There are very good hotels now at Lisbon, and the town is greatly improved in cleanliness, no longer deserving the character for filth, &c., bestowed upon it by Lord Byron and others. Among the various interesting excursions which may be made in the neighbourhood of Lisbon, of course the spot where
"Cintra's glorious Eden intervenes, In variegated maze of mount and glen,"
will not be forgotten, and will amply repay the trouble of a visit.
From Lisbon to Cadiz the passage is made, in ordinary circumstances, in about twenty-six to thirty hours, and from Cadiz to Gibraltar in about eight hours.
_Cadiz, Seville, &c._--The steamer remains at Cadiz only from three to four hours; but even this will enable the passenger to see the principal part of the town, which is exceedingly clean and handsome; and its appearance in approaching the bay of Cadiz singularly beautiful and striking. If the traveller can afford to stop for the next steamer, he may make an excursion to Seville, between which and Cadiz steamers run almost daily. Xerez de la Frontera, and Puerto de Santa Maria, with the extensive _Bodejas_ of the wine merchants, are also well worthy of a visit.
At Gibraltar, the steamer on the Indian line will receive the traveller and convey him to Malta. In forming a calculation, it will be prudent to reckon on having not less than seven or more than nine days' stay at each place, provided it be intended to go forward by the next steamer. Again, should a party desire to remain a fortnight in Egypt, previous to joining the steamer at Suez, he can be accommodated by the Peninsular and Oriental Company, who will convey him to Alexandria, and cause him to be taken up by the vessel on the Indian side at any later period.
The additional cost of a stoppage at any of the intermediate places would depend upon the tastes, habits and means of the traveller; it need not be much, and, to a party of friends proceeding thus, the journey, at the proper season, would be instructive and delightful.
From Malta the traveller can diverge to Constantinople; or a few hours will take him to any of the chief points of interest, either in Italy or Greece. It would far exceed our limits to give details of all the various trips that _might_ be made from so central a point as Malta; luckily, however, there is no want of guide-books to classic ground--indeed, from the nature of the subject, any such guide, to be really useful, must in itself be much larger than the present volume.