The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-02
CRUISE OF THE UNITED STATES STEAM FRIG Ary
MERRIMAC. aw sasa


MERRIMAC. sa5v sa4a
Extract Of letter from an officer of the Merrnae dated
stEfsi ea9 LISBON, Nov ~, 1856. n
Ny last letter dated from Brest We stayed therE
about ten days and shown every attention Amopg
other acquaintance made there Mr.. Chedivlle ma
val constructor whom showed around the ship ands
with which he was delighted. He has 1000 men in the
dockyard, which surpasses anything lever saw, under
his superintendent When visited the yard he had
boat ready manned for and entered the various
shops made the workmen the various pieces
in motion, and paid every attention We only remain
ed about ten days in Bres the weather being 90 cold
could not stand it without fires November 18th we start
cd for this place and arrived the l6th Lisbon
toleraby clean and wel-but city though formerly re
nowned for its filth and the number of dogs that infested i'll
streets The old part of the city still shows what it formerly
universal practice years ago was to empty
water from the windows into the streets and the unwary
pedestrian formerly got the benefit; now thank fortune
the custom is abolished In l755 half the city was DESTROY
ed by earthquake and 10000 people lost their lives
The portion then ruined has been we'll rebuilt much to the
improvement of the place They have several theatres here
and good Italian opera BY o'clock p M the are
deserted the shops closed and you would imagine some
thing awful had happened. The houses all bossed as
Marsees and other old Cities and in the hotels you
don't SOUL There is nothing Of particular interest to
be in the city, except perhaps chapel in an old
about $4OoO0oo 1t is built almost entirely of amethyst
comedian lops marble porphyry and other pre-
cious The three sides filed in with mosaic
plates representing scrptural subjects and short dis
lance cannot be told from the original paintings Two
candelabras in this chapel said have $4,000
apiece they of silver gded and the only things
Of value left by the French who knew not their worth
The day after arrival four Of started to visit Gin
ira and Mofra the former about is miles from Lisbon
These places have been mad renowned by Byron in his
Chde Harold. Cintra is the summer residence of tho
court but the scenery is the attraction II is extremely
wild and romantic, and you climb the rugged cliffs
you almost shudder in every turn in each secluded
spot You see the universal reared mark the spot
where some assassination has boon committed We went
out in carriage and our arrival Immediately ordered
donkeys for four, and dinner for six o'clock On the
Hottest crag is the chapel of Nossa Sonora de Rens now
being converted into palace Here we had splendid
view Of the surrounding country the broad Atlantic Moi
"a on one side Moorish castle another and the cork
another This latter we determined to see that
night 50 down the bill we started our guide on foot
shouting to the animals and over mere bride path along
lodges through deep gorges around ravines we
pushed along the loose stones possible But
before got there about five miles add to the ro
nance night came on and dismounted on the brow Of
hill with not building in sight A walk up narrow
fight Of about dozen steps, and steep to the right
brought us to the gateway of the old monks rctor
BILE slabs that served them for and tables Arosing
decrepd old man. who alone occupied this desolats spot
he informed us he had candles of the party how
had Matches and by the aid Of these and
cigars penetrated into every accessible part Of the
building the popularity of which is that the cells are
lined with cork ~ deaden sound We then descended the
steps, cut from the solid rock into St Honmins CELL
lsee Childe HARDLY After gratifying curiositwS'
started back guide bounding down the hills before u.s.
n natl and h;o "a
steady as we passed places that the dark looked
dangerous enough The next day we had horses early,
and after three hours hard ride part OF the way
extremely rugged country we reached Mofra The only
thing to be here convent monastery
and palace built by King John " in obedience to vow,
whilst on bed of sickness that IL he recovered he would
build the finest church in the world 1t was commenced
in III and finished in $780, and 10 the building we used
to read of in the geography having the most extensive
roof in the world capable of holding 900 troops II
magnificent structure in the interior and must have cost
millions Of money II is rarely occupied and only
serves object Of curiosity to strangers and as
nment OF the folly of king The church contains six
organs said TO be the finest toned in the world Unor-
tunately the who played them were absent and
could not judge Of the music Two towers contains
belle chime Of 48 in EACH beside two separate
The chimes worked by machinery, such rs in music
box, and most of the operas the national air &c. can be
played Several pieces played for u.s. In one Of the
bells where strangers have written their names we found
that of a." B. s. United States ship Delaware, June l6
1892 We returned TO Cintra, dned and rode in that
night acramped-up carriage where once in you could
not after having been six and half hours in the
saddle and having gone twenty-five miles in hot sun
Lisbon it the most rapid and fatguing sightseeing
have DONE But the next day we were to be pre-
sented to the King, had to return. The King is
quite young man only about twenty and his two broth
ers whom saw were the Duke of Oporto captain I'M
the navy about H., and Don Juan captain In the army,
about H. His Majesty is said to be very smart and much
liked. t4,Se 32A
The King appointed the day to visit the ship
o'clock There here English line obate ships French
ditto Dutch rigate and ourselves besides the Portuguese
So when the royal party started we aEnglish French
Dutch Portuguese and the yards and
fred IL guns As all in lump could imagine
il naval engagement and wondered how the Devil any
body ever painted one II like tho 1sraees crossing
the Red sea- couldn't see the man standing next to me
Aboard Of ship the captains Of the English line
ofbae ships the whole corps dipomatiquep and more
uniforms swords, &c, than you imagine The King
stayed nearly three hours and appeared to be much pleased
Ip the wardroom he chsted with the ladies' but did not sit
down any where. "a i .iss u " @ fl 81. 6 ~ spsa,pus
We leave here Tuesday or Wednesday next for Cadiz
The climate here is delicious You never need cloak e.
cept at night in the day time It is quite hot and few
days ago picked some oranges from the tree ripe and
this the last of November. f-f ,Slsa ti-ftpi .,s
1etit5s " s4-l-- 49, - o.-.gl
TINS FIRST sHApA shsd, athe 6rst Of the season. wac
caught at sevappsh on the 2sih ut and sold for $40