

POB 3AL, 



211 



between the Tagus and the sea, and hart tbeir 

 the Cabo da Rooa, which i. nearly 2000 f<-et high, 

 and is the mart iUrn point of Portugal The peninsula of Peniche 



up the whole 



ehwf termination at the Cabo da Rooa, which i. 



U UM Dorthern termination of thU mountain mass, and the coast 

 thencs to the mouth of UK If ondsvo U generally rugged, though it U 

 <ow ; bat on the north tide of the Mandego the termination of the 

 Sen* de AlooU at Cap* Mondrgo hai an elevation of 464 feet 

 Theno* to the mouth of the Douro the thorw are flat, sandy, and 

 swampy. They afterward* become higher and rugged, but again (ink 

 down ai they approach the mouth of the Minho. The whole coast of 

 Portugal, with the exception of the testuary of the Tagus and a few 

 other inleU, present* a ragged and dangerous ahore. Nearly all the 

 harbours bare ban, which render moat of them difficult at acceea even 

 for boaU, and with a breexe from the era a terrible urf breaks along 

 the whole line of coast, and forbid* all approach. With a south wind, 

 which generally prevails from August to the winter months, the whole 

 of the line of coast la exceedingly dangerous. 



Surface. The surface of Portugal is for the moat part mountainous. 

 Numerous irregular ofheta from the great Pyreneon chain enter the 

 two northern provinces of Tras os Monies and Entre Douro e Minho 

 from the Spaniah provinces of Asturias and Galicia. One of these 

 offsets extend* into the province of Beira, and forming a continuous 

 range takes a southern and western direction, and terminates at Cape 

 Moodego: this is named the Sena de Alooba. Another mountain 

 range of much greater elevation and extent passes through the central 

 province* of Beira and Estremadura in a direction from uorth-nor.U- 

 ast to south-south-west, and terminates near Lisbon at the Cabo da 

 Ruca. This range as it crosses Beira is named the Serra de Estrella ; 

 in Estremadura it has several local names, but the main ridge is called 

 the S. rra do Junto. As it approaches its termination it forms a series 

 of ridges running east and west, which occupy the whole space 

 between the Tsgus and the sea for a distance of about 30 miles 

 north of Lisbon. Another mountain range crosses the southern end 

 of the kingdom from east to west, separating Algarve from Alemtejo. 

 ThU range has the names of Serra de Calder&o and Serra de Mouchique. 

 It is obviously the continuation of the Sierra Morena of Spain, inter- 

 rupted only by the narrow valley of the Guadiana, and terminates 

 abruptly in the great promontory of Cape St. Vincent. 



There are only two plains of great extent in the whole of Portugal, 

 the Campo de Ourique in Alemtejo, and another great plain, partly 

 in Alemtejo and partly in Estremadura, extending south-west and 

 west from the mountains of Portalegre to the eastern bank of the 

 Taeua, along which it U continued northward as far as Abrantes. 

 Another tract of flat land, but of less extent, in the province of Beira, 

 stretches inland from the nestuary of the river Vouga. The valleys 

 an.* very numerous. One of the largest of these forms the river-basin 

 of the Mondego, lying between the Serra, de Alcoba and the Serra de 

 Estrella. This valley is exceedingly beautiful and fertile. There are 

 several other fine valleys of less extent, such as those of the Lima 

 and Cavado in Entre Douro e Minho, the upper course of the Vouga 

 in Beira, and the I. is in Estremadura. 



flirw*. The largest of the rivers of Portugal enter it from Spain. 

