“No: the Portuguese are even more polite than the French, so far as these outward expressions are concerned; but I doubt whether either would do as much for a lady who really needed assistance as Americans or Englishmen,” continued the doctor. “I can’t say that I like to see gentlemen bowing to ladies who are entire strangers to them. It is making themselves altogether too familiar, though the custom of the country may justify almost any thing.”
“This looks like Spain,” said Wainwright, pointing to a lot of men from the country, who were driving three or four donkeys each, loaded with skins filled with wine. “They leave the legs of the goats on for handles.”
“Those sacks look something like a goat,” added Murray. “I wonder how they can sew them up tight enough to prevent them from leaking.”
“They can roll the edges of the skins together a little when they join them, and sew through four thicknesses of the skin,” replied the doctor.
“Is that Madeira wine in those sacks?” inquired Murray.
“Probably not; for that is a scarce article, even in this island, at the present time. Porto Santo, or Holy Port, was the first island discovered and settled. Columbus lived there for a time; and his house is still shown. He married his wife there. The discovery and settlement of Madeira followed soon after; and two years later the Portuguese brought from Candia or Crete a vine which proved to be admirably adapted to the climate. The wine made from it became celebrated all over the civilized world. Like port and sherry, it obtained its peculiar flavor from the kind of grape of which it was made. Ten years ago, owing to the failure of the vine-crop, there were only four hundred pipes of it remaining in the island, while twenty-five thousand pipes had once been the average quantity manufactured in a year. The disease attacked the vine nearly twenty years ago; but the people are doing their best to replace it, and doubtless the commerce and reputation of the island will be fully restored. Probably the greater portion of all the wine sold for Madeira is not such; and not a little of it is manufactured in the shops where it is sold, in England and America.”
The party passed through the town, and went out into the country on the west side; and, following the road up the hill, they reached the summit of the “Pico de Sao Joao,” on which was a fort. From this high point they obtained another view of the city and its suburbs. Beyond the town the shore of the island was composed of sheer precipices, hundreds of feet in height. Near them was a “quinta,” or country-house, of some wealthy islander, to which a beautiful garden was attached. As they passed the main gate of the grounds, a gentleman attending a very pretty young lady came out. Dr. Winstock raised his cap to him, and the young officers followed his example.
The owner of the “quinta” politely returned the salutation, and spoke to the surgeon in English; for many of the educated people of the island speak this language, and most of the foreign commerce is carried on with England. Two saddle-horses were standing at the gate, in charge of as many servants; but the gentleman and his daughter—for such was the relation between them—seemed to be in no haste to mount their puny steeds.
“You are English people, I see,” said he, with a pleasant smile. “My house and grounds are at your service. This is the quinta da Sao Joao.”
“I thank you heartily for your courteous invitation; but perhaps you may be disposed to withdraw it when I add that we are not English, but Americans,” replied Dr. Winstock.