ME. KINGSTON'S LIISITANIAN SKETCHES.
MB. KINGSTON, the author of some rather inflated historical, political, and social sketches of Portugal, in the form of a fiction entitled The Prime Minister, which embraced the life and administration of the Marquis of Pombal, has now " stooped to truth and moralized" his strain. From incidental notices he appears to have resided for several years in Portugal " on and off" ; but his Lusitanian Sketches consist of elaborate descriptions of Oporto, with a narrative of tours he has made in the Northern division of that country and the Spanish province of Leon, since 1843. At the close of the London season of that year, Mr. Kingston put himself on board a steamer ; which, after calling at Vigo, landed him safely at Oporto. He thence, accompanied by a party of friends, took a trip to Guimaraens, Braga, and Salamonde, the line of Souk's celebrated retreat, when he baffled Wellington's calculations, by abandoning the materiel of his army and carrying off his men into Spain by mountain-paths supposed to be impassable. Another tour was in a Southern direction ; passing over the battle-field of Busaco, visiting Coimbra, and thence, instead of going on to Lisbon, taking a North- easterly direction by Almeida into Spain as far as Salamanca ; returning along the line of the Duoro. Lesser trips embrace a visit to the wine- growing districts, and a description of the vintage; with an account of a former journey from Oporto to Vigo, that Mr. Kingston made to take the steamer; which course he recommends passengers to adopt in bad weather. An elaborate review of the wine-trade, including a defence of " old port," and some advice to the English reader how to get it, com- plete the subjects of the work. The defect of Lusitanian Sketches is a disposition to overdo. The earlier chapters have little substance; and the long descriptions of Oporto and some other places are dry and wearisome : for although the author may tell us he intends his volumes as a species of guide-book, that neither prevents an incongruous mixture nor its effects upon the reader. This deficiency of matter, or its actual commonplace, Mr. King- ston endeavours to remedy by an inflated pomp of style; and he is fre- quently too detailed in his narratives of incidents with uneventful issues. There is also a shade too much of the personality of the author—of the "first society" he visits in—of "my ancestor" the Admiral, and "my relative" Sir So-and-so.
Abstracting these defects, which a free revision would have remedied to a considerable extent, Lusitanian Sketches is an agreeable, instructive book. The ground is new; for we have had fewer books on Portugal than almost any other European country. The simple and backward state of society in the interior, with the paucity of travellers, gives rise to more incidents than take place on railroads or in well-appointed hotels. The country, moreover, has lately passed through a series of revolu- tions, less bloodthirsty than those which have characterized Spain, but searching enough to have stimulated the mind of society, and to have effected great material changes, more especially in the town population. The scenery is often very striking ; and there Mr. Kingston does not overdo his descriptions : several of his routes, going over some cele- brated scenes of the Peninsular war, have an historical interest apart from the inherent character of the landscapes.
Mr. Kingston has probably a bias on his mind from frequent residence and social connexions. His statements, whether positive or comparative, should therefore be received cunt grano, especially as they run rather counter to other authorities. But, taking them with any allowance, Por- tugal is improving. The old exclusive social system seems broken down; macadamized roads are formed here and there; manufactures are spring- ing up, though under the forced or protective system ; the sale of Church domains has distributed a large mass of property, which, though not al- ways better used than by its original owners, and not always so well probably, has yet given numbers an interest in the new order of things, and been the cause of some improvements. Above all, the mind of the nation is moving: education is varied and respectable (though 'not pro- found) among the upper classes, and has even reached the ladies ; whilst the tendency of the nation is rather too onward. Mr. Kingston enter- tains more fears of a republic than of despotism.
In religion the mass of Portuguese would seem to resemble the Spaniards They regard the body of the clergy with or hatred ; but they have not thrown off the superstitions they have been taught. They have less regard to the Pope ; and some wish a reform in the discipline of the Church—for example, a permission of the clergy to marry. These ideas, where they exist, are, like the other more promising results of their revolutions, probably traceable to Pombal. The mind of Spain was never stirred as he stirred that of Portugal.
In the comparison Mr. Kingston enables us to draw between the Spaniard and the Portuguese, the advantage is greatly in favour of the lat- ter. The only point on which the Spaniards excel is household cleanliness. For the rest, they are proud, pompous, sullen, and given to imposition. The Portuguese, on the contrary, are good-humoured, agreeable, wil- ling to oblige, and neither so self-conceited nor so disposed to over- charge Mr. Kingston as their neighbours. Let us, however, observe, that he only travelled in a small part of Spain, was; almost ignorant of Spanish, and knew nobody ; whereas in Portugal lie had many friends, and was fluent in the tongue. Both nations, Mr. Kingston says, enter.. tain an unfavourable opinion of the English ; but the Portuguese are less virulent than the Spaniards. He declares that we domineer over them di- plomatically, and will not enter into commercial treaties. The first state- ment has perhaps some truth ; the second may be doubted—we suspect the unwillingness is on their side.
