere, which we found to be extremely lofty and falling rapidly to the river. We proceeded for some miles along them, but the higher we went up the river, the higher we found the hills; in fact, there was no valley except that occupied by the river, so that we had to give up all hopes of a line in that direction. However, in the course of a few days’ explorations we were fortunate enough to find an easily practicable line for the northern railway, in the direction of Oporto.
In one of these expeditions we met a Portuguese gentleman dressed in the native costume, and attended by his servant. He courteously saluted us in good English, and then asked where we were going, and what we were doing, which, of course, we told; he then asked, “Where do you sleep to-night?” and when we told him, he said, “Nonsense; you cannot and you shall not sleep there: it is not fit for a dog” (in which he was not far wrong). “I live close by. Yon must come and sleep at my house, and leave as early as you like to-morrow morning.” We gladly accepted his invitation. We returned to the cottage, dressed ourselves in rather better costume, while our new friend rode forward to receive us. His house was something like a good farm, surrounded by a courtyard and farm-buildings, situated in the midst of a kind of rough park. The night was very dark, and we had some difficulty in making our way through the woods, and if it had not been for the barking of the dogs, we should scarcely have found it. However, we got there, and were most cordially received, shown into a comfortable room with a blazing wood fire, and in about half an hour after sat down to an excellent supper, with plenty of good wine.
Our host was a most excellent and well-informed man of about sixty, of the middle size, rather stout and well-made, with a fine open countenance. His name was Don S. de Silva. He had served in the Portuguese army under the Duke of Wellington, and had been engaged in several battles with the French, of which he was very proud. He took the greatest interest in the railways, offered every assistance in his power, and insisted upon our making his house our home whenever we came that way. He said that after the war he had retired to his estate, and devoted the whole of his time to farming, and that he passed a very active, pleasant time. I think he said that his wife and family were at Lisbon, where they frequently went, as they had many friends and connections there. We were shown into a comfortable and clean double-bedded room, and the only thing we required to make us thoroughly comfortable was more blankets, for the night was excessively cold. However, I slept soundly, and awoke next morning thoroughly refreshed. We had an excellent breakfast, and took leave of our worthy host with many thanks for his most hospitable entertainment.
We reached Thomar about midday, having travelled over a rather better road than usual. Here we halted at the Old Inn for a couple of hours, and then made the best of our way over the old road to Basquenha, before mentioned, where we slept. The next day we hurried on by Santarem, caught the tugboat and the steamer at the White House, and reached the Braganza, Lisbon, the same evening, having been absent about eighteen days; fortunately, with the exception of the first day, we had tolerably fine weather, without which we should have had a good deal of difficulty in making such a rough journey.
I forgot to mention that while Mr. Giles and myself went to Coimbra and Oporto, we sent Mr. O’Neil to explore the line of the Tagus beyond Abrantes as far as the frontier, in order to ascertain whether there was any practicable line for a railway in that direction. Mr. O’Neil, however, gave a very unfavourable account of it, for a few miles beyond Abrantes the Tagus passes through a deep chasm, hemmed in on both sides with steep, precipitous granite rocks, swarming with eagles, and wild and desolate to a degree. There were scarcely any inhabitants save a few shepherds, clad in goat-skins, who lived in small cottages stuck in the clefts of the rocks, or built upon some small patches of ground close by the margin of the river, with a few vegetables and fruits growing round them. They were thoroughly surprised at seeing Mr. O’Neil; they said they were never visited by strangers, and could not conceive why he had come there. Nevertheless, they were civil, and gave him freely the best they had, which was very little indeed, and would scarcely take anything in return; when pressed, they said they would keep the money for his sake, or would buy something in remembrance of him.
The eagles appeared quite at home there, and were seldom molested, except when they had carried off some favourite pet-lamb or kid, or had paid a visit to the poultry. Mr. O’Neil’s report was so unfavourable that we did not think it advisable to pursue our investigations farther in that direction.
