James. It was likewise the birth-place of Alphonso Henriquez, who was proclaimed by his troops on the field of Ourique, sovereign of Portugal. The gardens and woods to the south-west of the town are extremely pretty, and behind the eastern part rises a very lofty mountain of steep ascent, about three-fourths of whose height are clothed with luxuriant forest trees. The bare and denticulated summit resembles in some degree the appearance of the Mont Saleve, which stands a little distance to the east of Geneva.

Everything here is in abundance; vegetables, fruit, corn, oil, and wine. We purchased some well-fed beef that would have been lauded by a jury of English graziers, for twopence the pound; and a large flagon of wine, which could not have held less than two imperial quarts, and infinitely superior to all the ordinary wines of France, cost us only one penny. The fruitfulness of the surrounding valleys is quite proverbial, Amid whose umbrage green her silver head Th' unfading olive lifts; here vine-clad hills Lay forth their purple store, and sunny vales In prospect vast their level laps expand.

altogether corresponding with Homer's description of a highlyfavoured region,

We had been fairly driven out of the sacristy of the cathedral by the impertinent curiosity of the country people, who seemed to think an Englishman a much greater novelty than the gaudy attire of our Lady of Oliveira. The canons, however, who were reported to us to be of high birth, aware of the annoyance with which we had met, had the courtesy to request that we would return an hour before vespers to the cathedral, when our curiosity should be gratified with a quiet

inspection of the building, the valuable spoils taken from the Spaniards by John I. in the battle of Aljubarrota, and other precious vessels of the sanctuary.

The western door of the cathedral is in the form of a regular Gothic arch, of the florid style, supported by three plain columns on either side, with grotesque capitals, and ornamented with a variety of mouldings, one consisting of a series of balls, the next of rosettes divided from each other by square devices; and then alternate plain retiring mouldings, with the strings of rosettes repeated. The capitals of two pilasters, set deep within the wall at the angles of the building, consist of winged animals. Above the arch is a noble window, enriched with sculpture, apparently of the age and style of the windows in the church of St. James at Dieppe; but the centre of this window has been walled up, and again perforated to admit four small round windows, the effect of which is very bad. The side-walls of the interior are covered with painted tiles; and in the adjoining cloister, or rather vestibule, we found two stone coffins of very remote date, which once contained in all probability the remains of former priors of this collegiate church. The architectural character of the building consists, as it must be apparent, of a variety of styles belonging to different eras.

In the sacristy we were shown an immensely large and weighty crucifix of silver, which is carried in procession on great festivals; a much-valued relic, the skull of St. Rodrigo, set in silver, and kept in a silver box lined with red velvet; a custode or vessel for containing the sacramental wafer, curiously enchased and of silver gilt, its form Gothic, with turrets and towers above the centre circle, and sea-horses and sphinxes at the four angles of the base; in this the sacrament is carried out to the sick and dying: a beautiful silver cross of the same character, which is carried in procession on the day of Corpus Christi. Inscribed in old characters round the rim of one of

the gold chalices, we observed, "Hic est calix sanguinis mei novi testamenti." There are a great variety of other vessels, chalices of gold and silver of great antiquity, embossed, with circles of bells under the rims; and curious boxes of gold and silver inlaid with precious stones, all of sufficient interest to claim the attention of an antiquary. We were shown likewise a portable altar, or little oratory, composed of massive silver gilt, which was found among the spoils taken in the camp of Philip of Castile; and the font in which the first king of Portugal, Alphonso Henriquez, was baptised. The remains of his palace are now converted into barracks for the reception of soldiers.

At night the bells of the collegiate church-tower, opposite the windows of our Estalagem, and which was lighted up with torches, pealed gaily and loud, to our great annoyance, for some hours, accompanied by the occasional discharge of rockets and muskets, in honor of the day's festival.

The atmosphere having become much cooler in consequence of a heavy fall of rain, (a heathen at Braga would have said that the devotees of the Mount had propitiated Jupiter Pluvialis,) our journey was rendered pleasant to Amarante, whence this letter is dated. Passing to the eastward of Guimaraens, and between two convents charmingly situated in the middle of their quintas, we wound up a steep ascent, through a wood of chestnut and oak trees, among which were scattered in wild confusion enormous masses of granite rock, some perfectly round. The scenery became truly romantic; and between two gigantic rocks, which had fallen against each other so as still to leave an open space, a fine view presented itself over the town of Guimaraens, the old castle on a height to the north, the pointed remains of the ancient town-walls, the convents and churches, and the surrounding green inclosures, vying in richness and cultivation, water and woodland, with the most favoured landscapes in England.

We now crossed the Serra de Santa Catharina, having to the left above us the wreck of a granite mountain dispersed in rude masses, some approaching the road, and others apparently poised in air, so as to create an involuntary shudder as we passed beneath them. The mountain route led for a considerable distance over a soil composed of granitic fragments spread far and wide apparently in ages past, by some awful convulsion of nature. The descent from the wild Venda de Serra into the beautifully wooded and extensive valley of Pombeiro, is precipitous and difficult. Its verdant and umbrageous appearance presented a delightful contrast to the cheerless and arid Serras seen to the east, and beyond again to the southeast. Traversing the valley, and crossing a mountain torrent by a small bridge of granite, a steep narrow road, nearly hid under the mantling canopy of vines for some considerable way, led to a convent of Benedictines on the left, the road being divided by a length of wall from their vineyards, orchards, and gardens. These monks must live in great luxury, and their convent commands delightful views to the west.

The valleys about Lixa increase in breadth, are well peopled, and skilfully cultivated. After passing this village, which is only a league from Amarante, we had to traverse an elevated plain, whence we obtained a fine view of a distant range of mountains to the east-north-east of our route, among which one insulated hill in the form of a cone, and having precipitous sides clothed with a dark coloured heath, peculiarly arrested our attention, as distinguished by its singular shape from the surrounding groupe. Late in the evening we reached Amarante, thus described by Link: "It is a considerable town or villa, situated on the Tamega, which divides it from the suburb, and over which is a handsome stone bridge. This town belongs to the Corregimento of Guimaraens, but has only one Juiz de Fora. The country is uncommonly pleasant, the valley, like those of the Minho, being cultivated and shaded

with wood; not only oaks and chestnuts, but pines, figs, and cork trees appear, and quintas adorned with lofty Portuguese cypresses; a fine river that animates the whole; and Amarante, both in a physical and moral point of view, well deserves its charming name." But this letter is almost as eternal as the imaginary flower, so to conclude.

THE AMERICAN ALOE.