might have taken the Count and the whole Portuguese army, without firing a musket. In consequence of a violent fall of rain, the bridge of boats over the river Zezera was swept away, so that the Count de Lippe found himself, for several days, inclosed with his whole army in this nook of land, between the Tagus and Zezera. Indeed, as all the rivers in this country arise in steep mountains, they appear as shallow brooks in summer, but in winter are very deep and dangerous torrents.

From Punhete to Abrantes is a distance of two leagues. By the sides of the road are groves of olives, and we now, for the first time, met with abundance of chesnut trees. Before reaching Abrantes we passed several low hills, composed of rounded alluvial stones, above which rise some higher hills, composed of granitic schistus, on the very summit of which stand the white towers of Abrantes.

LETTER XXV..

EFFECTS OF THE WET WEATHER ON THE TROOPS. FINE SITUATION OF ABRANTES.-DELIGHTFUL VIEW FROM THE OLD CASTLE.-CULTURE OF THE OLIVE TREE.-BAD CONSTRUCTION OF THE WINDOWS IN PORTUGAL.

Abrantes, 6th November, 1808.

We have had very heavy rains for these two last days, and from the appearance of the clouds and atmosphere, we shall not, I fear, have much dry weather for some time

to come.

Hitherto our march has been pleasant; but the roads on quitting this place are, I understand, extremely bad, and the country quite exhausted. Many of the troops begin already to feel the effects of fatigue, and are dropping sick at every stage.

This is the spot from whence Junot took his title of duke. It is delightfully situated on the high top of a

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sloping hill, covered with orchards of olives. At the bottom winds the Tagus, which is navigable for small craft from hence to Lisbon; a distance, by water, of about ninety miles, eighty-two or three by land. From the top of an old castle here, you have a beautiful and very rich prospect over a great extent of country. Iminense forests of pines, chesnuts, olives, and poplars, interspersed with green lawns, sandy cliffs, and glittering hamlets, constitute a scene which is highly picturesque.

It was from this city that, in the year 1385, Don John, Grand Master of Avis, afterwards King of Portugal, led his army to offer battle at Aljubarota to John I. king of Castile.

The valiant John, begirt with warlike state,
Now leads his bands from fair Abrantes' gate;
Whose lawns of green the infant Tagus laves
As from his spring he rolls his cooly waves.

MICKLE'S LUSIAD, Book IV.

The country which we have passed since we left Santarem is extremely productive in oil. The vine and the olive, indeed, constitute the chief agricultural riches of Portugal. The Portuguese olives are said to be smaller than those of Spain, but to produce an oil of better quality.

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The olive tree is propagated by two modes, either by

cuttings or sets, or by being engrafted on the wild olive, which is common here, and called azumbujeiru. The tree produced by the former method, will yield fruit, I am told, at the expiration of the seventh year; that produced by the latter requires not less than fourteen years, but the trunks of these are much more durable. You may hence judge of the great value of a plantation of olive trees. I am sorry to tell you that, owing to the ignor ance of our army, on first entering Portugal, many olive plantations were sadly injured by our men, who taking them for a species of black willow, cut them down to boil their kettles, and build camp huts. By the time we reached Torres Vedras, the value and nature of the tree being discovered, general orders were issued to prevent a repetition of this trespass.

The olives, when ripe, become of a dark brown colour; after being plucked they are, in Portugal, generally laid in heaps, with a quantity of salt interposed, and suffered to ferment; which process, while it increases the quantity, considerably injures the quality of the oil which is produced. The oil press is worked by oxen, and no great care being taken to keep the press or vessels clean, the oil is apt to become rancid.

In this country the pickled olives produced at table are

very bad, having been suffered to get ripe before they are plucked. In Spain and Italy the olives are gathered while green, and put for some days into a strong alkaline lye, to remove their bitter taste, after which they are laid into a salt brine.

The olive-tree wood is of a yellow colour, and of a beautiful close grain. Owing to a bitter oil which it contains, it is indestructible by worms, and might therefore be employed with the greatest advantage for coach-building, but especially for pannels to paint on. Owing to the number of fine woods which are brought over from Brazil, it is used here only for fuel.

7th November.

I shall seize an opportunity which has just occurred of sending a packet to Lisbon. This day the rain comes down in torrents, and I must march three leagues before night, to a place called Gavaon, from whence we go tomorrow to Nissa. Wet weather in this country is particularly unpleasant, from the want of glass in the windows; you must, therefore, either permit the rain to beat into the room where you sit, or close the folding doors of the windows, which are intended to serve for shutters, leaving open a small wicket about eight inches square, to admit a few rays of light. In some rooms you find a trellis-frame

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