THE RIVER LIMA AND VIANXA. !«! 



already said that the day was delicious, one of those bright, 

 balmy days in early suiniiicr, when to bask in the warm 

 sunshine, and to breathe the pure air, was positive enjoy- 

 ment. Then the atmosphere was redolent of the perfume 

 of the rose and the honeysuckle, with which the banks 

 of the Lima are sometimes fringed ; and from the thick 

 coppices a chorus of nightingales charmed us, as we floated 

 by their retreats. 



And so from early morning to the shades of evening, we 

 gently floated down the river. It was a luxurious, lazy 

 mode of travel, but the monotony in such a scene was not 

 unpleasant, and we certainly carried out the dolce far 

 niente system through the live-long day. Here we were 

 * lotus-eating ' on tlie lima, which was long: aofo known to 



o -' O CD 



the Romans as the Lethe of Lusitania, and was supposed to 

 be as effectual as that famous river of Tartarus, for pro- 

 ducing oblivion of home and family, through the lovely 

 scenery which bounded its banks, and was on that account 

 dreaded by the superstitious soldiers of the Empire, as if 

 any contact with it must inevitably prevent their return 

 home. Upon us, however, it had no such effect; but on 

 the contrary, when we set foot on its banks at the end 

 of our voyage, our farthest limit was attained : and from 

 thence we turned round, and proceeded homewards, with a 

 circuitous route indeed, but as expeditiously as possible. 



We found Vianna do Castello an old-fashioned city of 

 narrow streets, small squares, and with a considerable popu- 

 lation crowded into a confined space. As a sea-port at 

 the mouth of the Lima, it is a place of considerable trade, 

 and there was an air of activity and bustle amidst its 

 inhabitants, which is not to be found in the cities of the 

 interior. Before reaching the quay where we disembarked, 

 we passed under one of the arches of the longest wooden 

 bridge I had ever seen ; and I say this advisedly, though 

 I do not forget the covered bridges of Lucerne : but here 



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