Of the cities and towns of Portugal, an account may be found in this work under separate heads. Referring the reader to these articles, we need merely at present men tion that the most important cities are Lisbon, the capital, situated on the Tagus, and containing 230,000 inhabi tants ;" Oporto, lying on the Douro, and amounting to 65,000; Coimbra, on the Mondego, containing 15,000; Elvas, on the Guadiana, 16,000; Evora, Braga, Setubal, about 12,000 each ; and that the other towns anti villages, (and their number extends to several thousands,) are small, poor, and thinly inhabited. Braganza, which lies in Tras os Montes, may be mentioned, as it confers the ducal title on the present reigning family of Portugal. The only great sea-ports are Lisbon, Oporto, and St. Ubes, or Se tubal. There are many maritime towns, but of an infe rior description, being accessible only to small vessels, and possessing scarcely any thing but a mere coasting trade.
The Portuguese are characterized by different features in the different parts of the kingdom. In Lisbon they are preeminently remarkable for corruption, for insincerity and luxury ; in the southern provinces they are simple and un sophisticated4olite, but extremely indolent; while in the northern districts they are open, candid, industrious, en terprising, and ambitious. The general features, however, of the peasantry, and the inhabitants of the minor towns, are primitiveness and simplicity, such as may be expected to obtain among a people that• have enjoyed little inter course with strangers—inactivity, want of enterprise, si lence, retirement, dislike to social pleasures, attachment to the higher orders, blind reverence to their priests, and loyalty to their sovereign. Treachery, ingratitude, vin dictiveness, have also been uniformly laid to their charge. Notwithstanding their fondness for seclusion, they are hos pitable to strangers, particularly if they belong to the Po pish church, which is the national religion. The nobility are proud, ostentatious, and tyrannical, displaying that feudal illiberality and despotism which is so baneful to the progress of liberal knowledge and to independence of spi rit, and which has now nearly disappeared in all the more civilized countries of Europe. The peasantry are, conse quently, in a state of complete vassalage to the Fidalgos, or gentlemen ; though, in opposition to this, it may be mentioned, as a favourable indication of character, that the utmost kindness and affability are in general shown to do mestic servants, no small number of whom spend their days in the same family. That indolence for which the nation, with the exception of the inhabitants of the northern pro vinces, are so remarkable, may probably be accounted for from the endless holidays of the Catholic church, and the general debasing effects of that superstitious creed which it so assiduously inculcates. In Lisbon and the provincial towns there is a total disregard of cleanliness, a thing so remarkable in the capital, that there is not probably another city in the world in which there are so much filthiness and inelegance. This grossness is least perceptible in Oporto.
The Portuguese of every rank are temperate, or rather abstemious, both in eating and drinking. The only luxury of the common people is tobacco; and if any of them can reach the height of a dried New foundland codfish, he re gards himself as at the summit of earthly felicity. In consequence of the beauty of the climate, they spend most of their time in the open air ; and their houses, therefore, instead of being, as in Britain, an object of embellishment and care, are plain, or are neglected to a degree incon ceivable to a stranger ; and the furniture even of the most elegant edifices is indicative of poverty, or a total disre gard of taste. The houses even of the most opulent and eminent Portuguese have not yet been distinguished by paintings, or any work of art and genius. Billiards, hack gammon, cards, and dice, have been long known and prac tised ; but their chief amusements are bull fights in the am phitheatre, a practice common both in Spain and Portu gal, and incompatible with great delicacy or refinement of feeling. Mendicity is very prevalent ; and beggars will scarcely submit to a refusal, but exhibit a degree of rude ness and pertinacity which ought to be checked and pun ished. The high nobility are denominated Titulados, the gentry Fidalgos, both, as mentioned above, remarkable for pride and illiberality.
The female character in Portugal is extremely retired, domestic, amiable, and chaste. Their bland and simple manners are not corrupted, nor their attachments dissipat ed, by an extensive communication with the world. " As to their persons in general," says Mr. Murphy, " they are rather below than above the middle stature, but grace ful and beautiful. No females are less studious of enhanc ing their attractions by artificial means, or counterfeiting, by paltry arts, the charms that nature has withheld. To the most regular features, they add a sprightly disposition and captivating carriage. The round face and full fed form are more esteemed in this country than the long tapering visage and the delicate franic."—" Cottons, muslins, and coloured silks," says the same author, " they very rarely wear. A kind of black garment, called it/anti/ha, over a petticoat of the same colour, both of woollen cloth, or silk, but oftener the former, is the usuvl dress, except in Lisbon, where the women wear black silk mantos, a kind of garment which covers the head and upper part of the body." Ladies of rank still imitate the industry of their ancestors in spinning flax from the distaff; and the orien tal way of sitting on the floor, or on cushions. is often prac tised. The dress of the men, (who are neither very tall nor very handsome,) is nearly the same as that of the French or English. Their noses are in general round, and their lips thick ; and the inhabitants of the southern provinces bear a striking resemblance, in many respects, to the features of their Moorish ancestors.