By

M a r s Ross
AND

H.STONEHEWER COOPER

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THE

HIGHLAM)S OF CANTABRIA
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THREE DAYS FROM ENGLiisD.

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E N G R A V IN G S F R O M

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O R IG IN A L P H O T O G R A P H S .

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LONDON:

SAMPSON LOW, MAKSTON, SEABLE, & KIVINGTON.

C E O W i r B U I L P I N O S , IS S

F L E E T

1885.
M i H ^ U 'ueroM i.

STR EET.

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PREFACE.

A FRW lines by w ay o f preface a re all th a t are

required.
T he pioneering o f th e HigUandB o f C antabria
and th e w ritin g o f th is w o rk hav e n o t been u n
attended b y labour, b u t it has been a labour o f !ove.
W here jo in t authors nam es appear on th e iVontiepiece o f a book, i t seems on ly r ig h t th a t th e ir
respective eharo o f a n y p raise o r blam e w hich
publication ra ig h t b rin g about, should be ju stly
aw arded.
I d th e case o f th e H ig h lan d s .o f
C antabria, th e choice o f route, th e m ountaineering
arrangem ents, an d th e v e ry difficult ta sk o f ta k in g
th e original photographs w hich illqstrato th ese pages
un d er conditions w H ch w oold sta g g e r th e ord in ary
professional, to say n o th in g o f a n am ateur, fell upon
th e au th o r o f M y T o u r in th e H im alayas, an d to
him alao is duo n early all th e tran slatio n s o f th e
Spanish H ig h la n d trad itio n s th a t ap p ear in the
follow ing pages.
N early all tho p u rely lite ra ry m atter is th e outcome
o f th e pen o f th e w rite r o f Coral L in d s.
A s th e revise w as m ade in th e absence o f the
authors, one o r tw o m inor erro rs h a v e been allowed

P T iE F A C B .

IT

io stand.

F o r instance, a t pag e 120 re a d hienas for

bueno. A t pag e 286, m M r.

-poem,
ichereer should replace wherevir. I n proccBsional
o rd e r w e re se rv a th e m ost diatingaisheti e rro r for
th e last. A t pag e 39 wo a re m ade to say, th a t we
h a d 'b itte r s w ith th e Consul. T h e Lion an d th e
U n ic o m !
F o r Consul, good critic, re a d Doctor.
W e have u n in ten tio n ally sin n ed r ig h t boastfully,
b u t on th is w hite sheet w e do o u r public penanoo.
E o n i SO qui m al y pense is a good concIuBon to
th is expression o f o n r un feig n ed sorrow.
W e havo g ratefu lly to acknow ledge th e kind
aasistance o f su n d ry good friends.
F o r severe criticism in proof, our th an k s a re due
to M rs. Stonehewer-Cooper, th e m o th er o f th e
an th o r o f C o r a l L a n d s /' w hile M ies J e a n H . G riev e e
p a tie n t investigation in to varions C an tab rian m atters,
in v o lv in g in th e ir solution lite ra ry acnm en o f a
high order, mu&t bo d n ly pU ced on record. To
M essrs. H a rriso n o f S antander, J . A . ilones o f G ijon,
a n d C hristopher B . Cooper o f Ilam p stead , acknow
ledgm ent m u st be niade, especially to th e tw o
nam ed gentieracn. W e do n o t know i f th e sliade
o f th e late D r. W ilson o f B ilbao is av^-are th a t we
have n o t fo rg o tten his k in d ly assistance, b n t such
is th e ^ c t
M ars R

oss.

H . S t o k e d e w e b -C o o per.

O mukgh B ni>. iB c m x T .

INTRODUCTION.

I t is perliaps th resiilt o f one o f thoeo cosas de

Kspcma, w hich from tim e to tim e liav e formed the
puzzle o f E uropean statesm en, tlia t S pain is generally
so little know n, ev en in th is a g e o f travellers, th e
la tte r h a lf o f th e n iu o teeu th century.
T o th e ordinary B ritish tonriflt ita v e ry p o rts are,
w ith th e exception o f a few places w hich can be
coiinted on th e fingors o f one h an d , h a rd ly know n a t
all, w hile N o rth ern S p ain is practically a scaled book.
W ith a view o f in terestin g o u r conntrym on and
others in a a n a ll w ay in w h a t a re really new fields
for th e ir study, recreation, a n d ind u strial enterprise,
we have deliberately chosen fo r description a region
o f th e P eninsu la whicjh is sim ply unique in its
attractions o f a ll sorts, an d a t th e sam e
a t thoir
v e ry doors.
T h e H ighland s o f C antabria, whose m ountain-peaks
a rc th e first glim pse o f liu ro p e seen b y th e re tu rn in g
tra v e lle r from tho lan d s popularised b y th e dis
coveries o f Columbus, a re inhabited by a h ard y race

whoae p roud title ie Invicta. L ike o u r countrym en

o f K e n t and Cornw all, th o y h a v e n ev er been
subdued, and th e g r e a t fipaniah m onarchy, w ith all
its m agnificont traditions, eprung from a victory of
these m ountaineera in a defile w h ich h isto ry has
m ade fam ous for all tim e.
I t w as in 718, in th e Cid de sac o Covadonga, th a t
th e G othic chief, P elayo, w ith his nohle band o f about
300, struck te rro r in to th e M ooriah invaders, and
d e a lt tlio first o f those series o f blow s to Saracenic
interference w ith S p ain and h e r people, w hich cul
m inated seven h undred y ears la te r in th e conquest of
th e ir la st stronghold in th e P eninsula, G ran ad a. A t
C ovadonga it w as th a t P elay o donned h is iron
crow n as K in g o f th e Afitiirias, Leon, and Castile, its
m aterial b ein g th e points o f M oorish speais, tak en
from c h ie fe th a t he h a d slain w ith his ow n h a n d ; and
here, too, th e Spanish people a re to-day erectin g a
nohle cathedral in im m ediate p ro x im ity to th e cave
w h ere re st tho ashes o f th e founder o f th e ir nation.
A lm ost ev e ry m ountain and valley o f th e C an tab riin
ra n g e has some trad itio n o f th a t fierce a n d unequal
stm g g lo o f th e m ountaineers for lib erty , an d th e y all
ap p eal stro n g ly to B ritish sym pathies.
T h e w hole o f its coast-line is m ore o r less associated
w ith exploits o f o u r navy, and in one o f its chief
harbours, G ijon, th e In v in cib le A r m a d a was
repaired, w hile from th e self-same p o rt th e A stu rian
deputies sailed in 1808 U> im plore th e aid of
B ritain to help them an d tlic ir m ore tim id southern

countrym en fro m th e all-conquenD g g ra sp o f Napoleon

th e G reat, and so commenced a ch ap ter in th e everglorbiiB P eninsu lar w ar.
T h iao acta speak for
themselves as to tlie histo rical interestB o f th is really
most rom antic re g io n ; a n d i t ie certainly stran g e, in
days w hen tou rs are personally conducted to th e
utterm ost ends o f th e e a ith , to find th a t n o t only
Messrs. U achettc's o f P a ris G uide to S p a in ' om its to
g ive altogether any account o f th e w ilder part o f the
A stu rian m ountain s; b u t even o u r ow n d ear M urray
U exceedingly defectiveh is jroograpby h av in g been
evidently compiled certain ly before th e y e a r 1868.
T he adm irable new roads w hich th e Spanish govern
m ent have completed d u rin g th e ]>aat few years
th roughout the C antabrian M ountains, th e enormous
increase o f steam com m unication betw een th e n o rth
o f S pain an d G re a t B ritain , ow ing to th e extraordinary
developm ent o f the iron ore in d u stry , th e gradual
extension o f th e Spanish railw ay system , all now
combine to m ake an exploration o f perhaps some of
the finest scenery in K arope a com paratively easy
task. T h is deeeription m ay , to some persons, seem
overpraise; b n t, ju d g in g from some little experience
in th e U nited K ingdom , Swifjierland, th e Pyrenees,
th e H im ah y as, an d th e S ierra N evada o f A m erica,
and elsewhere, w e claim it to be absolutely correct.
T he ch ap ter on th e spoi-t w hich is to be m et w ith in
th e Pia>s de E uropa, an d in th e g reen valleys which
nestle a t th e ir feet, should convey its ow n lesson to
those who, finding it a fine m orning, w ish to g o out

and k ill somcrthin^, i^leet an d snow are, it is true,

to be found in th e C antabrian liilla a t th e rig h t
seasons o f th e year, h u t s t o th e r tim es th e lovers o f
hig* gam e w ill, if g o in g th e r ig h t w ay about th e ir
business, n o t on ly enjoy a m ost exquisite clim ate, hut
also sport w o rth y o f th e ir w eapons an d th e ir skill.
I n this re g a rd it is perhaps on ly neoeeaary to refer
to M r. H arriso n s erp erien ce in th o A u g u st o f la rt
year, w h ich in th e follow ing p ag es o f th is w ork is
detailed a t some le n g th . T he salm on fishermen,
w ho p a y so d e a ily for th e ir privilegeB in th e Unit<^
K ingdom , should be acquainted w ith th e riv ers D eva
an d Sella. I t is tru e th ese stream s a re open to all,
an d S ir G orgius M idas him self has no h o tter chance
th a n th e local peasant, unlees ho bo a b e tte r m aster
o f th e gentle*' craft if th a t expression m ay be
applied to salm on fiHhing, O n reflection, how ever,
this nood n o t b e a n insuperable objection ev en to S ir
G orgius M idas, as it is possible lh a t th e tem porary
eq u ality o f his fisliing in Spanish w a te rs m ay break
pleasantly th e m onotony o f his p lu to cratic existence
in B ritain.
I t is w ith bated b re a th th a t w e w ould v e n tu re to
speak o f th e m ineralogical w ealth o f tho beautiful
co u n try it has been our exceptional good fortune on
m ore th a n one occasion to trav erse. T h a t th e w ealth
is th e re is incontestable; th a t i t is th ere in v c ty
la ig e qiiantities n o one w ho nnderstHuds th e gram
m a r o f m ineralogy w ill deny. W hether, w h a t in
o u r opinion a re invaluable deposits o f all so rts of

m etal in th e m ore rem ote districts o f tb e C antabrian

r a n |^ can be w orked a t a profit, is for others to Bay.
A ll th a t w e can do ld th e m eantim e is to g iv e the
& cis es w e know them^ a fte r v e ry carefiil investig^atioD ,and i f good result fro m th e pub licity wo give
to those fecte, bo m nch th e b e tte r for those who
BucGOBsfDUy in v e a ti^ tc th e claim s o f th e fields to
w hich Ju st LOW we w ould p o in t as finger-posts for
system atic inquiry.
I n 1862 th e first 300 tone o f iro n ore w ere
exported from th e eastern ex trem ity o f th e Canta
b ria n M ountains to G re a t B ritain . T h e minea w ure
n o t commenced to bo w orked fo r te n y ears afto r th a t
date, and th en , for th re e lo n g years, th e u n h appy
C arlist w a r n o t on ly hlcjcked th o progress o f tho
trade, b u t nearly stoppod it altogether.
I n 1 8 8 3 n e a rly t u r k b m i l l i o n tons o f iro n ore
w ere exported from th e C antabrian p o rt o f Bilbao
alone. Those th in g s b ein g done in th e g re e n tree,
w h a t w ill n o t bo done in th o d ry , w hen th e beautiful
coast m ounfains to th e n o rth o f Spain, rieh in everyth m g tlia t can m ake earth ly creation rich , a re know n
afi th e y should he know n to th e tra v e l lovers, the
artista, and tho coionieing capitalists o f th a t country
o f onre, from whose shores th e y a re only separated
b y three sh o rt day s o f sea tra v e l ?
S urely beautifiil scenery, historical in terest, a n d a
people whose kin d ly qiialitiesic is impossible to spoak
too hig h ly of, and p o ten tial w ealth o f incalenlal)le
value, flhould c e r ta b ly attra c t B rito n s to a country

BO n e a r to ih e ir so uthern seap o rts; h u t if w e can

in te re st Uiom in tb e ll ib g s o f Spain, and ao p )p u larise th e stu d y o f th e lan g n ag e o f O il Bias amoDg
our countrym en, we shall certainly la y claim to h a v b g
sliared in a g re a t w o rk for th e ir advancem ent, and
th e progress o f th e w orld a t large.
A fte r all th in g s a re said and done, it m u st bo
adm itted th a t m o d em h isto ry tells u s o f on ly tw o
g re a t coloniaing powers, and b y th a t expresaion w e
m ean pow ers th a t hav e le ft th e ir clear a n d distinct
im press o n the countries to w h ich th e ir eors and
daughters h av e migrated. Those tw o coim tries are
B rita in an d Spaiu.
W h ile B rita in h a s spread th e tongue, w hich
C harles T . ra th e r foolishly said -was on ly fitted for
th e cackle o f geeso, across th e h rta d th o f N o rth
A m erica, from P ly m o u th ro ck to th o C ity o f thu
G olden G ate, an d is n ow doing th e sam e th in g on
th e continen t a n d islands, w h ich k n o w th e long
w ash o f A u stralasian S tias/ the lan g u ag e o f S pain
practically dom inates th e w hole co n tin en t o f S outh
A m e ric a ; aye, from n o rth o f th a t spot whcire
M . d Leascpe is n ow cu ttin g a w ater-w ay to revolu
tionise P olynesia, to th o se stra its calWd a fte r one of
th e P eninsu las noblest sons, M agalhaens,
T his htige continent is b ein g rap id ly developed,
and, in its opening u p B ritish capital a n d industry
should hav e its legitim ate s h a r e ; b u t if o u r sons are
to succeod w ell in S outh A m erican venture, they
w ill re q u ire to know som ethiog o f th e m other-

tongue o f tlie countries whose greatnesB is y e t to be.

I f E u g llsh ISf as fiome say, to be th e lao g u ag c o f the
futuTfi, aJI ih&t wo can soy isy th a t as fa r a s Oonservative S pain is concerQedf and w h at w ere onco Spanish
Colonies, i t is a v e jy d istan t fu tu re indeed. Tlierefore, am ong o th e r an d v e ry num erous replies to tbo
quogtion, W h at shall w e do w ith o u r b o y s ? we
w ould beg to be allowed to suggest **L e t th e m learn
Spanish/*
I n concluding th is in troductory chapter to a study
of a portion o f N o rth ern S pain, w hich m igntained
its average low d eath ra te w hile tho cholera w as
ra g in g in th e S outh, wu w ould only ask our readers
to go and ju d g e for them selves, b eg g in g th em to
ta k e in kindly good p a rt th e suggestions fo r th eir
guidaoco w hich w e hav e enum erated in our final
chapter. W c tru st, indeed, to h a v e our hum ble
share in popularising th e H ig h lan d s o f C antabria;
b u t w e ferv en tly hope th a t tho sim ple kindliness of
th e m ountuineers w e love so w ell w ill bo spoilt as
littlo as m ay be by tho ad v en t o f those w ho w ill a c t
as reproaentatives o f B ritain a n d h e r people.
M a r s lio s s .

I I . STONEnfnVBR-OoOPKR.

CONTENTS.
i*^g
PKEFAClfi.................................................................................... iii
iMTftOTUCnOli

..........................................................................V
C H A P T E B I-

REB D

a v :^ fr o m

E K 9 tA in > .

CSA PTER U .
AcEoss Tire

B tlw o

i b ..................................................... 5
CHAPTER IIL

O s TUB

o r xn N e b t i o s ...........................................15
C H A P T E R IV .

A s Ubco1(<usrbd C ity

28

C IIA F T B B y .
T u g BiacATAir ?

ko ? l b

................................................................. .........

CHATTER VL
T he 'Wealtb eol*si> Souojuktbo .......................................... Cy

CO N TENTS.

XIT

C E A P T E B V II.
W w T w iu i j S t

i l

P19B

..................................................................................71

<!H A PTEB V IU .
A C A BT JtB& U N C i t y ................................................................. S 7

OHAPTEB IX .
T

he

HoAi

to t h b

IIi6BLA5Tki9

98

C H A PTEB X .
T n s N o r m i i i S F 06TBBN G

a t b ........................................... 109

C H A l'T E E X I.
T

h8

M a w Oate

op

P a j i

.................................................................... 1 2 1

C H A PT E R

X U .

T u b U lt iH i& r P x o o s ................................................................. 132

C H A P T E R X III.
T

he

M o c if T A iif E E E .^ ..................................................................................1 4 8

C H A PT E R X rV .
T

e e

a t b s op

H b-r

i d

........................................... I f t l

C H A P rE B XV.
T jt i; V au < o r L i g b a k a ...................................................... J 75

CH APTER X T L
T n i ; O iJ M a n op C a s t r o

.1 7 8

C H A P T E R X V II.
A a DK8P0ILT S p a r is h T o

rab

............................................. 183

C H A P T E R X V III.
T a H o m e o ? t e b C k a n o is ...................................................... 19 (>

C H A P T E B X TX.
A B oat

to

Co

v d o s o a

.................................................................... 3 1 4

CH A PTEB X X .
T he Ca

p it l o p t h e

A s T U it u s ..............................................226
C H A P T E R X X I.

A SPAsrar C a b m t .................................................................... ' 240

CH A PTEB X X JL
R

eal

W m Tby J

et , a D w h e r e i t

couks

i' hom

259

CHAPTSiE X X III.
Bt

th z

Q ctat

of

R r T A S A ffH T .u i............................................. 263

C H A P T E B X X IV T e x BntTH-?LACB o r S

. ........................................... 275

C IL A P T E K X X V .

ActOHAJ* IIlffTOBV A5U FOUCLOR*

291

C H A P l'E U X X V I.
I s S e A iK H OP C o P f E f t ................................................................. 321

C H A P T E B X X V IL
U as o o cifivro it

W e a l t h ..................................................... 354

XT!

conTEnrrs.
C n A P T E R X X V IIl.

he

om e op

G i l B t. a

.................................................................... 3 4 $

C H A PT E R X X IX .
l i

TAB P a t h l b s a W 00U6

.....................................................................9 S 2

CLLAPTEE X X X .
F

o r t h o se

w ao

m llow

oub

T bacs

363

I S H B X ......................................................................... ......

HIGHLAKDS OF CANTABRIA;
oa.

T H R E E DAYS FR O M EN G LA N D .

C H A P T E R I.
T F IR E B

DAYS

F R O ii R N O L A N D .

O vR work, w hich em braces th e C antabrian ra n g e of

m ouiitains, touching g eu tly th e seaboard, a s its
p rom inent an d m ost in terestin g p o rts follow in
pucceittiou from e a st to w est o f th e B ay of
w ould be incom plete i f w e d id n o t casually allude
to th e g ra n d w atoring-place o f San Solastdan, famous
for its history o f a e g e s an d slaughter, a n d now for
iU peacefulness an d beauty, and also to th e m ore
commercial p o rt o f Pa^sagos, linked to it b y on ly a
mile o r tw o o f rocky p ath w ay . W h e n heading our
first chapter Throo D ays from Enj^land," we
m w nded to convoy th e idea tL at our beautiful mountarns, an d th e scenery w e a re about to describe, the
pl^B uros for th e lover o f tb e pictniiisque, th e artist,
miucralogiHt, aporlaman, fisherm an, and even the
B

r n js

H 20SLA N J> a

o f

C A S T A J J I A ;

OR,

m ig lit b y th re e days trav e l, eith er b y ra il

th ro u g h Prance, o r b y steam er from vario^is iw rte,
bo enjoyed. T h e follow ing w o rk w ill, w e hope, guide

in T e s t o r ,

th e to u rist to an y o f th e aspirations w h ich m ay lead

him to follow oxir footsteps.
Coal-laden sfaam ors sail freq u en tly from Cardiff
or N ew p o rt to P a s sa g e s ; a u d fo r a v e ry m oderate
sum , w ith, good accommodation, those th a t caro to
do C antabria m ay be lan d ed a t Passages, o r, if
afraid o f th e dw aded B ay o f Biscay, w hich in our
experience is often vo ry sm ooth indeed, th e y can go
th ro u g h P a ris and B ordeaux, and, passing tho fron
tie r a t Iru n , be pleasantly lan d ed h y railw ay a t the
selfsame spot.
W e hav e seldom seen a p o rt so p eculiar as
P a ssa g e s; a lo n g stretch o f h ig h bluff elifs stretch
from th e F re n c h to th e Spanish coast, ag a in st w hich
th o w hole fu ry o f th e A tlan tic O cean constantly
h e a ts ; and y et, h e re is a sm all opening betw een
tw o cliffs, o r m ountains, th ro u g h w hich, a t all tides,
large steam ers m ay pass iu deep w ater, an d w hen
inside, a fte r steam in g th ro u g h a clo sely ro ek cd defile,
rid e ill absolute a n d com pleto safety iu a deep-w ater
lugoon, capable o f h o ld in g th e E nglish N av y a n d
more.
Passage, as know n to th e sailor, is b u t a
w h a rf for coal o r g en eral cargo, discliarged against
th e R ailw ay W h arf. P>ut to us, w ho desire to see
Spain, n o t ao m uch in its com m ercial as in its piotureeque aspect, w c select th is p o rt a s a pu re picture
o f a peaceful pool o f w ater, a lalce o f infinito beauty.

T 2IJ E E D A x n y n O M ?^^0 LAKI>.

SO laud lockcd by tlio mountainii as to show shadows

in ite clear w aters o f wondroua in ten sity , to w hich
is added a qiuiit old tow n, w ith it Tip an d dow n
stre e ts; ita ferries to n o w h ere; its absence o f any
th in g m odem except n e a r th e discharging site, and
we belie VO th a t a p re ttie r p o rt scarcely exists even
in th is w onderful country HiRpania." L anded a t
Pa^jgeR, a rail, ta k in g a q n a rte r o f a n hour, o r
a Y ery p re tty road ou foot, th ree-quarters, and our
follower, if he will be led by us, is in th e raagnificeLt
city o f S an Sebastian, m odern and an cien t combined.
On one side n e a r tlio sea rises th e steru hoijhts,
w hich, in 1813, cost so m an y liro s to storm ,* and
on tho other, bu ilt upon sajid, literally piled u p
by th e A tlan tic Sea constantly d riv in g in to ita opou
boy, unHke tho land-locked P a s w ^ .
T he bay
w hich forms itself h e re h qu ite open to th e w esterly
p i e s , and n e a rly alw ays g re a t bouldere ro ll upon
Ita san d y heach, causing th e greaUwt am usem ent to
l-alhers, w ho here reaorfc fh>m iia d rid and otlier
large tow ns for th e ir an n n al b ath . O u r p h o to
ffraph show s a fine city ; h u t one ra re ly sees a
nobier w atering.p laco, aud w ith all its hiaiorical
in terest for th e E nglishm an, S p an iard and F rench
m an, we a re n o t surprised to see it beautifully laid
th e ^ g lo - P o r r te n e s o b em cg b g force w as 58
l l l L

332 I . ,

70,5C^ h o H n d

HhoU w p c jK m rw i into t h e d e v o te d c a st) , a a d 5 7 a b a r r o U o f

g U D p o w d e r o f 9 0 p o u te d . e h w c . uboc.
B

T U a S I Q E L A N D S O F C A iiT A T tR I A 5 OP.,

o u t w ith gptendid hoteJsi, boulevards, cafes, th eatres

an d th e like on th e v e ry g ro u n d satu rated w itli
th e ancestral blood o f p erh ap s th e p le a sa n t and
p re tty loungeri representative o f tho afoTe*moDtionod
th re e nationalities, who, careless o f b y g o n e days,
fo rg et th e fact th a t tlie ir g r e a t grandfathers* bonee
perhaps m is w ith tb e sand th e y love so well.
T hese srunnier visitors m ak e S an Sebastian a
beautiful Spanish B rig h to n ,' a re a lly fashionabie
w atering-place, and, perhaps v e ry attra c tiv e to tlie
m ajo rity o f to u rists, althou|^h we h av e our own
opinions about plaeos to tlio westward n o to n account
o f th e ir facilities, o r th e accom m odation offered by
th e locs^ties, h u t thivt w e th in k th a t m ore n atu ral
beauties a re to be found w lieie God lias g iv e n th e
spot, th e clim ate, and th e necessaries for a bathingplace and m an, w ith hia levelling commercial ten
dencies, h a s n o t y e t penetrated. W e do n o t in ten d
to describe S t. SebastlaD, for altlio u g h n o t oiien
visited b y th e E n g lish to u rist, its v ery nam e is aufficieut for th e read er o f th is cen tu ry 's h isto ry to
concentrate him upon th e spot on w hich we first
wisli to land him , a s a n in tro d u ctio n to countric
m ore w ild, to scenes o f h ill a n d dale, o f ro ck and
m ountain, d earer to us th a n all tho tinselled diiiplay
o f m odern towns,
F rom S an Sebastian th e trav eller should procec<l
(if possible b y sea) to Bilbao. T he railw ay to th a t
place passes th ro u g h beautiful scenery, b u t tho
jo u rn ey is a very tedious one.

TJiIfE r>AY8 FOM ENOLAh'/>.

C H A P T E R II.
ACKOBH THE BILBAO BAR.
I t ia trange tL al tb e riv e r on w hich th e prosperous
port of Bilbao an d it adjaccnt sh ipping snbiirha
are situate should be so little know n b y name.
OaptaitiB who hav e flailed acrosR tb e bay lad en w ith
coul from Cardiff, Xew|M>rt, o r th e N orth, a hundred
timee, and discharged tb c ir cargo on th e bank o f tho
N ervion, call it Bilbao riv er, an d th e y probably
tliink life k m uch loo sh o rt to m ako a fuss ab o n t its
exact title. B u t it ia a btream w hieh boasts, ad our
trans.atlaiitic cousins eay, a record o f no m ean order,
and long before th e B ritish ironm aster tliOiight of
tapping th e m etal m ountains th a t line its banks,
small b u t stately argosies o f th e m ed iev al period
sailed down its shallow w aters, o utw ard beiind w ith
cargoes o f m anufactured iro n an d wool. I n the
days w hen Qiioen E lizabeth ru led th e destinies of
th a t in fa n t g ia n t B ogland, B iscayan iro n exported
from tlie p o rt o n th e Norvi<nj w as th e favoJirite
iiietal o f her people. T h u s wo find Shakespeare
re m a rk in g : Grive mo a tru e Spanish Bilbao
blade,
Those w ere th e palm y days o f rapiers ; au3^

T M K liJ O B L A U D S O F C A N T A T tl tl A i

OH.

m any a fig h tin g w eapon o f tbo E n g lish an d Scottish

cavalier w as forged in th e F errcrias o f th e proTince
o f B iscay. A cross th e A tlan tic, ioo, till com paratively
roodom tim es, th e N erv i on w as know ti w herever
flew th e S panish flag, for th e colonists from tho
peninsula rig h tly preferred th e fiat and p ig iron
th a t cam e from ita banka to th a t o f all o th er rivals.
H ow ever, about fifty y^are ago, o r p erh ap s a little
m ore, th e o ip o rta tio n o f A m erican cotton in to
E n g la n d cm shed th e Spanish wool trad e, and
th e w a te r w heels o f th e m ountain stream w orked
F errerias were no m atch for th e pow erful ateain
inuehinery th e n b ein g rap id ly b ro u g h t in to use in
B ritain . A b o u t fo rty y ears ago IcAabod w as w ritten
o n tho w alls o f th e decaying city o f B ilb a o ; b u t even
th e n th e re w ere n o t w an tin g prophets w ho ad<led
boldly in its interest th e w ord Ee.f u r ^ m , an d they
w ere rig h t. Thoso prophots had in view th e pro
bable vast developm ent o f B ritain 's iro n in d u s tr y ;
and th e y foresaw , in w h at n ow seems to us a
strau|-ely hesitatin g w ay, th e dem ands th a t our
countrym en w ould sooner o r la te r liave to m ake ou
th o g re a t m ineral deposits to w erin g b y th e side of
th e ir despised N ervion, D u rin g tlio life tim e of
these d ear-sig h ted g e n try , th e y g o t th e usual rew ard
o f th e pioneer, in b ein g told th a t th e y were fools for
th e ir pains ; b u t th e ir descendants have since roaped
an d aro rea p in g tb e ric h h a rv c it th e n scoffed at, and
n o t only for Biscay a n d h e r people, b u t also for
tbousarids of o u r ow n co u n try m e n ; for altiiough

T i n t K I> T S F U O M SN < }I.A SI> .

Bilbao and its surroundinia m ay be a terra incogniia

to ibe large m ajority o f thoeo w ho live w itb in th e
BOund o f Bow Bells, i t has been a source o f g reatly
increased w ealth for O Tir leading ironm asters in
Sooth W ales, G l a ^ w , an d tho N o rth , a n d counts
le Englieh homes a re k ep t com fortable b y tlie
commercial resurrection o f th e N erv io n K iver,
A distinct bay form s th e n atiiral entrance to the
N ervion, th e points on eith er side b ein g those ot
G alea a n d Luzuoro, th e la tte r being on th e southern
o r starboard han d on a vessel m aking for th e city,
w hich, to u m oral curtikinty, in A m erica th e y would
have christened O reville. l asiug th e p ilo t station
an d th e pilot village o f S anturce on th e r ig h t h au d
side, th e p re ttily situated w atering-place o f A lg e ria
comtifi in view o n th e left, and th is place aud ite
suburb, L a s A ren as, th e B rig h to n o f th e Bilbao people,
a rc m uch rescJ^ted to d u rin g thh few sh o rt m onths
th a t our good Spanish friends th in k it n o t flying
dire*ct in th e face o f Providence to batbo in th e sea.
Good firm sands, pleasant looking villus, some rows
o f b ith in g machines, slig h tly im proved im itations of
th e incxpreesibly hideous E n g lish model, are p a rt of
tho effects o f th ese risin g tow nships, Iho form er
nam ed o f w hich is also th e term inus o f the tram w ay
from Bilbao o n th e r ig h t b an k o f th e N ervion.
^ h e n the w ind sets in , a s i t can v e ry effectively
from th e w est a n d n o rth , th e san d y beach o f L is
A renas form s a -seascape w o rth y o f th e brush
o f M r. F rdric S a n g o f P uris. T he h n g e ocoan

7'i f E I n Z A N D H

O F C A iT J J l i fA O B,

rollers stru g g lin g fiercely iu a dcsperale race 38 to

wLich should firsfc alriko th e Spanish elrand, tho
fly in g ppume o f tho w h ite cresta w hich show off the
em erald cloam eas o f th e w ave bodies them selves, is
a n old, old g to r j o f an y coast w h ere th e sea haa
p o w e r; b u t old a s th e descriptioD ie, th e sto ry o f the
sea in an y o f its phases is e v e r new , w h eth er told o r
depicted to th e sea-loving children o f a sea-loTng
race, and w e confess to belong to th a t class.
O n th e l fl bank on th e riv e r 3 now seen tlie
im p o rtan t tow n o f Portuffalete, w hich in fact is ju s t
past tb e famous B ar, whose disastrous m osning, to
use th e w ords o f K iugaley, has w recked m an y and
m any a fine ship. Before v en tu rin g to dcscril th e
tow n o f P o rtu g a le te itself, a few w ords m u st be
Ipven to th e h isto ry o f th is B ar, w hich in & ct has
been th e d rag o n o f Bilbao for centuries, a n d to
destroy tho ravages o f w hich eouiless good and
tru e Spanish St. Gkorgee, aided by a miscellaneous
miJitia o f all countriea E nglish in particu lar-havo
from tim o to tim e gone out to battle w ith o u t attainiu|v
g re a te r succe? th a n hero and th ere affecting slig h t
w ounds cm his sandy coat o f m ail. I t seems,
how ever, th a t a t laitt tlie shipw roeking d rag o n ie
g e ttin g in a v ery tig h t place,' a n d i f th e citizens
o f Bilbao on ly do th e ir d u ty fo r tb o n e x t few years,
th e y w ill, we tru st, m ake a practical end o f him
altogether, H e him self baa lived fa r too lo n g for
m ischief, and as w hile he lives he k ills people, the
c ry of the Bilbao people should be a unanim ous

bhout o f Deletidum fst repagulumy" o r a t a n y rate

Bucb lim itation o f lils powerR as fo confine his
dedtructiro tcndeociee to a miDlmum.
A ccording to th e la st inform ation as to the
progrees o f these w oi ks for the i m p r o T e a i o n t o f the
navigation o f th e N ervion, th e y a re espected to bo
com pleted about tho m iddle o f th e y e a r 2886, a t a
v a st cost, T b e riv e r is being syatem atieally em
banked from Bilbao B rid g e to th e p ie r a t
Areiiajs
(im m ediately opposite to tlia t o f P o rtu g a lc te ); and
eeverl im portan t cuttings to save distance have
been m ade. T be teudoncy o f aJl th is w o rk w ill of
course be th a t th e riv e r cu rre n t w ill ru n much
traighter than fornierly, and b y so aetinp; p re v e n t
tho accum ulation o f silt in tb e low er banks. B u t the
m ost im portant fact connected w ith th is reeolute
stru g g le o f th e Bilbao people w ith th e in herent
difficulties o f th e navigation o f th e ir river, ifi th a t a t
last vessels o f aboTit 2 0 0 0 tons h ard en , and d raw ing
2 0 lfc>et o f w ater, a re able to g e t up to tho loa-lir^g
tips for tbo iron ore. an d thus effect g r e a t economy
m freights. S everal dredges aro a t w o rk between
Bilbao tow n a n d th e Bar its e lf; and th e new pier, ex
tending from tbo old p ie r b id a t th e la st nam ed
plaeo, w ill CTtainly do a
deal o f good. This
iiow extension will hav e a le n g th o f 800 m etres and
w ill g o actually l>eyond th e b a r for 50 m etroe. T he
now p ie r le being solidly m ade, b ein g a n iro n struoture bm ding an d encasing w ith screw iron palings
the rubble stono foundation, on w hich a concrete

w all w ill be laid to th e h eig h t o f an o rd iiia rj sp rin g

tide.
T bo follow ing ie a fairly snccinct account o f the
efForte m ade b y tho local au th o rities in y ears gone
b y to im prove th e N erv io n , and it w ill eljow how
im portant has alw ays been Urn difficulty o f tho Bilbao
iBar. T he w hole stru^-gle rem inds one o f th a t o f
t i e Clyde CommisflionerH w ith th e ir riv e r b u t after
m a k in g due allow ances fo r the ap ath y , careli^Buese,
a n d indifference o f m an y o f tlie S panish authoritiofl
responsible for th e sta te o f th e N ervion, it m ust
in ju stice be ad m itted tlia t tho m en w ho m ade
G lasj^iw th e noble p o rt it is to-day h a d n o shifting
eaud*bank w ith a h eav y sea ro llin g o v e r i t to face,
sa y a t tho Cloch Lighthoiise. Before, how ever,
recounting th e ea rly efforts, i t should be stat<?d th a t
m any pro m in en t K ngliah engineers, iu e b d in g such
namcR as Sxr C harles V ignoles a n d S ir J o h n Coodo,
presented scbemes to th o local au th o rities far m aking
u la rg e p o rt o f rofiige on th e bay to w hich a railw ay
from Bilbao w as to be prolonged. H ow ever, as
both tho osfimates o f these gentlem en exceeded a
m illion sterlin g , th e ir figures a n d ideas w ero too
m uch for th e perhaps too o v er-th rifty Bilbao m er
chants, a n d ao th e m odest scheme o f M. C burruca,
now in progress, w as finally adopted,
f t wonld
perhaps liavo Ijeen m nch b e tte r to liave gone boldly
in for th e b ig bijsiness o f th e B ritishers, but
th o ro u g h is n o t a n o te even o f our tH ends tho
B iscarans.

T IlltT .F . D A T H F R O M n i^ Q L A S B .

11

Tn ir>00 a B oard o f T rad e w as elarted iu Bilbao,

to reg u late th e morcftntile operation 8 o f tlie port,
and th is heinj^ d u ly authorised by th e Catholic k in g s
o f Spain, un d er th e title o f Oonsulado de Coroerclo,
i t exercised a pow erful influence dow n to tb e y ear
1844, w hen it became know n a s thn Ju n ta de
Com^tcio. T bo orders o f th is B o ard w ere v e ry wise
and practical, a n d i t is certainly w o rth y of note th a t
its ordinances, as approved by P h ilip I I . in December,
1560, became th e guide o f sim ilar in stitu tio n s in
m any o f th e first oommorciaJ p o rts in E urope, and
wore adopted as a legal te x t in th e w hole o f th e
peninsula.
P e rh a p s th o rem arkable im portance
in tra d in g m atters, w hich Bilbao has, m ore o r leas,
sluco m aintained, is due in n o Fmall degree to this
corporation a n d its rnles. I n th e early u j^ s o f tb e
tra d in g h isto ry o f Bilbao, as to-day, tb e exislenee o f
tho B a r a t th o m outh o f its riv e r w as th e ifreat
obstacle o f its progress, an d in th e y e a r 1502 tho
Board o f T rad o o f Bilbao eaw th e necessity o f having
some im provem ents cfiected in tho low er reaches o f
th e riv er, for even th e n it w as a w ell eetablished feet
tb a t th e canal o f th e b a r alo n g P o rtn g aleto w as
in a bad condition, and b ein g also o f a variable
nature, was th e caxtsa o f the w recks a n d loss o f life
which oecnrrcd w ith no little froqiiency. A system
o f biioys brouglit from H olland w as then m ade use
of, and it is said th a t fo r a tim e th e y were satis
factory, b u t somehow o r oth er th e ir use w as abandoned
later on. i n 1040 tho B oard was not content w ith

12

THE mOtLANTiS OF VANTAJiHlAi Off,

re d tape a n d th e records o f p a st f'ailnree ; th e y m eant

buaineas; s o p ie r s w ere orected a t F o r tiliz i e te and
L a s A reiiaa on the r ig h t h a n k atid ju s t opposite the
first nam ed j)Iace, w ith a view o f d riv in g the m uch
deteete<l b a r by the stren g th en ed cu rre n t fa rth e r out
to sea. T h e p iers w ere du ly G re e te d , h u t did not
g ive m uch satiwfactioD, fo r in 1630 th e shjp-mastors
w ere loud in th e ir com plaints o f th e dangers of
n avigatio n to and from Bilbao, and a s a consequence
th e K in g ordonid th e Local K oard o f T rade to open a
r e ^ l a r en q u iry in to th e loiwes o f tho ]>ast few years
and to add a re p o rt explanatory o f th e tn ie n a tu re
o f th e b a r an d th e riv er.
M uch curious inform ation wa g iv e n in ihi
an cicn t record o f bygone Spanish commerce
inform ation, b y tho w ay, w hich has its v alu e to-day,
a n d wo qu o te a sentence o r tw o. D u rin g the 20
yeare preced in g 1630 th e b a r a t P o rtu g aletc com
m anded a d ep th o f 20 Spanigli foct a t sp rin g -tid e
and from 14 to li> feet in neap tides. L u rin g th a t
tim e 40 ships b u ilt in th e N ervion safely crossed the
bar, some of them h av in g a burden o f 700 and others
n o t leas thari 300 tons, T he b a r movee sometimes
to th e n orth side an d o th ers to tho aouth, an<i now
an d again to th e tiorfh-cast ; it is m erely composed
o f sand, T he change in iie direction are principally
produocd h y the gales a n d w ash o f th e liiBcaysm
fHAS, a n d tho only rem edy ag ain st this aa haa boon
cxporienced o f old is a r iv e r flow,'
Tbo first inenti<m o f Las A renas q u ay ia in the

T H J iE E D A Y S T T i O ^ K h fO L A H D .

13

y e a r 1558, b u t before It a pier e x ite d , w hich w as

erected betw een tlie y ears 1542 to 1550, an d which
wns about 77B m etres in le n g th , T he P o rtu g alete
pier o r brciikw atcr wua alread y i(itundG<i to reach a?
fa r as the break ers on tlic bar, a n d th is is now the
C5ise, aud ouce p>iet th is, vessels a re ixi p crfcct safety
and steam aii in a can al by th e picturesque to w n of
P ortugaleto to Luchana a placo d istan t about three
o r four miles, w here tliuy take th e ir tu rn a t tlie tips
for the m luerala w ith w hicli th e y a re to be ladon.
T h e b a r (w hich is about 4<35 metr&s in iengtli) a t
tbo m outh o f the N ervion still m aintain its anciont
reputation for m ischief, and as tho atrong n o rth
w esterly gales from tlie A tlan tic strik e th e Spanish
coast, th e huge rollei-s o f th e B iscayan S ea claim
th e ir Bilbao toll in hfo a n d p ro p erty , as m ourners
and th e uuderw ritera a t L lo y d s know too well.
Ae provion3y staled, th e w aterb g .p laco o f X^is
A renas, w ith it pier, is on one aide o f th e N ervion
ja s t south o f th e b a r itself, and on tho o th e r is th a t
tow n o f q u a in t houaes an d stoep hills P ortugalete
O n tlw riv e r fro n t th e place presents a moderi,
appearance, how ever, a n d it is only in th e centre
o f th e tow n th a t you a re rem inded o f i u an tiq u ity
rh o m a rk e t^ o n S undays atten d ed by crow ds o f
women very gaily dressed in strik in g colours, red
and blue b eing p r o m in e n t- ls well w o rth a v isit if
tim e permit, and so ia the ancient parish ehurch
which g o t severely dam aged d u rin g tiie C arlist
w ar of ten y e a r, a g o ; b u t t^ y o u d some oak carving

14

T H E B IO S L A y i> S O F C A K T A T m iA ;

OB^

over tliO liig h alta r an d a rem arkablo o rg a n in

tL w estern gallery , th e re is n o th in g p articu lar to
notice. Those in quest o f th e re a l m eaning o f tha,t
h ^ d aicy c d q uotation, a n ajicicnt an d fiahdiko
sm ell, should v isit some p a rts o f th is G ravesend
o f Bilbao. T h e inspector o f nuisances h a s a con
tin u a l h o lid a y ; and th e sewago and its gasos w ork
th e ir ow n sw eet w ill a t pleasure. T o w erin g above
th is re a lly picturesquely-situated to w n is th e conical
shaped m o u n tain nam ed Cerante a n d from th e
w atch-tow er a t it sum m it a noble viow can h
obtained b y those w ho do n o t fe a r th e stiff ascent
b y m eans o f th e m ilita ry road. I f th e K ay is in a
peaceful m o o d ^ a n d it is a v e ry m uch m alig n ed bay
to te ll th e tr u th it sprcada o u t before you like
boundless fields o f liquld^azqre. N ow an d again,
gH steniiig from th e ra y s o f a Spanish sun to y o u r
rig h t, you can sec tho w h ite b reak ers o n th e b a n
tb e yellow sands o f lia s Aromw, th e prom inent
houses o f A lg o rta, o r th o Shakespeare-Cliff-Kke
chalk prom ontory o f Q alea. T u rn in g y o u r back
to th e sea, you can see th e w indings o f th e N ervion
on its w ay to Bilbao, easy enough to discover by
a lo n g procession o f screw steam ers, eith er slowly
m ak in g th e ir w ay u p to th e tip s " fi>r iron
ore, to discharge th e ir black diam ond c a r g o s , or,
l>eing outw ard b o u n d ,' h ea d in g for th e ^ r
w ith m ore o r less preccDce o f free bc>ard. B u t in
justice to th e B ritish shipow ner, it sliould be said
th a t in nin e cases o u t o f ten w hen tliC free board is

T B I iE E P A T S F n O M E iT G L A N D .

15

too little b j a g^reat deal, th e enaign th a t floata

from tlie ta (Trail is n o t th a t o f tho U nion Ja c k of
O ld E ngland. A tnvm way followa th e courso o f th e
N ervion a n d ita eRtiiary from S anturee to B ilbao;
h n t ta k in g one eonsidoration w ith another i t is not
a pleasant road to trav e l. R o u ghly speaking, it is
about aeven irtilcs o f th ird -ra te houaea altern atin g
w ith m ineral ra ilw a y s; t i p s for th e iron ore
heaps o f th e iron o r e ; pleasaut looking, b u t v ery
d irty people wIjo shij) th e iro n or an d la n d the
coals; E n g lish and G erm an firemen, w ho eooin to
spend their tim e in practically dem onstrating against
b ir W ilfrid Law son and aU h is w o rk s ; an d tho
ubiquitous carabinero, who, w ith m ore o r leas o f a
slouching g ait, is coaselessly on tho prow l (w ith a
loaded gun) for somebody filching o r attem ptiiig to
filch pesetas from th e Customs Bevenu o f HCs
M ajesty A lfonso XIX, N o . vro w ill prefer th e Las
A renas tram w ay for exploring thcs banks, an d wo
will have to fe rry th e N orvion river.

T H K n i O H L A U V S O F C A iiT A D H IA j

Oft,

cnAPTER in.
ON TH K BA X K a

OF THR

N F R V IO Ji.

I r tlie Lalo o f nnoaaice han^^ som ew hat al>ont

Tw ickenham ferry , it m u st bo ad m itted th a t prM tlcal
b u siiie ^ dom inates ite num erous nam esakee gn the
N ervion. T h e boats a re stu rd y and broad-beam ed ;
tb e boatm en w ith tb e ir b in e je a n jack ets and
tio u se rs and th e alm ost im ivereal tc a rle t boina
w lricb m uch resembleH tb e broad H ig h la n d bonnet
are esceediogly picturesque, and v e ry p atien t a t the
sam e tim e, as how uvor crow ded th e traiis-N erv io u
packet m ay be, i f th e y spot a n old la d y w ith a
basket a q u a rte r o f a m ile off, tb e y w ill w ait for her
to a certain ty . I t should be n o ted too th a t nearly
a ll th e women ca rry baskets, and practical athletics
o f no m ean o rd er a re recjuired to dodge those laskete
in e m b a rk in g a n d d isem barking.
Some o f the
la n d in g places a re v e ry good, others re q n ire not
only th o presence o f m in d so m uch reoommonded,
b u t also th a t o f a good stick. Jklarket w om en are
ju s t th e sam e from C hina to P e ru a ceaeolesa
ch atter o f itjdiflerent S p an ish ; and th e unapproach
able Basque is m aintained by th e, fa r tho most p art,

THRPF^ P A T 8 F B O M E m i J N J i .

17

plcaaant and good-iiumoured looking carriers o f

cabbages, pim entos, tom atos an d th e l i k u d u rin g
tb e few minuteB^ row acroes th e stream , aud then
they separate o n th e ir various errands. T he h ilb on
th e L as A renas side o f th e riv e r a re not eo commandin g ly tall ae those on th e oth er bank, an d a belt of
lovel land, in m any places cultiv ated w ith^m aize,
lies betw een th e ir feet an d tho riv e r itself. Th*
A lgorta-B bao tram w ay d iife m ateriaJly from
m any o f our E n g lish inatitirtione o f th e same name.
T hree mule abreast a re driven, and a v e ry rapid
pace is kept u p ; there are no onteide seatssm oking
ie, o f course, allowed iuside, and people a re perm itted
to stand on th e platform . I u these cars it is no
xagfferatinn to say th a t alm ost as m uch E n g lish is
heard ae Spanish, th e prepondoranco o f tb e B ritish
m ercanle m arine b ein g perhaps m ore ap parent a t
Bilbao th a n a n y oth er fo rd g u port. Before enterm g one o f these cars lo ru n u p to th e city , a ffood
Jw k a t P o rtu g alete shoald be ta k en , and a s th e sun
Ilum nate the window s o f its French-looking
lights up th e proportions o f th e church o f S an ta
M aria, it
difficult to believe th a t th is poacefuZ
Im king sort o f place w as on ly eleven y ears n so the
scene o f one o f th e m ost severe b o m bardm ent, of
t i n , o ^ t h e w reck and r.u n o f tho
n fim td y g re a te r th a th a t o f A loxandria.
K. V.
l^to and

being
Oi> the

^ p u b lic a n fleet
8 it r < - a n d

sent t h d r

shell ovr

th e inoim ta in s in to th e v e ry C arlist poeitlons the

L iberal la n d troopR w ere attack in g . Portiigalet
w as sim ply ren d ered a mass o f r u in s ; an d tlio
l)cautiful palace o f M iirrietta, w here a gir3s si^hool
Lad ta k e n refuge from Santurce, w as u tte rly de
stroyed, S an tu rcc snffered too trem endouRly, as 560
shells fell in to th is harm less little pilots v i l l ^ from
tho aquadroD. P o rtu g aleto m ore o r less sided w ith
th e Bepxiblic, and on ly yielded to th e Oarlii^ta after a,
forty days siege, so th o unluckily placed to w n fell*]

X)

betw een tw o stools, o r ra th e r, g o t it uneomraonlyT

h o t from b o th side, in th a t m iserable civ il war.
B eing, in fact, th e key to Bilbao, th e C arllsts strongly
intrenched them selves th ere, a n d b a r m T lh e naviga-j
tio n o f tho riv e r by stre tc h in g chains an d cahk
from sLoro to shore, th u s re n d e rin g th e aacent or
e. T hese cables were
descent o f tb e riv e r im
overlooked b y pow erful artille ry batteries, ready
an d v e ry w illing to sin k a n y vessel th a t should
atte m p t to c u t th em . T h e record o f tb e bloodst^iined hills aro u n d th e m o u th of* th e N erv io n is far
too lo n g to g iv e here. B u t alm ost ev e ry field is the
scene o f w h e re S paniards killed Spaniards, an d ss
y o u gaily tre a d th e tn r f a t th e foot o f Somorosti
you a re w alliing in th e cem etery o f thousands of
b rav e men. W o a re no prophets, and w ith politic
w e liave n o th in g w h atev er to do, h u t th e mottt
painful and th e on ly p ain fu l reflection a b S it thia:
p a rt o f S pain is tlia t th e old feud is sm ouldering, and
th a t on th e leaat excuse th e re w ill be m ore brotherl]

T E S B E D A T S F H O M F f/G L A S D .

19

cut-throating, eith er for some Republic, one and

iudi visible, o r for Don O a t I o b and tb e
or
provincial privileges o f tb e Basque provinces, which,
w betbcr for good o r evil, have been doQC aw ay w ith
by tb e M adrid authoritiei?. B etw een L as A renas
a n d E l Dw?ierto, th e ru n h y th e tram w ay is entirely
ru ral, b u t a t th e la tto r nam ed plaoo yon en te r w bat
ie really a fluuriahing suburb o f Bilbao, from w hich
city it is exactly six miles distiint b y tbe cars. Tbe
handsom e riv e r atone w all, w ith num erous landing
places, continues all th e w ay from Las A ren as to
Bilbao, and it is utilised in a rem arkable w ay a t
E l Deaierto, as i t form s a h an d y aeat fo r a g re a t
n u m b er o f m en, who, h av in g n o th in g to do, decline
to go in to th e m ark et p l ^ in search o f work.
A p a rt from th e intellig en t male n ativ e, w ho finds
th e waU a convenient lounge, it is really a n unspeak
able boon to th e B ritish firem an, w ho, h av in g had
qnite enough o f th e infam gus poison sold a t some low
grogshopa dow n th e riv er,- natxiraUy lies dow n in
the m iddle o f tho ro ad to g e t his hard-earned sleep
and then it is th a t th e riv e r w all p revents him
ro lh n g over into th e quick-flow ing N ervion, and
perhaps goin g o u t to aea a g a i n ^ a corpse W e
ay the male n a tiv e ; th e women w ork, an d >yifh a
v e n d e e ; in landing tiie coal o r b rin g in g tho iro n
ore m peddling^ caUcoes an d sheetings, in reap in g
th e w heat o r tillin g th e soil, th e women a i^
tt e r e to tho fore, alw ays w orking, sieg in g , and
apparently alw ays happy. P erh ap s n o t a p rettier
0 2

V ?
^

labour aig b t, i f reg ard ed from a serious poi!it of

view , is to be had th a n th a t o f th bundrcde of
w om en o f all agesfrom ih e old v eteran o f past
seventy to th e Httle m ite o f six o r seven discharging
a coal-laden steam er in th e N erv io n riv er. E v e ry
wom an <arriee h e r loaxl on h e r head, and gaily
hum m ing som e p laintive air, th in k s no m ore o f a
load o f m ore th a n 120 lbs. th a n wo should o f one
o f te n . P ractice m akes p e rfe c t; aud from very early
ago th e g irl-o b ild icn le a rn to carry w eights steadily
o n th e ir heads, w id as th e ir years advance th e burden
is o f course increased, till really m arvellous qu an tities
o f coal o r ore a re carried w ith ease in th e simple
fashion o f tlie m ilkm aid o f th e stage. T hese women
a re paid b y th e day o f tw elve honrp, and e a rn about
2s. to 2s. 6(i. p e r day w h en tra d e is brisk. A bout
th e sam e tim e th a t th e little g irl h a s m astered tho
a r t o f ca rry in g a loaded coal b ask et on h e r head, and
in a fashion becomes a b read w inn er, h e r brother
has acquired th a t o f p erfectly ro llin g an d sm oking a
g a r o t t e , b o th a t qu ite eaxly in life they a re wisely
p rep ared for th e occupations o f th e ir la te r years.
T h e stores a t E l D esierto a re num erous an d jjood.
F o r beds an d hotel accommodation, M orleys stands
suprem e; for ship chau d leiy an d coals, th e large
prem ises o f th e Seville O il Oom]>aiiy, ajid th a t o f E l
S ig lo ; for casual refreshm ent, tho houses o f M ariaua
EioR, Garciaa, P e d ro B arcena, Caf P ro g resso and
C urling's m ay he recommended. These a re in fact
th e clubs o f tho locality, and if one w an ts to find

T R R S IS D A T S F S 03 E N Q L A ^ D .

2!

aoybody, you n atu rally look in a t one o f the cafcs

M tached to th e stores, ra th o r th a n chance tlio
alm ost certainly hopcloae e rra n d o f callin g a t hie
house. E l D esierto is a h am let o f tho mouDtain
TlIf^^ o f K randio, d ista n t some tw o o r th ree loilee
away and the A lcalde o f tlia t place on ly allows one
licQused butcher n tho place. T he prices th is in
dividual charge a re fairly reasonable, b u t in parliumentjvry language we cannot do justice to the
toughness o f his steaks. A full-grow n Rhark would
perhaps find them easy eating, h u t th e average dog
preiers a b it o f soft wood to g n aw at. T his octroi is
strictly preserved a t hapless D e se rto , and on one
occasion we were w itnesses o f th e seiznre o f some fine
looking hoof, w hich a d a rin g w om an had su rrep
titiously b ro u g h t into th e d id rlc t from Bilbao. A s
most people know o f th e absurdly prohibitory tariff
(soon we hopo to he altered ) th a t S pain lias for some
years m aintained sgairw t B ritish goods, it w ill
perhaps be unnecessary to rem ark th a t a good del
o f sm uggling o f all sorts goes on, thongli in most
w e s th e articles so b ro u g h t into th e country are
intended m erely for p riv ate consum ption. The
average B n to n w ill, if he can, w bafevcr semi-cra^ed
moralists m ay say, sm uggle in h is tins o f salmon.
BDiokeable t o b ^ o , o r liis cheap
fo r h is own
personal benefit. W hen, however, th e S panish m er
ch an t thmfes o f decreasing his co u n try s revenne, he
makes a quiet arran g em en t w ith some h ig h fu n c
tionary, who becomes a v irtu a l p a rtn e r in the firm.

T he influence o f th e E n g lish steam ers is m ore re

m arkable a t E l Desierto th a n anyw here else on the
N ervion. M ost o f th e stores hav e E n g lish o r quaaiEngli&h signR, as P e te r lio atm an , and m eat of
fine frosch bullock 5 b u t we mui?t really caution
OTJr good frictid, M ariano R ios, th a t P e a c h su p lid
is donbtleesly v e ry -well in tended fo r p itc h sup
plied, b u t it w ont stand ovon o u r atan d ard o f
th e language. Tho E n g lish colony is stro n g , and
i t ie aleo stro n g in dogs, A n E nglishm aji is usually
m ore o r lees d o g g y ; b a t i t ie a, m arked featu re a t
E l D esierto. A e you stro ll alo n g tho em bankm ent it
rem inds one o f th e Uttle-knowTi line o f T en n y so n
Ikpgs to ih e rig h t of yon, drgs to tbo lo ft o f you,
ftll in front o f you, volleyed and tb m id ered ;

an d th a t is exactly w h at th e y do a t E l DcFderto.
N o t fa r from w here th e handsom e ^'arehouscs o f th e
Seville O il Com pany raiso th e ir d a rk fro n tag es to
face th e loft h a n k o f th e N erv io n a p erfect avalanche
o f dogs m ay be expected, w ho g o f o r th e passing
tram -car in a d elig h tfu lly b an d it fashion ; failm g th e
tram -car, whioii w ill n o t stop fo r them , th e y look
around fo r o th e r dogs to q n arrel w ith , an d w hen they
have found those o th e r doge th e experienced trav eller
eliould ta k e refu g e, say a t G arcias, and -wait till the
canine pandem onium ie over. Spaniards hav e often
been accused o f unkind neas to an im als; i t is a m a tte r
o f certa in ty th a t th e y do n o t love th em iti th e same
senee th a t w e do, n o r doee tlie la c t th a t th e y are

TBJiJuE I t A T S F R O M E N G L A N I> .

23

hum ble in e n d s and compauioue strik e th em iu the

same fashion qa OTirseLves. B u t in o u r som ewhat
vigiirous esporienco of, a t an y rate, n o rth ern Spain
we cannot say th a t we know o f an y case o f deliberate
cruelty to anim als beyond th e bull fig h ts thcmRelvee,
o r caused b y poor untu to iu d urchins w ho know no
better.
A t E l D esierto a terrib le w arn in g exists, a w arn
in g to pliilanthropic ladies a n d gentlem en who wish
to s ta rt institutes lo r seamen, au d so reclaim our
reckless ta rs an d firem en from over-dovotion to the
cup th a t clieers an d inebriates v e ry m uch. Some
tiiuo ago some good people determ ined to s ta rt a
Iseamens Roclamatiou F acto ry a t E l D eaierto, aud
fiuding th a t th e line of store a n d public housf^s was
on th e em bankm ent o f th e riv e r itselfplaced how
ever a fow feet back on account o f some question o f
ancient r ig h t o f w ay the wiseacroe referred to
placed it som e seventy y a r .^ behind tho re a r o f tho
houses, and only to be reached b y crossing a field
o f conrso unlighted. W hc i t has been raininff, and
th e re 18 no m istake about th e ra in in Biscay w lion it
means business, th o (boipath o f o rd in ary ea rth ie uot
exactly perfect, and some injnOicious persons have
lelt shoes th erein a s memonlocs o f th e ir atM m i.t to
reach w hat o u g h t to be th e sailore homo on the
banks o f th e X ervion R iv er, and w hich is cortainly
n o th in g o f th e sort. Tl.o b u ild in g its e lf i fairly
BuUtantial, an d it o n g h t to be bo considering the
sum It c o s t; and on en te rin g it you wiU fiud th a t in

24

T H E J flO B L A ifD ii O F C A i f T J B i i l A ;

OB.

uine cases o u t o f te n yon h av e th e N ew Seumang

In stitu te entirely to youTself. O n th o r ig h t is tlie
lib rary a n d reading-room .
Y ou a re p erh ap s *
stra n g e r to S pain, alth o u g h n o t a m arin er, an d you
look forw ard to sp en d in g a p leasant h our o r so a t a
so rt o f K nglish clul>-houBo w hich m ay rem ind you of
borne. T h ere a re p len ty o f new spapers al>out th a t
is to H a y , y ou c a n re a d th e Recryrd, o r tho Christianf
o r num erous o th e r jo u rn a ls o f th e sam e c la ss;
h u t w ith tho single exception o f th e London evening
Olobe a little in advance o f J a c k aiid h is friend the
firem an bu i t understood n o t a single p ap er a t th a t
reading-rortm ^ould appeal to th e in terests o r sym
pathies o f n in e h undred an d n in e ty -n in e o u t o f a
thousand K nglish seamen and firem en w ho v isit the
P o r t o f Bilbao. O f th e lib rary little can l)e Raid,
becauso th e re a rc so few b o o k s; th e g re a t m ajority of
them have n e v e r been read ; and aa th e y a ll seem to
havu been w ritte n in th e d irect intercst^^ o f v ery
g n sh ic g ly E vangelical S u n d ay School te a c h e r R , of
ab o u t eighteen y ears o f age, it is n o t lik ely they
ever w ill be. 1h ere is a fair billiaxrl table used ro w
an d ag a in b y Rome o f th e captains and th e ir long
shore frie n d s ; a bagatelle board m ore o r less o u t of
repair, au d a bar, w h ere th e harm less lemonade
and^ th e soul-inspiring soda w ater can b e had a t tho
price o f fonrpence p e r b o ttle. T h e one r e d e e m ! tig
feature ab o u t th is ghastly attem p t to m ake tho 1ives
o f J a c k an d Tien in Bilbao B iv e r m ore sober and
com forlable is tho coui tey o f th e w arden o f the

TU F.E D A Y B F R O M B N G l A y .

25

place itself^ a n old man-of-warsman we believe, who

doc his utm ost to m ake tboee w ho v isit hi deeolatc
Instiiuie as tH>mlbrtablc a s anybody can feel iii a
kind o f deserted chalk-pit w ith tb e w iftd in tb e east.
0 you good fioula, v^^ho find tb e m oney for these and
other dilly exhibitions of coin excess and no brains,
p ra y do th e wbolo o f y o u r d u ty an d fiid out
w hat Jack and T im re a lly w an t w hen they seek tb e
Spanish ore on the N ervion R iver. T he Con
verted Cowkeeper o f Cam berwell '* m ay doubtless be
an excellent w ork in ita w a y ; b u t tb lUiuiraifid
ZA/micn AVw?, o r P unch, o r Mtxmshine^ o r tho othor
comic papers, a re m oro to th e point. T he Record
has often very valuable theological inform ation in its
p a g e s; bnt w e question v e ry m uch if we h a d been
trim m in g across a n an g ry "B ay, we sLould
prefer it to a good secular w eekly p aper. Then
again, why not hav e g en u in e sini?-K>ngs as we
used to call them in tb e colonies; D ick o r H a rry iu
th e chair, everybody doin^^ th e ir best, a a d jo in in g in
th e choruses. Call them music b a ll choruses if you
K ke; is It n o t fa r b e tte r to be indifierent to th e
claims of W a i t e r , and sing comic songs in a welJrejfulated place o f re a l en tertainm ent, in a real Soan ^ s T n^itute, th a n be v irtu a lly ta ra c d out o f a
sham one s doors, on ly to d rin k d e a th in solution a t
a neii-hhouring dram depot ? W e w rite strongly, for
we feel strongly on tb is subject. Y ou can ta k e a
horse to the w ater, b u t yon cannot m alie bim drink,
ack and T im tiie fireman are ta k e n to Bilbao

because th e y have to g o there, b u t th e y a re fa r t-Do^

hum an to caro a u g h t for th e N ew Seam an a lustitul
a t E l D oiicrto o r to en te r it, even w hen taken to (be
roadw ay th a t leads to th e field th a t lies bofore ita dooi
T em peranceaye, a n d to tal abstiueuce too aro, we
a rc told, m ak in g ra p id strides am ong o u r poop)
aud n o one w an ts a h elp in g h a n d m ore th a n on
road to even fe ir m oderation th a n o n r typical Jack
and Tim , Fad-forcing is a bad bneinesa a t an y time
a t K l D esierto i t is sim ply w recW ng a movernt
righteously in ten d ed . L e t th e seaferers be treated^
AS m en, n o t a s a lo t o f sickly goody-goodies; and if
some o f th e m havo n o t y e t attain ed to th e heroic|
v irtu e if eo it b ^o f to tal abstinence, le t them
d rin k in th e ir ow n h e a rty fashion S w eethearts and
W iv e s in good E n g lish o r G erm an b eer on S atur<
d a y n ig h ts, w ith o u t th e suspicion th a t aro u n d the
co rn er eomebody is w aitin g w ith a tra o t on th e evil
o f h ab itaal drunkennesi- I f th e N ew S eam an'
In s titu te w ere to act up to its title, i t would sock the
m ental and m oral im provem ent o f ev e ry Kuglish^
speaking sailor w ho visits B ilb a o ; a s it iR, it only
apjw ala to those w ho care for th e mofit rig id form of
Pnritiknism o f a fossil character, an d th e eccentric
o f all creed w ho th in k th a t w ith o u t to ta l abstinenc
there iH n o salvation, eith e r in th is w o rld o r the
next.
W h a t ia really w anted in the cuec o f th e New
Seam ans In s titu te is th a t i t should quickly bo made
an unsectarian aiTaiv altogether. A w o rk in g com-;

T IJ ItE B I> AT 3 F S O M E ifO L A ifD .

27

mitfee o f laymen, w ith genial Hympathy fu r Jack ,

aud w ho know hie ways, aliouM take tho w hole affair
in hand, ask if ncceseary for aid and sym pathy in
E n g lan d , and if th e p ro p er m en w ere on ly appointed,
they would soon galvanise into useful aud honourable
existence th e unhappy corpse in th e field a t E l
Dcsieito-

C H A P T E R IV .
TEE

C N O O .VQ U BR BD C IT Y .

ro m
E l Deaiorto to Bilbao tVie cars take al>oulj
forty m in u te s; and, av a ilin g oneself o f th e platfoi
ono can g e t a good viow a n d n o te all th a t is to
m aiked, learned, au d in w ard ly d igested i a this poi
tiuii o f Spain, P erlm ps th e first objects th a t wotih
trike th e eye arc tho tw o h u g e Spanish smeltini
w orks, its h u g e chim ney-stacks b ein g visible for
considerable distance. T he tipa a t L u chana are'

also v e ry conspicuous, b u t wo shall havo m ore

ay w hen we deal w ith th o v aat deposits o f minei
w eiilth wliich su rro u n d th e city o f th e beautiful bay
Belle Vao, m odernised in to Bilbao. T h e windlnj
o f th e riv e r N ervion have suggested to one inventn
g azetteer th a t tho marmerR phra3, in th e Kill
is derived from tb e p erils o f th o n av ig atio n o f
stream in th e old d ay s o f sailing-ships. "Re th ii as it
m ay, i t is certain th a t oven w ith pow erful ateioneJ
an d p le n ty o f tu g aaaietanee, th e re a re p le n ty of
m in o r d an g ers to ho m et w itli, o itlie rin m ak in g for]
th e t i p s " o r leav in g them . A t h ig h tide the
riv e r presents th e appearancc o f a h u g e sleamsht)

T B S E E D A Y S FROM E N O L A yV .

29

procession, aa th e really sta te ly scrcw collicrs o r

steam ers in balla&-t th re a d th e ir w ay u p Ibroiigh the
iidm )w reaches. T he exporte o f ore alone in 1 8 8 i
heiug about th re e m illion tons, tlio t o n n a ^ to
an d from th is com paratively little-know n p o rt p uts
it in th e front ra n k o f tlio sh ip p in g cities o f tlie
world. T he
en te re d to:m age o f Bilbao comes
im m ediately after Liverpool, London leading the
van o f th e w orld w ith o v er e ig h t millionf?, N ew
Y ork following close on to th is to tal w ith seven
millions aud a half, w hile L iverpool shows a littio
lese. T he tug-boat all o f E n g lish build m ust do
a v e ry handsom e business, qm th e y ure seldom o r ever
idle. TTutil tb e recen t depression in th e iron trade,
th e eeaaelcss c ry o f th e iro n sm elters in B ritain was
m ore ore, roore ore! '* and so th e N erv io n w as a t
time dangerously crow ded w ith vessels anxious to
g e t tho precious m aterial for th e h u n g ry B ritish aud
G erm an furnaces. To those w ho fancy th e collier*
o f C ardiff are like th e m ore o r lees ancient craft,
w hether steam o r sailijig, th a t ca rry Londons eeah om e supply o f coal, it should be stated th a t m any
o f these vessels n o t on ly possess beautiful lines, hut
are patterns o f cleauHness a s well. Tako eneh cra il
as W are8 Y a c h ts ae th e y a re c a lle d -n o ta b ly the
RayUujh's Croee, o r M e rs. C ory's Rougt^nont, and it
would be difficult to believe th a t th e y are colliers in
a t an y rate th e ontw ard hound service o f th e ir sea
travel. Small p a * e n g e r boats p ly in th e summer
m onths from tho bridge a t Bilbao to P ortugalete, but

th e favourite w ay o f roacW ng th o sea h o a t

eertainly th e tram w ay s o n eith e r side o f th o ri
th fares l>eiag v ery luw, on ly % few pence taki)
one all th e -way. T h e re is little to say about th<
suburb o f O laveaga, w hich lies betw een E l Deaiei
a n d th e city proper, T he opposite side o f the
from th is v i l l a ^ how ever, has a th o ro u g h ly l)h
c o u n try look, an d w ere i t n o t for th e clear blue
th e S panish sky and th e p leasant h e a t o f th e norl
S panish su n , one would b e in clined to th in k tl
somehow o r o th e r steam ers h a d roanaged to roach byj
a ship canal, le t ua say, th a t m ost delig h tfu l wate:
place, D udley P o rt, and th a t you w ero once aj
enjoying its sccnery a n d smoke. T o recapitulate
th e iron-w orks i a th is locality w ould be o u t of o\
p ro v i ce; b u t m ention m u st be m ade o f th e fam<
forreria o f M essrs, Y b a rra a n d Oompauy. I t ie
furnaces o f thee gentlem en a u d th e fr rival that
lig h t u p ou d a rk n ig h ts th e w in d in g s o f th e N ervi'
riv e r. Some littlo dietance beyond these tokens of
civilisation a n d poisoned a ir, w e see a little spot on
i th e sam e aide o f th e riv e r (th e left), an d th a t is th*
\ E n g lish cem ctery, poor Ja c k s lo n g homo in nin<
case o u t o f ten . P e rh a p s a p re ttie r o r quiei
\ burial-place does n o t ex ist in E urope.
T he U
1 h a s been g ran ted by th e S p an ish au th o rities in
^ p etu ity to th e B ritish G overnm ent, and th e place
n o t only w ell-planted w ith cyprua an d oth er ti
b u t th e p a th s an d su rroundings a re k e p t in the
perfect order. Too m any o f th e occupants o f thi

beautiful littlo Cam po 8 an to o f o u r people came

th e re th ro n g h tho treacherous b a r a t th e riv e rs
m outh a o d others j an d alpo fa r t<K> m an y haRtencd
th e ir occupation o f a sito in th o cem ctory b y another
bar, th e b a r w here ra n k poison w as sold as honest
fitimulant. If, iii8tt5ad of ondeavourinj to m ake people
Bobcr and pious b y A c ts o f P arliam en t, G overnm entR w ould insist on th e p u rity o f ev ery glass
o f beer and w hisky sold tho cause o f tem perance
would be practically won. I t is n o t alto g eth er th e
q u an tity b a t th e c h a ra c t^ o f t h e w retched RtiifF th a t
m akes Ja c k mies sta y s* in p u h h a M any a m a n
drinka ju r t as m uch as h e in a suiuptuouB club, and
walk* dow n P a ll Mall w ith head erect and sober aa
a judge, th e feet b ein g th a t bo has p artak en o f an
unadnlteraied artic le ; w hile Jack , w ho is
around generally, has partaken o f n early unadulterat<?d
poison. I f we had onr w ay w ith th e retailers o f this
bad d rin k th e inquiaitiveucas o f tho H o ly Inquisi
tio n would be n o th in g to it. A few weeks h ard labour
beneficently bestowed o n some rieli g iu paUco robLer
o f th e livea o f th e people w ould stam p Ihu eWI out.
T he polioo all dow n Bilbao riv e r are v e ry H n d and
oonsiderale to th e iiliugs o f the seamen, If, how
ever, Ja c k insista in m a k b g a perfect nuisance of
imself, a u d doelmes to p a y an y atten tio n to tho
^ a t ^ adm onitions to be qu iet a n d o rd erly tho
police reluctantly take him to th e local lo 4 -
w here his initia! punishm ent is in m ost cases a well!
d e rv e d flo g p n g , and tliis is followed l y a few days

detention on a ho ard in g fure w hich is certain ly n(

luxurioije. A s w ith OTir enem ies th e g aro tters, th*
sailor w ho h a s bad one h ea tin g a t th e hands of
Spanish police seldom o r e v e r troubles tho aiithorii
again. Bilbao p ro p er is n ow w ith in v ie w ; a lonj
line o f handsom e houses w ith w ell-kept ffardens she
th e w ealth o f h e r citizens. T h e tram w ay ends in
public square called th e A xenal, th is is w ell plant
w ith trees, au d hoaste seat accommodation, which
n o t few an d fa r betw een. Tbie A re n a l forms a iarf
tria n g le o n th e riv e r h an k , a n d t^igcther w ith tl
Cam po Y o lan tin m akes a capital public gardcfiit is n e a r th e railw ay statio n , w hich is ju s t aei
th e Isabella B rid g e, a handsom e stone one (n ear to^
w hich, b y th e w ay, vessels o f 1000 to n s b u rd e n h a
come n p ), close to th e th e a tre a n d ad jacent to all tb<
lead in g m ercantile oBces, i t m ay be cbaracteri^
aa th e cen tre o f th e unconquered city, aa th e Bill
people, w ho a rc m ain ly lib e r a ls a re p ro n d to
th e ir tow n, w h ich h a s tw ice aiiccesafully
besieging effort o f th e C arlist m ountaineers. Tb^
first w as in ] 835, w h e n Z um alacurregui, th e g n
Baaqne leader, w as directod b y D on Carlos to attac)
th e plaee, in o rd er to satisfy tho com plaint o f H u th a t h e h a d captured n o t a single im p o rta n t to w n m
th e provinces h e said w ere so devoted to him , Tf
w hole th iu g w as a n absurdity, for D on Carios
v e rv w ell th a t Bilbao w ould iv-sietto tb e death, an*
i f h e h a d sufQcient m ilitary prescience h e w ould
once have puabod on to M adrid, w hich w<mld ha^'

33

T B S E B D A Y S T H O M T lfG L A N P .

furrendered w ithout a blow, eo g re a t w as tho p r e s t ^

o f liis victories o f tb e n orth, O u th e 10 th o f Ju n e
Zuiaalacsarreg'ui received a fetal w ouud w hile sur
v ey in g th e c ity from tho h eig h t o f B egoua, and w ith
him practically diod the Oarlifit cauRe a t th a t time,
for ou tbe le t o f J u ly hifl snoccsaor, Eraeco, raised the
aiege. H owever, th e followers o f D on Carlos were
not to be eaaiiy beaten, for th e y reappeared on tbo
2:ird o f October, a n d carried a ll th e undefended
poeitioue on th e rig h t b an k o f th e N ervion, the
.Clrisid^ general, San M i- iie l, raaking n o t oven a
i^ o w o f reaialance. I t ie m ore th a n likely th a t
Bilbao w ould n ever liave obtained the title o f In v icta
a t thiB ju n ctu re had it n o t been for tho B ritish blue
jackets, w ho came to th e reecue o f th e Quoon fovcee
a u d th e ir incapable le a d e r; to use tI,o w ords o f M r

and
Colonel W jld o , tlie rua! lieroes, pointed out th e true
line o f re lie f by crossing tl.e riv e r
Espartero, and
Fn
Sen-lo violeneo ; then
K n g lah .ailo rs prepared rafts wluoh th o fire o f the
Engl.*)-. a riJ le ry protected, and so th e N ervion
p a ^ d b y E spartero ; an d n ex t th e Aira {a trib u U ry o f th o l,e rv ,o n on th e r ig h t bank) wascwssod
fir s t

^i>' sh endurance o f hardships.

o

Tlie B6|?e o f cloven y ears ago w ill bo rem em bered byj

a g re a t cu m b er ot* o u r readers, and we bavo no
to dw ell on thia m ost in terestin g b it o f mode)
history. Ju stice bas b ard ly been done to th e biavei
au d devotion o f cith e r side, in tho lam entable w ar, b
th e B ritish pressin fact w e a re un aw are o f th e exif
ence o f an y reliable E n g lish account o f tho stnigj
b u t th a t it w as a v e ry seveiu one as fa r as Bilbao wj
coneemtid ib e follow ing facie will s h o w : Shells fell
a t th e ra te o f 200 p e r day, freq u en tly 22 in a n hoi
a n d although wholo streets w ere fired, a n d m an y o f 1
public buildings destn>yed, th e idea o f surreudcj
novor entered th e defenders heads ; a n d th e ladies
Bilbao w ere m ore p ro m in en t th a n th e m en in the
fierce defiance o f n o s u rre n d e r/ P o rk , ham ,
to n g u e w ere
a lb,, fowls 20;?. a pair, d ried eod-l
Ss. p e r lb., ])0 la t 0 es OO*-. p e r cw t., an d th e re wero nj
vegetables, fresh fish, charcoal o r coal. T he defend
w ere JuBtificd in th e ir d e tk ic e ; th e sq u ad ro n of tl
E epublic settle<l th e CarHst question, a t an y rate
a tim e, an d th e city o f th e
B eautithl B ay " tl
claims also th e p ro n d title o f th e Ciudad inmcla.
A s yon leave the Laa A ren as tram car in th e A iei
th e C,A ftuizo m eets tb e eye, a n d frnm ab o u t cle
to n e a rly tw o th is is th e favoured h a u n t of
E u g h sh captains, brokers, and in i ^ t o f th e wl
o f th e E n g lish colony. W e hav e h<iard stay-o t-h<
EngH sbm en complain w ith some bitleriiess of
c la tte r F ren ch an<l G erm ans m ake a t restaurant,^
w e th in k th a t if th e y visited th caf vve refer

they wonlfl adm it th a t E n g lish m aster m ariners and

their frIonJs can ta lk and j^sticulal ju s t a#? load 1
any b f th e l>enighted forriners " who annoy th e in
sular John B ull in hie eati n g hou ge. T he last ti me
wo ite re d tho ijafo Suf^o and it is aesociated in our
minds w ith v e ry pioasant memories and o f good aud
tru e friende, o f whom the p o n tiif woe M r. R idley, and
th e aaeistont liigh priest th e pleasant b i t un h ap p ily
now deceasod E nglish doctor, W ileon hy nam e a
Btentorism voice was calling out I t is rwisoy D u n lo p /
and w e knew th a t tho B rito n w as abroad, T he Spanlards w ere quiet, reticent, aj,d reserved ; tb o Knglieh
w ere laughing and talk iu g loud, a n d evidently enjoytn g tliomeelves to th e full, alth o u g h th e Caf6 Suizo
1 It mjderetood, is tho cen tre and business oxchange o f th e shipping trad e o f the cnpital o f Bieoay.
I n a w ord, 3t is a com bination o f Lloyds, the
Je ru sa le m , a n d th e R o y a l lix c h a u g e located in a
U rg e room w ith a si^porfiuity o f u , i r r decoratior,, a ^ d
w h o m arb le t^ h le . tak o rt.e place o f m a h o g .n j d c k e
a ^ form s. ^ 'e o r n o n o o f th e ,^ d w in o fn o rtb o m
a t^ T

sn

w
* anT
to fg O
O ld
ld Tom
d T g .t.,r a bitto, w hilo th e welK
W A n c h o r b ^ d o fS .b ie d a m h ^ i t . v o t o i i n
d f c t E n g l^ h a u d G e rm a n beor w . , d , f a v o ., d

s r j r T
B ritish i>r i

f*

" " > i- *

vetiee

b y eomo h arltan an o f a

(dixty LoursH -C ardiff or

D 2

36

T B E 77J(iH L^D S O F CA2TABRTA x OE,

N ew p o rt to io B ar), tbo fearful sta te o fth e shippi

Irndc, th e g eu cial w o rry o f tb e Custom House,
curso o f qu aran tin e, th e w hereabouts o f Genei
G ordon, an d tlie iusufferable ignorance w bich prei
v ailed in E n g la n d as to th e ca}>aeity o f S p ain for
m agnlticent commercial future. M uch also was s<kii
for and af^alnst th e p resen t g o v ern m en t o f tl
co untry, b u t w e hav e n ailed tb e H as o f absolt
n eu tra lity to tbo m ast, and th a t ensign alono cai
throw its folds to th e breeze o v e r tlie barque
h a v e christened th e H ig h lan d s o f C an tab ria.'
T he fitlistics w e have g iv en show th a t Bilbao ii
ft prosperous, bu sy city , a n d th e signs o f wealt
th a t m eet the eye a t ev ery tu rn show how mi
th e iron ore h arv est has benefited th e place, l u
population, how ever, is a sm all one, beitig a fc'
thousands le tlia n 40,000. N estled in a valley aJ
th e foot o f th e spurs o f th e C antabrian P yrcnet
is h o t en o u g h in th o snramor, d elightfully pie:
in sp riijg and autum n r ig h t u p to C hriitm astid e; hi
in th e
th re e m onths o f the y ear, w h en (he m)
Ptorms sweep o v e r th e A tla n tic a n d across th e Kay,
is r o t a place suited for those subject lo ])ulraor
dieorders- I n tlie comparativt^ly m odern portion
th e tow n situ ate u e a r to th e A re n a l, th e Rreeti ai
v e ry narro w an d th e houses v e ry lofty ; every
pOBRosses a balcony, and tho oCfect o f some o f th
w ynds, as th e y w ould say in K din b u rg b , is remr
ably picturesque. A n o th er featnro o f th e ordim
Bilbao house is th e uiivorsal projecting roof, >^bn

TM SEB P A T S F Q O ^ E N Q LA N P .

