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Article THE FIRST CRUISE OF THE " VIXEN." ← Page 13 of 23 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The First Cruise Of The " Vixen."
peninsular campaign by heart . The man who accompanied our mules , half guide half muleteer , making altogether a vagabond of the choicest description , proved to be an inestimable source of amusement . He had serx'ed in Lisbon as valet de place to the English and French travellers xvho visited the cityancl had consequently picked up a little of each language ,
, xxdiich , mixed xvith Portuguese , formed a general compound , by means of which he xvas equally intelligible to a native of either country . No sooner hacl Fin fought the battle of Rolica for us , than in stepped little Miguel xxith the volley of oaths , with AA'hich he started every sentence , — " Santa Madre de Mille Carajo ! ce senor makes una grande
erreur . The battle del Rolica Avas fought par Portugal contre la France . Los Inglesi were nos ally . " Such Ave found to be the general belief in Spain and Portugal , and not confined to the loAver classes alone . All those victories achieA'ed in the peninsular war , are gravely ascribed by every Spaniard to the prowess of his country , and chromcled
as such in modern Spanish histoiy . Rolica was the field of a second battle , therefore , betAveen Fin and Miguel , which they had not decided when we arrived at Vimiera . Here each combatant brought up new forces . Fin felt called on to support the claims of the British army , and little Mig . was equally determined not to give in one inch of gloiy . He interlarded
Fin ' s descriptions Avith shouts , execrations , and performed the most rabid antics when he found our attention fixed on Fin ' s discourse . At first he admitted that the English had something to do in the engagement , then he declared that they were only an army of observation , and , lastly , swore in round terms , that they ran axvay . The extraordinary contortions into which
he threw himself , when he failed to express by words the contempt he felt for Fin ' s narrative , kept the rest of the party in peals of laughter , until Laxvless contented himself with retiring in silence beMnd Ms moustaches . The first night we passed at Torres Vedras , but being anxious to reach Cintra , xve rose at Wellington marching time , that is , one hour before the dawn ,
and reached that Portuguese paradise in time to breakfast . We spent the day in viewing the neighbourhood , xvhich is really one of the loveliest spots in the world : allowing two hours to elapse after dinner , just as the sun was dipping her lower limb in the distant Atlantic , xve started for Lisbon on a moonlight ride . On our right stretched the celebrated bay , quivering with the silver beams of heaven , and spotted over with craft of every rig . The sound of a distant gun , followed rapidly by others , made us turn round towards the Fort San Juliao , which xvas
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The First Cruise Of The " Vixen."
peninsular campaign by heart . The man who accompanied our mules , half guide half muleteer , making altogether a vagabond of the choicest description , proved to be an inestimable source of amusement . He had serx'ed in Lisbon as valet de place to the English and French travellers xvho visited the cityancl had consequently picked up a little of each language ,
, xxdiich , mixed xvith Portuguese , formed a general compound , by means of which he xvas equally intelligible to a native of either country . No sooner hacl Fin fought the battle of Rolica for us , than in stepped little Miguel xxith the volley of oaths , with AA'hich he started every sentence , — " Santa Madre de Mille Carajo ! ce senor makes una grande
erreur . The battle del Rolica Avas fought par Portugal contre la France . Los Inglesi were nos ally . " Such Ave found to be the general belief in Spain and Portugal , and not confined to the loAver classes alone . All those victories achieA'ed in the peninsular war , are gravely ascribed by every Spaniard to the prowess of his country , and chromcled
as such in modern Spanish histoiy . Rolica was the field of a second battle , therefore , betAveen Fin and Miguel , which they had not decided when we arrived at Vimiera . Here each combatant brought up new forces . Fin felt called on to support the claims of the British army , and little Mig . was equally determined not to give in one inch of gloiy . He interlarded
Fin ' s descriptions Avith shouts , execrations , and performed the most rabid antics when he found our attention fixed on Fin ' s discourse . At first he admitted that the English had something to do in the engagement , then he declared that they were only an army of observation , and , lastly , swore in round terms , that they ran axvay . The extraordinary contortions into which
he threw himself , when he failed to express by words the contempt he felt for Fin ' s narrative , kept the rest of the party in peals of laughter , until Laxvless contented himself with retiring in silence beMnd Ms moustaches . The first night we passed at Torres Vedras , but being anxious to reach Cintra , xve rose at Wellington marching time , that is , one hour before the dawn ,
and reached that Portuguese paradise in time to breakfast . We spent the day in viewing the neighbourhood , xvhich is really one of the loveliest spots in the world : allowing two hours to elapse after dinner , just as the sun was dipping her lower limb in the distant Atlantic , xve started for Lisbon on a moonlight ride . On our right stretched the celebrated bay , quivering with the silver beams of heaven , and spotted over with craft of every rig . The sound of a distant gun , followed rapidly by others , made us turn round towards the Fort San Juliao , which xvas