Madrid, one in thirty-five. Among the causes of this mortality may be the total absence of efficient medical relief; for the only educated medical man residing on the island is an Englishman, who does not live in this district, and is rarely consulted by those at a distance until all domestic remedies have been exhausted, and the disease is become incurable. Besides this, the population consists almost wholly of poor, amongst which class the rate of mortality is highest, and there is no legal relief for the destitute."

"The men in Flores may be (says Dr. Bullar) divided into those who wear boots and those who do not; " the former are a somewhat conceited and rather graceless set, who also, together with their boots, wear calico dresses of light and brilliant colours; the latter wear the natural, pleasing, and picturesque dress of their class, viz., the peasantry. There is in all the Portuguese islands a species of foundling hospital; any person, without being asked any questions, may put a child into the revolving drum, which takes it into the receiving-house, and from that time it is provided for by the municipality. The island of St. George's gives occasion to some remarks on the volcanic formation of the Azores :

"It must, indeed, have been a right glorious sight to have witnessed the creation of these islands, when the red-hot cone of Pico first flamed up into the sky through the midst of the Atlantic like a blazing beacon, and the rocks of Fayal and St. George's lay hissing on the waves, like vast floods of molten iron. But how awful and intense must have been the solitude of this distant spot upon the globe when the frightful fires of these now silent volcanoes first disturbed the calm blue ocean!"

In passing along a bed of recent lava-for so lately as 1808 has there been volcanic agency at work-Dr. Bullar saw a wild cat on the watch for prey, most probably rabbits, and not long afterwards he beheld one of those birds who give the name to the islands:

Being concealed from him by the bush, the bird, attracted by some smaller one, suddenly made a stoop so close to me, that I could feel the air from his wings and see the savage flash from his clear brown eye. The instant he caught sight of me, he drew up his yellow talons and soared down the mountain. He was larger than our common hawk, which in other respects he much resembled."

The descent of the mountain was accomplished by a different path, amidst vines and faya trees; the vines were just coming out into leaf, and their bright tender foliage contrasted very delightfully with the dark evergreen fayas on which they grew and the silver grey of their bark. While thirsty and tired with the wearisome walk, a little incident occurred, which we have here related

with the fascinating grace always characterizing these charming volumes :

"A little fellow, who was coming up the mountain with a tub of water on his head, drew out the fresh stopper of green fern that he had put into the narrow mouth of his bucket, leaned forward and gave me a long and grateful draught. Thankful as I was for it, my thankfulness seemed as nothing compared with the expression of innocent delight with which he kissed his hand for the trifle he received in return. The exquisite joy of his eyes, as he looked me in the face at parting, I shall not forget. Pence he had hitherto thought of as having existence only in other people's pockets."

The eruption of 1808 had very dreadful effects. A small chapel, visible from the water, was the retreat chosen, as much for devotion as from any idea of safety, during the commencement of that awful visitation. While thus filled to overflowing, a torrent of lava rolled down the mountain, encompassed the church, and the unhappy occupants were either burned to death or suffocated. Visitors were not common in St. George's, and formidable ones not desired, as will be pretty evident when we see in what condition were the fortifications:

"The fort is harmless enough at present, being without available guns, or ammunition, or men. One or two dilapidated carriages and rusty cannon were collected under a shed; and a man and his wife, with their family of one, two, and three-year-olds, kept guard within the gate. Moreover, the good people of St. George's had planted their guns' mouth downwards in the earth, where they answered the peaceful and useful end of boat-posts."

St. George's was the last island visited, and the party returned in a new schooner to Ponta Delgada. We can well imagine that time could hardly have been spent more delightfully than among these beautiful islands; now on the bright sea for two or three days together, with the nights as balmy as the days were clear:

"The full moon rose at night like a vast red-hot globe issuing out of the ocean, but soon looked smaller, and showered down her silvery light. In this climate the moon seems actually suspended, not merely inlaid in the heavens: the eye reaches far into the infinite space yond; and the shadows she casts are sharp and black, like silhouettes."

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The climate of the Azores has been frequently, though incidentally, touched on in the course of this review; but there is an Appendix especially devoted to it, and to the states of disease in which it may be beneficial. The diseases of the natives are such as might be expected in a mild, equable climate, and under a very inartificial state of society. They are generally rather of a chronic than of an acute nature, and the most prevalent is an

affection of the nerves of the stomach, arising from the almost exclusively vegetable food eaten. "Consumption (says Dr. Bullar) is extremely rare. I saw only two cases among four hundred and sixty-five patients who fell under my care." Indeed, proceeding, as consumption chiefly does, from vicissitudes of temperature, it is evident, that in a climate where the extremes both of heat and cold are entirely unknown, it must be propor tionably uncommon. The remarks made in pp. 234, et seq. of volume ii. we would willingly transcribe; but we must here, once for all, make the observation, which we beg all tour writers to bear in mind and follow the present example, that there is nothing-not one sentence in the two volumes before us that could be omitted, or even retrenched, without injuring, more or less, the book.

It would seem that those persons to whom the climate of St. Michael's should be recommended are young persons having consumptive tendencies, and they should reside there not for a few months, but for a few years :

"In diseases in which a soft soothing climate is indicated, that of the Azores will prove beneficial; in gastritic or inflammatory dyspepsia, in bronchial irritation accompanied with little secretion, and in affections of the skin attended with a dry irritable state of that organ. On the other hand, in a relaxed state of the system, in those morbid conditions of the mucous membranes attended with copious discharges, and in an enfeebled state of the digestive organs (atonic dyspepsia) it will decidedly disagree."

