ALEMTEJO, or ALENTEJO, from akin, beyond, and Tjo, the Tagus, is one of the least populous, though most extensive provinces of Portugal. It is bounded on the north by the Tagus, on the north-west by the pro vince of Estremadura, on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the mountains of Algarva, and on the east by the Guadiana and the Spanish frontiers. Its length from north to south, which is equal to its breadth, is nearly 108 miles. It is divided into 358 pa rishes, and contains four cities, and about 339,355 inha bitants. The Portuguese government is supplied with one-fourth of its military establishment from this pro vince, which maintains no fewer than ten regiments of infantry, and four of cavalry. About the distance of a league from Aldca Galley, a market town opposite to Lisbon, there stands a church upon an eminence, dedi cated to Nossa Senhora da iltalaya, "Our Lady of the Watch Tower." The Negroes from Lisbon perform an annual pilgrimage to this church, and great crowds of people follow them, in order to witness the sable proces sion. Though the soil of this province is in many places remarkable for its fertility, yet it is generally ill culti vated, being sown only once in three years. Its principal
productions are wheat and barley, and in sonic districts, grapes, olives, and other fruits abound. Extensive im proveable heaths, occupying a space about 30 leagues in circumference, arc permitted to lie in an uncultivated state, and serve only to delight the eye, by the beautiful variety of heath plants which they produce ; and afford a sustenance to numerous herds of sheep and goats be longing to the nobility, who find it their interest to keep these extensive commons in an uncultivated state. The thin population, and unproductive condition of Alemte jo, arise from the badness of the roads, the luxurious indolence of the peasantry, the frequent. recurrence of religious festivals, and the numerous wars between Spain and Portugal, of which this province was generally the theat•e.—A complete account of Alcmtejo, by Antonio Henriques da Silvcira, will be found in the illemorias Econoinicas of the Lisbon Academy, vol. i. See also Link's Travels in Portugal, p. 150. (p•)