1G6 A SPRING TOUR IN PORTUGAL. 



order. There are such deep holes and ruts, and such 

 sloughs of mud on the one hand, and such blocks of 

 granite, when mending has been attempted, on the other, 

 that we were reminded forcibly of the terrific diligence 

 journeys in Spain ten years ago ; and we could never satis- 

 factorily determine which was most conducive to dislo- 

 cation of our bones — the fearful shock of being hurled into 

 a deep hole, or the no less formidable jar of suddenly 

 encountering a boulder of granite. However, we accom- 

 plished the journey at last, by dint of occasionally taking 

 it upon ourselves to awaken our driver, and mildly suggest- 

 ing a trot on inviting ground, all of which, I will do him 

 the justice to say, he took in good part ; though both he and 

 our fellow-passengers were manifestly amused at our strange 

 impatience, and never could conceive why we were in 

 such a hurry; for they, good easy folks, had never been 

 accustomed to more rapid movements ; and such is the 

 force of habit, that they desired nothing more. 



We passed through Barcellos, which is a considerable 

 town, pleasantly situated on a pretty river, and here was 

 the finest scenery of the whole route; there was a long 

 descent into the valley before reaching Barcellos, and a 

 distant view of hill and vale, all rich, and luxuriant, and 

 well wooded. Thence we crawled over successive ranges 

 of hills to Villa Nova de Famili^ao, where we joined the 

 Jkaga road to Oporto, by which we had previously travel- 

 led ; and as we drew near the latter city, we met crowds 

 of peasants returning from market; the men, for the 

 most part, riding mules or donkeys, perched on high 

 saddles, and sitting on innumerable rugs, after the manner 

 of Spain, and with large flat wooden or metal stirrups, 

 after the manner of Turkey, and all armed with great spurs 

 and very long sticks ; while the women, poor drudges as 

 they are in this country, who do all the hard work, and 

 carry all the heavy loads, were trudging along on foot. 



