Autobiography of Sir John Rennie, F.R.S., Past President of the Institute of Civil Engineers / Comprising the history of his professional life, together with reminiscences dating from the commencement of the century to the present time.

by Sir John Rennie

I continued the surveys for a line between Coimbra and Oporto, and when they were completed I received a tender from Messrs. Peto and Betts, saying they would execute the line for 10,000l. per mile, without the land.

As his Royal Highness the Prince Consort took considerable interest in the improvement of Portugal, and as I had heard indirectly that information respecting the progress of the railways would be gratifying to him, I communicated with his Royal Highness’s secretary, and received a command to go to Windsor. I went, and was received in the most affable manner. The Prince was thoroughly acquainted with everything going on in Portugal, and took great interest in the construction of railways in that country. He thanked me for the information I had communicated, and wished me every success.

Towards the end of August all the plans, estimates, and specifications of the line between Coimbra and Oporto were completed, and in the month of September I went over and presented them in person. I was very kindly received by his Majesty and by his ministers. When I arrived, I found that M. de Soveral, the very clever Chief Secretary of the Portuguese Embassy in London, was home on leave. He also took the warmest interest in the establishment of railways. The dispute with Messrs. Shaw, Waring, and Co. had not yet been settled, and consequently no new arrangement could be made. I had frequent meetings with the Marquis de Loulé and M. de Soveral on the subject, and fully explained to them that it would be impossible to get any English contractors of influence to form a new and powerful company of English capitalists to make railways in Portugal, unless this matter could be honourably adjusted; and I added that I thought the terms agreed upon with M. Fontes were, upon the whole, the best that could be adopted.

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 15,000l. 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.