The Professor here comments on the remarks which Mr. Murphy has made in his travels into Portugal; (see Rev. Vol. xix. N.S. p. 390.;) some of which he allows to be just, while he asserts that others are truly ridiculous.'

From Lisbon we are conducted to the northern provinces of Portugal; and here again some statements made by Mr. Murphy in this part of the tour are contradicted by M. Link, and the former is censured for negligence in his investigations. We must leave it to some future traveller in that country, to become an umpire between the parties.-At a league from Obidos, is the small town of Caldas, much frequented on account of its sulphureous waters:

The town is small, being built in an irregular quadrangular form; but is continually increasing. The houses are small, generally consisting merely of a ground floor, and only a few have windows. The flooring is very bad almost throughout, and those who would have other furniture, than bad wooden tables and chairs, must bring them. As to beds, table cloths, and other conveniences, they are wholly wanting; in short every article of furniture must be provided. The inn will accommodate but few people, and would be called wretched in England or France, though here it passes for tolerable. The company who come to bathe always live in private houses. Such are the accommodations prepared for the rich merchants and principal nobility of Lisbon, who visit Caldas twice a year; namely in May and September. As to balls, concerts, plays, and such amusements, they are not to be expected here, and those who seek these enjoyments in places resorted to for pleasure in Por tugal, must themselves form them. The company however visit, give tea-parties, play, and at most make small parties to visit some neighbouring place. These are their only amusements. It is however the fashion to go to Caldas. The rich pass the hot season at Cintra, and travel from thence to Caldas; for which reason the company are frequently more brilliant in autumn than in spring.

In the middle of this place over the warm spring, is a spacious and handsome bathing house, founded in the reign of the late king, and close to it a hospital for poor patients. Besides the spring used for drinking, three others supply four baths; that for the men is thirty-six feet long by nine broad, and two feet eight inches deep. The soil is covered with a white clay and washed sand. The company undress behind a curtain, put on bathing cloaths, and sit upon. the ground in the bath, so that the water reaches their neck. There are frequently twelve patients in the bath at the same time, and though the water is constantly flowing it is unpleasant to be obliged to bathe in company, especially to those who come last, to whom the water arrives after washing the rest. It is also unpleasant that strangers are admitted. Nothing however is paid for bathing, except a small present to the attendants. The poor are not suffered to bathe till about noon, when the other company are gone. The rest of the baths, even those appropriated to the ladies, are regulated

in

in a similar manner, except that the water in the bath for men is the hottest and of the strongest quality, being from 92° to 93° of Fahrenheit, (from 26 to 27° of Réaumur). The water from all the springs joins and turns a mill near the bathing house."

The next station worthy of notice is the old city of Çoïmbra, distinguished for its university, which was originally founded at Lisbon by Dom Diniz towards the end of the 13th century, but was afterward transferred to this place. It is remarkable that it was a second time removed to Lisbon, and a second time, in 1537, restored to Coimbra. The costume of the members is rather singular:

Both the students and the tutors wear a long black plain cloak, without sleeves, bound behind with bands, and adorned before from the neck to the foot with two rows of buttons set on very thick, Over this is another long black cloak, with sleeves exactly similar to that of protestant priests in Germany. Every one carries a small black cloth bag in his hand, in which are his handkerchief, snuff-box, &c. as their dress has no other pockets. The students always go bareheaded, even in the burning heat of the sun; the tutors and graduates only wearing a black cap. The cloth used being very thin, this black dress must be extremely inconvenient in summer; but neither rank, nor age, nor business can excuse them from wearing it, For whoever is seen in the town without it is fined for the first of. fence, and afterwards imprisoned. Hence the streets are constantly full of men with these black dresses, which gives the town a melan choly and monkish appearance.'

The want of an university-press, at which works could be printed without expence to the author, and the terrors of the Inquisition, are two grand obstacles to the progress of science in this university.

