OrORTO. 1.M7 



its vigour, and is annually increasing, tbongh, during the 

 siege of Oporto, it was struck by a cannon ball, wbicli 

 inflicted a severe wound on the trunk, and threatened ex- 

 tensive damage. By judicious treatment, however, it has 

 recovered from the hurt, and, beyond an honourable scar, 

 which it will always carry, is none the worse for the hard 

 blow ; indeed, Mr. Whiteley confidently asserts that it is 

 the larofest maanolia in the world. The buds were swollen, 

 though no flowers were opened during the time of our 

 visit; but we could well believe its enthusiastic owner's 

 statement, with what delicious perfume the whole garden 

 would be scented, and what a noble spectacle it would be 

 when in full blossom, and no less than a hundred gigantic 

 flowers blooming at once upon the tree. 



In the same garden grew a very fine Judas tree,^ a splen- 

 did pimento or pepper tree, some large shaddocks, and a 

 Japanese apple, the fruit of which we had bought at Coim- 

 bra under the name of nesperas^ though here it was known 

 as laconte. Here, too, camellias, of every variety of tint 

 and of great size, were abundant, while the garden was 

 bounded by a belt of cork trees, which offered a grateful 

 shade during the mid-day heat. I do not mention oranges, 

 because they abound in every part of Portugal, of a 

 size and flavour, and with a profusion, I have never seen 

 elsewhere. But I must remark on the Oporto strawberries, 

 which were very abundant in the market, and which we 

 saw in perfection at Mr. Whiteley's table; they are of 

 very large size, white in colour, and of excellent flavour, 

 though, in my judgment, not to be compared with their 

 exact contrasts, the diminutive, dark-red, mountain straw- 

 berries, which one meets with in Norway and Sweden. 



It is not difficult to explain the cause of the luxuriant 

 vegetation we found in this favoured garden ; it is exactly 



♦ The Ccrcis siUquai<trum, the traditional tree on which Judas hanged 

 imself : hence its Enrrlish name. 



