STEAMER SEVERN, ISLAND OF TENERIFFE, _Dec. 22, 1851_.
From Alexandria, Egypt, I embarked on board of the steamer for Malta,
with the privilege of continuing to Gibraltar or Lisbon, to await the
arrival of the steamer from England, on her way to South America. The
weather was heavy and boisterous for the first two days, which caused
some delay, and required four and a half days to make the passage of
eight hundred miles to Malta.
Our leisure time was passed in rowing about the harbor, viewing the
English fleet; and I amused myself in the Lazaretto in visiting my old
quarters where I was confined in quarantine twenty-one days, coming
from Egypt during the prevalence of the plague. The fortifications are
very strong, and the island is an agreeable place for sojourn in the
winter; the rides to the bay where St. Paul was shipwrecked and landed,
and where a chapel is erected on the spot; the so called Grotto of
Calypso; the Church of the Knights of St. John; the ancient catacombs;
and the general drives and views, make it well worth tarrying at; but
having been all over the ground, there was no incentive to remain, so
we proceeded to Gibraltar, one thousand miles further, with beautifully
fine weather, coasting along the bay of Tunis, with Sicily and Algiers
in view, and then branched off to the opposite coast of Spain, passing
close to the bay of Malaga, with white-capped mountains in the
distance, and the famous quicksilver mines of Adva at their base, until
we approached the frowning rock of Gibraltar.
Those of our passengers who had never passed along the Mediterranean,
enjoyed all the sights and various changing views; I, however, could
not feel the same interest, except in the way of reminiscences of past
scenes. Gibraltar, as you are aware, is considered invulnerable; its
strength surpasses any fortification in the world, and as long as Great
Britain retains her present ascendency, it would be useless to attempt
its capture, as starvation of the garrison would be the only successful
artifice. We were informed here that the French had just bombarded
Tangier, on the opposite coast of Morocco, and knocked down the town
about the ears of the Moors. On the opposite side of the straits is
Ceuta, a strongly garrisoned fortress belonging to the Spaniards; the
straits here are seventy-two miles wide. The current was setting into
them at the rate of two miles per hour, and always running in the
same direction. The nearest point to the African coast is St. Cruzes,
towards Tarifa Light, on the European side; it is seven miles wide.
Gibraltar is considerably improved, many new buildings having been
erected, but its contraband trade with the south of Spain is now
much reduced, and the people complain of hard times. Trafalgar Bay,
famous for the victory and death of Lord Nelson, lies only a short
distance north. I don’t recollect, while travelling in the beautiful
country of Malaga, Grenada, Seville, and Cadiz, to have said anything
of Portugal, to which my travels were also extended, at that time,
but at the risk of repetition I must remark that Lisbon is prettily
situated on the Douro, about twelve miles from its mouth, and were it
not for the dark aspect of the city, the effect of climate upon the
sandstone, it would show to great advantage, situated as it is upon
an undulating surface, with portions of its pinnacles looking like a
tower of stairs. It is much cleaner than formerly, filthy streets then
being its chief characteristic. The trade of Portugal has declined,
and the government and people have become more and more impoverished.
They have had no rain since last May, and the country is suffering.
Processions were being held from the churches to invoke the Virgin for
refreshing and copious supplies of the vivifying element. One of the
most extraordinary mosaic pictures of large size is the Annunciation of
the angel to the Virgin Mary; it is here in one of the churches, and
is said to have cost a million of dollars. The stone aqueduct which
rests upon several ties of arches, and supplies the city with water,
is considered a stupendous work; it is much shattered by a former
earthquake. The promenades and gardens are tolerable, as are also the
quays and public squares, but the port seems deserted by merchant
vessels. A part of the English fleet lay in the river, and among the
number was one which, although small in comparison with the other
craft, had given evidence of her sailing qualities to the world, and
all eyes were directed to her. It was the little, low, raking-masted
yacht, America.
I found myself once again on board the ship Severn, having made a
passage with her in the West Indies, under the same commander, three
years since. We had a mixed company of passengers, consisting of
duchesses, countesses, not forgetting Lady Wortley, who visited the
United States some time since, military and civil officers, South
American Spaniards, Portuguese Brazilians, Frenchmen, Germans, and
English, some twenty of whom we left at Madeira for the benefit of
their health; the rest will continue to Teneriffe, Cape de Verde,
Pernambuco, Bahia, Rio Janeiro, &c., where we land and take supplies of
coal. The rigid formality of strict English society is confounded with
the life and liberty of the different races thrown together, and five
languages are continually heard at table.
Madeira is a pretty and picturesque island. Its vineyards, which are
its only resource, have acquired for it a lasting name; its climate is
renowned, and is much resorted to, particularly by English invalids,
the number of whom amounts ordinarily to about three hundred, who are
a source of great profit to the poor people, subjected to Portuguese
rule. The harbor of Funchal is an open roadstead, and as there was a
heavy rolling sea the night before our arrival, the landing was bad,
especially for ladies, but once ashore, horses and palanquins were at
command. The latter are so unlike the conveyances that bear the same
name in the East Indies, that I must describe them. They are in the
form of colossal shoes with the front part cut or pared down one-half,
the heel being a support for the back, as you sit upon cushions with
head erect; they are supported by rods attached to the pole, each end
of which rests on the shoulders of a man, and in that way you are
carried up and down hill, having a sort of top to protect you from the
sun’s rays.
Madeira lies two days south from Lisbon, and Teneriffe one day and a
half from Madeira. There are nine islands in the group; the people are
generally poor. The chief town is Santa Cruz; it is pretty well built,
and streets are clean; wine is its chief means of support. There are
some fine views all through the islands; the peak of Teneriffe is the
most remarkable, towering some twelve thousand feet high, and covered
with snow.
1852.