The Bible in Spain | Page 5

dreamt that I fell into the sea
from the cross-trees." He was heard to say this by several of the crew
besides myself. A moment after, the captain of the vessel perceiving
that the squall was increasing, ordered the topsails to be taken in,
whereupon this man with several others instantly ran aloft; the yard
was in the act of being hauled down, when a sudden gust of wind
whirled it round with violence, and a man was struck down from the
cross-trees into the sea, which was working like yeast below. In a short
time he emerged; I saw his head on the crest of a billow, and instantly
recognised in the unfortunate man the sailor who a few moments before
had related his dream. I shall never forget the look of agony he cast
whilst the steamer hurried past him. The alarm was given, and
everything was in confusion; it was two minutes at least before the
vessel was stopped, by which time the man was a considerable way
astern; I still, however, kept my eye upon him, and could see that he
was struggling gallantly with the waves. A boat was at length lowered,
but the rudder was unfortunately not at hand, and only two oars could
be procured, with which the men could make but little progress in so
rough a sea. They did their best, however, and had arrived within ten
yards of the man, who still struggled for his life, when I lost sight of
him, and the men on their return said that they saw him below the water,
at glimpses, sinking deeper and deeper, his arms stretched out and his
body apparently stiff, but that they found it impossible to save him;
presently after, the sea, as if satisfied with the prey which it had
acquired, became comparatively calm. The poor fellow who perished in
this singular manner was a fine young man of twenty-seven, the only
son of a widowed mother; he was the best sailor on board, and was
beloved by all who were acquainted with him. This event occurred on
the eleventh of November, 1835; the vessel was the London Merchant
steamship. Truly wonderful are the ways of Providence!
That same night we entered the Tagus, and dropped anchor before the
old tower of Belem; early the next morning we weighed, and,
proceeding onward about a league, we again anchored at a short

distance from the Caesodre, or principal quay of Lisbon. Here we lay
for some hours beside the enormous black hulk of the Rainha Nao, a
man-of-war, which in old times so captivated the eye of Nelson, that he
would fain have procured it for his native country. She was, long
subsequently, the admiral's ship of the Miguelite squadron, and had
been captured by the gallant Napier about three years previous to the
time of which I am speaking.
The Rainha Nao is said to have caused him more trouble than all the
other vessels of the enemy; and some assert that, had the others
defended themselves with half the fury which the old vixen queen
displayed, the result of the battle which decided the fate of Portugal
would have been widely different.
I found disembarkation at Lisbon to be a matter of considerable
vexation; the custom-house officers were exceedingly uncivil, and
examined every article of my little baggage with most provocating
minuteness.
My first impression on landing in the Peninsula was by no means a
favourable one; and I had scarcely pressed the soil one hour before I
heartily wished myself back in Russia, a country which I had quitted
about one month previous, and where I had left cherished friends and
warm affections.
After having submitted to much ill-usage and robbery at the custom-
house, I proceeded in quest of a lodging, and at last found one, but dirty
and expensive. The next day I hired a servant, a Portuguese, it being
my invariable custom on arriving in a country to avail myself of the
services of a native; chiefly with the view of perfecting myself in the
language; and being already acquainted with most of the principal
languages and dialects of the east and the west, I am soon able to make
myself quite intelligible to the inhabitants. In about a fortnight I found
myself conversing in Portuguese with considerable fluency.
Those who wish to make themselves understood by a foreigner in his
own language, should speak with much noise and vociferation, opening
their mouths wide. Is it surprising that the English are, in general, the

worst linguists in the world, seeing that they pursue a system
diametrically opposite? For example, when they attempt to speak
Spanish, the most sonorous tongue in existence, they scarcely open
their lips, and putting their hands in their pockets, fumble