Journeying northwards, the travellers cross the Douro, and enter the province which bears the name of the river. Here, on the declivity towards the mouth of the river, stands the city of Oporto; of which we have an interesting account, with a comparison between its merits and those of Lisbon. Braga, the capital of this province, was called by the Romans Augusta Bracharorum; and Roman coins are often found in the neighbourhood. The present inhabitants are considered in the province as unsociable, and fond of scandal. Proceeding towards the frontiers of Gallicia, we have this account of the monks at the Bernhardine monastery of Bouro:

'As we suffered so great an injury * from these monks, I may, at least, be allowed to make a few remarks upon their order. Though

*The ruin of their barometer and thermometer, which the ignorant young monks had destroyed in their curiosity to examine them.

their ignorance exceeded every example, yet their idleness almost equalled it. Excepting their accustomed religious ceremonies, a feeble old Abbé suffered all the young monks to run wild; which rendered them as ungovernable as they were ignorant; and a young lay-brother, the apothecary, was the only one who shewed any desire of knowlege. In all the Portugueze monasteries, the monks eat an astonishing quantity, and we had always four courses at dinner. All their dishes, however, are dressed without art, and consist, in great measure, of joints of meat of various kinds. The whole nation indeed are fond of meat, and of eating much. The wine in most of the monasteries is very indifferent, and I never saw it drunk to excess. We were, in general, greater wine-drinkers than the Portugueze, the heat of the climate to which we were unaccustomed requiring an extraordinary quantity; and I even very frequently remarked, that a Portugueze was intoxicated with a few glasses of wine, which a German, and still more an Englishman, would scarcely feel.'

Having made the tour of the northern provinces, the travellers return again to Lisbon: but, in their route, an incident occurred at Thomar, which produced an unwelcome delay:

"I cannot but here relate an incident which happened to us, because it gives an idea of the administration of justice in Portugal. At Thomar the count of Hoffmannsegg wished to embark for Lisbon. In this plan I found no attractions, and proposed to accompany a young Spaniard, the count's secretary, and the servants, by land. But here we met with a difficulty; for we had only one passport, in which the count and myself were mentioned, together with his suite. We therefore went to the corregedor's, but he being absent had entrusted his business to another person, who made no objection, saying the count might proceed with the portaria, to which he added a declaration why the count travelled alone and without attendants, giving us at the same time a passport, in which he stated that he had inspected the portaria, of which he briefly added the contents. With this passport we went to Santarem, where two officers of justice (escrivaís †) immediately appeared, a class of men who throughout the country justly bear a very bad character, and demanded our passports. They refused the declaration of the corregedor of Thomar, as every foreigner ought to have a pass from the intendant or a secretary of state. Both these men went to and fro, spoke secretly together, then came back to us, and, in short, I observed they wanted some money, which however I feared to give

* It was not a mere passport, but a portaria, or order from the queen, signed by a secretary of state, to all magistrates and officers, to aid us in all things relative to our affairs and researches into natural history, which was particularly specified. Such a portaria is in that country much more comprehensive than a mere passport; and the judges were bound, in case of need, to provide for our lodging and conveyance.'

'† Notaries.'

them,

them, lest I should thereby render myself suspected. At length they examined our pockets, and unfortunately found in mine a pointed knife, which being prohibited in Portugal, they threatened me with imprisonment. All this, however, was not serious; they suffered us to eat our supper in peace, and did not come till ten o'clock to fetch us to the juiz de fora. This gentleman, having a large company with him, suffered us to wait a long time in his antichamber, whither he at length came, merely heard the escrivaès, who said, "here are foreigners who have no regular passport," and laconically replied, " to prison.' "to I requested him to read our papers, but he replied, "my orders are given-to prison." Thither the young Spaniard and myself were taken amid the sport of the escrivaès, but no one troubled himself about our servants and baggage. At first we were put into a decent room; but the escrivaès spoke a few words softly to the jailer, who then obliged us to go down some steps into another chamber. This was a shocking place; a horrid stench attacked us, for the privy was situated there, and I soon perceived with horror, that we were in the same room with criminals. Even now, when I reflect on this wretched moment, I can scarcely restrain my feelings; and it particularly vexed me to be told, that it was contrary to good manners to wear my hat. At length I sent to the jailer to know if we could have another room by paying for it. This was all that was wanted; and we were now shown into a good room, our servants were permitted to attend us, and the jailer allowed us to go into his apartment. I was also permitted to send messengers

to Thomar and Lisbon.