^7

in a faehion affords protection from w iini a'id rain,

an d in th e kot Bummei m onths from th e sub also.
Carriajfe traffic in tliese slreets is n o t allowed b y th e
antlioritli!^ b u t v e rv narrow g au g e tram w ays exist
for tb e tran sp o rt o f goode. A curious w ay o f carry
in g m erchandise from one p a rt o f tho city fo th e
other exists in Bill>ao; tho package or p a c k a ^ s a re
p W c d on a so rt o f slodge o r solid piece o f tim ber
and thus draw n th ro u g h tli streets, rom iuding one,
in a &6hio>i, o f th e w a y in w hich, in tb e barbarous
daya o f tbo f^ood* old times, our enligbtonod
Icgiskvtors ordaiaed th a t tbe prisoners convicted of
high treason should be draggod to th e m angling
block a t T y b u rn o r elsewhere. A jid now fo r a
w ord as to n o rth ern Spanish cloanlinees. Ali tbe
houses w e ioapected in Bilbao, a a d th e y wero very
m any, wore beautifully d e a n , an d th e aim o rem ark
applies to tb e wbole region dealt w itb in th is volume.
W hatever m ay be th e case in th e m ore sunny soutb,
th e oft-used E nglish expression, Spanish d irt, cannot
Pi>ly to th e Cantiibrian provioces. I n m ast o f the
^ t ^ s in tbo villages b y th e m ountain side even a
B u te h housowifo would be m ore th a n satisfied: and
the spotless w hite o f tb e b ^ -Iin e n , w ith tl.e la<.edied
piUow.,
evory hotel, inn, o r private Laueo tliat
w e came across, would com pare mct feyourably witL
experiences o f oure th a t need n o t bo
i^ooraod m tbis place.
Bilbao w a u ea rly rising: place, an d lo n g before tho
verago B rito., th in k , o f his bacon an d coffee, the

tow n is all ye, all classes beings a t work, Tk marVeil

place is a larg e Land some buiidini', a a d is well
BUj)plicd w itb tiioat, fish, frn it, an d vogutablo; price
a re fairly m oderate, b eef boing from Sd. to lOd.
a Ib. for a n y p a r t o f th e anim al, ap p a re n tly no
difference b ein g m ade l>etwecn a ru m p steak and
tb e m eanest b it o f shin beef. T he sam e cnrioi
w a n t o f classification extends lo th e ju ic y Spanishi
m utton, w hich is obtainable a t
p e r ] b ,; eg g s are
v e ry d e a r a t.IC J . a doaen. A m ong titles w hich th s:
city b y th e N ervion lias acquired is th a t o f Tiei
del BacalaOf o r land o f sa lt cod-fish, ow ing to
being th e p o rt a t w hich th e larg o am ount o f saltedj
cod used in C en tral S pain a riiv c d fro m th e N orth
Sea. A b o u t the 1 2i\i contury th e bold fishermen
th e C antabrian coast w e n t aw ay to th e iiorlbei
seas in sta rc h o f w hales, and donbtfese iufrodu<
to th e ir stay-at-hom e countrym en th e nourishing]
fish food th e y found so abnndaT^t and so cheap on
tlie S candinavian coast- Tn 1881 no less thaa
10,045,517 kilogram m es o f co<l-fiflh w ero im|M>rte4|
into Bilbao, o f w hich nomc th rco miUions cum e from
Chrstiansaud. A s w c a t e tr e a tin g w ith th e food,
supply qn<!stion, it should be stated tlia t th e re are
few good restau ran ts, th e cookery a t tho Trussiai
l)eing ffon<l and th e charges m oderate, w hile the
brealcfasts and d in n ers a t th e leading hotels notabi
th e Fonda do In g la te rra w onld n o t d isgrace tbe
men Is a t an y o rd in ary F re n c h provincial in n . The
charges even a t th e best hotels in Bilbao a re reinark-

a b lj low, and are inclusive in th e ADxcncan seiise.

T hus a t the fon d a ju s t referred to , a^ d w hich
occupies th e first floor above th e Caf uizo, the
tariff is only Os. C. p e r day, a n d th is includes a
comfortable bed-room, attendacce w hich doee not
mean th e privileg e o f pulling a bell cord a n d waitinj
for nobody- chocolate, or ooifee w ith bread an d b n tter
early in th e m orning, and tw o nncommoDly eqnare
meals a s tiie Y ankees hav e i t a t ono oclock an d abont
seven. The^e num eronsl 7 coursed banquets are washed
dow i h y good generous N o rth e rn Spanish rod w ine,
w hich is both gratis and ad lilituin. These a re all
v e ry practical details ; a n d th e reader, perhaps aghast
a t o u r n in e teen th cen tu ry w ay o f p u ttiu g th in g s, w ill
w onder if w e a re g o in g to say n o th in g ab o u t th e
people a n d th e public buildings. A ll h i good time,
good critics- W e are ta k in g you into o u r confideuce,
an d you are g o in g th ro u g h lilK-w ju s t as we d id ;
and JoDg before wo m ade a stu d y o f th e Basques, saw
tho famou bridges, adm ired th e handsom e church of
BegoBa, we had bad some b itters a t th e caf w ith
th e B ritish Consul, and enjoyed a p le a ^ n t meal a t
the F o n d a de In g laterra. A few m ore lin es devoted
to p u rely every day an d v e ry im sentim ental w ants,
and wo w ill ru sh in headlong into architecture, the
easily acquired B asque lan g u ag e (th e y say tho devil
stayed seven y e a rs in Biscay, an d on ly picked up
three w ords of Basque), and ethnology p u re and
Fimplo. T iie Spaniarde-Englisli liavo a n excellent
club m th e Oalle del (Jorreo otherw ise Post-office

street and th e balcony from ita billiard room , where

there a re four excellent tables, is adm irably situaled
for th ro w in g dow n cig ar en d s a n d o th e r dclicacie
on tb e uususpecling Enffllah in tb e sido w alk a t i
leaat th a t ia onr experience; an d an o th er new clab
callod RI Sitio o r T he Siege, a n d a t th is institutioii
four E n g lish newRpajwrs a re ta k en , an d stran g eia ;
a re politely adm itted on presentation o f th e ir card.
T h in g s m ay b e i^oing to tb e deuce in tb e *city,'
an d M acaulays b c ^ y m ay be g e ttin g bis skotcbbook read y for th a t lo n g prom ised view o f dilapi
dated S t. P a u l's ; b u t tb e B ritish a t B ilbao laugh
w ell an d h eartily , an d rem ind one forcibly o f those
pioneers o f tb e o ld flag w e hav e know n u n d e r snnn ie r skies th a n eveu Spain, an d n e a r a b ig g e r ocean
th a n th a t o f tlie A tla n tic Sea. B ein g tim id, unaisum ing beings, w e did n o t v en tu re to approach
th e au g u st represen tativ e o f tiie L io n a n d thii
U nicorn (w h eth er fig h tin g for tlxe Crow n o r not),
b u t w ere credibly inform ed th a t th e ofGco o f the
B ritish Consul w as som ew here n e a r tb e railw ay
station. T h o th e atre, w here w e bavo b eard some
v e ry good sin g h ig and fa ir actin g , ia close to tho
A renal. I t ia n o t m acb to look a t outside, b u t is
comfortable w ith in . T h e b o ll-rin g w ill accommodate
n early 10,000 person?, an d th e fig h ts take plfu
every y e a r in M ay and A u g u st. W e h a v e n o t tbe
slightest in ten tio n o f inflicting m ore annoyance upon
our readers th a n o u r n a tu ra l infiim ities necessitate, so
the nsual tw o poge-and-a-balf description o f. the

TUKKF. P A Y S F H O V B N O L A y D .

rin g , its huTnours and its burrurs, id duliberalelv

om itted Lere. T h e re a re p le n ty o f o th er worka on
bull figlitefo r those who like th em . O ne th in g
sfrnclc us, th a t perhaps it is o, fo rtu n ate th in g th a t
bulls dont read Spanish, becaaee as tho u n h appy
victims a re being d riv en u p to tb e rin g o n th e
early m orning o f tlie h loodthirsty show , th e y are
faced w ith a large placard w hioh anuounces th a t
tb e ir flesh w ill bo sold a t a n alarm in g sacrifice on
tho foliowiiig d ay . I t is evident th a t th ero m ig h t
be trouble w ith tho b u lb i f they g rasp ed th e im port
o f th a t notice.
E x cep t dow n th e ro ad to L as A ren as aud to
P y rtu g a k te , whoro d ruukou S^-ianish and foreign
sailors occasionally cause some trouble an d yse the
kdifo o r draw a revolver, th o w hole neighbour
hood o f Bilbao is rem arkably orderly, an d serioiia
criiDos are few a n d far betw een. O f th a t adm irable
constabulary force o f S pain, th e G u ard ia C ivile, we
shall have to sp en k a t some little le n g th k t e r on, but
th e p u rely m uuicipal police foi*cea o f a N orthern
Spanish tow n should bo noticed. T he local police
a re called tho O rden Publico, o r gu ard iatis o f public
o rd e r; those mon eith er w ear uniform o r plain clothes,
as required. I n an iform th e y ca rry a cutkss-like
sw orJ, b u t th e ir chief use is a s detoctives. The
Screno, o r n ig h t w atchm an, ie a curious survival to
be found in N o rth ern Spain, a n d for a u g h t we know
all over th e peninsuU. H e is u gen tlem an o f tho
truly G uido Faw kes order, w ith a lo n g eloak, a

42

TUT. tS O H Z A S D S O F O A X TA B R TA ; O S,

lantern, and a p ik e staff au d rapier, an d lie chanta the

hours o f th e n ig h t and th e state o f tbo w eiithcr in a
fftontorian laaliion, w hich those Kcking^ th e aid of
N atu res g en tle uurso a re inclined to anatliem atise.

Y
r

P a s t tw enty-tJirec oclock an d rem ark ab ly sto rm y

would perliaps be in terestin g a s a jnraLle o f an
aritique fashion w ith th e n e w clock notion. B u t sleep
a k>le>isiug, an d tb e cheerful Sereno doce his bct
to destroy it. T be Celadors ag a in a re another
public body, an d th e ir cliief business is to see th a t all
doors, &o., are projKiily fastened in m uch th e same
fabhlon a s th e benig-bted City m an soca the police
g ia n ts o f Colonel F ra se r s com m and try in g th e w are
house doors in C annon S tre e t o r elsew here. T he
EogU sh s tra n g e r to Bilbao, w bo em ptied his w aterju g over th e S e r ^ o th in k in g h e wa* a tile-prow ling
cat, and so u g h t his rovolver for th e Celador, con
cluding ho m u st bo a b u rg lar, n a rro w ly escaped,
trouble, a n d la now rem ark ab ly w ell inforuicd as to
tho duties o f these tw o l)odio9 o f Spanish olliciale.
I t w as a fine b rig h t su n n y m orning in O ctober,
w hen, according to a n ap pointm ent w ith th e late,
courteous D r. W ilson (so w ell k n o w n in B ilbao), w e
m et him a t th e Cafe Suizo and sallied fo rth to do
th e public b u ild in g s o f th e unconquered city. li e
]>refaced th e excursion h y sa y in g th a t for a r t critics
th e re w as little o f h ig h interest in so em in eu tly a
eouim ercjal to w n as Billwo, b u t th a t th e re w as
niucb th a t wsis w orth nofiee, an d w e found o u t he
w as c o rre c t A s w e sallied fo rth fi*om tbo caf w ith

T B S K E D A Y S F JIO H E N O L A N D .

43

' tho w ords c h a rte r p a r ty a n d

foot a f t
rin g in g in our ears, w e m et a p a rty o f ladies coming
from th e teu oclock Mass a t the ch u rch o f S t.
N icholas, which faces tlie A ren al. I t is a say in g as
oH a s tho hills, th a t really w h a t a p iry it is th a t the
graceful Spanish m an tilla is b ein g eupersodod by tho
P arisian boniiet. T he BilLao ladies as u ru le etlll
cling to th e form er, a u d aUhongli th e ir features arc
n o t Ro beautifully r e g a la r as a rc those o f our fair
countryw om en, w ho to ev ery righ t-m in d ed individual
stand first in th e w orlds b eau ty sliow, y e t th e grace
o f a Spanish lady's m otion and th e w ay she di*eose9
m ig h t be studied b y some o f th e w ives an d sweet
h earts w ho liv e in th e fo g g y little island se t in a
N o rth ern eca, a n d w hich w e call home. T he u u iv er
sa! hlaek, how ever, has douhtless its charm s in a
b rillian t climate, b u t we cannot h elp th e rem ark th a t
th e th in g is a little ov er done, b u t w e ad m it these
ciiticismR o f ours aro ra th e r th in . W'e aro
tre a d in g on dangerua g r o u n d ; th e sliadow o f tlic
g re a t god F ashion comes before our eyes, an d we
m ust ow n, as all tlie m ale e e s do in th e ir hearts,
lh a t i f Pope referred to the fasbioua o f ladies when
he w rote w hatever is, is rig h t, h e w as perfectly
correct iu His observation.
T ho m en a|>o E n g lish dreas a g r^ a t deal, au d th ere
is quito a class o f B ilbao maaherR w ho would do
very well as supers a t th e stag e door o f onr London
G aiety, and be h ard ly distinguisliablo from tho
regular band o f devotees.
C hildren seem v ery

num erous iu Bilbao, and fam ilies ru n large. The

church o f Sfv NicLolas is a handsom e circu lar edifice,
w ith a noble h ig h a lfa r srip e tb l/ oniam ented ^vith
solid silver^ihis m ay be called tho ric h m an's
church, a s i t b ears sig^s o n all sideH o f llie g re a t
w iialth o f th e congro|?ation w hich assembles there.
N e a r th e h ig h alta r in tin s ch u rch stan d s a n oldfashioned ta ll clock b earin g th e nam e o f a London
m ak er o f years g o n e b y . T h e church o f S t. A n to n ,
a b u ild in g o f th e I4 lh cen tu ry , is w ell w orth a visit,
i f ouly to notice th e hideous w ay iu w hich i t has
beeu restored. I t is one o f tho&c places which
m u st b e seen to be appreciated. Chui ehw ardeni
(io th ic * in its w ildest flig h t n ev er approached tho
arch itectu ral h o rro rs o f th is poor ill-used church o f
S t. A nton, By fa r th e most in terestin g eccleaiaatical
edifice in th e im m ediate nei^hl>orhood o f Bilbao is
th e church o f Begoiiu, situ ated on a com m anding
plateau, from w hich a fine view o f th e to w n can be
obtaiued. F ro m th is spot B ilbao certiiinly looks
esceed iu ijly pictures<|ue, ly in g , us it does, nestled in
an am p h ith eatre o f g reen hills. T he ch u rch , which is
dedicated to th e A ssum ption o f O ur L ady, is o f v ery
an cien t date, a u d o n the feast o f th e Dedication, th e
l o t h o f A u g u st, g re a t num bers o f p ilgrim s from all
})art8 o f th e N q rlh o f Spain v isit th e church to p ray
before a u im age o f S t. M ary , w liich trad itio n says
w as found in th e centre o f a n old oak, and this
y early pilgrim ajfc is b y fa r tho m ost im p o rtan t in all
Biscay, A v e ry handsom e p ictu re o f a procession

TEHEE DAYS FROM ESGLANP.

45

sin g in g litanies to stop th e plagiie adorns ita wivlls

a n d th e Stations o f fhe Cross a re rem ark ab ly well
executed. I t is said tb a t th e figures in th e picturo
o f the prt>ce.ssion, w hich took place a t tbo plague, are
a ll portraits. A n o th er b it o f in terest ab o u t tbis
ehurcli is, it id ev id en tly a |)lac<3 o f gi*eat devotion
for seafaring folk, a s th e w alls o f tb is really noble
church a re crowded w ith votive offerings o f modeJ
ships, some beautifully executed, an d pictures of
m arin e peril, in m oat cases ev id en tly tb o w o rk o f
tbe B ailors them selves. Some o f these pictorial
ropresenbitionR o f bonrs o f d an g er iu tb e deep are
really fair w orks o f a r t, w hile o th ers really stiigger
one as to th e ir m eaning- P revious to 1794 th
ehurch o f O u r L ad y o f B egona boasted tbirty-tw o
splendid lamps o f silver, b u t those h a d fo be melted
dow n to help th e w a r fund req u ired for the
w ar w ith tb e F re n c h R epublic. A ll these Bilbao
cburchcs a re p trfeo t models o fd e a n lin ^ sisa u d sbame
o f o n r A nglican and Oatbolic churches a t
borne. Close to th e ahriue o f B e j^ n a , which iho
stra n g e r should ceitaio ly visit thouffli h e m ay
j u m b l e a t th e ateop ascent, th o ro ad b tin g in some
places im passaUe for w heelod T e h i c k s - is tb e Ciimpa
S anto, o r a m e to ry , whiob is n o t particularlv in terest,
m g , except for th e feet th a t sem e v e ry hairfsome
m ortuary chapels s r e b ein g erected in it, and tb a t in
ito centre is a m onum ent to th e soldier w ho foil in
We defonwj o f Bilba,, d u rin g th e last^C arlist aiege.
I'ro m th e ages on th e atones it is ev id en t th a t iu

this p a r t o f S pain, a t ariy ra te , old ago is not a*;

m arked featu re o f tb e in b aU ta t . I n tbis respect
JJiseay com pares v e ry im fav o u iab ly w itb .Santander
an d tb e A stu rias. K otraeing our steps towards
Bilbao ag ain , a n d in a quiot street, w e fo u n d a little
h a lf ro u n d door w bich bore tbis la b e l:Ej:posiio$ de
Viscaya^ a n d w e soon found o u t w b a t i t ineaD l It
w as in fact a brauch o f th a t m agnifieeut system by
w bich S pain lias tak en aw ay all cxcuse for infanteide w ith in h e r dom inions. T he uudecsired Iwby ia
b rought, say perhaps in th e dead o f n ig h t ; all that
th e m o th er o r b earer has to do is to w rite a C hristian
nam e, and th e d ate on a c a rd ultacbed to a b it of
ribbon p u t ro u n d tb e childs neck, an d , having
touched a bell, th e door opens, au d g o in g inside tho
o p en in g o f a sliding door, shows a kin d o f cradle
attach ed to a h o is t; tb e little stra n g e r is deposited
therein, tbo cradle-hoiat ascends, and th e poor creatare,
w ho in uU p ro b ab ility h a s le ft h e r o w n offspring^^^J
c a n go aw ay w ith a com paratively lig h t he^irt, for
she know s full w ell th a t th a t baby o f hers w ill be
well cared for, bodily and spirituaUy. T h a t i t w ill be
w ell educated, a n d th a t w hen old enongh, if a boy,
h e w ill be apprenticed to th e arm y o r n av y , o r some
good trade, o r if a g irl to domestic service. More
over, a t a n y tim e she can claim h e r ch ild free o f all
expense, sim ply by g iv in g th e nam e o f th e in fan t and
th e date o f depositing it.
T h e children thus left are educated a t a building
architecturally w o rth y o f ita noble uses, aud rig b tly

T lU iE E D d T t i FI f f M E N G L AN D .

47

called th e \ a M isericordia ; au d this is one o f tlie most

striking edifices seen com ing u p tho N erv io c, as it
hfande o u t in bold re lie f a t th e to p o f a m u J l liill as
if in a fish io n ch allen g in g th e atten tio n and
soliciting tho im itatio n o f its morit* b y benighted
E n gland. A t a n y rate, as reg ard s this m atter, J)r.
W ilson Itad m ^ny a st^ ry o f lio\v, g o in g ou some
niedicaJ e rra n d in tJie ea rly hours o f a w in ters
m orning, he has necn, unobeervod himself, some o f th
poor, perhaps friendless m others, k n eel dow n on th e
pavem ent before th e door o f th e Expsitos in
earnest p ray er for a few m inutes, and tlieu , reiving
th e unoonsciouB h ab y one long, lin g e rin g kisa, touch
tJio bell,
L a M isoricordia is m aintained by G overnm ent
g ra n ts and v o ln n tary contributions fio m th e well-todo. F o r t i e donors, how ever, no p ir a J e iu Iodjt
new spaper lists, no g ratu ito u s advurtisi'ug ; II the
rew ard th e y g e t iu th is w orld is th satiafaotioii of
8 Tood deed doue. Comparisons are odiuus, so the
read er njust m ake them him self, b u t th a t th e y are
obvious enuugh it is certain.
T here is littlo ruaj

p o v erty q th e Biscayan

pro v m ce^ th o u g h the th rift o f t h . low er classes oft^n

mduces them to assume it guise. T he professional
beggars one m eets w ith in tiio so u th o f S p ain are
n o t very conspieuous in th e n o rth ern provinces,
hero th e stocling moio o r less full o f go ld coin
takes th e place o f the l a r i account in B ritain.
One o f Ur. W ilsons stories ilfustratd th e saviii.r

a n d penurious h ab its o f th ese peaflauts o f Biscay.

H e b a d occftslon to vielt a farm er p atie n t in tbo
suburbs o f Bilbao, a n d o n leaving bim waa informed
th a t an o th er form er, a neighbour, w ould like to see
th e Phiglish m edical man. A ccordingly D r. W son
dro v e some cooeidcrablo distance an d found tlie eick
m an ly iu g in a bed in a bouse, w hich, to th e K ngliebroaiie eyes, lacked tb e v ery eU m ents o f comfort.!
P u ttin g it dow n to tKe m ost dire w verty, D r. Wilson,
in hia good n atu re , m erely ch arg ed a n d to o k a
nom inal fee, an d w e n t on hia w ay rcjoicinjr, inasm uch
as h e th o u g h t h e had perform ed a cburitable action.
Some few daya la te r he m e t hia o rig in al invalid, w bo,
in languag e m ore forcible tb a n polite, intim ated,
p re tty p la in ly , tb a t tb e doctor w as an a r r a n t fool.
ITiat m an poor ? w hy h e ia te n tim es aa rich as I
a m ! h e exclaim ed in d ig n an tly . l i e had a n m z a i
i U ) in b is pocket read y to g iv e you, if y o u bad only
asked your o rd in a ry fee fo r d riv in g all th a t d ista n c e ;
a n d u n d e r th e p lan k s o f b is g ro u n d floor is qu ite a
tore o f gold coins. K e v e r ju d g e by appearance in
Biscay ag ain . S eor Inglese. W ith all th e Biscayan
peAsanls shrew dness in keeping m oney and it ifl
a n old say in g th a t an y fool can m ake m oney, it is
th e wise mail w ho keeps it Ih ey hav e been fre
q u en tly m ade tb e liv in g b u tts o f p ractical jo k ers in
tb e to w n s b y reason o f tb e ir love o f th a t filthy
lucre th a t p lay s so im p o rtan t a p a r t in our economy.
S h o rtly before Christniaa, a fow y ears ngo, an
adverliacm ent ap p ealed in a B ilbao p ap er to the

e fleet th a t a n j one b rin g in g go ld onzas o f th e reigns

ol P h ilip V . 0 7 0 0 - 2 1 ) , o r Kerdinaiid V I. (1 7 5 9 -8 8 ),
to ibo office o f th e p ap er on th e 28th December
(iDnoceiita D ay) tlie j wmild be p aid in m odern coins
w ith a v e ry handsome prem iuoi for th e antique
money. Innocents D ay du ly cam along, a n d tbe
tram -cars an d roads leading to B ilbao w ere full of
poople from tb e country b rin g in g in th e ir hoards o f
gold coins o f m ore th a n a h undred yeare old, o iJy to
be scoffed a t by some im pudent w ag w ho w anted to
learn how long the Biscayan farm ers k e p t tho golden
pieces th e ir g re a t g ntndfathors h a d perhaps acqi^ired.
T he old B ridge o f Bilbao, now disused, is a most
interesting relic o f th e 12th centnry ? it is practically
an impcrfecrt tria n g le b u t o f beautiful propoitious
Bilbao bridge formi, th e heraldic charge o f tho city
arms, w ith tw o wolvc* on eith e r side o f i t N ear the
b rid g e , o n th e Jeft b a n k o f tb e N e rv io n , m o th e headq n a rte rs o f th e C ar^u^ra,, o r fem ale p o tte rs, w h o do
alJ th o W d w o rk o f th e o ity fo r w h a t w ould seom
to o u r Engiu<h notions T e iy emaU p a y . H o w e v e r
th e y a p p e ^ to b c o n ten ted , a n d
do tL e m en, w ho
g o on m oking eudlose o igarettea, a n d , ie a n iu g ,.p
a g iu n a t a w all m th n b r ig h t aunghine, n e v e r a e tm to

S k
w i
have
h -e

S
he* fon,ale
L

i n th e m arket-place, sozne
so
,! ^
l a n f r u a ^ sh o u ld b e acquired. \V.Q
a lre ad y f o r r c d to th o feet t h a t H i. Satan

ic

M ajesty found th o stu d y o f th e lan g u ag e very

dilEcult indeed, th re e w ords after seven y ears' liard
w ork w as n o t quick p ro g re s s ; an d ae a ru le w e should
g iv e P u n ch 's luatritnonial advico to those about to
study th is combination o f all th a t is p erp le x in g in
an cien t Iris h , W elsh, au d le tu a suy Choctaw.
W h en w c found o u t th a t tho B asque nam e for Bilbao
w as Tbaizabcl, w fiiirly gav e th e Basque m a tte r np.
Its gnne w ore fa r too m any fo r n s. B e th is as it
m ay, several EJnglish ladies iu B ilbao ta lk fluently in
some mysterioufl lingo, w h ich th e y say ie Basque
(it certainly is n o t S panish), a n d they seem to tlirive
on it, a s a B asque-speaking person a t th e m ark et will
certainly do b etter th a n h e w ho on ly ta lk s the
l a n g u a ^ o f lordly Castillo. V olum es hav e been
w ritte n about th e ethnology o f tho B asques and
th e ir customs, ajid volum es m ore could bo writteUrt
h u t a s our m ore im m ediate ta sk ia tow ards th e other
eud o f th e C an tab rian range, we h a v e little t>pace at
onr com mand, and as w e go W estw ard ITo, we
g rad u ally leav e th e Basque iiiQuence. S till as we
have been tre a tin g o f w h a t m ay be called a Basque
city , a few notes ab o u t these m ost in terestin g people
should be g iv en , and th e y w ill bo found in the
following chapter.

C rL A P T E B V.
T H R

B IS C A Y A N

P E O P I .E .

T ub throe Jiw qne provinces o f m odern S}>am are

those o f A U vii,T e 2c a y a (o r Biscay), and Guipzcoa,
and o f tboee th a t o f Biscay is tbo largest. Thos
provinces, ly in g in th e N o rth
co rn er o f th
Iborian peniusula, form ed th e C antabria o f the
anciont mapa, an d iwjoarding to some authors this
w ord is derived from K ent-A ber, o r corner o f the
w a te r/ a n d a glancc a t tho m ap w ill show the reader
how appropriate in tb e desigoafion. In to tbis corner
o f S pain th e last rem nanta o f tbe A b o ri^ n o s o f Spain
were driven, and like the Liberal city o f th e ir hatred
for the average B asqne
a C arlist to the backb o n e ^ th e y have n e v e r been expelled from th e ir
m ounta home, n o r really subdned In it. P rovincial
rig h ts and hom e ru le have been th e ir w atchw ords for
cetituriee, an d tiioy hav e n ev er been backw ard in
fighting for th e ir ow n. Cradled a s ih e y hav e been
in th e literally iron m ountains th a t surro u nd them,
they have over and o v er ag ain defended th eir
hbcrtiea and land w ith th e d\yc>rds w hich tb e k n d
produced. A ccording to S eor Peroc'negai, th e v ery
B

.
^

52

T H S E lQ n i iJ I > S O F C A H ^ T A B R I A O R ,

w ord B a s q u e m eans suificiency in self, ae ho eftye it

ig derived from Biiyaecogura, somos bastant^s ; and
th e ir knowlodgo o f th e w eakness o f sep aratio n has
forced th e iuhabitAnta o f thoso little understood
provinces to acquire tb o s tr e n ^ li o f u n ion, an d th eir
national sym bol is th re e hands jo in e d to g eth er w ith
th e m otto Ira ra c B a teq u iv alen t to T ria ju u cto in
D no." T h e Basque people hav e alw ays w ith more
o r less success held th e ir ow n a g a in st th e ir Sonthem
n eig h b o u rs; b u t a tlioaaand y eare ago th e y were
unable to resist th e in v a ^ o n o f tho fair-hairod
ad v en tu rers from N orw ay, o r as some say Scotland,
an d to th is h o u r tb e ir bluo eyes an d lig h t brown
locks a re m arlfed features o f m au y o f th o ir little
know n people. T h ere can be no donbt th a t the
o rig in al in h ab itan ts o f S pain Lad d a rk eyes w ith
d a rk eyebrow s, and gen erally speaking brow n h a ir;
w hile th e G othe hav e alw ays h a d th e cred it of having
fa ir h a ir and bluo eyes, th o u g h in som e cases the
h a ir w as dark, W e h av e n o room in theso pages to
c u te r into th e h isto ry r>f th e v ario u s stru g g les o f the
Basque people ; b n t it is w o rth y o f record th a t in the
14th cen tu ry th e lordship o f the th re e provinces
h av in g been annexed to tb e C row n o f P ed ro tho
C ruel, ceded th e u n ru ly little confederation to our
Black P rin ce o f E n g la n d . B u t w ith tru e Spftnisb
jealousy o f tLe fo reig n er a n d all his worke, h e p riv ately
told th e B asques u ev o r io le t th e K nglishm an fake
possession, w hich, as w e all know , h e n ev ^ r did. The
w orthless tjannfer was m ade on account o f tb e service

T B S E S Z> A73 F S O M E N Q L A y D .

53
/

o f the E nglish fleet a t th e b attle o f N avarotto, wiien, in,

a n ill-advised sp irit o f chivalry, o u r illustrious countryts a n took th side o f th w orthless Spanish king.
T he Bdsqne futroSf o r rig h ts, hav e been modified from
tim to tim o, b n t th e ir principal ad v an tag e to th e
population w as a n Ciom ption from th e conscription
^ t h e th re e provinces only b ein g bonnd to contribute
a certain rnim ber o f soldiers w h en S panish interests
required a foreign w ar,
to invasion th e y would
ta k e good care o f th a t themselvoa. W h eth er the law
o f J u ly 1876, b y w hich tho fueros wye abolished,
w ill te n d to keep tbo peace, is n o t for ua to say ; all
th a t wo know is th a t tb e b itle ic st fftelinj? prevails
ag ain st th e enforced m ilitary service, and ov er and
over agaiij w e havo heard th e Biscayan peusant
farm ers praise in a startlin g ly woll-inform ed feshion
tb e g ra n d voluntary s j stem o f B ritain , both for her
re g u la r and ausU iary forces. T h e Basques havo no
g re a t objection to local m ilitary servico like th a t o f
o n r M ilitia a n d YolunteerB, and in tim o f w a r would
c m a in ly come forw ard in good num bers for foreign
eervioo; w hat tb o y ol^ect to, and w ith OTir B ritish
tra in in g we can well u n d erstan d th e ieeling, is the
blood tax , w hich sends eo m an y o f th e ir finest sons to
fill tropical grave in Cuba o r th e P hilippiues. But,
on tlie other hand, i t m u st b a d m itt^ th a t w hilo the
Basque peasant makes a first.cla s^u erilla soldier ho
n o t v e iy valuable in a re g u la r forco, and the
reason ,s n o t fe r to seek, Tho S panish peasaiif, and
especially m th e n o rth e rn provincee, ia a m an o f

tS B

f C A H T A B IH A

OB,

S tr o n g n a tn ia l sense.

H o ee&ws io <lo littlo else tH n

th in k , retiect, and analyae, an d a s p ro o f o f liis powere
o f com parison, h e o ften speaks b y p ro v erb o r by
analogya m ode o f expression indicative o f reflec
tio n and com prehension o f tb e can n e iio n o f canaee
an d effect w ith each other. T h is q u ality o f reflection^
m ay b e considered as a proof o f h is fitness for
m ilita ry service, b u t i t m u st b e a s a n iustiuraf
anim ated b y iie ow n energies, certainly n o t as a pj
o f a m achine. I n th e tovrns th e reflectlDg pow er ol
th e B iscay an o f poor m eans does n o t apparentl;
/

show itse lf to m ore ad v an tag e th a n th e b e st w ay of

^ g a r e ttc m a n u fa ctu re; b u t on th e lon e uiOTintain side,
w h eth er
sh ep h erd o r labourer, th e peasant hw
tim e fo r th a t g ra v e th o u g h t w h ich is so peculiari;<
Spanish. K now ledge does n e t alto g eth er depond on
hooks, a n d hence i t b th a t th o u g h th e Biscayattj
labourer m ay h e an d pro b ab ly ia w holly u n le tte rc d j
y e t h e is unquestionably w ise from th e exercise of
th e faculties w ith in h im self on th e subjects th a t are
before hie eye. A stro n g feeling o f in d e p e n d e n t
ru n s th ro u g h tb e w hole Ufa o f these people, and it is
ptThaps beet expreased in th e idea th a t a Baaque
m an earn in g w eekly w ag es in a cotton i^ d o r fi
w ould b e a am p le im possibility. P e rh a p s th e fact
o f universal nobility for those bo rn in th e thre6
provinces referred to h a s m uch to do w ith their
stu rd y prid e and love o f freedom . L ik e th e Irish,
W elsh an d n ig h la n d Scots, th e y a re v y ten acio H
o f all genealogical m atters, and th is affoction t<

T S E E E D A T S F J iO H J i m L A N D .

55

fiimily froos and coats o f armd a m o u D t s to w liat is

practically a craze w ith m any. T h e ir cocservatism
is dccidodly o f th e fbasil order, au d tlio ir passionate
love for th e ir ow n provincBs, th e ir old laws and
th e ir ow n traditions, can h a n lly bo e s p r e s e d in too
forcible U nguago. 'W hat wa good fu r o u r g reat
grandfathers ia good euougli for us in th e ir m otto,
an d th e y abide hy it ic nine cases o u t o f te n , a t a n y
rale, iu th e ru ra l p arte o f th e B asque provinees.
S tro n g ly boilt, they a re a eobor, active race alm ost
insensible to tb e changes o f }jcat and cold, reserved
iu speech and oonversalion, easily led if tb cir
independence is respected, b u t tb e v e ry reverse if
th e y }iave g o t tlie notion in to th e ir beads th a t they
a re being m ade servants of. T h eir game like thoso
o f th e_ A sti^ian ^ o f w hich we sliall speak la te r on,
a re on all fours w ith tru e R tsq ae g ra v ity . Unlike
th e ty p ical Spaniard, fam iliar to th e m in d s eye
o f m any a n E n g lish reader, th e y know n e x t \o
n o th in g o f tho use o f tbo knife. T h eir w eapon of
o f f i c e o r dcfenco aud from wbich th e y derive their
principal amxisement on S undays an d H o ly B ay s is a
kn o tty oaken billalah, an d w hich in th e ir hands ia a
v e ry terrible w eapon indeed. T b a t th e y are expert
ffliigle-sUck playors i t need h ard ly now he sai<l, and
a t tennis (n o t th a t o f the law n order) aud k ittle s
th e y are perhaps w ithout rivals in Europe. B y far
th e
sailors t^ be found in Spain, th o y are
c e lle u t oar>aiion a n d fishermen, ta k in g k in d ly to
th e sa lt w ater, w hich strikes tb e ir irou-bound coast.

66

T H K H lO E L A U D S O F C A H T A S H IA ;

OP.

T lieir skill ae oarsm en ie ?w) iamoua tb a t a wellk ao w n au th o rity used to say th a t th e highiist f(d
b o a ts crew in th o E n g lish nation does n o t qml a
boats crew o f B iscayan fishermen.*
T h e p easan t w om en in th e ru ra l p a rts o f tbe
province o f Biipcay, an d in fact a ll alo n g the
C antabrian coast, a re very b it a s laboriouH ua their
sisters on th e N erv io n o r in tho tow ns, Freshcoloured in complexion, w ith ru d d y cheeks and b n g b t
bluo o r b ro w n eyeR, tb e y a re really comely specimons |
o f n o rth e rn S panish fem ale beauty, especially when
youDg, w hen th e ir lig h f-h earted gaiety adds to th eir
o th e r cliarm s. B u t b a rd w o rk a u d p le n ty o f it soon
a g them ; b u t th is ie n o t so m uch tbo case in the
a g ric u ltu i^ d istricts as am ong th e ooal-porters and
o th e r w om en, w hose h a rd labour is doue n e a r the
tip s o f Luchana, T b e y o u n g er women g en erally go
tareb cad ed , w hile th e ir ciders cover th e ir heads w ith
A m ualin kerchief tied in front, w hile th e tw o onda
gracefully fiuat behind. W ith th b r ig h t colours e f
th e ir Uxees, theee clean m nalin headdresses m ake a
m ost effective contrast, especially on S undays and
feast-daye w hen dressed in th e ir best.
T b e firet ag rien ltu riet wajs unquestionably A d a m ;
so farm in g tb e land is p rim itiv e enough for tbw
p rim itiv e people, a n d does n o t lessen th e ir nobiHty.
T h e y hold, an d rig h tly too, th a t thcm gh A dam
dolved an d E v e span, bo w as th e first gentlem an of
Ilia tim e, a n d th e Baisques w ho a rc n o t en gaged in
fishing follow h is footsteps. T h e & rm s are, how-

T S B E B D A Y S F H O M E N Q IM N D .

ever small, tboTigh a s a rule w ell cultivateii.

57

A bout

five acres m a j Le taVen as th e ir av erag e size,

and lliia m&\us ju s t th e so rt o f p lo t tiia t a m an, his
wife, and tam iiy can m anage to w ork. A g ricu ltu ral
machinory a s wo u n d erstan d it in E n g lan d is
practically unkn o w n th e an tiq u e p ro n g fork o r
mattock being in daily use. Tho uae o f tho plougli
is hardly old-fashioned enongh fo be common in
couservative C antabria. W h en tho days lab o u r in
the fields is ovor, th e .B asque peasants w ill often
aasombie for dancing a u d gossip b u t tho tim e to
oLeerve tho iocaJ devoteos o f T erpsichore is a fte r the
last Maes on a S unday m orning, w hen som e really
pretty dancing can be eoen. Tlio m usical iuatruloents cannot be recom m ended. T he tamboril and
pito make noise enough, a u d those w ho like noise
pnrb and sim ple w ill appreciate th e accom panim ent
of a Basque a i M e c o hall. T he d an cin g its e lf is
very much a fte r th e H ig h la n d Scot, o r Irish type
and m any ol th e y oungor women a re p articu larly
giaoeful m fh e complicated evolutions o f orzicvj or
Movements o f e ig h t persons, I n fact, in th e ir
igious fervour, th e ir |^ m e an d am usem ents, in
i ^ i r virtues and vices, tho B asque peoplo stro n g ly
i ^ m b l e th e Celts o f B rita in a n d Ire la n d a t hom e;
^ d , as wo have said, th e ir lan g u ag e haa a rem arkablo
A m biance to Professor Bhickies p e t idiom , O ne
authority, Percohegai, sta te s th a t th e re can h e no
oubt w hatever th a t A d am spoke Basque, as being
0 language o f a n g e ls ; b u t tlus is such a n ev id en t

58

T f lE E J O n L A N P B O F C A y T A B J ifA

OJi,

filauder on th e good taste o f th e heavenly choirs in a

m a tte r o f m usical im porlaneo tKat we decline to give
aTiy credence to th e legend. 11 is lik e ly enough, aR
H um boldt eayR, th a t B asque w as th e universal
lau g u ag e o f th e peninsula, and M r. B arrow ia of
O p i n i o n tlia t th e original in h ah itan ts o f Spain, the
rem nants o f w hom a re tlie Basques, L ron^ht i t from
T artary , a s be states th a t it m ueh reFwmblea the
M ongolian, an d h a s a decided elem ent o f SanFcrit m
i t Bo this a s it m ay, th e Basque nam e o f a village
a lo n t a m ile an d a h a lf from Bilbao is enough to
sta g g e r tho m ost w ord-hardened stu d en t o f W cleh or
ancicnt Irish . T h is aforesaid village, w ell know n
fo r its famims m ineral sp rin g , its old an d a t one tim e
v e ry ric h copper m ines, au d its splendid view s of
w ild m ountain scenery, is pltA santly b n t h ard ly
briefly d e e c r i b e d as Y tnrriberrigorrigoiooerotccoelhca.
T h e G erm an com pound w ords, w hich, a s M ark
T w ain rem arked, ta k e good-eized lines, an d th e n go
ro u n d th e corner ns i t w ere, a re h a rd ly in th e race
w ith th is alphahetical procession o f B asque. B eing
in terp reted , th is verbal phenom enon m eans som ething
a fte r th is sort
I f y o u follow th e footpath and cross
th e hill, k eep in g to th e r ig h t o f somebodys house,
and th e n look o u t for a la rg e lieap o f stones, th a t
th e place w here th e sp rm g is. F a n c y anybody
b rin g in g in 8 t. P a u ls, W eetm inster A bbey, and tJio
Crystal P alace, and M ark Lane S tation on th e In n e r
Circlo R ailw ay , to define th e nam e o f th e plnx
w here th e M onum ent could b e fo u n d ; b u t th a t is

T a a K E 7> A T8 F B O M S N a r .A N B .

50

liow they m anage these t l i i ^ in Baequo land, and

yet no dentist eaina a liv io g th ere. W c confoiB we
arc DO authoritiee on th e q u ^ i o n o f Basque pronnnciatioa, b u t th e Andaln&Ian foke is certainly truo,
th a t these good peoplo w rite Solomon plain enough,
but persist iu pronouncing it X ebuchadaozzar.
I f the youQg Jiasques aro dancing m ad, th e y are
not over g iven to m atrim ony, uxAqps indeed th e fair
bride h a s dot enough to,enabIo h e r lo rd and m aster
to retire in graceful an d wall-seeking idleness fo r th e
rest of hi life. T his makes tb e fair sax th rifty as to
pealas, and careful in collecting fu rn itu re, a a tho
posftession o f these tw o noceasarios is tb o ir only
chance o f b eing m ated. I t w ill n o t Ixi w ondered at,
tbereforo, ib a t such songs a s th e follow ig are
deddodly popular w ith th e bachelor Basques. W e
give It in th e o riginal Spanish, and ulao a fr c o
t'fiiifilation in iin g lis h :__
o a mo
la ropH,
O tn t mo da d comcr.
O tra m e C08 m i voHt&t
Porqu qnioro m ajor?

Or in English
I f a vromckii w ill mk a ll m y hoee,
A nd ftTiOther me feed w ith o u t strife.
And another put b nttons ou clothcs,
W ltal tho dei l do I care for a wife ?

C H A P T E R V I.
T E K

W B A I.T H

R O U N D

S O ilO R O S T R O .

I n o u r opening ch ap ter w e referred to th e cnormoiis

exports o f iron ore fro m Bilbao to B n U m and
G erm any, and before w e leave th e im m ediate neigh
bourhood o f th e unconqiicred city for tb e n ig h la n d s
pro p er some detailed account o f thia g ig a n tic rod u B t^ should be given. T o a n Iris h gentlem an
resident in B ilbao is due tb e cred it o f b ein g tbe
first to practically introduce Spanish iro n ores into
tk c B ritish m ark et. In 1862 b e shipped some 300
tons as a n ex p erim en t to a fam ous n o rth co u n try firm
o f ironm asters, w bo, w ith th e proverbial unreadiness
a n d dialibc to novelties in tra d e o f th e A nglo-Saxon,
soon le t th e sh ip p er know th a t th e y d id n<rt w an t
k is ore a t a n y price. A fte r eoroo volum inous cor
respondent*, th e fer-sighted firm referred to ofTered
to use tho consignm ent ly in g o n th e quay, provided
th a t th e sh ip p er w ould guaran teo th a t tb e ore would
n o t dam age th e ir f u r D a c o s . T bis, how ever, th a t
gentlem an decUned to do, a n d we M ie v e 4 a t the
U c e l w as a f te r w a r d s - b u t y ears a fte rw a rd s -s o ld
for a m ere trifle to a G lasgow house, w ho w ore not

TTTIiEE DATS PJiOM KNOLAUD,

61

afriaO o f m ak in g a n exporim cnt. W Tiethcr th e y a t

0 L< tried th e new -fangled im portation o r n o t -we do
not know, b n t i t w as n o t till th e iron fam ine o f
1871-72, w hen p ig iro n reached alm ost fahulons
prices, and gam bling on ite rise an d fall waa uniTCTsal, th a t a ru sh waa m ade fo r th e hidden w ealth
of the m ountains su rro u n d in g Bilbao. T he complete
returns for th e past th re e y eare a re n o t aTailuhle,
but wo Imow tb a t iu 1881 th e am ount o f iron ore
shipped fn)m Bilbao w as oloae on th re e millione o f
tons, o f which tw o-thirds came to B ritish ports. I n
the four years o n d in g 1881, B ritain took 5,011,054
ton& o f thie precioua atone, F ran ce 935,381 tons, an d
Germany
D utch p o rts, for i t n e a rly all w en t to
the worka o f Messrs, K ru p p a t Eescn) 858,721 tons,
aud Belgium secured 277,889, an d tb e U n ited S tates
^^ly 75,645 tons. I n re g a rd to th ese B ritish im ports,
the report o f th e Iro n T rad e A asociation for th e y ear
1881 s a y s : T h e m ost noticeable featu re o f th e past
year, so fa r a s the tra d e in iron ore is concerned, is the
^ry exceptional increase o f th e im portation from S pain
other countries. W ith in th e la st tw elv e y ears the
of im portations o f ore b y th e U nited K ingdom
iroQ.Qiaking purposes is from 114,435 tons to
2,634,401 tone, o r 2,200 p e r cent. W ith in th e eamo
psfiod the m ake o f p ig iro n in th e U n ited K ingdom
has increased to th e ex te n t o f 5 p e r cent. E vidently,
ihereforo, th e iro n ore rosources o f o n r ow n country
ve not only quito failed to respond to th e dem ands
of the pig iron m akers fo r th e special practices o f ore

62

T E E n iQ E L A U m O F C A S T A B R IA OB,

employei for Bessemer purpose, b u t tliey have

l a i ^ l j gIvcD place to th e im p o rted oroe, o f wKieh
hffimatit ironm akera now so la rg e ly av a il themBulvee.
T h e difforetit k in d s o f m inerals shipped a re thus
d iv id ed ; Cam iauiK o r re d h e m a tite , ab o u t 61 per
cent, o f tb e to ta l quaD tity ex p o rted ; rublo, or
brow n hm atite, 32 p e r cent. ; v e rr dulce, o r tUo
p u re st rod h s m a tite found in th o district, 7 per
c o n t.; a p ro p er tn ix tu re o f th e th re e g iv in g tbe
best k in d o f p ig iron. T he am ount o f capital in
v ested iu th e m ining localities su rro u n d in g tbe
hifetorical filopo o f Som orostro can n o t b e fa r off
th re e m illions s te rlin g ; and th e re a re five d istin ctJ|
railw ays from th e riv e r to th e mines. T h e Bilbao
Iro n O ro C om pany has 21 kilom etres o f railw ay,
th e O rconera C om pany 14, th e L uchana Com pany 11,
th e V riano Company 8 , a n d th e Societ PrancoB elg e 7- T h ere a rc aUo aererai w ire tvamw&ye
w h ich foot u p , as our cousins say, to ab o u t 18 kilo
m etres in le n g th . T he in d u stry em ploys some tea
thousand m en u t w o rk in th e m ines, an d m ore than
fifteen h u n d red bullock carti. T hese p erh ap s dry
statistics w ill convoy lo th e re a d e r som e idea o f the
oauHo o f th e bu sy scene th a t w e hav e endeavoured to
describe th a t m eets th e tra v e lle r on tlie N ervion.
A v e ry b rie f account o f a v isit to tho m ost pictu
resquely situated o f th e iron m ines w ill c o t be o u t of
placc here. T o th e courtcsy o f tho S ecretary o f tbe
Orcxmcera M ining Com pany w e owe th e pleasure of

T B S E E D A Y S F R O M E N O L A iT D .

6C

Bn afternoon npent in a muat instructivo m anner, and

amid tbe most varied scenery, com bining the wildness
of Scottish bills, th e softness o f th e veg etatio n o f
Mentone, alternated b e re an d tb o re b y glim pses of
the Bilbao riv e r 800 feet bolow us, o r o f th e wide
ewecp o f the w h ite crested w aves o f tbo Biscayan
Sea. Loaving th e dop 6 t o f th e C om pany referred to
a t tbeir tips a t L uchana in a com fortable opon carriage,
reserved for the officials o f tb e m in e and th e ir friends,
the train ru n s for a sh o rt distance th ro u g h th e level
fields, passing h ere an d th e re a v illag e church
with tbeir universal cam paniles, and th e n commences
tbo zigzag ai?cent o f th e a b ru p t m ountains around
^m orostru. iTiis railw ay rid e is a panoram a of
beautiful scenery, an d tho th ir ty deep gorges in th e
hill sides, which a re all spanned b y substantial bridges,
are nothing else b u t th e perfoction o f valleys clotbed
^ i*Gpletion w ith tb e v aried g reen s o f trees and
o f all sorts, th o w av in g w ide spreading choetnut
JJg especially prom inent. T w o-thirds o f tb e w ay
a Bteepor g ra d ie n t is reached, and a t a kin d o f
oMndon Junction, o n th is most beautiful situated
jne of railw ay, ongincs a re changed, a n d passing
several ongish tunneln hew n tlirough tb e solid
roc jo n reach th e aum m it, a n d leav in g th e spacious
^ tmn With its v a st collection o f ore-trucka you
y ascend a steop b a n k and m ake for w here tbe
^ P o rts o f th e dyn am ite charges ahow th e m en are
a t a t it. T be line has been opened fifteen years,
^

the rads and locomotives (o f w hich th e re ar

04

T E E H TO E L A SD S OF C JX TA B R TA ;

OH,

fourteen) a re o f Knglif^h m anufacture ; the ffaugo ia ^

th a t o f 2 feet 6 in . a n d the cap ital em ployed in t}iu
com pany is jo in tly B ritish an d G erm an, th e moet
prom inent continental stockholder b eing th a t k in g of
ironmasti^rs M r. K ru p p o f EeaOD. O ver 2,200 men
a re em ployed, an d tbeso e a m from ab o u t Is.
4h. a day. T h e ore is ta k e n b y bnllock c a rts from
th e scene o f th e actual hlaflting to th e railw ay trucks,
an d m en find th e ir o w n c a its an d team s for eig h t
shillings a day, p aid b y th e com pany. Ab often not
th e carter w ith a h e a v y load o f irun-oro is of th e f e ir e r
sex, b n t w ho in physiqne looks infinitely h a rd e r than
th e m ineral she ie escorting. Some o f th ese bullock
team s vill take a load o f tw o o r th re e tons ssifcly j
dow n a gratlo o f 1 in G. T he p a rtic u la r nam e of
tho term inus o f tho railw ay is G a lo rta ; and here the
com pany h a v e a w ell-conducted hospital, a s also tho
local offices, teleg rap h station, and th e residence of
th e m anager, a fine specimen of th e Hiffhftind gcutlom au, who also boasts th e v e ry respectable nam e of
Koss. B y his kindness wo w ere allow ed to w ander
th ro u g h ro u g h tu n n e ls c u t th ro u g h b eetling cliffs
o f iron ore, into v a st open p its w hich th o hard
w o rk in g RpaniHh dynam itarda h a d filled w ith huge
Imulders o f th e sought^for m ineral, th e n ascending
a steep bullock tra c k to w itness an explosion from a
perfectly safe place *, see th e g ig a n tic masfees o f red
rock trem ble, a s if in m o rtal ag ony, a n d th e n b ursting
fo rth in a d y in g th ro e o f despair, jo in th e ir whilom
com panions in the cliff on ly a few sh o rt h o u rs before.

T H R E E D A T S P B O M E X 0 L A 2 !D .

65

A ll thift and m uch m oro o f i t ; w e noticed how in some

eases the action o f th e p o w erfal explosive had actually
carved out pinn&cles and spires a n d fantastic shapes
o f iron-ore for its ow n am usem ent, a n d th en , hsT ing
watched th e long^ proceasicm o f bullock cartd Btai^t
for G alorta, looked seaw ard. O v er agulnet us on the
green m ountain side are th e famous line o f Somoroatro ; fiOO feet bc3low us is th bridge w here th e
troops m et bayonet to bayonet, a n d n e a r b y is the
village cliurch, round w hich daily dosperate fig h tin g
w ent on. T o tbe loft o f th e historical blood-stained
battlefield is tho agitated bay, and to its rig h t ag ain
is th e conioally-shaped h ill called Cerantf. I t is
a peacefnl scone tru ly a s th e settin g an tn m u al sun
tin ts th e w hite liouses o f th e h am lets; h u t it ha
o th e r memories for o a r courteous guide M r. Ro,
w ho for six long weeks w as, as ho him self described
it , cooped u p in his house like a fos, dependent for
his food supi^ly on th e generosity o f eith er aide. K e
w as a n eye w itness o f tboee artillery duels th a t p refoced those sangnin ary attack on th well-defondod
Ime*, an d from Iiis lofty v an tag e g ro u n d saw tho
f>oim covered CarlistR moot tho shock o f th e k ^ ' ' d
Iviberalsan d th e grav filled afterwards.
T be Oooneera C om pany ex p o rt aboat on m illion
tw o hundred thousand tone o f ore p e r annum , y ie ld b g
about Bixty.two p e r cent, o f p ig iro n , an d th e y look
o rw aid to th e good tim es com ing, w hen th e ir out
p u t will am ount to h a lf aa m uch again.
N aturaD y enough, th e Spaniards a re righ tftilly

TU E E ia n L A m > ii

of

CAJUTATHI

o r.

te llin g advan tag e them selves o f tb e v a s t stores of

m ineral w ealth, an d th e b ig iro u w o rk s o f tbe
Maxquis M dela (w hose handsom e steam launch is
th e g lo ry o f th e Nervioix) a re bnsy tu m i g o u t good
m aterial for dom estic consuroption. Mossra. T b arr*
an d Company, whose fum aoes w c hav e m entioned, do
a largo tra d e in th e m ak in g o f w rought iron. O f
course it is evident th a t th e h e a v y duties imposed by
S pain on to r e a n iro n and steel h elp to foster the
local iro n tr a d e ; b u t should, as all reasonable people
hope, these p ro h ib ito ry duties be larg ely reduced, the
m arg in le fo r profit w ill still he attia c tiv o enough
to tem p t Spanish capitelists to in v e st th e ir money
in thia channel.
T h e read er w ill tm derstand th a t th is is an
e v i d e n t l y com m ercial c h a p te r; and theretbre, though
in no w ay connected w ith th e m in eral w ealth o f the
Somorostro, w e m ake no apology fo r introducii^J
a few rem arks on th e fact th a t B ilba# is rapidly
beoomiig a sh ip p in g place o f im portance for Spanish
w ines, mot o f th e h u lk g o in g to B ordeaux, w here
it ia artfxilly m anipulated, and, b ein g p u t int^* bottles
w ith p re tty F re n c h labels on them , comes
E n g la n d aa C hateau, som ething o r o th e r, o f the
oclebi*ated v in tag e o f 18 . 8 0 h ttle is
in K nglaud o f th e exoeUence o f th e w ine produced
in the cen tral and n o rth w estern provinoos of
S pain (for one B rito u w ho has been to th e north
o f Spain, tw o h u n d red h a v e visited th e cities of
tlie south), th a t w e feel it a positive du ty to those

o f our countrym en who appreciate a good thing,

to give the subfrtance o f a n articlo on S panish wine,
w hich appeared in tb e excellent P ra c tia il G uide to
Bilbao, puhliehed in 1882. T he au th o r s a y s : The
fe^uperior quafity o f th e Spanish w ines, p articn larly
thoBe o f the central districts, ia u n iv ersally known
on account o f th e ir flavour, p u rity , an d excellent
taste, b u t th e sm all field for ex p o rt d u rin g recent
years hae tended to lim it th e production, a u d conse
q u en tly Spanish w ines became iesa know n an d leRS
appreciated. I here was a tim o w hon m ost o f th e
wine w ent to o u r A m erican coloniee an d to England^
b u t Ite consum ption haa g re a tly declined iu tboee
countries. M eanw hile tho w iny industry in France,
ow ing to th e epodaj oircumstancea in w h ich ' th e
c o u n try le placed, baa attain ed th e h e ig h t o f prosp erity , th e axporta h av in g reached a febulons
figure. U ufbrtunaiely a larg e deficit iu production
has beeu owaaioned th ere d u rin g tho last three to
four year* by th e p h y llo x e ra ; and th m , being unable
to m eet th e dem and for h o r w ines, F rance has hiul
to K so rt to S pain for fmpplies, w ith th e v iew of
m m n g our wines, w hich a te rom arltable by th e ir
^trong q u ality and colour, w ith i, ow n inferior
Medoc a n d B urgnndy, &c an d no doubt th e form er
after careful m anipulation, a re subsequently ex
ported un d er th e naa.es o f tho best know n B ordeaux
trauds.
T he v.ine tra d e in th e n o rth o f th e peninsula ha
consequently m recen t year reached a p oin t which
F

68

T E E IUOHLAHT>S O F C A i^T A B M A ;

OF,

deserves Rome consideration, n o t m erely o n account

o f its actual position, b u t also a s reg ard s its future
proBpccte.
T h e north-eastern proTinees A rag o n , N avarra,
and Catalonia a re being o v e rn m w ith en (iu in
from a g e n ts o f F re n c b w iue dealers from P a ris and
B ordeaux cLiefly, an d tliey actually ta k e nearly tli
w hole o f th e vintj^c in those districts, w hich may
be roundly stated a s ab o u t one-third o f th o whole
Spanisli vin tag e. T his has a raison tTtre ow ing to
th e deficiency referred to , b u t should this abnorm al j
state o f th in g s cease, th a t is to say, should the
p hylloxera disappear from F ran ce, w h at o u tlet will
onr w ines find i f tho p resen t F ren ch m ark et cloaoe
to

U R ?

N ow th a t th ero is some proq)ect o f Spanish winea

b eing adm itted to th is co u n try a t th e shillig tlnty, it
5s to bo hoped th a t tlie B ritish public w ill soon be
able to taste th e generous re d wine d ra n k a t meal
tim es in th e peninaula. I t is none o f y o u r tliln acid
clarets, w hich being so m uch like re d in k caused the
w it to say h e had a crav in g for b lo ttin g p aper, but
th e so rt of w ine th a t w ould w arm one on a eold day.
A m ajo rity o f th e people a t th e tablo d hote m ix it
well w ith w ater, an d th is is certainly advisable in
Skim m er tim e. O n tb e score o f cost it is abont that
o f th e w o rst F rcn eh claret, th e cost o f a p ip e (115
gallons) boing ab o u t 1 1 to 1 5 , free o n board at
an y nor;them Spanish p o rt. This w onld enable some
en tcrp risiu g com pany Hke th a t untitled th e Bodega

TTTTtEE D A T S F S O M S N O L A 2 7 D .

C9

to rofail it a t a v e ry low co st; aud th n t in tim e it

would bo appreciated by th e average B r ito D , who
w earoth n o t th e l>lue ribbon o f toototalism , w e do not
doubt. I t is pure, sound, honest ju ice o f th e grapo,
arid if o u r good wino m erchants would ou ly le t us
have it ai it is to be had a t Spanish hotels an d
restaurantfi, th e y would do a signal a e n ic o to those
who believe w ith ua iu tbo w ords o f S cripture, tb a t
wine ^v^s m ade to gladden m ans heart, I n th e
province o f Biscay, and to a ceitain e x te n t in th a t
o f S antander, a f a v o ^ ^ w ine o f th e inhubitanU
IS a wm called
from tb e A rabic chaeatel,
m eaning th ereb y thnnBB or weakness. I t is th in ,
a n d it is n o t v e ry s t r o i ^ b u t i t is v ery palatable,
a u d is dddcdly wholesome.
A pleasant footpath w alk o f about a m ile and a
h a lf across th e hills, startin g not h r from o u r friend
M anana R ios store a t El Desierto, will b rin g the
trav eller to a perfect specimen o f th e solidly stone
typical Biscayan farm-house, and there, as a rule, he
can taate for a nominal fee tb real chacol as the
yeomen farm ers love it. On S undays in T u m m o r
tamo th e good folks o f Bilbao mak u p parti to v isit
^ 1 3 picturos^iueJy situated house, and, d rin k in g the
harnaose atim iant provided for them , dance o r
p lay gam es till th e y a re all tire d our. au d then
re tu rn b y tram car to supper in th e Ciudad invicta. .
A nd on th a t proud unvanquished city w e m ust
now to rn onr backs, for th a t so ttin g snu a t Q alorta
rem in ed na th a t t i e n e x t day w ould see us setting

70

THE jrroni.AifD S

o f

c a n t a

iiniAos.

o u t in eearcli o f Lira o v er tLe Lills and fa r aw ay

past D ecido w L cte th e indcfatigaLle E nglishm an ie
a t w ork w ith bis iro n ore, p a st Caefro tJrdiales, fiiiuous
fo r ita sardine fishing, a n d so on till w c catch eight
o f tho noble bay o f S antander, from w hich place the
road to th e m ountains o f C an tah ria ia beet taken.
Y es, our m otto
n o t o n ly ICiisxUiory b u t alao
weetwaa*d still ; a n d w h a t in th a t p ilg riio ag e o f ours,
in im itatio n o f tho ro u te o f th e w ell-known sta r of
em pire stru c k ua
o f in terest, ahoE be faithfully
recorded in th e follow iti g pages.

T E R S E 2/A Y S F R O M S y Q L A y p .

CHAPTER

71

V II.

W R S T W A J? D B T I L L .

A OBBAT deal o f good-natured kiu d o f bag^U ng entere

much into th e life o f ao rth e rn Spain, an d some little
time wae moro o r less pleasantly epeut w ith a liv e tjBtablc keeper a t Bilbao, before w e finally elected to
go as fkr ad Castro U rdales in a ch artered carriage
with a p a ir o f horses, instead o f proceeding h y tbe
regular coach (mTJch resemblmj^ th e p en n y tra m
way omnibnse iu aso in ly^ndonX ea rly o n th e n e s t
momiog, A t le n g th wo track a fair b arg ain , b u t
^ e wero n o t v e ry difficult to please, inasm uch ae sec
had practically determ ined o n av a ilin g ourselvee o f
tbe more luxurious form o f travel, provided th a t it
could he obtained w ith duo re g a rd to economy. I t
was, pyrhitps, lucky for us th a t we oame to term e, as
the coach we should have othorwF?e g o n e b y camu to
serious grief, an d tw o o f its paasongers w ere badly
injuro<l.
I ^ e road to ('astro or> leav in g th e laud o f tipsin
tho eoalheaving aense, n o t vaila nciir L uchana
8^ 'rte th e hills around Somoroetro, and tho trav eller
thus eees from th e lovel th e h eig h ts h e would havo

72

T H E S lO ffL A N D S

O F C A N T A I tlilA ;

OR.

to ascend if h e followed o u r track in v isitin g the

m ines o f th e O rconcera Company. G enial Mr.
M cV eigh accompanied us on th is expedition as lar
a s Caiitro, w h ich is d ista n t some tw e n ty m iles from
Bilbao. T h e detaib; o f th is p articu lar ride a re torthcom ing w ith a good d eal o f difficulty, au d th e fault
m ust be em phatically la id a t th e door o f th e lafitnam ed gentlem an, l i e so m an ag ed to sandwich bis
really valuable inform ation w ith eueh a n apparently
inoxliayetible su p p ly o f th e drollest stories y a rn s
w o should call tb em u n d er th e S o u th ern Croes th a t
one h a rd ly h a d tim e to recover eith er from a splitgide h u rs t o f la u g h ter o r fro m the m ental effort his
statistics and facts involved, i t w as sh eer physical
an d m en tal h a rd lab o u r th a t lid o to Caatro, aud
th e w ard er in charge o f th e p a rty would m ake us
la n g h au d would m ake u s th in k . G ood hum our, they
say, is a m arvellous digestive, au d th o u g h the
discipline o f good M r. M cV eigh w as rem arkably
severe in ev ery w ay, it enahlod ya v e ry soon to
fo rg et a v e ry substantial early breakfast, and do
am ple ju stic e to a good d in n e r la te r on. B u t thia is
w h a t is called ^anticipating, a practice w hich,
w h eth er as regarda salaries o r hook-w riting, is much
to bo deprecated.
T h e road w as a good one, tho w eather w as b rig h t
an d w arm , th e horses w en t o n a t a steady pace
w o rth y o f S panish g rav ify , th e com pany w as as ju st
described, a n d if w e d id n o t enjoy ourselves we
oug h t to hav e done. A lig h t n o rth ern breeze oaine

r m iS J il D A T S F B O M E S O L A N D .

73

from over th e bay, o f w hich we h a d successive

glimpsea all th e w ay.
A t one tim e w e were
ascending a steep road, a t others passing through
pleasant g re e n valJcye ; a t titne^ th e ro ad was
perfectly zi^psag u p th o side of a n iron-houud ^ u r of
th C autabrian Hill, and on th e le ft w as a h ig h preci
pice o f dark brow n ro ck w ith tho ro a r o f th e A tlantio
waves h eatin g a t its feet. T o use a n expressive
colcnialiam, we w ere n o t n e w chum a a t scenery ;
but it must be distin ctly p u t on record th a t one o f
the finest coaating drives o r w alks th a t can be found
D any p a rt o f W estern E u ro p e is th a t from th e
vicinity o f Bilbao to th e q n a in t h ttle to w n o f Castro
Urdialea. T he villages wo paased th ro u g h w ere not
of the m ost in terestin g oi*der-few Spanish villages
proper are. T he houses a re clean a n d fairly com
fortable w ithin, b u t they look woefully desolate out
side. E veu th e old houses o f th e well-to-do g e n try
have a n ahuoRt forbidding look ab o u t them , which
even tlie arm s an d creat o f th e ow ner elaborately
c ^ e d in a conspicuous pluoe do n o t relieve. T he
late M r. W illiam P itt knew how to ta x an y th in g
and e re ry th in g , b u t if h e could v isit m odern Spain
Ike would learn a lesson o r tw o. F o r instance, all
signboards aro faxed, so ev en th e village inn is
ndistinguishable from th e n eig h b o u rin g cottages,'
icept by th e lianging o u t o f a & ir-sized vine-bush ;
hence we suppose th e old say in g , tlia t good w ine
Deeda no buh to indicai fo th e experienced w here
It niiLy be found. T he ta x -g a th e re r ab o haa his

^^raa])ing lian d on all adTertiRemcnts ; so tbo walls in

B rita in 90 plentifully covered w ith notices of
an d cattlc sales, o r w ith th a t g re a t ju v en ile jo y
Tho circiis is com ing exiRt in all th e ir barenefi in
th e Jdng^ona o f Alfonso. T he E ^ia n w s NacivnaleSy or
plaofi for th e siile o f stampR an d tobacco, a re v ery
plentifiil, b u t you cannot g e t stam ps a t tb e postoffice. H a v in g w ritten y o u r lettftr, you m ust first
find out w here th e stam ps can be g o t, an d th e n whore
to post it, T his is a couvonieut systom , and saves a
lo t o f timo and w orry, as in n in e oases out o f te n the
E ^ m c o Naci(fnal is ju s t tho o th e r end o f th e villago
from w here tb o post-office is. A t tb e la tte r place, in
tb e little w indow , o r as often a s n o t aJHxed to a
wooden board inside tb e house, is a list o f letters that
bave arriv ed for th e people ro u n d about. B u t tbe
post-oftice does n o t co u n t fo r m uch in tho C antabriw i
reg io n o f Spain, I ts in h a b itan ts a re n o t a corre
spondent-ridden people like w e arc, a n d w ould, we
fear, a t first even fail to see th e obvious advantages
o f p u ttin g som othing to y o u r left e a r and speaking
t a th e w all, say in g a t intervals H allo, is th a t
y o u !1
O f Spanish tobacco i t m nst be said tb a t, b ein g a
stric t governm ent monopoly, i t m ig h t b e infinitely
w orse. W ith us in th e m ountains, it w as o f course
H obsons choico, an d o f necessity we h a d to p u t up
w ith i t ; h u t a t tim es, w h en a slig h t breeze blew the
dried hay-like stu ff o u t o f o u r pipes, w e certainly
did long for th e flesh p ots o f K ielim oud Gem

TEJfEJ^ D A T S F n O U H K & LA K I).

