68 A SPRING TOUR IX PORTUGAL. 



cows and calves and bullocks, horses, mules, and donkeys, 

 blocked up the road at frequent intervals, these were 

 almost universally consigned to the care of the drudges, 

 the women and the boys ; while their lords and masters 

 flourished on in front on elaborately worked saddles, the 

 trappings and cloths and bridles of their animals as 

 gorgeous and gay as their own many-coloured garments. 

 But when we stopped at the half-way station, to bait our 

 horses, after precisely the same form as that adopted by 

 our driver before, including the liberal libation of wine 

 over the back and loins of each horse, in order to give them 

 courage and strength, it was grand to see one and another 

 of these fair-going dandies gallop up to the door of the 

 inn, tie his richly-caparisoned mule to an iron ring, after 

 the genuine fashion of a Spanish bait, and then strut in 

 and out of the door of the hostelry, and swagger and com- 

 port himself with the most ridiculous pretensions ; and all 

 ))ecause his velvet hat was peaked and adorned with a 

 feather, his bright blue jacket was frogged and braided and 

 garnished with silver buttons, his boots were adorned with 

 tassels, his saddle-cloth was scarlet, and his large, flat, 

 wooden stirrups studded with silver nails. It was amidst 

 crowds of such gaily-dressed farmers and dealers, and 

 amidst a string of carts and carriages of marvellous shape 

 and colour; and, above all, amidst a general holiday look, 

 and real joUity and merriment conspicuous in the faces of 

 all, as if they were out for a day's pleasure, and meant to 

 enjoy it, that we drove back to the capital, which we found 

 in a glowing heat, with the thermometer at 86° in the 

 shade, notwithstanding a gentle breeze, which blew almost 

 daily up the river from the sea. 



