BRAGA AND BOM JKSUS. lol 



sentations, nor halted at every successive station, in ad- 

 Tniration of the scenes disphiyed within ; we certainly 

 revSted at the brink of the many fountains which garnish 

 the massive flights of steps, and gazed long and ardently 

 on the extensive view of mountain and valley which was 

 displayed before us from this elevated spot. It was, 

 indeed, an exceedingly noble prospect, for beyond the 

 wooded hills towards the north and east, we now for the 

 first time saw the lofty' and rugged mountains of Gerez, 

 which are allowed to form the wildest, the most inaccessi- 

 ble, and the most romantic portion of the kingdom. Few 

 travellers penetrate into these fastnesses, or scale the 

 granite rocks which seem to bar all further progress to the 

 north-east: for as there* are no guides to point out the 

 path, no chalets or hospices for rest and refreshment, as in 

 the Swiss and Tyrolean Alps, he must be a practised and 

 enthusiastic mountaineer, and of an adventurous spirit, 

 who cares to push on amidst those unfrequented moun- 

 tains, and explore their almost unknown heights. 



To the sportsman, however, and, above all, to the na- 

 turalist, who is strong and hardy enough to scorn all 

 creature comforts, and to brave the elements, and delights 

 to rough it in the true spirit of a mountaineer, these un- 

 trodden wilds must be quite enchanting. For here is 

 the home of the wolf, which is still very abundant in Por- 

 tugal ; so numerous, indeed, in some parts of this country, 

 that the inhabitants find it quite impossible to keep sheep : 

 and of the depredations, ferocity, and even boldness of 

 this destructive beast we heard many accounts from 

 those who had encountered it, and in the museum at 

 Coimbra we had seen several gigantic specimens from these 

 mountains. One gentleman recounted to us how he had 

 been followed in winter by one of these hungry animals, 

 which drew nearer and nearer, and evidently sought to 

 take him at a disadvantage; but by facing round suddenly. 



