turning officer, the Portreve. Proprietors, Sir Robert Palke, and Mr. Trefusis. Oakhampton sends two. Corporation, a Mayor, eight principal Burgesses, and eight Assistants. Number of voters, 182. Returning officer, the Mayor. Patrons, the duke of Bedford and lord Spencer. Beeralston sends two. Right of election in the copyholders of the Borough. Number of voters, 180. Returning officer, the Portreve. Proprie. tor, the earl of Berkley. Plymouth sends two. Corporation, in a Mayor, Recorder, twelve Aldermen, and forty-eight Common Council men. Number of voters, 160. Re turning officer, the Mayer. Patron, the Admiralty. Totness sends two. Corporation, a Mayor, Recorder, seventeen principal Burgesses, two Counsellors and eleven Assistants. Right of election in the Corporation. Number of voters, 34. Returning officer, the Mayor. Patrons, duke of Bolton and sir Francis Buller. Plympton sends two. Corporation, in a Mayor, eight Aldermen, and an indefinite number of Freemen. Right of election, in the Corporation and Freemen. Number of voters, 44. Returning officer, earl of Mount Edgecumbe. Tavistock sends two. Right of election, in the freeholders. Number of voters, 117. Returning officer, the Portreve. Proprietor, duke of Bedford. Barnstaple sends two. Corporation, a Mayor, two Aldermen, and twentytwo Common Council, and in the Common Burgesses. Number of voters, 450. Returning officer, the Mayor Honiton sends two. Right of election, in the inhabitants of the Borough paying Scot and Lot. Number of voters, 350. Returning officer, the Portreve. Patron, sir George Yonge. (To be Continued.) MY DEAR F. EPISTOLARY.-FOR THE PORT FOLIO. LETTER FROM PORTUGAL. Lisbon, 1811. In my last I gave you a description of my voyage across the Atlantic, and of the picturesque appearance of the south side of the island of Madeira. You will now accompany me on shore, and view with me, more intimately the beauties of this famed island, the resort of the invalid, the temple of Hygeia. After having landed, I proceeded to the hotel; but was suffered to remain there for a short time only, receiving in the evening, a pressing invitation from one of the most respectable houses in the island, to pass my time with them, during my sojourn' there, which I accepted with much pleasure, the company at the hotel, being such as I had not been accustomed to, and, the accommodations very inferior. In the society of the English gentlemen, who so politely welcomed me to their house, I spent my time very agreeably, and partook of every variety of pleasure the island afforded. There was one species of pleasure, however, the deprivation of which I felt very sensibly, that of the enjoyment of female society, there being little or none in Funchal. Most of the merchants are of that malhonnête tribe denominated batchelors, qui font bande à part; enjoying more, I believe, the sparkling glasses of the board, than a refined intercourse with polished females: this, however, gave me more leisure for inquisitive observation. તે The morning after I arrived, I took a tour, in company with my young English friend, to view the churches, some of which are very well worth attention: the Cathedral is an ancient and large structure, in which there are a few good paintings; some of the altars are handsome and richly ornamented. Mass is said every morning, which is ushered in by a tremendous peal of bells, to the very great annoyance of a stranger. On the eleventh of June was celebrated the annual feast of the beggars, which I assure you was quite a grand entertainment, the rich Portuguese, contributing in every thing, that could render the repast convenient and elegant. Temporary buildings were constructed for the occasion, the interior of each being variously and fantastically decorated with flowers, and gaudy representations of saints and friars for the adoration of the ignorant multitude. On the eve previous to the festival, the buildings were brilliantly illuminated; and the tables garnished with a degree of richness and elegance, that was truly ridiculous, when you reflect on the condition of those, for whom they were prepared, the very dregs of misery and poverty. The choicest fruits of the season were provided, with every delicacy that could be procured, all of which was served on plate. It was really delightful, to view those half famished miserables enjoying themselves, and waited upon, by those who, at another time, would have spurned them from their doors. At one end of the building, near the altar, was a grotto, in which was exhibited a fountain spouting forth water from the top of the head of the Virgin Mary; and many others equally ridiculous; and within the pale of the altar, to represent the Holy Ghost, they had a long silver tube, terminating in the figure of a dove. I saw a man kiss this symbol with great enthusiasm, and then offer it to his wife and child who, poor wretches! "deluded by a seeming excellence," received it with a superstitious adoration, and felt happy in giving their last pistareen for the favour they had enjoyed: whilst the officiating friar secretly laughed at their ignorance, and credulity, and hastened on to strip of their few comforts, those, whom he should have supported and relieved. I dined the next day at the quinta of one of the English merchants, a romantic spot about three miles up the mountain, tọ which we rode on mules: we sat down to dinner at six o'clock; after having finished which, we walked to an eminence on which stands a church dedicated