At first people seemed disposed to let us remain in prison, A. mong the prisoners were a number of Spanish merchants, who had remained there several weeks from the same cause as ourselves, and had only been once examined since their first imprisonment. A poor Italian, who was ill, chiefly attracted my pity. He had been brought here because his passport did not agree with the last orders, his money was spent, the poor man was forgotten, and saw no means of liberation. A son of a citizen of Santarem said to us, with a dejected countenance, you are fortunate, for you know the cause of your imprisonment, which I do not of mine; and I shall, perhaps, be sent for a soldier."

66

Meanwhile we soon procured our liberty. I asked the young Spaniard to draw up a petition in Spanish, as I thought he would express himself better in that language, I then translated it into Portugueze, and asked a notary, who was one of the prisoners, to instruct me in the proper form. With this we applied to the juiz de fora, who referred us to the corregedor, and the latter demanded information of the two escrivaès, who had taken us prisoners. The jailer now came to us, saying that the two escrivaès were very poor, that an unfavourable report from them would at least lengthen the affair, and, making the worst of the pointed knife, advised me to

give

I had bought it publicly at St. Ubes; for though very

strictly prohibited, such knives are publicly sold. L.

give them money. We therefore purchased a favourable report with a couple of crusades, upon which the corregedor liberated us; so that we remained only about eighteen hours in prison.

We had already met with an incident which may also afford some insight into the administration of justice in this country. We arrived one morning at Cezimbra, where a notary appeared as usual, read the portaria, and took leave of us very politely. Toward evening the count and myself, on our return from a walk to Calheriz, had separated a little way from the town, the better to examine the country, as we could not here lose our way; but the count had scarcely entered the town when some officers of justice met him and demanded his passport. He assured them he had it at the iun, whither they might conduct him and see it; but all he could say availed nothing, and he was taken to prison; where indeed he was placed in a decent apartment, but exposed to the curiosity of a mul titude of spectators. Here he was examined even to his shirt, and two pistols being found in his girdle, he was declared a very suspicious person, though the portaria permitted him to carry all kinds of arms; nor till he was thrown into prison was a message dispatched to me to send the portaria. I did so, not doubting the count would immediately return; but with the utmost astonishment I heard the answer of the alcalde, that the juiz de fora being absent he could not decide upon this affair. Fortunately we had spoken with the juiz de fora, who was a good kind of man, at Calheriz, whither a servant was sent in the night with the portaria. Meanwhile I was informed, that if the servant did not return next morning, I must also go to prison. He returned at three o'clock, and brought positive orders immediately to liberate the count; but the officers of justice would not suffer him to go without paying them their fees, which the count gave them, declaring he despised these men too much to trouble himself any farther about them. The alcalde would also have kept the pistols, till the count declared that he would immediately send a messenger to Lisbon with an account of the whole transaction.

These examples show how much precaution is necessary to protect a traveller from Portugueze justice; and that the alcaldes and escrivaès are a class of men among whom are many rogues. They are indeed generally complained of, and the juizes and corregedores are every where accused of great partiality to persons of rank. But I must add, for the honour of the nation, that in both the above in stances every one took our part, compassionated us, endeavoured to shew us attentions, and loaded the officers of justice with abuse.'

M. Link and his companions now made a second excursion to the south-east, and visited the province of Alemtejo: but, as we have already extended our account to considerable length, we must refrain from farther notice of their journal. It is, indeed, wholly impossible for us to give an adequate view

In Spain and Italy our English pointed knives are sold; but the purchaser usually breaks off about a sixteenth of an inch at the extremity, in order to be within the limits of the law. T.'

of