75

gmokiDg m ixture, o r some equally first-claaa brand.

Aa to th e cigarettes, o f w hich one can g e t one h undred
for tho low price o f one real
th e y a re n o t eo
objectionablo ae m ere whiffe, b u t unleas deftly handled
in tru e Spanieh iashiou, th e y h av e a n inconvenient
h a b it o f falling to picoes. On o f th e most astound
in g proofs o f th g re a t patience o f th e Spanish peoplo
ia to be found in th e ir to leratio n o f th e hoxc o f
veatas w hich tb e G overnm ent sell a t th e aforesaid
JCfitancos KacioiuUes. T h ey a rc th e m o st ingeiuons
contrivances for losing m atches, and g e ttin g them so
to speak all over th e place, th a t ev er th o w it o f m an
devised. T h e p ap er cover o f th e box is long, the
b ro w n p ap er box inside is short, w ith a kin d o f flap
to i t th a t breaks off fifteen m inntes o r lees a fte r i t is
in yoor poegeeeion. W hichever w ay you open these
boxes tlie vestas stream o u t ; and i t is a perfect m arvel
th a t so few serioue accidents hap|>en from th is most
reprehensible fashion o f th e authorities in p lay in g w ith
fire. O n one occasion, w hen stan d in g n e a r a grate,
one o f a s found h e had been unconsciously ta k in g
a n impression o f his bunch o f kcye in th e w ax o f a
q u a n tity o f loose veetas w hich n a tu ra lly onough bad
come ad rift from th e ir useless h o i. T his is a re g u la r
B ritish grum ble and a tru e one. O ur good friends
th e Si^m iards com plain am o n g them selves, h o t do
nothing. T hey b ear th e ir m atch -tas a g re a t deal
b etter th a n o u r peophs d id w h en L o id Sherbrooke
attem pted to g e t some luce ex lucellum. O ne o f the
p rettiest o f th e m an y p re tty places we came across

io th pan o ram a o f coast scenery' on tLe w ay to

C astro is tho T illage o f O nton, w bicli is situated to
th e left o f a ciiarm in g m ountain stream , and which
huro divides th e provinces o f B i y a n d Santander.
T he bay w hich form s th e m onth o f th is r iv e r tonne
a perfect little p o rt w hich deserves th e host skill of
a n artist to depict, A sm all pier ru n s out into tho
sea, and la rg e vessels occasionally load iron ore
h ere. S heltered v e ry m uch b y th e su rro u n d in g hills,
it po^iiesses a v e ry equable clim ate, a n d so m ild is the
average tem p eratu re, th a t th e v in e flourishes im
m ediately above th e tow n, and a g re a t deal of
ia m ade in th e neighbourhood. So g r e a t aro
th e attractions o f O nton a s a place o f residence, that
a n K nglish m arin e surveyor w ho h a d occasion to visit
th tin y p o rt on business, h a s purchased a n estate
there, an d rt-Bidec a t O nton d u rin g m an y m onths of
th e y ear. F ro m th is little gem o f w h ite houaee set
in a sem i'circular belt o f em erald g re e n , th e ro ad is
more and m ore in tereetin g , b y m eans o f th e diversi
fied seA an d landscapes, till an o th er esq n isito bay,
b u t o f much la rg e r proportions, th a t o f Castro
IJrdiales, cornee in sig h t
a lo fty h ill command
in g a full v iew o f th o tow n, p ier, castle, ch u rch and
lighthouse, and from w hich a v e ry steep descent baa
to be m ade to C astro p ro p er, ly in g as it does m i tb e
se a beach o f th e b a y itself.
I n S pain th e y d riv e horses v e ry slow ly dow n a
h ill and v e ry fast n p one, so in o u r leisurely descent
w e could easily ta k e in th e full scene before us. As

THBFE DAYS FBOM ES91AND.

77

M r. F ord eays v e ry tr u ly
T his p re tty p o rt witli
its bay headland rocks, castle, a n d herm itag e o f
S anta A n a, waa m ade for th a rtist. A rriv e d on
th e level in th e cen tre o f th tow n, w hich has a
popnlation o about 8000, on soos on th e lft a
hold, ro ck y headland, on w hich a re th e cxooodingly
picturesque ivy-ooverd ruiiifi o f one o f thoeo tail
inasuivc aquaro Moorish caatles w hich meet tlie ey
now and
till th e A stu ria n H ig h lan d s proper
are readied, and there, a s we know , tho M oslem never
had aw ay.. U n d er shelter o f th is headland, which
rem inds ouo, in a feshion, o f th a t a t Scarborough, a
sm all b u t strongly b u ilt ston p ie r r n m o u t fo r soin
Httle distance, and a busy econo is preeiitd, as
C astro is a very im p o rtan t centre o f tho sardin
fi*liory the take th a t m orning h a d been fairly
fluccuesful, for numerous craft w ere lan d in g th eir
spoils from tbo soa, whilo out in the B ay itsolf we
counted from th e ston em bankm ent th a t feces the
h arb o u r itse lf no lew th a n IC l flardine boats all a t
w ork. T bo fish m ark et p ro p er a t C astro is interest
ing, b u t it only exists, rh fa r as wo coiJd m ake out,
for local dem and, all th e sardioea boing eith e r saltod
in barrels o r sent aw ay to ho packed w ith oil in tho
universally kiiow n i k t tine. A first-chias hotel,
entitled tbe F unda E t Si^lo, ie in tho cen tre o f the
tow n, an d commanda from its U]>pr win do^-s rem ark
ably good views, as is ueedlesfl to bo said. I t is
close to th e public gardens, w hich a re faetefully laid
out, aud th e fare enpplied b y M r. A lex an d er Josse is

78

TE E H JO m .A N D S 0 ^' C JST A SJiT A i Oli,

w ell cooked, plentiful, an d m oderate in price, l u ihe

h ath iiig season C astro is v e ry p>pular as a p k c e of
resort, so ^ / o n d a is a larg e one for N o rth e rn Spain,
an d th e re is p le n ty o f sleeping accommodation, all in
th e m ost perfect order. O ne h a s on ly to stro ll along
th e older p a rt o f th e to w n an d notice th e stro n g stone
houses all b earin g lo rd ly ooats o f aim s, h u t n ow doing
d u ty for v e ry indifferent stores, to find o u t th a t
Custro h a s b a d a g re a t histo ry , th o u g h , except per
haps in th e m a tte r o f sardines, ita g lo ry has de|>arted.
I t is a Bllely relic o f th e glories o f an cien t days in
C B asq^^lan^^ aud i t ia lik e ly enough th a t from the
g re y ahadow o f th a t sonvcnir o f Moslem rule, the
ru in ed castle, th e first E u ro p ean fisherm an went
aw ay N o rth w ard I I o ! fo r a w hale h u n t because it
is, w e believe, ad m itted o n all hande th a t th e first to
in a u g u ra te th a t b ran ch o f m arine iudufitry w ere the
h a rd y boatm en o f th e O antahrian coaat. F irst
Tiaitlng th e church by m eans o f a n o m eans wellpav ed stone ro ad aud fairly steep, w e ag ain came in
w ith o u r old frieud th e re s to re r a n d again
denounced him aud all h is works. W c a re inclined
to th e opinion th a t th e sam e gentlem an w ho de
stroy ed th e beauty o f th e church o f S t. A n to n a t Bilbao
afterw ards h e n t his w icked w ay to C artro U idiaies, ;
th e re to accompliah th e sam e fell deed how w ell he
succeeded le t th e EngH sh louriats (aud wo hope th ere
w ill bo m an y w ho w ill be tem pted to go and enjoy
N o rllie m S pain lilce w e h av e) g o an d ju d g e for
them selves. W e forbear to go into details, b u t the

TSREE DA FS FROM

79

read er m ay retncm lw r th e old stove pipoa tliu t uod

to beautify churches in th e d ay s o f h ig h pew s and
thieo deckei. A t C astro th e church is decorated
w ith m onstron? stone supporte, v e ry m uch like th e
pipes, and ont o f all koepiiig* w ith tho reet o f th e build
in g . B eyond th e church, a t th e ju ttin g o f tlie headI.ind w ith th e eea, is a liihthouse, and from ita lofty
tow or th e whole situation can bo p leaw n tly surveyed,
and if th e trav eller ia not satisfied, ho m u st indeed be
h a rd to please. Cloae b y is tho herm itage o f S anta
A n a, a separated rock on w hich onco lived a saint
o f lh a t nam e ; th e chaarn th a t divides it from th e head
land has now been b rid g e d ov er an d in p a rt bIoc3ced
up by solid m asonry ; an d hore in storm y w eather
tlie w ild A tlan tic w aves b e a t w ith all th e ir fory.
T he site o f tb e old rewdoncc o f th e herm it now forms
a pleaaant nook, o f course o f lim ited dimensionR, but
th e authorities have th o ughtfully provided shelteiB
an d seats, an d w e can im agine no ploaaanter phice
th a n ihia herm itago a t Oaatro fo r a n idle m an to
pasa a quiet reflective m orning, especially iu tho
s p rin g o r summer. T he hig h g reen m oontains ou
tho east aide o f th e bay w ill face him , an d between
them selves a n d hia retiro d spot w ill be tho fishing
fleet ; th e bustling Httle town w ill bo on his rig h t,
w hile a t his feet and a ll ro u n d him , sav e for the
narro w bridgo w hich binds him to th e m ainland of
Spain, bo w ill find fh e sea, tiie m u rm u r o f whoso
ceaseless w ash m ig h t, if h e so w ished it, send him
soothingly to sleep. M any y ears ago th e talented

editor o P tm e h s M r. F . C. Buman-1,
so t e teR ug
in one o f bift bum orons w o rk s, R ent as a k in d o f travel
lin g iuspector b y a company started in London to
find a re a lly qu iet w atcriog-place, b u t th e effort
WM in vain. I f tb o society w hich em ployed bim
is still in existence, w e would stro n g ly rect)mmand
them to sen d some com petent individual to re p o rt on
C astro U rdales, w hich boast a superb bathiug-place
to its other charm s. Tvro poun^ls a w eek (w ine and
ev e ry th in g included), o r ev en lese, w ould b e ab o u t the
f ij a r e a t tho E l Siglo, aj\d w hen o u r readers fin d out
how easily th e y can reach N o rth e rn S pain and we
shall tell them by-and-by w e shall be m nch surprised
if M r. J o R B c , o r R o m e d ea j-sig h te d com|>etltor o f his,
w ill n o t req u ire to obtain a stuff o f E nglisli speak
in g w aiters for th is heau idal o f a p b c e for a real
holiday o r residence for those w ho h a v e sm all fixed
incomes.
C astro is still a w alled tow n, and its defences are
pierced for m usketry, b u t h a lf a b a tte ry o f field pieces
w ould soon m ake th em useless. A s we hav e said,
tb e im portance of C astro lies in th e past, and tbero
are m any soul-stirring stories in connecticm w ith
b rav e h u t ineffectual attem p ts o f th e G othic Spaniard
to storm th e Moorish Castle ; th e difficulties atten d in g
w hich can beat be ju d g e d b y surveying its precipitous
w alls w ith th e ir frow ning ap ertu res fo r arrow
shooting. T h e re is a n unexceptionable caf a t Castro,
w ith some good billiard tables k e p t b y a F renchm an,
who, strange to say, seems to g e t o n well enough in

tlie laud o f hia adoption. A e a ra le , to w e v e r, tb e

fiuipicon and disliko o f th e foreigner, so common to
all Spaniards, is, in th o n o rth ern provin<s o f Spain,
coneentratcd on tho devoted heads o f th e F ren ch .
In the Canta^bran provincee, as a m le , th e y look
down on a n T deapiae th o so u th ern Spaniai'd as
effeminate, w eak and guRbing, b u t th e y positively hato
the lYench.
O ur coach fo r S an tan d er not s ta rlin g till a n early
hour ill th e m orning, wo elccted to d riv e back a
short diatance w ith o u r friond, w ho w as retum insr to
Bilbao in th e carriag e roforred to , and th e n iu tho
coQTBe o f a starlit antnm u ev en in g w alk back ag ain to
Castro. D u rin g th is five-mile ride w e le a rn t iio m
tho eloquent lips o f M r. M cV eigh th a t a rom ance o f
modern daye clings to th e historical to w n o f Castro
Crdiale.
O f course, in the sh o rt tim e w e had, wo could only
manage to g e t a t some o f th e facts ; b u t i t as th e y
i're alleged, n o t one o f Miss B raddons o r W ilkie
Cdlinsa novels w ill approach in in terest th o records
0 * tho adventure, political, social, an d otherVkiae, of
Clara of Caetroa leading fem inine in trig u e r, aa fa r
as wo imdorbtood, on th e p a rt o f the C arlist p a rty , in
the iiortJi o f S pain.
Too s tra n g e n o t to he tru e ,
is a good m otto fo r all th in g s out o f th e w ay in th e
P^ n s u la , and th e sto ry o f C lara ie ono o f them . A s
understand, how ever, th a t a t no d istan t date it
^ill be given to th e E n g lish public w ith th e strik in g
title o f Tho V acan t T hrone, it w ould he m anifestly
0

82

T E E H ia E L A m > 8

O F C A iH T A J iR iA ;

OR.

u n fa ir to refor fu rth e r to tho h isto ry o f a heroiii

w ho has im m ortalised C astro in h e r chequered
life.
S aying farew ell io C laras h lsfo rian a t th e top o f the
6 teep h ill, from w hich one geta th e firat v iew o f Castro
B ay, w e looked w estw ard, and th e scone h y th e gloom
o f ea rly ev en in g w as perhaps m ore beautiful th a n in
th e su n lig h t o f m id d ay . O n eith er side o f ub were
d a rk forcals o f trees, th ro u g h w hioh th e m oonlight
trie d to m ake w ay and foiled. Before u s w as th e bay
itself, sh in in g like b u rn ish ed silver in th e m oon a ra y s ;
above us w as a cloudless sk y h g h t d b y thousandii of
stars. L o oking a s for as w e could see, on o n r left
w ere th e fa in t g as-h g b ts o f Castro, w hicli looked
fiiint indeed, com pared w ith th e sea^reflected moon
lig h t, an d o n onr r ig h t w as th e rev o lv in g re d lamp
o f th e lighthouse, w hich is plainly visible a t a
distance o f seven mile. W e k n ew th a t th e Desado
m ines w ere som ew here n ear, a^id, a s we w anted to
see w h a t progreaa thw new and risin g Spanisli port
waa m aking, w e fell in w ith a n in tellig en t n ativ e, wbo,
Rtrimge to say, th o u g h liv in g close b y , actxially knew
w here Dccido w as, and, ta k in g his advice, w e made
for a sho rt c n t an d left th e m ain road, w hich, like all
others in N o rth ern S paic, w as a p erfect m odel o f a
highw ay, a n d a p a tte rn to m a u y o f th e so-called post^
roads iu E ngland, I t w as good ath letic exercise that
descent b y th e sh o rt c u t ; ju m p in g from boulder to
boulder, a n d occasionally cannoning shoulder to
shoulder, m ade it lively w ork. L arg e ro u n d stone*,

romarT?aLly unstead y and deep Lolea betw een tliem,

made th e track, b u t w e g;ot dow n to sea-level a t laat
and made for tbo village in n . W ith tw o larg e c o jx x s,
or tum blers, o f good re d w in e bcforo ua w e w ere
resting our acliing lim bs, w h e n one o f iis noticed
Romo one in tb e dim ly-lighted bar-room o f a tho
roughly colonial ty p e, rea d in g th e Standard news
paper. K now ing a t once b e m u st be K uglisb, we
were soon in conversation, a n d found o u t th a t h e wa^
0 D6 o f the engineers o f th e D ecido Iro n M ining
Company, w hose en terp rise hag sim ply m ade Docido,
wiiich II few y e a rf? ag o h ard ly h a d a nam e, H ere
John B ull has erected a p ie r 786 feet long, w ith a
houd ftO feet wido and 242 feet in len g th , an d along
this pier vessels d raw in g eighteen feet o f w a te r cau
always bo afloat. T h e iro n oro ia tranaported by
trucke from th o rainea to tbo ccntrc o f tbo pier, tb e
full w aggons d raw in g up tb e em p ty once, a n d tb e
whole w ork reflects tb e h ig h est cred it on M r. (x.
Wells of W estm inster, th e eDgineer*in*chiof o f th e
Decido Iron Com pany. A b o n t 2(10,000 tons o f iron
ore are eip o rte d annually, and tb e o u t-turn ia a l u t
53 per cent, o f good pig. I n th e m ines, M r. A ustin
(the Standard read er) told ua th e y w ere eonatuntly
finding R om an an d M ooriah rcHca an d tools perfectly
oudif^ed tb e wooden b a ft o f a p ick -aie, p it lamps,
uavicuiar wooden frumeaan d h a d all bccome iron
ore. A fter h av in g inspected th e p ie r a n d o th e r w orks
which w ere visible b y th e m oonlight, we b a d moro
conversation w ith M r. A u stin , and it w as before all
2

8i

T S B n iG S L A N D S O F CA2JTATtrA ;

OS.

tilin g s characteristically B ritish. T he th ree o f us had

been to ev ery p a rt o f th o w orld. Seated on somo
em p ty barrels a u d lookiog* on th e peaceful soa we
y a ru e d o f trav els in stran g e lan d s in th e mattcr-of*
fact fashion w hich astonishes a n d confounds the
av erag e continental. "When waa h e la st a t B ak u ?
T hen, o f course, he k n e w A llen d er? W ell, th a t
i? stran g e. H e w as in Sam oa w ith m e in 77.
I rem em ber liim w ell a t 2janzilar, th o u g h ," and so
on and so on. T he trav ellers for th e g re a t commercial
house o f Messrs. J o h n B nll & C om pm y a te pushing,
en terp risin g gentlem en, a n d th e y seldom reckon
m ileage an d a re n ev er homesick.
A n ig h t in a Spanish coachit holds eiffht inside,
an d is omnibus-shaped is one o f those Inxuries that
w e confcsa w e w ould dispense w ith. T b e roads are
good, h u t tho sp rin g s a re b ad . I f y o u open th e
w indow , you w ill be alm ost certain to catch coJd; if
it is up , th e atm osphere is aw ful. H ow ever, as
sm oking is allowed, th e v o ta ry o f th e weed makes an
atm osphere o f his ow n, as it w ere, an d if tire d w ith
exercise, lau g h in g , a n d sight-seeing, he w ill soon go
to sleep. A s th e drow sy god h a d us v e ry fiiirly in
h is g ra sp on th e p a rtic u la r m o rn in g ab o u t w hich we
w rite, all th a t w e can say ab o u t th e jo n rn ey could be
sum m ed u p iu v e ry few w ords in M ark T w ain's diary
fashion r Grot in to coach; w e n t to sleep. W oke up
a t S antander. Concise b u t unin tei'esting. H av in g ,
how ever, trav elled an d retrav eled th a t ro ad many
tim os since, we can tell our readers w h a t is to be

T T IS B B D A T S P R O M E m L A i m .

85

seen, and w h a t w e did n o t seo th e la st tim o w e risked

our limbs w ith H is M ajesty 8 Maila fro ia C aetio to
Santander. A b o u t fire ini lea iro m th e scene of
Clara home is th e picturesque lietlo p o rt o f
0 rion, placed a t th e m outh o f th e riv e r o f th e eamo
name, w hich is here croased b y a la rg e p u n t, on
which th e loaded coach ia placed this is w orked by
chaiUAi; b u t on one occaaion, an d n o t eo lo n g ago, th e
chains gave w ay, an d tho coach, mails, passongera
aud all wore q u ietly floating o a t to aea, an d w ere
only rescued from th e ir perilous position a ile r g re a t
diffieuUy. W h en a gov ern o r o f th e province has
been drow ned a t th a t ferry, th e y w ill p u t a bridge
there, b u t n o t bofore.
W here ev ery place ia o f in terest praio gets
monotonous; b u t it m u st be ad m itted th a t the aituatioii o f S antona ia unrivallud in tlio pennsula, w ith
perhapa th e single oxception o f G ib raltar. L y ing,
as I t does, a t th e foot o f a n isolated m ountain, and
feeing thu cen tre o f a b a y w hich could receive a very
large fleet o f ironclads, acid w hich ia so land-locked
it is alw ays caJm in d e, how ever h a rd the
w esterly g a le m ay be blow ing (rnfside, th e place is a
natural fortress, and its im portance w as easily recog
nised b y th e flrst N apoleon.
W hen th a t g re a t
eader and destroyer o f m en g a v e tlio kingdom o f
^ i n to his broth er, h e m ade a reser\'ation lo r himf o f th e tow n o f Santona, w hich, to use h is own
expreasion lu a little-kuow n doapatcb, ho w ished to
niake tho G ib ra lta r o f tb e N orth.

T h e church in th is to w n is in terestin g enough,

especially fo r its tom bsw hich a re v e ry Qnmoroua
a u d handsom e aud also for a m iraculous
of
th e V iig in w hich cam e fro m A ntioch. T he first
pilot w hich Columbus em ployed w aa a n ativ e of
Santona, a n d a q u a rte r o f th e to w n is called the
B arrio d e la Cosa, after th e nam e, o f th e historical
m arin er referred to.
A large prison establishm ent is m ain tain ed a t
S antona, an d affords accommodation for n o t ls than
700 convicts ; as Nve flhnll hav e occasion to refer later
on to other Spanish gaols, it is n o t ne ssary h ere to
refer a t an y len g th to th e convict dpt o f S antona ; .
b u t a w ord is dne to th e m arvellous proficiency the
prisoners h a v e acquired in tho a r t ol cov erin g bottles
an d th e like w ith coloured straw s, an d in th e m anu
facture o u t o f sim ilar m aterial o f card and cigar
cases.
Tlie Bilbao coach vi C astro is in n o p articu lar
h u rry ; th e stoppages a re freq u en t aud long, so i t is
alw ays early in th e tbrenoun, if one takes th e convey
ance leav in g C astro about one a . m ., th a t you find
yourself in the plea>jaut suburbs o f S antander,
anxious to g e t o u t fo r a w ash and breakfast, and
desirous m aybe o f finding w h a t th e re is o f instruc
tion, in terest o r am usem ent in th e capital o f tbe
province, w hich gives th e place its nam e, a n d which
w e h a v e called a C antabrian city.

K-i
*

li

CH APTK R V m .
A

C A N T A B R IA N

C IT Y .

I t is tru e, in a senac, th a t S an tan d er is a C antabrian

catj, b u t to look a t its lo n g line o f ta ll v e ry F ronch
b n ilt boasee along th q u ay o r rauelle^ ono would feel
inelined to th e opinion tb a t it is h a rd ly S paniali a t
ali, m uch Jess C antabrian, in th e purely local sense o f
tbe word. H ow ever, its cen tral po&Ition b etw een tbe
w eetera au d eastern p o rts o f Bilbao an d G ijon, its
commercew hicb if jn s t n ow a little sta g n a n t ie still
eonfriderable and ita place a s capital o f tbo province,
all point o u t S an tan d er a s a rep resen tativ e tow n, w ell
w orthy o f attention.
To th e student o f h isto ry th ia C an tab rian city has
m any attm ctidns, for i t w as th e PorUts BlentiiuTn of
tb e Rom ans, an d its la rg e an d secnre bay, w ith its
anchorage an d shelter, hav e fio m tim e to tim e been
tb e rendezvous o f fleets au d vessels famous in the
au n a b o f EJurope. I n 1248, for instance, th e ships of
F erdinand le ft S an tan d er to blockade S eville; in
1522 K in g C harles T . lan d ed h e re o n tb e 16 th Ju ly
to tako possession o f S pain, aud i 01 y ears la te r our
ow n C harles I , em barked for Portm onth afte r his

88

T E E E l O E L A V B S O F C A T ^ T A B R IA '.

O S,

rom antic v isit to M adrid. S o u lt crueE y sacked iho

place in 1808, an d in 1834 i t w as th e scenc o f tho
la n d in g o f th e h ra v c B ritish legion n n d er S ir D
lA cy E ra n a , w hen, ow ing to th e p ro T e rh ia l S p a iii^
suspicion o f th e foreigner, th e y w ere treated so badly ;
an d com paratively on ly a fow y ears ago, in 1868, it
w as th e scone of a san g u in ary en g ag em en t between
th e troops o f Queen IsaheUa an d tho revolutionary
forcee.
T o-day S an tan d er has all th o appearance o f its
form er im portance ; h u t i f th e tr u th m ust be told, its
proeperity is on th e w ane, T he lo n g an d handsom e
m w l k w ith its stately five-storied houses is imposing
enough, and th e a rriv a l o f th e h u g e transatlantic
liners from Liverpool a n d B ordeaux, callin'? a t the
w ell-loiow h a y o u tw ard Ixjund for H a v a n a and
M exican ports, g iv e a k in d o f life to th e place, h u t it
is n o t tho old vigorous commercial life w hich onco
distinguished th e famoos city , muy noSle y siempre
Ual y decidida, w h en h e r w harves wero full o f barrels
o f fish and flour for Cuha, o r cotton an d tobacco
se n t in retu rn . T he commercc o n th e banks o f the
N ervion riv e r h a s tho ^g o o f th e nineteenth ccntury
ab o u t i t ; th a t o f S an tan d er socms to afiect i t because
it is S antan d er a n d no w h ere else. T h e population
o f th o place is ov er 40,000, an d in th e g a y sunshine
o f a Spanish sp rin g , sum m er o r autum n, it is pleasant
enough to stroll along th e q u a y and sec th e crowds
o f A stu ria n em igrant, w ith th e ir scanty baggage,
m ake for th e te n d e r w hich is to ta k e , them to th e

T M iiK E D A T S F k O M R N O L A H D .

ocean lin er, w aitin g ju s t below tb e to w n read y and

w illing to. tran sp o rt tb em to A m erica," aa th
Spaniards call Cuba, in search o itb er o f a speedy
fortune o r a n ea rly g ravo. T he sp irit o f oolouisation
i* atill in active force am o n g tb e stu rd y L ig lla n d ers
o f C an tab ria; th ey , a t lea^t, hav e n o t lost th a t iinpulao
o f eelf^evolopm ent w hich has m ade B rtiiin th
Pow er she is to -d a y ; an d ev en if tho hum ble A stu rian
peasant w ith his bundle on ly seeks b e tte r tim es in
tho narrow hm its o f the still Spatiiab-ruled Cuba, be
a t least commands th e sy m p ath y and good wishes o f
those whose p ro u d boast it is th a t th e y a re sons
and danghters o f th a t m o th er o f n atio n s-^Im p erial
England.
O ur q u arters a t S an tan d er h a v e alw ays been th e
Fcnda Europa, k e p t b y a n estim able Frenciim an
whose politeness is aa good as hie fare, and hi tariff
veiy m oderate (th e term s, inclusivo, b ein g eig h t
66 o ^ a day). W e m ention th is hotol for th e reason
s ta to jy b u t th e re a re others eqnally good, and per
haps, b etter in S antander, such as th o G rand and Dos
Aihiyos^ b u t w e can only testily o f th a t w hich we
b lo w . Tixe Cafe Suizo on tb e muelle is a n elaborate
m stitutioii decorated in th e m ost barbarous tast^j as
^ r as eolonring is concerned, b u t th e average B riton
'^ill be rew arded by p ay in g i t a visit, b y th e sig lit
o f the D a ily Xt^legrapk, w hich is alw ays to be found
on its tables, a n d arrivet daily.
I n the unconquered city o f Bilbao, n o t for from
the P laza N ueva, th e re is a passage w hich has the

>C

90

TH E

E I& U L A N D 8

O F

C A S T A B B IA

OR,

rep u ta tio n in sum m er tim e o f exhitlinj an y th in g b u t

th e odours o f A ra b y th e Llert, to say n o th in g o f euch
a scent factory a s th a t o f M essrs. G osnell ; b u t in
S an tan d er th e y boast o f a .com cr w hich should be
held famous in an y dictionary o f tho location o f la d
smells. W h e n th e tid e is o u t th o black sew age runs
un d er th e qu ay a n d centres in th e h arb o u r m ud, and
th e tra v e lle r w ho can en d u re m ore th a n a whiiT o f
th is atm ospheric poison, m u st be stro n g indeed.
T h e sa n ita ry arran g em en ts o f S an tan d er a re so dis
gracefully im pt feet, an d so m uch w a n t im m ediate
a tte n tio n , th a t th e atb re^iid is w ritt^jn more in sorrow
th a n in an g er, w ith th e avow ed hope th a t th e local
authorities w ill see th e ir w ay to th e ir a t once looking
a fte r th a t ceaseless w o rry o f m odern civilization the
drains, W e could n o t be a n g ry even i f w e would.
H e re in L ondon w c hav e a nohl tid a l riv e r a n d we
sim ply choke i t w ith unm entionable filth, a few
miltie a fte r th e long-euffering stream has paased the
province o f houses w e call th e m etropolis. L i San
tander, iu so-called ben ig h ted Spain, th e y hav e a
noble hay au d th e y do exactly th e samo th in g on an
infinitely sm aller scale. W h en th e sew age o f London
ceasea to pollute th e m o u th o f R ir k in g C reek and
Crossness, an d is beginniDj to raako useful th e sands
about F oulness island (a m ost ap p ro p ria te nam e
b y th e w ay, as i f i t w as m ade, for th e business), we
can afford to lecture th e good peoplo o f S antander,
b u t n o t till th en . M eantim e H ia Excellency th e
M ayor o f th e city referred to should do bis bc*t to

m ake a n cud a t ouce a n d for ev er, o f th a t smelly

c o rn e r on th e beautiful m udle tb a t is u n d e r his
jurifidictioQ,
4
Looking* from th e q u a y itse lf tlic
re st o n tho
g reen spurs of C antabrian hills, and now and ag ain
th e Buow-capped tops o f th e h ig h e r m ountains can
b seen g listen in g in th e su n . H ills, in fact, sur
round th e tow n o n a ll sidoa, a u d th e city is p racti
cally divided in to tw o tow ns, one being th e u p p er
and tho other th e low er ; th e la tte r being th e m ore
m odem . B eing, as w e hav e said, th e capital o f th e
province, th e re a re uum oraus public bnildings, some
o f w hich are w o rth y o f notice, h u t n atu rally th e
m ost im portant b th e ancient cathedral w hich
stan d s o n a so rt o f rocky prom ontory o f th e q u ay
side, and w hich in effect divides th e new ntuelle, w hich
extends for n early th re e miles from th e old one, to
w hich th e rails o f th o N o rth e rn R ailw ay hav e freo
access. T h e cath ed ral is a p u re G othic edifice, w ith
th re e naves a n d a t ita h ig h a lta r uro th e precious
relics ot S t. E m etriue and S t, Caledouio, patrons of
th e city, w hich was m ade th e se a t o f a bishopric
suffragan to tb e archiepiecopal boo o f B m g o s in
1174. T he beautiful holy-w ater etoup o f m a ^ v u
^ r h l e is a feainre o f th is in te re stin g church, and so
IS th e in 8cripti<m in A rabic le tte rin g th a t surrounds
it. B eneath th e main fioor of th e church p ro p er is
th e
cry p t, w here mass is said a t stated hours on
S undays and o th e r days. T ho p r ie ^ ie u chairs, so
common in F re n c h and oth er co n tin en tal cliurchea,

a re n o t seen in N o rth ern S p a in ; w hon n o t rev eren tly

)meeHng th e con g reg atio n stand. B u t, as a rule,
except a t th e tw o gospels an d tho Credo, tho dovout
fem ale Res rem ain k n eeling from tbo Iftiroibo ad
altare D ei to ih e Deo graiiaSf wLicli follows tiie last
lin e o f tlio first ch ap ter o f S t. Jo h n . H ow ever, for
th e aged an d infirm , th e re a r e in tnoat oburchoe tw o
o r m ore beuches set choir-w ise, and liero those who
can n o t w oll ntand o r kneel srt d n rin g all b u t the
moet im p o rtan t p a rt o f the function a t th e altar. On
Sundays, a t most o f th e low masses afte r th a t o f
7.30 A.M., a sorm onotte is g iv en o f about te n to fifteen
m inntee' duration, a u d a t th e conclusion o f th e maw
n o t in th e m iddle, a s w ith u s-^ th e Epietle and
G ospel o f th e D ay a rc read in th e vernacular* A s in
old tim es in E n g lan d , th e L ita n y o f th e S ain ts is
frec]uently said, n o t on ly before h ig h maRR is s^ing,
b u t also before w cIl-attcndcd low masseR, such as
those a t th e hours o f 8.30, 9 o r 10 on a Sunday
m orning. W e hav e n o t th e loaat intciution of
en terin g in to a n y ijuestion o f religious controversy,
b u t ju stice m u st be done. Tho people o f n orthern
S p a in arc, aa a ru le, devotedly an d loyally Catholic,
o r th e y a re freethinkers o f a m ost advanced ty p e ;
b n t g en erally th e S p an iard dies a Catholic, w hether
o r n o t he m ay hav e been faithful to th e ordinance
o f h is O harcb d u rin g h is active life.
In ev ery Spanish to w n th e public foim tain is, o f
course, one o f th e m ost p ro m in en t institutions o f tbe
m unicipal life, eu d th is is especially th e case at

tv

f '
' .y N.
^ A. V

it .

,l
>A. T.'S*

Vi

S a n ta n d e r; and it is w ell w o rth th e etran g er's w hile

to follow th e oxample o f th e gentlem an w ho w o n t to
the Bine A lsatian ifoantainfl, and w hen a t
S antander to w andor n e a r th e fountains, ja s t to
h ear tbo m aidens eing." T h e y sin g v e ry w ell do
some o f theeo C antabrian w ater-carriers, an d tho
conanmmate case w ith w hich th e y ca rry on th e ir
hcadR large buckcts fall o f w ater is n o t tlio l^ast
strik in g feature o f th e busy scene o f some th re e or
four h u n d red gaily-dressed women, ev ery ono w ith
a bucket, a ll good-hum ourodly striv in g as to who
should be first in g e ttin g th e evening's w ater supply.
Occasionally th e re is a little b it o f a squabble, b u t it
is alJ ovor in a v e ry sh o rt tim e ; th e C antabrian
people a re eaey-goiiig a u d v e ry patien t, an d fam ily
^jars over fam ily p itch ers are few an d fa r between.
S antander boasts a th e a tre w hich w ill ho ld about
a thousand people, and th e b u ll-riu g bas accommoda
tion for, a t least, 8000 spectators. T h ere a rc v ery
m any pleasant w alks and drives aro u n d S antander,
notably t A h m t d a Seg%mda, on th e B ilbao road, b u t
th e favourite driv e o f th e to w n is certain ly th a t to
Sardm ero, w hich ig on th e open bay, au d about th ree
nnles from th e muelle. A tram w ay tak es one dow n
to th e pleasant bathing-place o f th e S antander
people for a few pence in a v e ry sh o rt tim e, an d en
rouie you pass th ro u g h th e fashionable faubourg of
M iranda, from th e handsom e houses o f w hich suburb
splendid view s o f th e b ay , th e ocean, and th e moorlauds can be had. S ardinero in sum m er tim e often

h a s a s n m iy visitore as five o r six thonfiaud persons

sfoppiBg th ere, h u t in th e antunrn an d w in te r it is
quite deserted, th e waimth-loYiDg S p an iard s h av in g
v e ry little affectioE for th e sea-Bide when i t ie more
th a u liVely th a t Blormy w inds m ay hlow. T be best
bathing-plaee a t Sardincro is th a t called 1 M agda
lena, to w hich is attached a n excellent hotel. I n the
sum roer season th e prices go u p a t S ardlnero, as
th e y do in oth er w atering-places n e a re r h o m e; hut
in October aud N ovem ber, usually delig h tfu l m unths
in n o rth e rn S pain, one could liv e a t L a M agdalena
for a triflin g eaim p e r w eek ; as i t is, in sum m er the
inclusive charges for bed, board, w iue, an d attend
ance, i f th e m eals a re ta k e n a t th e teble, is only
7 i. ^d. a day. T h e gardens o f th e lodging-houses or
casas de ktu^pede^ a re p re ttily laid o u t ; veg etatio n of
a m ost lu x u ria n t o rd er is abundant, an d a very
pleasant-looking w atering-place indeed is th e local
B rig h to n o f th e good people o f S antander. The
sands a re firm , an d aiford excellent w alking, while
th e geologist w ill roam from ro ck to rock, w hich he
w ill find to contein fossils o f all sorts. T he perfect
foBsil o f a m astodon w as discovered a t S ardinero in
th e sn n iin ero f last y ear, b n t some would-be im prover
h a s destroyed a portion o f th e relic. F a c in g tbe
place is th e rocky isle t o f Mouro, on w hich a light
house now stands. I t s cliffs a re v e ry precipitous
from th e sea, and ev en no\s', w ith ita step s for the
lighthouse keeper, it looks a v e ry unapproachable
place indeed.
H ow ever, th a t difficulty did not

prevent it utilisatio n by B ritiah tera, a n d a t any

rate for a short tim e th e U nion J a c k o f B ritaiu hae
waved over th a t isolated rock.
Tho F re n c h h av in g eackcd S an tan d er in 1808,
occupied S ardinero in force, an d a portion ol* th e
Channel fleet w as detached to m ake th a t occupation
as unpleasant for th e m *as poasxble. A ccordingly
one m om inff a B ritish squadron appGtired off th e
harbour o f S antander, and, to th e F renchm cn a delight
and astouishm ent, p u t to sea ajjain \ b u t tho jo y w as
turned o sorrow th e n o x t day w hen i t v a s found
th a t under cover oin ig h t th e fleet had returned, and
by m arvellous pln ck an d sk ill h a d actually m ounted
a battery o f g u n s on M ouro Isla n d ; and th e sentries
of M arshal Soult'a force w ere n o t believed by th e ir
superior officers w h en th e y flaid th a t th o d a rin g
English w ere actually occupying M o n ro ; h u t th e
Doise o f th e B ritish cannon soon convinced thm .
The F rench had no m eans o f dislodging th e brave
B ritish detachm ent, w ho ev en tu ally broke u p the
occupation o f S ardinero, an d w ere lelievod w hen
Soult s ibrees h a d re tire d in m uch th e sam e fiishion
as they g o t thcj*e. T he B ritish occnpation o f M ouro
lasted very n early tb re e weeks.
Tho S antander people n e v e r seem to hav e forgotten
or forgiven th e cru el w ay in w hich th e F re n c h looted
thoir tow n, a n d a n En^lishn^an w ho can m ake him self nndoretood in Spanish o r w ho im derstands it will
hear m any b itte r th in g s said o f w h a t M r. M ax O'Rull
would call our d ear neighbours across th e silver

06

T S B

E lQ E L A U D S

O F

C A J^ T A B B IA ;

O Ry

atreaL jM tLoiigh tlie Spaniards h av e a t tinies

Laved v e ry coldly a n d u n g ratefu lly to tlie B ntisli
w ho did and suffered bo m u ch o n th e ir account, yot
in t t e i r h e a rts th e y h a v e n e v e r forgotten, n o r will
th e y ever f o i ^ t , th a t it wa* m ainly due to B ritish
generalship th a t th e best M arshals o f F ran co were
d riv e n ont o f Spain, and th a t it w as b y raoane of
B ritish w a r ehips th a t th e picture w h ich th e F rench
h a d stolen from th e churches, w ere restored to th eir
places. Some m onths a fte r th e cru sh in g defeat of
V'ittoria, w hen such a u enorm ous am ountof plunder fell
in to W elling to n s hands, a B ritish aqnadrou appeared
off S antander, an d his E xcellency th e M ayor waa duly
iuform ed th a t tho object o f H is B ritan n ic M ajestys
w a r vessels w as to restore to one o f th e churches acme
pictnica w hich th e F ren ch had rohhed th em of. Some
bine jack ets and marine w ere landed, a n d w ith stately
cerem onial on th e p a rt o f th e B ritish a n d Spanish
authorities, bo th ecclesiastical and civil, th e B ritish
w on p lu n d er w as restored to its rig h tfu l o w n o i^ In
th e old tim es o f th e b itte r w a r ag ain st tho F rench
i n v a d e r s , ch ild ren , w h en asked to eay th e C reed, used
to commence w ith D am nation to th e F iuuch I
believe, &c. A n d it is no ex ag g eratio n to aay th a t th e
sam e feeling lin g ers y et, an d in n o p a r t o f N o rth e rn
S p ain d(Kss i t ex ist stro n g e r tlia n it does in th e sAcked
city o f S antander. W e w ere gratuitously told in a
shipping office th a t being E nglishm en we could easily
be at'commodated, had we been F renchm en itw o n ld
have been a totally different m atter. T h ere w ere too

m any o f them p ro w lin g ab o n t w ith tb e ir endless eliam

politeness, and eo on and m uch m ore to tb e same
effect, TIiG n o rth e rn S p an iard has th e m ost imd i i ^ i i o d contem pt for w h a t he consideia th e frivolons
character o f tho F ren ch , and if you a re a t all in his
confidence h e w ill aoon tell you so.
A ll tb e environs o f S an tan d er a re rem arkably
p ro tty , and th e y aro studded w ith handsom e villas
snrrounded b y orchards aod gardens in w hich tho
orange a n d th e citron tre e s g ro w Juxuriantly. Tho
view from th e h ills id e w alks above tho old town
(w hich a t one tim e w as waJled, b u t o f w hich n o vostige
rem ains) w ith th e ir panoram a o f tho bay, is w ell w orth
th e ascent, aaid thoso w ho are iu terested should visit
th e large govornm cnt tobacco factory w hore over 1000
hands a re em ployed. A u y w ay , thcso aro tho salient
features o f this most in terestin g C antabrian city, which
we m ust leave fo r th e road to the H ighlands.

C H A PTK R IX .
T E K

R O A D

TO

T H B

H IG H L A N D S .

F rom S autan d cr to th e C an tab rian HighlaiidR proper

th e re a re tw o d istin ct ro u tes, one b ein g b y w a y of
S antillana, tlie b irth placo o f G il Bias, and tlie other
a m ore d irect wsky b y ta k in g tho tra in to Torrelaveg,
an d thence one o f th e tw o riv a l coaohca to tho bridge
o f i-n q u e ra a t th e bach o f th e exquisite litflo p o rt of
T in a M ayor. I n Spanish railroad trav el one has the
advantage o f not b ein g perplexed h y th e num ber of
routes, a n d th e pros and cons o f each. I f one wishes,
say, to g o from Loudon to E d in h u ig h , b e cun avail of
th re e lines o f d ircct r a i l ; w hile I f th e straiig er wishes
to see th e F e n country, a n d tb e tow er o f Lincoln
C athedral, h e can go n ow h y the faat expresses o f the
G ro at E astern , aud arriv e a t A u ld R eekie only au
h o u r o r so l a t ^ for h is o rien tal deto u r.
They
m anage th ese th in g s v e ry differently in Spain. There
a te th re e tra in s io T orrolavega in th e day, tw o being
m ixod' ones, iy . c a rry in g pa*engoie and freigbt>
th e other b ein g th e m ail train . A s this m ail tia in
does n o t connect w ith th e U n q u era coache* w e had to
leave S an tan d er a t about 7-15 in th e m o m iu g (th at

was th e ofScial tim e, b u t th e tra m w as late), and

once h av in g (Jtarted, proooeded in a n exceedingly
dignified, n o t to gay R uperuaturally low pace till we
w ere fairly o a t o f th e suburbs o f S a n ta n d e r; and
there, h av in g g o t a fa ir w ay o n , so to speak, h a d to
p u ll in a frightened sort o f fashion a t th o little
statio n o f Bo(), n e a r w hich a re some ro y al dockyards,
whero, as M urray garcastically rem arks, ships o f auy
ise can be built, b u t n e v e r are. T he view from thia
station o f Boo is a rem arkably fine one. B eyond the
m arshes th ro u g h w hich th e tra in ru n s aro largo
patches of land, in a m ore o r less reclaim ed condition ;
a n d beyond is th e noble bay itself, dotted on the
occasion o f our la rt v isit w ith num berless steam ers,
n early all flying th e red ensign o f B ritain , doing
th e ir penance o f qu aran tin e. K isin g im m ediately
behind these representativeg o f t l m ercantile m arine
a rc the precipitous m ountaing o f th e Kagtern Canta^
b ria n ra n g e a rom arkable sugar-loaf hill, ra th e r
sm aller th a n tb e others, b ein g a most conspicuous
object. K o t fa r from Bo6 a re gomo lamoua saline
w aters, a t a place know n as Solaree, and thege are
h ig h ly recom m ended for g astric com plaints o f all
kinds, A fter w aitin g qu ite a considerablo tim e to
Bee i f n o one elae whs really g o in g to tu rn up, our
engine ( a v e ry old-fashioned sty le o f R ngliah build,
and it haa th e d a te 1859) phickcd u p its courage,
and, th ro u g h a v e ry p re tty u n d u la tin g wooded
country, took us a t a fa ir pace to Renedo, d istan t
th irteen miles from S antander, w hich station we
H 2

100

T E E m a } lL A 2 ! D S O F C A F T A 2 A i

07i,

roached about tw o hours a fte r leav in g th e latto r named

city, so tho pace waa slow i f sure. A t R cncdo the
up-trahi has to w ait for th e d o w u ; th e la tto r being
som ew hat late, w e h a d a leisurely stay o f quite
h a lf a n h o u r, and ae n e a rly everyl>ody g o t o u t, w
h a d plen ty o f o p p o rtu n ity to stu d y th e tra in aud
o u r fellow-passengere. T he carriages, it m u st ho
said, w ere m uch b e tte r th a n th e eng in e, an d lookod
th oroughly u p to an y reasonable w o rk dem anded of
them . Some o f th e m axe o f F ren ch , and others
E n g lish m anufacture ; th e second class is good enough
for all prskctical purposes, and au a ll railw ay feres in
S]>ain a re v e ry dear, w e should stro n g ly advise the
av erag e read er n ev er to th in k o f com pounding
extorti<m h y g o in g firs t; Tinless, indeed, h e has a
free paas, in w h ich case th e extortion o f h is leas lucky
fellow -travellers w ill be a m -itter o f no mom ent.
T h ere is littio to be ftaid about onr passengers h y th a t
n\osi d ilato ry o f tra in s, o n th a t b r ig h t autum nal
m orning. A few p easan t w om en in loud dresses,
some effective looking ladies in black, w ith mimlillaa
find good ornam ents, a couple o f th e Civil G uard
w ho looked as i f th e y h a d ja s t come o u t o f a band-
Ixjx__in th eir ra th e r O p^ia Bouffe uniform ; an d a
sprinkU ng of w orkm en an d commercial travellera
form ed th e p atien t crow d, w ho w ith o u t a n expression
o f sarp rise aw aited th e a rriv a l o f tho M adrid trsiin,
ao as to enable th em to g e t on to T orrelavega. 'W'e
say i t in no unfriendly carp in g spirit^ b u t our good
friends the S paniards aeem to do ev ery th in g , in

m atters connected w itli railw ay m anagem ent, the

-wnyns w ay up , so to epeak. F o r instance tho 7.15
tra in from S an tan d er prociXjds n o fu rth e r than
Trrela vega, tho ro ad b ein g a sin g le one ; w hy, in th e
nam e o f common sense, does n o t it pass th e M adrid
tra in a t tlm t ratfier im p o rtan t dpt, instead o f a t
Renedo. wlxero few people Tvant to g e t in , a n d except
for rerethm ent purposes, o r gtretching tlioir legs, no
one w ants to g e t o u t Tiiis nvub th e question w hick
bothered ms intirely , ae th e y say across the
Ohanel o f S t. G eorge, b u t o f Spanish trav e llin g
anom alies th e re is lite ra lly no end.
T he tow n o f Torrolavega, w ith its popuIati<m o f
th re e o r four thouA-ind people, is about a tiiirty
m inutes' good w alk from th e elation, and aa th e road
IB rem ark ab ly u n in terestin g i t ie best to av ail o f tbe
railw ay omnibus, w hich lands yon in th e h e a rt o f the
tow n for L alf a _ p e a ^ , o r fivepence. Tliore a rc
good num ber o f w ell-built modorn hous m
Torrelavega, w hich look as if th e y wore th e outcome
o f m oney a c q u i i^ in Cuba, o r th e PhUippinea, b u t it
cortaanly is n o t a pJaco a t w hich w e can conHdently
advise th e trav eller to stop an d ponder. I f he is
o u r ^ y o f th in k b g he w ill be g lad to g e t out o f it,
o r ^ e r e is little to in te re st a n y one in it. However,
tb e
tim e w e visited th is coach-efarting placc for
th e H igblands a n d tho A sti;rias, we looked forw aM
to m aking th e acquaintance o f T orrelavega w itb a
deal o f pleasure, a s we w ere g ra v e ly informed
a t th e Muelio a t S an tan d er th a t S e o r Tetis, tlie

proprietor o f ono o f th e coach lin es to U nquera, was

n o t only a very pleasant gentlem an h u t spoke
EngliKh rem arkahly well. Tbit* w as sp len d id ; he
w ould p u t u s o n th e r ig h t iraok, g iv e u s all the
stra ig h t lips, place u s on th e best term s w ith his
coachm en a n d g u ard s, indicate th e best
to
gQ to th e oneA t<j avoid, Ac,, c. T his w as the
baielcse fabric o f a vision w biie auoning onrsolves a t
tb e fence a t R enedo station. W e arriv ed a t Trre
la vega. I n accents trem b lin g w ith broken Spanish
we inquired for tb e office o f Benor T e tisw c found
i t ; a n d th e S enor hiranelf, a well-built, handsom e m an,
w ith a sm ih n g countenance an d a jet-black heard,
advanced tow ards n s. R aisin g our h a ts in a w ay
w hich w e considered to be tru ly S panish, an d ex
ceedingly graceful, w e rem arked, o r ra th e r one o f us
did, in a cheery tone o f voice Good inorniog,
Senor, w e a re g o in g b y one o f yo u r coaches, you
k n o w ; w e a re so pleased to find some one w ho can
speak K nglisb. I f th e re is tim e p r b a p s you could
come an d h a v e b reak fast w itb us. T his ifl m y friend
f ro m ------Seor T etis smiled, an d tb e n added, P lenty o
w atter.
T bis, i f h e referred to th e A tla n tic o r even the
B ay o f S antander, wafl im m ortal tru th itself, b a t in
our circum siaoces i t was b ard ly to th e point, m it
w e re ; in ia ct one o f us th o u g h t i t irrelevant
altogether. A n d onoe again w e spoke o f travels,
coaches, horses, hours o f departure t hue

omne to S eor T ee, w ho th is tim e b u rst in to a

h earty la u ^ h and said in S panish he knew that h it of
E n g lis h ; au d th a t, alia, w as th e ex te n t o f h is vocahnlary . T his waa somu y e a r o r so a g o ; an d as d u rin g
th is intervenijig tim e ho has on ly learned th e singlo
word yes, o u r frien d S eor Totis ia n o t ap
p aren tly destined to startle tho w orld aa a Spanish
Mozzofanti, W lien th e Seor n ow apota a n E n g lish
m an he alw ays b rin g s in th is p len ty o ' w atter, yes,
an d if th e B rito n doos not enjoy th e jo k e, h e does.
M any o f onr readers m u st know th e little penny
onmibnses w hich p ly bet^recn C annon S tre e t and
liiverpool S tre e t S tations in tho C ity, an d th e
U nqnera coach w as a v e ry po o r im itation o f one o f
these in some respect?, h u t i t was v e ry different in
othera. A sort o f canopy o r sh elter w en t over the
d riv ers seat. I t boasted four horses, instead o f the
London one (w e say n o th in g a s to quality, we g iv e
tho n n m b e rs ); an cien t ^vaa th e p ain t an d infirm w ere
th e springs o f th e Spanish K oyal Mail. A s the
odour o f n o t evon cle;tn stra w a n d govem m ontal
eigarettea w as slig h tly o v e r noticeable in th e inside,
wo soon mtde arran g em en ts w ith o u r good friend
P le n ty o w atter, yes, to g e t us th e tw o aeats to tbe
hjft o f th e driV e r, a n d aw ay w e w en t. T he last-nam ed
individual had a kc^m e ^ a e o f th e hum oura o f th o ro ad
and also for th e wineshops, w hich, i f he could possibly
help it, ho n e v e r passed. W h en h e w as n o t tellin g
a comic sto ry , o r sin g in g some snatch of a eoDg
evidently g o t from some M adrid musio-hall tor the

plaintiveness o f th e A p tu rian melcMiies waa couspieuouB b y its a W n c c from our J e h u s vocal utterance
h e wan expoatuJatiug w ith h is horsee, calliu g them
b y th e ir nam es, uud iu a com plaiuing w ay addressing
th e m aR to th o ir laay an d gonerally disgraceful
behaviour : A u d er, A n d er, A n d cr, * T ch k Tchk
tc h k Dum P c drPiJ n a n eta, a u d now and
ag a in ho w ould altern ate th is tendem esa w ith a b u rst
o f untranslatable local B illingsgate to which, however,
nobody, p rie st o r lay m an , h ig h o r low, ric h o r poor,
objected. T he horsea w en t fa irly woll a t a racing
gallop u p h ill and v e ry slow ly dow n. Sometimes
seven horses a re d riv en in th ese diligence coachos,
tw o pairs w ith a th re e in th e middle. W h e n this
plan is adopted th e d riv e r usually provides himsolf
w ith a b e g o f some objectionable-looking stone for
th e purpose o f accelerating th e pace o f his tw o
leaders. T he accompliahed d riv e r w ill n ev er fail to
h it th e e a r o f th e horse he aim s a t w ith hia piece oi
rock, aud th o u g h i t socms a b it cruel, yut our fourfooted frieuda do n o t seem to feel th is stone-throw ing
as m uch a s th e y w ould a sevoi'o w h ip p in g ; b u t we
are g la d to say tb a t as fa r as onr experience goes
iu these n o rth ern roads th e re is little o r no abuse
o f th a t g re a t g ift horsetlesb. T h e indescribable
w iuk w hich our ooachmau w ould g iv e aa h e neared
a posada m ust be seen to h e u n d ersto o d ; itnd
th e astonishing num ber o f glasses o f g in eb ra or
D u tch g in (hol)anda) w hich h e m anaged to p u t aw ay,
w ithout in th e least affecting hia head, w ould be a

perfect s u rp rk c to those w ho th in k tlia t w e a re th e

only nation in E urope w ho use atrong w aters. A s a
rcftter o f fact, in th e C antabriuu Highlandfi (though
w hen th e y can |yt i t good m en practically .isiug tho
praises o f tho m onarch r>f th e Vine in th e shape, of
vino Hnto), for a re g n la r d rin k Ih jtc h hollande is p re
ferred. Th co u n try a s fa r as th e sa lt m ines o f CarhazoD, and in & ct all tho w ay, is v e ry in terestin g , and
rem inds th e tra v e lle r o f th e softer p ortions o f W elsh
and Scotch Roenery, w ith occasional patches, aa it
were, o f p u rely ru ra l E n g la n d o r N orm an d y . T he
Bnug little villages clu sterin g undtn* tho hiU -adc, tho
m u rm u r o f some r iv e r w ell stocked v n th tro u t, th e
w ell-kept gardons, th e fields o f maize, th e lu x u rian t
hedges, th e m iles after m iles o f good roads fit for a n y
ol th e w h ee lin g confratom itiea, w ith th e trees
reach in g overhead, are not. all thoso th in g s pl2aeant
to see, pleasant io re (a ll to ones m ind, p leasant to
w rite about, for o th ers to go a n d enjoy w h at we hav e
enjoyed ? N ow and a g a in a n old ruined Moorish
tow er, thon & sta te ly ferm-Louse, w hich in days gone
by h a d belonged to some p ro n d g ran d ee and to-<lay
w as occupied b y some equally p fb ad yeom an farm er.
A n d th is pleasant ride, brim full o f interest b y itself,
IS m erely th e preface to th e H ig h lan d s o f the
C antabrian range, th e an tip h o n to th e psalm o f th e
beauty and g ran d eu r o f G ods creation, w hich can bo
read b y those w ho can read in th e lim estone asses o f
th e A stu rian mounfciins.
T he Salt m ines of C arbazon rem ind one o f fhe

absurdly pro tectiv e d u ty o n th is a tso lu te noceeeary

o f life. T h e d u ty on E n g lisli sa lt is 3 pesetas
50 cents p e r 100 kiloa., a n d th is infam ous ta x exists
ju s t to m aintain a m onopoly o f a few Spanish salt
m ine owners. N o t v e ry far frnm T o rrelav eg a are
th e celebrated zinc m ines o f B io L ui^, w hich, duri^^g
th e la st tw e n ty years, hav e re tu rn e d io th e n fo rtu n ate
ow ners immenso sum s o f m oney. T h o o rig in al find
w as q u ite accidental in a field, an d a deposit of
calam ine ab o u t a m ile sq u are a n d to a n unknow n
d ep th has been tb e result. T he m ineral is ym ply
d u g o u t, b ein g iu fact qxiarried n o t m in e d ; in short,
th e so-called m ine is a n im m ense pocket, where
tw e n ty years ago p u re aj^riculturc ru led supreme.
Some hours after these m ines sev eral v e ry steep
hills are passed, and a splendid view if? o b tained of
th e m ost picturesquely situated tow n o f San "Vincante
d e la "Rarqucra, located on th e sea, an d a s it is ap
proached on th e coach-road crossing th e h ig h hills
on th e east w h ich com m and tb e to w n few places of
its k in d in E urope ean be said to be like it. San
V incente de la R arq u era is u n iq u e . O n th re e sides
o f th e place i t is surrounded h y lagoons, an d these
a re covercd w ith wildfowl in th o w in ter m onths.
T h e S paniard, how ever, is n o sporfam au, an d consequently th e b ird s a re h a rd ly ev er thinned. I f
these w a te rs were on ly pro p erly attended to hy
gentlem en anxious to go o u t and k ill som ething, it
b ein g a fine d a y o r n ig h t,' a new food su]>ply m ighi
be created for a t a n y ra te some m ark et, if the

distance and diftCTiIties o f tran sp o rtation proTonted

tli ex p o rt o f th fow l to tliU h u n j^ y LozidoQ o f
ovirs- Thus laj^oons a rc form ed in g reat m easnre
by the riv e r B arceual w hich jo in s the rnain stream
o f th e la rg e r lagoou a t P e a C andil about th ree
milea from th e town. A splendid b rid g e o f tw ontyeig h t arches, an d b u ilt in 1433, eroesos th e m aiu
lagoou, and after g o in g throug^h th e little to w n itse lf
a m odern h r id |^ o f eig h t arches lan d s th o traveller
o n tlie m ain land oppoaito.
T he Posada a t this place ia a poor ono, an d is
called Kl Basilio, th o u g h th e place is w ell wortV> a
v is it Most trav ellers w ill, wo th in k , follow our
p la n ou our laat *ru n tb ro u g h to th e llig h lan d a,
aud coutout them selves w ith th e exquisite panoram as
o f sea and m ountain scenery to he had as one
approaches an d leaves th e tow n w hile passing
th ro u g h in one o f M r. P le n ty OW attera mail
coaches."
T ho G othic church o f S an V in cen te is on ly notice
able for a fine reclininj^ % u r e o f th e Inquisidor
Corro. I n th e hot sum m er tim e S an Y in cen te boarts
o f quite a v a rie ty o f smells, and aa tho Httle place is
n o t & voured by a n eau do cologne fectory, th e un
savoury odoura uncontrolled and unoppoeed w aft
h ith e r an d th ith e r p erh ap s to th o ir en tire satisfaction
b u t to tho average trav el Ier*a dis^uat.
A aaum ing th a t tlie coach loft T orrolavega about
I I A.M., tho authorised tim o i t should reach San
T rncente de la B arquera, ia ab o u t tw o, a u d after a

haaty diBmount for refrisb m en t, tb e passenger w ill

noto as Le crosses rajig e a fte r ra n g e o f w ild b ills tb a t
a t last b e is approftcbing tb e ca u n try o f tb e bigb'est
o f tb o C antabrian m ountains, especially i f it be a
clear d a y ; an d on Lis le ft Lis eyo discerns g liste n in g
iu th e afternoon stjnsLine tb e w h ite snow caps o f tbe
Picos de E uropa. TLese m ountains stated in all
tL e eucyclopffidiaa an d gazetteers to be alm ost im
practicable and v e ry litUe know nlio beforo bim , a n d
a fte r tm v e rsiu g a lo n g s tra ig h t road for ab o u t tw o
hours bo w ill find him self, as w e h av e dono about
four in th e afternoon a t th e viUage o f UrKjuera,
asking o u r frien d th e d riv e r (g u a rd th e re is none)
fo r th e knapsacks o r L'ght valise w ith w hich alone
It is advisablu to encum ber oneeelf in thia rem ote
p a rt o f Spain. T he ro ad to th e H ig h lan d s h a s been
g one over. W e aro in th e H ig h lan d s themaelvoa.
T h e o th e r ro ad to U nq u o ra
S an tillan a and th e
new w atering-place o f C om ilhs wiU be dcaJt w ith in
one o f o n r concluding chapters.

CHAPTER X .
TEE KORTHRRN POSTEBET GATE.
pRACK an d q u ie t a j e frtamped od all th a t surroun<8
tho p re tty little v i l k ^ o f U nqiiera, an d a fte r a
h a sty w ash (w h y is it th a t th e S paniards w ill alw ays
insist on m iatakin g fin g er bowls for w ashing basins ? )
w e strolled out ov er th e w ooden b rid g e w hich hero
crosees the shallow m u rm u rin g D eva, aud thin bridge
it is w hich divide th e village o f Uncj-nera, w hich r
on tlio rig h t-h an d h a n k o f th e riv er, from th e postoffice o f tho h am let called Bustio, w here, a t a n iim
kep t b y a b ro th e r o f S e o r Tetis, th e coat^h pulled up.
T h e view w hich m et o u r eyea a s w e looked u p th e
valley o f th e D cv a w as exquisite in its beauty, O n
e ith e r eide o f us w ere th e lo n g arm s o f th e C antabrian
H ills, th e w h ite lim estone stra ta h e re an d th ere
a lte rn a tin g w ith th e g reen graes an d stum py vogetation. H ig h e r u p w ere tho ta ll spirea o f th o Picos
de E uropa, them selves stan d in g like th e sentinel
gardt o f th e splendid Picoa, whose snow y tope, some
9,000 feet h ig h , could he seen h r aw ay u p in the
distance. T he p lain tiv e m usic o f th e D eva rem inded
Uf? o f first im pressions o f th e Dee iu tho hind of brow n
heatli and shaggy wood, aud th e p erfect q u ie t th a t

surrounded u s added a p o e try to th e eceuc tl.a t no

w ords cau expiess. T u rn in g seaw ard wo saw tho
perfect little lake wliioh th e D eva m akes before it
poBsea tho n arro w g o rg e wViieh it has m ade for ilself
th ro u g h th e ouast ra n g e o f m ountains th a t h id e the
B ay o f Biscay an d its troublous sea fto m th e s ig h t of
th e peaceful dw ellers n a a r tho UiK^uera B rid g e.
Betw een us an d th ese n a tu ra l h reakw aters w ere some
pleasant lookiuj? flat m eadow s tl.a t inereasod th e itt^
portance o f th e h ls them selves. V illage K fe^is
m uch th e sam e all th e w orld over. A d d ed tu Seor
T e tis s posada is a sm all b u t w ell-stocked general
store, and n e a rly oppoeite ia th e post-oflice, w hile
quite a block o r ao aw ay, as o u r tran satlan tic cousins
w ould say, is th e Estanco N acional, w here the
G overnm ent re ta il th e ir rtam ps, tobacco, an d cigar
ettes. O u th e U n q u e ra aide is really a capital hotel
k e |)t b y a F ren ch m an , P ie rro G eoffroy, an d the
cooking, atten d an ce a n d accom m odation h e re are
first class, tb e charges b ein g rem a rk ab ly m oderate.
A ttach ed to th is hostelry is a C rstclasa k itch en and
fru it garden , th e sig h t o f w hich iu ea rly autum n
w ould, w e th in k , aJone rep ay th e jo u rn ey . Tlie pro
fusion aiid perfection o f all tlie vegetables and fruits
ao d e a r 1 0 th e p alates o f th e W e s t e iD E u ro p ean are
e e r t a in lv v e ry strik in g .
A fte r a c h a t w ith the
estim able landlord w ho ru les th e establishm ent ju B t
referred t o - a n d w hich, b y th e w ay , boasts some
tw en ty bedrooms, all k e p t in a n adm irable condition
o f clcanlinesa w e sau n tered u p th e road on th e n g h t

b a n k o f th e D ova tow ards th e v illag e o f Un<iucra

proper. N e a r th e chuixjh, o f th e o rdinary Spaiiish
type^ a g ro u p ot peai>atits in th e ir Lluc je a a trousers
and ja c k e ts w ith ttiuir re d easlies and boinas, w ere
clm tting w ith th e \o ti^ padre, w hile in a crow d ap a rt
the w om en w ere h a v in g p erh ap s a H om e r u le
parliam ent o f th e ir own. Vt^ry dignified and quiet,
how ever, w ere th e confereneea, a n d a s wc respectfully
raised our alouch h a ts as w e passed th e rev eren d
father th w hole o f th e assembled peasants and th o ir
p r ie ^ dofcd th e irs in re tu rn . N e a r th e village th ere
are vast deposits o f fossil r from th e nautilus t tho
smallest anim alcu ls, an d th e geologist w ill n o te w ith
surprise an d in te re st th e m arked features o f tlie
strata a th e y dem onstrate th e g ig a n tic u p h eav in g
of th e earth , o r p erh ap s m ore correctly th o bottom o f
the sea. U n q u era B ridgo is about a mile from th e
Biscay a i l S ea itself, an d vessels o f about 100 to 150
tons can come u p to it. 'ilic exports aro n e a rly ex
clusively calam ine an d blende, an d a y e a r o r so a go
they re>w>hed the respectable to ta l o f 10,000 tons, all
goin g to A n tw erp for m anufactuie in to zinc, P ilo ts
are alw ays on the look o u t, b u t vessels d ra w in g only
te n feet o f w a te r can en te r a t a n y tim e. Considering
by thia tim e th a t th o Solent, th e E n g lish Channel,
an d th e W estern H ig h lan d s o f Scotland, are, to p u t it
m ildly, fairly kuow n b y o n r yachtam en, wc w ould
ven tu re to suggest th a t they should v a ry th e m ono
tony of, say, Cowes to C herbourg o r G ieenoek to Oban
by te stin g th e sea-going qualities o f th e ir craft, by

facing tlic B ay an d findin|? o u t fo r tbeinselvcs in tbo

landlocked estu ary o f t t o D ey a (otlierw iso tlie po rt
o f T in a M ayor) th e n a tu ra l beauties o f n o rth e rn
S pain w hicb w e a re endeavouring in th is Yoliime to
m ake kn o w n to th e m and o th ers. T bo riv e r D eva,
w hich divides th e pro v in ce o f S an ta n d e r from th a t
o f th e A etuiias, is th e beat salm on-stocked n v e r in
S p a in ; no licences a re required in th e open season,
and frequen tly fish exceeding th ir ty pounds in w eig h t
a re c a u g h t; th o tro u t, too, a re m o st delioioua and
plentiful. A s tb e riv e r is full o f fish, ao th o hills
abound w ith variegat^id flora all th e y e a r round. I n
th e sp rin g it is sim ply poasihlo to ro ll in croouaes,
g en tian s an d orchiaes, an d aa th e sum m er advances
you m ay collect such assorted bouquets as w ould be
rem arkably d ear even on a cheap d a y ( if such a th iu g
exists) in Covont G ard en . I n th e beautiful n orthern
S]>ani8h ill ^ varieties o f heother can b e seen, and as
to th e varieties o f ferns m aiden-hair b ein g epeeially
prom inent they a re a m p ly co u n tless On th e ahm gly
sand surro u n d in g th e lake o r p o rt o f T in a M ayor tho
l>otaDiBt wdll find to hia astonislim ent several subalpine p lan ta w hich hav e been carried dow n the
stream o f th e D ev a from th e lo fty crags o f th e Picos,
an d h e re ag ain a fow feiit above sea level can he
found th e ra re h e a th c a ^fo/:kaiana,
L a te r in th e y e a r th o flora develofe itse lf most
rapidly, and th e scent o f th e w ild rose an d the
num erous ea rly flow ering planta cuixy th e r e c e n t
iu one succession o f p leasant feelings till full blown

eummer arrives, w h en n a tu re in its full robust y o u th

asiort'R itself b y flow ering trcoa and sbrubs d nu
merable. W o hav e seen blossoming close b y the
N o rth e rn P o ste ra G a te a low -Iying hrub w ith a
sm all Jeaf developing a v e ry l a r ^ four-petallcd
w hite corolla, w hich is eo like tb e dog-roso th a t
otiteide th e p la n t itifeJf it m ig h t easily be tak en for
it. H ow ever, it flonrislje^ best a t ea rly d aw n and
, ftides altogether w ith th e afrong ra y s o f th e sun.
A gain, there Is a m ost curious d im in u tiv e p la n t rising
in a stra ig h t etem and w ith o u t leaves, b u tlia v in g o n it
innum erable amull flowers g iv in g o u t a perfum e th a t
Mejsera. Kimmol m ig h t en v y , a n d wliicb, if collected,
woold, w e think, be tu rn e d to most profiiablo and
beneficial account. Tw o apecies o f g reen flow ering
anemones, one o f wliich is h ig h ly scented, also appear
about th e la te sp ricg , ae also does the o rd in ary wood
anem one in its varied colours of w hite, re d and bine.
A s th e m ountaina pn>per a re approachcxi from
U cq u era, tre e s become ta re , n o t, a s we th in k , ow ing
to th e ir in ab ility to fin d n atu re for developm ent, b u t
m ages gone b y , as in m ost \vil<l countries, the
im provident hav e utilised Qo'n gifta for iiiel w ithout
th in k in g o f th e incum bent d u ty o f r e p k n tin g tb e m ;
in fact, m uch ia b a rre n w here even n ow flourish the
cbeatnut an d tb e w alnut. H ow ever, it m u st be said
o f th is terra incognita w ith in four d ay s iro m E ugland
th a t tb e n e a r approach o f a village is invariably
m r k e d b y cultivation o f various sorte, in somo cases
trm t treos, such as ie pear, apple, and plum being

114

T H E E IQ H L A 2 D S O F V A i ^ T A J l h l A ;

OJi.

prorpm ont, b u t ow ing to tbe stro n g w inds and ra in s

o f w in te r these do n o t do ro w ell bs iu o th e r p a rts of
fiunuy Spain. A few w ords
to th e clim ate o f
th is lovely spot w ill be useful.
I n ap rin g and
sum m er it ie sim ilar to th a t in th e south o f E n g lan d ,
w ith ju s t th e difference o f b ein g a few degrees
w arm er in tem p eratu re. P len tifu l ra in s cool tb e
atm osphere, b u t cohtinuoiis ra in longer th a n a day
an d a h a lf ra re ly happens. I n w in te r th ere is m uch
w ind and a good deal o f rain , b u t snow seldom falls.
T h e villagers theraselves aro h ap p y , k m d ly people,
an d glad ly welcome th e Rtraager w ith in th e ir gates
w ho know s how to behave him seli. I n a sedate
fashion th e y hav e a stro n g sense o f t t e humorous,,
a n d m e rry la u g h te r is h eard m uch m ore frequently
in XJn<iuijra th a n in m an y o f o u r ow n n ira l |)uradB
in im m aculate E n g la n d ; p o v erty , a s w e understand
it, is sim ply unknow n ; tho cottage homes are plainly
b u t suhbiantially fum iehed, th e w alls in m ost cases
being adorned w ith a few loud coloured pictures o f
religions subjects reliev ed now and ag ain b y a
H av an a ta k e n photograph o f some child or relative
w ho, lik e BO m an y o f tho C antabrian m ouniaineors,
h a s gone to A m erica, a s th e y call th e p e a rl o f the
A ntilles. C onversing w ith som e o f th ese good folks
a fte r th e ir chat w ith th e ir pastor h a d term in ated , we
eoon found out w h y i t w as lh a t we had passod so
m any vau-loads o f em ig ran ts on th e ir w ay to join
steam er a t S an tan d er d u rin g o u r c o a ^ tid e th a t day.
* A h , S e o r! " said one pleasaut^looking elderly m an

to us over a copa o f red w ine, you do n o t know

how wo hato th a t accursed conscription. Is it not
cuougli th a t w e p a y taxes and o u r dues, is i t not
en o u g h th a t w e a re quiet, o rd erly people tillin g the
fields, goin g to mass, an d sp en d in g in as w oll us we
can th e life th e good G od haa g iv en us, th a t th a t
G ovornm cnt u t M adrid should roh u s o f our osh and
blood and send our aons to dio in some uuhcaltliy
place ag ain st th e ir ow n a n d th e ir fath ers w ill. No,
S e n o r; if m y boys m ust cross th o sen, th e y sh all go
as free-born Spaniards, an d so m ine, a n d her th e
fa th e r looked th e tenderness h e felt, h a v e gone
before th e tim e th e G u v em m en tca n claim them , and
th e y a re now, th a n k G od, le arn in g farm iu g w ith my
bachelor hrotlier in A m erica. I f S pain w as attacked
o r invaded, w ho would n o t he a soldier ? O ld a s I am,
I would go if I w as w orth a n y th in g ; h u t it is w hite
slav ery to m ake colonial soldiers o f th e good lads
w ho w a n t to liv e w here th e ir fath ers liv ed and die
w here th e ir fath ers died.'
T h ere is, tho read er w ill observe h y th e foregoing,
a bkeleton even in th e Spanisli A rcadia w e love
so w ell. In to th e ijueation o f th e political necessity
o f tho conscription w e hav e no w ish to enter, b u t th a t
in th e H ig h lan d s o f C an tab ria it ia as a b u rn in g iio n ,
eatin g out th e loyalty of th e people to th e G<pverument
o f M adrid, w e can deliberately affirm, Moffn^is est twiVtM,
&c. S h ak in g liands w ith th e old p easan t firm e r we
determ ined on p u ttin g u p for tho n ig h t a t th e hotel
k e p t h y th e b ro th e r o f P le n ty o* waiter,* and ju st
I

before aunset w e reacbcd tb e briO ge. W estw ard, o v er

B nstio a n d th e little irm to w hich wc w ere bouod, tho
sinkiDg eun s le d a dark -red glorious halo over tho
hiH s; w hile looking to onr loft, tbo lofty crag s o f the
Picos them selves h ere and th ero ehowxiig n a tu re s
etern al w hite m antle, reflocted th e w arm ra y s aad
m ade a p ictu re h ig h u p in tb e sky o f a p erfect settin g
o f rubies, pearls, and diaruonds. L ean in g o v e r th e
b rid g e a n d reflecting th a t fa r aw ay in S o u th ern Seas,
ill th e d ista n t Himalaya/^, o r w h ere tb e S ierra N evada
look dow n o n th e vineyards o f fitr C alifornia, we
h a d n e v e r seen a n y th in g m ore perfect o f its t y p e ; one
o f n s q u o t ^ tho w ell-know n last lines o f Thom as
In g o ld s b y :
Afi 1 U y a-iiy n k ^ T ig i h o g o ld e n e u n w a s b tiik in g ,
0 m c r r ie sai^g t h a t Ur tis i t g l i t t e r e d o n h e r b r c M t ;
\V itI> a thoiiSA iid gorgftOTiB dyofl
W h il e a o ir in g t o tli<s sk ica,
'W id t b e btA ia he e e e m e d t o riae
Ajj t o li e r n e ^ t.
A 1 U y ft-tb y a k y u g e , >icr m e a n in g vras e x p r c j t ;
F o llo w , fo llo w m o w a y ,
J t b o o te B o t t o delfiy
T w a a so, elko seeirif"! t o s a y e i
H e r e is r e s t !

and g o t in rew ard t3ie em in en tly practical rejoinder of

Y es, quite so ; i t certainly
if wo do n o t h u rry u p an d
w ill b e q n ite cold. T r im
banished from our ev e n in g

does boot n o t to delay, for

g e t t^> Teties, th e dinner
th a t ho u r sentim ent was
conversation, a n d th e trail

o f th e serpent w as o v e r us all.

