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orb that sheds the rich effulgence of a midnight's glory on all around.

Just now from the fort came that beautifully martial sound, the bugle call, floating clear and distinct on the light wind, bringing with it sensations the most thrilling, as carried down the stream, its echoes fall in cadences along the river's broken banks, and are finally lost far out amid the ocean's roar. The tide is turnedthe ripple has ceased against our bows, and now all is silent as the grave; moments like these raise man above himself into that world of thought, that bids him look from nature up to nature's Lord. But if he be within ear-shot of Lisbon, he will have little time to moralize after eleven o'clock, when the doghowl begins. This continues without intermission till morning, and is one of the most hideous noises that ever grated on man's ear; the cry is not "the house-dog's honest bark," but a wild unearthly howl, broken at times by the abrupt note of passion, or the prolonged yell of anguish, distinctly recognizable even at this distance. Occasionally a civil war breaks out, by some tribe invading the territories of another; and then the uproar is truly In these struggles the vanquished are devoured by

the conquerors.

Notwithstanding all this canine discord, the dogs appear at present the most stable part of the constitution of Portugal: their government is republican, formed of several petty states, and were it not for those nightly outbreaks, I would say was well regulated. Living in small communities, principally in the ruins of convents, old houses, and many of the places desolated by the great earthquake, they own no masters, answer no names, and, like all outcasts, have become an abandoned, dissolute, and uncivilized race, scorning the power as well as the protection of man the true Ishmaelites of the canine race. They have a peculiarly wild and ferocious aspect, and seldom stir out during the day; but at night, troops of fifteen or twenty of these ravenous creatures come rushing along the deserted and ill-lighted streets, stopping occasionally to revel on some recent offal; and should any unhappy stranger fall amongst them, he is instantly set upon and demolished on the spot. The dogs of Lisbon are nothing in number now to what they were some years ago, when it was absolutely dangerous to open the doors once the dog-howl began. They are, however, under the present police surveillance, a

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RUINS OF THE INQUISITION.

necessary evil; there being no sewers, or any means of removing nuisance and offal in this most filthy of cities, and no paving corporation to compel cleanliness, these dogs are, therefore, the only scavengers. The clergy endeavoured at one time to keep down their number, till the occupation of this place by the French, who compelled them to turn scavengers themselves— since this they have rather encouraged their increase, to prevent the recurrence of a similar degradation. Another cause of the vast number of dogs formerly, arose from the people up the country having, during the vintage, regularly shipped them down the river to Lisbon, to prevent their destroying the grapes, and sending for them again when the harvest was over. This has, however, been stopped: and the government lately issued an order to have all dogs, not wearing a collar with the owner's name, destroyed by the police. Since then numbers have been destroyed by poison: and these dying in the streets at every turn, are quite disgusting, and enough to cause a pestilence. In fine, though greatly diminished, they are still very numerous; but as sewers are now being made through the principal streets, the necessity for them will soon cease. It is very remarkable that, notwithstanding the number of dogs, hydrophobia is hardly known.*

The square of the Inquisition is a handsome area, and there stand the scorched and blackened walls of that blot upon humanity, its interior having been burned to the ground. It was lately used as a treasury; but the vengeance of heaven seemed to follow it, and it was reduced to ashes, for the second time, last year. On its being first transferred to the government, every effort was made by the clergy belonging to it to obliterate all traces of the wretched inmates of those dismal cells; yet many were the names discovered; and, on the destruction of the walls, several skeletons were, I have been informed, found built up in their substance, sad mementoes of the deeds of infamy practised on the unfortunates brought within its accursed precincts.

The Palacio de Cortes is a handsome building, and, like all other fine edifices here, was once a convent. The number of the Cortes is about sixty; they meet in the open day, and

Since the above was first published, I have been informed that many valuable improvements have been made in the city of Lisbon, and several sewers constructed.

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their sittings are free to all; but the voice of the speakers is quite lost in the gallery, by a row of attic windows which have been opened round the hall. There is a good likeness of the queen hanging over the president's chair. A decorum and politeness reigned throughout this quiet assemblage of gentlemen, not always to be found amongst the midnight legislators of St. Stephen's Chapel. The members receive a salary from their constituents; and the president calls on each member, in his turn, to address the house.

The chamber of peers is now abolished, and none of the ministry can hold a seat in the Cortes. Many of the states were so indifferent or so penurious as to forfeit their elective franchise for the time, and had no representatives.

