a^7“Ti made of cloth, and a long cloak, which they fometimes
carried over their arm. The women wear a petticoat,
and a Ihort cdrfelet or jacket, clofely fitting their fhape,
which is a Ample, and often not inelegant drefs. They
have alfo a fhort, but wide cloak, and thofe that are
unmarried, tie their hair on the crown of their head,, on
which they wear no covering.
The country people are exceeding fober and frugal;
\ their diet in general Confiding of bread and onions, or
other roots, and little animal food. However, they avoid
eating tripe, or any offals, becaufe it is proverbially faid
of a very poor man, “ he is reduced to eat tripe.’ Their common
drink is water, or an iofufion on the remaining rind
or fkin of the grape (after it has palled through the wine-
prefs) which when fermented,, acquires fome tartnefs and
s acidity, but cannot be kept very long. The wine for
which the ifland is fo famous, and which their own hands
prepare, feldom if ever regales them.
Their principal occupation is the planting and railing
of vines, but as that branch of agriculture requires little
attendance during the greasteft part of the year, they
naturally incline to idlenefs. The warmth of the climate,
which renders great provifion again!! the inclemencies
of weather unneceffary, and the eafe with which the
cravings of appetite are fatisfied, mull tend to indolence,
wherever the regulations of the legiflature do not counteract
teract it, by endeavouring with the profpedl o f encreafing
happinefs, to infufe the fipirit of induftry. It feems the
Portuguefe government does not purfue the proper
methods again!! this dangerous lethargy of the Hate.
They have lately ordered the plantation of olive-trees here,
on fuch fpots as are too dry and barren to bear vines ;
hut they have not thought of giving temporary aflillance
to the labourers, and have offered no premium by which
thefe might be induced to conquer their rclu&ance to
innovations, and avenfion to labour.
The vineyards are held only on an annual tenure, and
the farmer reaps but four tenths of the produce, finoe
four other tenths are paid in kind to the owner of the
land, one tenth to the king, and one to the clergy. Such
fmall profits, joined to the thought of toiling merely for
the advantage of others, if improvements were attempted,
entirely preclude the hopes of a future increafe. Op-
preffed as .they are, they have however preferved a high
degree o f chearfmlnefs, and contentments their labours
are commonly alleviated with fongs, and in the evening
they affemble from different cottages, to. dance to the
drowfy mitfic of a guittar.
The inhabitants of the towns are more ill-favoured
than the country people, and often pale and lean. The
men wear French deaths, commonly black, which do not
feem to fit them, and have been in falhion in the polite
D 2 world
1^72.
A ugust.