CHAPTER II.

LISBON.

Arrival in the Tagus-Lisbon-Church of the Estrella-A Harbour Scene-The Dogs-The Palacio de Cortes-Ruins of the Inquisition-Cathedral-Holy Crows-A Black VirginTheatricals-Hospitals and State of Medicine-Belem-Its Palace-Convent-Tomb of Alfonzo VI.-Mosaic Altar of St. Roch-The Carmo-Description of the City-Costumes-GallegosAqueduct of Alcantara-A Suicide-Dock-yard-Visit to Cintra-Description of the Country A Postillion-Splendid Views-Moorish Castle-Penha Convent-Cork Convent-The Monks and State of Religion-Collares-Palace of Cintra-Montserratt-Beckford-A Pic NicMafra Story of its erection-Marble Chapel-Library-English Navy Officers-A FriarPortuguese Cookery-Climate-Departure.

WE left Corunna on the morning of the 10th and entered the Tagus on the 12th; the atmosphere misty, and the wind blowing a stiff breeze down the river, which presented just here a noble expanse of water, but so muddy, from its admixture with sand and dirt, that it had quite the appearance of ill-made chocolate, both in colour and consistence. The current is rapid, and the waves continued to break over us till we anchored alongside the town, yet, the fear of wet jackets could not drive us below, or compel us to forego the glorious sight that momentarily opened to our view.

On either side of the river the breakers on the great and little Ketsups are tremendous. The larger of these sand-banks is now guarded by a handsome fort, surmounted by the Bougie light, which forms a pretty object as you enter the river. The sea breaking with fury on the edge of the sands, and the spray flying to a great height, the remnant of the waters rushes on like an immense rocket far in upon the bank, and expands its strength in foam. In beating up the river, you are struck with the strong line of demarcation that exists between the river and sea waters, owing to the rapidity of the current, and to their different degrees of density. The distant rock of Cintra, Fort St. Lucia, and

Belem Castle, were passed in succession on the left bank, the intervening ground being but little cultivated, and having a tawny brown appearance. On the right, the banks are higher, presenting the section of a number of sand-hills cut off at right angles with the river.

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We brought up" about breakfast-time, and shortly afterwards went on shore at the Caesŏdre. This large square, which is open to the river, is the great mart of Lisbon, and now crowded with English navy-officers of all ranks, from the "executive-chief" down to the " 'cheeping mid"—the usual buyers and sellers that throng the avenues to the principal port of a large city; and the never-failing gang of loungers to be found wherever hotels, wine-shops, and billiard-rooms exist.

The public gardens and other promenades of Lisbon offer little of interest ill-constructed fountains, dry, and surmounted by figures of tritons, fishwomen, and river gods out of all proportion, enclosed with straight hedge-rows, and spirally clipped box trees, give to the whole scene an air of stiffness and formality. These disagreeable features are, however, compensated for by the contrast of some magnificent specimens of the lovely datura arborea, still adorned with their large snow-white pendant bells, which shadow several of the public walks.

In the evening we walked out to Buenos Ayres, the westend of Lisbon; a delightful suburb, situated high above the river; beautiful in its prospect; healthful in its air; and the only possibly clean spot throughout this city of ups and downs, which looks just as if the earth had suddenly become arrested in some wave-like convulsion. On our way home we passed by one of the most conspicuous objects here, the church of the Estrella, or Coraco de Jesus, built by one of the queens of Portugal, in honour of the heart of our Saviour, which she fancied she possessed, enshrined in a splendid alabaster vase! It is a noble building, crowning one of the highest parts of the city, and a miniature of the church of Mafra; the dome forms a conspicuous object on entering the harbour; externally the walls are rather too highly decorated, and its order of architecture hard to define -if any be adhered to, it is the Corinthian. The doors being open, we entered, just as the candles on the altar were lighted for vespers. The ornamental work of the interior is chaste and beautiful, of different coloured marbles, wrought in panels, and

32

CHURCH OF THE ESTRELLA.

surrounded by elaborate fret-work, all of the highest polish. The dome and arched roof are also of marble.

A single sentinel leaned on his musket at one of the side altars; a few scattered groups of females knelt around some patron saint; and the solemnity and silence that reigned throughout the building added to the awe and reverence inspired by the hour, the situation, and the scene. Presently the priest entered, and bowed before the altar: a cloud of incense rose around him, while a most enchanting strain of slow, soft music stole upon the stillness, and crept religiously along the aisles, swelling gradually till it filled the whole building. On either side of the organ was a close grating, behind which the nuns and monks of the adjacent convent were placed, and poured forth a full tide of harmony. How striking is a first visit to a Roman Catholic house of worship abroad; where the pomp of ceremony, the splendour of decoration, and the enchantment of sound serve to exalt religious enthusiasm, and to lend to devotion those fictitious charms, made by exciting appeals to the senses.

We returned on board as the evening gun was fired, and after tea enjoyed our cigar on deck; we were far enough off shore to lose the hum of the city, and not too far to prevent us catching the modulated notes of the bands playing in the Caesŏdre.

There are few scenes of greater interest than a large harbour such as this, with its ships and craft of all kinds and nations; their busy inmates quieted in sleep, save the restless night-watch pacing the deck, or the stealthy gliding of the custom barge, guarding against contrabandistas. The stir and bustle of the day was now hushed into most perfect stillness-here lay our own men of war, in the centre of the river; their topmasts lowered for the night; and with their black hulls and mathematically squared yards, looking like so many monsters of the deep, waiting but the provocation to vomit forth destruction. various merchantmen, and the feluccas whose long latteen yards shoot up like immense leafless quivering reeds, and numbers of country boats, with their high Chinese prows, and gaudily-painted sterns, lie scattered on all sides of us. What a glorious sight! lighted up by a moon of such resplendent brightness, as to dazzle the eye, and render every object almost as clear and distinct as by an English sun;-not the pale and sickly waning moon, seen in our own misty climate, but a full and brilliant

The

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 terrific. 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

D

34

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.