would not drown us if he could help it. The other
poor fellow seemed by no means averse to go to the bottom; he sat at the
forepart of the boat looking the image of famine, and only smiled when
the waters broke over the side and drenched his scanty clothing. In a
little time I had made up my mind that our last hour was come; the wind
was becoming higher, the short dangerous waves were more foamy, the boat
was frequently on its beam-ends, and the water came over the lee side in
torrents; but still the wild lad at the helm held on, laughing and
chattering, and occasionally yelling out parts of the Miguelite air
'_Quando el Rey chegou_' ['When the King arrived'], the singing of which
in Lisbon is punished with imprisonment. The stream was against us, but
the wind was in our favour, and we sprang along at a wonderful rate. I
saw that our only chance of escape was in speedily getting under the
shelter of that part of the farther bank of the Tagus, where the bight or
bay commences at the extremity of which stands Aldea Gallega, as we
should not then have to battle with the waves of the adverse stream,
which the wind lashed into fury. It was the will of the Almighty to
permit us speedily to gain this shelter, but not before the boat was
nearly filled with water, and we were all wet to the skin. At about
seven o'clock in the evening we reached Aldea Gallega, shivering with
cold and in a most deplorable plight.

Aldea Gallega, or the Galician Village, for the two words have that
signification, is a place containing, I should think, about four thousand
inhabitants. It was pitchy dark when we landed, but rockets soon began
to fly about in all directions, illumining the air far and wide. As we
passed along the dirty unpaved street which leads to the _Largo_ or
square in which the town is situated, a horrible uproar of drums and
voices assailed our ears. On enquiring the cause of all this bustle, I
was informed that it was the Eve of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin.
As it was not the custom of the people of the inn to provide provisions
for the guests, I wandered about in search of food, and at last seeing
some soldiers eating and drinking in a sort of wine-house, I went in and
asked the people to let me have some supper. In a short time they
furnished me with a tolerable meal, for which, however, they charged two
crowns.

Having engaged with a person for mules to carry us to Evora, which were
to be ready at five ne