We had now pretty well explored the country between the Tagus and the Douro for the north, and the Tagus and the Guadiana for the east line to connect Portugal with Spain, and it only required that these should be investigated to ascertain which was best. Upon my arrival at Lisbon, I called upon M. Fontes, and reported what I had done. We had also a good deal of conversation about their finances; arranging affairs with Shaw, Waring, and Co.; getting good contractors for making further lines; raising a loan in England, &c. I said with all deference that the whole of these things might be satisfactorily settled; but that the first and most important of all was to arrange matters with the Stock Exchange in England, for until this was done a loan could not be obtained (and the Government was much in want of money) without paying very high interest, which would soon consume the revenues of the country. For example, their stock of 50 was only nominally quoted at 18 to 20, for which they paid 3l. interest, or 15 per cent.; whereas, if they settled with the Stock Exchange, their funds would at once rise to 40 or upwards, and thus they might borrow at 7 per cent. I further ventured to hint that by free trade—that is, lowering their import duties—the revenue would be much benefited, and that their exports would be increased in the same ratio. M. Fontes listened with much attention, but said nothing.
Having finished my business, I prepared to return to England, and was told by M. Fontes that I should have an audience of the King. I accordingly presented myself, and had an audience of his Majesty Dom Pedro, who was an exceedingly well-informed, sensible young man, of about twenty-one, and whose sole object and desire was the advancement and improvement of his country, to which he devoted himself day and night. He was exceedingly amiable and modest, and much beloved and respected, not only by his own subjects, but by every person who had the honour of being presented to him. His Majesty received me in the most condescending manner, entered into the subject of railways, the great advantage they would be to Portugal, the making of common roads to join them, the benefit of free trade, and the necessity of improving agriculture and extending the cultivation of vines, olives, corn, fruits, and all native produce, as well as the improvement of the harbours, and everything else which would advance the prosperity of the country. He had studied all these subjects thoroughly, and was perfectly at home in them; and with regard to the finances, he quite agreed with me. I took my leave of his Majesty, and he shook me by the hand, and bade me farewell, trusting that he should soon see me again.
I then called upon the Duke de Saldanha, the President of the Cabinet and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, a very estimable man, who spoke English very well; he had served under the Duke of Wellington during the great Peninsular war. He spoke English perfectly, and was very popular amongst his countrymen, and always happy to see the English. When I told him that I was about to leave the next day for England, he said that he was very glad to hear it. He further remarked that a Cabinet Council had been held the day before, and that I should hear more of it before the day was over.
I returned to the Braganza, packed up my things, and was ready to leave by the packet the next day. At nine o’clock the same evening I received a message from M. Fontes to come to him at his office. I went there immediately, and he said he had been ordered to proceed to England with me, to endeavour to settle the matter in dispute between his Government and the English Stock Exchange, and the quarrel with the railway contractors.
We started together next morning, and on arriving in London I had the pleasure of being partly instrumental in bringing about an arrangement between the principal holders of Portuguese stock in England and the Portuguese Government, to their mutual satisfaction and advantage; also an arrangement between the Portuguese and Messrs. Shaw, Waring, and Co., which, as we shall see, was not subsequently ratified. M. Fontes returned to Portugal with considerable éclat, having re-established the credit of Portugal with their English stockholders, and settled the railway difficulty, and it was thought that he and his ministry had a long and prosperous career before them. Unfortunately, however, this turned out quite the contrary; whether it was envy at his success, or some other political cause, I do not know, but in the spring of the following year, 1856, Fontes and his ministry were obliged to resign, and the Marquis de Loulé, a connection of the royal family, succeeded him. The Marquis de Loulé was a remarkably fine, handsome man, a thorough gentleman, with considerable talents, of imperturbable temper and great good humour; I know no man with whom he might better be compared than the late Lord Palmerston. Loulé, like Fontes, was equally desirous of completing the railway system of Portugal.
I continued the surveys for a line between Coimbra and Oporto, and when they were completed I received a tender from Messrs. Peto and Betts, saying they would execute the line for 10,000l. per mile, without the land.
As his Royal Highness the Prince Consort took considerable interest in the improvement of Portugal, and as I had heard indirectly that information respecting the progress of the railways would be gratifying to him, I communicated with his Royal Highness’s secretary, and received a command to go to Windsor. I went, and was received in the most affable manner. The Prince was thoroughly acquainted with everything going on in Portugal, and took great interest in the construction of railways in that country. He thanked me for the information I had communicated, and wished me every success.
