LISBON AND ITS SURROUNDINGS.
The room in the Hotel Braganza occupied by
Sheridan and Murray was an excellent one, so
far as the situation was concerned; for it commanded a
beautiful view of the Tagus and the surrounding country.
“I should think this hotel had been a fort some
time,” said Sheridan, when they rose in the morning.
“Those windows look like port–holes for cannon.”
“It is the house of Braganza, and ought to be a
royal hotel; but it is not very elegantly furnished.
There are no towels here. Where is the bell?”
“I noticed that there was one outside of each room
on this floor. Here is the bell–pull. It is an original
way to fix the bells,” added Sheridan. “The bell–boys
must come up three flights of stairs in order to hear
them ring.”
“But, if the waiter don’t speak English, what will you
ask for?” laughed Murray.
“I have a book of four languages that I picked up in
Madrid,—French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese,”
said the captain, as he took the volume from his bag.
“Here it is. ‘_Une serviette_,’—that’s a napkin, but it
will do as well,—‘_um guardinapo_.’”
The bell was rung, and a chambermaid answered it.
The word brought the towels, but Sheridan pointed
to the wash–stand; and the pantomime would have answered
just as well as speech, for the woman could see
what was wanting. When they were dressed, Dr. Winstock
came to the door, and invited them to visit the
top of the house, which commanded a view even more
extensive than the window.
“The Tagus runs about east and west here,” said he.
“It is about a mile wide, but widens out into a broad
bay opposite the city. There is no finer harbor in the
world. The old part of the city, between the castle
and the river, was not destroyed by the earthquake.
Between us and the castle is a small region of straight
streets; and this is the part that was destroyed. On
the river below us are the marine arsenal and the
custom–house, with the _Praca do Commercio_ between
them.”
“The what?” asked Murray.
“_Praca_ is the Portuguese for ‘square;’ ‘Commercial
Square’ in English will cover it. This one has several
names; and the English, who are in great force in
Lisbon, call it Black Horse Square. There is very
little to see in Lisbon. Orders have come up for all
hands to be on the quay at nine o’clock, to go on
board the Prince for the lecture; and we must breakfast
first.”
After the lecture the Princes went on shore again.
The doctor with his pupils took a carriage, and proceeded
to “do” the city. Their first point was the
square they had seen from the housetop. On one side
of it was an arch supporting a clock–tower. In the
centre was an equestrian statue of Joseph I., erected
by the inhabitants out of gratitude to the king and
the Marquis of Pombal for their efforts to rebuild the
city after the great earthquake. On the pedestal is an
effigy of the marquis, who was the king’s minister, as
powerful as he was unpopular. The populace cut his
head out of the statue when the king died, but it was
restored fifty years later.
“This street,” said the doctor, indicating the one
over which the ornamental arch was extended, “is the
_Rua Augusta_.”
“I think the Commercial is as fine a square as I
have seen in Europe,” added Sheridan.
“Most people agree with you. Now, if we pass
through the _Rua Augusta_, we shall come to the _Praca
do Rocio_, which is also a beautiful square. There are
three other streets running parallel with this; on one
side is Gold, and on the other Silver Street.”
“They build their houses very high for an earthquaky
country,” said Murray.
“And this is the very spot which was sunk. I suppose
they don’t expect to have another convulsion.”
The carriage proceeded into the square, and then
to another, only a couple of blocks from it, in which
was the fruit–market. It was lined with trees, with a
fountain in the centre. All around it were men and
women selling fruit and other commodities. It was a
lively scene. In this square they saw a Portuguese
cart of the model that was probably used by the
Moors. The wheels do not revolve on the axle, but
the axle turns with the wheels, as in a child’s tin
wagon, and creak and groan fearfully as they do so.
As they passed through the Campo Santa Anna, the
doctor pointed out the _Circo dos Touros_, or bull–ring.
“But a bull–fight here is a tame affair compared with
those in Spain,” he explained. “They do not kill the
bull, nor are any horses gored to death; for the horns
of the animal are tipped with large wooden balls. It is
a rather lively affair, and will answer very well if you
have not seen the real thing. It is said that there are
seven hills in Lisbon, as in Rome; but this is a vanity
of many other cities. There are many hills in Lisbon,
however; and there seems to be a church or a convent
on every one of them. This is the _Passio Publico_; and
it is crowded with people on a warm evening,” continued
the doctor, as they came to a long and narrow park.
