Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-11-06
ube constitutional o2l1llo.

LIE fINS flSoM N MIDStilpMtN.
The annexed letters tro,u Il Mdshipuan ON bon rI
the Frgatc United States, will afford some relief
from the everlasting din of politics and business
Wi'h winch our readers arc mostly surrounded.
lhe young voyagcr cvinc.s powers of high order
!" hrr'''c,-and some OF the descriptions
truly graphic. Jour. Com.
ISLAND OF MADEIRA, South sidc,)
Juiy %, 1882.
We arrived here after passage of three DAVIS from
st. Michacls. No sooner at anchor sails i,rl,d
&C THAN all hands boltcd up 10 the LIST LuT to ask
p"ruiission To 20 ashore. or course some were re-
fused. and several others succeeded. The see,
merry from the ship IL tho boauti ful pcturssoue
ever saw;-scarccly excepting Rio Janeira Tho
deep ravines, occasioncd by earthquakes, are dis
tinctly visible from the ship Several officers and
myself CATER ieastiug eyes, went below rigy,d
up, and started for Funchal. We landed OH a rock.
through which steps had been cut and after nearly
trm. Out, reached the top;-but, o horribLc diciu
the streets were paved with sharp stones; and had
On pumps, Thin pumps, that great deal too
small Ii nearly lanicd uS all, aud positively say
that taut shoe is ono of the greatest misories i'm
the world. As soon as arrived into the more i'm
haoited part of tho town, men, women and chill
dren, old and young, large aud small, crowded af
Tor uS-ai lew to admire, and the rest TO beg. Such
an innumerablc quantity of beggars, Why I do
not positively believe that AN American beyrar
would associate with thcm:-,o filthy SO dirty and
DO many In the crowd, too, several quite hand.
some Portuguese girls made their appearance
These were better dressed. | did n ot know thci,
object. AT length after many imprccatious threats
&c. we contrivcd to reach the place of our tosti
nation, miserable howell of a tavern violent the
nritish liotel;' the only ono in town. We
paid visit to the American Consul ,voidipg
the principal streets, where the rascalv bcug,,s
were Watching for our return. Previous TO our de-
Parturo, 10y tho by, from the British Hotel we had
ordcrcu .Hce horses To he ready when u came back
intending to take ride up the mountains We
lett the Consul's and were within two squares az
our aforesaid tavern, when found that or course
was completely slockaded. Ii was too late TO re-
treat; thcy @ncto that ire had ordered them and our
only way WAS to stand and take it, We were com
pietcly astoundcd with the obstr,porous noiso
cone Portuguese can make more noise than twenty
frcnchncn )--and could not hear each other sneak
"itho Dr. smith actually beloved in my ears 10 rnn
lake dis ON massa," Uhc only English words
they can urdcr) heard sung out by fifty of The
pests all around us. Then again, we would boar it
milo oil. Finally Jumped on pony the rcst fol
lowed my example, N we cut our way thro'. Oifwent
we uf hIll, down dale, all Of them after us curSinr
md swearing lin Portuguese) at US for not t,kiuT
'Heu horses. OuI boys or The of the horses
we had hired hung on, like grim death To The ponies
fd"s' ana bless me, 1t was shame to SEQ how I'M
lncrcluIly they laid 1t on-Whon tired OF this they
would take the but-end of the Wins and mnugIc
inc poor horses' rumps with II spike that was in
mem answering the purpose, L suppose, of a spur
Up NM Gown dale we ran, our tormcntors after u.s.
our fdcquieS still hanging OH. They followed ms
aboht mills when they rave up the ch,cc we
were all surprised that boys did not leave u.s. and
let 90 our ponies tails; but wo found out that j,
was always customary. As $ we camo to
tho top of hill, they'd put it To them and down
we went like lightning. These animals are
very sure-tootcd, and are accustomed TO
1t. We went as far the biacEsmitHs rardens
ma alter remaining there some time, returned At
one lime, We were completely cnvenped IN cIouJs
IL cleared away, soon, however, and the town ap-
pcarcd immediately under our foot. Our shin did
not seem larger than fishing boat We returned
an halt the time we took in ascending, because il
" as all down HILL About half way down VIC met
the Commodurcs family.
All our officers have taken quite an interest in
young and beautiful num- who is confined in the |
convent OF Santa Clara. Her hist Try read be- |
fore saw her, which of course Increased nv Gu
rioSty. her parents were among the most res. |
pectablc and wealthy in the island; but saws The
author OF the story, her parents took most nvct
ffate dislike TO her, bccaunc she had light hair and
blue eyes, and her sisters (who were ucly) envied
ana hated her because she handsome Con
scqnenty, at tho aye of fourteen or So she was
thrown INTO this convent, and remained there un.
til, few years after, tho CorteS passsd Jaw or
derinT that all ladies who were confined ooo;ns
their VIII, should be set at liberty. Some time al.
ler, sire fell in love with, il was be loved by vounp
Portuguese officer. They wero engaged day OF
marriage fixed, dresses made, &c On this very
day she iei sick, and during her ndispestion
this order revoked. Sho was again inDri.
FoHSd, and tho officer has moi been heard Of since
She makes very pretty feather flowers such as
sent home to sister. We bought oHLy one or
two roses, and a few wax figures. When we ask.
",
sho was happy, she would point to our swords and
thon to her heart. We understood her. Poor Gle |
lnentina! hope when Don Pedro gets possession
OF Madeira, he will set her free.
LISBON, Aug. 4.
place, and we expected, found Don Pedro's
squadron off the harbor. We boarded one of his
frigatcs, and ascertained that we would be able 60
pass the blockade without molestation. At the
same time invited to go out and see fine
HOetS. PpdrOS 4 tLo
were to engage, and ut the limo the boat had re-
turned from the ship, several largo vessels
of war standFng out Of the harbor Of Lisbon
We were akkaFcry sorry whom The Commodore
filled ava and stood in for the mouth of tho
Tagus. AS the navigation of the TaGus is CON
E'derod hazardous, we hrcd gun and hestcd
the jack at the loro for pilot. We were soon
supplied with ono ~ an English brig which
had been oft the port for tao weeks unable TO
get in. They gave us their pFot and stood back to
England.
On cur approach to the shore, the land for about
go miles back, appeared To- be even and regular
On our left, ten miles oil, rose tie famous
mountains among Ehch is Clntra, dhc town men
toned IN the novel called tho 1'ann,) which
III sight. The harbor is oil fortified by forts
on both sides, tho most formidable Of which is
Castle Becm. The shore on The LcT on which
side Now Lisbon is planted, is literally lined with
small forts, aud 1t would be, think impossible for
any force TO take the place, unless perhaps, by
stratagom or treachcry. Although tho land did not
appear at All cultivated, saw many wIndmills,
that / knew they ceud not have these without
grain 10 kccp Them underWaY, and afterwards, in
overhauliug Matte Brun, found that they not on
ly had grain enough TO suffice FOR their wants, bot
exported great deal annually TO Brazil and ese
" here. However, matters Of mis- kind arc anu
thing but interesting, ] must branch off.
The famous earthquake Of l746, which destroy
cd tile whole of Old Lisbon, and swallowed up so
many Of its inhabitants has loft its traces behind.
went there, aud found some euriositics which
are not worth enumerating, but as "cvery littlo
hst., 4 o. a. y