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W hou in a n EnjjHah country in n y o u ask w b at they

have g o t, o r w h a t th e y can ffiv th e h u n g ry trav eller
fo r th e refreslim cnt o f th e in n e r man th e rep ly is
gonorally an y th in g you like, s i r / w hich afterw ards
resolves itself into a nice chop o r steaJc, sir, o r somo
a)Id roast beef and pota.toeB w ith , in sum m er time, and
thjB rarely , th e occasional lu x u ry o f a half-cloaned,
half-driod, di*crepit-Iooking^ lettuce. TVhen a t Dnq-nera
we le ft th e menu o f o u r b anquet to S eor Totis, and
tb is is th fere he provided us w ith : V egetable soup,
boiled potatoes, beaus an d cabbago, an d sliced beef and
bacon in cubes, pork cutlets witl) touiato sauce aud
chicken a liv er, fish (tro u t) cutlets boiled, ro ast chicken
an d fried potatoes, cheese, salud, an d ro a st apples,
plum p u d d in g ; dessert o f al 1 k ind s ; coiFee and cognac,
o r t^ a and_anisettci. T he generous re d w ine w hich
g ratu ito u sly acc^m pauied this mo^t substantial meal
wa done ami)Ic ju stice to, and lig h tin g o n r pipes os
th e cofTee a n d cognac w ere h ro n g h t in w e requested
o n r host Hcom pany and sp en t a p leasant h o u r o r so
in conversation as to th e fishing and th e like. O f fish
in g glories th e re a re n o end o n th e banks o f th e D eva,
a n d a* they a re v e ry m uch like those one h ears a t th e
Invercauld A rm a, B raem ar, th o y a re h a rd ly w o rth
re p e a tin g h e ro ; but i t stem s th a t in th e little A stu rian
village o f B ustio th e re is a n ex act copy o f M r.
B n m a n d s famous an g le r in T w ick en h am sh ire/ w ho
w as alw ays fishinj^ a n d novor caught an y th in g .
A fte r th is Tham es-side follower o f lz a a k had been for
about sixteen h o u rs d ibbling for chub w ithout SUCCCf^S

th e ed ito r o f PuTWA tb o u g h t o f en liv en in g Lim w ifh

m ild joke, a n d R a id jocosely, W b a t th e dibbi aro
you d o in g ? tb e rep ly wfw to tlio effect tb a t th e bead o f
th e a u th o r o f H ap p y T h o n g b ts w ould m ost certain ly
b e punched i f b e d id n o t keep quiet. A t Buefio Ibero
is tb e double o f th e irrita te d hero o f M r. B um auds
story. H e has fished a t tho sam e spot b y U nquera
b rid g e daily for some fifteen y ears an d m ortal eyes
haTO aa y e t n o t seen a n y resu lt from bie p atien t labour.
I f in terro g ated ae to tb e pleasure he finds in ceaseless
failure, b e rcepoiids i n a fashion w bicb le ts bis
questioner know tb a t h e is capable o f b rin g in g in very
holy nam es in to w h a t m ay h ard ly be called, ev en w itb
an excess o f cbarity , a rolgious discussion. A nother
o f S eor TetLs* stories was th a t o f th e astonished
Kngliflhman a n d his paUy ally, as th e b ro th e r o f
P le n ty o* w atto r, yes, defined tho inim itable B aof
B ritain s B eerville, B tirton, E n g lan d . I t soems tb a t
a G lasgow gen tlem an n o t u tte rly unconnected w ith
th e m in in g in te re sts h a d been inspecting some p ro
p e rtie s in tb e Picoa, an d a s b e w as unacquainted w ith
^ w ord o f S panish his hosts b a d w ritte n to tb e p ro
p rie to r o f B lanchards H o tel to m eet tb e coach o n its
arriv a l, g i v e bim w h a t is k n o w n as a square m eal au d
le t him have som e pale ale. T he seeker after calam ine
and dollars du ly arriv ed an d w as inform ed b is meal
w as ready, w h en sittin g dow n h e found tb a t his
th o u g h tfu l ho sts h a d provided him w ith eix opened
q u a rts o f Bass's ex p o rt brew , bottled b y B eads o f K entish
Tow n.

Tlie trav eller w as speechless from tw o cau ses;

fo r th a good o f th e honse it is said he d ra n k a bottle

ao d a balf, and as a n a tu ra l conseqoence fell in to a
c h ild lik e slum ber w hen g o in g eastw ard in tho coach,
b u t w hat lcam e o f tho rem aiudcr S eor T etis did
n o t know . T he b eer-^rinking propensities o f the
E n g lish are well know n, b u t th e m in d o f a FranooSpanifih innkeeper m u st be really capable o f b ig ideas
w hen h e tliinks th a t a m o st tem perate m in in g engineer
could w ith easo p u t aw ay a g allo n and a h a lf o f Bosss
best a t a single sittin g .
L a te r in th e ev en in g tw o com m ercial trav ellers
ta m e d u p in th e p leasant little room, w hich is Seor
T etiss principal apartm ent, and, anxious to le a rn all
w e could, w e soon d rifted into conversation. B o th
o f o u r nw-foiind friends w oro advanced free-traders,
a n d b itte rly reg retted for th e if ow n sakes th e pro
h ib ito ry ta riff w hich has shnt out B ritish mauu*
facturcs in g re a t m eaeuro from tb e S panish m arket.
N um erous inRtancee wero g iv e n o n th e injustice o f
th e protective duties, especially in re g a rd to common
necessaries o f life, w hich aro bo cheaply m anufactured
in this country. O ne o f th e in tellig en t bagm en
referred to inform ed us th a t a custom er o f his, a n
A m uricano," w ho h a d resided for some tim e in
E n g lan d , insisted o n h a v in g one o f B rinsm oada best
pianos, and, as a oonsequenco o f its being o f B ritish
m anufartnre, his firm, a u d o f course th e ir clien t too,
h a d to p a y a d u ty o f 1 2 10^^ wheroas if it had been
o f F ren ch o r G^lman m ake it would on ly hav e had
to p a y 8 . I t says m uch, how ever, for o u r m anu
facturers o f ecrtain classes o f goods th a t th e y a rc ablo

At all to hold th e ir ow n a j^ in s t snch u n tk ir com peti

tion. W h e n th e ta lk in g left tho subject o f Frce-trado
versufi Protection, and d rifted tow ards th e rospeclivc
m erits o f K epuhlican o r M onarchical governments
tb e reten tio n o f G ih ra lta r h j B rita in u n d er such
a tn i ly L ib e ra l and peace-lo v in g m inister as
Mr. G ladstone, we suddenly found tb a t o u r coch
jo u rn ey liad v e ry m uch tire d ue, and th a t to ensure
th e succees o f th e ped estrian w o rk to he done o n the
follow ing day, it w as absolutely nocessary to g o to
bcsi. A ccordingly, am id clouds o f tobacco smoke,
wo aaid bueno n o c h e a n d ad kft to our commerciallytrav e llin g frionds, an d w ere eoon fab*t asleep in S eor
T etiss clean lavender-perfum ed sheet, d ream in g of
eomo such im possibility as th a t o f th o heroic defence
o f th e K o c k b y M r. .fobn B rig h t, a b ly uiisisted
b y a stro n g contingent o f th e P e rish In d ia confratornity.
WheD tb e b rig h t sunshine woke u s in th e m o rning
th e concert o f the D ev a w as in full sw in g ; tho old
gentlem an w ith his rod w as, a s our host h a d told ua,
a t his usual fiehing-for-uothing post b y th e b rid g e;,
th e sk y wa brilH antly blue, a tem pered breeze irom
tho n o rth w as cooling th e valley o f th e riv er, and
u n d er these v o u r a b k circumstance, and in lig h t
m arch in g order, for o u r knapsacks w ere to follow hy
ih coach, w e said good-bye, a fte r coffce a n d bread
and b u ttijr (a n d such b u t t e r !), to U n q u era an d its
bridge, an d fearin g n o tliin g m ade on foot for the
m ain g a te a t Pane,
T he n orthern postern g ate
w as pas.sed and won.

il M

T il

II

II

C H A P T E R X I.
T B E

M A iy

G A TB

O P

P A N E S .

I t w ill be noted from the beadin^^ o f thi.9, th e precoding and otber chapters, tb a t w e bav e constituted
tbo Picua de E uropa, th e most lo fty o f th e H ig h lan d s
o f C antabria, ioto a so rt o* fortress, and in no boasting
spirit Wu th in k tbo idea a v e ry lhappy one. R e
g ard in g tb e Picos thcmsolve.? as tb e citadel, th e y are
only to be approached by tw o io ad s o r ^ t e a , ono
o m th e n orth and tlio o tb er from th e sou th ; a u d ao
strangely ba#? n atu re iu th e eccentricity o f h e r A s
to n an mouDtains clu n g to th e sim ilitudo o f a castlo,
tb a t tbese roads pass th ro u g h g o rg es w bich distinctly
m ark, like gate#?, p rogress to an d from tb e h e a rt o f
tho w ildest portion o f all ftpaic.
T he Ga?>etteorB tlia t wo consulted about th o Can
tabrian region w h en wo first th o u g h t o f ex p lo rin g it,
w ere n o t consolatory reading fa r from it. One
said little is know n ab o u t th ese m oiintains; there
aro no roads ; b an d itti abound, a n d provisions,
oxcept th e v e ry coarsest food, a re scarce an d deai.
T h a t is th e playful G azetteer all ovep. L ittle is
know n, be says, an d th e n o n t o f his in n e r oonsciousne*s be evolves all th a t can be posaihly said against

122

T H E r n Q T IL A N D S O F C A H T A B I A ;

Oi?,

a co u n try o f w hich h e adm ite L b iguoraiice. The

road, w hich w ould suit an y k in d o f cyclist, l>cDg
adfoirably k e p t in order, w iude o v er some low hills
wliich w ard en th e n o rth e rn postern g ate, au d i h i u
(iesceuds in to th e v alley o f th e m u rm u rin g Deva,
an d fo r some ccmsiderable distance keeps th a t ri vers
r ig h t bank. I n aum icer, this D ev a is a beAutifnlly
clear, lim pid stream , sin g in g its w ay to T in a M ayor,
b u t in w in te r a tu rb id and strong-flow ing torren t.
W h en th e descent in to th v alley h a s been m ade the
m ain g a te is approacliod, a n d if th e read er tak es our
advice an d goes an d secs for him self, he w ill find
bim aelf in a gorg^ w hich fo r oonsurainate g ran d eu r
w e deliberately affirm has no riv a l in E u ro p e. O ur
jo in t ex})erience in th o m ountain f is tn e s e s of
N o rth e rn In d ia a n d o f o th e r h ig h lands u n d e r the
S tar-spangled B an n er an d tb e S o u th ern Cross, to say
n o th in g o f th e pleasant Swiss co u n try , m ay be some
g u aran tee th a t th e enthusiasm w e felt in passing
th e m ain g a te o f P anes, and w hich w e a re now
endeavouring to express, Is n o t th e gu sh o f the
u n trav elled , b u t ra th e r th e re a l tru e feeling o f those
w ho know w h a t b eau ty is, b u t h a v e found some
th in g exceptionally majestic.
A m ile o r so a fte r reaching tbo level o f th e D eva
th e exceedingly p r e tty v illag e o f P a n e s is reached,
an d before u s stretches a n u n d u la tin g plain blocked
in com pletely b y th spurs o f tho Picos, w h ile in
front tra v e rsin g in stern solem nity is th e pioneer
m ountain o f th Picos, th e v e ry strik in g peak of

P enam ellera. O nr p h o to g rap h w ith th e lonely

chxirch b y th e ro ad side, and w here th e ev er faithiiil
Spanish CatboIicR hav e h eard mass for aome n in e
centnries or moro, givefl b u t a fa in t idea o f th e
g ra n d e u r o f th e approach to th e m ain g ate. I n our
opinion i t Boems to d w a rf th e aplendid w ildneas o f
tb e approacli to a defile w hich, kia M r, B all Rays, has
n o th in g to approach it in E urope, ex cep t porhapa in a
sm all d e ^ w j th a t o f th e B ro n ta betw een P innolano and
RaawDo, th ro u g h w hich th a t riv e r finds its \vay from
th e m ountains o f tho T y ro l in to th e p lain s o f V euctia.
G azing upw ards a t th e lim estone m o n n taiu aentinels a t th is m a ^ i f c e n t m ain g ate, tho thoughtful
tra v e lle r w ill a t onoe he struck w ith tho am azing
w eariiig forcc o f w ater, w hich h a s c u t tbrouffh
10,000 feot o f ro ck deep, deop dow n, so tlia t tho
ra in s o f valleys south o f th ese g r e a t h eig h ts shoidd
em p ty them selves into tb a t deposit o f all w aters, the
w ide sea. I t is certain ly strange th a t tho D eva,
risin g from m an y sm all sources to th e south o f tho
Pioos, say al>out fifty m ik from th e b ay , baa
lite ra lly found it w a y w itb o n t a fall o f 500 feet,
th ro u g h g ig a n tic m ountains 10,000 fe e t h ig h , whoso
poaks a re usually covered w ith snow . W e do not
know o f any aim ilar instance in all our travoU or
reading. O f th e D cva it m ay certain ly b e said__
T lie rcMsks sto o d a g a in s t m a n d w w rotlod,
B u t I b a r s t fro m th n h o ld in g o f th o i i hAtids,
B ro k e ftrom t h i r h o ld in g 4 n d w e n t s lip p m ^
A n d h id in g i n t o lo w e r la n d s .

 X c a ro lle d a s I w o n t, a n d tb e w o o d laad
S m ile d a 8 tn y b o u n d m Q rm u r d "b y ;
A o d tb< L ird s o n t h e w ifig h e a rd m e aiT \^ n g
A n d Meat m o a b leseiD g fro m t h e sk y ,
B ill 1 l a o ^ ^ a s I le f t th e m in i}i bU osLine,
T h c ro w a n e v e r a u g h t o f r t fo r m e.
T il l T n ii n g li d m y w a te r w i t h th octtn,
T il l 1 m g i n t h e o h o ru o f t h e ea.

N e a r tlic riv ers source is a vo ry im p o rtan t tow n

w hich w ill be descrih id la te r on, aiid th e small
fell ot w a te r on tlie D evag p a s i a ^ th io u g h tlie
m om itain passes o f thu Pfcos attracted th e atte n
tion o f th e Spanish G overnm ent, w ho in stru cted a
commiflfijon o f en g in eers to rep o rt on th e feasibility
o f canalising th e stream aa ta r a P otes, th e tow n
referred to . T he sto ry ru n s tlia t w ith g r e a t pom p,
and doubtless w ith considerable cxfKmse, the expe
d ition started fnm i Panes, and a fte r th e y had passed
th e m ain g a te atid finding d o obstacles th e y th o u g h t
th e scheme perfectly practicable. B u t alas for th e ir
hopes! a little h ig h e r u p th e y discovered a small
collection o f boulders ly in g in th e stream , o f the
w e ig h t p erh ap s o f a thousand to n s ; an d aa this
lim estone collection h a d evidently fallen from tho
h e ig h ts above, w here th e re w us p le n ty m<iro to
follow if need be, th e coiumiftfiion retu rn ed dis
heartened, o f course, an d abandoned the absiord idea.
T he fact o f such a n expcditiou s ta rtin g a t all shows
th e ignorance w hich exists ev en in Spain o f the
C antabrian m ountains in fact, th e re is no such th in g

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)!. TUE sown, or PAfa.

as a proper m ap o f th is regfion a t aD, W'e liave said

lh a t th e road is p erfect in feet we do n o t know any
m ountain road equal to i t I t is n early on a dead
level for tw en ty miles, a n d m en are constantly
keepiDg it in tlio beet state o f repair. TLe handsom e
stone hrtdges w hich cross th e D eva a n d oth er
stream s are models o f th e ir kind, an d , a s show n in
one o f o u r photographs, a low stone w all protects
th e unw ary traveller from fellin g into th e D cva,
w hich ru n s parallel w ith th e road n e a rly all th e w ay
th ro u g h tho Pioos. T his I'Oad w as finished ahoijt
I fir>8, and certainly reflects the v ery highest (!rediton
th e S panish G overnm ent. AVhere th e old road wont,
w e have been uaahlo to trace a t th e n o rth ern entrance,
h u t as we were told h y th e v illag ers a t P an es th a t a
jo n m e y from tho seaboard to Potes used to tiike tw o
days (tho coach now takes eig h t hoorw, h ein g about
four to five m iles a n h o u r), we presum e tlia t the
travelU rs in old days did n o t follow th e course o f the
D eva, but w e n t from vilki? to village, n e v e r dream ing
o f th e simple expedient o f u t'lid n g the batiks o f tho
riv e r as a roadw ay, w hich, aa we hav e said, tho G overn
m ent have done. I t is siran g e th a t in i l n r w y s
S pain (th e 1882 edition) n o t th e least m ention ia
mado o f this bcaati folly level ro ad n o r o f th e day
coaches, th a t onahle thoso unable to walk, to see
som ething o f these glories o f A stu rian nature.
B a t it should he stated th a t sh o rtly before
en te rin g th e actual gorge itelf, th e rem ains o f a
v e ry ancient b rid g e exist, w ith a n arch in perfect

proportion, one L alf h an g in g ov er w ith iv y . W e

g iv e a n illuetraiion fro m a photograph tak en b y us
in a m ost difficult situation (as in la c t n e a rly all
th e view s g iv en to o u r readers in thia volum e w ere)
eloee b y th is relic o f th e pait, w hich rom ains q
stran g e juxtaposition to th e m odern m etallod road.
A b o u t a fix)t o r tw o above th e bed o f th e cold
w a te r o f tho awift-flowing D ev a iesucs a h o t alkali
sp rin g held in g re a t re p u te for euro o f rheumatism
and o th e r a m ila r co m p lain ts; it is b u t a ap riag , h a t
for hundreds o f y ears th e poor for miles around Lave
come to bath e th e r e ; an d alth o u g h no bathing-Louae
has been b u ilt a t th e spot its health -g iv in g cclebrity
is annnally sp read in g w id er a n d w ider. Quito
recently tw o en terp risin g jRnglisbraen w ell know n to
th e au th o rs hav e th o u g h t eo higlily o f its curativo
properties as to p a y for a p erm a n en t concession o f
th e sp rin g , w ith a view to b u ilding a larg e hotol and
a n eztenfQVG b ath in g establishm ent for tho richcr
people w ho come h ere to find a h ealin g h o t bath.
A b w e pasned alo n g th e road we ohf?orved a so rt of
te n t over th e sp rin g , thie te n t really eonsieting o f a
couple o f b lan k ets sp read from boughs o f trees, w ith
a n elderly m an ev id en tly keeping w atch an d w a rd out*
side. E n q u irin g w ho w as w ithin, he replied civilly
enough th a t a lady w ho h a d h a d th e rhcum atica*
very badly o f late wae ineide, and i f w e liked to eee
h e r w e could. Q uite a m aidonl)' b ln e h suffused our
bronzed countenancee as we politicly b u t firm ly refused
to in te rru p t th e seora a t h e r m edicinal ablutions.

T S S K 7 )A 7 $ F H O Ji E N O L A X D ,

127

W e aro now well in our castle; b u t ev en our

photograplia can do no juRtice to th e g ra n d e u r o f th e
pass, o r show the altitu d e o f th e niouiitains. A s
you advance by th e w ood close to tb e rivor-bed, tho
scenery develops ev ery second* now y o u have a
to w erin g h eig h t o f six to seven thousand feet in
& ont o f you, and tn rn in g ro u n d behold g re a t masses o f
isolated rock w inch had before escaped yo u r notice in
th e bew ildering walls of limestone which on aJl sidea
surround and tow er above you. T ho V ia ifa la , th e
Simplon, and oth er ]>aR8es a re g ra n d enough for an
hour o r so, h u t tl.e g o rg e o f tho Picos finrpaBses
eith er in magnificence, boing, in faet, betw een tw enty
a n d th irty m iles in len g th . T h e canons o f the
S ierra N evada o r th e Toomiie hav e n o th in g to
show to th i s ; and y e t th is unlsnuwT) co u n try is only
four daysjo u rn ey from C hari n g Cross S tation. R verflow ing (ascades a re continually parsed, faU ing from
g re a t heights, a a d these aie abeolutely Jinod w ith
th a t moet delicate o f all fern s, tb e m aiden-iiair. So
prolific is th is fern in the pass o f tho m ain g ate, th a t
we
w ondered t i a t somo en terp risfcg florists
like Cutbuah Lave n o t se n t a c]ork o u t to fill baBkets
o f th is fe m fo r th e ir retail cnstomcre. W o p resent
th a t em m ent fiim w ith this gratu ito u s biDt, fo r
w h ich th e y o u g h t lo he grateful.
In these dam p d rip p in g faJls and on tho hmestouo
rock, we baVe noticed a flower w hich a t firet seemed
^ i a j p grow )ng violet, b n t o n closer iuspeclion we
ound to be m ore delicate and m ore beautiful. TV'e

128

TT11 H i a U L A D S O F C A N T A B f{T A :

0/.

.................................. .................
------^
have done o u r b e st to irap o rt thin p ia n t into
E n g lan d , h u t so fa r hav e failed, th a W n c e o f ite
n a tiv e a ir b ein g pro b ab ly tlie cause, Aa a In n t to
botanists, w c sliould say th a t i t is cvidejitly a p la n t
w tic h is n u rtu re d on h y d rate o f Hmo. T he &eenery
is limeetonc, road an d riv e r ; fo r m ile afte r m ile n o t a
ho\ie ifl to be seen, y e t so v aried aio th e lim estone
forniations, so aw oetly sings tbo riv er, a n d so ffood ia
tb e road, th a t th e pedeatriau w ho can eee w ith his
eye, an d th in k w ith liis licad, w ill find th e tim e only
too abort. Novk' th e g o rg e w ill en larg e a little, and
th e n i t w ill n arro w ag ain ae ab ru p tly . N o w it
seems as if cscape, except b y flying, w as im possible;
th e walls o f lim eetone a re all Rurrounding, au d if tbe
tra v e lle r looks u p w ard w itb a view o f g e ttin g away,
b e w ill h e a r ag ain and ag a in th e m ountain eagles
peculiar n o te,

o r tb e n ig h t

owPs m ore diem al

^und.
T b e balf-w ay boxisc th ro u g h th e pai h th e little '
in n o f TJrdon ; an d th o u g h th e quick pedestrian w ill
do tb e d i s t a n t from U n q u era in a few hours, w o bave
lovingly lingered o v e r one o f th e g ra n d eet developm ente o f n a tn ie we liave ev er seen. I f th e paes of
P an ee,if th e to w erin g liraeatone m o u n tiin s snrrounded
in th e low er lands an d on tb e ir sp u rs h y foresta
o f oak an d olive trees, i f a reg io n w here th e rains
o f w in te r and t)e g en ial w arm th o f sum m er gen e
ra te th e ra re st p lants, docs n o t interest th e trav eller
an d m ake him reflect ou tb e littleness o f m an and
th e greatness a n d goodness o f G od and H is creation,

uotkiiig ever w ill A n d y e t th e re aro people liko

this. W e rem em ber once on a voyage from th e City
o f th e G olden G ate to AncklaJid p o in tin g out to a
follow-paseenger th e flow er-w reathed atolls o f tlie
ti^outh Sea.
A h ,' aaid H is Serone In telh g en ce o u t
friend, those are atolls, a re th o y ? I w onder th e y
a re n o t m ore punctual in serv in g lu u c h / B u t th a t
mai2, WG aro g la d lit say w as a miserable exception,
a n d tb e g re a t m ajority o f m ankind love n a tu re and
revel in it. T here a re those w ho a re perhaps tire d
o f th e hackneyed S w itzerland o r lih in e , and wo aay
to them , tr y tlie Picos, w alk if you possibly can,
from U nqucni to th e in n o f U rd o c ; f o i ^ t all about
poKtica, tb e Stock E x c h a n ^ , dates o f bills payable,
a n d w h a t to do w ith y o u r h o y s ; and if you dont
sleep a t U rdon a liappier an d a w iser m an, tho jo in t
author o f thia w o rk w ill be exceedingly sorry. The
Iniauties o f n a tn re wore g iv en by a beneficciit
C reator for m ans en jo y m e n t; wo havo seen h e r
g ra n d e u r iu C antabria, an d w e w an t o th ers to go
a n d enjoy i t like w e h av e ourselves. I n onr
CDtbusiasm about th e scenery, how ever, we have
forgotten one very im p o rtan t item , >md th a t is, in the
village o f Panes, w hich o f course is on th e n o rth ern
side o f th e gorge, a re tw o excellent hostelries, th a t
k e p t by Seor M anuel Gomoz being, in fiict, a model
o f a m ountain hotel, an<l would sham e m an y o f the
eetahlishmontg in Scotland. W e hav e n o au th o rity
for saying so, b u t we understand th a t if th e Spanish
G overnm ent did n o t charge so heavy a ta x on
K

igti-boards S eor G om ez in ten d ed to hav e a board

p u t o u t w ith , o n th e n o rth aide, th ese Hnes ;
B efore you v e n tu ro th is boro p a ,
T a l e a good n^fr6hjng gla>

a n d on tb e south a d e :
N o w y o u r e o r e r ta k e another.
T o n r d ro o p in g s p ir iti to rocovof \

a u d th u s follow th e exam ple o f th e w ell-know n innkooper o f P enm aenm aw r, in N o rth W ales.

O n tho la st oceaidon, how ever, w h en w e passed
th ro u g h th is v illag e o f P anes, ev id en tly derived from
p a n (b read ), as th e place w hero th a t neceeeify is
m anu& ctured for th e n eig h b o u rin g m ountaineers,
w e suppod a t th e Estanco Naciimalt w hich, as is
o ften th e ease, is a h ostelry as w e ll H e re w e fered
rig h t sum ptuously.
T he excellent lan dlady o f th is G overnm ent eetobHshment, w ho m nst be anonym ously im m ortal, a s ^we
havu, to our sham e bo it said, forgotten h e r Rponse's
nam e, is n o t on ly a m istress o f tho divine a r t of
cookery (a n eig h teen th ce u tm y C hoctaw In d ia n ou
th e w a rj th w ould h a v e beeu soothod by such a
m eal a s w e h ad ), b u t adds to h e r oth er accomplish
m ents a keen in sig h t into hum an character based
ounoses, L ik e th e first D uke o f W elliugton, ehe is
a firm believer in th e lu ck y possessors o f larg e and
p rom inent nasal organs, h e r ow n b ein g specially
prom inent, a n d tts one o f ua boaste a typical R om an

cat o f fcaturo, she lan g h in g ly aid U) h e r hushand as

w e entered, th u t to one a t least o f th e Sen ore Ingleee
bLu m ust be related, seeing how m uch alike w ere our
prom ontories o f intelligence and w it. H e r lord and
m aster, w ho affecte a nose o f uncldseioal size and
shape, said i t w w a good jo k o ; h u t perhapa, h k e the
famouB p arro t, thought the m ore. I n the har-n>om
o f this istanco is one o f those cxirious placards o f
advice wliich one occasionally sees in out-of-the-way
publii>house4B iii E ngland, ita p u rp o rt being Come
m h e re often, d rin k m oderately, )>e good company,
p a y th e reckoning, go hom e quietly, be a t peaco w ith
all m en. P orbape it ia a, fa r c ry from P a n e s to
(xkiagow, h u t in a certain warehouae on th e Clyde
side we have fcd a m uch m ore sa tiria il notice than
th e one ju a t q\ioted. I t is headed IIourB o f B usi
ness, and thuB pro ceed s: F ro m 9 to 12 w e see
insurance agents, lig h tn in g -ro d sellers, a n d people
w ho sell books in n u m U r s ; from 12 to 2, missionaries
out o f collar w itli colieeting caids, profuRsronal
m endicants, and m en w ith church Bubscriptlons on
th e b ra in ; from 2 till 5, a n d a ll day, commercial
travellers, an d in fact anybody who likes to call,
m ake them selves a t home, smoke ab o u t th e plaoo, and
loungo and gcp. W e atten d to o u r ow n business
in th e middle o f the ni^hl.'

CHAPTER XH.
T H B

n i E K S T

P IO O P .

PbJKHAPS o u r b ap p iest pbotograpli is th a t o f tb e

little inn a t U rdon, an d thu to w erin g masses o f h*mostone m ountaing th a t p recipitately rise behind this
modBt little hostelry. T o th e tra v e lle r w ho wisiica
to thoroughly enjoy th is m ost b cau tilu l i*egion wh
w ould say, h re a k th e jo u rn e y a t TTrdon, as> for th e
ienial landlord Santiago, a a d in h a lf a n h o u r hu
w ill show you aa fin scoucry as you m ay find iji
E urope. T h e house itsu lf is a little m ore th a n a
roilo from an y h u m an h ab itation, an d beirig clean and
OUifortaVile, is a n excellent sU y o v e r place for
thoso w ho can ex ist fo r a few d ay s w ith o n t the
lu x u ries o f a P a ll M all club, uod cooking w r)rthy of
LclmoDicos chef. L o oking upw ards, one o f th mobt
p erfect oi* m ountain to rren ts jo in s th e noisy D ev a to
th e left o f Sttutiago'fi in n , and it is thie stream which
tu tu s th e hoaffl m ill, fo r h e com bines tlio th ree
avocations o f licensed victualler, as we should eay,
m iller, and g en eral btoro-dcalur. L ik e m any other
in n s and p riv ate houses in tb e m ore rem ote p a rts of
Spain, Santiugb can boast o f clock w hich always

TUu m AT UBLCT.

. - *^v,;r' .
.

, 'l l ' W , - .

'..

: .il

Btrikee th e Houfr tw ice th e second tim e being*, we

presum e, a rtm iu d c r to g e t T ip o r g o to bed, or keep
th a t noarly-forgottcn uppoiiitm ent, T h e m akers o f
those double-striking clocks, how ever, could n ev er
have contem plated th e new w ay o f reck o n in g tim e
a clock th a t would, say, tw ice strik e tw en ty -th ree
w ould, w e tliink, a fte r
tim o be v o ted a n u n m iti
g a te d nuisance. A e a rule, in ru ra l S p ain books and
new spapers a re ra re ly m et w ith . T h e g r e a t m ajority
o f th e ad u lt population can n e ith e r read n o r w rite,
a n d if thoy did th e y would, in o u r opinion, care little
for books o r w h a t ia g o in g o n in th e outside w orld,
I n Bilbao itself, for instance, th e re a re on ly tw o o r
three sm all daily sheets a^j n e w spapers. I t was
therefore w ith iwme few fbelings o f surprise th a t we
found a t th e in n o f U rdon qu ite a sm all lib ra ry o f
good books, m ostly o f an cien t date, b u t all b eaiin g
marl?8 o f h a v in g boon extensively read, b u t w hether
h y S antiago o r his &m iJy w e did n o t in q o ire. O ne
o f these w orks waa a sort o f S panish iieC uU oehs
D ictionary o f Commerce published in ila d r id m ore
th a n fifty years ago. T he au th o r w as ev id en tly an
advanced F ree-trad er, and h is denunciations o f the
absurdly protectiv e ta riff o f h is co u n try would he
salu tary re a d in g a t th e p resen t day. I n thia q u ain t
collection o f literatu re is it n o t C harles L am b wiio
says th a t n o th in g ia m ore deUghtful to find hidden
aw ay m a window-sill cupboard o f a n old p rc iin g house,
th a n a num ber o f old tim e-forgotten m n ^ z in e s ?
w e cam^ across a fairly sized song-hook w hich we

broniht aw ay w ilh us. Tho letterp ress w as se t u p a t

V alladolid about fifty y ears ago, b u t th e accompanyinjf reproduction o f th e rem arkable woodcnfH wliich
illu strate th e te x t w ill show tb e least learn ed o f our
readers in an tiq n aria n m atters tb a t th e b l k s
Lave done heroic d u ty for th e ir country's ballads for
a t least tw o centuries, p erh ap s a good d eal more.
S antiago boasts o th er th in g s besides hia lib rary
h e ie a v e ry p ractical m an, and h is ch ief m undauc
g lo ry ie his b ig p ig . T he lo v in g w ay in w hieh
h e w ould reflectively look a t th a t fat porco w as
am azingly fu n n y to w itness, b u t it tem pered our
m irth to consider th a t lo n g oro these lities would
roach our read ers a n d onr critics th a t p ig w ould
know U rdou do more. I n th o m a tte r o f cuisine
S<uitiago's h o stelry can l>e stro n g ly reeommended,
considering w here th e placo is situated. Ilia good
spouse, w ho m u st know n o th m g o f th e meribd of
A lla n 's A n tifat, w ell looks a fte r th a t m ost notcssary
kitchen, a n d she has qu ite m astered th e a r t o f pro
v id in g a m o st dollcious siipper fo r tw o h u n g ry
pedestrians, a luscious tro u t ju s t tak en from the
D ova's bed b ein g a p ro m in en t featu re o f th e meal.
T o those w ho do n o t en tertain a n invincible dislike
to g a rlic in a m odjficd form w e w ould w arm ly
eommond o u r U rd o u host* ckeriias o r sausages,
m ade from p o rk tro tte rs, pepper, a n d apiceH, W e
consider them n o t o n ly first-class eatin g , b u t a
fine stomachic, b u t th e n chacun ^ n goi ; an d wo
have so often roughed i t on dam per an d sp ra ts in oil

TBB iHULIAnOTK TTKJ:S.

TUBIWtJlBTflATJica BUILTA*DTUB
r*Ol.a BtATAM,

'MYISTHBnulUJ>90 UAXll^-UAY^"

COMUU MilT, 8 E lATX*

pi/f iSi

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WITU MB, XUhLlKO,"

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c a l l e ^ r d i n t o th a t p erh ap s o n r ju d g m en t iu theae
m atters in n o t to b e al\K^>^ rch ed ou. W g iv e our
ow n xperieuco a n d opinion for w h at it is w orth.
Somcitimee boiled yam s and sa lt havo beeu m ore
enjoyable eatin g th a n a fift^n -co n rse d in n e r a t th e
Cafe Y oiaia in P a ris.
L ik e th boys w ho w ill
deetroy th e ir sisters' mcohanical dolls to find o u t how
th e th iu g w orks, w determ ined to p e n e tra te into th e
culinary sanctorum aud discover w here all theee i?ood
th in g s w ere p rep ared fo r our d e lig h t I t w as a
pacious room , w ith a noble firo-place w h ere pots
were boiling.
Seats wer all ro u n d th is re a lly old-tashioned
hoartb, an d b y th j?low o f th e woodeu em bers jokes
w ere bandied out, stories o f by-gono d ays told,
village gossip retailed , an d w h en th e ashes o f th e
Isujt pipe h a d been knocked out wo re tire d lo a cosy
little double-bedded room , a n d our hillaby l6ing
Rung by tho D eva o n its w a y to th e sea, w e w ere
soou tended b y N u rse Sleep.
Tlie clim b to th e m ountain-tops o f th e h ig h est
P icos m u R t be oommencod a t XJrdon, a n d th e p a th on
leaving th e in n is to tho rig h t o f th a t building. I t
is a plain, un p reten d in g m ountain h ig h w ay , al)out
h a lf the brea<lth o fth e G overnm ent road, b u t w hether
th e aaeCDt ia m ade in d ay lig h t o r in th e calm tw ilig h t
a t th close o f a S panish sum raer day, th e ti-avcller
should cortainly n o t ia ij to n o te th e extrao rd in ary
physical fealurea o f th e crag s w hich li clos to this
m ost rom antic portion o f th e ABhirian provinco.

W itL in a atoiicB th ro w o f the in n th e re is facing tbe

m ain road a cavoru, n ow need ae a k in d o f slielter for
goafs and sheop, w hich, view ed w ith somo o f the
iden.R o u r Spanieh trav els en g en d er in our miiid
m ig h t I) held to ho tlic en tran ce to some Rock
Dom<ms cafite. A v e ry n arro w p athw ay zigzags
to its entrance, and if the to u rist ia disposed to
travcrso th is g o at-track h e w ill be rew arded by a
good view o f tho deep a n d black in terio r o f th e cve.
O f conree cavctns a re common enough in a ll m oun
tainous couutrica, b u t if th e re a d e r has th e least
artistic eye he w ill eco m uch m ore th a n black cave
presum ably occnpied h y hobgobline, b u t iv ally by
goata. C a ^ upw ard, read er, tako in th e precipitoue
c ra g s riaing atra ig h t n p o n eith er sido o f yon, an d if
y o u r im aginative anil a r t pow ers hav e n o t been
destroyed alto g eth er b y too m ueh o f th e scenery of
th e U n d erg ro u n d K ailw ay, you w ill 8o q th e faitliful
repreeentaticii o f tw o rn in ed castlea, th e towers,
g a te ways, entranece, k e e p , and o u ter fortifications
all complete, and thia dark cavern, th e photograph
o f w hich as show n b y Tis can g iv e no idea o f the
boaiitifid tin ts o f brow n, g rey , a n d ev en groon forms,
th e only ap p aren t ingress to o u r chteaux m
epaffnff created perhaps h y our fancy, b u t w hich
w e v en tu re to th in k w onld be noticed by oth er eyee
th a n ours. O n th o first occasion w hen w e eaw the
cavern, in fro n t o f its d ark en tran ce w as a mall
iattioe-w ork o f ru d ely com?tructed houghs to keep in
th e animuJs enclosed for the n ig h t dow u th e deep

TBB <lAvca AT

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g c a ^ o f th e lim estone crag s some s tra y ra y s o f the

settin g sun had w andered, an d we w ished n o t on ly
for th pen o f a w ord p ain ter, b u t for th e scieiicc yet
to be, o f piitogniphy in colours, to do simple justice
to th e scenc th a t m ot our gaze. I n th ese strango
freaks o f n a in re th is neighbourhood abounds. H ig h
u p in th e Picos can be discerned from th e in n o f
U rdon tw o m ost asto u n d in g n atijral bridgee, th ro u g h
w hich a t certain h o u rs o f th e d a y th e su n shines aa
th ro u g h a lens. T hese hav e n e v e r been exph)red.
T h e n ativ es know little ab o n t them , and care loia,
and as tliey a re on th e S an tan d er side o f th e D eva
and littlo love is lo rt betw een th e people o f th e tw o
provinces, or, rathor, th e y aro n o t jo s h in g ov er eacli
o ther S antiago an d b is friends could toll us n o th in g ;
perhaps som eday some W liym per o f th e H ig h Linds o f
O aiitabria will unfiirl th e U nion J a c k from one o f
these n atu ral bridges, whiclj a re to be seen g litte rin g
iu th e su u some GOOO feet above th e valley o f the
D eva a t U rdon. S antiago is c e rtiin to aak thu
to u rist w h eth er h e has seen th e C athedral,' and
althoi^h w e h a v e often stayed a t U rd o n , an d evuu
photographed thu spot, it wna on ly o n oup Jaet depar
tu re tlia t w e appreciated w h a t he m ean t. O ne dusky
n ig h t, however, w ith th o fain test o f moons, and an
atm osphere sJightly m isty, w e w ore ta k e n b y our
landlord about 500 y a rd s from h is house, and in an
in sta n t th e phantaam agoria w as before us a g ran d
G othic cathedral w ith tw o tow ers rose before onr
vision as if by m agic ; one o f th e tow ers w as slightly

broken &r if ftam age o r Ix^m baidm ent; th o doors

wore w ell m arked, a n d ap p aren tly Bculptnre o f the
m ost delicate n a tu re rose above it. T he structuro
w as gigantio, an d alm oat excitcd feelings o f reverontial aw e. In d ay lig h t w e tried to see th e edifico
again from th sam e ground, b n t all in vu in : i t was
evidently tb o w eird fancy o f th e n ig h t, an d like a
sum m ers dream faded w ith th e first ra y s o f th e
ritiiitg ann.
W e have to jet to Trcsviso, a n d th e sooner we
s ta rt th e bettor. On a v e ry lig h t lu n ch o f a cherita
o r so an d bread, w ashed dow n w ith re d w ine, we
eaid good-bye for a few days to h ost S antiago and
U rdon, a n d m ade fo r th e h ig h e r Picos, the homes of
th e b e a r a n d th e chamois. A g a in w e sta rte d n o t
o ver onciimbcred w ith baggage, as o u r obliging friend
th e innkeeper insiirted on sending u p o u r knapsacks
by one o f his people w ho had business a t th e q u aintly
rem ote village w h ich w as our destination. T he
lield-glasscs w ere sccurcd, an d a littlo aak filled
w ith diluted sp irits carefully pocketed, w hile a
m ih ta ry canteon th a t has dono yeom an's service for
its ow ner in niany a b lo o d ie s fig h t in KngUah and
Colonial m an uvres, w as filled to th e brim w ith tho
p u re cauae o f th e m elody o f th e riv e r we were
leaving, a n d d u ly slung, and aw ay w e started
outw ard an d upw ard hound."
F o r perhaps h a lf a m ile tb e narro w ro ad b y
w hich WG w ish to conduct th e read er to th e h ig h est
P icos folioWB th e m ountain stream or riv e r (w e do not

know its nam e), first on th o r ig h t b a n k aud th e n on

th e left ; a tu rb u len t to rre n t below a lo v e lj wooded,
fcrned and shrubbed com painon to th e p ath w ay on
th e left. A bove u s rises a 6000*feet sheer precipice
of cavem ed and crevassed rock, from w hich dizzy
h eig h t th e e u te r p iia n g g o a tle t when a m in in g ,
now and ag a in sends a rem in d er o f its existence h y
playfully sen d in g a boulder o r tw o iu to th e stream
below. P e w accidents, how ever, hav e happened
from this HOTjrce, b u t it ahonid be rem arked th a t
n atu re a fte r v e ry w e t w eath er is m uch m ore respon
sible fo r falling stones in th e Picos th a n all th e rockrem o vm g goafs in th e province. Thia wo do not
doubt will serve as a w ord o f w arn in g aud caution
to those w ho will follow o u r steps. Before th e real
aacont is commenced a moat picturesque wooden
b rid g e is passed^ a s show n iu th e p h o to g rap h from
this sp o t; it is jufit as w ell to contem plate th e road
upwards, for E x celsio r is th e m otto fo r th e day.
The load u p a precipice o f 6000 feet is hefoi'o us,
and from th e top o f th a t precipice a stone could be
dropped on th e bridge ott w hich w e w ere standing.
I t is really a w onderfully oouatructed road, thia
m ountain p a th to T resv iso ; it lak es advantage ot
every gully, o f ev ery rock, and ev ery v an tag e point,
goin g steadily u p w ard s and o nw ards iu siigzag
fw hion all on th e face o f th e m ountain side. A t
timea, m f a c t , a s o f eourse, th e p a th is v e ry tirin g ,
u t it is 0 well m ade as n o t to cause a n average
pedestrian mueh distreso. W a te r o r h q u id refresh

m ent should alw ays be taken, a a .n o t a dro p ie to be

had th e wliole w ay. Tho scencry o f tbo valley as
takon in from the Icdg^ w alk ou w hich j o u are
w alk in g is g ran d , b u t very b a rre n au d rockv. A fte r
g o in g somcdTfttance w itb fa irly com fortable g rad ien ts
you Jiave to face a s tra ig h t incliTie o f ab o u t one in
five, aud thia continue for ab o u t a tboTisand yards
o r m ore, an d hero it ie th a t tlio bold m ountaineer
w ill first appreciate th e f w t' tlia t lio is n o longer
tm v ersiu g th e flags o f F le e t S treet, th e g reen ew ard of
H yde P a rk , o r oven tho gweot sh ad y side o f P a ll Mall.
T bis mcliDo, too, is a p erfect srm -trap, a n d in all our
vigoroTis Q jountaiueeriug experience in m uch h ig h er
altitu<les, wo havo n e v e r felt m ore exhausted th a n
w have a t tb is p a rtic u k r spot in tb e com paratively
Bfieaking sh o rt ro ad to Tresviso. Y et, w h eu the
m ines close b y th a t place were hoing w orked, biJloek
Cttrts duaceTidcd to tho riv e r level by th is v e iy p ath ,
au d tw o bullocks w ould b rin g down, sa y a to u or
tw o o f ore, daily
a ru(e, w itiiout accident. A
easnalty, how ever, m eans instantaueous death, for
as before s ta ta l, tb o ro ad cau be seen from the
b rid g e below tlio altitude, a t th is p o in t being slightly
m ore tb a n 6000 feet. O f course th ere h av e boen
fatal accidents on th is ascen t, b u t th e y a re few and
fa r betw een, and tfio novice in m o u n tain w ork
should be cautious jn bow b e goeg n e a r t}ie edge
o f th e p red p ico o r o f b is fbot-hold o f t)e ground
w hen loose stones abound- T bero ie, how ever, no
re a l dan g er for th e seiisible. l-ools and practical

p-

TUB lOAn TOTRtfevisi),

ui.

jo k e rs ba4 fa r b etter stay a t S antiago e, an d from his

com fortable re ra n d a h coutom platc th e f a t p ig of
th e ir tim e.
Tlioro a re storiefl, too o f this ascont
au y th iiig b u t consoling to th e Tory B ritisli notion
th a t, a s in ev e ry th in g else so tv*o lead th e v a n o f th e
w ide w ide w orld in m outitaiii clim bing, and th a t in
matt<!r o f norve wo a re eim ply unapproachable in
oTjr eupromacy. W ell, tb e U rdon folks, ajid in tiiis
th e in h ab itan ts o f TresviBo are agreed , do say, tb a t
onoo upon a tin^e, a n d n o t so v e ry lo n ^ ago citbor, a
certain E nglislim an o f som ew hat o v er th e m iddle
stature, being in fact as lo n g a s six feet four, tiianaged
(notw ithatandinghiB eTident te rro r), b y keeping aw ay
from th e precipice on th e one side, and b y h u ^ijin g
th e rock o n tbo otber, to strugi^le u p to th e v i l l a ^
abovo, b u t w hen he w as obliged to ro tu m he conld
n o t ])0S8ibly sta n d u p rig h t and contem plate th e
dep th s below w ith o n t v ertig o a n d ra th e r unLcroicaily finished his Spanifsb experience o f m ountain
eering^ b y descend io g o n all fours b'^cW aids,
necessitating, on his nltim ato arriv al a t U rdon, a
certain patch b ein g inserted iu th e hinderm ost portion
o f his n e th e r garinont, W e attem pted to ta k e a
photo g rap h o f th e view from tliis precipitouf? cliil
w ith tlie wisb to show th e low er bridge from th e
h e ig h t; b u t th e eamei'a w ould n o t obey us a t tbo
angle, an d i f it had been possible, i t w ould havo
h a d to have been lashed w ith lens dtnmicardB, a
position ra re ly ta k e n ev en in m odern p ho tography
o f th e m ost advanced school.

P erh ap s Messrs.

BoniiJi? and Soiall, o r some o th e r ^^reat scientlsl.R

in th is art, w ill succced whoro w e hav e most dism ally
fai lod.
T ho m ountain to ire n ta w hich em pty themselves
in to th e D eva a t U rd o n seem to have, liko th e ir
h ig g e r sister, cu t th o ir w ay deop dow n alm ost to
th e eea-lcve], and as you ascend even h ig h e r th a n
th e spot wo h av e ju s t referred to, you can Rtill h ear
th e ir ceaseless ro arin g . I n fact, from th e peipou
dienlar precipicu o n w hich y o n stand, a little h ig h e r
u p i t is n o th in g mcire o r less th a n a sheer fall of
som ething like 6000 feet in to th e bed o f th e stream .
W h en a t last, after a h a rd toil o f tw o h o u rs duration,
w e reached a g reeu p lateau n e a r th e miuca o f Tres
viso, how welcome w as th e re st an d th e sig h t of
th e g re e n grass, h ow sp ark lin g w as th e cool D eva
w a te r (w e w ill modeatJy sa y n o th in g about th a t Kttle
flask), a n d h ow pk ^aed we felt th a t w ithout overfatig u e o r w o rry wo had done th e ascent in fair
A stu ria n
achedule tim e ! A fte r a w ell-earned
lounge on th o aw ard, g azin g dow n th e valloy of
roeka w a lk d in h y o th e r ran g es o t ra th e r S|>urB of
th e Pieo&- a fte r n o ticing h ow th e ir w h ite crags
w ere lit u p fancifully b y tb e playftal afternoon Hun,
w e again tru d g ed ouw ards an d upw ards, an d aomo
500 feet fiarther w e found oui solves wolcomed most
cordially b y D on F a im o o f Tresviso, in o th er words,
M r. Jam es P o n tife s Woods, a gentlem an w ho w ith
his aoeompliahed wife a n d tw o children aud iw o
domeaties, oue E nglish and one S panish, pioneers the

Picoa for th e benefit oi* m inoralogical roacarcH, and

th e developnaont o f th e rich j>ookets w hich sarro u u d
his certain ly re tire d location. O f oitr kindJy hospi
table reception a t tho hands o f M r. W oods and hie
ftimily we w ill say b u t little, except th a t it w as w h at
anybody who knows a u g h t o f h im and his suironndings would expcct. T lie best he liad a t hie disposal
waa onrs and tendered in such a laahion ae n o t to
be easily forgotten. A n d h a v in g aaid this, w h at
m ore can we sa y ? M r. W oods' house is a snbstantial
wooden building o f th e bangaJow order, sitn ate on
th e side o f th e m ountain, and i t commands, && p e r
haps we need n o t eay, view s o f g re a t b eau ty aud
interest. A smal) flower a u d vegetable g ard en
extends to th e cliff side, a u d attached to th e houee is
a fonall stable for a p o n y o r donkey. M r. W oods
being a g re a t n atu ralist, w e w ere n o t surprised to
find th a t th e walls o f his reception-room w ero literally
covered from floor to ceiling, and ceiling too, w ith
epecimens o f birds and th e lik e ; th e skin o f a g ig an
tic chamois killed close b y th e house adorned ouu
corner, w hile th e outspread w inge o f a a i^ e eag le in
another showed tlia t th e re w as local sp o rt in th e air
ae well aa on tho land, W e hav e no space fo r a
catalogua o f M r. W ood a curioaitios to tlie intereatcd
th e y alone are well w o rth th e tru d g e u p tbo mouuta iu pathw ay. P erh ap s a t th e tim e w hen wo first
saw them wc w ere m ore anxious ab o u t d in n er th a n
e ^ l o s o r even chamois, and a flrst-class meal being
diaposed of, we g athered o u r ch airs round tho blazing

wood fire oh ! th e occasional puffs o f th a t smoke

w hich w ould cume dow n and n o t go up tlio chim ney
an d a fte r discufisijii^ th e affairs o f th e w orld from
C hina to P e ru , cousins a t Hampsrtead au d a t Suakim,
friends also u n d er th e m eteor flag in N ew G uinea,
au d others sk a tin g a t M ontreal, w e w oke th e su r
ro u n d in g echoes o f th e to w erin g Picos still above os
b y vocally ren d erin g in th e beat fashion we could
asp ire to such E n g lish ballads a s m em ory couM
furnish. H ow is it th a t th e doar old E n g lish miflic
alw ays sounds so in fin itely sw eeter fa r aw aym iles
aw ay from S t. Jam ess H all, th a n it does a t th a t homo
o f ballad ooncyrts a n d M onday P o p s ? B u t i t does,
g en tle reader, a n d wo k n o w th e experience o f alm ost
cry in g over a re n d e rin g o f Tom Bowling (which
th a t infallible au th o rity tho Cfiurch Timee once deHcribed a a m usic-hall song hoaven save th e m a r k !)
in a N e w Zealand ru n , w hich, if w e had h eard it
n e a r th e P iccad ih y Circus, w onld h av e d riv en us
frantic. W ell, w e astonished th e n erv es o f the
Spanish se rv a n t w ith D y e K e n J o h n P e e l? and
H earts o f O ak, w ith n ow an<l ag ain somo h a r
m onised VolkHliad^mi^ a fte r a v e ry pleasant evening,
feeling m uch Uko th a t m ost excellent fellow tho
v illag e blacksm ith w h en he had dono o r accom
plished som ething, w e accom panied a g n id e w ith a
la n te rn still u p th e mountain*sido to th e house o f th e
good padre o f th e village o f Tresviso, M r. W oods
h a v in g all h is sleeping accommodation occu]ried by
th o presence o f a lady frien d , th e w ife o f M i. B rindley.

tbe roeidoct engineer o f aome adjacent copper minee,

and wbo, w e sinco loam , is b u ilding a house for
}iim aulfnot v e ry fe r from th e B ritish outpost o f Dou
H afmc. O f tho tw o E n g lish ladies, suffice it to s a j
th a t th e y would havo personally g raced a n y d raw icg room in B ritain . A fte r th a t plain statem ent of
unvartiiahed tru th flie dullest reader w ill apprehend
how th e y w ere reg ard ed 6000 feet ahove th e level
o f th e D eva riv er.
I t w as pitch d a rk w hen we left th e hospitable roof
o f Don H aim e, aud i t w as p ouring w ith ra in too, a
etroDj^ w ind w as hiowiuj^ a e ro * th e valley, an d now
a n d again ic y ftleet seemed to circum vent th e collar
o f o u r w aterproofs and g o in for th e m anuiacture of
slides dow n onr b are hacks. T h e p a th w as certainly
new to one o f tis ; a v e ry n early perpendicnlar
precipice was on o u r left h a n d ; tho village before us
showod n o t th o solitary tw in k le o f a fe rth in g dip,
an d th e n o f <ur8e for troublefi n ev er come singly
th a t lan tern w ont out, according to th e immemorial
ctifitom o f all lanterns w hen th e y re a lly a re w anted.
A fte r a good deal o f g ro p in g an d feelin g w e g o t a t
to a place o f sh elter, w here o u r good friend tb e
VI l a g o j ^ n s t e n m anaged h y some m eans o r o th er to
w kindlu bis lan tern and onr hopes o f e v e r reaching
fre s v iso a h v e ,a n d some ten m inutes la te r wo entered
opn oor night's repose a t tho parsonage of-Tresviso,
o t w hich w e have moro to say in o u r n e x t chapter.
A s, however, wo hav e dropped th is particu lar
portion o f o u r work, th e h ig h est Picos, we should say

' X

here, before dw cU iag on th e ethnological view o f the

queatlon, th a t, fiir au d aw ay beyond tb e 6000 foot o f
Tresvigo, th e H ighlandg o f C antabria clim b the
Spanish sky, th e ir loftiest peak b ein g ab o o t 11,000
fe e t above sea-level.
I n re a lly p^od w eather,
especially iu sp rin g , a m ost agreeable w a lk o n a
fairly good ro ad (p a te n t leathers bad iKJtter be left
w ith S an tiag o ) cau be ta k e n from T resviso village
itscilf, tlirough field a fte r field o f erociiees, g en tian s,
au d o th e r luonntain flowerets, tow ards tho upper
heights. I u aU w eath ers a 'p a n o r a m a o f secnery,
m ostly o f th e g ra n d ly ste rn o rder, m eets th e eyes of
those w ho can appreciate n a tu re in th is guise- H ero
a n d there w ill l>c seen nagged peaks suow-capped
a n d fre^inently untrodden b y th e foot o f m an.
N estlin g n n d cr th e bleak sides a larg e forest of
bcoch trees w ill be noticed a few m iles fro m the
T illa g e , and th is is th e last rem ain in g b it o f sylvan

w ealth in th is p a rt of th e A sturias. Commercial

com m on sen^e is n<3t a m arked feature o f th o modern
S paniard, and so i t is th a t m illions o f aercs o f this
troo have been deforested fo r fuel purpose, w ithout a
th o u g h t o f replantati<m . Aj> th e S paniards treated
tho vegetable w ealth o f S o u th Amen'ca, so th e y have
done in th e ir ow u favoured lan d . O ur love for
S paiu and h e r p eo jJe com pels na to hope th a t ihese
lines w ill m eet th e ga:?e o f som e o f th e ir enlightened
r u k rs , a n d tlia t tbo universal law o f n atu re, th a t to
re a p one m u st sow, w ill be in th e fu tu re m ore u n d er
stood in th e penisula. Thia m onntain road

avoid i t as th e plague a fte r a h eav y ra in leads to

tho q u a in t village o f Sotres, w hich, b ein g in terp reted ,
m eans T here a r k th ree from th e Spanish ftory-tres
th a t being t h e re p o rt o f some p rim itiv e re tu rn e r o f
the census, perhaps some centuries ago. Tresviso
gets itfl nam e from Tres-viso, I s a w th r e e ; " and the
g en eral opinion is th a t th e G overm nent collector,
h av in g climbed th e h ill to th e last-named placc,
declined, salary o r no salary, to go a step farth e r.
Sotres, a n d the equally outnjf-the-w ay village of
Tielba, he fairly gav e u p and took as gospel w h at
th e Trosviso people told him . Thoee mouDtain
villages are very m uch alike, except fop somo little
differences n o t unconnected w ith th e m anufacture of
cheese, w hich w e w ill explain fu rth e r on, and t x uno
disc^ orme.8^ W e w ill ta k e Tresviso a s our model,
an d tho follow ing puges w ill dem onstrate as well os
wo can w h a t so rt o f place it is, th e k in d o f people
who a re its inhabitantj?, th e lives th e y lead, a n d the
fitories w hich hav e localisod them selves about its
unique position.

L 2

C H A F fE R X lll.
T Q E

M O rN T A IN E K R S .

T b e w orthy ciira had gone to Y alladolid for a fow

daye, eo we h a d th e ru n o f th e parsonaj^e, w hich
w as about th e eize o f th e lock-up o f m an y a snug
E n g lish r e c t o ^ . T he house o f th e rev eren d padro
w as about th e on ly one in th e little com m unity of
Tresvieo th a t boasted a g lass w indow or tw o, b u t they
w ere o f such d im in u tiv e size a s practically to render
th e gloom o f th o little room s m ore ap p aren t. T he
sacristan a n d h is wife live w ith th e ir pa*tor, an d th e
good lady keeps th e place scrupulously cloan. The
fu rn itu re, how ever, cannot ta k e u p m u ch tim e in it
cleaning, th e ro b ein g eo rem ark ab ly little o f it. The
w o rth y clergym an whose k in d ly roof w as covering
u s evidently n ev er contem plated th a t tw o persons
woTild sloop in h is bed, o r in his ch arity he would
have h a d a b ig g e r one b u ilt hy th e v illag e carpenter.
T he clo th e s difficulty puzzled n s for a time it
w as eith e r all o r none b u t w c solved th e question
b y each ta k in g a couple o f b lankets an d ro llin g them
ronnd o u r bodies; wc w ere th o u in d ep en d en t o f each
other, Thus, a s ^*mwnmies a la sardine,'^ we passed

th e n g b t, and wero nr)t so rry to rise early on the

follow ing m o rn in g and gaise aio n n d a t certain ly
tbo q u a n ta rt T illa g e in all Spain. T h e cottage are
irre g u la rly scattered all oTer th e mountain-Rid. A
S partan sim plicity pervades each o f th s ir interiors,
b u t ihoy a re all d e a n and -well k ep t. J n M r,
M urray 8 la st edifion o f bis Uuid to S p ain he pays
th a t a t TreRviso n o w ine ia ev er d rank. A ll tliat
w can say is, th a t in OctoLer o f Iw t y e a r we asked
fur th e taberna. w ere quickly ta k e n th ere, had a few
glasfiee o f excellent re d w ine, in th o consum ption o f
w bich w e w ere ably assisted by several intolHgnt
viUagetH, w ho inform ed na from tim e immerDorial th a t
th e re had alw ays bvou a w ine-shop in th e village,
th o u g h M r. M urray waR qu ite correct in his addendum
th a t n o doctor o r apothecarys sbop hae ev er been
know n th ere. C ertainly a h ealthier sat o f people
tb a n th e Trimso villagers it w ould be impossible to
find anyw here, though tliey h av e th a t h a rd woatberbeaten look w hich always distm gnisho th e exposed
m ountaineer. Tbo ages o f these people w ill indiciite
th e ir health. One old gentlem an a t Tresviso boasts
th e fine life record o f one h undred au d four years,
w hile nonogenarians a re plentiful. D u rin g o u r last
sta y a t th is most rom antically situated place au
e ld e rly -la d y o f th e v iU a g e ^ h e w as n o t Cfilled old,
b ein g only eighty-fonr camo n p th o m ou n tain patb
from U rd o n carry in g on h e r hoad th e w eig h t o f h e r
y e a rs m avoirdupois, h e r burden being, in fact, jn st
eighty-fonr o r eig hty.five poimds.

T he dresa o f th e villagers differs from th a t o f a n j

p a r t o f 8 |iain ; th e m en en g rm d e tenue w ear eboi t
thick jack ets o f TreRviso-epun w oollen cloth, breocbos
o f tb e sam e m aterial, opening for a little u pw ards on
tho sides from above th e knee, au d etout hom eepnn
stockings, w ith curiously m ade local boots o r shoes
w ith a la rg e ilap g o in g all over th e foot itself. T h eir
head-dress is a kin d o f cloth ca.p w ith a w idish brim ,
w hich, so th e U rdon people say, is cocked w hou
its fo rtu n ate ow ner is in lu c k s w ay o r has come into
an y m oney o r th e like, So m an y o f tho inhabitants
o f Tresviso, how ever, ap|>eared to n s to go ah o n t w ith
cocked h ats th a t wo aro incliited to th in k th o idea a
m ere fency on th e p a r t o f th e low landcrs a s the
outcom e o f h ig hland arrogance. T b e w om en all
w ear hom espun cloth dresses, w ith shaw ls o f a like
m aterial for head covering. B oth male a n d female
garm en ts la st a n incalculable tim e, and trad itio n s of
eoata and petticoati^ boing w orn by gonoration after
generation exist.
I t w ould seem im possible to
practically w e a r o u t Trosviso-m ade cloth. I t is
noodless to say th a t i t is coarso in finish, h u t us<;ful
m ore th a n ornam ental, and docs w h at m an y finulynam ed E n g lish elotbs & il to d o ^ i t keeps ita w oarer
d ry a n d w arm from th o ra in o r sleet o r snuw,
'Jresviso is o f course a p u re ly figricultuial village,
and dow n th e steep m ountain-sides can ho seen the
little children o f th e place carefully te n d in g th eir
sheep. W h ere all is q u a in t it soems impossible to
particularise, b u t co ilaiu ly th e church a t Tresviso is

alone w ortL thd excursion up tlie lim estone procipices

o f th e Picos de K uropa. I t is very old, b ein g b u ilt
o f g re y lim estone with a cam panile w ith tw o l>ells
in it b earin g d ate IC 1 3 ; small-siaed wiudowa u p by
th e ro o f m ake tho church v e ry gloom y a n d d ark .
Tho floor is rcmarkahl for its u n e v e n n ^ , and
rem inded us m ore o f th o p av in g o f u firet-cla/ street
in N ew Y ork in th o days th a t once w ere golden "
for th e Tam iuany rin g th a n an y th in g else. Tho
p u lp it and coafesaional a rc th e unaided w ork o f tho
good ja ris h p rie s t; th e first is both n e a t a n d gaudy,
u9 his reverence is evidently fond o f colours. A s to
tho la tter, ow ing to th e p eculiar colour and tex tu re
o f th e curtains, it w ould be su j^ o stiv e, even to the
m ost revoront visitor, o f th e erection in wbioh a t
street corners P u n c h a n d J u d y an d th e ir cea;<ele5a
w ra n g lin g d elig h t a cusutd audience.
O v er the
liigh a lta r is a wooden reredos also p ain ted b y tho
padre, a n d th e tw o aide altu rs hav e also bcon ornam ontod by him . W ith fear a n d trem b lin g w e shouJd
show th is Uttlo m ountain v illag e church to Home
sovero jesthetlc A ngH can, o r one o f th e good t4isto "
school a t th e O rato ry o r th e F ro . I n fiict we
doubt w hether some o f those queer-m inded people
w ho look a t ev ery th in g th ro u g h West^end-of-London
a r t pectaclos w ould survive th e d eco ratio n of
th is lonely outpost o f tho U niversal C hurch in tho
A stu rian m onntaina ; h u t th e re is an o th er aido to th e
question. F o r m ore th a n te n lo n g centurioe the
books o f tho church and th e reg istry o f births.

m arn ag ee, a n d d eath s go back, and th e C hriatiau

peo|)Ie o f 'Xresviso h av e w orshipped in th is humblo
little ehrine. T he tin k le o f th e acolytos' bell has
rn n g there ju s t th e same, and w ith jiist th e same
m eaning, as it hae iu th e loftiest cathedral, an d if
ite ornam entation b e unartiatic an d taw d ry ," the
lesson to ibo th in k in g m ind o f th e p arish church of
T resviso ia told in tho inscription p ain ted on ita
porch by tho pastor o f th e place. E sta es la casa
det D io y P ^ i o d tl
T his is th e house of
G od an il th e g a te o f heaven.
W h eu refe rrin g to th e subject o f decoration it
rem inds us th a t in th e m a tte r o f h arv est festivals
th e y ra th e r overdid the thini? some y ears ago in
Lancashire, w hon they p u t on th e a lta r o f th e church
a p ig s head, and th e y fell into a sim ilar e rro r aome
sh o rt tim e ago a t Trosvieo. Mra. P o n tifex W oods
gave to one o f th e village children a ra th e r handsom e
doll o f E nglish m anufacturo.
T b o m ountaineer
children o f N o rth ern S p ain do n o t se<m to care in
th e leaet for toys o r dolls, so Ibo little g irl gav e h e r
present to th e parish p r ie s t I n w hatever w ay th e
clergym an reg ard ed th e g ift we do n o t know, n o r
have we been able to m ake inquiries, but th e doll has
since lc(!n seen on one o f th e alta rs o f th e chnrcb,
b u t w hether it wae placed aa a votive offering o r not
w e a re also ignorant.
Close to th e church is thenmj?o santo^ and, nestling
n e a r b y ite ou ter w all, is tho on ly E nglieh g rav o in
Treevi?. TIhh eloquent rem inder o f the
unhappy

diviSiOQs th a t ex ist am ong C hristians is th e last

reffting-piace o f ono o f M r. W oods little children.
T he village school, w hich has about th ir ty o r fo rty
scholars, is m ore in tlie cen tre o f th e v illag e th a n
th e church. Thu children h e re seem to be w ell and
carefully ta n g h t b y a m ost p atien t y o u n g m an. A s
an inetaiico o f how th o ro u g h ly Tresviso is o u t o f the
w ay, so to speak, th e teach er reforred to show ed us
a g re a t curiosity some o rd iu ary school slates, ju s t
teceived from M adrid, and w hich.
h e told u r , he
sh o rtly in ten d ed to introduce in to th e school. A t
th e tim e he spoke th e Uttlo hoys before ua wero
le arn in g the le st o f t i e th re e R s b y m eans o f m aking
th e ir figures o n tho shoulder-blades o f oxen.
B u t a voJumo conld be w ritten about Tresviso ind
its surioundings, So struck w as H is M ajesty K in g
A lfonso w hen h e first visited th e neighbourhood in
A u g u st, 1882, th a t h e insisted on th e w orlliy mayor
o f tho place accompany b g him to 3fadrid, w hore ho
rode th ro u g h th e city in th e sam e carriage w ith the
km g. W h a t the w orthy alcald ep f Tresvieio th o u g h t
o f th e capital we do n o t k n o w ; h u t th a t he w as a s
stru ck w ith M adrid as h is eovereigu w.is w ith
Tresviso, w e th in k is open to doubt.
Commniucation is, how ever, reg u larly k e p t up
between Tresviso an d the ou ter w orld by m oans o f a
postm an, who ev o iy oth er day ascends and descends
th e steep hillside from U rdon. H ia p a y is not
m agnificent, l>ejng in fact only fivepence (h a lf a
peseta) each tim e he m akes th e jo u rn ey , and, in-

\ /
^

credible as it w ould seem to ua, h e is p a id b y the

anthoritiea iuAiVis. F ro m th isw rctch ed p ittan ce i^>me
small doJuetion haa to l>e m ade to cover th e coat of
difioouut.
Tresviso ia famous for its cheese, w hich is a kind
o f Rtil ton, an d ie tocally know ti as P icon. A t timee
i t ia v e ry full flavoured, so m uch eo th a t a n Kn<?Hah
gontlom an,w h o w as b rin g in g a few hom e a s presents
to his relations, w as stopped by th e F ren ch authoritiee
a t th o n tie r railw ay etation for th e usual pur|>occ
o f cuatoma exam ination. O u r frien d told th em it
wae some ra re Spanish checee. T h e F re n c h douan ie t looked eerioxis an<l suspiciously a t a
T hey eviden tly th o u g h t th e fa in t odour th e y am elt
w as connected w ith some d a rk deed o f blood, and die
object o f th e obstinacy o f th e E n g lish m an in not
ope:iing his package w as n o t to crim in ate him self by
aho w i i ^ his h um an remsiina. W rap p er after w rapper
w as taken off, ciotlis w ore carefully rem oved, anci
when th e Picona full flavour m e t the cuKtom-honae
oiciaU th e y fe iiiy bolted and ra n . M ild spoeimons
a re to ho had, how ever, an d to o u r ta ste thia Tresvieo cheeae ia m ost delicious. B etw een th e villages
o f S otres and Treaviso a n ancient riv a lry has cxleted,
an d eome few yeara ago it th reaten ed to b reak out
into a reguhir aot-to betw een th e m ales o f both places.
A t an y rale, th e good fo lk o f I h e re are th ree eaid
th a t th e villagers in i see th r e e accusod th em o f
p u ttin g no b u tte r iu th e ir (the Sotres-made) chceee,
an d ae thia waa a wicked, baselcsn fabrication, they

-..,K >. rm iMl III

determQed on,a<io34mstcriiig severe puiiisLm ent o n

th e peccant ^ r c s v i a ^ . ^ TLe Sot res people started
out, imd HO did tb e folk from T resviso to m eet them,
and it w as only by th e devoted efforts o f th e private
o f both places th a t peace w as maintFunod. T o th is
hour, how ever, th o villagers a|>eak disp an ig m g ly o f
each other's cheeee.
T ho legends o f tb e Picos de E u ro p a a re n o t so
m any a s ono w ould incline to believe, b u t w h at th e y
a re a re interestin g enough, and some o f thesu we
shall g iv e in an o th er chapter. T h ere are, how ever,
somo c u r i^ ^ m o d em stories w hich a re couueeted
w ith T te s iis o w hich w ill b ear repetition, a n d w ill
come in h e re in a ch ap ter dealing; w ith th e m ountain
eers, thoir village, a n d th e ir ways.
T h rift o f a v e ry decided character, an d a certain
anxiety to e a rn a n honest pen n y , aro m arked features
o f'th e m onntainoors w ho b rav e th e w in te r snows a t
Tresviso a n d Sotres. N o t so v e ry lo n g ago a wellknow n and distinguished n atu ra list, sta y in g some
tim e n n dor th e hospitable roof o f D on H aim e, w en t
o u t one m o rn in g collecting on th u m ountain-side,
accompanied b y a n elderly Spaniard as a guide.
T he m an o f science, seeing a p articu la ily larg e slug,
eagerly look possession, and afterwai*da earefn lly p \it
it into a little glass bottle, whicL he subsequently
labelled w itL some rem arks in p e n c il Tlie g iav o
A sturian concludod as follows : S lu g s a re scareo
an d valuable in th e country o f th e Senor Inglosi;.
T hey a re common onough here. W ill ju s t m ention

v ^

tlio jen o rajy liC D I g e t hom e. I ehall please

D on H aim e a u d his frien d from across th e sea, aud
p a t m oney in m v pocket a t th e sam e tim o. I I !
g e t him some o f th e alags hu valuea so much/*
A ccordingly, early n e x t m o rning M r. W oods was
awak<2ned b y th e a rriv a l o f oTir roQective friend,
w ho w as accom panied b y hifl b e tte r h a lf c a rry in g a
largo parcel. In q u irin g tho caiise o f th e visit, Dun
H aim e w as inform ed th a t th o v had g o t as m an y as
th e y could, aud th e y reckonc*d th ere w as .ihont
tw enty-five poundii w eig h t. I f a fa ir prioo was
giv o n th e y w ould b rin g aome m ore to-morrow. B nt
ichoi have you g o t? said th e puzzled E nglishm an.
Slugs, e e n o r; a u d th e in cident o f B aron H . aud
hie apecinien w as related. M r. W oods b u rst in to a
h e a rty laugh, and did his best tr> explain how
m atters stood. Tho moTiotaineers w ere a t first iod ig n a n t. an d th e u crest-felleo, and sorrow fully
w ended th e ir w ay back to th e ir hom e; b n t they
w ould n o t c a rry th e ir valueless burden fu rth er. Mr.
W oods should hav e as a p reseut w h a t he w<mld not
p a y for, so th e y em ptied th e coutunts o f th e ir basket
o v e r th e E n g lish m an b klteh^n-gardeu fenco, au d it
b eing m ain ly p lan ted w ith cabbagca, tb e tw euty-five
l>ounds w e ig h t o f sings m u st Lave h ad , in A m erican
parlance, a ** h ig h old tim e o f it. W h en M r. Woods
saw thu w reck o f his cabbage g ard en , be uaed kingiiage as to th e results o f scientific investigation w hich
seemed stran g ely sceptical from such educated lips.
W e have alread y referred to th e rcm arkahlo th rift

o f these people, a n d in m any cases m u st bo added to

th rift a n astuienesR Tphich won Id do cre d it to a
PliiladelpLia la\vycr. A few m onths
a n old
peaRant, w ho waa depositing some h a rd -e a rn e d
pesetas in a socret roclc-crevice in a roadside bank,
w as ra tb e r etartlcd o n discovering th a t h e bad
hocn obfierved, o r m ig h t h a r e b een obaerved, by
A neighbour w ho for some reason o r o th er d id n o t
b c s r th e highest ch aracter in th e v il l a ^ . The
depositor retu rn ed in a few days, and, as he w as h a lf
afraid w as tlie casOf h e found ail his oheriahed
m oney-store o f some te n pounds in value h a d gono,
and instinctively Lo knew th a t his neighbour, who
wae hovering ab o u t w h en h e la st deposited m oney,
m ust b tiie thiof. T h e problem w as now how to get
tho te n pounds back again, an d this is th e w ay the
old gentlem an who p u t h is m oney in th e rock sot
about th e businoBs. F irs t o f all ho so n g h t out the
m an w ho h e fe lt certain h a d stolen bis hoard, and told
him th a t he expected in a d a y o r so to receive from
a law yer abont fifty ponndfi. N o w / h e added, any
little sum s o f m oney th a t I dont w an t I hav e been
in th e h a b it o f depositing in a secret place only
know n to m y seE T b e question is now , aa I am to
have for me a larg e sum , shall I p u t it in th e old
place or tru s t i t to some b an k a t S an tan d er o r
n o tary a t P otea? Visions o f a clear h au l o f fifty
pouudfl rose before th e dishonest neighbour, a s w ith
m anifest sm cerity h e w arned his doar frien d on
n o account to tru s t to these new -fangled banka and

th e lik e, b u t Hlick to th e old an d truF?fed placo o f

secnrify. FooliDg certain th a t if tbe gentlem an w ith
expectations found h is te n pmjnds gxjne h e would
n e v e r p u t th e t i f t j pounds in th o rock, the ncighhour
placed th e ten pounds in tho crevice and w aited
jwtienLly for th e b ig fish. H o w ev er, th is dlshoneKtly
m eant restitu tio n w as discounted h y th e intended
victim , a s h e rem oved th o te n potmda aJmoet ae soon
aa it w as placed th ere, a n d has n e v e r used th e rockh a n k since. W h eth er th e fifty pounds he expocHed
w as u fictitious sum w e do n o t k n o w ; w e are
inclined to th e opinion th a t i t was.
Sometimes th e m ountaineers ca rry th e ir love of
econom y to tbo v erg e o f w h a t W0 should certainly
consider indeccnt co n d u c t T hree m en w ere once
cuga^^ed in carryiii<? th e eori>se o f a p e a ^ n t w om an to
Tresviso for intorm ent. Coffins a rc not k n o w n in th e
rem ote C antabrian H ighlands, an d the deceased was
covcred b y a new sack. Iii th e eyes o f th e carriers
th is w as d o w n rig h t foolish extravagance, so ono o f
them w e n t a n d fetched a v e ry old sack th a t belonged
to him , and th e hody waa buried in it. A fte r the
intojiuont th e y tcssod n p fo r th e new sack.
T o those w ho love th e w ell-kept, flower-bedecked
G od's a c re s o f our village churchyards in tkigland,
n o th in g is m ore repnleive th a n th e ap p a re n t irrev e
rence o f th e S p an iajd s for the dead. A t Treaviso the
little campo eanio is n o t a scandal, w hereas in m any
casos th a t w e know o f it ecrtain ly is. P e rh a p s the
moat realistic account o f these disgracefully k ep t

village ch u relijard a h g iv e u b y a w o rk on Soutliern

Spain* b y M r. Rose, w ho eays
M uch as I hav e beard o f th e b eau ty o f b u rial
jpx)U7id abroad, I looked a t Icaat for doccncy and
clejiuHneas. T b e first th in g tb a t stn io k ice, a s I
opened th e g a te aud took off m y liat, w as tho sickly
p u trid sm ell, tb a t well n ig h cangcd me to vom it.
Close before me, on a ro u g h hew n and im lettered
stone, stood tw o tin y coffins ; th e lids, alw ays o f glaRs,
w ere n o t screwed dow n. I pnsbed one aside, and
th ere, beautiful even id doath, wore th e ric h tresses
a n d p in k cbeeks o f a ch ild somo eig h t summere.
T he otlior w as th e coffin o f a n in fan t. B o th bodies
w ere w rapped, as is crnstomary, in coloured silver
paper, for th e elothoa are burnt in v ariably, as they
m ig h t bo a tem ptation to dishonest persons to
exhum e th e ooflln from its shallow g rave. Ju st
then r looked down, a n d lo, th o w hole o f tlie p la e e
w as covered w ith hum an bones ]y m g on th e aurface
T he evening breeze rose and fall, com ing from tb e
distan t h.lls, w afted to m y f o e t - i t cium, crourul
f e e t - a h g h t loose m .s., o f Jong a a d tangled Lair,
btooping dow u to l<K.k, I saw th a t th ero w a . p len ty
o f n ab o n t on tb e gravestones au<l around tb e dry
th is Ie w hich g re w in abundance ; I bad t . ^ e d and
I t clui,g to nie. T here w a s n o grass, b o tu r only
Hand and rocks peeping out. I asUod tb e old grave
d ig g e r whore ho would b n ry th o t.vo b ttle ^ ffin ..
M anana
to-m orrow ), h e answ erod, but tho place
IS so full I hard ly know w here to scrape a hole. "

IIuvLL" sp en t eoma v e ry p leaeaat d ay s w andering

aro o u d th e h ig h est Picos, we m ade for th e in n of
U rdon, a|ain to coutinne th e ro ad throu^^h the
m ountains o f C antabria to th e q u a in t to w n o f Potes,
beyond w hich place th e p lain s o f C en tral ft^win
commeuce.
G oing dow n th e m ountain p atb , though it takes
baturaJly m uch less th a n th e ascout, is n o t easy work,
an d care should bo ta k en , as boforo m entioned, o f
th e loose stones, eepeeialiy a t th e com ers o f tho
z ig a ig paths. On th e last occasion w hen w e m ade
th e dowent, and w hich we did in rem arkably quick
tim e, th sudden change fr^im th e ra rity o f the
atm oephurc in Treeviso to' tbo com parative w arm th
o f U rdou caused in one o f us a painful deafness
w h ich lajted some hours. Somo people a rc affected
differently b y th e sudden changes. C rossing the
fiierra N ev ad a in A m erica b y th e railw ay, wo have
noticed Spaniards, g o in g o n t to prospect " am ong
th e vinoyards o f fa ir California, bleed from th e eyca
and nose a s th e y entered th e su n n y valleys from th e
lofty snow-capped heights.
W e bav e said n o th in g in th is ch ap ter as to
tho sp o rt to b e fonnd in th e Picoa. Thia w ill bo
treated separately la te r on, w hen w c hav e visited all
th e p a rts o f o u r m onntaino^s citadel and hav e loisuru
to th in k o f th e bear, th e cham ois, a n d th e eaglo.

