PORTUGAL. 



643 



seen ; yet Portugal is not, at present, productive in minerals. There have been found here, 

 gold, silver, tin, lead, copper, iron, coal, quicksilver, rubies, hyacinth, beryl, manganese, bis- 

 muth, and arsenic. The salt is obtained from sea-water. 



S. Face of the Country. This country has not so great a proportion of mountains as Spain. 

 There are 2 extensive plains ; that of Beira, in the north, and that of Alemtejo, in the south. 

 The coast is low in the north, but grows high and rocky toward the south. In the vvildness 

 and grandeur of mountain scenery, Portugal is inferior to Spain, yet in general appearance, it 

 is esteemed a more pleasant country. 



POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



1. Divisions. Portugal is divided into G provinces, namely, — Entre Douro e Minho, 

 Tras OS Montes, Beira, Estremadura, Alemtejo, and Algarve, which last has the title of a 

 kingdom. The population is estimated at 3,400,000. 



2. Cities and Towns. Lisbon, the capital, stands on the north bank of the Tagus, 10 miles 

 from its mouth. It rises gradually from the water, and makes a magnificent appearance from 

 without. The harbor, formed by the expansion of the river, is 9 miles wide, and is one of 

 the finest havens in the world. The interior of the city, disappoints the expectation created 

 by the first view. It is ill built, with dirty, narrow, and crooked streets ; yet some parts, of 

 modern construction, are not wanting in elegance. Theie are 13 large squares, the finest of 

 which is the Pra9a do Commerico ; this is fronted by elegant buildings, and bordered, toward 

 the river, by the handsomest quays in Europe. In the centre, is an equestrian statue of Jo- 

 seph the First. The cathedral is magnificent, and remarkable for the boldness of its dome. 

 The Royal Hospital is an excellent institution, and there is a large foundling hospital. Lisbon 

 has, also, 3 observatories, many colleges and academies, 180 churches and chapels, 75 con- 

 vents, and a royal library of 80,000 volumes. But the most remarkable edifice which it con- 

 tains, is the aqueduct of Bemfica. It is 10 miles in lenglh ; some of its arches are 200 feet 

 high and 100 feet wide. Altogether, this is one of the most magnificent structures, that have 

 been erected in modern times, and is not inferior to any ancient work of the same kind. 

 There are 3 royal palaces in Lisbon and the neighborhood, and around the city are between 6 

 and 7 thousand quintas, or country houses. Population, 260,000.* Not far from Lisbon, is 

 the rock or mountain of Cintra, which consists of towering pinnacles, composed of loose 

 blocks of granite heaped together. Its environs exhibit the most beautiful scenery in the king- 

 dom. Majra, on the western side of the mountain, is remarkable for a convent, church, and 

 palace, adorned with painting and sculpture, and regarded as the most superb edifice in Portugal. 



Coimbra, on the Mondego, is celebrated for its university. It has a delightful neighborhood, 

 but the town is a dismal place within. Population, 15,000. On the Mondego, near the town, 

 is the Quinta de legrimas, or house of tears, where Inez de Castro was imprisoned and mur- 

 dered. 



Oporto, on the Douro, is an important seaport. Its harbor is excellent, and the town 

 is strongly fortified by nature. It has some fine squares and churches, but the houses gener- 

 ally are mean, and the streets narrow. It has a great trade in the exportation of oranges, lem- 

 ons, and the wine called, from this place. Port wine. Population, 70,000. 



Setubal, or, as it is improperly called by seamen, St. Uhes, has an excellent harbor, and an 

 extensive commerce. It exports wine, oil, and oranges, and particularly salt, of which a large 

 quantity is made here. Population, 15,000. 



Braga is a commercial and manufacturing town, in the northern part of the country, with 

 14,000 inhabitants. It contains an ancient cathedral, remarkable for its great size, and some 

 remains of a Roman temple, amphitheatre, and aqueduct. 



Lanugo, in Beira, with 9,000 inhabitants, and Santarem, in Estremadura, once the residence 

 of the Portuguese kings, with 8,000 inhabitants, are places of historical interest. 



Elvas, in the west, is a strongly fortified town. Population, 10,000. Here is a remarkable 



" Lisbon has been terribly desolated by earthquakes. In 

 1755, the earth trembled, with intervals, for a year. On 

 the 1st of November, a violent shock laid the city in ruins. 

 In the lower part of the city, not a street could be traced 

 bu ; by the fragments of broken walls. The cathedral fell, 

 burying an immense quantity of wealth in its ruins. More 

 than 100 palaces, churches, and convents were ruined, and 

 the property of all kinds destroyed is incalculable. During 

 the whole month of November, the earth continued to trem- 



ble two or three times a day. A conflagration added its de- 

 structive ravages to that of the earthquake. The heights 

 about Lisbon were covered with people escaped from the 

 city, and their innumerable multitude of tents resembled 

 the encampment of an army. Dead bodies lay unburied 

 among the ruins, and olhers were dug out alive, after be- 

 ing buried for several days. It is remarkable, that the 

 great aqueduct, notwithstanding its enormous height and 

 extent, remained unhurt. 