Towards the end of August all the plans, estimates, and specifications of the line between Coimbra and Oporto were completed, and in the month of September I went over and presented them in person. I was very kindly received by his Majesty and by his ministers. When I arrived, I found that M. de Soveral, the very clever Chief Secretary of the Portuguese Embassy in London, was home on leave. He also took the warmest interest in the establishment of railways. The dispute with Messrs. Shaw, Waring, and Co. had not yet been settled, and consequently no new arrangement could be made. I had frequent meetings with the Marquis de Loulé and M. de Soveral on the subject, and fully explained to them that it would be impossible to get any English contractors of influence to form a new and powerful company of English capitalists to make railways in Portugal, unless this matter could be honourably adjusted; and I added that I thought the terms agreed upon with M. Fontes were, upon the whole, the best that could be adopted.
The Marquis listened with much attention to all my arguments, and finally gave me instructions to see Messrs. Peto and Betts and their friends, upon my return to England, in order to ascertain upon what terms they would be willing to form a new company to complete the Northern Railway to Oporto; and I was to inform him of the result, but not to commit the Government in any way. He requested me, before I left Portugal, to examine the port of Setubal, or, as the English call it, St. Ubes, a little to the south of Lisbon.
I accordingly proceeded to reconnoitre the port, and found that it was formed by a river which ran a considerable distance into the interior. St. Ubes was situated on the right bank of it, about four miles from the bar, but the river here was so wide and shallow that it was only an estuary. The opposite side being covered at high water, the returning ebb and flood waters were expanded over such a wide space that the current had not sufficient force to maintain a good channel, nor did it act upon the bar powerfully enough to maintain a good passage over it. Moreover, the estuary was exposed to the full effect of the south-westerly gales, which, sweeping across the Atlantic with great violence, send a very heavy swell across the bar, rendering it extremely dangerous to approach, and driving a great quantity of sand into the mouth of the river; this would materially reduce the depth, and render the navigation both dangerous and difficult; and there was too little fresh water coming down to be of much service in assisting the operation of the tide. I soon saw what was necessary to be done to remedy to a great extent, if not entirely to remove, these evils; this was confine the channel on the opposite or sea side by a low line of wicker or fascine work, in the first instance to the level of a little above half tide, and then to raise it as required; the sand would soon accumulate behind it, and thus the tidal and fresh waters, being always confined to the same channel, would greatly improve it, and considerably lower the bar. I also thought the channel for some distance above the town should be deepened, embanked, and improved by dredging, and that below the town to the bar the channel should be dredged also to assist the operation of the current. I embodied these observations in a plan and report on my return to Lisbon, and delivered them to the Marquis, with which he was much satisfied.
I now prepared to return to England, in company with my friend de Soveral; but as the latter was desirous of breaking his voyage at Oporto, for the purpose of ascending the Douro and visiting his estates, I agreed to accompany him. We reached Pescoa de Ragosa, a very important place in this district, being the centre of the port wine trade. Here is held the market where all the port wine growers assemble at the end of the vintage, and here come all the wine merchants from Oporto, and make their purchases for the season. The veritable port wine district is a very remarkable country. It is situated on the banks of the Douro, which are here composed of lofty, undulating hills, clothed with rich soil, rising rapidly from the river, about forty miles above Oporto, where the granite formation, on which no vines will grow, ceases. The district consists of the transition rocks above the granite; it extends about forty miles, as far as the cataracts of St. Joao de Pesqueira and is about five or six miles wide, including both sides of the valley of the Douro; one side is exposed to the morning and the other to the evening sun, and the reflected rays make the valley like an oven during the summer months, so that no place could be more advantageously situated for the development of the vine. No trees are allowed to grow upon the hillsides. The vines are like so many gooseberry or currant bushes, and they are cut down almost to the roots so that the nutriment applied to the plant may be developed in producing the fruit to the greatest possible extent. The vines are planted in rows, and the intervening space is carefully weeded, so that the whole power of the sun is concentrated upon the vines; and it is wonderful to see the quantity of fruit borne compared to the extent of branches and leaves. When the vintage has been made, there are a certain number of tasters who are appointed by the Government. These men, who neither smoke, snuff, or drink, then examine the wine, which they do by a saucer, much indented in the bottom, of pure silver, which enables them to judge of the colour; then they smell it, and taste it by the touch of the tongue without drinking any. By these three tests they pronounce the quality of the vintage, and this, combined with the quantity, determines the price. It is said that the wine is prepared according to a certain standard for the English market; that is, the wine is made to resemble as near as possible a vintage that has pleased the English, who are the great consumers of port wine; this is done either by mixing some old approved wine with the new, or adding brandy. There has been a great deal of argument and doubt about adulteration. I will not take upon myself to decide, but I will say this, that a good vintage of port wine requires no doctoring.