C H A P T E R X IV .
TH K

B A TH S

O P

I ,A

H E R M ID A -

T.RAVELrj5Rs ta le do n o t a t Santi?go*s host^fry

g o t th e sam e m easure o f in cred u lity a s they do in tb e
uutraveiled sots o f people th a t we find laying' dow n
th e law s o f th e homesick an d i ^ o r a r i t in tb e public
rooms o f ostabhshm euts w hich w ould laugh to scorn
th e hum ble Inxurica o f our U rdon reetiug-plac. I t
is tru e w e wore som ew hat severely CToes-examincd
aa io o u r sporting experiences (o f w hich, aa w e have
Raid, m ore auon), b u t th e fact th a t we h a d visited as
pilffriras and stran g ers th e reg io n o f th e highopt
Pieofi mado u s som ew hat objects o f interest, aud round
th e hospitable kitchon fire o f o u r h ost we had m erely
to te ll to behoving audiences truf.hful stories o f life
an d scenery o f w hich th e y themeelvee w ere moiit
excellent judges.
A fte r a good n ig h t's re st wo determ ined on con
cluding o u r jo u rn e y th ro u g h tho citadel o f th e Picos,
a s we have christened th is m ig h ty form ation o f lime
stone, an d 8 0 reach th e S o u th ern P oeteru G a te n ear
Potcs.
S till tho self-same level road, still th e ever-flowing

D eva, still th e self-samu lo fty masses of m ountainous

rock on eith e r side o f ms. Ju t a fte r leaving th e inn
o f U rd o n th e direction is alm ost directly south, but
tb e road so tw ista an d tn m a a t intervals as to render
follow ing th e compass a porfect puzzle. A pleasant
stroll o f ab o u t a m ile b tin g s one to th e v illag e o f L a
H erm ida, w hich is in w in te r p e rh a j one o f th e coldest
places in all tliu fa ir reg io n o f S unny S p a in / The
reason is n o t fa.r to seek. O w ing to th e altitndo of
th e still precipitous m ountains w hich o n all side sur
ro u n d th e place, tb e sun in w in ter ra re ly shines in
L a H orinida for m ore tb a n a n ho u r a day, an d dnring
tbo iibort Decttmber d ay s wo bav e seen th e whole
population o f th e placo sittin g a t a w ell-know n local
w all,
prender el so l o r in otb er woid to warm
th e ir l)odies b y m eans o f N atures g re a t stove.
There ia a n in n in th is place, b n t its approaches a rc
uotporfoct fa r from it. I n bad w eath erand it has
been o u r m iserable fate in m ost cases to vi^it L a
H erm ida w h en little o r no snn wa-R visible, w hereas
rain w as p lentiful ita p rin cip al door is reached by
reckles*ly g o in g th ro u g h a foot o r tw o o f black mud,
iu tb e m anufacture of w hich th e num urous pi^js which
sim ply surround th e ostablisbm ent liavo bad th eir
fu ll share.
B u t th e p igs hav e n o monopoly of
tbo wretchedly-carc-l-for inn yard a t L a Herm ida.
orse&j mules, and bullocks block u p ita approachea
an d the bold trav eller w ho w ill face th e acciimulatod
filtb w ill find, w hen lie entera th e <lingy b a r itself,
th a t tbo lesp len d eu t bottles, all m arked w itb the

labels o f Baaa, A llsopp, 7>e K uypera, H ennessy and

tb e rest, a re n early a ll dummies, like tboao in fb Bristol
drui^gidt atore o f Mi. Saw yer, late N ockem ori,'
in P ickw ick, and th a t w liicb tLo average th irsty soul
hM to rely o n is sim ply rod wine, fortified, how ever, to
auit tb e local Spanish palato, b y th e adm ixture o f the
in n rte d potato sp iritw hieb, how ever, finds its w ay
readily onougTTto tb e h arbourr oi Bilbao and Santan
der. I f th e tru th m n st be told, tb e average N o rth ern
S paniard infinitely prefers these d o cto red " wines,
w bieb are always caJled
Vinos de CatiUe, to
tho v in tag e w hich wu can cordially recom m end to
all those w ho are not exactly s trie t t^ to taler ,
and th a t ia th e rod p u re ju ice o f th e g rap e calle<l
Licbana, w hich has all tho dehcacy o f th e finest
B ordeaux wines h u t can h ard ly boast th e ir d ep th in
coionp. This Wine is n o t fortified in an y w ay, and is
c y rtiin ly one o f th e most delidons d iin k a in aummortm e, wpeeiaUy i f th e traveller has tho cauton to ank
hia triend th e h n d io rd to place a tjn art o r so in tho
cool nionntain stream io act as a refrigerator.
B ran d y is very w arce except in the coaat tow ns,
b u t h.llanda o r ffinabra is th e popular s p ir it; a good
deul o f a n m se u . .so d runk, ii also a n ativ o spirit,
^ l e d caila, which we believe is distilled from maizo
O ne o f tho sigh ts o f L a H erm ida is th e congregation
a t tl .18 nim ote little plae o f a m ost beterogeneons
maae o f suffering hum anity early in the snmmer, wberi
he httlo w arm w eather th e pL^we enjoys ouvy 1 ,id
0 t>egin, O n one occasion, when ill-luck cempelled
U 2

V "

TIS to stop o v ern ig h t a t th e local in n , we w ere enro u n tercd b y ab o u t tw en ty m en and wom en, all
m ountaineers an d all clad in th e sam e hom espun
brow n serge.
Some w ere alm ost carried, somo
atrnggled painfully alo n g on crutch ee; th is w as in
th e evening. I n th e m orning p erh ap s a h undred
more bad arriv e d , and all tiiese people w ere bouod
for th e celebrated h o t alkaline sp rin g s situated about
a mil from L a Ilc rm id a p ro p er, w hich h a s boen
famous for centuries, an d is a,Uogod to cu re alm ost all
th ills lh a t floRh is h e ir to . These springs hav e now
been enclosed, and a really com fortable b ath in g estab
lishm ent has been crccted.
T be popu larity o f N atu re's w arm h ath s in S pain is
som ething ex traordinary. D u rin g all the summer
m onths th e re ie alw ays a rush g o in g on to some place
o r other, an d the c u m one h ears o f rem ind one of
t]iose long advertisem ents o f p a te n t m edicines in
w hich one fully expects to read th a t eome one, years
a fte r d eath , has been restored to a renew ed and
vigorous existence by th e application o f Messrs. Soaud'S os ointm ent. W e hav e our ow n th eo ry about
th is m an ia for w arm baths. W o g iv e it for w h at it
is w orth, and perliap th e action o f its scope should
he, strictly speaking, confincd to th e Caiitahrian
m ountains it ftay, how ever, for all th at, be tru e of
th e w hole peninsula. I n our opinion th e average
S paniard, especially in m ountain regions, seldom if
ever w ashes him self all over. Tlio virtues o f
Terebene soap hav e h a d no attractio n s for him , and

he could w ith tr u th
th a t fam ous to^tlmonial
w hich appeared some tim e einco, tb a t ten yeara
l>efore h e nsed Mesara, C leavers' soap, and d n e e tbou
he ha$ used no other.' A s a n atu ral oonsequeoce, in a
clim at liko th a t o f N o rlh ero Spaiu, bo soon falls a
victim to rbcumatiam, lum bago and tb e lik e ; hut
to these bath and bathinj^ all ovor, a s th e
p h rase goes, in m edicated w ato r a t a temperAture
w hich perhaps waa n ev er know n to him before, lio
BOon becoraca a different an d a h ealthier m an. Ilis
pores have been opened and h is frame invigorated
b y tb e nnwontod wasli. T he m erits o f th a t superb
institution, th e m o rn in g tu b , combined w ith Torubene, bave y e t to be discovered in Spain.
A few yanlfl from th e b ath s o f L a H erm ida is tbe
very cen tre o f th e Picos, the h e a rt o f th e magnificent
upheaval o f limestone rock w hich ia tbe distin
guishing feature o f tlie lo n g line o f tho H ighlands of
C antabria. A nd ju s t a t th is spot we find a curiosity
w hich no doubt g re a te r geologists than oureelvofl can
explain. L a Ile rm id a is really abont a m ile on the
southom slope o f the Picos do E u n ip a, and, m said
over and over again, horo tho compounda o f calcium
atta in a n altitu d e o f tbousanda o f feot, but in th eir
w ay home, so to speak, and poised a t a n angle of
forty-five, and called th e R ed M ountain, is a dei>0 8 t
o f red sandstone to be tniccd b y tho n ak ed eye to tho
very bw e o f th e baths o f U B erm id a. T he highest
deposit o f tbis red aandstono seems to have a breadth
0 quite a hundred yards, and h ere it is lh a t tbe

pine, w hich is noticeable b j ite absence from th e Picos,

seemR to hav e found its hom e. A s a m a tte r o f fact,
a t th e hatha o f L a Hermi<ls, and ow ing doubtless to
th is different stratification, th e m ountains a re m ore
ojHJn aud tho sun has m oro pow er. Sm all forests of
clicstUQt aud w ah iu t trees g iv e a charm to the
gloom y appearaucc o f tho g re a t fo rg e s preyioualy
described.
T he trav eller, how ever, is b arely th ro u g h this
p re tty little break, a n d passed tho ci^'ilization sign
o f a square-built ho tel and b ath in g establiahm ent,
before tb e road he has g o t to tra v e l b y dives into
deeper and deeper goi^es, a n d th e th in w h ite camino
a n d th e glifrtening riv e r seem, as th e eyo w andurs
forw ard, to be lost in th e precipices o f rook th a t hsm
them in on all sidtis, I t is ju a t about h e re tb a t, porcbed
on quaint-loofcing le<lges a t g re a t h eig h t, a few trees
eeem to flouriah. O n all sides a re deep-cut caverns
au d w atercourses, w hile the w ildness an d desolation
o f th e place a rc sublim e in th e ir m ajesty. io
wonder, indeed, th a t tho M oors n e v e r reached
anyw here n ear th e cen tre o f th e Picoa de Enropa.
T h e citadel o f o u r fortress is unconquered aud
unconquerable.
W e have a lu rk in g auspicion th a t some o f our
readers aro w ondering w here th e b rigands come in ,
an d in effect th e y a re s a y in g : W h at's th e use of
tra v e llin g in Spaiu, especially in th e w ildest p a rts of
a n alm ost unknow n province, if thero is no fighting
o r disturbances w itli bandits and tb e lik e ? Ladies

and peiitleiiion, for yo u r tkes wo 5tre Rorry tl>ei*e

are n<i briganrls to w rite about, aiul tlie lonj? tw entym ile pasa o f th e Picos c3o E uropa ia safer for tbo
pe<5^triaD tb a u a n y ro?ul in E n g lan d , and infinitely
m ore so th an , aay, the crossing from K in g W illiam s
statue to tho oorner w hich loads to th e Shades in
ila rtin 'e Lane o r some oth er fast-cab-riddcu locality.
T hrough th e pass we hav e been describing, no one
ever goes, except th e eoacli d iiv e n tw ice a day, or
perhaps lialf-a-dozcii stra y m ark et people i tho
tw enty-four hours.
Ono dark evening in w inter, \vbile going along
th ro u g h this g ran d ly w eird gorge, w e w ere m et by
tw o o f th e famous (.'ivil G u ard o f Spain, w ho, after
ttu interchange o f civilities, an d a n insf>ection o f our
licences for ca rry in g arm s, out w eapons boing on onr
shonlder.^, w en t ou th o ir w ay to L a H erm ida. The
following is a good account o f tko constitution o f this
fo rc e :
T he Civil G uards o f S pain are composed o f 20,000
F oot and 5000 H orse G uards, or Gendariuiric, first
organised 1844-45. T h ey aro diesed in d a rk hlne
tunic and trousers o f eaine colour, lig h t huff-coloured
belts, and arm ed w ith HomingtOQ riSos ; some have
th e short, some th o lo n g rifie.
The G uardias Civiles a re u n d er m ilitary law ; th o ir
punishm ents a n d penalties exceptionally severe, but
th e ir eeprii de corpe is rem arkably good.
T h e ir ranks are composed o f th e liigh-cliaracter
and long-sorvice m en o f th e Spanish a r m y ; a n d of

cadetR from th e College noar M adrid, w bere all tfao

orphan cliildron o f Civil G uards w ho Lavo d ied in
th e pursuance o f th e ir d u ty a re cducutcd, Iree of
expense, for th e force.
T h e datiea o f tho Civil G u ard s a re m uch th e am
a s those o f th e R o y al Iris h C onstabulary, whom
th e y g re a tly resembJe in organigation,
T h e y aro stationed, in couplce, in ev e ry to w n and
sm all viJlagii, an d in sroall b arrack s aln n g every
frequented high-road, and in squads o f from tw entyfive to fifty in S pains la rg e r cities. T h ey a re police,
w ithout b e ic g sp ies; soldiers, w ith o u t b ein g liable to
be called on for setvico beyond th e peninsula. They
perform th e ir duties a s police m ost effectively, N o t a
robbery is com m itted b u t w h at these m en find out,
and, th a n k s on ly to th e ir eaortions, S pain is n ow wellnigh free o f robbers. Tw o o f them m eet ev ery tra in a t
e v e ry statlo u , exam ine passports w ith courtesy, chock
e v e ry th in g th a t is w ro n g , as w ell b y th e ir presence
and m m i k , as by tho Rtrong arm o f the law. They
esco rt prisoners iro m one prison to another, and,
know ing how u n certain in ite action is Spanish law,
th e y constan tly shoot d o w n a m urderer, ta k e n redhanded, o r try in g to c^cape w hen on tb e m arch w ith
th e m from prison to prison. T h ey hav e certain ly
done m ore to establish o rd er in S pain th a n an y o th er
body. T he m en a re 5 feet 8 inches in stature, w ellset and pow erful. T h eir head is a G eneral in th e
arm y, liv in g in M adrid, w ith th e title o f D ircctorG eneral. T h e ir ofBccra a re n e a rly all o f th e m iddle

class, say, o f tlie class of* tradesm en, A li members

o f the force must riad an d w rite. P rom otion from
th e laiiks ie the rnle, n o t th e exception, T h ey live
in barracks, mesa togcthor, an d associate b u t little
w ith th e o u te r w orld.
T he force supports a w eekly periodical, callcd
BoleHn ujicial ds L a Gnardia CivU, first started iu
1858. Tlie rules o f tlie corps a re a rra n g e d iu tlic
C aitilla, gam bling Iw ing en tirely prohibited. The
coupfea cngag;ed in p atro llin g th e roads m ust walk
twelve paces a p a rt from one another, so as n o t to be
both surprised a t once. Tho ru les for protection o f
persona and p ro p erly p re rib e th e p ro p er conduct
for every em ergency, such a s earthquakes, fires,
floods, w ayfarer losing hie w ay, a n d so on du ly laid
down. T he cavalry c a rry heavy d ragoon sworda of
Toledo make, and levolvera an d sh o rt c a rb ia e ; the
foot-aoldiora^for soldiers they are, b u t train ed to act
iti couples as well a s in largo bodies, R em ington
rifle and bayonet, and sometime revolvers. The
safety o f property in S pain m ay, w ith o u t ex ag g era
tion, be said to depend on th is m ost excellent force.
N o Civil G uard is allowed to accept a rew ard , how
ever g re a t be his eervice to you.
The BcmpuIoQs ckaulineBS o f theae splendid, troops
IS Bomething asto n ish in g ; ev ery m an looka tho tru th ,
t at^ho is a g en tle m a n ; b u t he seems to h a v e ju s t
^
an

face, and neck, and p ared hia naila,

ia uniform and accoutrem ents seem to have
ju st eeived out to him . T h e uniform o f the

Civil G nards is a s described, b u t th e clo th ffaifere

th e y woar as h ig h as th e knee, and the o<3cked hat,
w orn a la K apoleon atliw art th e head and not
fore a u d aiV., so to speak, give a la th u r th;atrc.il
and picturesque look to th e m en. T h e graceful way
in w hich th e G-i;ardia C ivile w ill clo ak " in bad
w eatlier, would d riv e poor Tom m y A tkina o r even
P a t o f the R . 1. C. alm ost m ad w ith en v y . TIio
R o y al Irish C onstabulary jg tlio finest body o f armed
m en in tlie eurvico o f th e Queen, b n t w ith a ll our
national prejudiocs, w e th in k th e y w ould bavo to
toko a seat in row No. 2, as com pared w ith tbe
Spjinlsh Civil G uards. A ll oth er gcndarm crio forces
aro, so to speak, n o t in th e racc w ith th e two
bodies ju st referred to,
Tho w(od a fte r th e R ed M ountain is passed
trav erses sim ilar gorge to those described. N o t a
habitation is to h e scon, an d tb e riv e r is crossod
tw ice, tho ^ m in o real takinj^ n early alw ays th e rig h t
bank o f th u riv e r. A bout tw o miles o r m ore from ibe
baths a t L a IIcrmila, a ru sh in g to rre n t empte^ itself
in to tb e D eva, crossed by a v e iy substantial bridge;
and bere we would recom m ccd th e tra v e lle r to tako
th e m ou n tain p a th to th e r ig h t o f it, an d spend at
least h a lf a n h our o r so in exploring i t upw ards.
T he p ath w ay is sim ilar to th a t o f Tresviso, very
narro w a n d steep, b u t it is nicer m ountain clim bing
th a n th a t ju s t nam ed, inasm uch as th e m usic o f tbe
m ountain stream fa r aw ay dow n a t his le e t is
pleasant to listen to.

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TMt KCl) WOrniTAIH.

A fie r h eav y rain s this feeder o f th o D ev a is

hnisteroufily noiay in its falls from ro ck to rock.
Now it will lose itself in th e num erous d a rk cavorns
w hich honeycom b its rocky Hed, b u t o u t it wil)
em erge agaiu, a n d fall w ith fu ry some tw en ty feet
Ixflow. A bove are tim bered and cragp;od peaks, and
tlie valley o f th is littlo stream is really v e ry beautiful.
T he b ig fall is h ig h e r n p th e mountaiii-eide a fte r the
trav eller has passed th e stra ta o f re d deposit. Those
to w hom tim e is n o particu lar object should either
goin g o r re tu rn in g th ro u g h th e Picos leave th e m ain
road a t tho baths o f 1^) Hermi<la to traverse tho wbole
o f tho u p p e r fertile country, th e oasis o f th e R ed
M ountain, and re tu rn throu|h th e dense ch estnut forest
w hich overhangs th e cascade w e liave ju s t referred to.
A lady or gentlem an could easily m ake thie detour
in a fow h ours an d w ithout fatigue, aid no ^ id e is
required. A ll th a t the podcetrian has to do is to
follow tho p a th ; it starte from and re tn m e to the
main road. M any o f the q u ain t old villages which
d o t here and there th e m ountain-sldc a re w ell w orth
a visit b u t one n e v e r see y o u n g m on about__they
have all gone soldieriug. A fow charcnal-bumers*
hut a re now to bo seen, and oue can easily contem
plate tho whole processth e cn ttin p th e trees from
th e precipitous beighte o f tho gloom y gorge-side, and
th o stacking and b u rn in g o f th e tim ber. Theso
men s rem uneration for th e ir labour is m iserably
email, a t a n y ra te to our notions, b u t th e y eeomed
hap p y enough. I n th e upper p ortions o f th e craggy

sideR o f tliis p a rt o f iho long w in d in g road from

U n q T ie ra
to P o tes aro innum erable caves aud
crannies w hich hav e n e v e r been trodden b y th e foot
o f m an, W e a re inclined to th o opinion th a t tlie
aeceut to somo o f th ese caves w ould puzzle the
cleverest m em ber o f th e A lp in e Club. W e have told
th e m ounlainera w here they arc. A f te r inspection
o f th e precipice it ia for them to ay i f it is w orth
w hile ris k in g th e ir uocks o v er th e business. W e
liko tb e look fn>m th e to a d m nch b etter. W ith a few
mechanical appliance, how ever, w e bavo no doubt
all difficulties w ould he speedily overcome.
O ne o f tho w ildest gorges o f th e Picos is com ing to a
couclnsion, and th e g re e n v alley o f L iebana is almost
w ith in sight. T hough moatJy o f tb e s te m order,
tb e first im pressions o f th e Picos w ill n ev er fade from
o u r recollection. Those who know w b a t it is to
love sconery an d to adore th e C reator o f N atu re for
th o blessings eouferrcd on m en b y its existence, will
read ily u n d erstan d th a t m ore th a n once in th e quiet
o f one o f th e long passes w e have brolien out into
Te i> c

; Ic Dtmintm confitentar.

T he crags, th e watorfall, th e sunshine aud the

flowers all poke to ua in th e ir u n e rrin g lau g u ag e
R ejoice, for o u t b eau ty is for you I

CH A PTER XV.
TH E VA LK 0 ? URBAN A.

OoKTiSTiXG our ja u m e y th ro u g h th e gorges o f

U rdon a n d L a n e rm id a , w itL njountains still tow er
in g above ub, alm ost a t a tu ro o f th e ro ad we
lucet th e aoutl ictii aim in all its gloi*y and its w aim th,
burfiting th ro u g h a g ra n d opening between tw o im meiiso PieoR, probably inaccessible. These, ow ing to
th e ir peculiar p o atio n to th e south aud th e beauti
ful valley wo are now ab o u t to deRcriho take an
exactly sim ilar position, in th e idea we hav e formed,
to our Main G ato a t Paneg ; and our Valo o f Llobana,
w bich now opens u p an d coutiuues for several miles,
is a sm iling R o u th e rn en trance into o u r castlo from
th a t direction. L lebana, o r Liehaun, as w e believe
It IB m ore correctly sp elt in Spanish, ia a m ost lovely
mountain-cnelosed valley, sh elving g en tly upw ards
to th e east w ith innum erable vineyards, and fields
o f tb e richest cultivation. H ero, altliough wo
a re still following th e course o f tbe D eva, K atn re
seems to bave created a nest, alm ost a eua-trap,
w b ere the gnows o f th e u p p er regions a re Dover
know n aud tb e people differ entirely from tb e

h a rd y mountaiiicerfl w hom w e hav e described proviouely, both id costum e, mamierR, an d education.

W e Lave noticed in m an y o f our trav els th a t ^liere
th e vine grow s in lu su n a n c e th e peoplo seem more
hap p y au d contented, and th is first pictiirc o f tier
upon tie r o f cultivation b ears o a t th e theo ry , for a
m ore prosperous, b ap p y a n d con ten ted village ibuu
Liebana, cosily reposing on a sloping alluvial soil, wo
bavo seldom seen. E v id en tly tb e m onks o f o ld '
b a d ib c ir oyo to th is H ap p y V alley," for the
church show n in onr p h o to g rap h is, according to
local tradition, th e oldeflt o f th e v e ry old one
Been in th e Picos, and bas a rep u te for antiq u ity
th rougho u t th e country. I t is seldom visited now, as
th e m odem ro ad is on th e opposite a t e o f th e river,
an d th e tra v e lle r w })0 about tw en ty y ears ago from
th e mule track glanced a t its w oatbcr-beaten battle*
m ents, and p e r h a p stayed a t its now fu rg o tttn inn,
passes some m iles on tb e otlter side md haa more
m odern accommodation a t th e n e w ^^'ayaide Posada.
W e stayed h e re oncc on a n exploring expedition for
m ines, and pcneti'alcd a v alley to th e w est directly
a t th e foot o f th e h ig h est o f these g rajid moimtaina,
w hich, b ein g n early unknow n except to tlie v illa ^ r s ,
w<^ll repaid a few hours o f qu iet w alking n o t fatiguing
in an y particular degree. W e liad been shown a
niineral w hich w e a t first th o u g h t to he borax, and
h a d traced it to L iebana a n d allc i w anls to tho valley
beyond \ and h u n g erin g a fte r a good b it, g o t hold of
a pcasiint resident, w hom we asked to show us

*^V 4'

^.k

tLc m lue b u t in no case divulge on w h a t e rra n d we

were bent for Spaniardd (ev en poor people kavini
m ade ^ a u d fortuuos o u t o f casual disu>veriea) aro
always o n tlie aJert, and tb e first declarers o f m ineral
deposits in S pain have th e ir rights, be th e y lo rd i or
peu'ftints. liU ^lisboien
aw ay from th e m ain road
a re tiiercforo tb e subject o f village gossip, and we
told o u r gu id e to bo moet cautions and eav uothiug
afl to o u r business. F o r th is purpose w e pasF?ed
th ro u g h th o village a t early daw n, but, ia d to relate,
o u r guide w as as d e a f as a post, and, Hke moat deaf
people, thouglit we could n o t h e a r him also. Tlie
resu lt w as th a t he shouted o u t answ ers tu questions
moat discreetly p u t a s n e a r his e a r as posfciblc, and
arouflod th e villagera and causod a b ark in g concert
o f th e ir g u ard ian dogs.
F o rtn n ately and unfor
tu n ately th e find tu tn o d out to be n o th in g but
gypsiim , b u t in a moat l>eautifiilly crystallised $tiite
fortunately, for w e aro sure th e Spaniards would
have been bofore us in thu d eclaratio n ; a n d unfor
tunately, hecauso w e had a days jo u rn o y for littlo,
w e w ere ab o u t to eay n o th in g ; b u t really a m oro
cLsrm inir grasa-grow n valley on th e southern slope
o f the Pioos do<a n o t e iia t. H a d th is spot tiu u o d
out tho
B orado wo Itad p ictured to ouraeivcs
and a reeidenco in q u ired , we should hav w lected a
site iu large forest o f olive trees w ith a cool lim pid
mvoam rn n iiiu g th ro u g h it, tlio glorious Pieos iu
frnnt, aud for miles th ro u g h th e openinga in the
forest, views ot n au g h t else but o f uncultivated green

/
'

'

k e p t v erd an t for cattle and sheep. T here

are said to b e indications o f copper n e a i h ere, and
i f th e y ahould be explored b y a n y m ining engineer
sent o u t we can recorom cnd him , if a lo v er o f N a tu re s
greatest gifts, a lovely dim ate g ra n d scenic cffecta
o f m ountain and w o o d lan d ; a n d probably from ita
being aw ay from tho m ain rofld, llie cheapest and
m ost com fortable dw elling-place in E urope, and y e t
n o t m any milee from P an es and Potes, I kjIL m arket
contrea for com parative luxuries. Com ing back to
lie b a n a a n d its in n , a few yarda from w bich onr
photograph w as taken, w e w ould ask th e trav eller to
cross th e bridge o v er th e riv e r and w b en on tho
other side, if he w iahes to h e a r all th e folk-lore o f ibe
pliicc, to in q u ire for L othario * we call him llie
g a y L othario, b u t h e is n o t this, ho is essentially
practical, au d com paratively well to do-an d from
h is honse (w here h e w ill g iv e you a good glass of
th e local claret m nch esteemed in ih e country),
th ro u g h a w indow four foot b y tw o, you can pep a t
as p r e tty a landscape as a n y a rtis t could desire.
O n one occasion a t th is in n w e w ore w itness to a
s ig h t w hicb, am using a* it w as, we w ould rath er
n o t have seen. A t th e door waa a m ule saddled and
harnessed an d th e co u n try people ro n n d lau g h in g
in a boisterous fashion. I t seems th a t th e p riest o f a
neighbonrin g v illag e waa atte m p tin g to m ount, and
a fte r a tta in in g th e back o f th e anim al, fonnd be could
n o t balance, and after several failures be w en t inside
aud took an o th er g lass o f spirit, and th e n fairly gave

the m a tte r a p , a n d before a s all w ont o n h is knees

and p ray ed for aaaistanoe, w h ich so s tro n ^ h e n e d
h im th a t w ith o u r aesiatanoe w e g o t him safely on
h is miile, a n d fo r aiig^ht we know he arriv e d home
all r i g h t T he w an d erer n e a r th is valloy w ill notice
c u t th ro u g h b y tb e road a larg e an d v e ry du rk de
posit, a n upheaval o f w h a t a t first s ig h t m ig h t be m is
taken for coal o r an th racite, and wo th in k th e w ealthseeker w ith sufficient know ledge o f his subject m ig h t
w ell stay a few d ays ex p lo rin g th e neighbourhood.
A ccording to o n t th e o ry , th o Picoe h a v in g shot
them selves upw ards th ro u g h w h a t m u st h av o been
level ground, tho upheaval o f all s tr a ta from
L iebana for m iles southw ards slips dow nw ards w ith
ita various snrface-outcrops a t a n an g le o f th irty
o r forty-five degrees. The clim ate n ow is to tally
different to th a t o f U nquera o t th e m ountain passes ;
it is hore, and as \N-e proceed south, S u m iy S pain
in tru th . I n fact a m ore varied panoram a o f scenery
ean scarcely be im agined th a n th a t w hich comes
before th e eyes o f th e traveller from tho shores o f
Biscay in th e few honrs o f coach tra n s it to this
charm ing vale o f Liebana.

-V

cnAirrKR xvi.
T H E O l.D M A N O F CASTRO.

N o t fa r from w here th o g o i ^ o f th e Picos de E uropa

te n n in a te s for th e level lan<lfi th a t lie on eith e r baDk
o f th e D eva, &s th e trav eller approaches th e little tow n
o f P o tes, ia a stra n g e sentinel ro ck called h y the
n ativ es th e O H M an o f Castro. T his m onum ent of
stone is certainly a m arked feature in th e rocky land
scape, a n d th e keen-visagod to u rist w ill notice that
th e eyeg o f th e old m an (th e y do n o t iii th e A sturias
affix the g ra n d ) look b o th w ays, u p th e g o rg e ae you
g o n o rth , an d tow ards P o les aa yoa leave th a t unspoilt
tow n. A ly p ieal E n g lis h L ib eral w ould j K j l i t i c a l l y
an d p o etically illn strate th is peculiarity, perhaps
in th e follow ing cru d e fejsliion:
P o o r raeo o f T o rie s , y p i t y i a g critica>

D w r ly f o p a y fo r y o u r ClinreI\Il fiIl;
Some tra c e s o f D izzy y e s ti ll io h e rit.
B u t t h e ey o f tlio Q . 0 . H .b o r e r y ty ti a ll,

Accordinj? to Potes tr a d itio n ^ an d w e g iv e tho

statem ent, like th e 8 t L ouis ed ito r w hen h e said th a t ft
quondam G o v ern o r o f M issouri hful heon seen perfectly
sober a t six P.M., for w h a t i t m ay be w o rth

the

old m an o f C astro w as a G othic outpost, w ko, n o t being

rem oved, fro^e to h is post, a u d w as couvortod into
stone, A n o th er reliable fiction ie th a t h e w ae an
oc^ox offiecr o f Potes, b u t tlie evidence in support of
these fitoriesB is v e ry nnsatlsfaelory, and tho unfjuRpectiu g tra v e lk r should n o t l>e too tru stin g in th e ir reg ard .
Unlike hi B ritish prototype th e g ra n d old m an of*
th e Picoa w ill say n o th in g ab o u t Iiimaelf ev en if in te r
rogated b y postcard; aod w e a re sim ply unable to m ake
head o r ta il o f th e h u n d red and ono stories w hich th e
m ountaineers tull ae to th e cause o f hie p retern atu ral
fondnefls^for office a t tlie to p o f tho A stu ria n height.
O ne evening in th e Caf Suizo a t S antander we
w et lau g h in g ly recounting those stories o f the
C antabrian G . 0 . M. to a n A m erican citizen well
know n a t th e S avage a n d n o t unacquainted w ith the
decliviiy o f M artins Lane in the City." Mucli to otzr
astonishm ent ho called for pen and p aper, exclaimed
I h a v e it, an d in less th a n te n m inutes panned
tbo follow ing extraordinary ao k tio n of th e g re a t
n atu ral phenom enon o f tho Southern P o stern G ate.
L E G E N D O F T O E O L D M A N O P CASTRO,
O n c c th e r e w a s a p io iu la d y ,
l a th g o o d o ld d a y s o f y o m ;
y h l o gLe w aa, a n d w e ird a n d tro a tliig ,
B u t t h e lgez)() say a n o m o re.
'O e p t h e r eon w as lo s t q n it c ea rly ,
V o y a g in g o 'e r m aj) j e c ft;
T h e n , n o CAblegraca n o r podisc
OoBld w p p l y tb o n e w a t o abo.

N 2

A fte r m an y y e a rs Iiad flowed,

A j )i1 sho m oG TD ^ h im a s liead.
G re a t th e c r y wika th a t h e /-oimn)
Spanifta bhorB in Apcod ho ep&d.
B t w o ta lk o f f jlOB4Bd yCARB,
T liis th o tim e o f w h ich w o took

Long befoi'o the Uegathoi'jum

W as coz)Trted in to rook.
K o th e r E v e a tid A d aia n a r c e l j
H ftd th e ir e m n t coanto begun .
W hi'ti thtB m o th e r m uiin)d I n elLcDoe
F o r h e r w andering tn is m t eon.
G r t a t adTertl86mtita w cro tityloed
C n th o local P a p 'ru s iheet.
A n d th e a g o n y sh e pU oed,
Son to see a n d eon to m et.
A d t h e D a m o w a s r e r y w o a lth y ,
A n d th w o rld w a a v er y p o o r,
M a n y c la im a n ts n a t u r a ^
K n o c k e d o f te n &l h e r d o o r.
T i n a t last i n c rw :y in o m e o t,
6I 1O Cook o<rthes
th o to n .
I T ia t t h e n e x t w h o m&de ap p carano o,
o& it q ue i:oU , eh o iild b e h e r aoii.
T h e n th e r o cAmo a g r o a t m i e f ^ u n
T o th o w idow * te n d e r b r ta e t,
M a n tt ir n c d n p w i t h n a m e o f O rtn n ,
A n d h y })0r w m lic k caieeie4V
B n t I h c la w s fo r l u n a t i c i ,
W e re h y p a t r i a r c h i fra m e d ,
A n il t h C l d m a n t fo o n d fhaf. h o m u s t
b y th m e r h e dulaim ed,

H e m n9t p ro re
fu H itu J y ,
A U i n sp it o f v U lag e g ro a n ,
T h i^ t f o r BOToral h u n d r e d ^eATOfi,
Oil a m ounC lio*d Rtcmd a lo n e .
T hcc
ntiiK gfl /loaii q u t d a tra n g c ly
I n th c o (U y s o f life fcmrscxTe,
B u t t h e p a trlaro IiM
not
F u r ft h m id re d je e r a o r m o re.
H d w a s s tro n g ,
lio w u h e a rty .
A n d b e b o w ed u n to t b e la w ;
A n d u p o n t b e m o u n t m ra n g e
l i e oom m enced h ia g r ^ t laLcir.
T lie re b o w a s a n d tb e r e h e ia ntrw,
H ia
e itiit t o a to n e ;
P rv T id o n ry b a a b e o n fcinfl, th o .
A n d c o n v e rte d
t o sto n e .
T b o re b o BtanJs a o iU n s tra tio n
O f th o FDorUl s i n o f g rip .
TJkoe ^ t t r y fi>r m o s t w o n t g e t it,
F o r tu n e is eo
blip .

B os a u C b u c lty , w e rcm om 'bei',

I n t b a t E a s y M id^ly lo o k ,
B aid , a ll th i s g n w e re rprodiiood,
D o w ce r lo n g t b e tim o i t lo o k .
U o a M filtede d o n k e y e ^ o d o once,
C h e e rily tb o c o u rse o la a .
Afld b o s a id hod d o n o th o Kame th in g .
O n t b e g a llA itt U osU-]<ni.
C s n i t b o tb ia le g e n d ono id n t.
O f th ia o ld m a n tu r n e d t o etono,
I s rep o at d a t (b ia m o u ie n t

I n B u h e ta n lia l a k iu a n d b o n o .

W er e tracRlatoTB
n o t poet
T h ifl y o n ac a rc o ly no<i b e toW ,
A n d c a n o n ly a k t h e i}ati<ut,
D o t h e M o d e rn s a p e t h e a id ?
B b d tlie r e n o t b e e n o ld ish
C l u m a n t , tr ii , tr e a d in g m ill,
F o r t i t c d y d iep l^y aied
N cA r th p o in t c a lle d P o r t la n d B i l l

W o'll n o w e n d & strii&gc decoatro.

G7C a problem to o u r e a g o s;
O o w iii H t h e T>aTT>ft o f Caiftru
H a s rem ain ed bo m a n y a g e s ?

C H A P T K R X V II.
A S IJNBrOlLT PANISn Towy.

PoTE, tho q u a iu t little h ig h la n d capital, is generally

p u t a few mi lea o u t o f its p ro p e r placo in most of
th e mapB o f S pain th a t we hav e come across. Some
tim es tho u n h ap p y tow n is roprueented ad being
n o rth , other tim es south, eart, and sometimeH in the
m iddle o f th e I ioos. H achetto's ^ i d e to S pain does
n o t even m ention th e Picos a t all ; h u t th a t is no
excuse for p u ttin g P o tes in tho m ap Wliero P anes
really is. B u t tho F ren ch have n o t learned even
now the lesson o f 1870, and a re alm ost a& carelese
as ever in th e ir m aps a u d geographical detail.
F o u r delightful valleys conjoin a t P o te a ^ those o f
D el Prado, V al de B aro, Creceda, au d CeUorigo.
T h e tow n itse lf is situated on a hill com m anding
th e road to th e Picoe in a n o rth erly direction, and
th a t w bich leads to th e low ra n g e o f hls th a t keeps
in *om Sight th e C entral S p a n i i plain. T he D eva
is crossed by a good b r i d ^ ju s t outside th e town,
an d you are eoon in tb e m arkot-place o f the
motropolie ol th e Picos de E uropa. P otee is well
descnbcd b y us in tbo heading o f this ch ap ter. I t ia

anspoilt. S an tan d er, Bilbao, in & ct, au d a ll the

la rg e r an d moat o f th e amaEcr n o rtlie m Spaiiiah
tow ns, all show decided m ark s o f tb e influence o f tliO
B ritish and th e F ren ch . N o t so P otes. I t ie
Li^fhlaud S panish, an d , w ith perhaps th e exception
o f th e daily m ail by th e coach, is exactly th o aame
aa it waa coDturies r^ . T h e pavem ente, th e houses,
th e church , and th e shops, a ll aro m arked w ith an
indefinable h a tre d o f a u y tb iu g ucw -fangleJ. W h a t
e v e r m ay su it flashy places like S an tan d er or
P alen cia w ill n o t do for P otes. I n th e m a tte r of
rcsxstanco to change P o tes is adam ant. M an y of
o u r readers w ill know th e follow ing sto iy , and, in
om* opinion, tb o ^ u d old g ard en er h a d g o t Potcsa
in h is m in d w h en ho referred to th e la u d o f su n n y
S pain :
On d it assez plaisam m ent q u il y a quelques annes
quA dam re v in t a u m onde, e t q n 'en faisan t le tour
de r E urope, il la tro n v a tellem ent change q u aprca
avoir p atco u m la F ran ce, T A ngleterre, la H ollaude,
lA llem ag n e, eio., il n e lus reco n n ut pas ; m ais qu'eu
a rriv a n t e n lOspagne, il scria to u t h au t, h a p our ce
paysKii, jo le reconnois, c a r on n 'y a rie n chang depuis
m ou dpart. M any o f th e booses a re o f tb e Moorish
typo o f arcbiteclu rc, a n d th e longieh littio s f r t of
shops in a k in d o f colonnade s u r e s t th e E astern
city . T h e old wino-ahopa, w ith th e ir counters in tbe
streets, aro c^^actly th e aamo as thoee found a t
Pom peii. Tho maaket-place ia aa R om an as it is ])0 Ssible to be, w hile a lofty square Moorish tow er shows

how vury n e a r th bold Saraecns g o t to th e citadel

hom e o f th e m tconquerud iaountaineers. T he chnrch
a t Potoaj 18 u tte rly an in teresti n g , and, th o u g h cjlo^m
and weU k ep t, would be all th e h o tter for a little
m ore ornam entation. I n oonuoction w itli thie church
it m ay he said th a t close to it a new one has been
huilt, a3id, we w ere inform ed, a t th e sole oxpenso o f
one m an wlio is eincc doad. F o r some reason o r o th er
th is church h n o t used, and inase is daily said in the
pariah churcb. W e trie d in T ain to find o u t the
reason for th is ex trao rd in ary noglect o f a substantial
building. Som ething w as said to us about a w icked
rn a n w ho had eom othing to do w ith tb e b u a u c a s ;
b u t w hetlier th e person w ho found tb o m oney to
h uild th e chorcb w as a w icked m an, o r w bcthor
reference was being m ade to th a t opening vereo o f
tb e A nglican eervico we caim ot say. A ll we loiow
18 tb a t a fine ch u rch is g o in g to m in in P otes.
W h a t a chance for barracks for tho C antabrian
division o f th e Salvation A r m y !
T he T i e w s o f tb e su rro u n d in g co u n try from any
p a rt o f the little to w n a re v e ry fino. T he southern
poRtern g a te o f tbe PicoB looks dow n on th e g azer if
h e tu n is to th e north, w bile g r w n u n d u la tin g hills,
h ere and thero densely wooded, a re e e e n in e v e r y
other direction. M urray eays th e re are tw o o r th ree
inns, b u t we know only o f one w here w ^ con
recom m end our reader to stop. I t is a q u ain t
tum ble-down old stone m ansion w ith a h u g e coat of
arm s bJazoned on ita front. I t is on th e r ig h t hand

side of th m ai Btrct g o in g south, .ind cannot be

uiistakeu. H e re th o tra v e lle r w ill find plouty of
p la in good food, clesiu bods, and good atten d anco, for
a v e ry m oderato snm . Aa usual, th e landlord o f tho
hotel o f tb e Celosal Fields (oh ! tho m u d o f Potca
streetsn o v e n d e r its in h ab itan ts lo n g ib r an
e te rn ity o f daisies) we fo rg et the w o rtliy landlords
nam ekeope a g en eral store in addition to his
liotel bu au ess, a^ d ju d g in g from th e Qumbor of
y o u n g porcwi abont th e y ard , a t tb e sides o f th e lie use,
is no m ean p ig breeder, P e te s 1? th e iieadw^uarter
o f th e finest tro u t fisbing riv e rs in all S pain the
sport in th e riv e rs N ansa and S a l a s w ell as the
eva b ein g splendid. F or breakfast an d tlin n er one
alw ays h a d a freshly ca^nght salm on-trout o r tro u t
proper, an d th e y w ero alw ays welcomed afte r tlie
soup a n d first jo in t o r entree w e publicly state
tL at w e ra tb e r like th e fieb com ing m ero o r less in
tlic cen tre o f th e mual as i t ia in Spain, for it a d s
a s a Ionic in m uch tlie sam e fasiiion as tlic jambon
en cJuimpoi/ne a t those modest little dinners one
g e ts a t th e M erchant Taylors. D u rin g one of
o u r stays a t P otca a t th e ho tel m entioned, we
w ere p a rtly amubcd and p a rtly annoyed b y ih
stran g e antics o f a n unquestionably intoxicated
ph o to g rap h er w ho bad been sent b y h is en tcrp ririn g
b u t som ew hat confidiug em ployer to v isit th e wilda
o f th e Picos an d g e t tho in h ab itan ts to h a v e tbeir
likenesses taken. O u r new ly-fotaid iLc<jnaintanoe
waa a t tim es v e ry noisy and dem on^trativu, b u t it

m ust bo adm itted th a t he m ade us la u g h w hen he

said w ith unaifecteJ g ra v ity , as far, tlu it is to say, as
Lis condition w ould alL w him , ilia t it was no
earth ly good com ing to such a placo a* P o te sthe
people w ho stood still were too poor to be photo
graphed, and those w ho had th e m oney would not
be quiet a eecoud. H e w ould g iv e th e w hole th in g
u p and re tn rn to Santander.*' W hilo ho was
ram bling on in th is &8hion one o f th e p a rty iu tho
la rg e common room Ruggested th a t it w as a g re a t
p ity n o one h a d a sto rk 's
w ith him , a/i th a t
would fioon cure h is intoxication an d would m ake
hini a fit m em ber o f sooioty.
T his etraiigo idea is certain ly oommonly prevalent
in N o rth ern Spain, an d , it aeems, also obtains in
tho BOTith, a s in th e ^eld some few w ookR ago wo
came a c ro ^ tho follow ing passage :
A s I w as w alking th ro u g h th e P la s a del Mercado,
a m arket-place iu Seville, w ith M anuel, a n old fruitsolior asked him . . . . to g e t h e r a sto rk s eg g fur her
son . .
T h ere came a bargain, aud fioally tlie old
iady agreed to g iv e to n reals, a n enorm ous price for
her, a n d for such a n article. W hen we h a d g o t out
o f oarshot, M annel inform ed mo tiia t h e r eou w as
th a t very rare th in g in Spain, a n h abitual drunlcard,
and it is th e popular belief th a t a sto rk o g g is a
c^iTtaixi cure for th is n fo rtn n ate habit.
I n roferenoo to th is we m ay add tb a t Sw an says
in his Speouium Miru^hi, tb a t th e eg g s o f a n owl
broken and p u t in to th e oup o f a d n m k ard , o r one

desirous to follow <lrinldng, w ill so w ork w ith Lim

tb a t be w ill Budcionly lothe liis good li^^uor and bo
displeased w ith d rin k in g . I t is a p ity tb a t fliie
sim ple rcccip t is n o t b e tte r know n am ongat tlio Good
Tem plars a n d teetotalers j^ n e ra lly , as the iu tro d u o
tio n o f owls'
a t our ban q u ets instead o f plovers,
w hich aro said to be too often crows eg g s, m ig h t
jMjwerfnliy contribnte to tho sobriety o f o u r native
boards, an d th u s easily a tta in th object eo earneetly
desired.
W h ile w e wero cro ss-eiam in in g o n r fellow g u est as
to w h a t he k n ew practically o f th e ev en ts o f storks'
e g g s in cases o f v e ry severe devotion to J.D .K .Z . or
T hree star,'* a bat flew across th e room a n d quickly
m ade for a n opon w indow . Since tho tim o that
th e M oorish hosts fled before thu all-conquering
hundreds th a t were th e p h alan x o f Pulayo, we do
n o t th in k P o te s e v e r saw eueh a stam pede fo r tbe
door. T he tw o phlegm atic B rito n s w ore th e only
persons w bo seemed to re ta in th e ir eang-froid. Bats
are detested b y th e averago A stu rian , a n d on no
aooonnfc w ould one o f th e p a rty re tu rn to th e room
w here th e cheiroptera had been fly in g u n til in fact
it w as b ro ad d ay lig h t, O ne o f us in reference to
th is childish superstition m ade some g h astly joke
th a t th e exiled n ativ e h a d g o n e o u t w ith his
batj" a n d w e adjourned to tb e room y kitchen
w here ro u n d th e wood iire w e eoon g o t u p a conver
sation on th e iblk-loro o f th e neighbourhood. W e
heard a good m any stories th e m ajority o f which

Lad a atro n g religioTis flavour. W e do n o t v/ish to tire

onr readers w ith m ore th a n tw o, for enough o f a
th in g enough. T he s tro n g faith th a t w as dopictod
on th bronacd h o o o f th e n arrato r, a s h e sonoroiosly
told iho follow ing b y th e fliclcerDg iig h t o f th e kitchen
fire, w as woU w orth th e stu d y o f a R em b ran d t fo r a
Cantabrian in to rio rj
O nee upon a tim e, tho devil, in h is w icked ronnds,
im e to a villago v ery n e a r to Pot<H, b u t u p in the
m nuntins w here a pastoral sim plicity o f m anner
prcwailed, an d , b y bis seducing a its , speedily en
tra p p e d th e villagors into all m an n er o f evil. B u t
tb e m onks proved too m uch for S atan, and g o t
h im n n d e r th o ir thnm b. compelled him to p u t on th e
h ab it o f th e ir order, an d to p reach so pow erfully th a t
th e stray in g sheep w ero all b ro u g h t back to the
fold again.
O th er yarns," as we should call them in th e g re a t
S o u th Sea, followed ii, quick succession ono o r tw o
o f them being o f a c la w hich can n o t woll bu introduced here. 1-hc sto ry pendulum sw ung from g rav e
to g ay , from lively to sorero, and so i t w as th a t ju s t
afte r a decidodly realistic anecdote one o f the fire-wors h ip i^ rs a t PotOB b u rst on us w ith the follow ing
w hich w e givo in a litoral Jcind o f feshion
Onco upon a tim e, w hen Jesu s C h rist w as g o m g
w ith H is disciplos to Jerusalem , H e m ot a n old man
and asked alm s o f H im ; T he old mui, said fo H im
I am only a n old soldier, and th e y sent m e aw ay
Irom the arm y w ith ouly tw o soub, boiause 1 am no

loDger good for atiytliing. 1 hav e al ready

aw ay one aou on th ro ad ; I iiave oniy one eft, and
I give th a t to you.
T hen our Txird saye to him , W h ich would you
prefer, a eadc o f go ld o r P arad ise ? "
S t. P e te r g eiitly nndge tb e old m an in th riba,
** S ay PaKMse !
W})at ! P arad ise ! says th old eodier.
A iW w ards w e shall hav e P arad ise a s w e ll I prefor a
sjick o f gold.
A n d o n r L o rd g iv es him th sack o f gold, and H e
said a s H e i a v i t to hm !
W h e n tliit eack is em p ty i t %vill h e suffieient to
eiay,
Arichila murichUa! go in to m y e a c k !" aud
B verything you w ish w ill go in to thi sack !
O n r m an take th sack an d goes on hs road,
W lien h e had gone a little w ay h e paesed before
th door o f a n in n a n d sees a lej o f m n ito n on th
tahlc. H e w as h u n j'ry , aud, oponing b is R ack, he Raid J
A r t c M l a m w ^ o h a t ' F in o le g o f m u tto n , come
in to m y Rack.
I n a n in s ta n t it w as in it, an d in tho R a m e w a y he
h a d ev e ry th in g h e w ished for.
O ne day th dev ii camo to te m p i thie old m an ; hut,
a s soon as he h card hlm , h e opcned his eack and said :
Artcliila murtchUa ! g o into m y sack !
A n d th devii h im ^ ilf ontored into tho ack. H e
takc th sack w ith th c de vii in it to a blacksmith,
and, for a lo n g tim e and v e ry vigoronsly he pounded
it w ith hifi elodge-hammer.

W h en th e old m an d ied be w e n t to Paradiae. W h en

h e ftiriTcd tlicrc, S t. P e te r appears and says to h im :
W h y are you stan d in g th e re an d w h a t a re you
Rfikini^ fo r ? "
" Paradiae."
W h a t! P arad ise ! D id n o t you p refer to have a
sack o f gold w hen G od g a v e yon tho choice ? B e off
from here. Be off to hell. T h e re a ro th e gates
th e r o ! "
O ur old m an, in deepest saduese, goes to th e door o f
holl, au d knocks ; h u t, a s soon as th e door w as opened,
th e devil recognised the soldier aud b eg an to c ry o u t :
D on't le t him come i n ; don't lot him come in !
l i e w ill cause us too m uch trouble a n d too m any
m isfortunea. H e is ao v e ry vicious I
A n d ho w ould n o t receive h im ; h e re tu rn e d again
to P aradise, atid G od com m anded S t. P e te r to let
this m an e n te r w ho Lad been such a foi> to th e devil.
S hortly a fte r th ii sto ry o f tlie old soldier wo
ougbt sleep, an d wore only aw akened about tb ree
A . B . b y th e ad v en t o f tho p h o ta g ra p h cr a n d some
newly.foutid friends o f bis, w ho in endeavouring to
olamber np tb e stairw ay o f onr b ostolry m ade noiso
enough in all conscience.
'l-he n e x t m o m b g we determ ined to r e t o n hy tbe
coacb
to U rdon. T he vcbicle w as to s ta rt a t
nice, and o f course w as n o t visible a t th a t hour, so
h av in g packed up o u r triflin g im pedim enta w e lounged
abont th e tow n. N o t fa r from th e d oor o f o u r hotel
ID a vacant yard, w ith a kin d o f asphalt pavem ent!

w e found Rom Lright^eycd, & ir-liaired little lads,

p la y in g a t fives. Before w e h a rd ly knew w hat
wo w ere d o iu g w e w ero w ith th em in tKe gam e;
a n d w hen lookiDg u p th e stre e t som e tim a after
w e liad actually seen th e diligence o u t o f it# bouse,
(n o horses w ere visible) ; w h a d som elittlu difficulty
in te a rin g ourselves aw ay fro m onr o n g a ^ n g young
com panions.
T he senors fngleses could easily go
b y to-m orrow 's coaeb. W h y n o t p la y to-day and
tra v e l m aana f '*
j very th in g , says tlie F re n c h p ro v erb , comee to
Lim w ho w a its ; and so it w as th a t a little before
eleven th e th ree horees w ere harnessed to the
R oyal M ail p en n y om nibus, oiid th e au th o rs o f the
H ighlan d s o f C an tab ria to o k th e ir places under
th e conp, to th e left o f th e d river, w ho occupied the
r ig h t seat. T he coach w as full inside, an d th ere
w ere several outside passengers, including the now
com paratively aoLer p hotographer, w ho had, b y the
w ay, shrew dly passed oTsome o f his h eav y bag g ag e as
ours, th u s av o id in g p ay m en t for excessive weight,
w hich lie w ould, trav e llin g solus, otherw ise havo had
to disburse.
T h e usuil m oro o r less g ap in g crow d, th e cenai
adioe, th e u su al p a rtin g inossages to friende a t San*
ta n d e r o r Llanes th e d iiv e r cracked his whij> and
off w ent o u r throe g alla n t steede a t a fair paco down
th e cobble-paved h ig h street, an d , h a v in g crosecd the
bridge over the D ova, cam e to a dead h a lt a t a tabttma
on th e r ig h t l>ank o f th a t p lo taan i littlo river.

T he an th o r w ith th e l o ^ r iatne w as between

tho driv er and hia friend, and, being com paratively
new to Ptes a n d ite LaHte, asked h is m ore ex
perienced fellow.f ravel 1er, W liat iu tho nam o o f
goodneee w ero th o y sto pping fo r h e re ? -r-tlie here,
b eing in faut five miiiutcs* caay -walk from th e
H o tel o f th e Celestial F ie ld s " I t looks vary
m uch like a d rin k and a goeaip wiw th e reply.
T hen th e driv er th re w th e rein s acrnsa the splash
board, an d descending leisurely entered th e winoehop, th o inside passengers, w ith th o exception
o f a beautiful se n o rita y all followed suit, and th e
photographer and his companions on th e roof
clauibcrod dow n ar>d did ditto. F iv e m inntes, seven
m inutes pasfied, aud no sign o f forw ard motion. I
cfin't stand th is any longer, said th e son o f tho
W a r G od. I ll jo in th e cro w d / H is feet h a d no
sooner touched th e g ro u n d th a n of? started th e th ree
horses a t a furious paoo, u p hiJl, b rin g in g heliind
them , in addition to th e coach, H is Majesty s mails,
th e fair-haired sehcriia an d th e u n h ap p y E nglish
queetionor ae to th e reason for th e detention a t tho
road-side inn. S b o u tjn g w as no goud. T h e crowd
a t tb e tohem a wtm le ft far behind ; to th e le ft o f th e
fiery untam od trio wa^? a low w all and a forty-feet
drop to th e Dt-va helow ; to tb e rig h t w as a stone
fence and some raaize M d s . H astily g e ttin g hold
o f th e reins, tb e B ritish pioneer o f th e Picc trie d
hia level best, b u t a ll to no avail. Tw o o f tho h o r s
seemed am enable to reason, h u t th e tb ird h e was

for lib e rty o r death.

Thin<?s w ei lookiDj? p re

tern atu ral ly a g ly BA th e off stoed on th e k f t w is

carefally makings for tho precipice, wL from a
Irsick on th e r ig h t camo o u t a m aize-cart, d raw n by
a team o f stu rd y bullocks, r ig h t across the path. The
peasant in ch arg e saw th e sitim tion, an d so hacked
his c a rt th a t th e riin aw ay s w ith tb e mkil w ent
stra ig h t fo r th e w oodea w all lie p resen ted instead of
th e hullocka. T h ere was a collision b u t com
paratively sp eak in g a sm all one. A t th e critical
m om ent th e B rito n jarapod off and a t once w en t to
th e apsi stance o f th e y o u n g lady in tho cuach, who
w as w isely ly in g on th c lloor o f th e vehicle, a little
shaken, b u t n e ith e r frig h ten ed nor h u rt. A s served
Lim l ig h t, tb e horse th a t w ould n o t p ull u p sutterod
tb e worst- Some slig h t dam age wa done to the
coach itself, a n d the w in c-d iin k ln g crow d h av in g
assembled in re a r o f th e runaw ays, a so rt o f tiium pK ant procePRion w as form ed hack o f course to the
tahma. T h e la u g h te r a t th e w hole affeir waa loud
a u d long. I t w as a good th in g for n early every
body. S eor A- would hav e a jo b to atten d to the
wounded horse. S enor B . w ould have to re p a ir the
coach. M ore cnj/itas o f vino tinto an d qme^rra would
be di an k a t Senor O.s w ine shop.
hile everybody
would have tim e to bav e a pleasant ch at aud rejoice
th e accident w as no w orse. T he on ly po^jple who
wci*e to b e pitied w ere th e u n h a p p y etrioriia a n d the
Sor Inglese. I t w as a runaw ay-m atch o f course iu
a double sense. The clumsy fellow w ith his hulkxjk

c a rt stopped all th e rom ance (th e interested author ia

devoutly grateful th a t h e did) ; an d i f the coacli w ill be
four hours o r so late to-day w ho w ill bo ttio worse ?
A n d 8 0 on, a n d ao on. The really p re tty g irl m h e r
black m antilla looked half-disconcerted hall^m nsed
a t th e badina^fi. T he K nglishm an said th a t i f there
h a d been four horses now ho w ould Kavo eusiiy
know n how to hav e handled tliem ; it was th e tliree
th a t puzzled him . E verybody enjoyed th e fun the
adm inistration p aid for tho dam ages, th e people
for tb e ir driiika ; and a fte r a fu rth e r delay o f tw o
hours wc started once m oro on onr way an d w itiiout
fu rth e r incident, except th e m ad frcake o f th e by this
tim e very tip sy p hotographer, reachcd tb e in n k ep t
by S antiago a t U rdou.

C H A PT E R X V III.
T H E HOME O F T H E CHAMOIS.

I t is 031 old b u t a v e iy tru e aayiDg th a t one ounce of

practice is w o rth a to n o f tliuory, therefore w ithout
boring th e read er w ith a lo n g dissertation on tlio
existeTice o f chaaiois in th e Picos and a careful b u t
m addening treatise o n th e m anners an d caistome
o f th a t aniraal, w e w ill ju s t plunifo in medias rV6 and
g iv e a detailed account o f a u cxpodition in which
w e took a sm all p a rt tow ards th e end o f A ugust
laet y ear. M r. Ilarrig o n , th e U nited S tates Consul
a t S antander, lias been good en o n g h to g iv e ua a full
account o f th e expedition, and in thia ch ap ter we
largely quote from him a s ho saw m u ch m ore of tbe
h u n t th a n wo did, A ccom panied b y Don Sevon del
D iestro, w e le ft S an tan d er, and a t U uquera we m et
one o f Benor D iestros Picoe m in in g captains and
arran g ed w ith him for supplies, provisions, boddjn^f,
for th e last statio n a t w hich w e should p u t u p . A t
th e first one, th a t o f A liv a, we w ere am ply provided
fo r b y o u i M en d D on B ennquo A rce, th e m anager
and princip al pro p rieto r o f th e m ost extensive and
valnable groups o f calam ine mine in tb e Piooa, aud
whose head q u arters a t A n d ara w e w ere bound first

i-r/"

ftC!
^iV

i,

. <

*.* tr^i
:a

. .

for, to join Rome othor frioads w ho had been invited

to mcut us.
W e left U nqnera ab o u t 6 p .m . in n uondescript
kind o f machine, and soon reached P anes. A t tho
adm irable little in n k e p t b y M anuel Gome^? qu ite a
host o f local notables w ere assembled th e fiime of
Seor D iestro as a sportsm an, qxiite a p a rt from h is h ig h
Rocial poijition, is w ell know n to all N o rth ern Spain.
M r. P ontifex W'oods h a d arrived from Tresviso, and
also tho v i l l a ^ p rie st a n d doctor, th e local chemist,
a n d a w ealthy ** Indiano (th e ef^uivalent, in a sm aller
sense, to our Nabob). Q uite a pleasant evening
was spent w ith all these good people. StorieR of
h u n tin g adven tu res in th e Picos, all m ore o r lees
flavoured la M unchausen, a u d in th e applicati<m o f
th is sauce our friends th e Spaniards aro adepts, and
held th e ir ow n fa irly ev en g a i n s t ono o r two
EngH shraen o f th e p a rty who ev en in th e com ptitive
esam inatieu for exa^^geratiou w aved h ig h th e m eteor
flag o f B ritain . Tow ards bcd-time th sporting
fal6 cations g re w positively alarm ing, a n d rem inded
u s o f th e old Scottish farm er who, h earin g a friend say
th a t h had shot a thirty-four-feet-loug tig er, shortly
afterw ards quietly rem arked th a t n o t lo n g ago he had
cau g h t a skate abont a u acre in ex ten t. H e w ith the
lo n g tig e r dem urred to th e veracity o f th e ex act size
o f th e fish, w hereupon th e ag ricu ltu rist retorted, I f
you II take a few feet off yo u r tig e r. I ll see w h a t cau
be done w ith m y skate. A jfreein g iu a dream y
snddened fashion to th e g rav e propositiou th a t in

bome p a rts o f tho Picos bears w ere m nch m ore plenti

ful th a n d a ^ in M adrid, wo retro d to rest, an d tho
vieiou o f a g ig an tic cham ois haiuitod otir couch during
th a t n ig h t. N e x t day w e w e n t u p to T resviso and
passed th e n ig h t a t M r. P ontifex W oods', w ho was
a s hospitable and M nd a s usual.
T h e next m o rn in g w e m ade for A n d ara, w hich was
considerably o u t o f th w ay , a n d hero w e found
an o th er w ell-know n local sportsm an, D on L uis Buetam ante, D on A n d res Hustam anto, a son o f th c Conde
d e M oriana, a n d th e son o f our host S eor A rce. A
splendid d in n er w as read y for ue, a meal tb a t would
have done credit to thu Maiacms B ignon o r Ricbe. The
intense w ildness o f th e su rroundings a n d th e luxuries
on th e ta,ble w ere a perfcct contrast, and a placid con
te n t w as engendered b y su n d ry copitas o f curaao.
Benedictino aud o th er liquenrs after tho meal w as over.
W h ere h o st A rc e gets those cigars o f Iuh w e do not
know, b u t th e flavour o f his Caracolillo w ill n o t bo
forgotten in a b u r r y b y us. N ow tb a t it eeeme only
yesterday th a t poor Colonel B u m iih y died go
gloriously in th e Soudan, it ia stran g e to recount the
fa c t th a t d u rin g th is famous d in n e r we heard A udres
B ustam ante recount to M r, H arriso n various o f his
shooting experiences w ith Colonel B u rnaby in Spain.
T ho onthusiaam o f the g allan t S p an iard for tb e noble
fellow w bo w as speared in th e A frican desert was
unmistakable.
A fte r a decent in te rv a l for digestion w e stjirted
for A ll v a w liich, as before stated, w as th e bead-

quartoftt o f onr first h u n t. M r. Ila rrie o n w en t

alone on horseback from Tresviso to A n d ara, and bis
account o f tb o proceedings o f a. oertain horso le n t to
him b y M r. W oods ie v e ry am using. I t seems th a t
aJmofit as soon as h e w as ciossed, tb e. anim al showed
unmistakable syroptomH o f a de*in> to re tu rn hom<i.
F irst bo trie d stan d in g still, b u t eeoing tb a t tliis suited
n o t th e views o f iiis rid er abont reacliing A n d a ra iu
tim e for dinner, a little obatinacy on Mr. H arriso n s
p a rt overcam e this. S h o rtly a i ^ r th e fiery nn tamed
tried another gam e. Doubtless sovorely depressed by
th e dreary surrounding and absolute w a n t o f vegeta
tion, seeing n o th in g h u t g re y stones a n d h u g e cliffs,
he determ ined to com m it suicide, an d w ith o u t m ore
ado suddenly flung hiniself off tho ro ad o r pathw ay,
aud found bottom o n all fours, some tw elve feet
under. M r. H arriso n , beiug a u excellent horsernatj,
k e p t h is seat. A fte r thiR la st failure tho horse
adm itted his defeat and w en t on w ell enough, h u t
th is is w ritten for those who m ay como after. I t is
no good w hatev er tru stin g to horses who aro not
accustomed to th e m oantains, a n d it is uo use tru stm g to boots th a t are n o t snited to tbe m ountains.
Good horses for chfimois w ork can be found a t Sotres,
and it was a t th a t village th a t w c w ere jo in ed by
w hat we m ay call th e headsmen o f th e h u n t, an d the
beaters. W e are so rry to say, and M r. H arrisons
m em ory is equally defective, th a t we hav e forgotteu
the nam es o f the headsmen, b u t any ouo w ishing to
follow o u r Rteps, hy addressing up (th e authors) a t

FincKIey, w ill ha furniabed w ith tUo fallest aformatio n how to prooced, an d in an y case th e y w ill find
tho r ig h t m an on tb e ir a rriv a l a t Sotrea. I t should
h e Qotod th a t th ere is a re g u la r recognised fratern ity
o f heaters w ith th e ir elders juRt referred to , a n d they
w ill o i^ n is o th e w hole expedition, E ach h e a te r ie
p a id about e ig h t reals, o r U . 8d. a day, au d wine
e x tra ; th e b e tte r w ay is to g iv e 2s., a n d th is sum to
cover ev ery th in g . T h e h e a d i^ e n a re p aid ou a
h ig h e r scale according to agroom ent, an d in th e ir
case a g ra tu ity is alw ays th ro w n iu according to the
f?port and th e B|>ortBman8 satisfaction w ith th eir
work. Sotres is tho n earest inhabited place to the
h u n tin g grounds, h u t it is m uch too fa r aw ay to bo
used as a head-quartora, a s it tak es th ro e hours of
good rid in g (w alk in g paco) from Sotres to A llva.
A liv a ia m raply a collection o f a few m iners
tem porary b arracks, an d th e house whore we stepped
was p u t u p b y S enor A rce for h is o w u accommodation
w h e n a t th e mines, *We hav e no doiibt w hatever
th a t S eor A re e w ould w illin g ly place tho house a t
th e disposal o f a u y p a rly p ro p erly introduced. I f
how ever th ere a re diiEcultiea on th is head, tho only
plan is to take tentfi, an d cam p ev en still n earer
th a n A liv a to th e ground to be shot over. O f coiirse
it m ust be clearly understood th a t all provisiona
w ould hav e to bo ordered beforehand, and se n t on
to reach th e h ea d -q u a rto a day before th e shooting
p a rty arrive. Miissre. Barnca & Co., o f U p p er Tham es
S treet, w ho prepare re g u la r cases o f preserved pro-

AJ.H, >-|iii*iiiit/;*aj m*,

v ia o n s fo r tho In d ia n tig e r huntB, Trould, w e h av e no

doubt thoroTighly u n d o rstacd th o requircm outs o t
tho B ritish cham ois h u n ters in S pain. I t m u st be
c le a ilj nadtirEtood th a t no presorved p ro v laio n s are
to be h a d in Spain, e sc e p t in v e ry few placca, aud
th e n a t cnorm ans cost. I t is f a r an d a w av th e best
plan to take th e provender from London.
A ll th e p a rty w ere v e ry tire d on a rriv a l a t A liva,
and wo w ere v e ry g la d a fte r a a cxcellont su p p er to
seek repose o n th e sp rin g m attresses th a t la y aronnd
th e floor o f Senor Aroes m in in g house. A t four iu
th e m orning w e w ere aw akened b y th e C aptain of
th e H u n t, a n apology for a breakfast w as h astily
snatched, th e horses woro soon saddled, an d wo were
oF for our d a y s w ork.
N o t easily shall we forgot th a t stran g e rido in tho
g re y daw n o f th e m orning, stupondoas m ountftins on
oveiy side o f ue, an d h ere and th ere in cavities larg e
deposits o f frozen enow tho ro llin g masses o f w hite
cloud and m ist w ere ly in g hun d red s o f feet below
us, a n d looked like a P o la r sea. Tho transform ation
scenes as tho m o rn in g w ore o n were surpassingly
beautiful. Tho p a th w e were follow ing w as a kind
o f tra c k to a n abandoned mine, a n d about s is oclock
we found ourselvoR a t th e foot o f th e m ourttain we
h a d to breast on fo o t T he fow atithoritics on the
subject diJfer as to th e p artic u la r nam e o f this
m ountain, b u t i t is in th e im m ediate v icin ity o f P en a
V iejaprobably one o f tb e h ig h est elevations in th e
Picos, being some DOOO feet above sea-levol

A n d to r e a word o f w arn in g as to foot-goiir. Wo

fihall give in hie ow n worde onr friends valoal^lo
advico on thie head tow ards th e oud o f thie chapter,
h u t should explain th a t th e grouuci to be crosRed
ifi nothiujf else b u t a aucceaaion o f \ a x ^ bouldere
iuferfipereed w ith prfretches o f m oTing stouca like road
m<;tal o r ballast. W h at, therefore, is w anted is some
th in g th a t w ill n o t sh*p, eo th a t w hen jiiin p in g from
one etoue to an o th e r th e re ehould n o t be thc least fear
o f a iin n footing. Boots w ith leath er sole aro no
good a t all.
A fte r tw o good hours o f thie so rt o f th in g we
sighted ab o u t a do55ou chamoie g o in g elowly u p a
Buow gnlly, and sa t dow n to adm iro th e ir n\ovemcuts%
w hich w ere b ro u g h t o u t p lain ly in relief ag ain st the
wLito snow. T h ey w ere d istan t froiu us ab o u t a
q u a rte r o f a mile, b u t w ere ev id en tly q u ite conecious
o f o u r vicin ity , a s th o y w ould stop evory n ow and
again a u d look round thorn. T h o y soon diaappeared
over a crest, und w e thou breasted th e asccut ngstiu,
au d a fte r about th re e hours from th e tim e we left our
horeee we arriv e d a t onr poate.
borne idea o f th e country ehould now be g iv en to
enable th e read er to undoratand th e p la n o f nporations. Y ou find a sJicceesion o f larg e hollows w ith
precipitoue side, and tw o o r th ree, and in eome CftAes
h a lf a dozen, paeaes w hich th e cham ois habitually use
w hen ch an g in g from one hollow (natives call tbem
koyo8) to another. T h ere ie n o t a tra c e o f vege
tatio n except h ere and there, b u t a t v e iy w ide in ter-

Tals Rmall tn n c h e s o f a th ick art o f g rass and

A lpiue flow ers; and it is a sonice o f w onder to us
wlm t 8 0 m atiy chamois can live on, a s in th o whole
d a y s w andering over th e ir gronnds w e d id n o t ecii
etiongh graas to feed h a lf a dozen. I t should, how
ever, be m entioned th a t a root called liqorice by
th e local inhahitan ts w as fairly abundant- On
arriv al a t th e riia o f th e c ra te r o r hollow o u r captain
and lu8 headsmen planted ub all a t th e various outlets
and took n p position them selves in good v an tag e
pointa. TLc Ixsatcrs, to th e num ber o f tw en ty or
m ore, h a d left A liv a a t m id n ig h t w ith inatruclione to
b e a t to this hoyo w e w ere now posted at, and wo
could now hear th u ir peculiar shonta re-echoing far
an d w ide th ro u g h th e almost deathlike stillneaa
w hich surrounded ns, and on peering cautiously ovor
onr stone ambuBcade w e oould eoc th e cham ois to tbe
num ber o f a t leaiit tw o h n n d red begin to m ake for
th e passes. T h e best dress th e sportsm an can w ear
is a g re y corduroy and a cap o f th e samo colour m
as to blend w ith th e surrounding stones as m ueh aa
possible. G ood w arm underclothing is absolutely
essential, as, altho u g h tho aun hroils one a t tim es, yet
on arriv al a t th e posts w hen w aitin g for th e gam e
yon B o o n begin to feel the p en e tra tin g cold o f the
m onntain air, m ore especially if a sh arp w in d is
blow ing, M any people Ffuffer from soreness o f the
eyea and even tem porary blimlness a fte r being up
one o r tw o hours, a n d it is w ell to use a p a ir of
groen spectaclcs. T o resum e Ihe history o f tho hu n t

itselE I t w as n ow ev id en t th a t th e cham ois were

m ak in g for th e side o f th e Ihoyo on w hich w e were
situated, and th e b eaters could now be seon diatinctJy
ag ain st tho aky-lm e on tiio opposite ai<le d o in g their
best to d riv e th em tow arda u s ; b u t it w as n o t to be,
as a slig h t w ind g o t u p , blow ing our scen t (an d they
a re v e ry keen in thie riigard) d irectly tow ards them,
an d wo had th e m ortification o f seeing them pass
o u t o f gn n -eh at ran g e, th ro u g h a pass betw een ue
a n d th e beaters, m an y o f th em scaling a cliff which
one would have th o u g h t n o th in g b u t a b ird would
h a v e attem pted. Two o f o a r p a rty fired, but, as far
as th e y could ju d g e , b it n o th in g , altliough th e ohmoie w ere qu ite w ithin ra n g e o f th e exprese rifles
carried b y one o f them . T bo re st o f ua had very
ord in ary N o. 12-bore central-fire breechloaders and
cartrid g es filled w ith shiga, b u t on fu tu re occasions
a g en eral wieh w as oxprosaed tb a t tbe expreRs pat
te rn should be carried b y a t loast tw o o r th re e o f tho
p a rty , a s those rifles aro in v ariab ly effective whuro
other guus can n o t bo need,
A fte r a su b stan tial lTinchinn, n o t qu ite so luxurious
aa those ono geto accustom ed to in tig e r h u n tin g how
ever, b n t relished in a m ost uncummun fashion, we
m oved on to th e n e a t
about a m ile fu rth e r on,
and in w hich direction th e u n tirin g bealcra were
d riv in g . T his wa^ certain ly th e ti^ughcst b it o f tbe
whole jo u rn ey , and g e ttin g ov er Bonie bita it was ju st
h an g in g on by one s eyelids. O f course in thce
expeditions the g u n is alw ays slu n g by a belt over

t b e B ijoalders so ae to le a v e tho b a n d s quite free.

