although we brought no letter to him, having heard that it was entirely unnecessary, — shook us heartily by the hand, and begged us to walk into his house, which he said was open to us. All this was done in right sincerity too. The very moment we entered the room, without waiting for us to unpack our own basket of provisions or to ask or say anything more than that we would be seated, he took a chair in his hand, mounted it, and from a wooden tray which swung aloft, beyond the reach of mouse or rat, he handed down first one loaf, then another of a holyday quality, then a cheese, and then another, begging us to eat :

"And, with blithe air of open fellowship,

Brought from his cupboard wine and stouter cheer,
Like one who would be merry."

There were barrels on the floor, and wine-bottles in his cupboard. Wine-glasses he had not, but he filled some goodly tumblers with wine, and pouring the rest into a white jug, drank it off by way of example. He was a bulky man, of about seventy, six feet in height, and somewhat bowed with years. His head was bald, having a few white locks at the sides, his eyes were

VOL. II.

F

moist and dim, his features massive, and expressive of quiet contentment; and every one we met with spoke well of the good old man. The boatmen called him "the father of the island," and looked up to him with respect when he spoke to them. The villagers who came into his room, seemed to regard him as the patriarch of the place; they bowed low, and kissed his hand, which he held out for the purpose.

The room in which we sat was lighted by one small window, with two stone seats in its recess. Above was the rough boarding under the tiles; three beds stood in three corners of the room, and, scattered on the floor, were stone jars, heavy chests, barrels, stools, and crockery; while a range of book-shelves, filled with volumes of Portuguese divinity, empty bottles, glasses, white jugs, and cups; and a cupboard well furnished with wine-bottles, glasses, and aged corks, clothed the walls. A twisted glass cup for holy water, and a dusty saint sitting amidst artificial flowers in a large glass lantern, indicated his religion ; and his table-drawers stored with certain rare curiosities, such as lucifer matches, the names of his few visitors, and the one Corvo watch, carefully enclosed, first in its own outer case, and

afterwards in sundry linen bags, pointed out his riches.

After we had accepted the hospitality of Padre Lopes, and had arranged to sleep at his house, we walked through the village. First we came to the cottage of Maurice, the elder of the two lost men, who, having met us in the way, begged we would come and see his house. It was of one story, with a flight of stone steps outside, leading to the upper room; was well-floored and dry, and was divided from the bed-room by a wooden partition, fitted with shelves and drawers, which is in common use in the cottages of Flores and Corvo. At each end of the partition there is an opening, usually covered with a curtain, which leads to the beds behind. There were porter bottles and a few pieces of white and coloured crockery-ware on the shelves, and a clothes-chest and a new chair in the room. The place below was a sort of kitchen or outhouse, where the pig came in to feed, and the fowls roosted. In it were an oven for baking bread, a hearth with smouldering wood-embers, five or six sides of wellcured bacon hanging from a beam, hides of oxen on the ground, a large hoe, a few dirty baskets, and the water-tubs. All these were shown with

great pride and simplicity by Maurice, who, as he had no family, was a richer but not a happier man than his companion Joachimo Jozè.

When we had seen Maurice's treasures, Joachimo came up with a smiling face, to express his hope that we would walk as far as his door, to see his wife and bairns. These were scattered over the floor of his cottage in great profusion; some squatting, some crawling, crowing, laughing, and shouting at the return of their father, while their mother was quietly enjoying it all, on her knees, with bright glistening eyes. Poor Joachimo had, it seemed, little else than health and children; but these prattling wee things made the house more cheerful than the dead sides of salted hogs that hung silently in Maurice's kitchen, proclaiming him the wealthier man. And JoaIchimo would have said so too, if he had been asked. He was walking up and down with the youngest in his arms,-a happy creature of two years old, fat, comely, and brown, with bright eyes and long lashes, who, as Joachimo talked to him, looked his father gravely in his face and at length laid hold of that pleasing toy in the hands of a young child,-his father's nose. Joachimo then turned to his wife and whispered

with her; and presently the eldest girl was sent out with an empty bottle.

She soon returned with wine and one glass, out of which we all drank each other's health, down to some young girls, who were too shy to drink wine before strangers. One of these, whose shyness was at length overcome, was a charming specimen of womankind. She was just beyond girlhood, with a faultless figure, a clear brown complexion, and shining brown hair, simply braided over her forehead, a short curling upper lip, soft full eyes, with thin lids and long lashes, and there was about her features that placid expression of languid grace which gives the charm to many of the antique Grecian statues. She was dressed in a simple blue jacket, fitting close to her bust, and a full blue petticoat, and appeared utterly unconscious of her loveliness. Neighbours came in and sat about the floor,-embraced Joachimo, said a word to the happy wife, and then turned their attention steadily to ourselves.

In the village, the fountain was, as usual, the most lively and amusing spot. Being evening, a succession of women and children came and went with their wooden water-tubs and hollow