The cathedral is a large building, with a finely-groined roof; but the walls of the interior are covered with the never-ending blue tile. This crockery prevails every where, but the rage for it has somewhat abated of late; the subjects represented on it are generally from heathen mythology; in some places it is pleasant, cool, and cleanly; and in hospitals, particularly, it is very valuable, being so easily cleaned, and not so liable to retain infection as whitewash. Owing to their once extensive slave trade, and large negro population, there are more black people seen in Lisbon than in any other city in Europe, and their prejudices are more studied there than elsewhere. In this cathedral there are two altars flanking the upper central one; on that to the right is an image of the Virgin and child, white, and highly decorated with tinsel and artificial flowers, &c.; while on that to the left is one similar in every respect, save that the faces and hands of both mother and child are black:-this is negro conciliation! Behind this central altar, the Holy Crows of Saint Vincent are quartered; the priests are rather chary of exhibiting them at present, and the day I visited here only one made his appearance ;—it was the general report that the other had gotten a severe fit of the gout. All the world knows the story of the patron saint of Lisbon, Saint Vincent, who having been murdered abroad, and the crew of his vessel dying, his body was brought safely into the Tagus by two crows, one taking the helm, while the other manned the yards; and those in this cathedral are said to be their lineal descendants. Since then a pair of crows are quartered on the city arms.

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The theatre is a wretched concern, but the opera is justly celebrated; the house is beautifully proportioned, and said to be, next to that at Milan, the finest in Europe. The stage is larger in proportion to the house than any I ever saw; and the whole lighted by one magnificent chandelier in the centre. The dropscene is a beautiful representation of the aqueduct of Alcantara. The house was well attended, and the dress-circle principally filled by English residents, and the officers of our fleet. The opera was well got up, and the ballet really admirable; it is generally the principal part of the performance. The gallant Admiral Napier, who was present, was received with much enthusiasm by the audience.

The hospital of San Joseph is an admirable institution, of immense size, and well kept; it is advantageously situated on a considerable height, and altogether struck me as being a noble establishment; it was formerly a convent of Jesuits, and the chapel is now in ruins, having suffered much in the earthquake of '55. It is the general hospital for the city, is capable of containing upwards of 1500 patients, and is divided into medical, surgical, lunatic, and obstetric departments. There are four wards, of vast extent, exceedingly clean and well ventilated, with four rows of beds in each; and at eleven o'clock, when the patients have dined, the shutters are closed and all made quiet for them to enjoy their siesta. The tiled floors are watered every morning, which keeps them very cool, and the walls are completely and appropriately covered with blue pottery.*

There is another small hospital for elephantiasis, a disease which is very common here.

I sailed down the river to visit Belem, in company with an Irish gentleman, who served in the army here during the late

There is a small lecture and dissecting-room, but no museum ; and anatomical subjects are supplied from the hospital, and are very cheap. The school of surgery, also under this roof, was made royal by the late king, whose picture hangs in the hall, where, at the time of my visit, candidates were undergoing a public vivâ voce examination for the professorship of the practice of physic. The college is authorised to grant licenses, and permits its members to prescribe in medicine; but medical degrees can be conferred at Queensboro' only.

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war, and who is still kept out of his pay, and left to live as best he can, like many others, from general officers downwards, who left their country and bore the blows, while this thankless people reaped the profit.

The palace of Belem stands upon a very fine elevated terrace, commanding a charming view of the river. The grounds are laid out in the old quaint style of clipped hedges, and trees cut in every fantastic form; yet, though it is the perfection of stiffness and formality, I cannot but confess it looked agreeable, for while we may be disposed to complain of the curtailment of nature's free and fair proportions, one is compelled to admire the uncommon art, neatness, and dexterity bestowed on the production of all these strange and grotesque forms. Yew and box trees seem to be most generally patronised by the gardeners; the latter growing here in great luxuriance. In one place, you behold it cut into the shape of a huge melon; in another, into a gigantic pine apple: here it assumes a beautiful spiral form, and there you see it take the shape of some antique monster.

Handsome fountains adorn the gardens; and on the parterres are some good specimens of Portuguese statuary, one in particular of the Grecian Daughter. A tank of vast size, at the top of the gardens, contains the largest mullet I ever saw, some at least twenty to thirty pounds weight, in fresh water.

The aviary contains nothing but a few sparrows; the dens for the wild beasts are all locked up, and empty; and the whole place has a forsaken, desolate aspect.

The palace itself has a mean exterior, and is, as usual, half covered with Dutch pottery; yet a fine suite of rooms, of good proportions, and very tolerably furnished, run along the front of the building. The walls are completely covered with pictures, some of considerable merit, but all unframed; and the likeness of Don John, with his negro countenance, is seen everywhere on the ceilings, in the corridors, above, below, to the right, and to the left. This was once the favourite residence of the royal family, but the present poor queen is not allowed by her ministers the enjoyment of even this quiet retreat.

The adjoining convent, which is now used as an asylum for 1500 poor children, is worthy of a more attentive inspection than I had time to bestow on it. The workmanship of the church attached is extraordinary; the external walls are a perfect fret

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