On

A rriv a l a t ih e h o llo w w o fo u n d ih e w ind had q u ite

diod a w a y , a n d w b e n w e w e r e p o s te d f e lt m u c h m o re
co n fid en ce i n t h e r e s u lt o f o u r s p o r tin g efforts.

O ur eipectatlouB w ere realised to th e full. I n a

m innte o r tw o we saw several batches o f cham ois in
th e bottom o f tho htn/o, evidently v e ry m uch frig^htcned b y th e shouts o f tho beaters, wbo in addition
w ere ro llin g huge stones down th e prcciplcea, m aking
a ra ttle like salvoes o f artillery. T he w hole p a rty
wa concentrated as m uch as poseible. B u t hero wo
m ust quote M r. H arriso n s own w ords from the
excellent d ia ry so kindly placed a t oiir disposal.
I w as posted a little to one side o f w h at w as
ap p are n tly th e most frequented paas, com m unicating
alm ost im m ediately w ith au o tb er /u>yo. W ith my
nerves a ll stm n g I board a ra ttle o f loose stones near
me, and concluded a t once th a t it could on ly be caused
b y chamois, th e on ly Jiving th in g s beeddes ourwlvee
in these wastes. P e e rin g cautiously bohind tbo rock
w hicb concealed me, I saw w ith in tw e n ty y ard s o f
tThi a malo and fem ale chamois, both standing siockstill, q u iv erin g in ev ery lim b, snifng d an g er all
around, b u t n o t d a rin g to lice in a n y direction. This
was o f oourso on ly a question o f seconds, and they
were ju s t tu rn in g to bound back ag ain along tbo paes
they had come by , when I fired a t and w onnded the
male, w ho how ever did n o t fall b u t boundcnl u p tbe
side o f th e paes into a cliff o v erh an g in g th e hoi/o and
then deliberately th re w him self over. I feel quite

certain as to tb is bag, and m y atten tio n was now

dircctd to th e r a ttle o f shote all ro u n d from the
posts occupied b y m y compimions, and 1 soon bad
o th e r three o r fo u r cbiunois in ran g e, one o f Tvliich I
killed. T be re su lt o f th e h a g hero w as seven chamois,
tb e one w hich th re w Itself ov er th e cliff b ein g after
w ards recoverod.

T h e h u n ters n ow prep ared to re tu rn b y th e samo

road through a cailcm they had takon in reaching the
hollow ; au d ag ain fo quot M r. E a rriso n a detailed
account o f th e s p o r t; A a th e beaters w ere preceding tis , we expected to g e t a shot o r tw o on our
w a y ; an d w hen ab o u t h a lfw a y back to th e spot our
horBes w ere le ft at, w e w ere auddenly ordered to
am bu-vade by th e old captain, aud sure enough two
cham ois came tCiuing up ih e g o rg e ov er th e boulders
an d loose stones aj? if it w ere greon ta rf, and a t a
pace w hich defies description. They m ade for the
sides o f tho canon, an d aa th e cliffs w ere alm ret
perperidicular w ith the exception o f twr> o r three
plipscs w h ere on ly a c a t o r a cham ois could g e t over,
a u d tht*se w ere already occupied b y th o boaters
w ho drove th e m back w ith l i e i r shouts, tb o |)0 or
anim als a t last took a p a th w hich conducted thorn
to an isolated prom onlory and, as we closed u p behind
them , tliey had no chance o f o ap e. W hon they
6aw th e ir last re tre a t cut off, w ithout m ore ado they
took a g ra n d leap into th e g o rg e heuoaTh them , and
in all probability all died lo n g before tJioy readied
the bottonL W e were now visible b y th e beafera;

and here I mufrt p u t on dcllbcralo record m y adm iralion for thesQ L ardy A sturiap m ountaiuoers. T h ey
Lad now been eighteen hours hard a t w ork, covering
miles o f th e m o st difficult country to w alk o v e r w alk over, d id I say ? it is sim ply a case o f constant
jum ping, clim bing u p an<l dow n cliffs, w licre it
took a sound n erv e an d iioad n o t to tu rn g id d y
and w ere th e n fresL enough to slin g a dead chamois
over tlieir shoulders a n d ca rry it to A liva, o u r head
quarters,
Thus ended m y first experieuee o f cham ois shoot
in g , an d a t p resen t ray last, as, uotw itL standing the
^ c a t attractions o f th e spot, ow ing to m y totally
inadequate foot-gear, I w as relu ctajitly eb li|w d tr>
stay over and re st th e n e s t d a y alo n g w itL one of
my Companions wLo w as too tire d to m ove. T h a t
evening the shooting p a rty re tu rn e d witli six or seven
chameis from a h u m ov er g ro u n d n&arer lo o v i head
quarters, hut a m ore difficult co u n try to g e t at.
Tbey returned b y a breakneck pa^aiige called th e
Canal del V idrio (Anglic4i, G lass C anal), m ade famouH
^y Don Alfon^n X l l , liav in g gouo u p it w hen on Lis
chamois ex|>editioii in IS fil. Alth<jugh H is M ajesty
had a
footpath c u t fo r him beforehand, it was
au ugly b it o f ro ad to cross, and ocrtainly dem on
strated his m ettle and courage. O w ing to husiness
engagem ents I w as compelled to bid m y friends iuiiofi
on the m orning o f th e th ird d ay , th e y proceed
in g even fn rth er u p th e Picos to m ake th e ir head
quarters a t some wooden b a i ^ k a belonging to my

friend D iestro, w ho w ill g la d ly p u t th em a t ti e

disposal o f a n j p a rty g o in g on th e sam e erran d , and
}iore th e y expected to g e t a b ear o r tw o in addition
to th e cham ois.
T h e captain and b eaters from Sotree w ere also
discharged here, as tho n e x t station w as w ithin
tho jurisdiction o f o tb e r villages, whose iuhabitartts
w ould req u ire to be engaged, a n d th e y seem very
careful o f w ounding each o th er s 8U9ooptibiliti<a by
encroaching o n each o th e r s preserves. A fte r skin
n in g th e bag, tliu flesh w as divided am ong tlio
beateru, unci each m an started fo r homo a s h ap p y as
th in g s m undane can le . I joined th e e ld e rs'' of
tho tribes, an d on o u r a rriv a l a t Sotrea had a
trium phant e n try th e w hole v illag e flocking o a t to
rccoiv us.
I w as compelled to dlsmo^mt and tr y th o best
b re w in wine tb e place conJd show, and w as then
escorted as for as Treaviso b y one o f th e fathera of
th e village, accompanied b y th e ard e n t wishes o f tho
wholo com m unity for a safe jo u rn ey and a re tu rn to the
ehnmoia grounds th e follow ing (th is) y e a r w hich I
shall certainly do, if th e fates a re propitious.
T h e captain iu charge o f th e bcatere explained to
m e th a t he h a d atalked cham ois various tim e s; b u t it
m ust be w earisom e w ork, and n o t to be depended on.
Ilow over, th ere a rc ccrtain seasons when th e y come
dow n close to A liv a to d rin k a t th e sa lt sp rin g s close
to tb a t place, and by lay in g in svait for th em th e y
are easily shot.

Tboi*6 are lotR o f w ild b o ar on all the iow cr ranges

o f tb e m ountains in th e provinces o f A sturias arid
Santander, aud iu tho w in te r th e y afford excellent
sport.
Aa regards foot-gear, M r. H arriso n writea t h u s :
Unless, perhaps, a good boot w itb a d o u llo rabbcr
^ l e can be ohtaiQcd th e best rabstitiitc is th e Spanish
a ip ^ ia ta , which hs a species o f aandal worn in fhe
^ihW iiing, w ith canvas uppers an d hcm()en soles. A
t*ot of th is doscription could bo m ade a t Santander,
o r the sporfsm an could rem ove th e soles o f a rcaJly
ffood-fiitinff E ngliah sp o rtin g boot, and substitute the
alpargata sole. I should say p u t on double soles,
as th e w ear and te a r is g reat. P erh ap s, after all,
ru b b er soles w onld bo th e best. I t was ail ow ing to
ray neglectiug tn supply m yself w itb adequate good
gear tb a t I }iad lo g iv e u p a fte r th e first day a bunt,
ray foet being com pletely knocked up. I wore
sim ply a l p a r g a t^ and, n o t b ein g a perfcct fit, they
doubled up after a tim e w ith th e ro u g h usage. The
stones cut through th e canvas uppers, and wounded
m e , but, w orst o f all, th e soles being hem p, w ith liO
luner sole o f leather to p resent a smootli snrfiioe, tho

and downs o f tho bem p sole raised blisters

whicli caused ag o n y la te r on. I la y Htress on this, so
a to p rev eu t others fallm g into the sam e tra p ,
be dense ignorance th a t prevails in E n g lan d as
to all tliat concerns n o rth e rn .^pain has o f eours
preveured b itb erto an y system atic organisation for
iimtiDg th e chamois. B ut some few m onths ago a

circular waa p riv a te ly issued from w hich w e cxtract

th e follow ing j
T he w a n t o f a h u n tiu g ground w h ere big
gam e m ay bo m et w ith iu th e ir w ild and n atu ral
fitate, w ith in a reasonable distance o f London, has
long been f e lt I n th e lofty ra n g e o f m ountains
know n as th e P ico s do E uropa, province o f San
tander, Spain, th e chamois rove unm olested, and
in suiHcient num bers to afford excellent sport, while
bears, wolve, and w ild boars, alth o u g h not plentiful,
a re oocasionally m et w ith ; whDet in th e v alley is a
riv er, affording good sp o rt bo th in salm on and trout.
T his region, ouo o f tho m ost picturesque, and w ith a
clim ate unequalled in Europe, has h ith o rto buen
alm ost u n k n o w n to lovers of th e g u n , ow ing to
th e en tire absence o f an y accommodation, how ever
hum ble, bein g available eith er on th e spot o r w ithin
m any miles, and alth o u g h it m ay bo reached w ithin
fuur days from E ngland, oi S antander, either hy
railw ay o r steam er, to tho p resen t n o atte m p t has
been m ade to overcom e th e existing difficulty.
lio cen tly , how ever, a few noblemen an d gentle
m en Lave m et, an d suggested th e establishing o f
w h a t shall be styled th e Chamois C lub, to consist
ot* 20 m em bers, candidates for adm ission to be pro
posed, seconded and balloted for, to p a y a n oiitranco
fee o f te n guineas w ith in one m onth a fte r being
elected and receiving official notice from th e secretary
to th a t effect, an d a n annual eubecription o f two
guineas, due on ib e first d a y o f J a n u a ry in each

year, payable in advance. Ladles are aleo eligible

ae carididates on th e sam e term s as o th e r members,
The officers o f th e club to consist o f prcfiident,
vicv-prcfiident, an d a co u u d l o f s k members, w bo
shall constitute th e g o v ern in g body, to be elccted
b y the members from am ong them selves, th e only
piiid official, beyond tho ser^^ants o f tbo c k b , beiug
the secretary, wbosc salary shall bo ^6200 por annum ,
wliich sum w ill include th e expenses o f th e office, to
be sltuat^edin London.
I t is proposed to crect th e club-house on the
heights o f A hva, a rom antic region in tlio Picoe de
Europa, 8000 foet above th e level o f the sea, aud a
favourite h a u n t o f th e cham ois, o w in g to tlicir resort
in g to d n n k a t some saline sp rin g s in the im m ediate
locality.
A ccording to tho plans subm itted b y th e architect,
th e building w ill contain d ining, draw ing, and billiard
room s; twelve room y and w dl-v en tilated hed-rooms
(each supplied w ith a fire-plaoc,) kitchens, w ioe aud
liecr cellars, laundry ro.an, and usual domestic offices;
gun and harness room s; stabling for tw elve horses,
and servants apartm ents. T he cost o f building is
roughly estim ated a t ;C1200, and for furnishing
^ ^ 0 0 ; these siims w ill exhaust th e sum paid as
ontranco fee by tho 200 m em b ers; and if building
operations a ic commenced a t ouco, th e b u ilding will
be ready for occupation in th e autum n o f this y ear.*
B u t wo fear littio o r no progress has been made,
and the reason is n o t fa r to seek. T he c irc u b r goes
p

OD to say th a t n o profite Trill be allow ed to th

m anagor or anybody connected w ith tko institution.
W e live in a com m crcial age, a n d people a rc inclined
to th in k tbo labourer w ell w o rth y o f hie Lire. I f
only th e clnb w as started ws a sporting inveetm ent
bound to pay eith er in tbo form o f a private
syndicate o r as a email jo in t stock com pany, we
believe th e necessary funds would eoon be g o t together,
a n d suitable head -q u arters erected fo r th e h u n g ry
B ritish a u d Spanish invaders o f tho homes o f the
chamoie.
I n th e valleys o f th e districts ireq u en ted b y tlto
chamois, bears a re to bo found in coiisldeiable
n u m b e rs; b n t tb e sportsmaD w bo re a lly wisbe to
have good sp o rt should certainly m ake Sotres hia
hoad-quarters, I n tbie m a tte r o f b ear L^^nts in the
Picos de E uropa, Lt.-Colonel H ow ard I r b y thus
w ro te to th e I b tx some little tim e a g o : O u r main
object w as to shoot a Spanish beai, b u t a fte r several
beats we w ere uneuccessful; th e q u arry , w h en started,
w ould alw ays g o th e w ro n g w ay, and n ev er pass
n ear onr posts. A lthough some o f th e local cazadorts
h a d fruitless starts, all w e saw o f th e bears was their
foot-prints.
These b e a r h u n ts w ere alw ays headed b y the
cura o f T^edoya, a jo lly little priest, w ith a m erry eye,
in la y costume w itb tb e exception o f his w hite collar.
H e w as a g re a t cazador, excessively active and
energetic, und w as v e ry proud o f a u arden t sp irit, the
stre n g th o f w hich exceeded a n y th in g o f the so rt I

havo ever Boen; liquid firo w ould be th e on ly tiame

for it. I n gpitfe o f thoso pn)clivifde8 h e did not
neglect hie saeerdotal duties, as one m o rn in g a t
A iybreak found ue a t th e Chapel o f Lft T irg o n de la
IdUZ, au isolated fdirino a t a n elevation o f 4100 feet.
The door w as unloekod, our oura entered, an d , donninp; hie robee, fo rth w ith B ald maas, th e b eaters w ith
much devotion form ing th e congregation.

C H A P T E R X IX .
A BOAD TO OOVADONGA.
W e passed tb e day o f A rK W ednesday in th e auclent
tow n o f Potee, described in a p revions ch ap ter, and
in th e curious old church, d ark aud dismal, w atched in
th morning; th q a a in t custom o f p u ttin g aflhea on
th heads o f tho dovout population. I n th e centre of
th church w as placed a real coaI*Bcuttlc, an d a s each
devotee passed in single file, old and young, rich and
poor, liad a sm all scoop fijll o f wooden ashes pourod
upon th e ir heads hy th e atten d an t priest. W e noticed,
how ever, m ore w om en th a n men g o th ro u g h th e ccrem ony, aud as th e form er h a d th e ir h a ir generally
w ell greased, we couM but th in k o f tb e tr ouble and
tim e wliich w ould h taken u p iu th c cleannmg o f tbe
head la te r <m.
I n tbo evening, close to th e Church, w e atten d ed a
most unique hal ma&qu^. I t m u st be understood th a t
th e tow n, although co n tain in g a few ric h people, is
principally inh ab ited b y th e extrem ely poor, and
th a t sueh a day as this is a g a la d a y in th e ir otlierwise
monotonous existence. W e arriT cd a t a sm all low
b ujlding m ore like a cattle shod th a n a liabitation, and
liaTing Hoen Teatro w ritten on th o door, on pay
m ent o f fivepenc each, w ere ushered into as motloy

a n aaacmWy as one could w cli im agine. Tlio dresees

were of the simplestnothing g ra n d e r tliao cotton
save one female w ho w as th e adm ired o f all, as she
had a yellow sateen trim m ed w ith scarlet, h ig h hoeled hoote, a n d a h a t w ith art enormouR feather.
She, as they all were, w as closely maske<l, an d w e could
n o t for ome timo m ake h e r o u t ; b u t a t la st she proved
to bo th e serv an t g irl from fh hotel in which w e were
staying, and the en v y and rem ark o f a ll h e r fjur
friends. T he room, some th irty feet b y tw en ty , was
densely crowded sm oking, expectorating, an d horse
play, scream ing and shouting, m ak in g th e p lace a
very p an d e m o n iu m . T h e orchestra all local artists
w as eomp<)Red o f a g u itar, a ddle w ith tw o strin g s,
and a very dilapidated oornot, aud, to induce harm ony,
b y special engagom ent wo had also a ro u g h and
w eird old m an w ho g roaned so n n d R o u t o f a m oun
tain' bag-pipe. H arm o n y th e re w as n o t ; b u t fun and
frohc of a kin d continued u n til th e band, revived
occasionally by can a and o th e r intoxicants, ceased to
play and th e w earied dancers retired to th e ir respect
ive homes. T he m o rn in g b ro k e fine an d fresh, and
perhaps from this old-fashioned Spanish to w n no
finer view o f th e to w erin g Picos can be obtained. In
fro n t lie beautiful h ills covered w ith vin ey ard s u p to
th e ir highest altitnde, a n d beyond th e g ran d est, bleak
e st rocks, snow-capped, b u t w ith th e azure blue base
denoting distance a n d beauty. W ith lig h t hearts, aud
spirits freshoned by tho crisp a ir o f a n early F eb ru ary
m orm ng, wo left the ancient city b y th e w estern ap

proach, follow ing u p t)ie riv e r D ev a on ite left bank.

O n the road, abont a m ile fttun P otes, w c <s^lled a t a
roadside poaa-ia, w hore w e eaw a dozen akine of
foxes bftautifuUy cured and stnfftd w itb straw . The
g overnm ent gives a dollar a head for foxes brought
dead to th e capitals o f th e province, w here th e y havo
a sm all piece cut out of tlie oar, and th e n can be bought
for a m cro aong. A fair q u a n tity could bo picked up
m various (juarters a t about tw o shiUinga p e r skin,
mzo about forty-five inchos from nose to tip o f tail,
brusb v e ry bushy, and about tw elve o r fourteen inches
lo n g . Tho colour is a g rey isb birff, n o t v e ry ruddy,
a n d v e ry handsome w hen made in to carriage-rugs, or
th e like. W o n ow crossed the riv er, an d ascended a
w inding p a th tb ro u g li m ountains sparsely wooded,
and w ith , a t tim es, poorly-defined roads an d few in
habitants, W h en tw o roads dividod, w e had frequently
to w ait h a lf a n lio u r o r m ore u n til a m ountaineer
passed to toll wliich ro ad to take. A lw ays ascending,
w e arriv ed ab o n t n ig h tfall sorce h undred feet above a
beautifully wooded dell, containing all th a t makes a
picturesque village : ru ab in g torren t, larg e waterlall, ru g g ed rock covered w ith fern s and ivy, an
im m ense w aln u t tre e oversbading tbo village green
o f Lon, a n d sm all chnrch, an d tb e tw e n ty or
th irty old vorandahed houses placed o n little
p lateau s one above th e otlier. H av in g g o t the
nam e o f one o f tb e inhabitunte, w e desecndcd a
precipitous bullock track , and, w ading through
m any quagm ires in fro n t o f various houses, found

our m an, w ho agreed, tliough dark, to p ilot uf? some

tw o liOurR* jo u in e y still upw ards to th e realdoace o f
the loiicly E nglishm an w ho has chosen th e hig h
Picos as his reaidenco. T he road liefl th ro u g h
forests of* stn n ted oak an d hircln A lth o u g h wo had a,
lantern, w e wore freq u en tly in m ud a n d w a te r w here
m ountaiu rivuletii uuchecked traverRod o u r path.
W e arriv ed a t last, som ew hat w eary, aod, althongh
unannounced, w ere received w ith th a t cordial hospi
tality w liich .au K nghahm aji alw ays g iv es to a com
patriot in foreign {arta. W e are n o t aw are o f the
exact altitnde o f o a r h o st's h o u ^ , b n t j u d ^ it to be
about 1000 feef. I t is a la rg e house, w ith atabling
and farm huilding.s. I t in nil w alled in to p rev en t
th e encroachm ent o f w olves o r othor w ild beasts.
There are no houses o r in h ab itan ts tiearcr tlian Lou,
and above th e to w erin g suow-eapped Picos, dark,
dreary and desolate. A n d h ere the au th o r o f My
T our in th e H im a la y a s shall g iv e h is personal
narrative, aa th e w rite r o f Oorai L a n d s .took no
p a rt in th a t gen tlem an s ra sh attem jst to reach Covadonga in mid-winter.
M y friend and I a rra n g e d to s ta rt th e foDowing
ruom ing, and over a good fire w ith our host we
indulged in old E n g lish songs, w hich rose thc
echoes o f ibis w ild region, o u r frien d rem ark in g th a t
during tho m any y e a rs he h a d been th e re such
sounds had n ev er l>een h eard w ithin his doors.
The notes o f th a t evening w e r e ; cheatnuts* tire,
and an old serv an t, th e n an EngHah bed, and 1

woke ia th e m o ruing to th e tlnkl o f th e cow

bells. A t last good-byo; we leave our h ost w ith
lii?ht hearts, for th e m u rniog is fiae a a d fresh, and
our eq irp m o a t ay lig h t as our spirits, caasistiBg of
alp in e stocks alone ves, I had forgottou, ab o u t ten
poiinds o f ra w beef, w hicli w as n early p lay in g a
serious p a rt snbsoquontly. T he path w h k h is hut
a JTinle track, rises for several th o u san d feet, zigza g in g upw ards th ro u g h a n im m ense gilly, which,
in fact, is unbroken sav e for im niease ju ttin g rocks
a n d caverns w hore en terp risin g m iners h av e left
p itfa lls for tho u n w ary r ig h t u p to th liighcst
picos. W ith lig h t sp irits an d fin w eath er th e first
a sc e a t w as speedily overcom e, a n d so precipitonsly
w ere we rising, tlia t for several hours wo could see
o n r friends house lcIow. A t last snow w as reaehod,
first in patches only, w hich, w ith tho w arm sunshine,
w as m e h iu g aw ay, leav in g th e ev er dam p aud
sloppy g ro u n d so u n p leasan t to th e pedestrian. A a
th tra c k l>ecame g rad u ally covcred w ith snow, w e
Could only define it b y indicatioaa an d our m ouata ia e e r experience. U a v ia g gen erally the lead, my
friend beiug less used to the snow th a n myseJf, I
w as g aily m arch iag forw ard and upw ard, w hen,
g lan cin g round, U> m y horro r, I missed his tall
figare, but in a n in sta n t h eard th e c ry o f help, and,
g la n c in g in ev ery direction, a t last discovered a boot
in the air, m y H iend h av in g fellen dow n a cavity
covered b y soft snow . S h o u tin g to him to reinain
quiet, 1 hounded dow n, ta k in g a low er position than

w here L had feUon, and, b j cliot o f baxd puUmg

downwards on a slope o f snow, cxtricated liim , more
frightened tbrton ately th a u h u rt, althougli, ju d g in g
from tlie d a rk u e ^ lielow, th e cav ity w as probably
v e ry d eep ; ho h u n g b y hie legs w ith hia head
downwards. L an g h in g o v er th is miahap w c con
tinued, being perhaps m ore careful th a u before,
w hen, facing a sin g u larly enorm ous precipitoue rock,
it struck m e a n ccho to en liv en o u r proceedings
luight be g o t o u t o f ev en th is w ild a n d d eserted spot.
T he AuBtraliau call *ooooy ie perhaps th e moet
effective test of natuiti'a stored eoands, an d o u r delight
and eurpriee a t th e re p ly from tho ro ck w as immense.
A t first loud, cveu louder th a n w e g a v e it, tho
m ountains and little h ills beyond echoed and re
echoed, u n til it eeemed ae if th e wholo o f the snowcaps were w elcom ing u s onw ards and upw ard e.
K now ing from Swies experience how trav ellers w ill
go in rain, sleety and discomfort a t all ho u rs o f the
n ig h t or m orning to he&r such echoes a s th a t of
Lanterhruneu or th e h o rn o u th e R ig h i, I can
reci)mmoud th e spot ae one o f th e most u n iq u e I
have over eeen. M y friend w ished m e to rocord
th is incident in a diffci*enb m anner, b ein g n o t ao
matter-of-&ct as m yself, au d desired m e to m ention
th a t on our dem anding a t th e to p o f our voices
H ow are you," th e im m ediate response from our
rocky friend w as V e ry well, th a n k you, and th a t
th e far hills laughed in eheer good h u m o u r; hut
ma^nofit eet v m ia s and I proceed- T he snow

w as soft and sloppy, and all b u t bary jutting^ rockR

now inTisIble, and w e proceeded, kno w in g tbo
diroctign only a$ onr m ountain instinct directocl ns.
O n a audden I h eard m y frien d declare, look a t these
feot m ark s o n th e snow, and sure enough w clltraced and now iy trw iden were B ru in 's & et, probably
a fem ily p a rty o f th re e father, m other an d rh ild oTrt
for a w in ter stroll. W e did n o t see a b ear how ever;
b u t from this m om ent I reg re tte d n o t carry in g a gnn,
revolver o r o th e r w eapon, and th o u g h t g rav ely of
th e boef w e w ere carry in g , atid th e chance o f somo
b n n g ry w olf sniffing it in the breeze. Those
th o u g h ts had b arely pa^ssed th ro u g h m y m ind when,
abont a h u n d red y ard s abovo us on a U rg e p atch of
snow w hich w as a t first hidden by a perpendicular
rock, a troop o f fifteen fine able-bodiod wolves
m arched in single file before ns. Some twelve
m onths before I bad re a d in th e D a ily Telegraph
a curious and sensational sto ry o f tb e Picos de
EJiiropa, som ewhat as follow s: A t a sm all and
isolated village in one o f th e least know n valleys of
tb e h ig h er regions, ou Ohristmas-eve, m id n ig h t mass
wa-8 being perform ed in tb e small parish church, a t
this timo o f the y ear h a lf buried iu snow. H ardly
liad the service commenced, w hen a pack of
h u n g ry wolves m ade a ra id o n th e church and its
occupants, an d commenced a fig b t w ith tho terrorstrickeii p eo p le; w here th e p riest g o t to w as not
stated, b u t th e sacristan w ith g re a t presence of
m ind rushed into the p u lp it aud commenced to bark

like a dog, wLeu th e tide waa tu rn ed and th e wulvca

flcsd in te rro r lo th eir m ountain fastneasea." H avia|
th is somow hat im probable sto ry in m y m in d I
performed th e same operation o n th e pack before ns,
mimicking tho loudest and deepest dogV b a rk I
could m n a k r. Tl)e effect w as peculiar, aud a t first
diBf^uicting ; th e lo n j' atrin g o f wolves in fdnglo
file tu rn ed th e ir noses tow ards u s like a com pany of
soldiers ordered r ig h t ab o u t feoo an d commoiiccd
gnashing their teoth most nnpleaeantly, b u t as th
harking oontinuud, m uch to o u r d elig h t rig h t
t u r n ' w as ordered by th e ir l<>ader ; and n o t hastily,
b u t in gcx)d order, tho enem y retired . T he ascent
w as now entirely in th e now, w hich fortunately,
ow ing to th e coldcr region we were approaching,
^ a a fairly frozen o v er ; au<l oxcept for the sig h t o f
another p a t i o f wolves fom e considerable diafancc off,
and the footprint o f a la ig e b ear followed evidently
by its offspring, n o tliln g fu ith e r occurred till wo
gained the sum m it, ab o u t 8000 feet above sea level.
D uring the last h o u r o r tw o th e m ountain-tops had
been gradually covering w ith cloud, and a blinding
enoW'Storrn m et u r in th e face as we peered over tho
* col and faced th e n o rth w in d w hich w as blow ing a
hurricane. Ile stiu g a few rainnteR u n d er th e lea of
th e rocks, w e faced the blast aud caaayed th e descent
of th e northorn slope, n o t how ever b ein g able to sco
m any yards before ua. The p a th a t first was fairly
defined, w here th e stro n g w in d h a d denuded it of
snow, b u t great drifts frct^uentlv cios&ed th e roud

l ound w hich w e Lad to m ake lo u ^ detours, occasiouaDy

daQgcrouidy n e a r terrib le precipiocy. Tt w as aL<mt
th re e oclock in th e afternoon wLeu wo arriv ed on a
precipitous ineliuo o f snow, aud all trace o f th e road
vanished. W e Lad hoen m arch in g u p to o u r kueos
in snow for some tim e, w o r e w ot th ro u g h , otu* boards
oiio maefl o f ice, o u r tobacco m oist, md o a r m a tc h
useless, w hen I th o u g h t a p a rle y necessary. The
first quostion was, d id m y com puuion know th e road.
Y ea, h e d id , if th e re had been no snow, no blinding
sleet, a n d no darkness, such ae w as approaching.
I eaw th e danger o f m oving, for we w ore snrrounded
b y precipices, an d I propounded tliree w ays o i
procedure, 1st, to go forw ard a t all h a ^ r d e ; 2nd,
to re tu rn tb e w a y we ca m e ; au d 3rd, to d ig a snow
house in one o f tho drifts, a n d rem ain th ere u n til the
st^>rm w as past. Before deciding, tn y friond thought
hu w ould htLve ono m ore exploration, *and he
struggled eome fifty y ard s, b u t cam e back, stating
b e could see n o th in g b u t d an g er on all sides. W e
therefore g av e Jip all idea o f a forw ard movement,
a n d only tw o propofiitione rem ained, w hich quickly
resolved tlieinselvoa iu to one, for w e th o u g h t o f the
bcare and woWee, and th e ir unpleaeant eom panionsUp
d u rin g th e darkness o f a w in ters n ig h t H av in g
decided to re tu rn , w e p u t th e l>est iace poeaible on
th e m atter, a n d I m a y say th a t d u rin g th e terrible
physical exertion o f reascending, o u r spirits did not
droop, and w e laughed o u tiig L t a t our numerous
stum bles and falls in the soft snow, n ow n early u p to

OUr wiubls. I shall ii ev er forget th e fatijpie to tho legs,

for every sfep th e le g Lad to bo lifted o u t o f nearly
three feet o f b u o w , and deposited as far forw ard as
pORRihle. I t w as about half-past fonr, w h en p an tin g
and pulling, certain ly w a n n e r b y o n r exertion, but
half fan)ished a n d n early read y to e a t o u r ra w beef,
w hich we still carried, w e again reached th e sDmmit
o r col, and u n d er a ro ck y shelter, b reath ed tLanlw
for tbe past, and hopes for th e fatn re . Tho southern
slope which we n ow desconded bore qu ite a different
aspcct to w hat it d id a fuw hours b efo re; soft and
large flakes Lad fallen, and, except for projecting
rocks, bad en tirely obscured th e lan d m ark s o f tho
path, aud, know ing on ly tb e direction, w e boldly
w ent straigL t dow n. Cold an d m iserable
we were,
w e k e p t well togetLer, cLeyring eacL otLcr svUL occasi<mal anecdotes, o r perbapa a liv ely song, w hose notes
died aw ay am ongst th e echoing Picos, A t one p o in t
only w as our rap id descent im|>edcd; w e Lad to ju m p
from a ju ttin g rock, now aa >i!ipi)ery as glass a s tLc
evening froets came on, u p o n a g re a t iueline o f snow,
some five hundred yards w ide, term in atin g should
tbo foot sLp, o r tbe snow g iv e way in a precipice
m any hundred feet deep. W itL m y A lpine and Ilimu^
lay an experience I le t go th e rock and leap t boldly,
immcTsing my foot b u t slig h tly , and, b y a aeries of
quick bounds, w as across and ^afo on a rock on tlie
oppoate ad e. T u rn in g ro u n d I found m y companion
bad n o t been bo happy, and w as still clinging to tbe
slippery rock, ar^d calling for help. T he m ore I told

him to jum p, tlie m ore lie protested he could not, and

a t hurt, 86 he prohahly felt liis g m sp g iv in g w ay, he
implored me to go on an d leave him , aa he said, to
dio thore. I lau g h ed it off, and profiilscd to go to Iiia
relief, w hich 1 did by retra c in g m y ste p s; and, g iv in g
him m y shonlders to lean upon, let him down
g rad u ally , and atep hy step in m y old footm arks we
g o t acrosa th e d an g er and resum ed our w ay downwards. Aa wo le ft th e snow, thu storm from froa?n
ra in grad u ally changed first to loet, w ettin g ua
th rough, th e n to real, proper, h e a v y rain , wliich
continued u n til dusk. W c were, however, g ettin g on
fa irly w ell, ae our p a tb , although precipitous, waa
now defined w hen th e re rose from th e v alley benoath
w h a t I can ouly deacribe as dense hlack smoke. I t
w as w et m iat o r cloud, b u t i t rose u|>on U6 as black
a.4 th e smoke o f a sluam boats funnel. I asked my
com panion w h a t th is waa, b u t h e could n o t tell.
H ow ever, in less tim e th a n I w rite it w as pitch-dark,
an d ho and I , alth o u g h close to each other, were
invisible. B y d in t o f o u r sticks a n d constant calling
to each o th e r w e k e p t from separation and felt the
edgea o f th e road, an d v e ry alowly continued <lownwanlR. M^e h a d gone on g ro p in g in th is w ay some
h a lf a n h o u r w hen o u r sticks indicated all round no
continuation o f th e road, and ev en by knculing down
WB could only fuel w ith fhe liynda a fall ou all sides
w ith o n t a p ath . H a ltin g , we listened atten tiv ely to
a n y sound, aa wo knew w e could n o t ho very
from our E n g lish frien d s h o u R e, a n d iu a few

mrnutee our d elig h t w as g re a t to h e a r th e cow-bell

o f one of his cattle down deep dow n below ns. W e
shouted thon a t th e top o f o u r voicea, an d th e grim
hills eeemed in tl\e etili cloudland to lau g h in echo a t
o u r position. Preeontly w e b eard a Toice, an d wts
w ere eoon discovered b y th e servants, w ho, guided
by our voices, m ade us out w ith a la n tern , und piloted
n s dow n fw m w h at in tb e m o rn in g p ro v ed to ua to
be a most perilous position, alm ost on th o ed g e o f a
500 feet precipice. T ired, w et, h u n g ry , and m iser
able, we rejoiced to th in k o f th o hospitable q u arters
wo had loft iu th e m orning, a n d iu a fow m luntes
w ero a t th e portul aud ag ain w ithin reach o f a ro arin g
fire. O nr host w as th ere a t a table q u ie tly in d u lg in g
in th e genial occupation o f cracliing w alnuts, and
w ithout tu rn in g round o r expressing surprise, sim ply
said, I oxpaeted yon w onld re tu rn . H uvo u w al
n u t." A w alnut in o u r state ! W e pleaded for d ry
clothos and fo o d ; an d th e n o n r host tu rn ed , and,
seeing tho p h g h t w e w ere in , in stan tly ordered tho
& tted calf, and in a n h o u r o n r b eef w as cookod.
W o wero w ell w rapped in blankets, a n d a fte r a
h earty meal w ere soon fast n^leep. W'e hav e n ev er
attem pted the h ig h Picos ag ain in th e w in ter, but
preferred tbe beautiful low er roads b y th e riv ers
and rivulets which ultim ately take you to Covadonga
w ithout th e perilous sh o rt ca ts w e tlia t d a y attem pted.
T he wij ones o f o u r little p a r ty w ere su n n in g th em
selves u t Potee, w hile a n E n g lish resident in the Picos
a u d m yself w ere b attlin g w ith a n icy snow-storm.
Q

C H A PTER XX.
T H E

C A P IT A L

O F

T H E

A S T T J R tA S .

L e a v in g U nquera about foar oclock iu th e after

noon in th e diligence w e roached th e eznal) eeaport
o f L lanes ab o u t te n a t n ig h t, an d h a d to w ait some
th re e h ou rs o r m oro for th e coach for Oviedo. W e
have been in L lan es several tim es, b u t i t cannot be
called a u intereiiting place in a n y sense.
Fonda
da la N avarra, how ever, ia a n adm irably k e p t hotel,
th e bed-rooms aro clean and comfortable, th e atte n
dance good, an d tb e table-dhAfe undeniable. More
o ver th e charges a re v e ry m oderate, being in fact
only As. ftif. p e r day incluaive. Sm okers w ill par
ticu larly ruhsh th e hosts b ran d s o f cigars, w hich
a re fa r beyond the av erag e o f S p a n i s h O f
th e n ig h t jo u m o y from L lan es to O viedo we can say
b n t little. W e slep t a s w ell a s tb e jo ltin g o f tbe
w retched vehicle w e w ere in p erm itted u s ; b u t after
a ll it w as o n ly a n apology for a rest, a n d wo were
b y n o m eans B ony w hon day broke, an d found us
ap p ro ach in g th e p re ttily situated little tow n of
Infiesto, w h ere ea rly coFo and bread an d b u tte r was
to be baxl a t th e F o^da Z>upin. L ik e all th e region

o f Cantabria, th e co u n try about lioro abounds in

m inerals o f all eorte, an d tlio presenoo o f tw o
stran g e En^lialim en a t once suggested m ines to
the sbrew d n ativ e u n d erstan d in g . T h e consequence
w as th a t in a v e ry polito fiisbion wo w ere som ew hat
cross-examined a s to w hich p articu lar m in eral wo
w ore in search of, and w hen w e a t le n g th said th a t it
w as perfectly tru e th a t th o u g h E n g la n d w as our
home," we were on no g re a t search for copper, o r lead
o r calamine, o r ev en iro n , wo w ere reg ard ed by tho
inhabitants in m uch th e same foahion ae M r. Clemens
was in H o n o ln h , w hen he said he wae n e ith e r a
miseionary, a w haler, n o r a m em ber o f HiB M ajeetys
G overnm ent* I f it h a d n o t boon for tho porfect
iruthfuJneas depicted on o u r countenances th e y would
have disbelieved us to a certainty.
Infictfto i embosomed in g reen h ills o f consider
able height, and th ro u g h th e v alley th a t th e y m ake
ruuB th e riv e r P ilo n a ; a n d a little beiow th e to w n is
tb o spot w here P clay o forded th e riv e r an d so
escaped from th e p u rsu in g M oors on hia w ay to
Covadonga.
Tho etory ru n s th a t being hotly
pressed by tb e infidels, P elayo, his sister a n d hia
squire, reached th e banks o f th e P iloS a an d w w o
dcBpairing o f finding a ford, w h en th e la tte r ruehing
in shouted out, P ie Judlw, I find a footing, an d the
^ 0 got safely across th e ra p id flow ing stream . Tho
< ^ n d ^ t s o f tb e bold squire a re to th is d a y called
Pie-ballio, smd g lo ry in th e nam e. T ho footing
which P elayo obtained th a t d a ^ in th e bed o f the
Q 2

P iloS a waa tlio cause o f th e Moors losing th a t wHcli

th e y liad ta k e n so m uch p ain s to eetabHsh in Bpain
itself.
O nce p a st tb e cordon o f h ills w hich surround
l n J ie to th e ro ad passes th ro u g h a slig h tly uiidnlatin g grass country, w ith o u t a n y foatures o f g re a t
interest- T h e hedgerow s in most eases a re untrim m ed a n d lu x u rian t, tho fields aro la rg e r th a n
th e y a re in B iscay, cattlo an d sheep are nnm erons,
b u t th e farm -houses soom few au d f a r betw een.
T he trav eller is, in fact, tra v e rsin g a b ro ad b e lt o f
p la in ly iu g betw een th e C antabrian coast ra n g e on
th e rig h t h an d an d th e sp u rs o f th e Pieos on tho
le ft; these look ra th e r d im in u tiv e in tho blue
distance, and th e g en eral aspect o f th o scenery is
ju s t w h a t one expericneos in n o rth e rn M iddlesex
o r south H erts, ly from th e fam ed churchyard
a t H en d o n o r th e p leasant g a rd e n o f th a t q u ain t old
hostelry, th e O ld K in g o f P ru ssia, a t F inchley.
A few scattered ham lets, villages th e y a r e n o t, now
a n d again are papaed; h u t,
diclu, the ooach
stopped a t none o f them , an d w en t on as steadily as
a detestable trackw ay o f loose stones w ith h e re a n d
th e re a n oa^ls o f m acadam would allow it, straig h t
o n for O viedo, w liich cathedral city w e w ere g lad to
reach after a n in e honrs* jo ltin g . A cynical F rench
m an, w hom w e rn e t a t tho Caf Suizo ju a t a ite r
o u r arriv a l, said th a t th e reason th e diligence
h a rd ly 8topj)cd a t all a fte r le a v in g Infieato w as
because no vino timo o r ^n ch ra was to he h a d j tho

coachman (ho k n ew him w ell, th e rascal) hated

ciderapple orchards dot th e roadside all th e w ay
and he ju s t pushed on to w here Le could g e t some
th in g to hifi stro n g er taetc. Bo tL at aa i t m ay, we
have found A sturian cider w ell w o rth tho d rinking
perhaps n o t equal to tho cham pagne brands of
nercfordsKire, h u t cjuite as good a s th a t ordinarily
sold in a n y p a rt o f E n g la n d outsido o f tLe apple
districts.
W hile wo stopped a t th e capital o f th e A stnriaa
th e w eather w as on ly fitftlly fine, an d most o f our
tim e wa spen t In th e cathedral, w hich Is, in fact, th e
solitary lion o f tho place. T h ere are a few ploaaant
walks in tho vicinity, n o tab ly th e Paeo de San
Francisco and th e J a rd n Botnico. T he university
buildings are handsome, an d so is th e official residence
o f thu provincial authorities, b u t ono goes to Oviodo
to see its cathedral aud its w orld-iam ous C m ara
Santa,; und theru is little else beside to Bee. The
popniatiou o f tbe place ia ab o u t 36,000. A ccording
to some authorities O viedo derives its nam e from
th e rivers O ve and D iva n ear w hich P elay o defeated
the Moors. C p to th e y e a r 770 th e G othic princes
resided a t Cangas (o f w hich m oro anon), h n t about
a t year F roila I I . m ade Oviedo his capital, and
th e seo was founded about 8 1 0 .
la a fiue cruciform stru ctu re in
th e PerpeudicuU r style, a n d w as b u ilt b y Bishop
U utierrez de Toledo, in tho la tte r h a lf o f th e I4 th
<^Qtnry, on the site o f a n old church foundod by

F ro a in 781, b u t m ucii en larg ed h y Alonso th e

Cliaete in 802. W o do n o t p ie to n d tho whole o f tho
follow ing account lo l>o en tire ly orij^inal, but wo
h a v e adapted it from tbo best w orks in Spanisli and
K nglish on th is noble building. Tbo w est faade of
th e eatbedral is strik in g . A noble baluefraded
portico o f rich ly ornam ented arches stands between
tw o tow ers, only one o f w hich is com plete. I t rises
to little o v e r 200 feet, is o rnam ented w ith
buttresses, crocketed pinnacles, an d open parapets.
In 1575 tho ch ap ter added z n open filigree pyram idical spire in stead o f finishing th e opposite la rg e r and
incongruous tow er, w hich is carried n p on ly to th e
h e ig h t o f th e navo. T b e h ig h a lta r, w hich is in a
pentagonal apex, is v e ry effective, and i t forms ono
o f o u r illustrationa. T he retable is in fivo divisions,
each a g a in subdiviMed in to five. Tho bas-relief
figures r e p r e n t th e L ife and Passion o f our Lord.
I n th e centre is th e S aviour w ith th e four evangelists;
u n d u m e ath th e Blessed V irgin,ifurroi:nded b y angels,
an d a t th e to p o f tb is fine piece o f w orkm anship is
tb e C rueifisien. T lie d a te o f th is w ork ia 1440. The
solid silver balustrade, w hich once adorned th is p a rt
o f th e h ig h a lta r, w as ap propriated by th e FVeiich
w hen th e y occupied a n d sacked Oviedo ; b u t i t has
been replaced b y a l>ronze one.
A ll tb e side ch a p d s a re m ore o r less com binations
o f G o th ic w ith th e style o f the Renaissance, a n d to
tb e devotee o f P u g in w ould be reg ard ed as so m any
horrors. In tb e transcoro i t is trn e th a t tho elegant

p u y j 111* i p l a i u j u i i i f . m .

t.r '

'.*.m *

a V

'. '* *''rf

. ' L-.

If

L..

TUB lOU LTAR, 0ltU0,

21.

G otilic ccn tre haa boon whitewaRhed, w h ile on caoli

side, altars o f d a rk m arblu bavo been crectod in a
piirely classical atjlo . T h e form er lady-clm pel waa
the escurial, o r burying-place o f th e early k in g s o f
Spain, aud is now called th e Chapel o f Alonso I I .
Kl K ey Oorto lies buried h e re tc ^ e th e r w ith F ro ila
I., Alonso el Cat451ico, R am iro, O rdeno I ., and
m any othera. S ix n ich es in th e walls contain stone
coffiiDs. T h e o rig in al sepuIcLres, epitaphs, and
inacriptior bav e all been rnthleasly sw ep t away,
and a w retchedly poor m odern ta b le t alone records
th e ir time-honourod nam es, T he gorgeous sh rin e of
Sta, Enlaiia, th e patronees o f th e city, lies u e a r tbo
entranceh e r body reeta u n d e r tho iiig b altar. Tho
stained glasa o f th e cleroatory ia superb, eapecially
th a t w hich ia g reen. Thu oloiaters, th o u g h th e y
encloae a very sm all space o f g ro u n d , a re lo fty and
Bim plo 5 th e tracery o f th e ir w indow s is v e ry ric h and
bold. T he cathedral o f Oviedo, how ever, a p a rt from
the Cm ara S anta, w ould on ly paRa a t a n y rato in
France and G erm any a s second rate, an d this holy
room mufit bave acme detailed notice a t our hande.
Betvreen th e cathedral an d th e cloisters eUinds the
g re a t object o f veneration ; an d th e m ost intereeting
piece of antiqu ity in Oviedo, th e H o ly Chamber,
w hicb w as built by K in g A lonso e l Caato in th e y ear
S0 2 , aa a receptacle for th e aacred relics, w hich had
been transported in to th e A stu rias from Toledo a t
the tim e o f th e Moorifih invasion. I t ia stran g e
tb a t it contaiua uo a lta r, fo r mass ia n e v e r said

tK ere; a n d MoraJeR, tho an tiq u ary , w bo w as eommif?sicmecl b y P h ilip I I . to invesrtigate tlie ecclesiaatcal antiquities o f S pain, w h en w ritin g his J o u rn a l **
in th e bidlding, sa y s: T w rite th is in tlie church
before tb e g ra tin g , an d G od knowa I am , as it w ere,
beside tnyeelf w ith fear an d reverence, a n d I can
only beseech G od to g iv e mu stre n g th to proeeed w ith
th a t for w hich I havo n o t pow er m yself."
W e are
ftingnlarly fo rtu n ate in h av in g a n accurate account
o f tho A stu rian antiquities, d raw n from personal
observation a au d original docunenta, b y so faith i^l a
hand a s A m brosio Morales, a s early a s th e sixteenth
century, a n d fu rth e r confirmed and illustrated by
Bandoval iu th o seventeenth, and Risco in tho
eighteenth c e n tu ry ; and those au th o rities hav e been
frequently consulted in com piling th following
accountT h e C m ara S an ta is raicd to somo h eig h t above
th o g ro u n d , iu o rd e r to preserve the relics from the
efFccts o f th e hu m id ity o f th e clim a te ; beneath it is a
chapel, dedicated to th e m a rty r i^anta Erocadia, w hich
m ay be seen from tb e cloisters a sim ple, somicircular
atone vault, m assively b n ilt to su p p o rt tho auperincum bent w eig h t. I'h e Cmarsv is approached from
th e Bouth transopt o f th e cathedral b y a flig h t of
steps leading th ro u g h a w inding w ay to a vestibule,
from w hich you en te r th e cham ber itse lf b y a square
doorw ay, descendiug by a sh o rte r flig h t o f steps. I t
w ould seem a s i f ev ery p recau tio n h a d been tak en to
conceal th e b o ild io g and th o treasu res w hich it

contains. Ita dimensione a re g iv en a s 24 fe e t b y 16,

exclusive o f th e san ctu ary a t th e fu rth e r end, th e
floor o f w hich is one step h ig h e r th a n th e re st o f th e
building, w hile its
w hich is o f stone, a n d plain,
is considerably lower tb a n th e elaborately g roined
sem icircular stone roof o f th e otb er p a rt. T hree
groinings sp rin g &om pillars w ith ricb ly foliated
capitals, six ill num ber, a th e re are tw o b ay s ; and
attached to each pillar, form ing a n in te g ra l p a r t of
tlje shaft, aro tw o full-length figures o f apoetles,
elaborately sculptured, m ak in g tw elve in all. T b e
pavem ent o f this p a rt is rich ly tessellated. T he only
w indow is a sm all o pening a t tbo east en d in tb e
iipper p a rt o f th e eanctnary. T b e ornam ental w ork
all th ro u g h is Lom bard o r R om anesque; b u t th e re is,
w e believe, no d o u b t tb a t tb e san ctu ary is th e only
rem aining p a rt o f th o w o rk o f Alonso e l Casto, while
tbe outer p a rt o f tb e cham ber, to g eth er w itb the
vestibule, ie o f th e tim e o f A lonso Y L , th e en d o f th e
eleventh, o r beg in n in g o f tb e tw clftb cen tu ry . T he
Spaniards alw ays ap p ly th e m uae Gothic to th e
Romanewjue style, as ]iaving been th e w ork o f th e
G oths {obras de losgothoi)^ a n d tbo te rm is m uch m ore
applicable to it th a n to tb o P o in te d style.
T bo reUcs a re shown to th e faithful ev ery room ing
a t 8.30, and a t tb a t h o u r accordingly w e repaired
tbithor. Several lam ps w ere th e n lig h ted 5 and one o f
th e canons was in attendance, together w ith a chorister,
w ho namod an d described tb e sacred objects. I n the
cen tre stands tb e H o ly A rk , in w bicb tb e relics w ere

o rig in ally contained. T his is ab o u t five feet in length

aud three feet in w idth au d h e ig h t; tbo io p is i k t ;
an d both th is an d tbo sides a re p la te d w ith silver,
w bich ie ric h ly emboesed wiib*figur an d foliage,
an d there is a n inscription re la tiu g to th e relics. I ts
h isto iy is th u s g iv en b y MoraJee: W h en Chorrees,
th e k in g o f P ersia, in th e tim e o f tho em peror H eradiua, cam e upon th e C u ly L a n d and took th e city of
JcruFalem, the bishop o f th a t city, w ho w as called
P h ilip , and hifl clerg y , w ith pious fo rethought secreted
th e H o ly A rk , w hich from th e tim e o f th e apostles had
been kupt there, and its Btones augm ented w ith new
relics, w h ich w ere deposited th erein . A fte r the
v icto ry o f Cborroee, th e bishop P h ilip , w ith m an y of
his clergy, passed in to A frica, c a rry in g w ith them
th e H o ly A r k ; an d th e re it rem ained somo years,
till tlie Saraccns en tered in to th a t province alao ; and
then P nlgeutius, th e bishop o f K uspina, w ith provi
dence like th a t w h ich h a d m ade P h ilip b rin g i t into
A frica, rem oved i t in to Spain. Thus i t cam e to the
H oly C hurch o t Toledo, and was from thence rem oved
to A stu rias an d bidden in th e cave o f Mon sag ro ;
finally, K in g don Aloiif?o el Casto rem oved i t to tho
Cm ara Santa, and afterw ards K in g don A lonso the
G re a t enricbod it.'* T h ere seems h ard ly a n y doubt
th a t it wae b ro u g h t from Toledo to th e A sturias, but
i t m ay weD bo doubted w hether an y o f its earlier
w anderings a re authentic. T he settin g s and orn a
m en ts o f m an y o f th e relics a re in tifo sty le o f early
m e d ie v a l a rt, an d a r e eupclb specimons o f jew ellery

a n d eilver-Bmiths' w ork. T he relics theraselvia, of

\^^hich c a ta lo g o axe preBcuted to those who vinit
thorn, aro even m oro rem arkable th a n th e ordinary
ooUectiona o f such ol^ects ; am ong thorn are found a
piece o f EUjiihe mantJe, som e o f th e h a ir w ith w hich
th e M agdalen w iped th e foet o f C h ris t/' p a rt o f th e
broiled fish and honeycom b w hich o u r S aviour ato
after his resurrcclion, an d one o f th o th ir ty piecoa of
silver for w hich Judua b etrayed H im . T he most
sacrod of all is th e Sudario, o r sacred handkerchief,
w hich is only show n th ree tim es in th e y ear,
w hen it ie displayed to tho people in th e cathe
dral from a balcouy w hich communicaloa w ith th e
staircase o f th e Cm ara S anta. T h ere a re also tw o
ivory diptycha o f m ost curious workmanship), in one
o f w hich ia A figuro o f C h rist on th e Croas, very
nobly executed, w ith th o legs h a n g in g a p a r t; w hile
th e other is extrem ely rich a n d w ell carv ed , represcntirig accnes from th e lifo o f our Lord,
These rem ains o f veritable o r doubtful a n tiq u ity
are rau g ed o n shelves and in cntea about th e w alls;
there isi how ever, one am ong th em , th e genuineness
o f w hich has considerable p ro h ah ility in its fav o u r;
this is P elayoe oaken cross, w hich h e bo re in hia
h a n d w hen he sallied fo rth ag ain st th e M oors from
th e cavo o f Covadonga. T h e w ood is n ow entirely
concealed h y th e beautiful eilver-w ork, w ith w hich it
is encased, and w hich is en riched w ith enam el and
huge u ncut gem s. I t is n early , b u t n o t quite, a
G reek cross, the u p rig h t b ein g about tw o feet high,

th e cross g ird eig h ieea inches, a n d it redts o n a kind

o f spiko. I t w as covered w ith silv er a t G auzon in
A-t. 908, an d dedicated l y K in g A lonso e i Magno,
and ha alw ays been regardevi ae tb e one bom e by
Pe)ayo, w lucli w ould v e ry n atn rally be preserved ae
a relic ; b u t M orales him eolf rem arks th a t a difficulty
ftrises froni th e re b ein g no m onfion o f th is in tbe
inscription, w hich sim ply spcakf? o f ite dedication by
AloiiBo, I w ish, (says tho faithful old an tiq u ary ,
th a t th e k in g h a d stated th a t it w as eo in bis
inecription.
A local an tiq u ary , w ho show ed uh o v e r th e
building, pointed o u t to us som e scu lp tu ral figuros
on one o f th e jam b s o f th e m ain soutb entrance.
T hey woro in Jow relief, som ew hat w orn, b u t we
eonld distingijish them as a m an on horeoback w ith
a turbaned fi^^ure in flow ing robes by his side. This,
thu a n tiq u a ry told us, reprosectfed K in g F a v ila w ith
a Moor in Lia co m p an y ; b u t in this he vrua probably
in error, for th e figuro w hich he took fo r a M oor is
in re a lity a female figure, an d th e scene is p a rt o f
th e story o f th e death o f F av ila, w hich w as a popular
one in th e A stu rias, a n d is reprosentod ou several
atones now existing in th e m onastery o f Sim P u d ro
de T i llanova, n o t fai* from Cangas. T he sto ry is,
th a t F avila, w ho w as th e aon an d su cce^ o r o f
P elayo, th e second founder o f tho Gothic m onarchy,
after reig n in g tw o y ears m et his d eath in th e follow
in g m anner. H av in g re tu rn e d one m o rning from a
fra y ag ain st th e Moors, he determ ined to g o out

h n n tra g in arm o u r an Le w as. I lie wife, L aving a

preintim ent o f Lis dcatL, trie d to detain L im ; bnt
he iSiRted on g o b g , au d w as ultim ately h u g g ed to
d eath b y a b e a r on tho m ountains. O f th e fa^t itself,
independently o f t t o details, th ere can be little
doubt, as it is m entioned b y B ishop Ctibatiano, who
says th at, quadam occagiono lev itatis a h uno in terfectus est, anno re g n i sui secundo.
Aft m ight lie expccted, Oviedo contains some of
th e moet an cien t C h iistian chnrches in th e pcninenla.
Tho fiuest specmens oxial on th e lo fty lu ll o f red
sandstone called L a Cuesta de Naraneo, w hich rises
on the opposite side o f a valley to th e n o rth of
Oviedo, about tw o miles. This b u ild in g is w ell w o rth
th e trouble o f tho w alk out, a s a p a rt from its
antiquarian intorcfet tLe view o f Oviodo Lacked b y
tho m ountains is m ag n ificen t TLo latest opinions
o f SpauisL critics on th is in tereatiu g b u ilding is
tb a t it w as originally bTiilt b y K in g H am iio, a,d. 860,
for a palace, an d converted in to a church soon after
(v . MonumeniuJi ArquiterMmiccf(). Tho church b u ilt
iu connection w ith i t is S . M iguel do L ino. S an ta
M aria de N aranco has a sem icircular stono v au lt,
used as a cry p t, sim ilar to th e ono b en eath tlio
Cmara Santa, T o th c oast an d w est o f tho ciy p t
tnere is a rude cham ber, and tLe en trance to the
cry p t 18 from tLe soutL fdde. T he ch u rch ia entered
b y a porch, wLich etajida in tLe m iddle o f tLe n o rth
w all. T he in te rio r js a simple parallelogram wilL a
cham ber a t eith er en d , th a t a t th e east b ein g on th e

level o f th e nave, th a t to th e w est is raised three

stops above i t T h ey are separated b y ro u n d arches
supported b y eleg an t p illars. T he church is fifteen
feet w ide and th irty -six ftxit lo n ^, exclusive o f the
chamberfl. I n tb a t to th e cast stan d s th e h ig h altar,
A lo n g tlie n o rth an d so u th w alls runs a n arcado
w ith ro u n d arcbe supported b y p illars w ith cxirved
capitals. T b e ro o f is a ro u n d stone v au lt, w itb
bands o f g ro in in g sp rin g in g iro m plain corbels above
sbiclds o f o rn a m e n t O n tb e capital o f ono column
is a ru d e sculj>ture w bich is supposed b y somo
people to refer to th e female trib u te p aid to the
M oors b y M auragafo, w ho d ied ab o u t a .i . 788.
O viedo in fact is a ric h treasu re sto re for the
ecclosioiogicai student, an d should be m uch better
know n th a n it is. T b e tim e a t our disposal w as far
too abort to enable ua to givo, in full, descriptions of
all th o churches o f in terest. T he curious in these
m atters o f detail w ill hav e to scarch m ore am bitions
books th a n th e H ig h lan d s o f C antabria." Suffice it
to sa y th a t w e havo pointed th e w ay, an d tbe
in tellig en t scholar o f an tiq u a ria n lore o f th e ccclesiaetical an d arcbaiological ty p es w ill find th e work
easily himself. I f ho is n o t satisfied w ith tho study
o f th e cathedral city o f O viedo an d ite suburbs he
m ust be fastidious indeed.
F rom th o capital o f th o A stu rias w e determ ined to
n e x t m ake our w ay to G ijon, celebrated a s th e only
p o rt in th e peninsula w hich exporta n ativ e coal.
A s LlandalF is to Cardiff so is O viedo to G-ijon. W e

qiutted th e tim es past for tim es p reeen t a n d to be

ad we entered th o tr a in a t th e railw ay statio n o f
th o lUxedral city, h av in g tickets in our keeping
for a p u rely Spanish coal-port on th e south-w est of
th e far-famed B ay o f Biscay.

CH APTEB X X L
A

8 P A K I8 H

CA ED EFP.

A s m ay "he readily sutm ised, th e tra in th a t to o k xss

from th e capital o f A stu rias to th seaport o f Grijon
w as in n o p articu lar h u r r y ; to say th a t i t daw dled is
a m a tte r o f & ct, bnt th e n railw ays a re now in n o rth
w estern S pain, an d th e p a rtic u la r extousion h y
w hich wo travelled, a n d w hich com pletes th e chain
o f ra il com mujiicatiou from th e B a y o f B iscay io
Madrid v i O viedo, wa only opened iu th e A nguat
o f last y ear. B ei g due a t six p.m. w e reached
G ijon a t eig h t, an d , en trn e tin g o u r scanty ha^ffage
to a ifuide, eoon found ourselves a t a m ost comfort
able posada n o t th e H tel M tropole o f tliO tow n,
b u t th e i ^ n d a Comercio. S h o rtly a fte r w e had
duly w ashed off oiir tra v e l stain s w e sa t dow n to au
ev en in g m eal, o f w hich ih e follow ing is a iaithful
copy o f th m enu : P o ch era, o r soup ; w h ite beans
an d bacon ; ra g o u t o f m u tto n ; fillet o f b e e f w ith
to m ato s; v e a l cu tlets a n d sauce picjnante; salmon,
boiled, cold ; m elon, sliced ; ro ast tu rk e y an d salad ;
fru its assorted, cafc a u d cognac ; wino ad Hb. Oue
o f u s endured it to tho b itte r end, th e o th e r fearing

tlie hoTTOTR o f dyspeptic ui^^htmare cried codjparatively earJy, * T hold enough ! '* and to the
w ailer, liands off, w ith alm ost th e sam e im petuosity
as M r, Gladstoiio addresaed those n ow famous w ords
to A ustiia. T h ere w ere p len ty o f supper oaterg a t
o u r new.fonnd hostelryth e g en u s Spanish la^Tnan
being proim'neiit. T be good wino was a abundant
as fionud, and ^leep -was eoon attained iu a com
fortable room , w hich, b y th e reflection o f th e moon
cm the placid w aters, wc k n ew t<> overlook the
harbour o f G ijo n ,ih e most im p o rtan t o f th e A sturian
seaports.
A ccording to aome authurs tb e place
derives ite nam e from Gyphoity o r vullev o f grace,
in S yrian. I t is the G ig ia o f th e Eomimi, and has
coD8iderai)le historical in terest.
F o r instaticc, it
w as m tbo havbour o f G ijon tlw t P h ilip II. repair<;d
tne In v in cib le* A rm ada, and b y th e iro n y o f fat*
it w as from G ijon tlia t T oreno itn<l th e A aturiun
deputies eailed on the 30 th M ay, 18(18, to im plore
the aid o f B ritain to sav e S pain from tho al)-conQueriug Bonaparte.
A bout a little after eeven in th e m orning a w aiter
Iro u irb t ua tw o excellent cupe o f coffee w ith h o t roils
and b u tte r; and oajjer in h is searoli for knowledge,
one o f us a t once left hie bed to inveetigate w h at was
to b invcetisated about G-vjoii. D irectly in fro n t
0 our hotel ra n o u t a su l^ tan tial p ie r w ith a harbour
th a t seetned m ore o r loss full o f shipping, aud along
t IS pier ra n a n elevated railroad, alo n ^ w hich coal
trucks, em pty o r loaded, w ere continually passing.
K

T o o u r li g h t lay 4ho q u ay itself, backod w ith m ore

o r less plain looking buildings, w ith one o r tw o
rem arkable cxoeptlone, w hile a t rig h t angle to th e
quay itse lf an o th er p ie r extended so as to m ake
w5tb th e coal used xteasion, alread y referred to , a
perfect h arb o u r for thia solitary Cardiff o f Spain. On
hifl w a y back to th e
to tell h is trav ellin g
com panion w h a t he h a d seen so early in th e m orning,
th e au th o r referred to passed tw o gentlem en ood*
v e r s iD g ,
a n d w as ra th e r surprise<l to h e a r ono of
them use a w o rd w hich th e ed ito r o f a poctical
d ictionary w onld allow to rh y m e w ith cram .
S tra n g e Spanish, th o u g h t th e stran g er, perhaps it is
a n A stu rian idiom o r i t m ay bea n d h e re th e relics
o f a smile crossed his w eather-beaten featuresit
m ay be a w o rd w hich now a n d ag a in is used in
E n g lan d by vexed persons o f th e stro n g e r s e x .
C uriosity b ein g aroused th e new com er foEowed
th e presum ably idiom atic A stu rian , w ho had left his
friend, a u d found him in a doorway, ov er w hich wns
w ritten in le tte rs tlia t thoso w ho ru n m ig h t road, L a
B ritannica. E a is in g h is h u t w ith tru e G ijon polite
ness th e to u rist said, I beg y our pardon, b u t do
you speak E n g lish ?
Qnicfc a s lig h tn in g came
th e reply. 1 d id laat n ig h t, sir, au d p erh ap s I can
to day. W ill you step in to tho caf an d ta k e a glass
o f w ine o r so m etld o g ; i t is ra th e r chilly th is raom O f cours; o f ccoirse th e inevitable B ritisher
l a d been found, like you discover him in th e atolls
of tho Pacific, keeping b a r room s in th e Congo or

acciug* w h a t is io b6 m ade o f th e o arly ecclesiaetieal h isto ry o f th e P ata g o n ian s dow n b y T erra

del F u e j^ for a good solid book o f reeearch to
please tb e dryaadustR.
O u r new-fonrtd friend
M r, L vcett, w ho is th only hJn^lifih shipbroJrer in
tbR little-know n tow n, thereupon a t once introdTiced
hi consort M r. Jones, w hose nam e is w o rth ily im*
mortali&ed in our preface.
T he m odern aspect o f G ijon is h a rd ly pleasing
though th e harhour ia a fine one, an d w h e n som o
projected irproverneuta a re carried o u t i t w ill cer
tain ly be a v e ry foTinidable riv a l to S antander, if it
does n o t altogether eclipse th a t som ew hat sta g n a n t
p o rt. W e have chriatuned G ijon a S panish Cardiff,
and before describing a t an y le n g th th e social and
other life wo noticed in its T i c in i t y , w e w ill ju s t
reproduca for o u r readers odificati<m aome com
mercial jo ttin g s about th e place lh a t we to o k down
from thf m ouths o f th o tw o w o rth y B ritons wo ha<l
tho extrem e good fortuno to stam ble on. G ijon is
tho n a tu ra l p o rt o f th e coal m ines o f S am a in the
Langroo district, from w hich it ia d R t* n t some tw en ty
iniloB, th e m ines them selves beinj^ on th e second
range of tb e C antabrian H ills. T o connect theae
mmes w ith th e sea coast, a railw ay b ein g in feet
th e second in Spain-was opened in 1840, th e m ajor
p a rt o f the capital b ein g found b y th e m o th er o f
Queen Isabella, Queen M aria C hrietica. B u t th&
stock hsA since found its w ay into o th er tb a n royal
hands, th e pret?ent holders being tho D uke of
E 2

Riancorea, and his friendR, an d tlic p a rtu e rs of* fhe

F rencii firm o f M icres and Oo,, w h o ru n " th e biggeRt
iro n w orks iu th is p a rt o f n o rth e rn S p ain 5 w ho was
th e contracto r for th e railw ay we do n o t know ; b u t
go expensive w as th e w ork, o r perhaps ro m uch more
tru ly g re a t w as th e jobbery connected w ith the
bminesR, th a t w hen Queen ChrialiDa cam e dow n to
declare th e line 0 |>eii, she &aid th a t th e rails o u g h t to
have biyen o f p u re silver, r o e x tra v a g a n t w as tho
i!0 Rt o f th e uew road. Tho m ines tbem selves are
w orked into th e slope o f th e hills, b n t a large
q u a n t i t y of tb e L angreo black diam ondR a re fo u n d
.o n th e su r^ c e . N o t leas th a n 500,000 tona o f coal
a re annually exported from Cxijon, an<l i t finds ita
principal m arkets in B ilbao (for aruall coals only),
Ooruna, F errol, Cadiz, and th e south i^oncia liy . N early
a ll t h e R e shipm ents go in E n g lish vessels, th e freights
b eing so m uch m ore m oderate th a n b y Spanishowned craft. T b e a v e r a j^ p rice oi coal being
p e r to n , free o n board for th e best, 12?. lO J. per.
to n for n u ts, a n d 7s. and 9 j. per ton f o r w ai^h ed "
and s m a ll A ccording to M r, Jonea, w ho is a g reat
au th o rity ou G ijon coal, i t evaporates fro m e ig h t to
te n litres of w ater p e r kilogram m e o f coal ae against
th e 7 4 litres p e r kilo ^tam m c o f th e best Cardiff coal,
an d thie w as proved to bo t b e ease a t a severe t r i a l a t
th e G overnm ent D ockyard a t F erro l. Somo iJ500
m en a re em ployed daily a t these m inee; eo th e induatry
w hich has necessitated our calling G ijon a Spanish
C ardiff is 1eally in ite p resent state o f develop-

m out no contem ptible feature in n o rth e rn Spaniali

Irade.
Llke ita B ritish prytotvi>e G ijon has acme very
larg;6 iron w orks in its Im m ediate vioioity the
proprietors b ein ^ Mesars. D u ro and Com pany. They
liavo la rg e m ills for arm o u r plat;a, l>oaBt a steam
ham m er o f forty tons strik in g force, m ake th e ir own
coko in the B elgian sty le o f ovcus, w liilc th e ir biaat
furnaces are sq u are in th e fashion adopted a t
C yfartha and DowlaLs. M usstr . D n ro a n d Co. own
th e ir own iron minua, b u t th e y m ix w ith thirty-five
per cent, o f th e Q-ijon o re, aixty-five p e r cent, o f th a t
o f Somorostro, and th e combinatiou pixKluocs a N o. 3
p ig o f excellent qu ality . A s re g a rd s A sturian iron
ore it should be stated th a t th e p ercentage is us
follow s: ibrty-thrce p e r cent, p u re iron, and seventeen
p e r cent, o f silica. T o thoae gen erally interested in
iron luaDufucture, i t ahould 1 stated th a t w hereas in
i^ngland hoopa are mado from billets o r piecea
cut ofl^from rou^^h puddled b a r iron, in th e A stnriaa
hoop iron is mado direct from th e puddled b a r itself,
and th e result in hoops is considered to \m g reatly
sijperior to tho re tu rn o f E n g lish worke. T he
foreign trade o f G ijon is rapidly riaing in im portance.
Its im ports inclnde mai^ie from tbo D anube and
America, tim ber from No^^7ay and Sw eden, ropery
au d cordage from B elfast and Liverpoo], square
' from H olland (liow those qnaint-looking greeu
<^as o f J-. p . K . Z., being landed o n th e quays of
Gijon, recalled years lo n g fone by in th c g re a t

S outh Sea wLen la n d w as valued an d sold b y so

m a n y dozcu o r case o square face ") sn g a r aod
sa lt from Cadiz, an d pitpropa from th e n o rth of
E n g lan d . T he leading item of ex p o rt bewdcs th a t
o f coals is n u ts, a n d perhaps sw o n d to th e rom antic
little p o rt o f R ivadaaella, G ijon ie th e lead in g mitehipping place in Spain. B arcelona n u ts axe eo
c a ll^ i in E n g lan d because th e y do noi come from
th a t place- O nce u p o n a tim e, ao th e sto ry runs,
tho good m ercantile folk a t G ijon had rath er
overdone th e th in g in th e m a tte r o f aveliana or
n u t consifnments to B arcelona, an d th e shipper ol
a n E n g h ah vessel hom ew ard bound for th u Thame
wae tem pted to speculate a t a low ra te in the, to
him , n ew -fan g led dessert. H e did so, a n d w ith
tru e B ritish oonservatism th e Corylu^ Avellana from
Sj>ain h a v e been called Barcelona n uts in our
co u n try to th is day. W e presum e th e avera^^e B riton
re g a rd s th e liarmlcee necessary n u t a s a n adm irable
th ira t provoker, for on n o o th e r grounds can w e ex
plain th e strange w ay in w hich h o t w eather, crowds
o f pleahTire-eeekers, B a n k holidaya, and h u g e supplies
o f B arcelona n u ts fearfully, w onderfully, and quickly
consumed, g e t trdxed up in th e m in d o f th e observant
notlcer o f th e m anners and customa o f the E n g lish .
O f thoee lavourites o f tlic rurallaers a t H am pstead
H e a th an d elsew here ab o u t 18,000 tons w ere exported
la st y e a r__^mostly to London, Liverpool, and Bristol.
O f chestnut about 1000 tons w ere sent aw ay, but
in th is item m uch depends rm tho sev erity o f the

B ritish w iter. I f our cold season is m ild an d open

th e offer o f re<i hot chestnuta, evon tw en ty a p e n n y /
falls on d e a f ears. I t is w hon snow ia fallin g o r an
icy w ind tem pered w itii alcot is m ak in g a b ig citys
atrccts a t n ig h tfall m ore w retched th a n usual in an
uncom fortable season o f th e y e a r th a t th e glow o f th e
tin y furnace o f th e b ak ed chestnut m an is welcomed
by tho hum ble pedestrian, w ho g ets a w arm fionry
m eal for a m ere trifle. A n d w h en th e new s of
continued cold w eather in E n g lan d recichcs Uie
AstnriaB m ore chestnuts a re g athered, m ore vessela
are laid on, and freig h ts are firm ," w ith a n u p w ard
tendency as th e commercial reports te ll u s. S m art
little vessels, like th e T d e ^ n o f P lym outh, do a
good buness in th is n u t tra d e : she is on ly 44
tons regiter, carriea 62 tons o f dead w eig h t, and
gets about 1 0 0 for hor fre ig h t fiom G ijon to some
B ritish port. T h ey are adm irable sailors these n u t
carriers, and w hen th e w inds favour th em th e y will
reach th e E n g lish coast alm ost as soon as the
etcamera. W alnuts form a sm all article o f export,
about 100 tone b ein g d ^ p a te h e d from G ijon d u rin g
tho p a st tw elve m onths, b u t tb e trad e in A stn ria u
b utter, especially to Cadiz Seville, and Cuba, is
rapidly on tho increase, m ore th a n 1000 tons b ein g
shipped in 1884. T h e b u tte r a s used by th e A s
turians themselves is sim ply th c perfection o f b u tter,
a n d it ia n o th in g sh o rt o f a scandal th a t it has not
y e t found a tria l in th e E n g lish m arkets. T h e samples
o f export b u tte r w hich w e hav e tried , how ever, would
n o t stand th e te st o f th e B ritish p riv ate consumer.

