20 A SPRING TOUR IN PORTUGAL. 



Lisbon is admirably provided. The public squares are 

 generally planted with trees which are invalimble for 

 shade, and well provided with seats, and as the whole 

 population seeks the open ftir aa the coolness of eveniug 

 draws on, the nightly assemblage in these squares was very 

 great, just as is the case in the Alamedas and Prados of 

 the cities of Spain. But still more valuable and far more 

 beautiful are the 'public gardens,' which., situated in the 

 heart of the city, and planted with rare Brazilian flowers 

 and shrubs which thrive with extraordinary vigour in this 

 climate, are always open to the people, and with their 

 fragrant scents, delightful shade, and the perpetual splash 

 of fountains, invite the passer-by to seek repose for a 

 while. 



But four days back we were shivering in England ; our 

 teeth chattering under the influence of the cold east 

 wind, and the sleet driving in our faces and freezing us to 

 the bone, Xow we were baslnng under a southei-n sun, or 

 spending our evening in the public squares and gardens — 

 generally in the pretty little Largo de Carnoes, which we 

 frequented almost every night. At mid-day the therm.o- 

 meter in the shade stood at 86°, so that many remained 

 within doors while the fiercest beat prevailed, as is the 

 wont of southern peoples ; and here we found the gardens 

 glowing with flowers, and early potatoes and green peas 

 and strawberries already in profusion, which certainly 

 astonished and pleased our nortliern minds not a little. 



The very first afternoon we spent in Lisbon we found a 

 crowd of men surrounding a public building, who, with 

 loud voices and angry faces, were gesticulating fiercely, 

 while a small guard of soldiers watched hard l)y. On en- 

 quiring the cause of our interpreter and guide, whom we 

 had einployed in that capacity from his knowledge of our 

 tongue, but whose English was very limited, he told us 

 that it was an ' insurrection,' and that the rebels, who were 



