Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S 52

Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S 52

The Marquis listened with much attention to all my arguments, and finally

gave me instructions to see Messrs. Peto and Betts and their friends,

upon my return to England, in order to ascertain upon what terms they

would be willing to form a new company to complete the Northern Railway

to Oporto; and I was to inform him of the result, but not to commit

the Government in any way. He requested me, before I left Portugal, to

examine the port of Setubal, or, as the English call it, St. Ubes, a

little to the south of Lisbon.

 

I accordingly proceeded to reconnoitre the port, and found that it was

formed by a river which ran a considerable distance into the interior.

St. Ubes was situated on the right bank of it, about four miles from

the bar, but the river here was so wide and shallow that it was only an

estuary. The opposite side being covered at high water, the returning ebb

and flood waters were expanded over such a wide space that the current

had not sufficient force to maintain a good channel, nor did it act upon

the bar powerfully enough to maintain a good passage over it. Moreover,

the estuary was exposed to the full effect of the south-westerly gales,

which, sweeping across the Atlantic with great violence, send a very

heavy swell across the bar, rendering it extremely dangerous to approach,

and driving a great quantity of sand into the mouth of the river; this

would materially reduce the depth, and render the navigation both

dangerous and difficult; and there was too little fresh water coming

down to be of much service in assisting the operation of the tide. I

soon saw what was necessary to be done to remedy to a great extent, if

not entirely to remove, these evils; this was confine the channel on

the opposite or sea side by a low line of wicker or fascine work, in

the first instance to the level of a little above half tide, and then

to raise it as required; the sand would soon accumulate behind it, and

thus the tidal and fresh waters, being always confined to the same

channel, would greatly improve it, and considerably lower the bar. I also

thought the channel for some distance above the town should be deepened,

embanked, and improved by dredging, and that below the town to the bar

the channel should be dredged also to assist the operation of the

current. I embodied these observations in a plan and report on my return

to Lisbon, and delivered them to the Marquis, with which he was much

satisfied.

 

I now prepared to return to England, in company with my friend de

Soveral; but as the latter was desirous of breaking his voyage at Oporto,

for the purpose of ascending the Douro and visiting his estates, I agreed

to accompany him. We reached Pescoa de Ragosa, a very important place

in this district, being the centre of the port wine trade. Here is held

the market where all the port wine growers assemble at the end of the

vintage, and here come all the wine merchants from Oporto, and make their

purchases for the season. The veritable port wine district is a very

remarkable country. It is situated on the banks of the Douro, which are

here composed of lofty, undulating hills, clothed with rich soil, rising

rapidly from the river, about forty miles above Oporto, where the granite

formation, on which no vines will grow, ceases. The district consists of

the transition rocks above the granite; it extends about forty miles,

as far as the cataracts of St. Joao de Pesqueira and is about five or

six miles wide, including both sides of the valley of the Douro; one

side is exposed to the morning and the other to the evening sun, and the

reflected rays make the valley like an oven during the summer months, so

that no place could be more advantageously situated for the development

of the vine. No trees are allowed to grow upon the hillsides. The vines

are like so many gooseberry or currant bushes, and they are cut down

almost to the roots so that the nutriment applied to the plant may be

developed in producing the fruit to the greatest possible extent. The

vines are planted in rows, and the intervening space is carefully weeded,

so that the whole power of the sun is concentrated upon the vines; and

it is wonderful to see the quantity of fruit borne compared to the

extent of branches and leaves. When the vintage has been made, there are

a certain number of tasters who are appointed by the Government. These

men, who neither smoke, snuff, or drink, then examine the wine, which

they do by a saucer, much indented in the bottom, of pure silver, which

enables them to judge of the colour; then they smell it, and taste it

by the touch of the tongue without drinking any. By these three tests

they pronounce the quality of the vintage, and this, combined with the

quantity, determines the price. It is said that the wine is prepared

according to a certain standard for the English market; that is, the wine

is made to resemble as near as possible a vintage that has pleased the

English, who are the great consumers of port wine; this is done either by

mixing some old approved wine with the new, or adding brandy. There has

been a great deal of argument and doubt about adulteration. I will not

take upon myself to decide, but I will say this, that a good vintage of

port wine requires no doctoring.