“It is the _prado_ of Lisbon.
“I shall ask you to visit only one church in this city,
unless you desire to see more; and this is the one,”
said the doctor, as the carriage stopped at a plain building.
“This is St. Roque. It is said that Dom John
V., when he visited this church, was greatly mortified
at the mean appearance of the chapel of his patron
saint. He ordered one to be prepared in Rome, of the
richest materials. When it was done, mass was said in
it by the pope, Benedict XIV.; and then it was taken
to pieces, and sent to Lisbon, where it was again set up
as you will find it.”
The party entered the church, and the attendant
gave each of them a printed sheet on which was a
description of the chapel. It proved to be a rather
small recess; but the mosaics of the baptism of Christ
in the Jordan by John, and other scriptural designs, are
of the highest order of merit. The floor, ceiling, and
sides are of the same costly work, the richest marbles
and gems being used. The chapel contains eight columns
of lapis–lazuli. The whole of this is said to
have cost fourteen million _crusados_, over eight million
dollars; but others say only one million _crusados_, and
probably the last sum is nearer the truth.
The next day was Sunday; and in the morning the
United States steamer Franklin—the largest in the
service—came into the river. There was a Portuguese
frigate off the marine arsenal; and what with
saluting the flag of Portugal, and the return–salute,
saluting Mr. Lewis the American minister, and saluting
Mr. Diamond the American consul, when each visited
the ship, the guns of the great vessel were blazing
away about all the forenoon. But the students were
proud of the ship; and they did not object to any
amount of gun–firing, even on Sunday. In the afternoon,
some of them went to the cathedral, which was
formerly a mosque, and to some of the other churches.
All hands attended service on board of the American
Prince at eleven.
The next morning the Josephines and Tritonias
started on their tour through the peninsula to Barcelona;
and the ship’s company went on board of the
steamer. Regular discipline was restored; but the
business of sight–seeing was continued for two days
more. The doctor conducted his little party to the
palace of the _Necessidades_.
“What a name for a palace!” exclaimed Murray.
“I suppose that jaw–breaker means ‘necessities.’”
“That is just what it means. Circumstances often
give names to palaces and other things; and it was so
in this case. A weaver brought an image of the Blessed
Virgin from a place on the west coast, from which he
fled to escape the plague. With money he begged of
the pious, he built a small chapel for the image, near
this spot. Like so many of these virgins, it wrought
the most wonderful miracles, healing the sick, restoring
the lame, and opening the eyes of the blind; and many
people came to it in their ‘necessities,’ for relief. Dom
John V. believed in it, and built a handsome church,
with a convent attached to it, for the blessed image.
It had restored his health once, and he built this palace
near it, that it might be handy for his ‘necessities.’
During the long sickness preceding his death, he had
it brought to the palace with royal honors, and kept it
there in state, taking it with him wherever he went.
“This square is the _Fraca Alcantara_,” continued the
doctor, when they came from the palace. “There are
plenty of fountains in the city, nearly every public
square being supplied with one. When I was here
before, there were more water–carriers than now; and
they were all men of Gallicia, as in Madrid. Three
thousand of them used to be employed in supplying
the inhabitants with water; but now it is probably conveyed
into most of the houses in pipes. You can tell
these men from the native Portuguese, because they
carry their burden, whatever it may be, on their shoulders
instead of their heads. A proverb here is to the
effect that God made the Portuguese first, and then
the Gallego to wait upon him. Most of the male
servants in houses come from Gallicia. They are
largely the porters and laborers, for the natives are too
proud to carry burdens: it is too near like the work
of a mule or a donkey. It is said, that when the French
approached Coimbra in the peninsular war, and the
people deserted the city, the men would not carry their
valuables with them, so great was their prejudice
against bundles; and every thing was lost except what
the women could take with them. They could not
disgrace themselves to save their property.”
“No wonder the country is poor,” added Sheridan.
“Now we will cross the bridge, and ride through
Buenos Ayres, where many of the wealthy people live,
and some of the ambassadors,” continued the doctor.
They had a pleasant ride, passing the English cemetery
in which Henry Fielding and Dr. Doddridge were
buried. On the return, they passed the principal cemetery
of the city. It is called the _Prazeres_, which
means “pleasures;” a name it obtained by accident,
and not because it was considered appropriate.
