THE

MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY,

FOR

DECEMBER, 1810.

FOR THE ANTHOLOGY.

EXTRACTS

FROM THE JOURNAL OF A GENTLEMAN ON A VISIT TO

LISBON.

On board Ship, Sept. 10th.

AFTER a long passage we have arrived safely in the Tagus. The first part of our voyage proved very disagreeable, as we encountered a constant succession of calms or contrary winds. When off cape Clear we met with a most violent storm. During three days of its continuance, the weather was more tempestuous than I ever before experienced; and we were obliged to lay to, until it abated. Our captain was himself in very considerable apprehension, and not being a man of remarkable strong nerves, was unable to disguise his fears. He tried however to gather as much courage as he could from his brandy bottle, to which he applied so often and so diligently that he became in a very short time completely drunk. This was, as may be supposed, a very agreeable circumstance

to us.

To add to the comfort of our situation, on the third night, while the tempest was at its height, we were fired at by a French privateer. I was at the time taking the only peep I had ventured at for forty-eight hours on deck, but on hearing the ball whiz by my ears, I prudently beat a retreat to my old quarters, which I did not immediately feel very anxious to quit. The privateer was prevented from coming along side of us by the violence of the storm. In the morning she was not in sight.

The weather at this time beginning to clear up, we determined to take vengeance on our drunken commander, and to give him a lesson which he might recollect on a similar occasion. We accordingly gave a preparation to the steward, directing him to infuse it in the captain's brandy bottle which stood in the cupboard, which orders he punctually put in execution. Soon after we saw the abovementioned gentleman descend into the cabin for the purpose of taking a morning draught, to keep, as I suppose, the cold off his stomach. He first however, as if he was unwilling to have any one witness to what he was about, cast his eyes round the cabin to see if we were asleep. Being satisfied in that particular, he applied the bottle to his lips, where he held it so long that I began to think they would never again be parted. At length he reluctantly took it away, but not until the contents were entirely exhausted. I thought from a kind of cough he gave when swallowing the last drops, that he was not perfectly satisfied with the flavour. The medicine was not long in taking effect. The poor Irishman was soon put under a double evacution, which lasted till the following day. During the operation he appeared to think himself no longer a man for this world. On his recovery, he seemed to have some little suspicion of the trick we had played him. It answered a very good purpose, and he never afterwards got fuddled.

In the bay of Biscay another privateer chased us. This we outsailed. Early on the morning of the fifth of September we heard the sailors cry out "land." We were roused by the cheerful sound, and on deck in a moment. The land first seen was cape Ortegal, and soon after the promontory of cape Finisterre opened to our view. Those who have never been at sea can with difficulty conceive the sensations produced by the first sight of the shore. From shore the eye can perhaps dwell on no object in nature more sublime than a view of the vast and trackless ocean: but I know no prospect so delightful as that of land when dimly discovered at sea, which seems at first hanging in the horizon like a distant cloud, and grows gradually distinct. The coast of Galicia had, as we drew nearer, a wild and desolate appearance. A huge chain of rude mountains rose one above another, without a shrub to shelter their bleak and barren sides. The waves broke with such prodigious violence over the rocks at their base, that for many leagues we heard the roar, and saw the white spray

glittering in the sunbeams. The sun shone over the tops of the mountains, which were half obscured by the morning mists, and gave to the scene an evanescent beauty. During the whole day we continued sailing along the coast, to which we approached so near as clearly to distinguish every object. In the afternoon we saw large columns of smoke ascending, and heard an incessant roar of cannon, which gave rise to various conjectures. We sagaciously concluded it to proceed from the retreating armies of the French, whom we presumed to be flying towards the Pyrenees in every direction. What was really the occasion we have never yet learned.

On the following morning we made the mountains of Vianna, at the northern extremity of Portugal. Close in shore we discovered a ship that shewed Spanish colours, and an innumerable collection of fishing boats and feluccas. A few leagues to the southward of these mountains, after our eyes had been gratified by a constant and ever-varying succession of beautiful objects, appeared the Villa do Conde. The view of the shore was here most picturesque and enchanting. The day was remarkably fine; a light and almost imperceptible breeze wafted us along. The minutest object was clearly distinguishable by the naked eye. We saw at the Villa do Conde the magnificent remains of an ancient aqueduct, consisting of a series of lofty arches upwards of three hundred in number. The neighbouring country was extremely interesting, abounding in varied and novel charms. Hills rose one above another in graceful confusion, the summits of which were hidden in groves of fir, and their bases were clothed with the rich verdure of the cork-tree. The intermediate vallies were laid out in olive plantations, lemon gardens, and vineyards.