Betw een w h a t th e A stu ria n s tre a t them selves w ith

a n d w b a t th e y i^end abroad th e re is oWdenfJy a g reat
g u lf fix ed ; b u t we speak h ere w ith n o little degree
o f Dcertain ty aR w e m ay n o t h a v e been favoured
w ith th e beet sam ples o f G ijou ex p o rt b u tter. Th
price in b a rre b ru n s alw u t lOd, a pound wbolcsale.
I f p ro p erly m an ag ed 50,000 hand-picked apples could
be an n u ally exported from th e Spanish Cardiff. To
m ako a pipo o f cyder th irty -th ree bushelfi o f apples
a re required , and thie q u a n tity o f tbo hand-pioked
variety can be purchaeed in th e season a t G ijon for
^ 8 ov 32s. W e m ake n o com m ent on theso figures
except th e rem ark th a t th e statcm ente can bo verified
by anyone in te re s te d ; and tboso w ho care to in
q uire fu rth e r w ill, if th e y w rite u s to tbo a d d r ^
g iven in the preface, g e t as m uch inform ation us lays
in o u r pow er. I n tlie retail m a rk e t in th e cyder
season th ir ty good-felzcd ap p les can be bad for a
penny., Tbo ARfurian cy d er is famed th ro n g b o u t the
S panish "^ e e t In d ies and cen tral A m erica, and large
q u an tities o f it iu boi.tleearo exported vi S antander.
T his cyder is sound and good, a n d should find a
ready sale iu E n g la n d if p ro p erly introdncedB o ttles are, how ever, v e ry d e a r in N o rth e rn Spain,
a n d to obtain a m arg in o f p ro fit i t would req u ire to
bo exported in bulk.
O utaide th e p o rt o f G ijon tJie fishermen re fairly
successful w ith lobators, w bich ure sent alive to
N autcs, H av re, and B ordeaux, b a t th e y do n o t seem
to sell m an y iu the tow n ftsc lf D u rin g L e n t lin g
seems to be th o favourite fish for those w ho ecru-

puloiisly obey th e law s o f M other Cliurcli, and

occaaioiially it Lae fetched as m u ch
4s. 2rf. a pound,
4 price w h ich if asked in E n g lan d w ould, w e think,
render a t a n y ra te aLatinence from fiali as w ell a
m eat com pulaory on m ost o f us. A good m an y tins
o f SpBJiiah sardines a te packed a t G ijo n ev e ry
year, th e line by th e w ay all b earin g F re n c h labels,
wbilo large qu an tities o f th e eainii fish a re sailod
and p u t np in barrels for ex p o rt to th e M editerranean
or th e SouthT he foregoing w ill g iv e th e in q u isitiv e read er somo
account of th e commercial side o f G ijon. T b e tow n
iteolf is, aa we bavo said, n o t a v e ry in te re stin g one,
th e governors castle bcinj^ th e rnost p ro m in en t huild^ is
b u ilt in th e 17th c e n tu ry , a n d is a
gloom y, heavy-looking gtructiire. T he proprietors
dnes {jiff) are, as ia often th e case in S pain, p aid in
kind, w h eat b ein g th e usual m edium . T his w h eat ia
deposited th ro u g h a k in d o f hole in th e w all, and
bebiud this entraince th e p ro u d pro p rieto r o f th e
province sit tru ly a t tbo receipt o f custom. W e
h a v | n o t tb e pleasure o f k n o w in g th e j ^ t l e m a n w ho
uow occupies th is im p o rtan t post, b u t w e should say
he must necepsarily be proud, inam uch aa his m otto
^ t b a t o f Conde du K evillagigeda, is
D isp n e a d e D io s U catt <!e Qtdro

' hich in E nglish means :

A ttcir G o d t h e b o a sd o f Q oiioe.

I t f evident from thia tk u t th e g ra n d old

gardener and h is w ife aro not in it in th e m u tter o f
descent as com pared w ith th e w h o a t^ lic c tin g aris
to c ra t o f Gijon,
T h e T ow n H a ll i th e Plasma is by no m eans a bad
building o f its sort, b u t to th critics eye it is a pity
th a t w hile th e steps o f th e m ain stairw ay should be of
w h ite m arhle th e banisters ahould bo o f wood painted
w hite. T hc abmu is easily detoctcd au d ia n o t w o rth y
o f G ijon. I n th e co u rt room o f th e T o w n H a ll are
some pain tin g s, th e beet one b ein g tb a t o f Claudio
A lv a C o n n ie s , w ho commanded th e w arahip Villn
de Madridy" an d a ra th e r indifierent p o rtra it o f his
p resen t M ajesty K in g A lfonso X I I . T he furniture
in this building is plain b u t substantial tho presence
o f num erous spittoons b ein g p erh ap s a necessary e v il
A t th e C entennial E x h ib itio n a t P h iladelphia in
1876, th e follow ing placard adorned its w alls:
G entlem en w ill uso th e spittoons others must."
Justice to onr Spanish friends compels th e admission,
how ever, th a t as iu tim es o f yo re th e y uniform ly
placed them selves in th e first category.
N o t fur from th e P la z a is a n auti^ue low-storicid
building w ith colum ns lik e th o se one aeos on tbe
Spanish D ollar sometimes called th e P illa rs o f
H ercules, a n d th is liouse is to this d a y called the
D ollar Ilo u se. T he story runs th a t m an y years
ago w hen In tern a tio n a l L aw w as n o t dream t o f and
o u r Drakoa and R aleighs w ere a t aoa on th e w ar
p a th a fte r an y S panish c ra tl w orth th e trouble o

o r capture, th a t a tocboI lh a t ow ned tho

sovereignty o f his M ost C atholic Mujeety was retn rn in g
hom eward from tlie In d ie s riclily lac^en w ith bullion
and coin o f all sorts. T he Spanish vefwel w as almost
Id sight o f th e enow-topped Picos d E u ro p a when,
to Tiae an idiom o f i l a r k Tw ains, ono o f those
accelerators o f m erchant ship passages, in oth er w ords
a n E n g lish p irate ship, appeared, m a k in g th e best of
a stem chaee. Tho S p an iard did his beet, b u t stiU
th free-lance o f th e ocean g ain ed a n d gained o n his
lumberini? galleon. A t la st, fearin g a hatkd to hand
ooinbat his sailors h a d become dem oralised b y lu x u ry
in th e Indies he loaded hia lon^^ carronadee w ith
trilver dollars, and so excellent w aa the mai'krnanship
o f hia sea-gunners th a t in a double sense th e y soon took
the wind out o f th e E nglishm ans sails and th trea
sure-bearing Spanish voffiel w itb th e g re a t bu lk o f her
cargo eoon found safe refuge in th e h arb o u r o f G ijon,
In connection w ith thie h arb o u r, w hich is about to
bo iniincneely im proved b y th e creation o f tw o now
large molos, it should be fiaid th a t a q u a in t m ap of
G ijon and its p o rt, b e a rin g tb e d ate 1635, ejtlats
in th e Tow n Ila ll, from w hich it ia evident th a t th e
old tow n ju s t clustered round th e bluff n ear w hich the
G overnors casUe now stands, au d th a t w here th e new
town with its ironw orke, railw ay stations, G o v em m ent,,ci^ar an d cig arette factory, em ploying 1000
hands, now atands, wae n o th in g elee b u t a swampy
m arsh tenanted perhaps b y th e sam e kin d o f wildfowl
who now sw arm in th e lagoons o f S a n T in c e n te de la

B arqoera. O u th e o th e r o r w estern s i d e o f tlio

really fine bay th a t (iijo n poswasea ia a rap id ly r i s i n g
w atering-place w here good b ath in g is to be had. On
tb e eaatem side, above the old tow n, ia a well-cared for
lighthouse w itli small block fo rt co n tain in g accom
m odation for some few artiUcrym eii ; b u t, as i s tlie case
in all th e tow ns o f K o rth o ra Spain, tb m il itA r y are
n o t m uch en vidence. I t ia dow n south, w}iere the
revolutionary diciplee o f tlia t hideous H e- liberty,
equality, and fratern ity hav e been sow ing th e ir evil
seed th a t th M adrid G overnm ent w a n t tL eir soldiers
a n d th e ir weapons. So lo n g as tb e p rete n ao n s of
B on Carlos a rc n o t flaunted before tb e face o f tbo
n o rth ern Spanish peasant h e will w o rk ou contentedly
even iu th e Basqu provinces. I n th e A sturias th e red
ra g ftf (^flTliftm will h ard ly afTert Limj a t all. O ne of
th e aiglit o f G ijon is tb e A stu ria n In atitu te, foandcd
b y th a t tru e p a trio t an d S panish bcnefactor C aspar
M elchor .fovellanos, who w as b o m in tbe city on tho
5 th J a n u a ry , 1744, and who died persecutiid m an
in 1811. T he lib ra ry in tlie In stitu te is a fuirly
good one, a n d tlte cullcetion o f original draw in g s arc
w o rth y o f stu d y ; b u t th e collection is v e ry badly
claKsied. M urillo, Ponterello, S alvator Koi. A lb ert
Diirr, Yelaacjuez, a re a ll represented. I t ia said iu
gnide*books tb a t E n g lish is ta u g h t a t tho Institute,
b u t ou in q u iry a s to who th e professor o f our m other
to n g u e w as w'C w ere inform ed tb a t ho h a d died raany
Y e a rs ago, and no on h a d beon appointed in bis p la c t ;
m ore th e p ity , in onr opinion. A s a usual th in g , it la

to rc v2rse m atters to go from tlie In s titu te o r A cadeuiy

to th e gaol, b u t in tb e A stu rian C ardiff tb a t w as onr
espcrieuce ; a n d w e cannot say th a t our in sig h t into
durance vile w as alto g eth er a n unpleasant one.
T n m in g u p a h j e fttreet we came to w h at w as ap
parently a carpontera shop, and a fte r a few questions
had been asked o f an d answ ered by a respectably
dressed w orking m an w ho w as bu sy w ith a saw, wo
soon fonnd out tb a t ho waa tb e h<sad g a o le r a n d the
responsible p a rty fo r some tw e n ty o r th ir ty male
prieoncrso f th e g eu tlo r sex th e re w ere uone. U p
a dingy flight o f stone ateps, clean enough bowevor,
we came to a doorw ay surrounded by iro n bare, aud
looking th ro u g h tbepe w e saw tho G ijon prisoners
sleeping a n d common room in oue. T hrco o r four
largo windows opened o n t on th e streets below, and
as two o f tlicse w ere open tb e v en tilatio n w as good.
Eacb prisoner had a soparate bed, and in a corner of
th e room, whicb was fu lly six ty fe^t by tw en ty , were
tbo needfti) appliances for w a sh in g ; w h eth er com
pulsory ablution w as tbe rulo w e do n o t know.
A bont a dozen o r so o f m en w ere lo u n g in g about,
nearly all smoking, a u d tb e fun o f tb e th in g i t w as
n A . M , w ben w e p aid o u r v is itwas ev id en tly tho
reluctance o f one |>articular gentlem an to q u it his bed.
Some o f his companions, whoso spirits w ere In no w ay
dam ped b y tb e ir conflnem ent, evi<lontly resented this
indulgence in th e lu x u ry of,bed a s a p ro o f o f bis inerent lazine, and, v irtu o u sly inclined them selves,
belaboured him severely w ith th e ir pillows, a b it of

pleasantry w hich b ro u g h t dow n th e prison, wc moan

tlie gao l'b ird a, in the shape o f la u g h te r a n d applause.
A fte r stan d in g th is Im ffeting for som e tim e v e ry goodn atu red ly th e lazy m an g o t u p an d w as a t once
accom m odated b y one o f h is quondam enem ies w ith
a cig arette. N o t a m an am ong these inm atea had
th a t unspeakable look w hich u n h ap p ily on ly too
otlen onr ow n prison occupants hav e g o t. T h ey had
g o t into trouble* on some com paratively m inor
m atters, and as th e gaoler explained to us, ev en the
m ore eerions caaes w ere m arked b y n o t so m ueh
m alice o r w ickedness, aa p u re and aim ple recfelesaness o r carcleaeness.
G rave offences ag ain at the
person aro b ard ly know n in th e A stu rias, and p u rely
oommcrcial offences a re usually settled am ong the
p arties themRelvea, P e tty robberies an d tho like are
checkcd by a few days confinem ent, b u t gcucraUy
speaking th e provincial Spanish au th o rities have a
v e ry wholesome d read o f filLng th e ir prisons, and
it is n o t till a m an h a s once o r tw ice overstepped the
bounda o f th e law th a t ho finds him self locked up,
an d th e n , 6wn
it w ill on ly b e fo r a sh o rt time
i f he shows th e lea*t com punction a t h is past career.
F o r th e genuine crim inal class as i t nnfortunately
eiii?ts in M adrid a n d tho b ig Spanish cities aa else
w here in 1 ^ 0 centres o f our boasted civilisation*a
v e ry different tre a tm e n t is adm inistered ; b u t to oon^
sider th e penal code fo r a claaa w hich has practically
n o eTJistenoe in tlie H ig h lan d s o f C antabria would
be altogetlier o u t o f our province.

T he priHOuers a t G ijon receive subslatenee m oney

to th e dx ten t o f fivepence p e r d a y p e r individual,
t u t ba their ftHends h a v e re a d y access to th em a t all
hours, and can brin| Knch food au d luxurien as they
can afford, th e av erag e dtenu does n o t altogether
re ly on tho m unicipal pittance. Some little time
ago a B ritiah ealor for som e m iu o r offonce was
incarcerated a t G ijon for a te rm o f th re e weeks, and
soon found out th a t hie ignorance o f th e lan g u ag e
and th e fact th a t he h a d no friends p n t him a t a
aerios disadvantage in reg ard to th e com forts o f th e
inn er m an ae com pared w ith his locally botter-know n
comrades. T he caie o f tho h u n g ry B riton w as, by
our friend tho carpenter-gaoler, du ly b ro u g h t he fro
th e Alcalde, w ho com passionately rem arked, th a t the
English were a l w ay a iti th e hab it o f feeding hotter
th a n th e S paniards ( i f his w orship k n ew a ll we
know o f tho E a st E n d o f London he w ould th in k
differently), and th a t it w as D o t p a r t o f S panish law
th a t a man ahould bo starv ed a s w ell a s im prisoned,
and therefore ho decided to allow o u r offending fellowcountry m an a full peseta a day.
Ja c k s delight
w as nnbonuded, and w heo, th ro u g h th e m oans o f his
Spanish fellow-prisoners, ho found w h a t a peseta
would furnish, i t is to h is cred it to add tlia t he
cheerfully allow ed to them a t least some jw rtion o f
th e e x tra fare he h a d boon enabled to obtain.
Bnt, however, ev e ry prison has its black hole '*
T punishm ent cell, and th e one w e inapected a t G ijon
a fearful plaoe indeed. Black aa <Iesp>tir itolf.

its wallfl and floor-were sKiniug w ith disgusting ooze ;

b u t tb e unfortunate te n a n t Las com pany all th e tim e
he is there, a s tb o re a re p le n ty o f r a ts to share tlxe
(brknesa au d filtb w ith him . I n G ijon tb is awfnl
looking place is seldom inbabited, and tb e n only for
a few bours. W h a te v e r people w ho liv ed in the
d ays w hen barons an d o tb o r w icked persons were
continually a n d fo r ev er p u ttin g th e ir enem ies in
dungfons u n d er tlie castle m oat m ay hav e stood
now adays solitary confinem ent for a lo n g tim e m
such a b k c k hole aa tb a t o f G ijon should soon b rin g
ab o u t insanity,
Ju stices justice h a s been for such a lo n g tim e a
joke in B ritain tb a t we feel a nerveless h a n d ^^rasp
th e pen as we v en tu re to record one o f tb e stories o f
th e curiosities o f ju d icial adm inistration as develojKjd
a t G ijon.
A.t a n y rate a Spanish ^ n tle r o a n , w bo sh all be
la m e le s in thia worV, had a q iiarrel w ith another
alw ut certain atten tio n s p aid to bis fond spouse. The
explanations offered by th e la tte r w ere not considered
eatisfaetory, an d a n assault w as th e result. T he cae
lH)ing b ro u g h t before th e m agifltrate, tiie caballoi0 , wlio
th o n g h t biniself insulted, w as oommltted to prison for
a term o f fourteen days. A n official w as sent to con
d u c t him to th e loek-up, b u t tb is m an he declined
to follow, U cau se hi sbipbroking buRiness would
certainly M off if b e w as in g ao l; th e policeman
represented th is fact to tb e justice, w ho adm itted
th a t th e re w as m uch tr u th in it, and tlierefore.

undor th e circnmetances, h e w onld on ly confino

S e u o rX . to hig p riv a te house for th e period deter
mined on. Onoe ag ain th e oiTicial w aited o n th e
gentlem an, aud told him w h a t tho m ag istrate had
decided, b u t tho passionate defendant in d ig n an tly
naked th qneatlonhow ho could be expected to do
hia business unless h e w e n t to hie offio? I t was
sim ply absurd for th e Alcalde fo ex|>cii th a t ho
w ould see all his buaiuess friends and acquaintancea
in the p riv acy o f hia ow n draw ing-room . T his
new viow o f m atters waa du ly b ro u g h t before th e
authoritioa w ho in th e end allow ed fteor X . to go to
his oBce ou condition th a t he w onld prom ise n o t to
frequent tho Caf Suizo, n o r w alk on th e quay-aide,
but be a reform ed an d w ell-m annered shipping
m erchant, come hom e ro^nilarly to tea, au d n ev er
more g o h ittin g people ab o u t w ith h is fists. W ell,
alls w ell th a t ends weU.
W h e th e r S eor X .
promised o r not wo do not k n o w ; b n t we m et him
on til muelle, wo eJinked glasses a t th e Cafe Suizo,
and nobody seemed one p e n n y th e w orse. Tho
tourist m ay happily spend m an y a d a y about Gijon
and ita environs. T he fine broad CaUe C orrida is weU
w orth a stroll, and tb e gat dol Xnfanti, erected by
Charlea I I I . in com m em oration o f P elayo, i f a little
out o f th e perpendicular, ia w o rth y o f attention. The
harbour is alw ays attraciivo, and a fine v iew o f its
noble proportiona can be obtained from tlie signal
station on tho to p o f th e hill o f S an ta C antabria,
which is, in fact, th e pro jectin g low peninsular

headland on w hich tb e tow n Ir built. W e ViaTe

alread y referred to tbe good firm sands and excellent
b a tb in ^ to b e g o t; a n d considcriug th a t tb e daily
expenses a t tlio fo n d a , inclu d in g b oard, lo d g iag ,
attendance an d w ine, a re n o t m o re th a n six pesetas
a day, tboee o f o u r readers w bo, jniirterin g Tip a little
S panishand a v e ry little w ill go a marvelloofi w ay
find th e ir w ay to G ijon w ill, wo th in k , th a n k us
for tb o b in t to g o a n d ju d g e for tbetQselves.

CHAPTER X X n.
R EA L W fllT B V JK T , AND W H ER E IT COMES PROM .

B oth to the c a ^ and weat o f G ijon lovely scenery is

to be found all alo n g th e sea-coat w hich ia h ere
alternately bold a n d r o c k j o r v e rd n re ^ la d alm ost to
the soa beach. W o b av o no space for details of
m any pleasant excursions, w b ich , th a n k s to our
m eeting tb e on ly sbipbrokcr and his frien d M r.
Jones, w e w ere enabled to ta k e in tb o en virons of
th e Spanish Cardiff, b u t one o r tw o m ust bo noticed.
P erh ap s th e most boautifial w alk ont o f G ijon is th a t
to th e little village o f D eva, aboTit tJireo itdlos from
tho tow n and w b ere tb ero is a ch u rch w hich was
b n ilt in 1006. T he in ferio r o f th o ebnrch is not
v e ry interestlu|f, b u t in a n adjoining farm -yard m ay
be foiind by th e curioTW I w t fine B yzantine capitals
and somo wooden fi^^ires o f saints o f tbo Rom anesque
period. T his w as a p u re ly ped estrian d a y ; b n t on
another occasion w ben w e had cbiirtcrod a fly and
drove o u t to th e east o f G ijon, keepi{)g as n early as
we could to th e coast, w e m ade tb a t rem arkable
diHcovory th a t, like n ian y o tb e r th in g s in th is de
ceitful globe, re a l W h itb y j e t does n o t come
9 2

{rom W h itb y a t all, b u t is sen t to W b itb y from n ear

G ijo n in Spain. I t is v e ry dietreseing all this up
ro o tin g o f tb e m o st cberisbed trad itio n s o f our
blam eless y o u th ; b u t it is a stran g e w o rld we liv e in ,
a n d therefore one ia n o t a t all gurpriscd to find tb a t
cocoanut oil ia ex ported from London to Levuka
F iji, a n d th a t W h itb y jfft is im ported into W hitby
a n d aiierw ards, as pu re W h itb y a n d n o th in g else b u t
W h itb y , is actually sold w ithin a m ile o r bo o f whero
it is found. W ith in n in e mil? o f G ijon an y am ount
o f je t is to be found in tb e d istrict called L as M arinas.
I t is, in fact, a w ell o f triaesic form ation, ru n n in g
from V illianosa to w ith in tw o m iles o f G ijo c. I t is
usually found in a decomposed bluish eandatone
ru n n in g in vo ry irre g u la r layers o f a maxim um
thickness o f tw o and a q u a rte r inches. T b ere are
tw o v arieties o f W h itb y je t. Ono is ev id en tly of
chcgtnut origin, w hich creases* w hen exposed to
th e sun, an d another o f a v e ry different wood. T he
first v a rie ty is evidently th e treo itself, w hereas the
second is th e b ark . T he cylinder o f th e tre e has
been actu ally ex tracted from th e w o rk in g s an d is
ofU n m e t w itb . Liko tlie coal a t Langreo, tb e je t is
v o rk e d a t t t e side o f tbo h ill, b u t b o rin g in a n y p a rt
o f th e triafflie form ation, je t is to be found a t a depth
o f from five to tw e n ty m etres.
T ill com paratively recently, about th re e y ears ago,
th is tra d e has been a p ractical monopoly o f an
E uglisbm an liv in g a t G ijon, who, a m ig h t be ex
pected, bas m ade a fairly larg o sum o u t o f the

 lignite, th a t b ein g th e nam e b y w hich it is

im ported into K ngland. T he price o f production of
112 pounds o f superior je t is tw enty-five shillings,
an d , &B M r. W rig h t o f W h itb y g iv es tw o shilliiigs
a o d sixpence a pound foi* it, it w ill be obsorvod th a t
th e bnsiuciss ie f a r from b ein g profitless. A b o u t
1600 boxes o f about 112 ^ u n d s each g o an n u a lly to
London from G ijon, T he m ines o f th e o rig in al je t
m ice proprieto r are, w e u n d erstan d , practically
exhauBled, b u t o th ers a re b ein g w orked, b u t on ly on
a sm all ex ten t ow ing to w a n t o f capital. W c iiappen
to know o f several good m ines w hich would pay
handsom ely i f th e owuerR w ere enterp risin g , business
like, a n d had some little capital. T h e price o f j e t is
artificial altogether, an d should come dow n. The
W hitby je t m anufacturer, w h en he has received hia
lignite from S pain, is wise in his generation, inas
much as h e n ev er allows a w orkm an to do m ore than
ODo operation. N um ber 1 ro u g h s o r cuis u p iho
j e t ; No. 2 w ill ro u g h ly shape i t ; No. 3 furnishes and
po h sh fisit; No. 4 will b o re ; N o.
w ill attach gold
o r the like, and N o . 6 w ill p ack u p for ex p o rt or
home m arket. W h y th e je t ornam ents cannot be
m annfactured a t G ijon instead o f in Y orkshire fairly
piizzlea us. I f we w ere com pany prom oters we
w ould sngg^ist a jo in t stock o rganization w ith
moderate capital to be eahed th e Keal W h itb y J e t
Company, Lim ited. W e would g o t hold o f somo of
th e best m en in W h itb y , secure one o r tw o o f
th e m ines a t Lae M arinas, establish w orks a t G ijon,

an d if w e w onld n o t p u y a fair dividend,

same tim e defy all honest com petition, i t
be b y th e grossest m ism anag^m ent.
A fte r w e bad found w h ere W h itb y je t
w e paid su n d ry and divers visits to th e

an d a t tlio
could only
cam e from,
minea, and

we w ere w ell rew arded fo r our trouble in m any

respects. O n one occasion, g o io g n p to th e highor
w orkings o f th e mine, wo saw th a t th e b a rk is fossilised
into perfect je t, w h ile tb e in terio r o f th e tre e was
even th e n (O ctober last) ro tte n wor>d aud n o th in g
m ore. O n th e o u te r w orkings thu b a rk only, is
fosil6cd je t, w hile th e tre e itself ia solid crystallised
liinesstone.
Q uito a p a rt from the in te re st o f th e m ines the
pleasaut n n d n la tiu g c o a n tr j o f L as M arinas has
innum erable cbaim a to r thoso w ho lo v e n atare. The
fltrango A stu ria n farm-houses w ith th e ir q n ain t in
terior abound in th is district, an d th e tra v e lle r can
re v e l in bree^^y w alks over th e sw eeping dow ns th a t
w ill rem in d h im o f Sussex a t its best. I f th e sun is
now a n d again h o t, th e sea wiiid from th e b lu e bay
before you tem pers its rays, a n d for com bining
scientific basiness w ith h e a h h y pleasure, a v isit to
tb e jo t m ines a t L as M arinas can be confidently
reccmmcnded.

C K A F l'E H X X I I I .
BY

THB

QUAY

O F B IV A 3 8 I? L L A .

\Vk w ere v e ry relu ctan t to leave p leasant Gijon more

especially perhaps o n account o f S eor Jo n es and hia
friend L ycett, tb e on ly h ip b ro k er; b u t tme as the
son|f goes, is a m aster a ll m u st obey an d the
fu g itivcn o f his ch aracter hastened o u r departure.
A ccordingly, early one b rig h t m o rn in g w e settled
our m odest reckoning a t th e pusada and w en t b y th e
sohtary a .K. tra in on th e line to th e coal m ines to
rau g reo , iutnding to leave th e ra il a t th e station o f
N oreila, w here w e should jo in th e coach going
eastw aid from Oviedo. T he existence o f th is line
enabled us to avoid rev isitin g th e capital o f the
A sturias, a n d th eio fo ie saved some tim e. The
diatanc to N orena is on ly fourteen miles o r th e re
abouts b u t in th is sh o rt jo n rn e y w e m et w ith
a fellow*oonntryman. H o w as rid in g in th e n e x t
com partment, and o v erh earin g a peculiarly h earty
langh concluded th a t w e m u st he E n g lish , aud
dcteim inod on findn? o u t for himself. C onsequently,
a t th e v e ry firat station from G ijon h e entered o u r
division o f th e coach, an d soon found ouf. th a t h e was

perfectly correct, H e w as a clieerful epearaeii o f the

ul>i(iuitoua B ritw h engineer g o m g to v isit th e coal
miucB iu th e interests o f som e friends a t O p o rto ; and
wo wore s o n y to say good-bye to o n r ucw-found
ac(^uaintance, w hen th e traiUf h av in g b een pulled np
b y cable a steep incline n e a r th e statio n called
F lorida, landed u s a t N orcna, w h ere w e had n o t long
to w a it for th e lliv ad asella coach.
W h ile w e w ore w an d erin g aro u n d th e Spanish
C ardiff wo h a d no fixed in ten tio n o f v iaitin g the
place referred to , b u t w e received from M r. L ycett
such a ddBcription o f th e little seaport an d such a
le tte r to a landed pro p rieto r in tb e neighbourhood,
th a t w e baatily scattered all prograrcones to thu
w ind a n d m ade for th e fam ous quay.
I f tra v e llin g a t th e to p o f a n o rth e rn Spanish
diligence does n o t enconrago thu cultivation o f tho
blessings o f being p a tie n t an d philosophical, n o th in g
w ill. I t is tru e th a t aftr wo had q u itte d th e flat
country th e scenery g o t in terestin g , n o t to say
beautiful, b u t tru n k s m ake a t th e best b n t a bad bed,
an d a r u t favo^irlng ro ad does n o t ta k e ofi* the
aharpneRs o f tb e ir edges.
A ll th in g s, a t a n y ra to in thia sublunary w orld of
ours, how ever, come to a u end, a n d wo w ero n o t a t
all displeased to shako o n r stiffened legs a t Iniiesto,
w here w e lunched off a & irly substantial jneai.
A m id exquisite scenory th e coach continues its w ay
to L as A rriondas, w here connection is m ade w ith the
H ivadasella conveyance. La A rrlo n d as is situated

a t the junction o f th e tw o riv e rs P ilo u a au d S e lla ;

and HA th e crmch road, on a h ig h oiubaiikm eiit, keeps
b y the sido o f both these stream s in succesflion, w hile
trees on eith er aide, an d whose branches m eet, line
th e w ay, it m ay read ily be im agined th a t tbe
neighbourhood o f thie lit tie-know n to w n is pleasant
enough, especially in fine w eather. W h o n th o tow n
itse lf ia passed en rouie for RivRxlasella a low er level
i^ obtained, a n d b y th e side o f th e m u rm u riu g Sella,
itself surrounded on bo th sides b y h ig h hills, th e toad
rem inds one m uch of Loch M areo in Rose-shire. H ere
th e journey is com pleted, and perhaps th e q u ain test
p o rt in th e A eturiae is rcached a t last. T ak e i t a t its
best, it is a tiresom e jo n rn e y how ever, and w hen, as
in our case, th e fatigued trav eller finds him self imme*
diately in re a r o f a carriers c a rt stuck in th e m ud,
and has to w a it ao intlefinite tim e tcxr th e extrication
o f th e jaded horses, h e w ill find it a g re a t tria l for his
patien ce; h u t th e ro ad from L as A rrio n d as to R ivadasella is w orth th e trouble if view ed in th e r ig h t spirit.
T he little tow n ia situated on th e r ig h t h a n k of
th e Sella, and is fairly laid out, a t th e back o f a lo n g
well-hnilt quay alongside o f w hich o n tiie occftsion
o f our Isfit v isit several little c ia fl fly in g th e C nion
Jack w ere engaged in loading A stu riau , o r we
should eay, o f course, B arceloua uuts, o f whicfe some
2000 tons w ere exported to B ritain from th is plac
du rin g th e y e a r 1884.
The entrance to th e p o rt, like th a t o f T in a M ayor,
near U nquera B rid g e, is a v e ry nari*ow one, b u t these

is no bad b ar, th e w ater a t sp rin g tide being tw entysix feet aud a t neap tide sixteen feot deep. K ven
w hen th e stro n g nortb-w est wind prevails th e re is
no sea to speak of, an d tlie h arb o n r itself ia tboroughly
protected- T h ere is excellent anchorage, an d tho
headland on tho e a st side o f th e p o rt affords a capital
shelter. K ivadaeella, -with its population o f less th a n
2000, vioB w ith G ijon in its ex p o rt o f n n ts, an d the
picking o f these little edibles b y m en a n d w om en in

th e Jai'ge n u t w arehouses is qu ite a feature o f th e place.

iJuring" th e season it is in fact qu ite a sig h t to see the
ap|>arently endless procession o f uut>ladeu carts, w ith
th e ir q u a in t w heels h a v in g o n ly a single spoke, deposit
th e ir burdens a t th e doors o f tb e so rtin g places, and
th e n eee tlic ch eery i\j^turiuns sin g in g a s th e y w ork
an d pick th e n u ts for th e p ceuiiar benefit o f the
B ritish B an k holiday consum er. F o r this labour the
vom eii earn about
a day, w hile th e few m en em

ployed g e t 0 8 m nch as Is . 8rf. T o encourage tbo pro

duction o f nutB, maize if? g iv e n to th e p easan try io
M arch in exchange for n u ts in S eptem btr.
T he Poeadi del Selhi is clean, oomfortikblo, a n d very
m oderate in its chargoe, allhough th e w oak-stom ached
B riton m ay poflsiLly object as w e d id to stew ed octopna
in ink-black sauce, form ing p a r t o f tlie m en u o f a n
otherw ise pleasant little supper. T h ere is a place for
0
very th in g , and if th e octopus is n o t a t hom o in , say,
the B righton Aqnarium h e o o g h t to be ; h e has really
no r ig h t to aspire to th c d ig n ity o f th o d i n i ^ table.
O f the tow n itsolf little need he said except per
haps th a t it boasts th e birthplace o f D r. A n g u atin
A rgucllcs, called th e D ivine, th e celebrated tu to r o f
Isabella TL, w bo died leaving ev ery peseta ho poseeesed
to th a t laly an d n o t one to b is family.
T he Sella riv e r is ono o f th e m ost iam ous salmon
riv ers in Spain, and fish a re continually b ein g caught
in it w eighing from eig h teen to th ir ty ponnds cach,
N ete aro chiefly em ployed, and one R ivadasella fisher
m an ba been know n to catch as m any as one h undred
salmon in one d ay . T ho p rice a t Kivadafiolla varied
from
to lOci. a lb. according ro supply.
O ne o f th e pleasantest w alks in th o im m ediate
vicinity o f thu to w n is th a t to th su lp h u r sp rin g s on
th e sea port a n d cloee by th e en tran ce to th e charm ing
little port. T here Is a little clim b in g over th c rocks,
but tlie avoroge pedestrian, lady o r gentlem an, would
onjoy a most delightful ram ble w ith a noble seascape
and a fine bold background.
*

O oe o f tli show placcfi nho\\t four milee w estw ard

from R Ivadasella is th e x tm o id in a ry n a tu ra l pho*
nom enon called Inlre-poua. H ere h y aome violent
concuftsion^ re looked th e cause, bot it certainly was
not th e d i e n e a r th e sea hav e been to rn asunder
an d tw isted D to all m an n er o f stra n g e a n d weird
ehapos. O ne solid p illa r o f rock, o v e r 800 feet Ligh,
w as m uch la rg e r a t its sum m it th a n its base, and as
one looked a t it on w as astonished a t its p erfect bal
ance. A t th e foot o f these rem n an ts o f a g re a t u j^
heaval a narrow stream ru n s out to th e B iscayan sea.
O n eith e r side o f tb e rocky p illars a r e steep eloping
h ills covered w ith i^ r s e a n d oth er v egetation, w hile
th e ric h u n d u latin g co u n try is tb o p leasant rurallooking background. O n our first v isit to Intru-penas
w e w e n t ov er th e b rid g e and dow n a v e ry steep p a th
from n e a r th e la rg e st p illa r lo th e riv e r l)ed, h u t tins
is a m istake to be avoided. T here is a foot-path on
th e r ig h t h an d side looking w est w hich sk irts the
little church a n d liajnlct, and w hich, i f followed, w ill
enable th e to u rist to g e t a splendid v iew o f this rem ark
able freak o f n atu re . Tho au rh o r w ith th e longer
nam e boasts anotlior w a y o f doing Intre-penas,
w hich can b a rd ly be recommended to th e a v e r a ^
trav eller. In rte a d o f g o in g dow n th e very steep hut
certainly iised p ath , th e w rite r o f C oral L a n d s ' in
sisted like a certain Air. Jo n es, o f m ak in g a w ay for
him self, tb o consojuence being th a t h e fell inglorioualy
about th ir ty feet in to a p erfect bed o f briars and
prickly thin g s o f o v e ry Bort and v a rie ty . T he struggles

o f Laocoon w itii the ficrpcnts w ere renew ed in his

person in th e lonely ftpanisli v alley , b u t a good jackknife a t len g th freed him , a n d to m , c\xt an d bleeding,
ho rejoined h is companion. K eep to tho old p ath s
is sonnd advice sa to m ost things,
N ear Intre*penaa is a little in n \vhere cxcollcut
cyder can be had fo r a v e ry reasonable snm , tw o full
pints b eing g iv e n for a pen n y . Most o f thie p a rt o f
the A eturiae is sim ply a larg e orchard, and th e q u an tity
o f cyder produced is som ething astonishing. W e
havo referred to a le tte r o f introduction, w hich
kindly M r. L y c e tt g a v e us a t G-ijon. O n roacbing
Bivadasella w e found th a t o u r friend w as aw ay but
was expected in a few days, so as Don A ntonio
P elayo w as a gen tlem an n o t o n ly o f w ealth and
im portance, b u t, a wo afterw ards found out, well
w orth w aitin g for, we stay ed over a t tho little
Fonda del Solla till o n r expected hoet should arrive.
From tbie centre w e m ade nnm eroue sh o rt excursions
in all direction 6, an d had, therefore, p len ty o f
opportunity o f le arn in g all th a t w as to be learned
about th e A stu ria n peasantry. A s M r, F o rd well
says, I n th e A sturias, a co u n try little expoeed to
Moorish and Spanish foraye, security o f person and
property has lon g existed. A ccordingly th e pea
santry, instead o f h e rd in g for protection w ith in
walled tow us, live iu small forme and often ow n tho
fields they cultivate. L an d in general is m ore
subdivided here th a n in th e south, w here larg e
districts wero g ra n te d lo tlic Mn>iuif(tadcres who

assiated in o u stin g th e inCdol orx^upant. Thc

costnm e o f th e low er cUiws Ir Swiss-like. Tho
females, w hen dressed iu th e ir l>e6t, w e a r bodice of
yellow o r g reen laced iu fro u t and adorned w ith
gold joyap a n d pin k a n d w h ite coral necklaces. Dark
coloured serges aud b la c \ m antles aro th ro w n ove^r
th e h e a d ; souiotimes p re tty handkorchiefB aro uesod
w hich are tie d loosely ronnci th e front, w hile tho hair
h au ^ s dow n l^ehind in lo n g plaits. T ho rude
G allican mordrefias o r wooden shoes a re horo often
replaced b y leath er ones, au d a sm all sock edged
w ith re d or yellow is w o rn o v er th c stockinge. The
m en gen erally w o ar hom e-spun lin en cloth and a
Llack cloth cap, th o u g h th e nin eteen th century
bow ler o r felt h a t ia rap id ly com ing in to fashion,
especially in th c la rg e r villagea. T he national
gam es m ay be described a s sk ittles and sinffle^atiok,
a t w hich th e p easan try a re g re a t ad ep ts. T he giime
o f skittles a fte r th e la st m ass on S undays is quite a
rocognizod in stitu tio n in ev ery v illa i^ , and th e whole
population tu rn o u t io w atch it. A s in o th er p arts
o f S pain, th e m en go b y them selves an d th e women
b y them selves. T h e froo in term iu g lin g o f the wxes
in social life, ench as obtains in Enj^land, F ran ce, or
r^ennany, does n o t e??ist iu ftp a in ; so th a t on a
S u n d ay m o rn in g w hen th o co u n try people are
com ing into church yon w ill find th e strag g lin g
procession com mcnce w ith a v an g u ard o f th e fait
and d ev o u t ses, w hile th e re a r is b ro u g h t u p by
th e m en w ho a re in no p articu lar h n rry to rencli the

cHnroh, a t an v rato, btiforc th e first gospel is

rea<l.
N um erous stories e x ist o f th e prow ess o f the
A sturians w itli th e ir shillelahs. O n one occason
n e a r R ivadasella a faction fig h t occurred n e a r a
village chnroh, an d th e civil g u ard an d carbiccros
to th e num ber o f six v e ry p ro p e rly interfered.
Tlicsc woro arm iid w ith rifle a n d bayonet, an d ut;ed
th e ir w eapons ad w ell as th e y could w ithout firing.
T he peasants, w ho wore on ly oqual in num bers and
m erely carried th e ir sticks, booh drove off theiv
aefiailants and cap tu red the six rifles.
I f little o r uo b eer is d ru n k in tlic A sturias,
akittles enter v e ry larg ely in to th e life o f its people,
a:id th e males o f th e en tire village m eet noarly
overy day and alw ays on S undays for th e ir favourite
am usem ent. I n th e tow ns a m ueli h ig h e r pitch
is given to th e ball th a n in th e m ore ru ra l d is tric ts ;
and it is nothing sh o rt o f marveilouB to not th e
profideiicy some o f tbo poaBants hav e acquired in the
gam e which in th is country ia so closely associated,
m common parlance, w ith foam ing tan k ard s o f tho
product of Jo h n B arley com .
The few days' w aitin g pleasantly passed asvay,
and oTir host arrived. A tall com m anding-looking,
b n t ra th e r slig h t figure, a n eye lik e a n eagles, a
hiMihomie th a t w as perfcct in th e honesty o f its
iiindlineas such we fonnd to be th e characteristics
o f Don A n to n ia P elay o , as, a fte r I'&uiini^ tb e letter
w e had b ro u g h t w ith ns, ho welcomed u s to Jiis

residence.
H w ould n o t allow ue to rexaain a t
tlio hotel. H a v in g fouud out b y cross-examination
B o n A n tonio speaks v e ry fa ir K nglieh indeed
tlia t w e h a d dono th e lione o f R ivadaeella, ho oou>
teously projMwed a d riv e to th e tom b o f liis aiw cstor
__th e g re a t P elayo, th e founder o f th o Spanish
m onarchy a t Covadonga a n d as th is w ould mean
a long d a y s w ork, w c m u st h a v e a n ea rly etart.
A Httle bofore nine, therefore, w e inspected tho
stables and w ere show n o u r hoet's fav o arite charger,
o f w liich b e h a d good reaeon to l>e p r o u d ; b n t he
seemod m ore ajisious for us to p raise th e K nglishm ade saddle w ith tho m akers nam e on it U rch &
Co., L ong A cre th a n an y th in g else, and we could
n o t resist a slig h t feeling cif p rid o in o n r national
skill in m anu& cturee w h e n our friend rem arked th a t
th e re w as n o t a saddle b e tte r th a n th a t in all S p a in ;
an d , ho added, everybody h ere is n o w g e ttin g
th e ir saddles and harness from th e big sto re you
call E n glan d .
T ho u g h ts o f th e statistics o f a
fallin g ex p o rt tra d e paased th ro u g h o u r ininde as
w e sighed a g en tle w e hopo so," an d Ibllowed our
host to breakfast.
H ero a certain surprise aw aited us.

W e have

lived in stra n g e placcs and hav e led etran g e lives*

b u t snch a m ixtnre o f liquors a t a forenoon tneal
w e bave n e v e r before encountered. A pre-broakiast
n i p is common enough in th e p io n eerin g colonies,
b u t th e m eal iteeif is g en erally n o t accompanied by
spiritnous liquors. F irs tly w e w ere asked to have

brandy, thon rum , and h a v in g so & r com plied

w ith our w u rteo u s hosts evident w k h o u t o f pure
kindness, to p re v e n t u s seeing a t ^ th a t d ay , by
accepting a liquenr glass o f v e ry old cognac, he
apparently w as m uch p n t o u t b y o u r refusing to
d rin k Bomo o f Guinnesses bottled sto u t, w hich w as
opened especially fo r us, w hich h e th o u g h t w as tbe
invariable liquor to w in d u p a real old E nglish
breakfest w ith. W e w ero v ory firm a s to th a t stout,
and a s w ell us w e co^ild pointed o u t th a t fiery sp irits
were h a rd ly ev er tak en ea rly in th e day in our
island homo.
Before accom panying tho read er to th e birth-place
o f Spain Covadongab y tho q u a in t little tow n o f
Cangas Onis, w e m u st h e re deliberately p u t on
record th a t, a t a n y r a te in N o rth e rn S pain, th o y
slightly overdo th e politeness o f w ishing ono an d
another good m orning and good day. I n tb e coim try
proper this is all v e ry w ell, h u t i t grow s som ew hat
monotonous n e a r th e tow ns, an d wo noticed i t p articularly in th e v e ry ru ra l suburbs w hich surro u n d
Rivadasella. O ne m o rn in g w e w ero g o in g o u t o f
tb e tow n and a larg e proportion o f th e ru ra l popu
lation seemed b e n t on g o in g in . T he follow ing is
a sam ple o f tho cheerful conversation w e enjoyed
W ell h u e n o s d i a s ^ t h e last tim e b t t e n o s d i a s I
saw him h e ouly hucnos diAS said
dias"
and so on for tw e n ty m inutes. T he E n g lish waa
betw een ourselves, th e S panish salutations fo r tho
numerous passers by. A s soon as tw elve o'clock has

gtrnck yon a re expected to say huenae tardes, or good

evening, an d i f you iniiict a buenofi dias on the
p e a sa n t lie w ill cei ta in ly co rrect you w itli a n Tium lstakable hucnas tardes.
W c Lave H ngured lo n g b y tb e q u ay o f RiTadaeeUa
it h a s plcQsant m odcrn memories for u s ; bTit in
p a y in g a p ilg rim ag e to tbe sh rin e o f O ur L a d y of
Covadonga, wo w ere in s p irit g o in g back to tbe
rem ote p a s t; and w h en *we stood rev eren tially before
tb e tom b o f th e m ig b ty O b rlstiau ch ief Pelayo,
tb e hero w bo g a v e tlie fiie t g r e a t ehcck to Moorish
n ile , w e k n ew be b a d m ade S p ain a natio n , and
im m ortalized himf?elf.

C H A P T E R X X IV .
TTIT. BTBTH-PLACB OF SPAIK.
I t w as a brigVit au tu m n al m o rm n g w hich saw u r
m ount ODe o f D on A n tonio Polayos trap s, d riv e n by
a stu rd y cob, a n d ao com mence o u r p ilg rim ag e to the
tom b o f his patriotic anoeetor.
W e have n o apace to dw ell o n th e beautiful scenery

en rotiie. P erh ap s w e h av e alread y aatiate<l our

readers w ith our endeavours to m ake thorn k n o w a
little o f w hat exquisite m o u n tain view s can be seen
in K o rth ern Spain, an d w e w ill on ly eay in re g a rd
to th e road from K ivadasella to C ovadonga vid
Caogaa de O nis, tlia t o f its class it is perfoct from
a scenic point o f viow. A lte rn a tin g w ith dense
chestnut foreats and shallow tr o u t stream s w ore the
lofty ru g g ed spurs o f th e C an tab rian H ig h lan d s, the
soaward-bound riv ers carolled a t our teet, above us
tbo birds wore sin g in g lo n g an d loudJy, th e w arm
sun was tem pered b y th e moTintaln brcessee, th e road
was a good one, a n d Don A ntonio drovo w ell and
tiie w h is w ay. U n d er these circum stances we
enjoyed our start, an d tb e tim e paased pleasan tly
T 2

onoTi^h. O u r g en ial h ost and Je h u (hie gtoom

behind n s w as, w itli liis arm s folded, eteroly reg ard in g
h is m asters back) w as inBtxnctivelj com m unicative,
au d it seemed a rem arkably eKort d riv e to th e littlo
know n tow n o f Cangae d e O nis, w here w e stayed to
re st a n d foed o u r horses, an d g ra tify a n ap]>ctite
sharpened b y tb e keen h ig h lan d air.
O n our w ay D on A n tonio conrteonsly falu ied a
h ig h ly respectable old g entlem an, w ho, on a first
floor balcony, w as calm ly sm oking one o f hie m om iug
cigarettes. O n in q u iry a s to w ho th e w o rth y old
w as, w e w ere astonifihed to fiud llia t somo
fifteen years ago h e w as th e te rro r o f tlic neighbonrto o d as a bandit chief, b u t had now retired from a
businesB w hich tho eonstm ctiou o f new roads and
th o ubiquitous civ il g u a rd s Lad rendered a preca
rious, n o t to sa y a lib erty -en d an g orin g occupation.
H is lairt exploit w as th e robbery o f 400 from a
m ail cart, h u t h e h a s n e v e r been prosecuted for his
final transaction, and lives n ow a very re tire d country
life. T bero a re different w aye o f doing th iu g s.
H a d our passing acquaintance lived in E n g lan d he
w ould ]>robably Lave graced tb e eea*side a t P o rtlan d
o r D over, b u t l)oing a S p an iard 4n S pain th e y apend
n o m oney o v er him and le t him bo. If, how ever, he
attem pted to d istu rb th e peace, th e gentlem en o f th e
civil g u a rd w ould w ith o u t m ercy accelerate his
jo in in g th o m ajority b y a w oll-directed rifle shot.
T h e b rig a n d s on tb e re tire d list know tliie w ell
enough. T h e ir day, a t a n y i-ate in N o rth e rn Spain,

is over, an d th e roads a re os safe a s those in K e n t or

H ertfordshire o r elsew here in B ritain.
do O nis is a q a a in t little tow o o f abont
eig h t hundi'ed iniiabitants, an d tU ch ief place o f a
dozen communes whose u n ited population amouiita
to a t ieaat UOOO souls. T he m u rm u rin g S ella is
crossed hy a G othic brid g e, w hich fo r its boldness has,
w e anpposo, no equal in E u ro j , except perhaps the
fiimons one a t M artorell in C atalonia, w hicb is th ere
called th e D evils. I t has th re e o g iv e arches, tw o
little a n d one g ra n d ono. T h e supports o f those are
set on m asav e rock, au d i t h a s a sp an o f eighteen
m etros and tw enty-one m etres in h eig h t, from th e
m ean level o f th e w a te r to th e keystone. The
h n d g e is n a rro w w ith a v e ry steep elope. Th
thickness o f tho b rid g e is composed solely o f the
m asonry o f th e arches. Tw o larg e curtains o f iv y
covet th e stone w ork from th e b n ttre s upw ards.
I t is impoeaible to g iv e th e ex act d a te o f th is g re a t
cqriosity, b u t in th e I 6 th cen tu ry i t w as always
spoken o f ae th e O ld B rid g e.
N o t fei from th is relic is tho femous herm itag e of
th e H oly Cross, founded by P elayo in g ratitu d e for
his g re e t v icto ry a t Covadonga, an d a s tho w hole o f
th e iteighbourhood o f C angas de O nis is sacred to the
m emory o f tliu fouiider o f th e Spanish K ings, wo
w y jufit a s w ell condense w h a t is genei-ally kuov>^n
o f th e g ro a t A sturian hero. O f th e la st o f th e
Gothic kiuga o f S pain little is know n, except th a t
they wore ceasolessly fig h tin g am ong them selves in

tliO good old fashion. Tw o branches o f tb e royal

fiiinily respectively, th a t o f C liinda and W amba,
wero alw ays on th e w arp ath after each other, and
there can be little doubt th a t th e W am b a p a rty
w ere g tu lty o f b etra y in g th e ir co n n try to th e Moors
in o rder to be satisfactorily revenged on tb e p a rty
w ho ow ned th e allegiance o f K in g Cbinda?vinto.
T h is long-nam ed potJta.to had a la rg e fiimily, the
tw o y o u n g er sons o f w hich w ere nam ed Thcodofred
an d F av ila, an d a ccrtaiD K in g W itizia, o f the
W am b a p a rty , n o t on ly r a n aw ay w ith F av ila's
wife, b u t caused him to be m u rd ered ; w hile nnfortunate Thuodofred h a d his eyes p u t out by
W itizia'fl orders. P elayo, another son o fP a v ila , w as
driv en in to exile as tbo n a tu ra l reifnlt o f these hig h
handed proceedings; b u t R oderick, th e son o f Tbeodofred, recovered th e tb ro u e b y force o f arm s, aud
actin g o n th e M osaic th eo ry dep riv ed th e Hdulterous
M^itizia o f his sig h t in th e same ro u g h fashion as
W itizia h a d treated his father.
R oderick w as th e th irty -fo n rth and la st o f the
G othic kin g s o f Spain, b u t h e offended th e law s of
m orality to such a n ex ten t th a t he w as d riv en from
his th ro n e, .and assumed tL e g a rb o f a m onk w iti
th e uam c o f F a th e r Maccabeo. W h en P elayo raised
th e b an n er o f anti-M oorish revolt. F a th e r Maccabee
juined th e C h ristian force, an d waa, trad itio n says, preaent a t th e crow ning v icto ry o f Covadonga, b u t w hat
became o f liim afterw ards nobody know s. H is helmet,
flwoid and cuirass w ere found, and so w as his horse.

Kuadere o f Sonthey an d S ir W a lte r Scott know

well tbe details o f th e vision o f D on K oderick, how,
in hig lonely cell n e a r Toledo, iie saw pass before
him th e fu tu re o f liie co u u tiy divided into threo
periods firstly, tb e invasion o f th e Moors, w ith his
ow n disgrace and d e a th ; secondly, tb o A u fu s t n
ago o f Spain and th e ir conqnests iu th e I n d ie s ; and
th ird ly , the decline o f Spauish pow er, th e oppression
o f the country by B onaparte, an d its siiccour b y th
B ritish. A ccording to a local tradition th e last
words o f th is last o f tb e Spanish G othic k in g s
were u ttered in a to m b full o f snakes and adders,
w here he had rem ained for th re e days u n h u r t; b u t
on th e m orning o f tb e fo u rth d a y a h erm it w ho
knew o f H s stran g e place o f retirem e n t h eard him
c ry ont alond, T h ey e a t me now , I feel th e adders
bite.* Tho previous n ig h t he h a d passed in cease
less prayer, and so bis sin w as atoned for, an d he
died.
A ccording to o th e r accounte D on R oderick died
shortly after tho b attle a t G uadalete, and therefore
coTiId not have been present, a t a n y r a te ia a n atu ral
^ y , a t th e b attle o f Covadonga. B e this a s it m ay,
Pelayo alone detijrm ined to do b a ttle for th e in*
dependence o f C hristian rule iu Spain, and he as
w ell w orthy o f tlie g igantic task. T o use th e w ords
o f Southey
I n h im tJie o ld I b e r ia n blood
O f o ld a n d r o m o tw t o n r tr j,
P rtm t u n d iijp n tc d so a rc e , ow ed n n d ctile < l;

H o too o f C liiiic la d T iiito d

lin e ,
S ole re m n a n t n o w d re w a f te r Kim th e lovo
0 a l l truQ Gotlie. T h u s b y tliia double rig h t, tho
G ^ n e n d h e a r t o f 8pin.

P e la y o 's
a u d

le g e n d s

h a iid o d

b e a r

fa t h e r ,
o f

h is

k illiD g *

F av iU , w as a
m

a r v e llo u s

a re

c o m m o n

n o te d

e a p a c iiy
e n o u g h

h u n t s m
f o r
to

a n ,

an g lo -

t h is

d a y .

A t tb e period o f th e M oors moet complete

dom inion ov er Spain, P elayo, th o noble scion o f her
ancient kings, stood alm ost alone in th e defence of
his country. U ndism ayed b y tb e m isfortunee o f hia
race an d people, o r b y th e oppreBsivo rig o u rs o f th e
conquerors, h e n e v e r tire d o f rousing his brethren
to a sense o f th e ir sham eful condition, and stirrin g
them u p to th e desire o f a g a in resto rin g tbeir
religion an d th e th ro n e o f tb e ir n ativ e rulers.
M eantim e bis sister H orm crinda, no l o s ardent
and patriotic, h u t w eaker a u d m ore short-aghtod,
h a d th o u g h t to beneiit h e r people by fscallng a
compromise w ith th e invaders. F o rg etfu l o f the
religious law s w h ich forbade such a union, she
m arriod M una7a, one o f th e Moorii^h chiefs, w ho
rtjigned a t Gijon an d for a few y e a rs im ag in ed sho
h a d effected wonders because she b a d induced tho
coniiucror to m itig a te h is oppreseiona.
Pelayo,
how ever, w as alm ost m ore diatressed a t th e con
tam ination o f h is siator, m arried to a n unbeliever,
th a n by th e bondage o f bis fellow -countrym en; and
b eing on th e p o in t o f lead in g th e people he bad
collected to a n attack ou th e Moorish A Jciyar he

first obtained a n in terv iew w ith h e r w ith in the

k in g p riv ate ap artm en ts, w ith tho v iew o f induciug
h e r to abandon h e r infidei lord. H orm erinda,
however, Lad chosen h e r p ath , an d ccmld n o t escape
i u leadings; th o in terv iew w ae bo th sto rm y arid
touching. P elayo, unflinching in h is m o rality and
patriotism , could find n o th in g to eay to h o r but
w ords o f rcproach. A n d H o rm erin d a could ouly
uige th a t th o u g h she m ig h t h a v e been w ro n g iu
m arry in g the Moor, y et, now h e r w o rd a n d life aud
love w ore pledged to him , she could n o t leav e him .
M unuza deepieed th e O hrietians, au d so P elayo
had no difficulty in g ain in g access to H orm erinda,
accompariied b y th e venerable V errm u u d o , Lia
fe th e r; b u t a .few in M uuuzaa service h a v in g be
trayed th inform ation th a t Le had no leee a person
th a n P elayo him self in his pow er, Lo ordered him to
bo captured and th ro w n in to a dism al dungeon
calld a manorra.
N o sooner d id M nnuza k n o w th a t Le h a d n o th in g
to fear from Polayo, th a n i t became ev id en t Lis
m oderation tow ards th e C h ristian s bad been dictated
less b y H orinerinda's representations th a n h y d read
of Pelayo's ropriaids, fo r ho n ow began to add w ith
o u t mercy to th e burdens o f th e conquered. T o crow n
all, h e issued a decreo, by whIcL all w ho w ould not
m ake them selves MoLiimmedans w ere declared to be
slaves.
This m easure eompJeted th e in d ig n atio n o f th e
Chritians ; and w lien i t became know n w here P elayo

wag held in dtirauco, i t needed t u t little u rg in g of

Q randio, h is b ro th er, to lead tlie o u tra j^ d population
to tb assault o f th e A lcu y ar o f (rijon.
T h c im petnoaity o f th e d esp airin g popnlation wae
irresistible. M nnuza, inclined to despise th em a t
first found hlmaolf surrounded l>efor6 he w as aware,
an d eallied ont w ith h is reserve to g iv e life to* hie
troops and repel tho iusurgente. H e had no sooner
left th e pre<nncts o f th e palaco tlia n H o rm erin d a
took ad v an ta^ ^ o f th e circumstances to set free her
b ro th er, w ho w as th u s enabled to ehow him self a t
th e head o f his people, Hke a miraculotie apparition,
in sp irin g th em w ith coqrage to d riv e all before
them.
M unuza, obliged to oscape fo r his life, re*entered
th c A ley ar, w bero Ilo rm o rin d a aw aited him w ith
fem inine teiidernees, desirous ou ly to m ake a bul
w ark o f b e r body betw een
and Pelayo*e fury.
M anuka, however, had doubtless courage, though it
w as th e courage o f a n infidel, a n d n o t only refused
to owe hia life to th e protection o f a w om an, but,
recognizing tlia t it w as h e r h an d alone th a t could have
se t h is captive free, stabbed h e r an d him self just in
tim e to die a t th e en te rin g feet o f P elayo and bis
victorious host.
T his victory o f th e C hristian arm s wa th c first
fruits o f m an y others, w hich h a rd ly fought th ro u g h
sueoooding centuries restored a t la st tb o whole of
S pain to Christendom,
T his w as ju s t before th e crow ning victory of

CoTadoDga, w h ere P elay o , w ith 300 w arrior, bnret

from th e historical eavo, am i, according to Idstory '*
o f a v e ry w ild character, destroyed 300,000 Moors.
I f tw o o f tho b a t figures w ure d eleted th e num bers
wonld be prob ab ly correct. A s it is, th e m o st absurd
estim ates a re m ade, ev en iu m odern Spanish history,
aa ti> th e num bers o f th e Moors k illed in th e famous
valley. F o r instance. Bishop S ebastian, in his w ork,
valuable in m an y w ays, says a s sobor fact th a t
124.000 Moors w ere killed in th e v alley o f Cov a d o u |^ ,
an d 63,000 w ere drow ned u n d e r M on to Amosa,
w hon, according to P a u l us D iaconus, th e rest
ra n aw ay in to F ran ce, w hore 375,000 w ero killed.
A n o th e r Spanish G eorge W ash in g to n , in his gijileluBs ignorance ot th e a r t o f careiul exaggeration,
says th a t O rlando, w ith h is o w n Land, killed
2.200.000 m en o f K in g A g ric a n s arm y. T o nse a n
A m ericanism tliis fairly tak es th e c a k e b u t the
statem ent m ay he studied w ilL ad v antag e b y resi
dents, B i j a t A don o r th e P ersian Gulf. F o r simple
coolness th e Poles a re n o t in it w ith th e statem ents
o f the SpaniiJi special correspondent wLo followed
th e fortunes o fth e C hristian-chief O rlando.
B u t ap a rt from these comic ex ag g eratio n s o f th e
dead list o f th e defeated Moors, th e v icto iy of
Oovatlonga waa a famous one, a n d w ill live fo r ev er
xn SpauisL history. N o fooIisL num erical erro rs w ill
ever m ako tLe stu d en t forgot th a t in tL a t noble
* ^ e y , g ra n d ly im posing in ev ery sense, th e first
sonous blow w as dealt o u t to tho Saiacenic invaders

w ho afterw ard s becamo v e ry ch ary o f approaching

th e Higlilandfi o f C autabria, T he Moors found th a t
tlio g a lla n t m ountaineers h a d raised th e banner
o f independence an d freedom , and also th a t when
th e y boasted th e y w ere uuconquered, th e y w ere aa
good as th e ir w ord. Th site o f th e birth-place o f
S pain is about th reo miles from Cangas de Onie, wher
th e re is a n excellent hoalolry k e p t b y Senor
Baldom ero Gaxcia B etosinario. T he ro ad follows
th e riv e r B uena till i t is joined b y th e riv e r D eva,
and a t th is ju n c tio n is th Oanipo do la J u ra , w here
P clay o too k th e m onarchical o ath a fte r hia g re a t
victory.
A fte r th e tra v e lle r has passed a v ery
anoiunt hoose, lie w ill en to r a n a rro w valley, onclosed
a ll ro u n d b y m ountains d estitute o f any vegetation
b u t h eatiiy r; and th is is tiie place o f Spanish
pilgrim age. B elow th villag e, on tho r ig h t \ n k of
th e litlJe stream , is a n oblisk b earin g d a te o f 1858,
erected b y th e D uke o f M ontpensier on th e Campo
del Ry P elayo, w here P elay o w as proclaim ed kinn;.
H oro tho valley, w hich is a p erfect cul de aac, makes
a sharp tu rn ju s t before tho historical cave is reachod,
w hich faces east, and is excluded from v iew b y proj ctin g rocks. T h e cave itse lf opens to some 40 foet,
a n d is fringed w ith iv y an d ferns, w hile th e re is a pool
o f clear w ater. N a tu re an d m ankind in p a st time
have dono so m uch to glorify th is most ro m an tic spot
th a t it doeR sw:m deplorable th a t th m odem resto rer
did n o t share tb e fate o f th e M oors w ho fell here.
To destroy th e solemn d ig n ity o f tho ntrancc, 9>

m arble atair-case lias been erected from the monaetory

adjoining, w liile a
carp en ters (rothic wooden
balcony r c&rricd a c ro a s i n fro n t o f tlie in n e r cave.
A w rctcbed-loobing low G otLic chapel replaces the
curiona old one, w bich w as b u rn t dow n about a
h undred jearR ago, and th e decorations o f th e alta r
a rc out o f all character w itli th e su rro u n d in g s o f the
place. Tho m onastery itse lf is in terestin g enoTTgli,
and th e collection o f chasubles, copes, an d oth er vestm cnts shown b y th o sacristan is well w o rth seein g ;
some o f these a re o f th e m ost costly m aterial a n d
workmanship, an d aro perfect gem a o f a rt. T h ey
a re m ostly preHent to th e Church o f N o atra Seora
del Covadonga b y meml>ers o f the B o y al F a m ily o f
S paiu a t different dates. F o rtn n afely tho restorer
had n o t been allowed to *im pn)ve/ in Lis fearful
and w onderful m anner, th e sim ple tom b o f th e
founder o f th e lo n g line o f Spanish kings. I t is
w orthy o f th e valloy, w o rth y o f th e R im pie-minded
p atrio t whoso ashes it contains, w orthy o f S pain w ith
all h e r g ra n d traditious. I t is ju s t a rock-hew n
sepulchre, w ith no orn am en t but a sw ord o f Rom an
pattern. A r w o g azed bare-headed o n th is simple
reting-placo o f th e hero w ho did so m uch fo r the
land w e havo learned to love so w ell, wo felt our
blood flow a iittle quicker th a n usual. T houghts o f
tho g re a t scene o f 717 cam e unbidden, an d visions o f
th e fierce rush o f th e G othic w arriors from th eir
rom antic cave cam e before o u r eyes. T o all the
m ^ -s p c a k in g race aye, to ev ery C hristian in

th e w o rld tb e soil o f C ovadonga m u st be acred

ground, au d io tom b o f P elay o a place o f pUgrimage. Tlio subjoct o f tb e G urableton prizo poom a t
S t. P e te rs College, W aatm insier, th is y ear, w as our
lam ented m odern hero, <3ordon; and tho w inner,
M r. H . M organ-BrowD, tre a ts Lia subject in some
rem ark ab ly effective stanzas. Several o f these, if
altered to th e eircumstatrces o f P clayos h isto ry and
nationality, w ell su it th e m em ories w hich olin g round
Covadonga. W e have o n ly room for th re e v erg es;
0 , d oabting Juwrte, 7 0 do n o t know
U ow Tain a tt i n g i t is j-oc c r j !
A life lilte M b can never di,
T ho g reat example till slmll grow
A nd monld th e h^toeti y e t nnbom ,
O f o th er creeda an d o t t e r dim e.
T i e grcAtflt m en of la to r time,
Th b e r ^ e o f a fxdler morn.
W herv^er Ib erias sa ra e u know u,
m o n lip s oan ftume tb e Spanish tonffoc,
W lw re deeds of liv in g F a ith are m as.
Thero Fam e ^ball h a il fheo u b e r own.

O n a rocky prom ontory close to th e en tran ce of

th e cave >s now risin g a really m agnificent church in
th e p u rest G othic stylo, and w hich w ill cost w hen
com pleted n o t m nch lea. th a n a m iihon sterling.
T hough It has n o t boon o n r lo t to he uoar
th e re a t tlia t tim e, trav ellers should endeavour
to be a t Cova(ionga on th e 8 tb Septem ber, w hen the
g re a t y e a rly festival takea place. T he scene is moet

TUB

lO U H

OP

P C TiA TO ,

2.