These things are grave matters, and scattered through the work in various forms. As examples of dr. Kingston's more descriptive style, we will take a curious superstition, worthy of Germany, but without the devilry of the North.
THE LOI3ISHOIIES.
A destiny scarcely, inferior in wretchedness to the Bruxa's is that of the Lobishomes, except that, as far as I can learn, it endures only for this life, and is owing to no fault on their part. They are born under an inauspicious star, and a sad necessity rules their late. Every family is liable to this curse, from the highest to the lowest in the land; and though they themselves are conscious of it, they keep it a profound secret, as it is considered a great disgrace to be afficted with it. It is common to both sexes among young people; those who stiffer from it never attaining an advanced age. I have been unable to learn at what time of life it appears. If seven sons or seven daughters are born in one family, the seventh generally is subject to the demoniacal influence; at all events, one of the younger ones. The only preventive against this fate is by christening one of the seven " Adam": should this be neglected, it is almost certain to visit the family. In the day-time they are free from the spell, but even then wear a peculiarly sad and pained expression of countenance. They mope by themselves, are taci- turn and reserved; never enter society if they can avoid it, and then evidently are incapable of its enjoyment. The lower orders sit by themselves, without s
in a corner near the kitchen-fire; the expression of their countenances wild and forbidding their hair and beard long and tangled, their garments disarranged and I
squalid. n travelling through the country, such beings are frequently pointed out as Lobishomes. As night draws on, these hapless beings rash from their abodes—the high-born damsel from her bower, the noble youth from his baronial hall, or the hard-featured peasant from his humble cot. No human power can restrain them—the demon has entered into them—they seek some solitary, wild spot, untrod by the foot of man. There they leave their habiliments, and are im- mediately transformed into the appearance of horses, with long flowing manes and waving tails, fire darting from their nostrils, fury in their eyes; yet fear it is which urges them on. Away they fly, fleet as the wind, over ragged mountains and deep valleys, across streams and winter-torrents, through frost and snow, rain and the fierce lightning. Leagues are traversed in as many seconds—all other animals fly before them—they neigh in agony as they rush on, yet have no power to stop. On, on, on! their pulses beat quicker, their breath grows thick; but they cannot, they. dare not, rest. They sweep round, forming a wide circuit some hundred leagues in extent; yet before the morning breaks they must return to the spot whence they set out, and there resuming their mortal forms and don- ning their garments, they once more seek their homes, pale, fainting, and wretched.
It is not surprising, after such a night's work, they should be averse to social intercourse. Often at midnight are the cottagers in remote districts startled from their slumbers by unearthly sounds, like the cry of a horse in agony; load tramping is heard, and a noise as if a sudden blast passed by, and they exclaim, " It is some hapless Lobishome ! may the saints have mercy on him !" At times also, as the shepherds are watching their flocks on the mountain's brow, they see a wild steed dash by on the plain below, fleet as a fiery meteor, while the sheep and goats exhibit their consciousness of something supernatural by scattering far and wide. Their faithful dogs, too, forget to obey their call; and it is with the utmost difficulty they contrive to reassemble their affrighted flocks. The Lobishomes endure not this dreadful existence for more than seven years, if even so many; death invariably putting an end to their sufferings at the ter- mination of that period—frequently before. I have been informed of but one mode of escape from this doom, or, it may be said, of being freed from this extraordinary species of enchantment. While in fall headlong career, they should be boldly encountered by some fearless person, who must wound them slightly in the chest, so that their blood shall flow. No sooner does the ruddy current reach the ground, than they are instantly restored to their proper forms. The malign influence henceforth has no further power over them, nor do they ever resume the appearance of a horse: they then become like other mortals.
PORTUGUESE PENANCES.
