prevent the corruption of good manners by evil communication, built a
town on the Red Sea, whither they transported a great number of their
criminals, having first set an indelible mark on them, to prevent their
returning and mixing with the sober part of their citizens. These
rocks lie about fifteen leagues northwest of Cape Roxent, or, as it
is commonly called, the Rock of Lisbon, which we passed early the next
morning. The wind, indeed, would have carried us thither sooner; but the
captain was not in a hurry, as he was to lose nothing by his delay.

Tuesday.--This is a very high mountain, situated on the northern side of
the mouth of the river Tajo, which, rising about Madrid, in Spain, and
soon becoming navigable for small craft, empties itself, after a long
course, into the sea, about four leagues below Lisbon.

On the summit of the rock stands a hermitage, which is now in the
possession of an Englishman, who was formerly master of a vessel trading
to Lisbon; and, having changed his religion and his manners, the latter
of which, at least, were none of the best, betook himself to this
place, in order to do penance for his sins. He is now very old, and hath
inhabited this hermitage for a great number of years, during which he
hath received some countenance from the royal family, and particularly
from the present queen dowager, whose piety refuses no trouble or
expense by which she may make a proselyte, being used to say that the
saving one soul would repay all the endeavors of her life. Here we
waited for the tide, and had the pleasure of surveying the face of the
country, the soil of which, at this season, exactly resembles an
old brick-kiln, or a field where the green sward is pared up and set
a-burning, or rather a smoking, in little heaps to manure the land. This
sight will, perhaps, of all others, make an Englishman proud of, and
pleased with, his own country, which in verdure excels, I believe,
every other country. Another deficiency here is the want of large trees,
nothing above a shrub being here to be discovered in the circumference
of many miles.

At this place we took a pilot on board, who, being the first Portuguese
we spoke to, gave us an instance of that religious observance which is
paid by all nations to their laws; for, whereas it is here a capital
offense to assist any person in going on shore from a foreign vessel
before it hath been examined, and every person in it viewed by the
magistrates of