to our Lady of the Mount, whence there is a most enchanting prospect, the town appearing directly below you, and the intermediate, country variegated by the "Negligence of nature, wide and wild, Where undisguised by mimic art, she spreads On the third subsequent day, a party of us partook of a meal up in the mountains, about four miles from the town, near a little antique chapel, built in the year 1608, of stone, and dedicated to Nossa Senhora d' Alegria, or our Lady of Mirth; it was, then, in a very ruinous state; the altar was constituted of an illshapen piece of wood, partly covered with rusty gilding, against which there stood a very much mutilated figure of the Virgin Mary, in plaster, with a rudely sculptured Crocodile at her feet, the whole of it grotesque beyond measure. The country through which we rode, was finely cultivated with grain and vines, and ornamented with the luxuriantly folia ted banana, which with the odoriferous golden fruits of the island, garnished the vallies and the declivities of the hills with a truly romantic diversity, the elevated palm and the ramous fig trees added richness to the scene, whilst the wild and abundant honeysuckle and mignonette imparted to the air their delicate perfumes. "Here their delicious task the fervent bees in swarming millions, tend:" here, the mountain lass culls her choicest flowers, and with superstitious joy, decks the image of her favourite saint; and here also, the humble vintager, his labours ended, seated beneath his fig tree and surrounded by his happy progeny, drowns every care in the music of his favourite guitar. About the centre of the town is the parade ground, which though a place of no great beauty is the only public walk in Funchal: it is ornamented with bowers of myrtle, scattered throughout, and on one side is an ancient grotto in which there is a fountain: near this oblong square is the hospital, formerly the Portuguese Theatre, but in which there have been no performances for a number of years: there is indeed very little public amusement of any kind in Funchal; the assembly and cardrooms are however open in the winter season. You are no doubt expecting I should make mention of the friars, and indeed they are a much too conspicuous order of beings, not to attract attention--well then, they are a full-fed, sleeklooking set of men; but I can assure you rather more immaculate in their appearance than in their practice. I was one evening in the cathedral, where they were chanting a requiem to the soul of a departed female, whose body was at that time within the very pale of the altar, exposed in an open coffin. I observed a number of dissolute young friars, mocking and laughing, even at the foot of the corpse; and exhibiting a dissoluteness of conduct that shocked me extremely. An instance was communicated to me of a wild young fellow who was violently in love with a young nun, and was determined to carry her off-he disguised himself in the dress of an old miller, who had been in the habit of supplying the convent with flour, and who was permitted to enter the garden: his plan succeeded in part; he entered the garden, but there his prudence forsook him; he rushed into the convent which was now in great alarm, the bells were set to ringing, the lady abbess was in the most dreadful distress, the young nuns who had been immured all their lives, began to tell their beads, and to invoke the Holy Virgin, to preserve them from the sight of that monster man, while the less ignorant, secretly rejoiced in the confusion of the convent, the daring youth fortunately escaped from the convent aliye; but was obliged to leave the island immediately, for having dared to contaminate the sanctuary by his profane steps. Although many of the poorer class have not the means, still fewer have the idea of living comfortably, and never seem to think of improving their condition in life; in fact, they will subsist on almost any thing, and in any manner, many of them lying on the beach all night. These fellows have seldom qualms of conscience in stealing, but with the most scrupulous exactitude, conform to all the external ceremonies of their religion, obtaining absolution for the one crime, much more readily than for the other. They possess a great musical turn, and are particularly fond of the guitar, which is generally accompanied by the voice: and like the improvissatori of Italy, they will sing on an extempore subject; they generally assemble in the evening, in their bush-houses, in the environs, where they play and sing with the greatest enthusiasm. There is no public carriage of pleasure used in Funchal; as the streets are very narrow, and having no footpaths, there would be much danger in using them The only vehicle driven in the streets, is a small sled, drawn by oxen, against the horns of which, one has continually to guard, every part of the street being alike common to man and beast. This sled is about two feet in width, and perfectly flat, the whole body lying on the stones, making the draft very laborious to the animals: it is generally managed by two persons, one of whom, walks along side the machine with a wet cloth in his hand, for the purpose of throwing under it when it passes over a rough place; the other manages the oxen, which he goads on with a long staff, having a sharp nail at its extremity, with which he torments the poor animals, who make the air resound with their piteous bellowings. I have often felt disposed to crush under foot the cruel inhuman |