 

At Ragosa, after the vintage, all the great wine merchants of Oporto

assemble, and there make their purchases for the ensuing season. All

transactions are made in cash, for the wine growers are very important

and wealthy personages. The merchants are equally so, and take their

cash with them. I heard an anecdote when there, which says much for the

honesty of the Portuguese. M. Sandeman, one of the wealthiest and most

important wine merchants of Oporto, went up to the wine district after

the vintage one season, with his sons and friends--for it is generally

made a party of pleasure--to purchase wine for the ensuing season, and

they took 15,000_l._ in gold to make their purchases, the gold being

carried in sacks on mules, the whole party riding, as usual, for there

were no roads for carriages. The first night, having arrived at their

usual halting-place, just as they were sitting down to their supper,

old Sandeman said to his son, “George, I hope that you have taken good

care of the mules and the money?” “Yes, father,” said George; “it is

all right.” “Well, George,” said old Sandeman, “you had better go and

see.” George immediately went out to the stables, and after some minutes

came back in great consternation, and said, “Father, I can’t find the

mules with the money.” At this old Sandeman got in a great rage, and

said, “George, you shall have no supper until you find them.” The whole

party got up at the same time, and took lanterns and torches to look

after the lost money and mules. Away they went back several miles on the

road they had come, and there they found the mules, which had slipped

their halters, quietly feeding by the roadside, with the bags of gold

untouched. They returned with them to the inn with much satisfaction,

got the mules comfortably installed in their stables, having previously

relieved them of the gold bags, which they took to their bedrooms. Now

perhaps in no other country could you have found such an example of

honesty as this. It was well known before they started from Oporto that

the Sandemans were going up to the wine country to purchase wines for

the ensuing season; and as they were the most wealthy merchants of the

place, it was equally well known that they would buy the largest quantity

of wine, and would take the greatest amount of hard cash to pay for it;

therefore, if the natives wished to make a prize, here was an excellent

opportunity to do so. But quite the contrary, the natives were honest,

and had not the least idea of robbing, which they might have done, if so

disposed, most easily.

 

From this place we proceeded leisurely to Guimaraens, one of the ancient

capitals of Portugal. The natives appeared different from any I had seen.

The better classes were dressed in jackets, ornamented with large silver

buttons, knee-breeches, leggings, and silver-buckled shoes; having

over all a loose, blue cloth cloak, and a large, conical, broad-brimmed

black felt hat. It seemed to be a place wholly _sui generis_, and

totally separated from the rest of the world. The well-to-do people

seemed to have nothing to do but to walk leisurely about conversing

with their friends, and smoking their cigarettes. There was no trade,

no bustle, nothing, as it were, moving; it was one of those places

where a man disgusted with the world would wish to bury himself. The

repose was something surprising to a person accustomed to active life.

We found a pretty good inn, and a convent with a few old nuns, who were

still allowed to live there, and who employed themselves in preserving

in a particular manner a very fine sort of plum that grows in the

neighbourhood. They fetch a high price in all European markets; I bought

a few to take to England. There is a splendid old Moorish castle outside

the town, which, although in ruins, was not in a very bad state. Upon

the whole I was much pleased with the place, so totally different from

anything I had seen either in Portugal or Spain. I should have liked

much to have spent several days there, but the inexorable time would not

permit; we therefore set out the next day for Braga, and passing through

the beautiful environs, which are a perfect garden, we continued our way

through a well-cultivated and picturesque country, and reached Braga soon

after midday.

 

Braga, also one of the ancient capitals of Portugal, is a handsome town,

more modern than Guimaraens, also much more lively, and surrounded by

a rich, fertile, picturesque country. It is well built, with handsome

streets, and squares upon a moderate scale, with an appearance of quiet

imposing dignity. It is the residence of many old families, who seem to

enjoy their _otium cum dignitate_, and to be wholly independent of the

world. They appeared to be above the grovelling pursuits of trade, for

there was certainly little appearance of business about, yet withal we

could not help admiring its clean, comfortable, well-to-do appearance.

 

From here we proceeded over a tolerable road towards Viana, the sea

being about a mile distant; and the intervening space, composed of rich

alluvial soil, was well cultivated. We passed several granite crosses,

erected near the village churches, one of which was extremely elegant,

beautifully worked in a species of Corinthian style. I never saw granite

so elaborately worked as in this part of Portugal, namely, the district

between the Douro and the Minho; in fact, they have no other stone but

granite, and no other people work it so well; but then the natives

are the most docile and industrious in Portugal. They are never idle;

constantly at work, either abroad or at home, and saving money. Large

numbers emigrate to the Brazils, where by their energy and industry they

may acquire ample fortunes, and return home to their native country,

where they buy an estate, build a handsome house, and spend the remainder

of their lives in tranquillity and enjoyment.

 

On reaching Vigo, after passing through Viana, I found that I had to wait

two days for the steamer. I could not help remarking the superior beauty

of the Spanish as compared with the Portuguese women, a thing I could

not well understand, as the personal appearance of the men is about the

same in both countries, although the Spanish peasants are apparently more

robust than those of Portugal.

 

Immediately on my return I set to work to carry out the instructions of

the Marquis de Loulé, and endeavoured to obtain powerful contractors

and wealthy and influential capitalists who would form a company to

undertake the railways in Portugal. I frequently had communications with

Messrs. Peto and Betts, who with their friends were perfectly ready to

come forward to form a company, provided that Messrs. Shaw, Waring,

and Co. were satisfactorily settled with.