17^)8. ROUND THE WORLD. 1^ 



veyed througli a hole, which we discovered to have 

 been made on tlie other side, by forcing out some o£ 

 the teeth, in doing which tlie jaw also seems to have 

 been injured. 



We visited the good Fathers of this convent on a 

 Thursday evening, just before supper-time, and they 

 received us w^ith great politeness : " We will not ask 

 " you," said they, ** to sup with us, because we are 

 '* not prepared ; but if you will come to-morrow, 

 " though it is a fast with us, we will have a turkey 

 " roasted for you." This invitation, which showed 

 a liberahty of sentiment not to have been expected 

 in a convent of Portuguese friars at this place, gra- 

 tified us much, though it was not in our power to 

 accept it. 



We visited also a convent of nuns, dedicated to 

 Santa Clara, and the ladies did us the honour to ex- 

 press a particular pleasure in seeing us there : they 

 had heard that there were great philosophers among/ 

 us, and not at all knowing what were the objects of 

 philosophical knowledge^ they asked us several ques- 

 tions that were absurd and extravagant in the highest 

 degree; one was, when it would thunder ; and an- 

 other, whether a spring of fresh w^ater was to be 

 found any where within the walls of their convent, 

 of which it seems they were in great w^ant. It will 

 naturally be supposed that our answers to such ques- 

 tions were neither satisfactory to the ladies, nor, in 

 their estimation, honourable to us ; yet their disap- 

 pointment did not in the least lessen their civility, 

 and they talked, without ceasing, during the whole 

 of our visit, which lasted about half an hour. 



The hills of this country are very high ; the highestj 

 Pico Ruivo, rises 5068 feet, near an English mile, 

 perpendicularly from its base, which is much higher 

 than any land that has been measured in Great 

 Britain. The sides of these hills are covered with 

 vines to a certain height, above which there are 



