MU. 0. CORDEIl’s POUTUOUESE NOTES. 
175 
Raid of them, had still a bright side to their daily life. But 
instead of entering into a general vie\v of the country, I would 
rather ask your attention for a short time to one particular district 
almost unknown to English naturalists, and where, last April, I 
spent several most interesting and enjoyable days. 
The Gerez is a district situated about twenty miles from Braga, 
where the rail terminates, consisting of a series of rocky well- 
wooded slopes, rising to a height of netuly live thousand feet, and 
stretching for many miles to the Spanish frontier. At the foot of 
the valley are the Caldas de Gerez or Hot Springs. These have 
been known and valued from the most ancient times. As in many 
other such springs wo find two sources within a few inches ; one 
too hot to be borne by the human body, the other very cold. 
The water appears to be of the purest description, without smell 
or taste ; but the effects are marvellous in liheumatic and Liver 
Complaints. Were these Baths well known, and easy of access, 
those of Carlsbad and Vichy would soon be forgotten. As it is, 
though but little known in England, yet they are yearly visited by 
invalids from the towns of South America. During my stay, I 
found migrants from Bahia, !Monte Video, Kio Janeiro, and many 
other distant places. These come to drink the waters, and for a 
time, at least, remove that most trying of ailments, affection of the 
liver. One of the Hot Baths is taken daily, fivepence being 
cliarged for a fresh bath, and the price decreasing, till after several 
bathers one penny only is the fee j and a very small tumbler of 
the warm water is drunk twice a day. 
The Baths are evidently Boman, and of the most primitive 
construction, cut out of the rock which is very loose granite, so 
that the action of frost and weather causes very rapid disintegration, 
so much so, that the soil of the whole district is mainly composed 
of this, with an admixture of decayed vegetable matter, forming 
a kind of dry porous peat which is admirably adapted to the 
growth of a great variety of rare and interesting plants. 
Amongst these were six species of Oak, including the Querciis 
saber or Cork Oak, the use of which is too well-known to need 
description. Amongst this forest growth I noticed, constantly 
occurring, Imge rounded boulders of granite in places intermixed 
with felspar, and as I was informed occasionally the loadstoiie. 
