that in such a climate the “living wage” is necessarily lower than in England.  Many necessities in England are superfluities or even inconveniences under sunnier skies.  The people, too, are very frugal, and even in towns, though rents be high, all other necessaries are moderate in price.  The standard of life is not high, and the people are contented with a style of living which would be indignantly rejected by English labourers.

The artisans are not good workmen, but plod on fairly well, and, with the exception of festas, require few holidays.  They prefer to work on Sundays, and grumble at their English employers, who generally split the difference, by closing their shops for half a day.  They look upon this as a grievance, however much they may be assured that it makes no difference in their wages.

[Illustration:  A COUNTRY CABIN IN GALICIA]

A very hard-working class of men are the Gallegos, the natives of Galicia, who are nearly as numerous in Lisbon as they were when Napier wrote, and where, then as now, they act as porters, messengers, scavengers, and water-carriers, and are found in all sorts of lowly and laborious occupations.  As porters and messengers, they have an excellent reputation for honesty, and for being most civil and obliging.  Gallenga, a fairly shrewd observer, considers that the employment of these Spaniards has deplorable effects on the character of the Portuguese nation.  I cannot go all the way with him in the gloomy view he takes of it, but it must be conceded that the existence of such a body of aliens (estimated at twelve thousand in Lisbon alone) working hard and well at occupations which the Portuguese will not do at all, or, if they attempt them, will do indifferently; herding together some ten or twelve in a small room, living on maize bread and a clove of garlic washed down with water; accepting thankfully a very attenuated hire, and yet contriving to send substantial savings back to Galicia,—­must considerably affect the labour market and tend to keep wages low.  They also close certain forms of labour to the native worker, and cause these industries to be looked on with contempt.

In towns like Lisbon and Oporto a great number of persons are employed in the fish trade.  The fish-girls, with their distinctive costumes, their bare feet, and the graceful poise of the heavy basket of fish on their heads, are a very characteristic feature of both towns.  The costumes differ in the two cities, mainly in the head-gear, but they are both picturesque and dirty, and emit the same “ancient and fish-like smell.”  The men, too, with their bare legs and feet, balancing a long pole on the shoulder, with a basket of fish at each end, will cover a marvellous amount of ground in a day at the curious trotting pace which they affect.  Miles inland these men will carry their finny wares, stopping at the public water-supplies to moisten the cloth which protects the fish from the sun and dust.  These may or may not be fresh when the day’s work is nearly done, but housewives purchasing a supply in the afternoon had better keep a very sharp look-out.