156 A SrRIXG TOUR IX rORTUGAL. 



modation in one of the boats laden with grain, several of 

 which every day drop down the river to that town. 



Accordingly, at an early hour of the following morning 

 we laid in stores of provision for the day, consisting of 

 sundry rolls of excellent bread, and a bottle of very su- 

 perior port wine. In addition to this, we expended the 

 sum of twenty reis, or one penny sterling, in the purchase 

 of a large supply of oranges, and an equally extravagant 

 sum in a small mountain of cherries, wherewith to beguile 

 ourselves on board, but which we found it very difficult to 

 convey to the boat, and which we could by no means con- 

 sume, though we had but little else to do during our ten 

 hours' voyage. Our vessel was large, flat-bottomed, fur- 

 nished with a mast and a single square sail ; loaded with 

 bags of maize, and manned by a crew consisting of two 

 men and two women. These good people grievously 

 cheated us, by imposing upon us a fare which was at least 

 three times the ordinary charge ; but as they had carefully 

 arranged the corn sacks for our accommodation, arid thus 

 provided eligible couches ; as they had, in addition, built a 

 bower of branches above our heads to act as an awning ; 

 as, moreover, the whole expense at last for this day's 

 journey, and for a distance of some seven or eight leagues, 

 amounted to but four stuiids or twenty vhiteni, as these 

 north country people term it, but in ordinary ciuTency 

 400 reis, equivalent to tenpence English each, we thought 

 the bargain on our side was not so very ridiculous, after 

 all ; and though the extortion was bare-faced, for three- 

 pence was the universal fare, we could not find it in our 

 hearts to grumble, but, on the contrary, laughed mth our 

 tyrants at the imposition by which they had so shamefully 

 victimised us. 



We began our voyage gallantly, for a gentle breeze was 

 stirring, and our large sail was set; and though I cannot 

 say that we flew before the gale, which would have been 