The following day was set apart for an excursion to
Cintra and Mafra, and a sufficient number of omnibuses
were sent to a point on the north–west road; for
the students were to walk over the aqueduct in order
to see that wonderful work. The party ascended some
stone steps to a large hall which contains the reservoir.
It is near the _Praca do Rato_, and not far from the centre
of the city. The party then entered the arched
gallery, eight feet high and five feet wide, through
which the water–ways are led. In the middle is a
paved pathway for foot–passengers. On either side of
it is a channel in the masonry, nine inches wide and
a foot deep in the centre, rounded at the bottom.
It looked like a small affair for the supply of a great
city. The aqueduct is carried on a range of arches
over the valley of the Alcantara, which is the name of
the little stream that flows into the Tagus near the
_Necessidades_. The highest of these arches are two hundred
and sixty–three feet above the river. A causeway
was built on each side of it, forming a bridge to the
villages in the suburbs; but its use was discontinued
because so many people committed suicide by throwing
themselves from the dizzy height, or were possibly
murdered by robbers. This aqueduct was erected by
Dom John V., and it is the pride of the city. The
water comes from springs six miles away.
“Why did we have those water–jars in the hotel if
they have spring–water?” asked Sheridan, as they
walked along the gallery.
“They think the water is better kept in those jars,”
replied Dr. Winstock; “and I believe they are right;
at least, they would be if they would keep the ants out
of them.”
On the other side of the valley the excursionists
loaded themselves into the omnibuses, and were soon
on their way to Cintra, which is fourteen miles from
Lisbon. It is a sort of Versailles, Potsdam, or Windsor,
where the court resides during a part of the year,
and where all the wealthy and fashionable people
spend their summers. It is a beautiful drive, with
many pleasant villages, palaces, country–seats, groves,
and gardens by the way.
“Here we are,” said the doctor to his young companions,
when the carriage in which they had come
stopped before Victor’s Hotel. “Southey said this was
the most blessed spot in the habitable world. Byron
sang with equal enthusiasm; and the words of these
poets have made the place famous in England. Our
American guide–book does not even mention it.”
Cintra is a town of forty–five hundred inhabitants.
It is built on the southern end of the Estrella Mountains,
at an elevation of from eighteen hundred to three
thousand feet. It is only a few miles from the seashore,
and the Atlantic may be seen from its hills.
The party of the doctor first went to the royal palace.
It was the Alhambra of the Moorish monarchs, and has
been a favorite residence of the Christian kings. Dom
Sebastian held his last court here when he left for
Africa. The students wandered through its numerous
apartments, laughed at its magpie saloon, and thought
of the kings who had dwelt within its walls. They
were more pleased with the gardens, though it was
winter; for there was a great deal in them that was
curious and interesting.
The Pena Convent was the next attraction. All convents
have been suppressed in Portugal, as in Spain;
but the Gothic building has been repaired, and it looks
more like a castle than a religious house. Its garden
and grounds must be magnificent in the proper season.
The view from the highest point presents an almost
boundless panorama of country, river, and ocean. The
Moorish castle that commands the town was examined;
and the next thing was the Cork Convent. It is an
edifice built in and on the rock, and contains twenty
cells, each of which is lined with cork to keep out the
dampness of the rock on which it is founded. These
cells are dungeons five feet square, with doors so low
that even the shortest of the students had to stoop to
enter them.
A country–house in Portugal is a _quinta_; and that
of Dom John de Castro, the great navigator and the
viceroy of the Indies, is called _Penha Verda_, and is
still in the hands of his descendants. The gardens
are very pretty; and the first orange–trees set out in
Europe were on this estate. In the garden is the
chapel built by him on his return from the Indies, in
1542, and the rock with six trees on it, which was the
only reward he desired for the conquest of the Island
of Diu, in Hindostan. He died in the arms of St.
Francis Xavier, in 1548, protesting that he had spent
every thing he had in supplying the wants of his comrades
in arms. He declared that he had not a change
of linen, or money enough to buy him a chicken for his
dinner. Most of the enormous wealth of the Indies
had passed through his hands; and he had not stolen
a _vintem_ of it. What an example for modern office–holders!