For cutaneous diseases, for plethora (which the Germans call "unterleibsvollblütigkeit"- what a word!), determinations of blood to the head-in asthma and bronchitis, the sulphur baths of the Furnas may be beneficially employed.

And now, supposing any person desirous of being boiled alive in the Caldeiras of Ribeira, how are they to put this laudable design into execution? Look to Dr. Bullar, and all the information you can desire is there set down. There is a chapter in the Appendix wholly devoted to this subject, together with ample directions as to outfit and money-changing.

The mode of return adopted by our tourists was as follows: they went to Lisbon in a fruit packet, and from Lisbon to London by steam. It is pleasant to hear of improvements in the former city, but cleanliness is indeed a change. The city of the Tagus and its environs have been described so often, that, though we could willingly have refreshed our reminiscences with Dr. Bullar and his brother, we are not altogether sorry that they have passed over them so rapidly. The cork convent is graphically but briefly described, and we are informed that

"the navigation of the winding passages and low door-ways, with their projecting knobs of cork, is far from easy. It would not have been possible for the man who contrived them to have lamented, as an assistant poor law commissioner is said to have done, while examining one of his modern union workhouses, that the place should have been built so much too comfortably. Ragged and awkward discomfort had been here attained with elaborate perfection."

From Cintra our travellers proceeded to Mafra, and there examined that wonderful building, the palace, church, and convent combined, said to be the largest in the world. The library is a magnificent room, three hundred feet long, and filled with books admirably arranged, and the heavy French binding and red edges of the books reminded Dr. Bullar of the three glorious days of 1830, when he saw thousands of such books from the archbishop's library floating down the Seine. Of the church, he speaks just as we could have expected :—

"The church is built of marble, elaborately carved; costly, beautiful, but cold. The gothic architecture of our cathedrals spoils us for these Grecian temples. Who can enter Salisbury or Winchester cathedrals without stepping softly and speaking low, and feeling that he is under the influence of the "religio loci." In their ruins they are still appropriate. The ivy which clambers over the broken arches. of the windows of Tintern, or the tall and stately trees which have sprung up and replaced the antique pillars and high embowed roof of Netley seem almost to have sympathized with the ruins they replace, and have beautified it in its decay by a living architecture, in conformity with the original design."

The young Queen of Portugal, with her handsome and amiable husband, a prince of the deservedly fortunate family of Saxe Cobourg, are very pleasingly described; they appear to live very quietly, with little-perhaps too little-ceremony, and to be much attached to each other. This sketch will, on many accounts, be pleasing to the English reader.

Nor is the picture of the English burial-ground-interesting as being the place of Fielding's sepulture-less to our taste. But we must close our extracts and our book, and we do so unwillingly, and, as we believe, to the regret of our readers. Nevertheless, we have no doubt that few who read this account will be satisfied without a further and fuller acquaintance with the volumes from which we have quoted so largely for their

amusement.

183

ART. X.-"Want of Confidence in Ministers."-Speeches of Sir Robert Peel, Sir James Graham, Lord Stanley, and Sir Robert Peel's Reply. London: Painter, 342, Strand. 1841. 2. Peel and the Premier; or, Power without Place, and Place without Power. London: Painter, 342, Strand. 1841. 3. Sir Robert Peel's Speech on the Sugar Duties Debate. London Painter, 342, Strand. 1841.

4. What have the Whigs done? London: Painter, 342, Strand. 1841.

5. What are the English Roman Catholics to do? By ANGLO CATHOLICUS. London: Painter, 342, Strand. 1841.

6. The Cost Price of Producing Foreign Corn. By a MERCHANT. London: Painter, 342, Strand. 1841.

7. Mr. M'Culloch's Pamphlet on the Corn Laws Critically Analyzed; with a Postscriptum on the Latest Fallacies of Radicalism. London: Painter, 342, Strand. 1841.

8. Cheap Bread and its Consequences: a Plain Statement. London: Painter, 342, Strand. 1841.

9. Is England's Safety or Admiralty Interest to be Considered? By F. P. WALESBY, Esq., M.A., J.P., Barrister-atLaw. London: Painter, 342, Strand. 1841.

WHEN Hezekiah received a blasphemous letter from Assyria, threatening to lay low the towers of Jerusalem, he did not number his people, nor send conciliatory messages to soothe, or costly gifts to buy off, the barbarian at his gate, but he "received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord." We deem it strictly consistent with the religious character of our publication to prefix a scriptural reference to the observations we are about to offer on the present aspect of political affairs; the contrast we purpose to exhibit between that public spirit which is based on Christian principles, and that party spirit which is merely actuated by parliamentary motives. If ever there was a season in which it is incumbent on all Christian men-the citizens of no mean city-to enter on any discussion in a serious mood of mind, surely that season is now present, when there is upon all the earth "distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring"-those wild waves of lawlessness, beneath whose turbid bosom the mountain tops of royalty seem destined for awhile to lie buried, and from whose slime creeping things shall crawl over the pillars of the temple and the tapestry of the palace. We feel that we should do wrong to apologize for the more than commonly solemn