PORTUGAL. 55 i 



Face of the country, mountains. ...The face of Portugal is 

 mountainous, or rather rocky, lor the mountains are generally barren s 

 the chief are those which divide Algarve from Alentejo ; those of 

 Tras os Montes ; Arrabida and Montejunto in Estremadura ; Estrella 

 in Bcira ; Ossa in Aleniejo ; and Cintra about five leagues south- 

 west of Lisuon, well known to navigators as being the most westerly 

 part of ail Europe. The cape contiguous to it, at the mouth of the 

 Tajo, is called the rock ot Cintra, or the rock of Lisbon. 



Rivers, lakes, mineral waters. ...Though every brook in Portu- 

 gal is reckoned a river, yet the chief Portuguese rivers are men- 

 tioned in Spain, all of them falling into the Atlantic Ocean. The 

 Tagus or Tajo was anciently celebrated for its golden sand. It has 

 its source in the mountains of Molina, at the extremity of Castile, 

 near Arragon ; whence it runs for the most part due west, till it 

 reaches Lisbon, and falls into the Atlantic Ocean, after traversing, in 

 the whole of its course, 450 miles, of which 150 are in Portugal, and. 

 the remainder in Spain. This river annually overflows its banks as 

 regularly as the Nile, and inundates the Champagne lands, particu- 

 larly about Villa Franca and Santerem, which renders the soil ex- 

 ceedingly fertile. The Minho and Douro are the boundaries of the 

 province Entre Douro e Minho. Portugal contains several small 

 lakes and springs ; some of them are absorbent even of the lightest 

 substances, such as wood, cork, and feathers. The baths called 

 Caldas da Rainha, about 45 miles from Lisbon, are medicinal and 

 sanative ; and some hot baths are found in the little kingdom, or 

 rather province, of Algarve. 



Metals, minerals. ...This country appears to have been as cele- 

 brated in ancient times for its gold and silver mines as South America 

 is at present, but no mines of these metals are now worked. There 

 are lead mines which yield silver at Mursa and Lamego, and there 

 is a mine of copper at Elvas The iron mines are well known, but 

 are neglected for want of fuel, though coal has been found in dif- 

 ferent parts. Portugal produces beautiful marbles, almost every kind 

 of precious stones, and indeed minerals of every description. 



Climate, soil, agriculture. ...Though Portugal is one of the 

 smallest countries in Europe, its climate is very various in different 

 pans ; in the northern provinces it is cold, in the middle and near the 

 sea temperate, and in the southern hot. 



The air, especially about Lisbon, is reckoned soft and beneficial to 

 consumptive patients ; it is not so scorching as that of Spain, being 

 refreshed from the sea-breezes. 



The soil of Portugal is not in general equal to that of Spain for 

 fertility, especially in corn, which is imported from other countries. 

 Agriculture, at the same time is greatly neglected. According to 

 the best information, two-thirds of the kingdom are at present left 

 untilled, and the portion that is under vines, olives, corn, pulse, wood, 

 &c. is not in general in that state of improvement of which it is 

 susceptible. 



Vegetable productions. ...Fruits of every kind known in Europe, 

 and particularly oranges, lemons, citrons, figs, grapes, apricots, 

 peaches, almonds, and melons, grow here in many places almost spon- 

 taneously. In general, however, the fruits are not esteemed to be so 

 highly flavoured, as in Spain. The Portuguese wines, when old and 



