ALEXANDER'S SKETCHES IN PORTUGAL.

TOWARDS the close of 1833, Captain ALEXANDER was engaged by the Royal Geographical Society " to undertake a mission (under the patronage of the Colonial Office) to explore and report on certain portions of South-east Africa." One of the Objects in view was the extension of geographical knowledge,—which may very probably be successful ; the other was the extension of corn- merce,—which is less likely to succeed. As the Portuguese set- tlements on that line of coast would have to be visited, it was desirable to secure the cooperation, or at least the sufferance of their Colonial Governors ; and with this view our author started for Portugal in the spring of this year, provided of course with proper recommendations. He arrived whilst Don MIGUEL was at Santarem; and after seeing Lisbon, its sights and society, the gal- hut Captain, stimulated by a professional ardour, visited the camp of Donna MARIA'' he was present at a skirmish and several reviews • and was introduced to the Emperor PEDRO (who made him a ieutenat-Colonel) as well as to the leading officers in the service of the Queen. He also surveyed the lines, examined the position and observed the appearance of the army, and collected on the field election very full particulars relating to the battle of Santarem. Such are the origin and materials of the volume ; with the addition of a narrative of his voyages out and home, and the account of his trips in the vicinity of Lisbon. We know not that the publication was necessary ; for the ground has been trodden so often, that the main features are well known, and the industry of the correspondents of the daily press has favoured the world with most of the particulars relative to the war. Captain ALEXANDER'S Sketches are, however, pleasant, and even useful. His style and manner are brisk and rattling; and he makes himself at home with the reader in the off-hand way of an old traveller and campaigner. He carried, too, into the more serious scenes, greater knowledge and experience than the gentle- men of the press ; he had probably better introductions, and certainly better opportunities of observation. The book, moreover, is not a series of detached bits of intelligence, but conveys the im- pression of a whole view.

Captain ALEXANDER'S opinion of the capabilities of Portugal and the Portuguese is very favourable. His description of the state of respectable people under MIGUEL'S sway is astounding; and he speaks mildly, or rather highly, of the conduct of Pena° and his Ministers, allowing for the difficulties in which they were placed, and the parties with whom they had to deal. His judg- ment upon the general character of the foreign auxiliaries is scarcely supported by his facts. A few young men may have gone out from the love of liberty, although they seem to have been generally both rash and headstrong; but the majority appear to have been sweepings from many gutters. Almost all, how- ever, possessed one soldier-like qnality in perfection—a love of fighting. We will take a few random passages as specimens.

LISBON AT NIGHT.

It was an affair of danger to walk home alone from a party at night. I con- trived to do it with impunity, armed with an iron cane, keeping the middle of the street, and not allowing any Portuguese to walk behind me. Nothing could be more dreary and "emit. throat's than the appearance of the streets after dusk. Narrow, black with mud, and bounded by tall houses they were only lighted at long intervals by wretched lamps on those nights when there was no ninon ; when the slmanack said the moon ought to shine, the oil was saved. However, as there was no provision made for clouds darkening occasionally the face of the Cynthia!) queen, the faint glimmer of the lights at the Images of the Virgin were alone seen on these occasions. The people retire early to rest in Lisbon, and from nine to twelve I seldom ob- served any one in the streets, except an occasional sentry with his bright-barrelled musket, a solitary pedestrian hurrying along in his cloak, or dogs prowling about. A few nights after my arrival, I was returning from a soiree down the steep street Aleerim ; the moon was shining bright, and I was beginning to be very sentimental whilst admiring the vine-leaves and flowers hanging over the wall of the garden of the Conde Feroba, and observing at the bottom of the descent the Tagus blithely gliding in light to the sea, when my pleasant reveries were inter- rupted by the sudden uplifting of a window, and, accompanied by a drowsy cry of" Ague vai," (there goes water), down came a torrent within a few feet of me. There was a rush of dogs to the spot ; I made a detour, and escaped to my quiet chamber. In walking the streets between nine and twelve at night, it is necessary, if alone, to keep near the middle of the thoroughfare, awl to talk to oneself; or else "showers of glory" will descend without any warning cry.

