1880 Facts about Port and Madeira by Henry Vizetelly

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THE VIEEAGE OE CEEEEIEOS IN THE AETO DOHEO.

VII.—The Inhabitants of the Alto Dotjeo Wine Disteict. Temperament of tbe People—Their Sturdiness—The Marriage Rite dispensed with hy the Peasantry—State ofEducation—Alto Douro Funerals—Gradual dying out of Ancient Superstitions—The Lohis-homen,orWehr-wolf—Its Nightly Occupation—The Bruxas,or Witches—TheirMidnightFestivals— Antipathy of the Douro Peasant toJMilitary Service—His Ambition to be a Vineyard Pi'oprietor—The Alto Douro Wine-Farmer—His Honesty— His Hasty Temper—The Lawlessness formerly prevailing in the Alto Douro region—An Incident which occurred some few years ago at Tua— A Supper interrupted by a party of Ai-med Men—Courageous Conduct of a Feitor—A Dislocated Wrist and Broken Ribs—A Vain Search and a Lucky Escape from Assassination—Arrival of a Relief Party Death of the Leader ofa Marauding Gang—Burial of the Corpse by a Goatherd. The Portwine country is in the province of Traz-oz-Montes, that is,"Beyond the Mountains"—alluding to the Serra Marao. It is hut thinly j)opnlated,and the hulk of the inhabitants,unlike those of all other celebrated wine-producing regions with which we are familiar, are miserably poor. Gloomy and morose, proud and independent,they offer a striking contrast to their gay and