About noon we reached the mouth of the Duero, and came in full view of the beautiful city of Oporto, which stands on its northern bank. Here we were hailed and brought to by the Talbot sloop of war, from which we received a visit that was not very agreeable. An officer came on board for the purpose of casing us of part of our crew. He took three of the men, one of whom was Cesar the cook. The poor fellow

seemed very reluctant at going, and his face turned almost white. The mate, an idle, useless rascal, he took at my recommendation. In return for the men he took away, he brought us three others, foreigners, who had been pressed a

few days previous from a Swedish ship. These fellows had cunningly pretended to be ignorant of English, and whenever they were addressed by an officer, replied in their own gibberish. When they had remained three or four days on board the Talbot, it was thought advisable, as nothing could be made of them, to exchange them for others who were able to speak. They found their tongues as soon as they thought themselves clear of danger. One of these ingenious gentlemen was a Prussian, another a Swede, and the third an old Dutch carpenter, who brought with him sundry pots and kettles, and a chest of tools large enough to supply the uses of a seventyfour gun ship. The officers of the Talbot could give us but little intelligence concerning the state of Lisbon. They had heard nothing for several days. They however told us that on arriving at the Tagus, should we not see the fleet off the mouth of the river, we might safely go in, as that would be a certain signal of the city being in possession of the British. While we remained off the bar of Oporto an eight oared barge came along side to bring us a pilot, supposing us bound up the Duero. The crew exhibited a most motley assemblage of black and white raggamuffins. Several other boats also came to us with fruit and wine, with which we supplied ourselves in abundance. The sailors, in return for their old clothes, rags, the offer of which an English beggar would deem an insult, salt pork, potatoes, &c, got as much wine and fruit as they could consume. The people in the boats asked eagerly for bread, and seemed to consider themselves exceedingly happy in obtaining the mouldy and wormeaten biscuit of the sailors. We also disposed of our empty bottles to them, which they very gladly accepted. Most of the boats we saw were shaped like canoes, with triangular sails. What struck me as most peculiar, the men stand in them as they row.

The southern bank of the Duero is agreeably diversified with villas, which produce a very gay and lively appearance. This river is the largest in Portugal, except the Tagus. It rises near Soria in Old Castile, and traverses an extent of one hundred and twenty leagues. Oporto is situated on the northern bank, about a league from the sea. The city stands on the declivity of a hill. Houses, convents, churches, and spires rise above each other like the seats of an amphitheatre. Among them the cathedral stands eminently conspicuous.

The beauty of the prospect can seldom be exceeded. We could not refrain from impatience at not being ashore.

During the night we continued our course, and on the following day enjoying the same beauty of scene and the same serenity of air. Towards evening we discovered the rock of Lisbon, and came abreast of the cluster of rocky islands called as Berlingas. They are situated near cape Fiserao, and are six in number. Their forms are very curious and grotesque. We received a pilot on board early in the morning, and arrived at noon, on the ninth, safely in the Tagus.

We passed by Fort St. Julien and came to anchor a little below the castle at Belem. We lie in the midst of transports and men of war. The river is crowded with ships. Above The Russian fleet lies

the castle we see a forest of masts. very high up, almost above the city. Imagination can scarcely form any thing more beautiful than the gay scene around us. The banks of the river are studded with villas, orchards, gardens, vineyards and palaces. In our rear the vast and "sterile promontory" of Cabo da Rocca stretches into the ocean. Before us stands the fine old gothick castle of Belem, beyond which rise the white turrets and spires of Lisbon. The tricoloured flag is waving on the forts. On our left is the English camp, where we see the bayonets of the centinels glittering in the sun. Around us, riding at anchor, are many of the largest ships in the British navy.

In the afternoon Mr. T went on board the admiral, (Sir Charles Cotton,) where he met among the captains of the fleet several of his old acquaintance, and where he had also the honour of an introduction to Mynheer Breakbackhenhoff, the Russian admiral. He received permission for us to go ashore on the following day.

The terms of the convention have excited much disgust among the officers both of army and navy. The French are

to remain in possession, until they can be embarked, of the town and forts. It is supposed that three weeks will elapse before their embarkation can be effected. In the mean time the Portuguese troops are not allowed to enter, and the English go in only by permission.

Our Portuguese Palinurus continues on board until our ship can go above the castle. This gentleman is quite an extraordinary character. He wears a vast chapeau bras, adorned with a patriotick cockade, under which his head is