The Portuguese peasantry are still very much addicted to performing penance-1- As they are seldom very heavy, they find it an easy way of soothing their con- sciences. The most severe I have seen some poor women perform, such as crawl- ing round a church many times on their bare knees: frequently they hang a bag of sand to their necks, to increase their toil, and let it run out as they proceed. This is done frequently under a pelting rain, the poor wretches literally tracing their progress with their blood. Sometimes these penances are inflicted by their confessors for sins committed; at other times they are in fulfilment of vows made in consequence of recovery from sickness, or on account of finding any lost trea- sure. They are not in general, however, such sorrowful affairs. I have seen men with thick cloths tied round their knees: for though they had vowed to go round the church on their knees, they did not consider themselves obliged to spoil a new pair of trousers on the occasion; and as the handkerchief alone could not have preserved them, they were compelled to add pads also. They deserved as much credit as the pilgrims who boiled their peas which they put in their shoes. Young maidens frequently perform the same progress round the church, habited in thick cloth petticoats, and too often most irreverently laughing and joking all the time with attendant swains, who will on occasion most gallantly lift them over any very rough places. An old lady I formerly knew vowed to make a pilgrimage bare- footed to a shrine, at a considerable distance; but her friends persuading her it was more than she could perform in the way she first intended, she yet determined to keep her vow, so she ordered her sedan-chair, doffed her shoes and stockings, and was carried thither. We must not take leave of the North of Portugal without a word on its wine ; which is properly, however vulgarly, called " red port." Mr. Kingston warns his readers against the dark colour, which is artificially produced. Here is the process, with the rationale of the making. "When once the vintage has commenced, time is invaluable. The vineyards are crowded with persons, some plucking the sound grapes and filling large ham- pers with them, others separating the rotten or dry bunches, while the Gallegos are employed in carrying the baskets down the steep sides of the hills on their backs. The presses are stone tanks, raised high from the floor, about two to three feet deep, and from twenty to thirty square. A boy stands in the centre, and rakes the grapes as they are thrown in, so as to form an even surface. When full, :twenty or thirty men with bare feet and legs jump in, and to the sound of guitars, pipes, fiddles, drums, and of their own voices, continue dancing, or rather treading, for forty to fifty hours, with six hours intervening between every eighteen, till the juice is completely expressed and the skins perfectly bruised, so as to extract every particle of colour. It is found necessary to leave in the stalks, in order to impart that astringent quality so much admired in port wine, as well SS to aid fermentation.
"After the men are withdrawn, the juice, the husks, and stalks, are allowed to ferment together from two to six days; the husks and stalks then rise to the top, and form a complete cake. By this means the colour is still further extracted from the skin. It is a very critical time, much depending on the judgment and practice of the superintendent as to the right moment to draw off the liquor; for so active is the fermentation, that it may be, if allowed to remain too long in the press, completely. spoiled. Nothing but long experience can enable a person to ridge on this point, and many young merchants who have attempted to do so ve had cause to repent their interference with the farmer's business. "The taste of the wine before drawn off into the tonels is sweet, nauseous and sickening; and it is of a dark muddy colour; so that one can with difficulty be- lieve it can ever become the bright, sparkling, and astringent fluid, it appears in the course of two or three years. " The tonels or vats into which the wine is drawn are in a building on a lower ssppoot than the one which contains the press, a channel leading from it to them. They contain frequently thirty. pipes each. "The period when the wine is thus drawn off is the time when the rich and ge- nerous qualities of the grapes are to be retained, or lost never to be restored. From the rich nature of the Douro grape, the fermentation once begun will not stop of its own accord, (even when the wine is drawn off from the husks and stalks,) till it has causedit to become a bitter liquid, almost if not entirely un- drinkable and useless, and finally vinegar. To retain, therefore, those much prized ualities, it is absolutely necessary to add brandy at the very critical moment, so cult to decide, before that stage which produces the bitterness commences. Brandy always has been and always must be added to the richer and finer wines, or from their very nature they overwork themselves, and, exhausting their own strength, are destroyed. " The grapes from which the rich luscious port wine is produced become, when hung up in the sun to dry, complete masses of sugar. This excessively saccha- rine matter, possessed only by those grapes growing in the positions most exposed to the sun's rays, gives that rich and fruity flavour of which the best port alone can boast. With the poorer and more watery grapes, the fermentation, not being so violent, will work itself out; and the little saccharine matter they contain com- pletely disappearing, a dry light wine is the produce; which, though requiring brandy, requires less to preserve its good qualities, for the very reason that there are fewer good qualities to preserve. Such is the case with regard to the wines of Bordeaux. I do not mean to say that they do not possess good qualities, but that, i being of a lighter nature than the best port, from the cooler climate or nature of the soil n which they are produced, the fermentation is not so violent, nor do they exhaust themselves from their own strength. No brandy is therefore requi- site, and that delicious liquor claret is the produce; a successful imitation of which it has been vainly attempted to produce in Portugal."
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