SCRIMS ON OINVICII.

Sick and wounded officers and soldiers pained as occasionally. They rode on mules or asses, had generally rough beards on their chine, and travelled lig

threes and fo as, and carried long guns and swords to defend them frotn the guerillas. Labouring through heavy sand, with green lizards disporting them-

aelves at the mouths of their holes by the way-side' we passed a very likely place for an adventure, viz.—a scattered pine-wood. lwas obliged to dismount and walk my jaded horse here, and I had made up my mind to a shot from be- hind a tree. However, we passed on unmolested ; verifying on this, as on other journeys, the maxim, that if a man keeps always perfectly sober, with an even temper and no display of wealth, he may pass unscathed almost every where. We ascended a steep road, and heard drums and trumpets announcing sun- (Iowa and our vicinity to an army. It was not here as it is at home, where civilians say that the military having nothing better to do, make as much noise AS they can to show the lieges that they are not asleep : here they were in the actual presence of the enemy ; or, as I have heard an English Adjutant of Lancers say to his men, "Come, no grumbling, boys, about provisions; you ought to live now for a week on the smell of an oil-rag, for remember you're now before the enemy."

After a hot ride of upwards of fifty miles, with hardly any food or rest, we found ourselves in the market-place of Camaro, the head. qua.rters of the army of the Queen, situated on a table-land two leagues from the famous Santarem.

The market-place was full of lancers, cacadores, and csantry.people ; the soldiers were lounging about, the (once) red jackets of the lancers of a claret colour from service, and the brown clad infantry much cleaner than the dra- goons; each man had his haversack over his shoulder, which be was employed in filling from the stalls of vegetables and fruit, or else was taking off an evening potation of wine at an estalagem.

It was too late to go to the advanced posts, four miles distant, to see Colonel Shaw, to whom I had an introduction ; and I was not rigged in a proper man- lier to wait on any of the staff of Field-Marshal Count Saldanha; so I made up my mind to pass the night among the mules and muleteers. In wandering about, I discovered my friend Lieutenant Lauder of her Most Faithful Majesty's Lancers. He introduced me to his Captain (a Portuguese officer) ; and after some tea and talk over the occurrences of the war, and anticipating a fight on the morrow, Lauder and myself retired to find out hie billet: but be had only just arrived at Certain, had not noted the land. marks, and could not find his quarters ; so we were both compelled to turn into the mule-stable. Here we got water from a leathern bucket out of a deep well in the court to quench our thirst, and found two square oil-presses in the stable, one of which was filled with straw, the other with snoring muleteers; a dozen mules busily feed. in were alongside. We spread cloaks on the straw, and when about to lie down, a rough-haired dog seemed to move beneath us ; on touching it with my foot, a child appeared from the hole, into which it had insated its.persou for warmth.

For four hours after we lay down, sleep was denied us ; the " industrious fleas" were really quite unmerciful, and we were positively devoured. A muleteer had got hold of a black bag I usually carry to set at defiance thew tormentors, so we were completely at their mercy. We fidgetted and kicked out, whilst occasionally the mules let fly at one another with their hoofs, accompanied with a horrid noise. • • • • • We shook the straw off our clothes, and went down to the barracks of a troop of British Lancers, in a quinta outside the town. We found some of the men sleeping in their cloaks on the ground floor, and others cleaning their arms and accoutrements, talking of what they had done, and what they intended to do in putting to flight ten times their owu number of Miguelites. Lances, sabres, and saddles were picturesquely disposed about their dormitory. We asked the Adju- tant for water to wash, and a share of his breakfast; when into an upper room marched two troopers, with a camp-kettle between them containing water, followed by twolothers with another kettle, containing a savoury mess of ration- beef, boiled with bread and onions. The "grub" was hoisted on the top of a barrel ; I drew the knife and fork from my dirk, and three hungry mortals standing round the kettle quickly saw the bottom of it.