 Th Douro has a western course, and forms the boundary between the 

 two northern provinces and the province of Beira. [Docno.] The 

 Tagns (Teio) has a course in Portugal at first west, but afterwards 

 south-south-west, and enters the sea below Lisbon. [TAOUS.] The 

 Guadiana enters from Spain, near Badajoz, and has a southern course 

 partly in Portugal and partly as a boundary-river between the two 

 kingdoms. The Mondego is the largest of the rivers which belong 

 entirely to Portugal. It has numerous affluents, and waters a wide 

 and fertile valley. The Zezere, a deep and rapid river, also entirely 

 within Portugal, rises in the Serra de Estrella, flows along the base 

 of its eastern side, and enters the Tagus below Abrantes. The 

 Sado, or Sad&o, is another large river, with a great number of tribu- 

 taries, most of which rise on the northern flank of the Serra de 

 Monchique, and traverse the great plain of Ourique ; but others flow 

 from the mountains south of Evora, The Sado enters the sea at 

 SetabaL The umall'-r rivers of Portugal are numerous. The larger 

 rivers, such as the Tagus, the Douro, and others, offer an important 

 inland navigation, which might be extended by canals, of which how- 

 ever none have been formed. There are no lakes in the lower lands 

 of Portugal, but there are a few small mountain-lakes. There are 

 salt-marshes in the vicinity of Sotubal, and also near Aveiro. 



Otohgy. Granite and other eruptive rocks constitute the base of 

 the principal chains and groups of mountains in Portugal Granite 

 forms the axis of the great mountain range of the Serra de Estrella 

 and Serra do Junto, and shows itself in the lofty peaks of the Serras 

 of Monchique and CalderSo. The town of Oporto stands on a maas of 

 granito four or five miles wide, and this rock also forms the base of the 

 neighlourinR rock, but farther to the east sienite takes the place of 

 the granite. These crystalline rocks are very generally flanked and over- 

 d l.y clay-slate* and micaceous schist*, which form the upper strata of 

 the greater part of the provinces of Entre Douro e Minho and Tra os 

 MonU-a, cover both flanks of the granitic chain of the Serra de Estrella, 

 and extend from the banks of the Zezere to the frontier of Spain. 

 Clay-slates cover the whole of the wine-districts of the Upper Donro, 

 in which all the fine port-wines are produced upon the slates, the line 

 of junction with the granite being the limit of tho cultivation of the 



finer qualities of wine. In the neighbourhood of Valongo, about 

 twelve miles E. from Oporto, a dark-coloured hard roofing slate of the 

 finest quality is extensively quarried for slabs and flags, but not for 

 roofing, tiles being nsed for that purpose throughout the whole of 

 Portugal. In the same locality are several beds of anthracite coal, 

 which have been long wrought at three or four places, and are much 

 nsed in the town of Oporto. Primitive limestone shows itself 

 abundantly on the flanks and lower summits of the Serras of Junto, 

 Arrabida, Monchique, and Cnlderfto. 



Climate, Soil, and Produtti. The climate of Portugal is very warm, 

 but no part of the country is subject to tho dry and oppressive heats 

 of central Spain. The mean temperature of the year at Coimbra is 

 62 Fahr., at Lisbon it is 61 3' Fahr. The inequality of the surface 

 and the extent of coast fronting the Atlantic Ocean occasion great 

 diversities of climate. The more elevated districts arc comparatively 

 cool in winter, and snow falls heavily on the mountains of the two 

 northern provinces. In the southern provinces the winters are very 

 short, snow seldom falls, and tho summers are very hot. Rain U 

 abundant on the western coast, especially from October to April. 

 The climate is very healthy in the more elevated districts, but is less 

 so in the flat lowlands and the vicinity of the salt-marshes. 



