98 SWABEY DIARY. 
ably should have done the due performance of his most serious services. 
Finding his Catholic piety was of too liberal a nature to despise our 
Protestant observances, it was decided that the Doctor should be called 
on to supply as large a dose of jalap as one being of mature age could 
swallow with any chance of remaining in this world, and this was to be 
infused into the Padre’s soupe and bouilli the next day. 
I sat next the tureen and was intrusted with the precious draught, 
and faithfully did I perform my duty, but by some mistake the mixture 
was conveyed to the Commanding Officer! In vain did we watch our 
ecclesiastical friend for those distortions which we had anticipated would 
shortly seize his reverend countenance, calm and serene he replied over 
and over again to offers to help him to renewed platesful, “of you 
please,” and all was quiet. Not so with the Major, who though he bore 
with heroic fortitude for many hours the tortures, for which he was 
reserved, yet in the night (many of our men having died of the dy- 
sentery) he called up the Doctor, who with a most hypocritical face felt 
his pulse and mixed him up something as innocuous as Dr. Malpett’s 
small doses of magnesia. 
It was many years afterwards and when no longer under the com- 
-mand of the Major, that 1 ventured to apprise him of the unfortunate 
mistake, from the effects of which it took him several days to recover. 
But I would not say the circumstance was not beneficial, for from 
that hour he adopted a diet which perhaps saved him from many an 
indisposition thereafter, for from henceforth he constrained himself to 
forego all the luxuries of grapes and pears during his mortal stay at 
Salgueiro. 
But to return to the Padre, he was not allowed to come off scot-free, 
indeed it became necessary to induce the Major! to believe that he was 
afflicted by an epidemic that had attacked someone besides himself, and 
who so properly as our reverend friend? Accordingly a dose still 
stronger was prepared for his bodily solace, this time the work was 
done most effectually, and no error in the dose reaching its right 
destination occurred. In the sequel it was difficult to say who was most 
punished, the poor priest by his wracking pains and great alarm, or the 
rogue of a Doctor who was called on to administer antidotes every hour 
through the live long mght, indeed at one time we were becoming 
seriously alarmed. 
Everything belonging to our host and indeed all his people, was 
scrupulously protected by us, and though we did set his house on fire, 
we most gallantly put it out. It has been long a military custom on 
the night of the 23rd December, to sit up to boil plum puddings which 
it is deemed amongst military cooks require at least twelve hours to 
bring to perfection. In this our artistes were engaged when the 
chimney took fire, “fogo em casa,” the cries of Donna Maria, the 
wringing of hands and loud sobs of the other fair ones, and the 
lamentations of Juan, his wife hanging on his despairing bosom, 
“oh Juan!” were truly heart-rending, and no doubt had we not 
been there the patrician residence would have been burned to the 
The victim undoubtedly was Captain Macdonald, he was probably a Major when this was written. 
—L AW, 