THE BITERS BIT,

Poor Sandy 111‘Gregor's case was not a singular one during this civil war in "Portugal. Ten London pickpockets went on board one of the ships to plunder the recruitsfor the Queen ; and whilst they were plying their trade below, sail was laade, and away astonished pickpockets and all steered to join the Liberat- ing army.

EFFECTS OF HIGH DUTIES.

Before the equalization of the duties, ahnost all the French goods which were sold in Lisbon were smuggled-30 per cent. of duty was so strung a temptation to avoid the customhouse. The French dealers introduced a few articles in the regu- lar way, to save appearances; but Government, instead of getting at least 80,000 crusadoes of duties, as it ought to have got for French goods annually, got only 18,000. Were the Ministers to blame for altering this abuse ? Spain is so foolish, that she will not admit English woollens; but they find their way into every part of the country for all that. Who suffers? The Spanish Government. There was one merchant at Lisbon, who used to purchase whole cargoes of English goods to send into Spain, often without seeing them and - made immense profits. Once, however, he lost a whole cargo of the value of 70,000/. ; but it did not in the least affect bins; he smuggled the more, and lately died "rolling in wealth."

THE QUEEN'S NAVAL OFFICERS.

There was little intercourse between the British squadron in the Tagus and the Queen's fleet, though the Admirals were on excellent terms. The truth is, some of the Queen's officers had been formerly turned out of the British service ; therefore it was not altogether pleasant to meet their old acquaintances. Besides, the jealousy of the British officers was excited on seeing men who had served with them a short time before as mates, figuring now with a couple of gold epaulettes on their shoulders, three stripes on their cuffs, and in the command of ships of war.

BILE ST.

This was my third visit to France, and I thought that certainly Brest was one of the best specimens of a French town I had seen : it is remarkably clean and regular' the people respectably dressed, and very km beggars, though in this part of Brittany labourers in the country sometimes work for fourpenee a day.

And such a dinaer as we had at the table d'hôte of the Hotel de Provence ! such exquisite cookery ! Vegetables so well done, that they were eaten by them- selves • whilst a grandmother of ninety winters, in a nicely crimped cap, went rounikindly, and gave us snuff out of a massive silver tabatiere.

The price of provisions this summer is as follows :—eggs,3d. per dozen; cauli- flowers, ld. per head ; artichokes, id. ditto - asparagus, 3d. per bundle; butter, 6,14. per lb. ; strawberries, I franc per basket ; meat,3id. per lb. ; fish, vat ions prices, but very cheap ; hares in winter, without skin, bd.; partridges, a brace, 10d.' woodcocks, ditto •' chickens, four for 3 francs.

The British Consul, Mr. Perrier, one Of the most active, intelligent, and obliging of men, purchased for our vessel, for sixteen shillings, ten pounds of butter, four chickens, twelve artichokes, six cauliflowers, twelve bundles of asparagus, three baskets of strawberries, and a sack of peas a load for a man. The Consul's delightful residence, where we spent a day, one league from Brest, and in the midst of a garden overlooking the sea, he rented for eight pounds a year. The market was admirably regulated, and (what we require particularly at Covent Garden) an officer in cocked hat and cant walked continually about, to see that the lines of baskets were dressed, and that no leaves or refuse were thrown about. Peasants with long and sun- bi-,...ned hair floating about their shoulders, and in canvas frocks with hoods, st000 behind fruit and vegetable baskets; whilst women, diligently knitting, in white caps and red petticoats, sat beside their country produce.

It should be added, that Captain ALEXANDER has been for some time on his way to Africa ; and having been compelled to depart in a hurry, the Sketches have been published without his Last touches. The" friend," to whose care the superintendence of the proof-sheets was intrusted, has added some observations upon the present state and future prospects of Portugal, with a few statistical tables and official documents. The former was done at the Captain's desire, but we think not from materials fur nished by him.