When he was dead, only one _vintem_—about
two cents—was found in his coffers. His descendants
were prohibited from deriving any profit from the cultivation
of this property.
The rest of the time was given to wandering about
among the estates of the wealthy men, including some
of the foreign ministers, who have _quintas_ in Cintra.
After a lunch, the excursionists proceeded to Mafra,
about ten miles from Cintra. This place contains an
enormous pile of buildings on the plan of the Escurial,
and rather larger, if any thing. It was erected by
John V. to carry out his vow to change the poorest
monastery into the most magnificent one when Heaven
would give him a son. It contains eight hundred and
sixty–six apartments; but the only one of interest to
the students was the audience–chamber, preserved as it
was when the palace was inhabited by Dom John.
It was late in the evening when the Princes returned
to Lisbon; and they were rather glad to learn that the
ship was to sail for Barcelona after breakfast the next
morning.
“I am rather sorry that we do not go to Oporto,”
said the doctor, when the captain informed him of the
order. “It is an old city set on a hillside; but it
would not interest the students any more than Lisbon
has.”
“By the way, doctor, we have not seen any port
wine,” added Sheridan.
“It is not a great sight to look at the casks that contain
port wine. In Porto, not Oporto in Portugal, it is
not the black, logwood decoction which passes under
the name of port in the United States, though it is
darker than ordinary wines. It gets its color and flavor
from the peculiarity of the grapes that grow in the
vicinity of Porto.”
The officers were tired enough to turn in. Early the
next morning the fires were roaring in the furnaces of
the Prince; at a later hour the pipe of the boatswain
was heard; and at half–past eight the steamer was
standing down the river. As the students had not
come to Lisbon from the sea, they all gathered on the
deck and in the rigging to see the surroundings.
“That building on the height is the palace of Ajuda,
where the present king ordinarily resides,” said the
surgeon, when the captain pointed it out to one of the
officers. “A temporary wooden house was built on
that hill for the royal family after the earthquake. It
is very large for this little kingdom, but is only one–third
of the size it was intended to be. It was erected
by John VI.; or, rather, it was begun by him, for it is
not finished.”
“You can see the buildings on the Cintra hills,”
added Murray.
“Yes; and you can see them better from the ocean.”
“That is Belem Castle,” said Sheridan, as the ship
approached the mouth of the river. “I saw a picture
of it in an illustrated paper at home.”
“It is called the Tower of Belem; and there is a
palace with the same name on the shore. This is half
Gothic and half Moorish. It is round, and the style is
unique. What it was built for, no one knows. I suppose
you are not aware how Columbus ascertained that
there was a Western Continent,” added the doctor,
smiling.
“I know what the books say,—that he reasoned it
out in his own mind,” replied the captain.
“You see that town on the north: it is Cascaes, in
which Sanchez, the renowned pilot, was born,” continued
the doctor. “In 1486 Sanchez was blown off
in a storm; and, before he could bring up, he was carried
to an unknown land somewhere in North America. On
his way back he stopped at Madeira, where he was the
guest of Columbus. Somehow the log–book of the
pilot fell into the hands of the great navigator, and
from it he learned that there was an American Continent.”
“Do you believe that story?” asked Sheridan seriously.
“I do not. There are too many difficulties in the
way of it; but it was told me by a Portuguese pilot.”
When the ship had passed the bar, the pilot was discharged,
and the course laid to the south. Just at dark
she was in sight of Cape St. Vincent. The doctor
related the story of its name, which was given to it
because the body of St. Vincent, martyred in Rome,
found its way to this cape, where it was watched over
for a long period by crows. The ship that conveyed it
to Lisbon was followed by these birds; and tame crows
were afterwards kept in the cathedral, where the remains
were deposited, in memory of the miraculous care of
these birds. Three great naval victories have been
won by the English Navy off this cape. Rodney defeated
the Spanish fleet in 1780; Nelson, with fifteen
small vessels, beat twenty–seven Spanish men–of–war, in
1797; and Sir Charles Napier, in 1833, with six vessels,
only one of them a frigate, defeated ten Portuguese
ships, thus putting an end to the Miguel war, and
placing Maria I. on the throne of Portugal. The next
day the Prince passed Cape Trafalgar, where, in 1805,
Nelson gained his great naval victory over the combined
fleets of France and Spain.
On Sunday morning the Prince arrived at Barcelona.