The soil is generally rich, but the husbandry is slovenly in the 

 extreme. Wheat, barley, oata, maize, flax, and hemp, are cultivated 

 in the more elevated tracts, and rice in the lowlands. Oranges, lemons, 

 figs, and almonds, ore produced in abundance in the central and 

 southern provinces. The cultivation of the vine is the most important 

 branch of industry, and the vineyards of the Upper Douro furnish 

 the finest qualities of port-wine, which U so-called in consequence of 

 being exported from Oporto (' o porto,' the port). The olive is culti- 

 vated, but the oil is not of the finest quality. The date-tree and the 

 American aloe grow in the south. There are forests of oak in the 

 northern provinces, of chestnuts in the central districts, and of cork- 

 trees in the south. Cattle, sheep, goats, and hogs are in considerable 

 numbers. Mules and asses are the chief beasts of burden. Fish 

 abound in the rivers and on the coasts. Slates, marble, iron, and 

 anthracite coal are obtained. Salt is made in large quantities by 

 evaporation in the marshes on the coast. 



Inhabitant!. The peasantry in the northern and mountainous 

 regions ore active and spirited ; in the lower districts they are indolent 

 and dejected, dirty in their persons and habitation?, and ill-fed with 

 coarse broad, dried fish, goat-milk-cheese, chestnuts, garlic, oil, and 

 other cheap articles. The educated classes are polished in their man- 

 ners, and courteous to strangers. The provincial nobility, called 

 fidalgos, are very numerous, but mostly poor. 



Commerce and Manufacture!. The exports from Portugal during 

 the year 1851 amounted to 1,974,000?., of which 955,0001 were sent 

 to Great Britain or British possessions. The imports into Portugal 

 during the same year amounted to 3,298,600?., of which 2,500,000?. 

 came from Great Britain or British possessions. Of the imports 

 590,000?. were re-exported. The exports consist almost entirely of 

 wine (which is the staple), fruits, and cork. The manufactures consist 

 of coarse woollens, common cottons and linens, silks, jewellery, and a 

 few other articles. Iron-work, wood-work, and earthenware are almost 

 everywhere of the rudest kind. 



Revenue, Army, and Navy. The revenue for 1854 was somewhat 

 less than 3,000,000?. The public debt amounted to 9,890,439?. The 

 army of Portugal in 1854 numbered about 30,000 men, exclusive of 

 about 9000 who protect the colonial possessions. The navy in the 

 same year consisted of 1 ship of the line (80 guns), 1 frigate (50 guns), 

 6 corvettes of 18 guns each, 10 brigs mounting altogether 108 guns, 

 22 schooners and other small vessels mounting altogether 55 guns, 

 and 7 steamers mounting altogether 32 guns. 



Religion and Education. The established religion is Roman Catho- 

 lic, and the church is governed by the patriarch of Lisbon, the arch- 

 bishops of Kraga, Evora, and Goa, and 16 bishops. Though Catholicism 

 is the religion of the state, and the constitution contains no clause 

 allowing any other form of worship, other creeds are tolerated, and 

 foreigners, not Roman Catholic, residing in the country, are not 

 interfered with. The convents were suppressed by Don Pedro in 

 1834, and the revenues and buildings have been applied to secular 

 purposes. The educational establishments are in a very low state, 

 and the scientific and literary institutions, and even common libraries 

 and printing offices, are almost exclusively confined to Lisbon, Coimbra, 

 and Oporto. 



Government. The present government of Portugal is a constitu- 

 tional monarchy established in 1836, and the parliament consists of a 

 chamber of peers and a chamber of deputies. The present chamber 

 of peers is composed of 3 archbishops, 6 bishops, 3 dukes, 8 marquises, 

 39 counts, 23 viscounts, 10 barons, and 26 untitled persons. The 

 chamber of deputies is composed of 131 members elected by 36 

 districts of Portugal, 11 members elected by the inhabitants of the 

 Azores and Madeira, and 14 sent from the other colonial possessions : 

 total 156. The president is named annually by the crown. 



History. The Iberians and the Celts were the oldest inhabitants of 

 the Peninsula. When the Carthaginians invaded it, their general 

 Hamilcar overran and subdued the western provinces. The Romans, 

 who succeeded the Carthaginians as masters of the Peninsula, governed 

 by their pnotors tho province of Lusitania, the ancient limits of which 



