hundred times wished myself again under the guidance of the wild
lad, galloping before the hurricane over the foaming billows. From
eight till ten the cold was truly terrible, and though I was
closely wrapped in an excellent fur "shoob," with which I had
braved the frosts of Russian winters, I shivered in every limb, and
was far more rejoiced when I again set my foot on the Alemtejo,
than when I landed for the first time, after having escaped the
horrors of the tempest.

I took up my quarters for the night at a house to which my friend
who feared the darkness had introduced me on my return from Evora,
and where, though I paid mercilessly dear for everything, the
accommodation was superior to that of the common inn in the square.
My first care now was to inquire for mules to convey myself and
baggage to Elvas, from whence there are but three short leagues to
the Spanish town of Badajoz. The people of the house informed me
that they had an excellent pair at my disposal, but when I inquired
the price, they were not ashamed to demand four moidores. I
offered them three, which was too much, but which, however, they
did not accept, for knowing me to be an Englishman, they thought
they had an excellent opportunity to practise imposition, not
imagining that a person so rich as an Englishman MUST be, would go
out in a cold night for the sake of obtaining a reasonable bargain.
They were, however, much mistaken, as I told them that rather than
encourage them in their knavery, I should be content to return to
Lisbon; whereupon they dropped their demand to three and a half,
but I made them no answer, and going out with Antonio, proceeded to
the house of the old man who had accompanied us to Evora. We
knocked a considerable time, for he was in bed; at length he arose
and admitted us, but on hearing our object, he said that his mules