At Ragosa, after the vintage, all the great wine merchants of Oporto assemble, and there make their purchases for the ensuing season. All transactions are made in cash, for the wine growers are very important and wealthy personages. The merchants are equally so, and take their cash with them. I heard an anecdote when there, which says much for the honesty of the Portuguese. M. Sandeman, one of the wealthiest and most important wine merchants of Oporto, went up to the wine district after the vintage one season, with his sons and friends—for it is generally made a party of pleasure—to purchase wine for the ensuing season, and they took 15,000l. in gold to make their purchases, the gold being carried in sacks on mules, the whole party riding, as usual, for there were no roads for carriages. The first night, having arrived at their usual halting-place, just as they were sitting down to their supper, old Sandeman said to his son, “George, I hope that you have taken good care of the mules and the money?” “Yes, father,” said George; “it is all right.” “Well, George,” said old Sandeman, “you had better go and see.” George immediately went out to the stables, and after some minutes came back in great consternation, and said, “Father, I can’t find the mules with the money.” At this old Sandeman got in a great rage, and said, “George, you shall have no supper until you find them.” The whole party got up at the same time, and took lanterns and torches to look after the lost money and mules. Away they went back several miles on the road they had come, and there they found the mules, which had slipped their halters, quietly feeding by the roadside, with the bags of gold untouched. They returned with them to the inn with much satisfaction, got the mules comfortably installed in their stables, having previously relieved them of the gold bags, which they took to their bedrooms. Now perhaps in no other country could you have found such an example of honesty as this. It was well known before they started from Oporto that the Sandemans were going up to the wine country to purchase wines for the ensuing season; and as they were the most wealthy merchants of the place, it was equally well known that they would buy the largest quantity of wine, and would take the greatest amount of hard cash to pay for it; therefore, if the natives wished to make a prize, here was an excellent opportunity to do so. But quite the contrary, the natives were honest, and had not the least idea of robbing, which they might have done, if so disposed, most easily.
From this place we proceeded leisurely to Guimaraens, one of the ancient capitals of Portugal. The natives appeared different from any I had seen. The better classes were dressed in jackets, ornamented with large silver buttons, knee-breeches, leggings, and silver-buckled shoes; having over all a loose, blue cloth cloak, and a large, conical, broad-brimmed black felt hat. It seemed to be a place wholly sui generis, and totally separated from the rest of the world. The well-to-do people seemed to have nothing to do but to walk leisurely about conversing with their friends, and smoking their cigarettes. There was no trade, no bustle, nothing, as it were, moving; it was one of those places where a man disgusted with the world would wish to bury himself. The repose was something surprising to a person accustomed to active life. We found a pretty good inn, and a convent with a few old nuns, who were still allowed to live there, and who employed themselves in preserving in a particular manner a very fine sort of plum that grows in the neighbourhood. They fetch a high price in all European markets; I bought a few to take to England. There is a splendid old Moorish castle outside the town, which, although in ruins, was not in a very bad state. Upon the whole I was much pleased with the place, so totally different from anything I had seen either in Portugal or Spain. I should have liked much to have spent several days there, but the inexorable time would not permit; we therefore set out the next day for Braga, and passing through the beautiful environs, which are a perfect garden, we continued our way through a well-cultivated and picturesque country, and reached Braga soon after midday.