EVORA. G\ 



readers. At all events, it was tlironnli water more than 

 usually mucUl}', spread out into a large lake or basin, that 

 we made our way to the opposite shore, and a good half- 

 liour had elapsed ere our steamer reached the pier at Bar- 

 reiro, and then we had to trudge a (juarter of a mile to 

 the railway station, which w^ould be annoying enough to 

 those laden with baggage or during a heavy shower. Here 

 we were met by the English director of the traffic, Mr. 

 Fenn, who had most kindly prepared for us a letter of 

 introduction to Dr. Manoel Villosa, the librarian at Evora, 

 and who placed us in special charge of the conductor of 

 the train, and show^ed us every attention. We were for- 

 tunate also in having as our companion Mr. Mackenna, the 

 chief of the locomotive department, who was most obliging 

 and useful, and subsequently acted as our guide and inter- 

 preter at Evora. 



We had scarcely left the station at Barreiro before the 

 country assumed an uncultivated aspect ; the soil appeared 

 to be altogether sand ; sand and forest, sand and heath, 

 sand and rough grass; these were the ingredients of our 

 landscape, diversified, however, by the most brilliant wild 

 flowers I had ever seen ; the railway banks were quite 

 covered with mesembryanthemums of red and yellow and 

 brown hues, and a very great variety of most beautiful 

 plants literally carpeted the fields and wastes ; then cactus 

 and gigantic aloes formed impenetrable hedges wherever 

 cultivation had been attempted, and occasional patches of 

 wheat, and beans, and potatoes, and peas, were to be seen 

 at intervals on either side of the line. These, however, 

 were but mere morsels rescued from the forest and heath, 

 which, though succumbing to cultivation in the immediate 

 track of the railway, asserted their independence farther 

 inland, where they luxuriated in their primitive wildness. 

 Thus we passed over the first ten miles, making a show of 

 stopping at two intervening stations, where, however, none 



