382 Notes on Sport and Travel iv 



We sauntered back again the way we came, and 

 found a stiff breeze blowing which carried us back 

 to the old ship about ten. 



There were endless brown buzzards floating 

 about us, and some shrill whistling, fork-tailed kites, 

 but we tried in vain to bag them with snipe-shot. 



We left Lisbon on Monday after a visit from the 

 King and Queen attended with intense cannonading. 

 We made a splendid run to Gibraltar, passing Cape 

 Espichel, and then losing the land till we sighted 

 Cape St. Vincent. Just round the point is Sagres, 

 from which the great Portuguese voyagers sailed for 

 discoveries in the fifteenth century ; and farther 

 round is Lagos, where Don Sebastian, who is 

 supposed by many in Portugal to be coming back 

 some day when wanted, collected the army which 

 was utterly destroyed at the battle of Alcacerquibei 

 in Africa, — called in the old books Alcazar. With 

 whom served that proud-stomached Thomas Stukeley 

 who called the queen his cousin, and of whom 

 many plays and anecdotes were written at the time. 

 This fleet sailed definitely from Lisbon in 1578. 



Nothing can exceed the dreariness and desolation 

 of this country as seen from the sea ; the only 

 permanent points are the hills of Foya de Monchique 

 and Picota, which were in sight for some hours. 

 I did not know that the Straits of Gibraltar were 

 not straits with land close at hand on each side 

 of them. I expected a wide expanse of sea with 

 faint blue land north and south, somewhat like 



