PORTUGAL. 555 



of commerce in this city is wine ; and the inhabitants of half the. 

 shops in the city are coopers. The merchants assemble daily in the 

 chief street, to transact business ; and are protected from the sun by 

 sail-cloths hung across from the opposite houses. About thirty Eng- 

 lish families reside here, who are chiefly concerned in the wine 

 trade. 



Coimbra, in the province of Beira, is a large and ancient city. It 

 is built on both sides of the river Mondego, and contains near 12,000 

 inhabitants, who are principally occupied in the manufactures of 

 earthen ware, linen and woollen. 



Evovra, in Alentejo, is a fortified town, situated in a plain, surround- 

 ed on all sides by mountains. It contains 14,000 inhabitants and 3100 

 houses. 



St. Ubes or Setuval, in Estremadura, has a good harbour, which is 

 defended by fort St. Jago. It is built on the ruins of the ancient 

 Setobriga, at the head of a bay, near the mouth of the Zadaen. It 

 has a fine fishery, and a very good trade, particularly in salt. It con- 

 tains 12,000 inhabitants and 3000 houses. 



Elvas, is a strong frontier town, the capital of Alentejo, with a. 

 castle and bishop's see. Here is a remarkable aqueduct, four miles 

 in length, and supported by three arches, one over the other. The 

 number of inhabitants is 12,500. 



Braga, the capital of Entre Minho e Douero, is seated in a plain, 

 near the river Cavado. The trade of this town is considerable. Hats 

 are the principal article of manufacture. The number of inhabitants 

 is 12,300, and of houses 3000. 



Manufactures, commerce ...The Portuguese exchange their 

 wine, salt, and fruit, and most of their own materials, for foreign, 

 manufactures. They make a little linen, and some coarse silk and 

 woollen, with a variety of straw-work, and are excellent in preserving 

 and candying fruit. The commerce of Portugal, though seemingly 

 extensive, proves of little solid benefit to her, as the European nations 

 trading with her, engross all the productions of her colonies, as well 

 as her own native commodities, as her gold, diamonds, pearls, sugars, 

 cocoa-nuts, fine red wood, tobacco, hides, and the drugs of Brasil, 

 her ivory, ebony, spices, and drugs of Africa and East-India, in ex- 

 change for the almost numberless manufactures, and the vast quantity 

 of corn and salt fish, supplied by those European nations, by the 

 United States of America, and by the English North Americau 

 colonies. 



The Portuguese foreign settlements are, however, not only of 

 immense value, but vastly improveable. These are Brasil, the isles 

 of Cape Verd, Madeira, and the Azores. They bring gold from their 

 plantations on the east and west coast of Africa, and likewise slaves 

 for manufacturing their sugars and tobacco in Brasil, and their South 

 American settlements. The slave trade, is, however, declining fast, 

 having been discouraged by the government. 



What the value of these colonies may be, is unknown perhaps to 

 themselves ; but they certainly abound in all the precious stones, and 

 rich mines of gold and silver, and other commodities that are pro- 

 duced in the Spanish dominions there. It is computed that the king's 

 fifth of gold sent from Brazil, amounts annually to 300,000/. sterling, 

 notwithstanding the vast contraband trade. The little shipping the 

 Portuguese have, is chiefly employed in carrying on the slave-trade, 



