Our host was a most excellent and well-informed man of about sixty, of the middle size, rather stout and well-made, with a fine open countenance. His name was Don S. de Silva. He had served in the Portuguese army under the Duke of Wellington, and had been engaged in several battles with the French, of which he was very proud. He took the greatest interest in the railways, offered every assistance in his power, and insisted upon our making his house our home whenever we came that way. He said that after the war he had retired to his estate, and devoted the whole of his time to farming, and that he passed a very active, pleasant time. I think he said that his wife and family were at Lisbon, where they frequently went, as they had many friends and connections there. We were shown into a comfortable and clean double-bedded room, and the only thing we required to make us thoroughly comfortable was more blankets, for the night was excessively cold. However, I slept soundly, and awoke next morning thoroughly refreshed. We had an excellent breakfast, and took leave of our worthy host with many thanks for his most hospitable entertainment.
We reached Thomar about midday, having travelled over a rather better road than usual. Here we halted at the Old Inn for a couple of hours, and then made the best of our way over the old road to Basquenha, before mentioned, where we slept. The next day we hurried on by Santarem, caught the tugboat and the steamer at the White House, and reached the Braganza, Lisbon, the same evening, having been absent about eighteen days; fortunately, with the exception of the first day, we had tolerably fine weather, without which we should have had a good deal of difficulty in making such a rough journey.
I forgot to mention that while Mr. Giles and myself went to Coimbra and Oporto, we sent Mr. O’Neil to explore the line of the Tagus beyond Abrantes as far as the frontier, in order to ascertain whether there was any practicable line for a railway in that direction. Mr. O’Neil, however, gave a very unfavourable account of it, for a few miles beyond Abrantes the Tagus passes through a deep chasm, hemmed in on both sides with steep, precipitous granite rocks, swarming with eagles, and wild and desolate to a degree. There were scarcely any inhabitants save a few shepherds, clad in goat-skins, who lived in small cottages stuck in the clefts of the rocks, or built upon some small patches of ground close by the margin of the river, with a few vegetables and fruits growing round them. They were thoroughly surprised at seeing Mr. O’Neil; they said they were never visited by strangers, and could not conceive why he had come there. Nevertheless, they were civil, and gave him freely the best they had, which was very little indeed, and would scarcely take anything in return; when pressed, they said they would keep the money for his sake, or would buy something in remembrance of him.
The eagles appeared quite at home there, and were seldom molested, except when they had carried off some favourite pet-lamb or kid, or had paid a visit to the poultry. Mr. O’Neil’s report was so unfavourable that we did not think it advisable to pursue our investigations farther in that direction.
We had now pretty well explored the country between the Tagus and the Douro for the north, and the Tagus and the Guadiana for the east line to connect Portugal with Spain, and it only required that these should be investigated to ascertain which was best. Upon my arrival at Lisbon, I called upon M. Fontes, and reported what I had done. We had also a good deal of conversation about their finances; arranging affairs with Shaw, Waring, and Co.; getting good contractors for making further lines; raising a loan in England, &c. I said with all deference that the whole of these things might be satisfactorily settled; but that the first and most important of all was to arrange matters with the Stock Exchange in England, for until this was done a loan could not be obtained (and the Government was much in want of money) without paying very high interest, which would soon consume the revenues of the country. For example, their stock of 50 was only nominally quoted at 18 to 20, for which they paid 3l. interest, or 15 per cent.; whereas, if they settled with the Stock Exchange, their funds would at once rise to 40 or upwards, and thus they might borrow at 7 per cent. I further ventured to hint that by free trade—that is, lowering their import duties—the revenue would be much benefited, and that their exports would be increased in the same ratio. M. Fontes listened with much attention, but said nothing.
Having finished my business, I prepared to return to England, and was told by M. Fontes that I should have an audience of the King. I accordingly presented myself, and had an audience of his Majesty Dom Pedro, who was an exceedingly well-informed, sensible young man, of about twenty-one, and whose sole object and desire was the advancement and improvement of his country, to which he devoted himself day and night. He was exceedingly amiable and modest, and much beloved and respected, not only by his own subjects, but by every person who had the honour of being presented to him. His Majesty received me in the most condescending manner, entered into the subject of railways, the great advantage they would be to Portugal, the making of common roads to join them, the benefit of free trade, and the necessity of improving agriculture and extending the cultivation of vines, olives, corn, fruits, and all native produce, as well as the improvement of the harbours, and everything else which would advance the prosperity of the country. He had studied all these subjects thoroughly, and was perfectly at home in them; and with regard to the finances, he quite agreed with me. I took my leave of his Majesty, and he shook me by the hand, and bade me farewell, trusting that he should soon see me again.
I then called upon the Duke de Saldanha, the President of the Cabinet and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, a very estimable man, who spoke English very well; he had served under the Duke of Wellington during the great Peninsular war. He spoke English perfectly, and was very popular amongst his countrymen, and always happy to see the English. When I told him that I was about to leave the next day for England, he said that he was very glad to hear it. He further remarked that a Cabinet Council had been held the day before, and that I should hear more of it before the day was over.
I returned to the Braganza, packed up my things, and was ready to leave by the packet the next day. At nine o’clock the same evening I received a message from M. Fontes to come to him at his office. I went there immediately, and he said he had been ordered to proceed to England with me, to endeavour to settle the matter in dispute between his Government and the English Stock Exchange, and the quarrel with the railway contractors.
We started together next morning, and on arriving in London I had the pleasure of being partly instrumental in bringing about an arrangement between the principal holders of Portuguese stock in England and the Portuguese Government, to their mutual satisfaction and advantage; also an arrangement between the Portuguese and Messrs. Shaw, Waring, and Co., which, as we shall see, was not subsequently ratified. M. Fontes returned to Portugal with considerable éclat, having re-established the credit of Portugal with their English stockholders, and settled the railway difficulty, and it was thought that he and his ministry had a long and prosperous career before them. Unfortunately, however, this turned out quite the contrary; whether it was envy at his success, or some other political cause, I do not know, but in the spring of the following year, 1856, Fontes and his ministry were obliged to resign, and the Marquis de Loulé, a connection of the royal family, succeeded him. The Marquis de Loulé was a remarkably fine, handsome man, a thorough gentleman, with considerable talents, of imperturbable temper and great good humour; I know no man with whom he might better be compared than the late Lord Palmerston. Loulé, like Fontes, was equally desirous of completing the railway system of Portugal.