The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction - Volume 20, No. 559, July 28, 1832 by Various
page 5 of 52 (09%)
page 5 of 52 (09%)
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time the city was given up to pillage by the French. Some of the boats
forming it had been destroyed, and many of the wretched inhabitants crowding to the bridge, in hopes of escaping from the enemy's sword were urged on by the affrighted multitude into the rapid stream, and thus perished. On the river, to the right and left, is seen a Portuguese coasting vessel, called Hyate; in the centre is a wine-boat of the Douro, with a raised platform for the steersman. The foreground of the view is the shore of Villa Nova, adjoining the quay. The chief article of export is wine;[5] and here is the grand depĂ´t for this commodity, which is stowed in long, low buildings, called lodges. [4] Here is the altar of wrought silver, which was fortunately rescued from the hands of the French, when in possession of Oporto. [5] The annual average quantity of wine exported from Oporto to Great Britain, was in the ten years, 1813-1822, 24,364 pipes, and to all other parts of the world only 1,094 pipes per annum. The quantity since 1822 has not materially altered.--_See a Communication to vol. xv. of the Mirror_, p. 118. "On the quays," says Mr. Kinsey, "are seen fine blocks of granite, already converted into form, having their edges cased with wood, ready to be shipped off for buildings in Brazil, where it appears that no good stone, or, at least, so durable as this, can be procured;--pipe-staves from Memel,--flax and iron,--and occasionally coals from the north of England. There are generally at anchor in the river between Villa Nova and Oporto, Russian, Brazilian, English, American, Dutch, Danish, and some French vessels; but many of the latter nation are not to be found in the Portuguese ports. Two thirds of the shipping to be seen in the |
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