160: A SPRING TOUR IN PORTUGAL. 



turned to the boat, sat down and smoked their cigarettes ; 

 and then came to us with the cool proposal that we should 

 wade through the shallows some thirty or forty yards to 

 the bank, and walk to the town, with our baggage in our 

 hands ; as they signified their intention of waiting as they 

 were some five or six hours for the tide. This invitation, 

 however, we resolutely declined, declaring our firm inten- 

 tion, like true mariners as we were, of sticking to our ship 

 to the last: and then we urged them to renewed exertions, 

 and pointed out another boat which chanced to lay near, 

 whereby they might lighten the cargo, lessen the draught, 

 and so float off their own vessel into deeper water once 

 more. With this advice they at length complied ; trans- 

 ferred a portion of their heavy bags of maize to the empty 

 boat; then by dint of great exertions worked their own 

 vessel over the shallow ; re-embarked the corn ; and, 

 though the female portion of our crew had long since de- 

 serted us, and we had seen them march off to the tow^n 

 with large bundles on their heads, w^ithin little more than 

 an hour we were beyond the sandbank, and floating away 

 merrily down the stream to Vianna. 



Such was the navigation of the Lima, as we had ex- 

 perienced it at low water : but unusually protracted as was 

 the voyage, and though undoubtedly slow was our progress, 

 we thoroughly enjoyed it, and far preferred it to both dili- 

 crence and raihvay for comfort and ease. Then we were 

 in the heart of the best scenery of Portugal : we could not 

 raise our eyes towards the banks without seeing a combina- 

 tion of well-wooded hills and fertile valleys, which pro- 

 duced the most joyous landscape ; while, looking back up 

 the course of the stream, we found the east bounded by 

 lofty mountains, towering above which and ever in sight, 

 rose the lordly Outeiro Major, which ranks amidst its 

 brethren as the highest peak in Portugal, not to be out- 

 topped by the famous summits of the Estrellas. I have 