:V* *

strik in g \ tho placo is throogod fo r th re e (lays w ith

peasantry, w ho come from minons distanceR, to
b rin g offer igs a n d fulfil vow s m ade ; m an y com in
tb e ir Bhrouds an d penitents* dreses, ca rry in g ia])er3.
T he n ig h t before, g re a t bonfires a re lit, rc>vorks
are le t off, a n d tb e people, w ho do n o t bebave in a n
edifying m aner, danco a n d e a t an d d rin k all n ig h t.
Mass R aaid in tbo open air, a n d tbe effect is most
picturesqueth e ro w s o f paaants earn est heads,
the lig h ted candles, vestm oata, an d glorious Rcenery.
T he serm on r preached from a puJpit h n n g on to a
w alnut-tree. A fte r mass, a sta tu e tte o f th o Blessed
V irg in ifl carricd in procession, followed b y tho
pilgrim s. I t is advisable to secure rooms a t tho
Poaada betbrehand, o r p rocure a n introduction to
Bomo o f th e clerg y a t Covadonga, w ho w ith g reat
Civility offer beds an<l th e ir tab le to an y travellers.
T he poaadaa are overcrow ded an d unpleasant on
those days.
Carnage can be g o t a t Cangas de Onis, b u t a
bargain should be stru c k w ith th e hotel- o r etablokeeper. I t ia n o t evcryl>ody w bo w ill fall in w ith
ftuch a maRter o f H ig h lan d Spanish politeness as onr
kindly hoRt D on A n tonio P olayo. O n o u r re tu rn
tid e to Cangas, after en joying th e ho sp itality o f oue
oi th e Covadonga fathers, w e passed several pilgrim s
n Toutt for th e sbrino, a n d q u ain tly dressed in long
hlack cloaks ornam ented w ith reHgious medalR,
s c a llo p shells ajid th e liko. I n all casus th e rosaries
^vere m uch in evidence, b u t o u r d riv e r had b u t a

pcK>r opinion o f th e re a lity o f m nch o f th e religious

sie^l o f tbeee trav ellersTvho all b e g ^ d for alms
B o n A n to n io th in k in g th a t a p leasan t autum ual
holiday a t o th er peoples expense w as th e m otive for
th e journey.
Therii a re m a n y q u a in t sig h ts to be seen in
C angas (w hich tak es its nam e fro m canicas, conchas,
th e ehelH iko broken valley), h u t a p a r t from the
hifitorical in te re st o f th e place, certain ly tb e m uni
cipal lock-up deserves a line. Ile re , level w ith tho
stre e t an d behind some wooden rails, sa t a row o f
prisoners w ho all looked tb e pictures o f g o o d health
an d spirits a n d ev ery one o f w hom w as smoking.
T o o u r surprise, D on A n tonio stopped his horse,
handed th e rein s to one o f u s, descended a n d shook
b ands h e a rtily w ith one o f th e d^imujiy an d h a d a
few minutes" conversation w ith him , In q u irin g
w b a t h is frien d waj? in duranco vilo for, ho
la u g h in g ly replied, * 0 h , on ly th e usual th in g bere \
too m uch ffim hra o r vino tinic, an d too m uch use o f the
shillelah ov er somehody else s head, th a ts all. They
a re all in for somo k in d o f spree, a n d th e y w ill bo
k e p t th e re till th e y g e t qu ite sober and promise
never, n ever to do it again.
O u a sierra, looking dow n on th e little tow n, is
th e identical ^pot w here Ktivila killed th e celebrated
bear, aud n o t fa r aw ay is th e cburch o f S a n Pedro,
in th e bam let o f V illanueva, on th e capitals oi a
doorw ay o f w hich ie a representation o f K in g Pavila,
a descendant o f tb e G othic N im rod, b ein g killed

w lnle followiug* liia favourile nm usernent o f bearhunting,

I u til pleasant open c o u n trj th a t lio? im m ediately

to th e n orth o f Cangas do Ois, Don A ntonio
pointed out some really fine fields o f flourishing ro o t
crops, and said th a t w as hia w ork. W did not
understand th a t ho h a d an y p ro p erty in th e neigh
bourhood h u t found o u t on in q u iry th a t ou one o f his
Barcelona n u t " CTpeditions to London, he had bcon
rcquestod to purchase a larg e q u a n tity o f C arters'seeds
for a farm er trieu d o f hfs, and he w as ovidenily proud
o f th e splendid re su lt th e y presented. O u r h ost was
constantly referrin g to th e kindness ho had received
in E ngland, and th e w ay buaneaa w as conducted on
this side ol tho B ay, an d in calm s ta rlit evening,
ffavo US somo w ell-rendered anai^hos o f E nglish
songs, to w hich w e rosponded h y somo doubtlessly
painfiJ im itations o f A stu rian Lallads. W e had just
gone as fa r as we th o u g h t w c d are in th e m atter of
these musical inflictions, w h en to o u r am azem ent tho
groom beliind u s said th a t he too had been in
ngland and knew an K n g lish song, J u d g e o f our
urpriee w hen in a clear b arito n e voice tho, stoh'dlokmg retain er b u rst i n t o ^
A i X ^ n y n i g L t f u r * r r a b k ,
D o w n th o fl^^wcry deU,

til gone aud braiohlo,

Jiies and n ^ d r telL
W hen a fte r a lo n g ride w e alighted a t D on
A nionio's house a t R ivadasella, w e had tlie cheerful

reflection to m ake th a t w e had had a n inetructivo,'

am using, and m ot pleasant day. O h ! th a t all
holiday-m akers a t tlio close o f a days o u tiu g coiaJd
say th e sam e tbiug,
I t wiD b e m an y a lo n g d a y bofore w e forgot Don
A ntonio P elayo, a n d w e hope h e w ill read these
lines. M aybe i f b e dove f?o h e w ill stra in his m emory
a second to rccoUect th e tw o stran g ers a n d pilgrim s
he entertain ed in so p rincely a feshion, an d whom
he personally conducted to th e tom b o f hia illustrions
ancestor an d th e birth p lace o f Spain.

CH APT R XXY .
A 9 T B IA K H IS T O R Y A lfD P O L K -L O R B .

W e have to go a lo n g w a y back into th e n ig h t

o f history for tho o rig in ot* tb e boriglnoe o f tbis
province. I n ordor th a t readers m ay form th e ir
own opinion as to w bo th e y w ere and from whence
they came, we w ill h ere uoto aome o f th e w ild
theories o f various w rite rs o f th e M iddle an d otber
ages.
A n enthusiastic au th o r in 1 5 9 2 w rote, th a t Tubal,
the nepbow o f N oah, h av in g corn w itb hia deseendants in tbo y e a r 2 1 6 3 d . c . to populate th e Spanish
peninsula, reached th o reg io n to-day called Can
tabria, and, finding tb a t th e d istric t auitod bim ,
stayod thore. B eing a n artificer in iron, it ia prob
able tb a t h e w ould hav e boon attracted b y tho facili
ties he found for ite m anufacture on th e spot. U ia
m other aceompanied him , a n d b e r n am e w as Sybila
Erithrea.
N oah meet politely came to v is it them , and h ere and
theie founded tow ns, an d am ong th em S antander.
H e also built several cities in A sturias, calling tbem
after b s ow n nam e, am ongst others, N oega, Noevia,
T7 2

N oela, and N ocrena. T u b al died iu th e y e a r 1 8 5 0 b , c .

a n d w as bnricd in a w ild spot n ear th e Pico de
E uropa, and th o place o f h is sep u ltu re is called
T ubaliii even a t th e p resen t day,
Osiris, K in g o f E g y p t, a fte r nom inating his queen
la is suprem e re g e n t d u rin g Lia absence, left K gypt
atten d ed b y a num erous arm y, to see th e w orld, and
to teach a g r ic d tu r e and th use o f w ine and hroad
to its benighted in h ab itan ts, h e b ein g tho discoverer
o f tho la tte r, and hia <iueen th a t -of th e former.
A fte r m an y adventures an d h a rd trav e llin g , he
a t last reached Spain, w here ho found tbo g ian t,
Je rio n , k in g , T his g ia n t waa a ty ra n t, and fa r from
being a lo v er o f tb peaceful a rts w hich Oairis de
sired to teacb. A qnarrel leaulted from th e ir firat
interview , a,nd a fig h t ensued, b u t O siris m ade an
end o f th e giant,
Lete-irous o f re tu rn in g hom e to E g y p t, from
w hence bo h a d been ab sen t a lo n g tim e, h e par
celled o u t tbo K ingdom o f S pain am ongst th e g ia n ts
three sons, u n d e r th e condition th a t they impix^ved
on th e ir feth ei s mode o f g o v erning, o r otberwie
ho w ould re tu rn an d call th em to severe account.
These th ree, how ever, continued th o ir fath ers
ty ra n n y , h u t faring th e consequences, th o y snl>
o m cd th e E g y p tia n hero, 1y p h o n (w h o w as doairous o f usu rp in g th e th ro n e o f th a t country), lo
kill Oairia, w hich h e faithfully did,
W h en I b i s knew o f tho death o f h e r hneband, ahe
p resented horaelf to the people, w ho m ade h e r sue-

ceREor to Osirie in th e ^ v e r n m e n t. T o a v o n ^ bis

death slio sent h e r son H ero, o r H ercules, in p u rsu it o f
th e aeeassin, H e overtook him in A rabia, and, aftor
forcing him to nam e b is in stigators, p u t him to death.
Kerculee lost no tim e in g e ttin g to Spain, H ere
he carried o u t his fath ers thriat, and parcelled out
th e country am o n g st h is friende a n d rolstione,
C antabria b e g a v e to big brother A stu r, b etter
know n in history b y tb e ep ith e t H erm es Tiism cgisto
o r M ercury. F ro m tb a t tim e th is portion o f the
kingdom has been called AsturiaR.
More has been wriHon respecting th e k in g s A stu r,
o f w bicb nam e th ere w ere a n u m b e r; am ongst twm
one who assisted w ith his troops a t th e second P a n ic
w a r ; b a t probably w h a t we hav e above epitomized
w ill suffice to enable onr readers to come to a v ery
decided opinion respecting tb e reliance th a t can be
placed upon such v e ry ancient history.
Ju d g in g from pre-historic rem ains it is probable
tb a t it w as first peopled b y th e Iheros, w ho came
from th e d istrict to-day know n as G^orgia. A fter
qniet poBseision o f th e country fo r a period these
were overrun b y th o CeltB. T h e footsteps o f the
la tte r are m ot w itb h ere an d th ere th ro u g h o u t tho
coim try, and in tbis province th e re a re dolmens
and tum uli.
Though a g ia n t raceja d g iu g from some o f th o ir
works, th e y seem to hav e lived peaceably g iv en to
bnntiug, fishing, an d cu ltiv atin g chestnnts. T h eir
b an tin g appuratn s consisted of a rtic le R o f th e most

ru d im en tary description, and tb o y fished iu coraolee

- th e w icker framcii b ein g covered over w itli skins.
H av in g a n a tu ra l b arrie r on ev ery band, they
w ere able to m ain tain th e ir iudependcnco for agos.
T he Phoenicians trad ed a n d m ined h ere d u rin g th a t
period. T h e traces o f those m ig h ty n av ig ato rs and
m iners a re still ex tan t, b n t th e y g a v e w a y to the
Rom ans, w bo camo a s conquerors, and th e ir vast
w orks th ro n g h o n t th e pro v in ce rem ain to te ll th e
ta le o f th e ir occupation.
T he G o tbs, ou th e ir w ay southw ard, endeavoured
to pass th e C antabrian heigbte, b u t w ere n n ab le to
do so, altho u g h tb e y o v erran tb e reraaining portion
o f th e peuinftula. T he A stu re s h a d learn ed w orthy
lessons from th e ir w hilom roapters, tb e Romaus, and
held th e ir own, C eutnries passed. T h e co u n try was
th o scene o f an o th er a n d m ore subtle invasIon^th a t
o f th e M oors, w bo came and efiected a footing so
firm ly th a t it to o k years, aye, ccn tn rie8 ,to tu rn tbem
o u t s^^in.
T h is footing w as attain ed b y th e treason o f Count
Ju lia n a n d th e sons o f W itlaa, one o f th e Gothic
k in g s o f S pain. Thu first b atllu betw een iuvaders
and invaded w as fo u g h t on th e m argin o f fhe
G uadalete riv er. A fte r eig h t days o f h a rd fighting
tb e Moors succeeded in o b tain in g a complete victory,
a n d th e rem ainder o f the G o th ic arm y dispersed.
T bo lo a jo ri'^ o f th is re m n a n t passed in to A sturias,
w h ere th e y w ere rvceivcd w ith open arm s. They
aaeiroilated w ith th e people, a n d afterw ards d id the

p ro v in good service in tlie m an y stru g g les th e y

sustained w ith tlieir com m on enem y, tho Moors.
T he attem pts o f the la tte r to pass in to A etnrias
w ere for a Icmg tim e futile b n t succcss a t liwt
crowned th e ir efforts, and for a tim o th e y reigned
suprem e; b u t th e eioesses o f th e ir ru le rs canaed a
rising o f th e people, th is risin g ripened in to a revoIntiou, and a t C ovadonga a b a ttle w as fought.
Pelayo headed th e people, a n d th Moors were
commanded b y M unnza, th e resu lt o u r readers know,
and th is was, a* w e h av e said, th e first o f a continuons
series o f defeats w hich ended i u th e su rren d er o f
G ranada and th e esp n lsio n of tho ilo o r s from Spain.
Thns P elayo w as th e first k in g o f A stu rias after
th e rceonquoBt o f th a t province.
D uring the period o f tho M oorish occupation,
communities of M usarahs wei*e her and th e re form ed
am ongst th e m ountains. T hese had clianged th eir
creed a n d had become Christian. M any oi* these
com munities rem ained w h en th o ir com patriots wero
driven out. T h ey form to-day a special f e a tir e in
the country. S p eak in g th e ir ow n dialects, in te>
m arrying am ongst them selves, a n d follow ing tb e ir
own traditions and usages, th e y a re in roany cases
sim ilar to crew s o f vessels shipw recked on a foreign
strand. O ne o f these oom m unities Hves a t A sto rg a,
a city in th e n o rth o f th e province o f liCon.
A n y one w ho has travellod in n o rth e rn and central
S pain w ill hav e m et some o f th e m em bers o f this
com munity, T h ey all drem a lik e : th e m en w ear a

broad black felt L at w itli cords around i t ; a sLort black

cloth ja c k e t w ith a row o f buttons on eith e r s id e ; a red
v e s t; a v e ry full plaited bJack p a ir o f p a n ts reaching
to th e ktico; black w oollen atocHit/ys an<l leath er shoeB.
T b e b u tto n s ou vcast an d jack et conidst o f im itation or
re a l coins : th e ric h use gold, th e poor b ra . Tbey
a re m e t w ith in ev ery seaport a n d fishlQ^ place,
w here they a re occupied in tb e purchase and for
wardings to th e in te rio r th e fru its o f th e ocean. The
m en are v e ry honest, an d th e w om en a re renow ned
fo r tb e ir beauty and cleanliness. T he ^rS torga
maragaio is unfo rtn n ately th e oaly^Mysara b commu
n ity w hereof so m uch can be said ili'\ th e ir iavour.
T b e ir com|>atriot8, as a ru le, hav e di3fere\t principles,
a n d a re notorious for th e ir laziness an d d ir t ; w hilo
th e physique o f tb e A sto rg a people is h ealth y and
robust, th e m ajority o f th e oth er M usarabs a re puny,
weak, and often deformed,
A fte r th e occapation o f A sturias b y th e ii<K)rs,
th e country continned to be governed b y kings, who
w ere appointed b y tb e people, an d confirmed in their
positiou b y tho C allp b o f Cordoba,
T h e country b a d ita fu tr o s or code o f rig h ts b ro u g h t
dow n from th e tim e when th e Suprem e Council m et
u n d e r th e Carhayon, o r tree o f liberty, to m anage tlie
affairs o f th e State.
These ftieros w ero joalously g uarded b y the nobles.
I t is recorded, t h i t in one o f tb e n o rth e rn provinces,
on tb e occasions w hen th e k in g m et h is council o f
S tate, the presid en t o f th e council opened business.

\ i j unrolling th e ch arter o f rig h te, an d say m g

Seaor, by ih is chartor you see th a t each o f us
singly IB your oqual, b u t jo in tly w c a r o B u p o rio r to
you."
I t ie n o t Stated w hether th is form ed the
preface to th e opening discourse o f th e prcB id en t
in this province, b u t i t ia know n th a t tb e nohloa
held to th e ir rightR w ith a. tenaciouB g * ^ p .
The kings reeided au d h eld th e ir co u rt a t Cangas
d e T in eo -^a clean and p leasant to w n to-day, sur
rounded b y m ountains, h eav ily wooded, aud g ra n d ly
picturesque.
ThcBu m o u n tain B al>ound i n gam e. T he brow n
hear, ja v ali, au d cham ois, a rc ab u n d an t, so are
pheasants, p artrid g es, woodcock, quail, a n d snipe.
W olves ran g e th e m ountain heights, a n d th e n ig g ed
tops give a footing to eagles an d vultures.
Thu riv e r N a rc ta ru n s b y th o tow n, aiid ^ Im o n ,
tro u t, la m p ru y B , piko, a n d eols rew ard th e patience
o f Izaaks followers, au d supply m an y a housewife
w ith a n extra course.
W e do not in ten d w ritin g a g en eral h isto ry o f all
th e k in g B w ho ru led in A stu rias after P elayo, h u t
will only uote a few , w ho w ere celebrated in th e ir
day, and w ho left to p o sterity some cauao o r oth er
for rem em hering llicm.
F ro ila th e F ir s t is rep u ted to have founded
Oviedo, to-diky th e capital o f th e principality. H e
huilt a church thoro, and endow ed it . l i e w as a man
o f a m ost violent tem per, alw ays a t w a r w ith his dear
neighbours th e G allegos an d Basques, au d ever

jealous o f h is b ro tliers inflaence w ith th e nobles,

w bich ultim ately led him to cause hi b ro th e r to be
m urdered, A conapiracy w as a t le n g th formed,
w hich resu lted in th e assaflsination o f th is th e first
aud moBt u n p lcaaau t K in g Froila.
A urelio, w ho succecded him w as in ev e ry th iu g tho
reverse o f F roila. A stu te and easy, h e n e v e r fought
when h e could h y a n y means avoid doing fto.
A lth o u g h P e la y o b a d d riv e n o u t tb e Moors from
A sturiaa, still tb e y held th e n eig h honring provinces,
au d w ere alw ays re a d y to harnas th e ir conquerors.
A s fig h tin g did n o t suit A urelio, it is said th a t he
m ade a com pact w ith A h d erram an , C alipb o f Cor
doba, to sond h im y early a trib u te o f u hundred
damsel* fifty o f theeo w ere d au g h ters o f th e nobles,
an d fifty those o f plehoians o r vassals u n d er the
condition th a t th e Calipli refrain ed from com m itting
an y a c t o f h ostility a ^ ^ in st th e co u n try . This
m onarob, stra n g e to say, d ied on b is bed.
A. tew k in g s followed in th c succeaion, w ithout
h av in g left a n y recorded ev eu ts o f im portance to
com m em orate th o ir reigns.

T hen cam e an o th er w arrio r, A lfonso tb e Chaste,

wbo n ever felt a t peace, except w hen a t th e hoad
o f his troops for some bloodIhirsty fighting w ith his
enem ies th e Moors o r w ith hig neighbours the
B asques a n d Cralleyos. H e solicited tb e h an d o f thc
d au g h ter o f C harlem agne, b u t ineffectually. Hie
siste r h av in g m aintained illicit relations w ith ono of
hie peers (resu ltin g in th e b irth o f Beinai*do del

Carpi, tbo hero o f th e paes o f Ronceevallee), Alfonso

puoiehed hie eister b y im m n rin g h e r i u a convent,
and bor lover hy h a v in g bis ey es b u r n t o u t, and
lockiug him u p in a p erp etu al prison in th e Cafrtillo
de L una. I t w ill b e n o ted tb a t th ese w ere tbe
vigoroue dayR o f old w itb a v o n j^aiice.
A t le n g tb Alfoneo died, an d w ae succeeded h j
B am iro, th e husband o f th e celebrated A stu rian
queeu D oa Urra<5^, o f w hom w e sh all hav e somt^
th in g to te ll in th e follow ing chapter.
D u rin g th e re ig n o f th is k in g , G ijo n waR the
scene o f tb la n d in g o f a borde o f NorRemen. A
battle w as fonj^ht ou th e o u tsk irts o f th e tow n
betw een tho invadera a n d th e A ^ tu ria u s; tb e form er
being handsom ely w hipped. E v e n a t th e p resent
day some o f th relicR o f t h i s fig b t are now and ag ain
tu rn ed u p b y tb e cultivators o f tb e fields, w hich
wore th e scene o f tbo struggle.
D u rin g this re ig n a feudal r ig h t w as established
under tbe nam e o f th e vote o f S antiago, w hereby
tho lord o f th e m anor w as entitled to certain tith es
from each d a W ^ l w ithin h is m anor a t tb tim e of
h e r m iirriage. T bis tith e ha^ v e ry pn)|Hirly fallen
into disuse a t ibo proeont day. S pain, it is evi*
dent, invented th is so rt o f m aidenly trib u te long
heforo th e S alv atio n A rm y."
A fte r th is m a n y k in g s r e ig n e d ; aome in contm uous strife w ith th e ir neighbours, others too
inactive o r too occupied in th e ir ow n pleasures to
heed the coursc o f ev e n ts: th e co u n try sometimes

m erged into th e kingdom o f Leon ag a in attaining

its independence, Tintil i t w as m erged into the
gen eral kingdom o f S p a in ; retain in g , how ever, tlio
rig h t to th e first title n e s t lo th e th ro n e th a t ie to
g iv e to th e n earest h e ir to th a t tbronu th e title of
prince o f AeturiaR.
Feudal iem pro vailed th ro u g lio u t th e m iddle ages
in th is province, to th o ex ten t o f ev e ry vassal being
a slave to his lord. T ransfers o f th e eoiJ Included,
too, th e tran sfer o f its ten an ts, b ein g in feet a qneer
so rt o f fiiitu re o f ten u re.
T h ere uro a num ber o f ruined castles a n d ti)wers
th ro u g h o u t th e co u n try , each w ith its legends of
crncltles com m itted a n d w rongs |>erpetrated; and
th e traditions o f th o ir ancient lords doings are
& ithfully handed down b y th e families w ho live lu
th e ir vicinities, all doscundants o f th e poor vassals, wlio,
a t tho tim e w hen those feudal iron hands fiouHsbed,
gro an ed aw ay tb e ir exietonco, w aitin g o n th e pleasure
o f th e ir lords, b u t did n o t dare to g ro an aloud, under
pen alty o f tb e lash, to rtu re, o r even death.
O ne o f these tow ers stands n o t v e ry fa r from
Gijon, It walls ai* en tire, b u t its in te rio r has long
ago crum bled into dust. T he lands w bich belong to
it aro Btiil b eld iu fief n n d er conditions w hich arc but
rem nants o f tb e olden tim e. C ultivators p a y a rent
o f BO m uch com , ao m any fowls, so m any measurea
o f chestnuts, and so on, an d th is re n t baa to be paid
w ith a due observance o f ancient forms. A s ]{owcver
it is low , farm ers do not com plain o f tb e custom.

F rom the tow er u n d er notice it r reported tliat

there is a subterranean gfdlery, leading to a stream
a t the foot o f th e hill, an d to an o th er tow or a lo n g
distance of. I t is said xliat on occasional holidays,
stran g e light a re seen o u t o f th e em brasuroa
o f this tow er, an d th a t ghostly revelries aro
hold. T be co u n try people shivor as th e y pass by
it even iu d ay lig h t, a n d it w ould req u ire a v e ry
strong reason to induce tb em to g o n e a r it afler
dark.
In Rom e parts o f th e province rem ains o f ancient
sepulchrcs havo been m e t w ith , probably o f tho
Celtic period. T h ey consist o f th e k u t vaen, i.e.,
slabs o f stone p u t iot boz shape, holding in eome
cswes th rem ains o f th e occupant, sometimes extended a t full len g th , sometimea in a sittin g posture.
U nfortunately fo r an tiq u arian s, these have mostly
been destroyed b y th e ir discoverers, w bo probably
wanted to resto re thorn.
U rns have been found, too, holding th e aahos of
eome Rom an occupants. T h ey h a v e le ft mro
lasting rem ains o f th e ir occnpancy th a n th e ir m ore
ashes, in tbe nam es o f tow ns an d villages buildings
y e t ex tan t in some o f tb em -relics o f th e ir baths
and m oR aics^aquedncts an d attle heaps, an d above
all their mode o f cultivation o f th e soil, and o f w ork
in g in carp en try a n d m asonry. T he ploughs and
W ro w s, the m asons and carp en ters tools a re alm ost
idiiDtical w ith those w h ich w ere used th rou g h o n t th e
world by th e Rom ans ; and w ere i t possible fr>r one

o f those g rim old soldiers to w ake n p a g a in out of

his etern al sle6p and see how th e w orld o f A stu rias
w agged, he w ould h a rd ly l>elive th a t Lc ftad been
asleep for sixteen h u n d io d years. A stu rias is uot
alone in th is stoppage in th e w heels o f progress in
th e a rta an d in d u stries it is almost th e same
th ro u g h o u t th e peninsiiJa.
T h e re a re still ex ta n t R o m e vo ry anciont roads,
one ru n u in g alo n g th e coast from tb e F ie u c h frontier
to S antiago de Compostella, tho sh iin e a t w hich
pilgrim -knighta an d b o g ^ r s alike kneeled d n rin g
th e CTURadeR, a n d a t w h ich th e lite a n d th e lowly
kneel now , as in days o f yore. A lo n g th is road, in the
m onntain featncssos, th e re a re w h a t are n ow called
hospitcUtSy in all probability founded b y th e K n ig h ts
o f S a in t J o h n o f Jeru salem , and each one w ithin
s ig h t o f th e other. D o rin g th e w in te r m ouths, w heu
h a rd frozcu snow covered th e ^ lo u u d s, th e traveller
o r pilgrim looked forw ard to reaching th ese refuges,
as to havens o f rest, siuce th e y wero certain of
fin d in g a bed, a n d a loaf o f bread, a s w ell as a
f a g ^ t to w arm thom sclves ; and there, w h en over
taken b y snow-storm s th e y could re st u n til they
w ere over. T h e buildings sta n d to-day, b u t as tho
road ia seldom trodden except by shepherds, the
cnstom o f placiu^^ wood, h a y for beds, and th e loaf
for th o h u n g ry tra v e lle r has fallen into disuse.
T he buildings rem ain, how ever, a s landm arks, and
e x istiu g proofs o f th e h o sp itah ty o f tho m iddle ages.
A n o th e r roadth e w ork o f tho R om ans runs

from Y alladolid th ro u g h Leon and A sto rg a to P o n tferrada, an d over th e m ouutalus to Betanzos wLero
i t m erged in to oth er roads, consfrncted b y thii aamo
engineers, and w hich rim from this place in different
directions, some to tow ns on tho coast, o th ers to th e
mines in A storiaa.
T o-day A etnrias enjoys a n etw ork o f good govern
m ent roads, k e p t in exccllont condition, a n d perm it
tin g ready tra n sit to th e g re a te r portion o f th e
province. A lth o u g h tho country has been opened
u p h y th e road system , a n d tra n s it maxie easy, efill
there are som e portions o f th e province difficnlt o f
acnesfi, ow ing to its topographical features, a n d in
aome o f these plaoos stran g e customR prevail, and
alm ost aboriginal cuiiogities a re to he m et w ith.
O n th e borders o f th e riv e r N avia, fa r u p its
course, there is a mall tow n, th a t is seldom visited
by an y stran g er. A t a distance of a few mile from
thia place, th e re ia an o th er to w n ; betw een th o tw o
there exists a deadly feud, an d w oe be to th e inhubitunts o f th e one if th e y a re cau g h t w ith in th e ]>reciueta o f th e other. T h ey a re m altreated, and often
killed. Aa th e riv e r ruahea b y in its headlong
course to th e aea, w ith numoroua cataracts and deep
whirlpools, an easy mode fo r th e disposal o f the
victim s is alw ays a t hand.
W e have had occasion to v isit those strange
vilUgee, tow ns th e y can h a rd ly be called. T he feuds,
however, only extend to each o th e r; stran g ers a re m ost
hospitably received, and assisted iu an y w ay needed.

T h e clim at o f th e province alo n g th e fiea coaet

a n d for tw c ty luiica in lan d ie pleasantly w arm and
d ry from M ay to N ovem ber, an d temp<;rate for tiie
rem a in in g portion o f th e year, I t raina oftn d u rin g
th e w in te r m onths. T h ere is not, how ever, a con
tinuous dam pness o r fog ; und d u rin g th e whole
y e a r probably th e re arc n o t tw enty daye in w hich
there is n o t aomo sunshine.
F u rth e r iuto the
in terio r, and on an d about the m ountaine, th e h eat
is m ore exceaaive in enmmer, a n d tLe cold in w inter.
H eav y snowa fall OD tlie m ountains, and ow ing to
th e abundance o f w oodland, th e rain e in eome p a rts of
th e province d u rin g antum n and w in te r a re heavy.
i n fact tLo co u n try tL roughoiit is v e ry wot>ded;
th e re a rc larg e forests o f pin trt^es, w hich aupply the
props to tLe extensive collieries in tho G ijon dietricl,
as w ell ae to th e Soutli W alua coal mine ; th ere are
iiuinense ch estn u t trees an d w alnut gro v es, having
tim ber th a t awimingly w ould hav e supplied the
m eans o f auhsiateiicc to tLe Celt, since am on|fst tbe
chstnut trece th ere a re eome tb a t h av e a tru n k of
over a x feet in diam eter. T h en a g a in th ere are
oxtcneive p lan tatio n s o f hazel, w bich y early yield
th o ir quota to tLe su p |)o rt o f tLe sh ip p in g tra d e of
G ijon and ad jacent porte, and to tho indigestion of
children an d th e toothaches o f g ro w n persons jn
B ritain. Beeidea these th e re a re extensive foreeie
o f oak, w hich are utilized to r railw ay sleepers and
stav es in th e country.
A e h a s been above noted, th e cultivation o f the

SiJ H carried forw ard aa i t La* beon for m any cen

turie. I t is useless p reach in g rotation o f crops, o r
le s t modo o f m a n u iin g . A s th o ir fathers w orked, so
they continue, a n d a re contented. T he land is infinitosimally euhdivided, so th a t tiiero is n o opportunity
o f in troducing im p ro reracu ts upon a u extonaivc
scale, in o rder p ractically to provo th e effect. T he
tD ng u p o f th e soil is offectod b y a sm all wooden
one-handed plou g h , h av in g a cast-iron p o in t; this
is draw n h y a y o k e o f oxen. Tho m an holds the
ploagb, w h ilst th e housewife w alks ahead, w ith her
goad g u id in g th e oxen. T ho ploughing is gonerally
offected to a d epth o f from six to n in e inches.
M anure la prep ared h y c u ttin g th e furze, heather,
o r an y other brush from th e n earest hill, caoling it to
a m arshy o r m uddy spot in the co u n try roads, and
spreading it th e re H]?e a carp et, to be trodden over
until it has been disintegrated. Stables a re only
cleaned o u t once o r tw ieo y early , w ith th e n atu ral
^ u l t th a t d ir t is o f course ab u n d an t, h u t the
tarm ers do not know how to place it a t its best, and
where it w ouid be foiind beneficial. L o rd PaJmeraton
a i d onco th a t d irt wa^ m a tte r in tiie w ro n g place,
l e A stu n a n larm er is v e ry carefol to see th a t such
IS the caac. T he carta a re aimifar to those used by
the Romane tw enty centnriea ago.
Crops constt ,c f maize, rye, a n d scanda, o r red
eat Sow ing tim e ia a busy one. O no neiffh.
r helps tho other, and so on collectively in caoh
operation u n til tho g ra in is m arketed o r reduced to

flour. W hen th e y o u n g shoot is up, all the av ail

able w om en and m en o f th e d istrict ta k e in h an d the
operation o f th in n in g it a n d w eeding it, an d , in case
o f m aize, o f d ra w in g u p th e soil ab o u t th e stem or
Rtalk, T bey go from one field to th e o th e r u n til all is
done. T h e first crop read y for harveflt is th e $canda.
A g a in th ere is a collection o f neighbours, ev ery two
carry a larg e basket m ade o f sp lit wood, and w ith a
couple o f sh o rt rods iu th e ir hands th e y proceed to
strip off th e heads o f co rn in to th e basket, tram pling
the straw o n d e r foot.
W h en th e g ra in has all been th u s collected, the
m en en te r w ith scythes, an d c u t th e straw , w hich is
piled for w in ter fodder. T he ry e is harvested in the
sam e w ay.
S h o rtly beforo th e m aize p;raii2 has
hardened th e people en ter, and cnt th e stalks a t the
b u tt. Theee are collected into sheaves an d piled on
cud. A fter th e y hav e been th u s piled for some tim e,
u n til th e g ra in is rip e and h ard , they ag ain set to,
and p u ll off th e ears, c a rtin g th em to th e ir respective
houses an d h an k in g them . A fte r th is, th e strin g s
o r han k s are h im g around th e outside o f th e g ran ary
u n d er th e eaves, w here th e y rem ain u n til required
for use.
B y tb e tim e th e raaiee is housed, i t is tim e to
a tte n d to th e chestnuts. These a re beaten from the
trees b y lo n g rods, collected and piled in tb e open
u n til th e y b u rst th e ir hedgehog, skins, a fte r which
th e y a re collected an d stored in th e g ra n a ry o r soldN o sooner a re th e ijhestmita down, th a n i t Is time

to collect th e apples in to tLo Lagaree, wLicL a re the

cider presses. A stu ria s m auufecturea a v e ry larg e
q u an tity o f th is Lquor, and drlnkR i t too, although
a portion is exp o rted to th e AtitxUes. TLis in feet
U tb e Isv o u rite le v e ra g e o f th e people, but it ia anU
a m iserable concoction o f potato sp irit (im ported
from H am burg) w ith tLe essence o f aniseed th a t ia
th e cause w hy th e re ie such a g re a t am o u n t of
drunkenness in the province.
The people o f ARtnria live or i t were in commu
nities d u rin g th e w hole y ear, because w ben all the
fruits a re housed, th e
commence, and w e use
th e w ord in ite A m erican sense. A t n ig h t the
neighbour m eet in one house o r th e other, to strip
th e m aize from tbu ears. T hese occasions aw
generally accompanied hy dancing fo r th e y ounger
people to the sound o f th e gatia o r th e tam lw ur,
varied b y sUinzas su n g hy one o f tb e dancers, and
taken up b y tb e others in tu rn , T he m eetin g s or
feaats are n ever know n to d egenerate into braw ls,
hut are k e p t u p harm oniously th ro u g h o u t the beeing,
which continues u n til each farm er in tu rn has been
cheerftUly helped w ith bis th rash in g . H elp in g s of
th is sort a re called in th e co u n try th e e^foyasa.
C hurches and heim itag es d o t th e co u n try cvervw here, b u t a re n o t as th e y a re in Castillc vast
feudal constructions, overshadow ing an d chilling the
pigm y bousee th a t su rro u n d th em , b n t sm all build
ings w ith n o th in g sbow y on tb e outside, and which
^re filled w ith congregations m uch m ore eArtiest

X 2

and devout than thosu o f ib c m ore eliowy edific<

o f th e otlior provinces.
Kach vilU ge churoh baa o f course its p atro n saint,
aud its sain ts day ia k e p t b y a general reunion of
aJl ih e people in th e i*eapcctive parishes. A t these
g a th e rin p , a m e rry tra d e ia d riv e n l y cid er sellers,
m ountebanks, an d m erry-aiidrow s ; sw cot sellers,
musiciana an d beggars. O nce th a t m a s * i s o to t , the
day is giv u n n p to ergoym ent. (booking plaeea are
im provisod, an d te n ts a re n o t ab sen t ; tliero is a
general slaughtta* o f po u ltry , and everybody eata
and drinks. TLcn d an cin g commencea. A ll the
available tiddlcra find aita players a re sccured, and
rin g s o f daneera a re eoon form ed around them . If
th e re ia a scarcity o f these discoursers o f sw eot mnsic,
a tam bour sets huodreda d an cin g , and tbr>se who
can n o t procur? ev en iLat, dance to th e sound o f thoir
ow n sw eet voicea, T he w bole takes place in some
field o r o tb e r en clo su re,in tb v icin ity o f th e clturch.
A a ev en in g seta in , each beau claims his belle, and
hom e tb e y all go, g ra te fu l for a days enjoy merit if
th e w eath er has b een fine, and Ho|>cful, if it haa
rained, th a t th e n e x t ronieria w ill tu rn o u t le tte r.
T here ia one peculiarfty ab o u t tlic ^ndiug o f these
romo'ian th a t ahould be notod ; a n y y o u o g person
w ho m ny ha\*c mwle a n enem y o f an o th er before
th a t day, naa it in b is o r h e r p(jwer to Incom e a ^ i n
friendly afte r tliis, A a above stated, theee
aro h ig h d ay s foi sw eet sellers.
A n y person
dsirons o f ooneiliating another, purohiiKca sweets a t

tho roTrm'iay and t'^kea tb em in p en o D , a u d presents

them to tire offended p a rty . T h ey a re not refused,
as it is understood lh a t th e y m u st be accepted ; th e y
a re peace offerings which enable ev eu euom ies to
shako hands and ag a in be friends, i n A stu rias,
sweets purchased w ith th a t object aro called per^

dones.
S an J u a n is a v e ry celebrated su in t in th is p r o
Vince. O n th is sain ts eve, y o u n g ladies, and believers
in the tradition s attached th ereto , place chestnuts
u n d er th e ir pillow , w hen they dream o f th e ir sw ains ;
i f thoy shall be m arried before th e n c ^ t anniversary,
o r if they a re in th e u n fo rtu n ate i>oitio o f h av in g
no swain, th e y endeavour b y o th o r rite s to dream of
th e OU th e y hope to have. T his in fact is th e most
Weird n ig h t o f th e year. T h en spirits como from
a ir and earth , f a ir i^ dance th e ir sp rig h tly dauees m
th e Qiohyaa^ and all th in g s in th e n atu ra l, and the
enpernatural o rd e r too, we presume, boar testim ony
io sometliing o r other. W e havo h a d it eerionsly
stated to u s on m ore th a n r>ne occasion, th a t a t m id
n ig h t o n th is p articu lar eve, all w a te r is tu rn ed into
th e finert old wine, jy^dnrian to p ers w atch fo r the
m om ent w hen they can d rin k th e ir fill free o f expense,
b n t i f they have n o t m an ag ed to do th a t a t an earlier
hour, th e y alw ays m iss th e m om ent w hen th e ap^^ll
is on, an d we hav e n ev er heal'd o f evon one who
snccoeded in securinj th o g ratu ito u s ju ic e o f tbe
grape. A notlicr ch arm in g legend is th a t i f a newlaid eg g be placed oii th e w indow sill, ontside, the

hen th a t laid it b av ju g been M lled w itb m an y conju

rations, a n d it be tak en in, exactly a t tbe m om ent the
first ra y o f th e suns Jig b t strikes th e oarfii on tbe
follow ing m orning, iis yo lk w ill h a v e been transibrnied into a moet beautiful m in iatu re ebip in full
Rail. W c hav e n o t y e t tried tb o experim eut, and
h a v e n ev er seen tb a t ebip,
C arnival is also a bu sy tim e in A sturias- F orm erly
g re a te r lioenso w as perinittud to m asquers tb a n now,
and jokes w ere sometimes carried to v e ry foolish
lengths. I t w as th e custom fo r m asquers to ta k e w ith
them an y q u a n tity o f soot, w bich tb e y th rew over
people againet w hom th e y b a d a e p ite ; b u t this
m < 3 t repreheneible & shion o f clothee-destroyiog lias
been p u t dow n b y tb e th u m p in g h elp o f good oak
staves.
T lierc is a g en eral b elief in th e existence of
fairiee, a n d m an y a re tbo tales th a t a re to ld by
sesagenariane, o f th e ir tre a tm e n t b y th e se ; Low
th a t th e y h av e u n w arily stepped into th e ir aialayajf
(rin g s) on S t. J o h n s eve, a n d Lav been unable to
ex tricate them solves u n til daybreak, and bow tb a t
th e y had been teaeed th ro u g h o u t th e n ig h t b y th eir
H prigbtly th o u g h invisible en ch ain ers; how the
fairies bave a n im p o rtan t influenoe o v e r cattle, some
time# p lay in g pran k s, an d sto pping tb e ir m ilk, to
th e h o rro r o th good housewife, a t o tb er timea
doubling ita abundanco to h e r delig h tfu l surprise.
These fairies, o r j^anas as th e y a re called, are
believed to bold th e secrets o f whei'e titiasaree are

hi
.,
r:

hidden, and th e y aooietimce commuDicate th a t s&cret

to lucky m au.
Tlie evil eye ie an o th er article o f belief, a n d its
maleficent effect o n childreu a n d cattle. T o p re
servo children from its b lig h t, je t arm lets called
ci^uas, w ere form erly p u t u p o n th e ir w rists. Then
again there are w h ite ladies, w ho w aste th e ir timo
in roam ing about th e w orld a t m id n ig h t, seem b g ly
w ith n o other object th a n to frig h te n silly m en.
Some years ago, one o f th e forem en a t a colliery
in L angreo w as re tu rn in g homo after p a y in g a v isit
to some friends, w ho liv ed a t a distance o f about
two milea from h is place.
T he n ig h t w as d a rk an d w in d y ; h e could, however,
trace hie w ay b y th e fitful lig h t o f some blast
furnaces in th e vicinity, an d n e a r w hich he had to
pass. A s he neared a d a rk p o rtio n o f th e road, ho
could see some object m oving in th e direction b e w as
going, and h e felt terrib ly afraid. A ll th e tales he
had ever h e a rd resp ectin g
diaos and o f all th e
m ighty arm y o f supernatural im aginings came into
his head, and his fear soou com pelled him to fairly
take to h is heels and ru u . S hortly afterw ards he
Btumbled a n d fe ll O n g e ttin g up h e glanced round,
and again saw tb e sam e dreaded object, a t ab o n t the
Mme distance from him as before. H e ag a in started
off, fear lending him w ings, and h e continued ru n n in g
until h e fiame to a p a rt o f the ro ad w ell lighted np
by th e flames o f th e fnrnaces- H ere ho took courage,
and fac^d round, finding him self followed not b y hia

ow n shadow , b u t b y ti e ow u donkey. E o utilized

ilia quadruped, au d ag ain start&d for home, tb ankful
for th e aea a com pany, a n d th in k in g th a t for th a t
n ig h t a t Icaat hie troubles wGi*e over.
H ow ever he had n o t proceeded fa r w hen ho saw
naked lights approaching. O n th e ir n ea rin g him , h
oould see tlia t th e y wero Jarg e can r3lee carried b y a
n u m b er o f people. I t a t once stru ck him aa strange,
th a t can d lee could be so carried on such a etormy
n ig h t. H e a n d his donkey oommoDced to tre m b le ;
and n eith er m oved u n til th e w eird procession ]>assed.
T he crow d w ere accom panying a funeral, an d as
th e y w e n t by, he noticed th a t they wero all h io w n t<>
him, eomc b em g his neig h b o u rs, and m an y o f tliem
had been dead for years.
Thia fairly donblod him n p , f?o to speak, and lie
wae so frig h ten ed tlia t h e lost all conaciaiisneee of
w h a t followed u n til th e follow ing m orniiig. Som e
how he reached hom e and re tire d to bed, b u t tho
apparition o f th a t funeral wiis d istin ctly remembered
h y him w hen h e awolce. H e w en t to vieit hia
neighbours, and told th em w b a t he h a d seen. Thoy
Inughed a t him , au d rem arked th a t it w aa moro than
probable th a t h is friends had v e ry stro n g cider, and
p le n ty o f anU.

T he b a t is coneidercd a biped o f ill om en, and a

bouee w here one en ters w ill )oao one o f ite memhers
b y death, hence o f course th e stam pede a t Potcs
before referred to.
W itches a re believed in even to-day b y th e ilJite*

ra te portion o f th e irihabitaiita, an d th e y a r e sup

posed to hold th e ir S abbaths a t Sevilla, w here tbey
arrivo, aooompanied b y th e ir famiHars, m ou n ted on
brooms.
Such a re ome o f th e item s o f th e folk-lore o f th is
proTince. O f courso th e beliefs iu apparitions, &c.,
a re those held b y th e illiterate m a througlout tho
eorm try w bo hav e n o t como in contact w ith populous
industrial ce n tre s; these hav e advanced w ith th e
age, a u d h e re such beliefs a rc alth o u g h know n to
alla th in g o f th e past.
A sturias is one o f th e Spanish provinces m ost
noted fo r its industries, T h e ab u n d an t coal m ines
in tbe Gij(m d istrict p erm it th e developm ent o f its
other n a tu ra l resources. I t ia noted for its m ineral
w ealth, h a v in g num erous rich copper ore deposits
and lodee, some p artia lly opened u p , others not
w orked a t all, a w ell as extensive calam ine, m an
ganese a n d rich iron orea in a sim ilar position. The
reason o f th is is evident. T he co u n try to w ith in the
la st fow years w as b u t littio know n ; th e difficulty of
tra n sit prevented g e n e ra l exploration h y stra n g e rs;
th e ro a d system is com paratively v e ry recen t, and
u c e th e construction o f theso roads, w a n t o f d irect
railw ay com m unication w ith th e cen tre o f S p ain has
t*een a n obstacle to th e v isits o f p ro sp e c tin g
strangors. T h an k s to M r, D onon, th e railw ay has
been effectually carried ov er th e P y ren ees an d ie
now in w o rk ; a t presen t, therefore, th e re is no
reason w hy th e copper an d oth er m ines should not

be taken u p by E n g lish capitalists, since th e y are

w ith in easy reach o f a pbipping p o rt and w ith in a
few days' distanco from E ngland.
O w ing to th e ag itated stat^ o f the province d u rin g
Ib e m iddle ages, convulscd a it continually was,
eitJior b y in tern a i txifes betw een tb e nobles and
th e ir rulers, o r th e noblee and th e Church, o r by
fightfl fo r Jibcrty a n d th e recovery o f th e soil from
th e Moorish conquerors, as w ell as from o th e r in
vaders, tb e safety o f life an d p ro p e ity w as often very
problem atical, and w hen a town w as conquered,
pillage and rap in e were o f course th e o rd er o f tho
<i^y*
T o save th e ir traasu res th e rich am ongst th e in
h abitants often buried th e ir w ealth in out-ol-the-way
p k c e s, hoping to bo ag ain able to recover it a t some
fu tu re day. A ll landm arks th a t rem ained fo te ll the
ta le w ere trad itio n s handed dow n by hearsay, i t
sometime huppene th a t even a t th e p resen t day
these treasure a re u n earth ed w h ere an d w h en least
expected, and the tille r o f th e soil is enriched by
finds th a t he nev* dream ed of. T he traditions
w h ich exist respecting th e places w here these
tjeasu res a r e b u ried in special localities form a long
c h a p te r o f th e folk-lore o f th e resident 3 o f m any
IcKalities in A sturias, a n d the searching for them
causes m any a disappointm ent to th e ir v e ry earneet
seekers.
T he ancestors o f these residents d u g and delved
for them , b n t failed to find an y th in g . These follow

ID thoir fctoteteps, an d d ig too, g o in g ovor th o same

groim d again an d a g a in ; h u t all to n o pnipoee.
They tire for a while, au d allow th e trad itio n to lie
d o rm a n t; it again w akes u p a n idea trikes one of
the old men o f th e place, th e re ia litile to do on tlieir
farm s a t th e tim e, an d th e y once m ore ta k e u p th e ir
picks, and go in fo r finding th e treiu?ure, and gene
rally w ith a lik e resu lt. Thore i s h a rd ly a d istrict
th a t
n o t its trad itio n o f b u ried w ealth, and
h ard ly a district, too, w h ereiu th is w ealth has not
been so u g h t for, in n in ety -u in o cases o u t o f a h undred
i n T a in ,

W ith in a distance o f th irty -fiv e m iles fro m G ijon,

there is a governm ent g u n factory-w e refer to tb a t
of T rubia. T his is situated in a valley th ro u g h w hich
tw o riv ers w end th o ir w ay, and m erg e in to one, a t
a short distance from tho factory.
Tbe valley is w ell sheltered on ev ery a d e h y hig h
h ills, w ell w oodeJ, an d from th e b eg in n in g o f sp rin g
to th e end o f au tu m n tbo sceDery is v e ry heauti& l.
H ero and th e re extensive lim estone masses crow n
th e hills, and, u n d erly in g these, th e re a re heavy
deposits o f qiiartAito. T h ere are indications of
ancient w orkings in th ese do|)osits, in m ore th a n one
place, a n d a rum our is c u rrc n t, too, th a t go ld has
been found in a n d about these w orkings.
A n old gentlem an, w ho liv ed in th e v icin ity of
th is factory, had*w hen a youth been im bued w ith
tho traditions o f buried treasure In an d about some
o f these an cien t diggings, b u t these traditions did

n o t g o SO f a r a s lo p o i t o u t tlio ex act spots wbore

th is had been effected. H o w as a good L a tin fichoiar,
a u d had studied fo r th e Church.
A m ongst th e properties th a t w ere le ft him b y ls
p aren ts on th o ir denaso. h e found a n old black-letter
book o f necrom ancy iu L atin. T his he p aid very
special atten tio n to, a n d road an d studied it, u n til al
len g th he firm ly believed its doctrines and theories,
a n d th o u ijh t he could a t a o y tim e call sp irits from
tho vasty deep, n o t for a m om ent d o u b tin g hut th a t
th e y w ould come a t hie com mand, provided ho
ex actly ibilow ed th e in attu ctio n s an d rnlee laid down
in hia m usty book o f loro, for tlie calling u p o f tho
said spirits.
Some attem pts w ero m ade b y him io a n d around
th e ancient w orkings, to find e ith e r coined gold, or
even gold in ingots o r d u st, h n t w ith o u t an y other
re s u lt th a n i^heer disappointm ent.
A s a la st rosource he determ ined to call to h is aid
one o f th e trn sty spirits w hicb hia book rocomtnended
un d er such eircumatancea, a n d o f w hich it gav e
num erous iustancea.
A m ongst m any others, h e re a d iu his book th a t on
th e eve o f th e b attle o f N aaoby, on th e n ig h t o f the
13th o f J u n e , 1645, Crom well and his ad jn ia n t had
gone in to a wood, w here th e y m e t a annif^oloured
old gentlem an carry in g a sm all h o x u n d e r his arm,
o u t o f w hich lie drow a parcluuent, w h ich w as duly
aigned b y Ci'omwoll w ith h is ow n blood, and, by
w hich signati'u, ho ensured victory on th e follow

in g day, a n d j)Owcr for a n expressed te rm o f years,

Tlicsc instances w ere, to o n r frien d , snfFcient proof
o f the ab ility o f th e oddly*coloured g entlem an, and,
if he w ere onee able to coinc in contact w itli Lim, o r
any o f his ghostly brood, Le d id n o t doubt th a t th e y
wotdd point o u t to him tb e desired spots.
A s he w as n o t disposed, how ever, to p a y th e price
th a t w as aaid to Lave been p aid b y Cromwell, and
m auv others, he, for a lo n ^ tim e, Lcld back from
com m encing his conjurations.
A t le n g th b y h a rd study, an d re-perusiug, Le
persuaded him self th a t Lc had discovered a w ay,
wLereby he could aatLsfy hie w ish, w ith o u t any
personal risk to him self, b y ra isin g a fam iliar spirit,
an d com pelling it, by th e force o f h is ow n w ill,
to disclose th e w hereabouts o f th e long-deeirod
treaenree.
A beautifully calm sum m er n ig h t w aa chosen for
th e m ig h ty perform ance o f h o ld in g com m nnion w ith
th e inhabitants o f th e n e th e r w orld. T ho rip p le of
th e w a te r in th o riv er, a s it eoftly rebounded from
the banks, an d th e ch irp o f th e cricket in th e grass,
w ith here an d tliere th e bell-note o f th e tree-frog,
were th e only sounds tL a t disturbed th e silence.
TLo moon had disappeared behind th e hills, and tho
w eird h o a r o f m id n ig h t w as approaching.
O ur friend, h u g g in g h is ponderous volum e, was
followed by a sm all boy c a rry in g an iron p o t and
tn p o d , w ith su n d ry in g red ien ts cu n n in g ly prepared,
and ho again precoded n in e y o u n g duniscls. each

holding in h e r h an d a larg e uoig h ted w ax candle,

w ended th e ir w ays to th e cen tre o f a larg o meadow
in th e vicinity.
O n a rriv in g thero, he placed his tripod, pot,
a n d dam eels in position, th e form er in th e contre
o f a rin g form ed h y tho la tte r, w ho stood facing
outw ards.
A g re a t deal o f persuasion h a d beeu ucceegary to
in d n cetiie lim id g irls to v en tu re upon snch a sacri
legious ospoditioD, b u t th e prom ise o f a la rg e share of
th e treasure, a n d th e in n a te cu riosity iu h ero n t to
t)ie w eaker sox, a t lo n g tli overcam e th e ir scniples,
and although th e y doubtless quaked w ith foar, still
th e re th e y wero. A s tb e dread ho n r o f m id n ig h t
w as b ein g stru ck b y a clock in a church to w er some
distance o9, th e requisite ingredient to fill the con
ju re r's p o t w ere th ro w n in aud lighted. A rin g
w as m arked w ith certain w eird an d cabalistic
characters, outside o f th a t form ed by th e damsels,
whose tapors w ere d u ly lig h ted a t tho b u rn in g |>ot.
I h e y w ere enjoined as a m a tte r o f course to keep
w ith in iJie cabalistic rin g , and, le t th e appearances
be w hat th e y m ay, tliey w ere n o t to step outside of
tlia t enchan ted line th a t surrounded them .
T be conjurations wero commenced w ith gre*t
CDorgy, th e sm all boy ke42ping th e p o t b u rn in g by
occasional stirrin g , b u t n o th in g appeared.
ll i o would-be s p irit raiser fearod h e had om itted
somo rite o f cerem ony, a n d referred to his book.
E v e ry th in g w as found, liowever, to 1 exactly as

ordered, a n d in ite place. H e commenced a second

tim e bis conjuratioas, aud accom panied tb e m b y c a re
fully w alking round tb e inside o f th e enchanted rin g .
T his h a d continued for somo tim e w ith o u t an y result,
b u t a t len g th a noise w as h eard, th a t froze ev e ry one
w ith terror. A noise soroethitig sim ilar to a roar,
followed by a trem endous sn o rt ! T bo g ro u n d began
io vibrate, a n d a h eav y body w as h eard to be
approaching.
I t cam e on an d on, u n til i t w as
w itbin the lig h t o f th e candles. T h ere it stopped to
ga^c. I t appeared to h av e a n enorm ous h ead aud
horns. O f course th e g irls w ere prep ared to drop
th e ir candlcs and ru n , w hon th e y first heard th e
noise, b u t th e ir v e ry feai*s held them spell-bound, and
m ade them unable to m ove. A sn o rt from th e ap p a
rition broke th e spell, and, w ith a n unanim ons
shriek, th e y dropped th e ir candles, and ra n like
frightoned sheep. I n th e ir blind h u rry th e y overtn rn ed th e old m an and his tripod. H is pot-fire
w ent o u t, scslding th e lad, w ho fled for his life, and
h e w as loft in darkness, a n d afraid to move. T he
enchanted riu g h a v in g been broken, he m om entarily
expected to find him self cau g h t u p by th e apparition,
and h u rried aw ay. H is te rro r a t len g th caused him
to lose all consciouaness fo r a sh o rt tim e. W h en he
came to him self, h e found th a t ho w as surnm nded by
several cows. T he lig h ts and figures in th e moadow,
a t th a t hour, had aroused th e ir curiosity, and they
had come to see for them selves w h at w as tb e m atter.
O f course th e old m an had his doubts respecting

th e id e n tity o f th e ap p arition, th a t frightened aw ay

h is companioiis, a n d th e g irls conid n ev er he perfeuadod th a t th e y had been frigiituned alm oet o n t of
th e ir -witR b y some old cows, b u t aet th e apparition
dow n to H ie S atan ic Majissty in person.
T be aged etndent o f Becrom ancy firm ly believed
th a t i f th e g irie had n o t fled h e w ould have obtabied
th e secret o f th e treasu re h e w as seeking, a n d in this
belief h e died, as he w as n ev er fibJeto persuade other
nino dameele to accom pany jjim to g o ov er his m agical
proccss again.

Ij

C H A F P E R X X Y I.
IN

SBA RC H

O F

C O P P E R .

I n th e preceding pages we have

often jnsisled
on tbo v a st te titia l w ealth o f tb e Picoa de Kiiropa,
especially from th e m ineralogical p o in t o f Tiew, tb a t
b o

we 2UaIce no apolugy for g iT in g b ere our adventures

w ith a m utual E nglish fiicnd, w ho in eoarch of
copper ascended tb e liig b e r Picos frem tb e southern
aide in th e J u n e o f last year.
T he frien d w c accompanied is a profossed miuiDg
expert an d a n enginoor o f r e p T i t e , an d to those wL<
wish to find O T i t for thcmsclTOJS as to th e value o f the
Picns w e could n o t wi}) a pkaiiajiter, a m ore instructivo o r reliable guide. T be reason w h y tbe
journey w as u n d ertak en w as tb e discovery o f a larg e
stone in tiio han d s o f a n illiterate A a tu riin peasant
who had received i t from somo o th e r countrym an in
the m ore rem ote villages o f th e Picos. T he stouo
w eighed a b o u t fifty*six pounds, a n d a fte r it cam e into
th e j)ossession o f our friend w as for a tiiuo c a st aside
as a m ere m ountain curio," b u t a period o f onforced
idleness, o r ra th e r leisure, su p erren in g , it w as duly
assayed and found to contain th irty -fo u r per cent, of
T

copper, w ith a very R m all trace ot iron its ap|)carauce boing th a t o f a piece o f ra d Lerm atite oro,
striatiid w ith beautiful crystals o f m alachite.
A s BoiiUi tim e had elapaud since tho a|KKnmen had
reached us and
had practically forgottun our
iD fo rm a n te nam e, wo <ieterrQiQcd to v isit the southern
P i c o R them selves, an d find o u t w hero m ore o f tb ia
valuable ore w as to be ibim d. A ccordingly, having
secured some in d iifercu t specim ens o f th e genus
iiTiTo?, a n d a g n id e who knew th e w ild m ountain
tracks, w e R ta rte d .
F o r th e first few miles our ro ad lay b y a v ery
tiu'bulent and noisy stream r u R h i n g dow n a ravine,
and th e sources o f w hich, b y th e w ay, are to 1
tonnd n e a r th e villages o f B ulucs and Sotres alrwidy
referred to. A s on th e eastern side o f th is m ar
vellous ran g e you a re soon o u t o f all sig h t o f human
habitation, bxit now an<l agairi we w ere reminded
o f th e living w orld b y th e swoop cjverhead o f some
latge-sized vultnres, w ho w ere m ore frig h ten ed than
h u rt b y our revolver practice directed ag a in rt them .
A fte r journeying upw ards for som e bours we
cam e io a p leasant greon v alley , w ell w atered and
covered w itb lu x u ria n t v egetation, dotted tbrougho n t its en tire len g th by cattle g raiiing quietly.
These stra n g e oases in th e Picos a re qu ite a tcature
o f th e C aiitabriaji m ountalus. Close l y were tbe
shepherds shelters, and th ese consigned o f ru d e hufs
built aiid roofed w ith th e fsurrounding limueton,
w ithout moHwr o r any o th e r m ixture, each bosustini? a

doorw ay o f about Ibnr feet Iiigli. Aa w e w ere oa

a xplrig espodition w e determ iued to find out
all we pos&ibly could ab o u t tbaee shepherds and
th e ir waysOn m aking our wiehea koowu, one o f theui who
seemed to be th e p atriarch , in v ited u r to en ter. Wo
fonnd a howrth m ade also o f a few pieces o f stone,
and a wood fiix) buruin|. I n one corner thoro was
a la rg e wooden vessel, in th e ro u g h form o f an
amphcra. H ere, we w ere inform ed, tho product
o f tho morning* and ovenings m ilking was p u t, anti!
a sufficient q u an tity had acciamnlated to perm it the
procesa o f cheeee-making.
T he m ilk waR curdled by th e d ip p in g into it of
a calf g all, a n d the cu rd separated a n d placed in
a amall wooden v a t. T h is w as prossod b y heaping
large blocks o f stone on to it. T h u s th u n w as made
th e v e ry cvlebr.ited Cahralee cheese w hieli fi)rmerly
we had delighted in , but w hich b rin g s a n em phatic
I p a s s ever since w e found o u t th e procesa o f its
manu&cturo.
O n one side o f th e h u t w ere several b erth s, one
above th e other. H ere, w e w ere inform od, all the
memheiB o f th e fam ily slep t a t n ig h t, both male
and female,
T be cattle a re d riv en u p to thee oases in th
m ountains i n A p ril, a n d in tho caRo o f those th a t
are ted for tbo sham bles, rom ain th e re u p to tho date
o f some eiilebratod iirs in one o r oth er o f th e adjaoen f
piovince<5, o r u n til one iu Septem ber for th milch

and calves. T ho pastors ta k e it in tu r n to go

to th e nearest villages to procure supplies. They
a re kind a n d hospitable to strangers, b u t a re v e ry
ig n o ra n t and excessively d irty .
A b W had a lo n g w ay y e t before us w e could
n o t spare th e tim e necessary fo r fu rth er observations
iu th is spot, a n d w e soon left th e h ap p y valley
bohiiid us, an d ag ain commenced to climb.
COW S

A s wc h a d to tb e p resent passed the tim e adm in n g n a tu re s face, w e th o n g h t it now convenient

to exam ine moi* clossly th e rocks th a t surrounded
us on eith er side, w ith a view to aseertain th e ir age.
W h a d n o t to go fai* before w e w ere rew arded for
o u r trouble h y finding au ammonite y p ro tiiid in g from
th e fece o f a limestone mass. Thie h av in g been
weather* w orn, w e conld n o t distingu eh its species ; b u t
w e soon m et w ith an o th er w hich, b y caieful picking
aw ay o f tho enclosing rock, w e discovered to be a
bifrortn. W e w ere also successful in securing por
tion e o f a B dem nites eulcatus. T h u s we had proof
th at, as w e had already presum ed, we w ere passiDg
th ro u g h a section o f the low er lias.
B y and b y wo found ourselves l u a moet dangerous
position ; th e p a th wo followed lay along th e border
o f a n imuienso precipice, h av io g a sheer fall ot at
least five h undred ieet, to a to rre n t w hich in some
place had <^ut itself a w ay th ro u g h th e limestone,
h av in g a w idth o f on ly about th irty feet. O u r horses
q \iietly found th e ir w ay w ithout eith er stum bling or
trem bling.

2V

A t le n g th how ever wo reucliod a place w here tlie

w ay h a d been c u t th ro u g h th e rock, leav in g a u o v er
h an g in g 6emi*arch o f on ly alx)Ut eig h t feot high.
Tho push o f a fin g er would hav e been alm ost suCScient
to h u rl both horae an d rid e r to th e to rre n t below.
T he h eig h t o f th e o v erh an g in g ro ck h a d n o t been
calculated for m en ou horseback to pass. T he w idth
o f the road wsie barely n in e feet. T h ere w aa almoat
as m uch dan g er in ond eav o u iin g to dism ount, as in
attem p tin g to paas, b u t i t w as decided to t r y t h e
former, T hia waa effected w ith safety, a n d men
and n a ^ paFwed th ro u g h th e ja w s o f death, thankful
for th e ir lucky escape.
*\Vending our w ay upw ards, w e shortly cam e to a
H|K)t w here there wero five ru d e crosses csirvcd on the
rock. O ur g uid e inform ed us th a t some w inters ago,
Hoveral shepherds so u g h t shelter u n d er th is rock fi'om
a terrible snowstorm . T h ey sheltered too long, since
th e increased w eig h t o f th e snow luaaa o n tho ruountain-side, fa r u p above th e ir heads, caused a looaciiing
o f tho rocks. T hese corameiicod to roll, ta k iu g w ith
them th e im m ense body o f anow, Jooaening fu rth er
rock on th e ir w ay, crushing an d te a rin g ev ery th in g
before them ; so<m th e avalanche rftached th e spot
w here th e unl-ncky pastors w ero restin g , and,
catching u p five o f th em in its w h irl, they wero
carried aw ay dow n in its em hraec to th e d ep th s below,
crushed an d m angled, th e re to lie u n til th e sp rin g
thaw perm itted th e ir relatives to recover th e ir rem ains,
and to give them C hristian b u rial. I n m cm oriam they

carvod th e ro five crosdcs, )d pusging* w hich, good

CatlolicR w ill say a sh o rt p ra y e r for th e sou I r o f Ihe
unfortuD ate mcu. W h en on tlie spot it waR eay
enough to picturo th e w hole scene o f te r r o r and death.
F a rth e r u p , o u r guide jo in te d o u t to u h a place
w here a anow -sliphad picked u p a woman in it eoiirse
and carried h e r dow n to tb e rav in e, a <lepth o f about
one hundred feet, au d from w hich, n o tw ithstanding
h e r leap, ahe escapod alraoat u n h u ri, and ia reported
to be alive to-day, and ready to express h e r sentimentB
tonching llia t jo u n ic y upon m c h a w h ite horse.
T h e im m ense liuieatonc masses opened o n t on
cith e r side j ^ n d e r an d lu g h e r, aa w e w en t forw ard.
I n some apots w e eould see ab u n d an t vegetation ;
here an d tliere these had g o ats brow sing o r friRlring^
o n them , a n d w hich a t tb e h eig h t th e y stood, ap
p eared to u s like overgrow n rabbits.
H ig h e r Rtill wo could see a mall herd o f chamoia,
w ith aentinel aet, stan d iu g o u t clear betw een us and
th e sky, whose signal w histle o f d a n ^ r w e could
hear, ow in g to tho ra rity o f th e atrooaphere, ev en at
th a t distance.
T his w as im m odiatoly responded to b y a scamper
o f tho herd, w ho seemed literally to sp rin g up the
doB ol th e ro ck h ig h e r an d h ig lier, an d holdijig on
to n o th in g a t all, u u til th e y disappctired from
view.
A t length a heavy Scotch m ist closed out tho
scenery, and com pelled ur to atte n d solely to where
wu trtxi.

F ogs ai6 gen erally iinploasant, liut in our v e ry

pec^iHar position, this fog w as worne th a n unpleasant
__it w as positively dang;erous. W c h a d no o th er
reeonrcii, how ever, th a n to tru d g e along an d make
th e host o f it, a n d w h en th o ro u g h ly drenchod we
reached th e v i l l a ^ o f B uln ee.
Buhies, eveu in su n n y w eather, can n o t be con
sidered a pleaut o r oven p re tty villftgo. I n tho
m idst o f to g a n d rain , it w as sim ply miserable.
A s, how ever, i t w as th e on ly place whoro th e niffht
could be passed, w e had to call all o u r courage to cmr
aid, resign ourselves to th e course o f circumstances,
and hope for b etter tim es.
W e .found o n t th e alcaldes house, and solicited
shelter. (Food w e had tak en w ith u s.) T his w as
accordcd w ith a good grace. O u r h ost was th e
proprietor o f a num erous 'Hock oi sm all black sheep
and goats, and w e found th is to bo th e caso w ith
every villager, A s w c arriv ed a t tb e v illag e the
shepherds w ere re tu rn in g from th pastures, leading
in th e ir flocks.
W e have hoard a g re a t v a rie ty o f noises iu our
different ram bles machinry g ro an in g locomotives
shriekinf^lions roarIi)g elephants tru m p etin g
w olves b ark in g -an d cat* ad
discoursing sweet
XQUsicb u t th e b a'ain g o f the B ullies flocks beats
all these combined. I t ie n o t to be wondered a t th a t
th e wolves from fh e ir fastnesseK como dow n a t n ig h t
to tr y an d pacify th e m ; still this m akes m atters
all th e worse, since it sets o ffb ark iu g a hundred lusty

bboj) an d w oll dogs. A ll these fhinge p re v e n t an y

one from slueping, w ho h a s n o t been in u red to tho in
famous noiae from the tim e tLuy w ere baben in arms.
T he m odern arch itectu re o f Bulnes, like th e h uts
o f th e pastore is o f ra th e r a p rim itiv e o rd er o f four
w.ilJs a n d a r<K>f, no chim neys, no w indow s; a
doorway, sometimes h a v in g a door b a n g on hinges,
a n d o tb ers Iiaudy hy, to be p u t u p a t nl^jhl, and
w hen ntxxled,
T hen a la rg e heap o f a^hes is ou th e cen tre o f tho
fioor, h av in g some sm ouldering cmhere k ep t w arm
b y i t ; a t cooking tim e brushwood and roots of
h e a th e r a n d o th e r shrubs aro added. T his fuel being
dam p yields an acrid ainoke, p u n g e n t to th e cyos,
aud un breathable o u til one becomes v e ry accustomed
to it.
O u r first experience causcd u s ali to rn sh in to th e
open air and to havo a h e a rty cry, H a v in g rcliovod
our o p p ro aed eyelids, w e felt b etter, and w e a t back ;
blit w bothor i t w as tlia t th e smoke bad subsided or
th a t we h a d g o t hard e cd to it w e did n o t feel it so
oppressive afterw ards.
T h ere w as a benob ofm asonry raised about eighteen
inches all arounil th e sidsR o f the room and on this we
Sirt to g eth er w ith tho members o f tlie family.
Sup^r h a v in g term in ated , all retired to rest
o u r beds consisting o f straw pallets laid on th
m asonry l)ench. A n d h e re too o u r hoet and his
ttim ily stretched themeylves, a n d BweetJy snored
them selves to sleep.

I n o u r conversatioa w ith o u r Lost p rio r to re tiririg

to rest, w e dropped u p o n tlie tra il o f th e m an who
had givou u s th e copper sam ple. H e resided w ithin
easy reach o f BulneR, h n t followed tw o occupaticus,
w hich often took him from hom e, hciDg* a eLamois
Luiiter, an d w hen n o t thus engaged, he u sed to go
down to th e Liohana valleys on th e o th e r side o f th e
mountainfi to purchase b u tte r from th e farm ers, and
wLieL Lo sold to a huttcrenrer in A sturias.
I t waa know n in th e v illag e th a t th is stone had
been foiuid, b u t b y w hom no one could gay.
"We liad no resource th erefo re b u t to find tho
hntter-m an, an d obtain from him th n t inform ation,
and th is w e determ ined to do in th e znoruing.
Daybrealc Raw n& afoot- T h o fog h a d disappeared,
and th e m o rn in g a ir w as r o p a re an d b ra c in g th a t it
h ad th e effect o f elev atin g onr sp irits, and o f causing
ns to feel as i f w e shonid liko to ju m p ov er a gate,
h n t th e re waa n o g a te to ju m p over.
W e could now oxam iiie th e place a t leisure.
T here ate tw o village o f th e sam e nam e w ith in a
short distance o f each othor, separated h y a hraw U ng
stream , th e sam e th a t we h a d followed in o u r route.
I n th e cen tre o f one o f these th e re is a rouud tow er,
h av in g a n in te rio r diam eter o f ab o u t fo rty feet. The
stones in its construction a re jo in ed to g e th e r b y a
hurd ccm eiit, like th a t o f th c Rom ans. A |K>rtion o f
th e w all had fallen, b u t th e re wa no cru m b lin g of
th a t o r a n y oth er ;|)art o f th e biiilding. T here is
T\o trad itio n o r legend attached to it, w ith in the

know ledge o f th e Bulnca in b ab itan te ; th c , like ty

origin, h a v e W en iost in tb e n ig h t o f history.
. N o stran g ers had en tered B ulnes before w ith in the
m em ory o f tho oldest in h a b itan t, a n d we wore th e re
fore regard ed w ith such cu rio sity as wo ourselves
should doubtless feel in th o presence o f visitors from
some o th e r planet.
W e found th a t o u r m an h a d been seen th e day
previous o n tho A m uesa m ountain, w her ho intended
passing th e n ig h t in o rd e r to m eet th e cliamois a t
ea rly daw n, a n d we lost no tm e in s ta rtin g for th e
spot, w hich w as indii!ated to us h y o u r w orthy h o st
A fte r a lo n g m arch, alw ays upw ard, we a t length
espied tho h u n te r, on h is w a y hom e, w ith h is gin in
hand, a cham ois w eig h in g about fifty pounds across
h is BhoiUdetH, an d followed b y tw o fine dogs.
S urprise a t th e m eetin g in such m ont-of-tho-way
place h av in g been d u ly expressed, w e broached th e
Hubject th a t b a d b ro u g h t us th ere. T h e m en pointed
to a m ountain h eig h t a t some distance, still snowcovcrcd, and in fo m o d us th a t th ere, in a n opening
betw een thu lim estone beds, th e stone h a d been picked
np. T h ere w ore p le n ty moro,'* h e said, some in
lum ps, and some soft and earth y , iind u n d erto o k to
lead ns to th e spot a s soou as th e enow w onld perm it,
and w ith th is we h a d to rem ain content.
H e preesjed us to accom|>any him to his bouse, and
taate tb e etcake h e would p rep are for ns, cu t fnim
th e gam e he cairied . H ow ever, we w ere desirous of
passing over th e m ountain and o f le a c h in g r vilLige

on tbo other side, and therefore excnsed oureeWes

for o u r in ab ility to accom pany Kim. l i e pointed
o u t to u s th e Alivw m ountains, w boro such ab u n d an t
mosses o f w hito calam ine a re m ot w ith, and a re now
being w o rk ed ; an d in th a t d istrict too th ero is a
small lode o f black oxide o f cobalt, w orked b y a
S antander firm, th e p ro d u ct o f w hich is exclusively
sold in th o co u n try to th e tcrra-co tta an d coarse w are
m anu& ctnrers. W ith tho calam ine axe found m a se e
o f blende, brow n, crystalline, and m i-tra n sp a re n t,
a n d here and th e re lodes o f lead a u d m anganese,
and lodes and bonanzas o f copper,
Ila v iu g obtained th e positions o f th e respectivo
localities o f theso deposits, ns w ell as oth er inform a
tion th a t m ay y e t bo o f servico to u s w hen th in g s
a re b e tto r in tho City, w e bade o u r inform ant a
good day, an d ag aiu started cm our journey.
A s w e n eared th e top o f tho mcmntain, our routo
became less perilous and easier, and we w ere ablo to
m ake good way.* O ur doaceut on th e o th e r side,
how ever, ccnm terbalanced th e ease w e b a d enjoyed.
H ere again w ere ro ck m aises to d ra g o u r w eary
quadrupitds th ro u g h , w orse evon th a u i a our
ascent on th e o th e r side, b u t th e scencry w as not
0 g ran d , and b y n o m eans so interesting.
A fte r f?tumbling alo n g on o u r w ay, footsore and
w eary, for a lo n g tim o, we camo w ith in sig h t ot
exteuMve w orkings. T hese w c found to be couucct<^l w ith a cahimlue m ine o f g re a t value- Some
eight hundred tons o f ore, seleetod a n d ready for

shipm ent, J a j on th e floors, and had Iain th e re for

some tw o y e a rs o r m ore. Tliis ore had been taken
o u t from Bovoral larg o w ater-w orn caverns in the
limcfftooe, w bich had been filled u p w ith th e deposi.
tio n o f th e culam ine. T h e g re a te r portion o f th
maaa consisted o f p erfectly w liite calamiuo. There
w ere hloiiks o f ore, m easuring o v er a cubic yard,
and w bicb. o n b ein g assayed, yielded 54 p e r cent,
zinc ; an d th e rubbish beap alone w ould w ell ropay
b ein g picked over. T h e limestone is Ju rassic, and
W noticed th a t w h erev er th e re waa a surico
breakage o f thiR, from w ater w earin g o r disrupture,
tb e re calam ine existed in larg e o t smalf quantities.
T h e distance from th is m in e to th e tow n o f
C erbcra de P isu e ig a is about te n miJea. Tho road
in sum m er is had enough ; in w in te r it is impa^saUo
ow ing to w a n t o f bridges o v er w h a t in sum m er are
sm all stream s, b u t in w in ter a re respcctable riversl<Vom C erbera to th e railw ay statio n o f A g u ila r de
Campo<5 there ia a good G overnm ent road, md tho
distance is fifteen milee. E n erg y , an d a judicious
outlay o f capital, w ould, in tbe w orking o f thia mine,
re su lt in a tbo ro n g b success.
H e re w e bade adiuu to our g u id e a n d o u r patient
coursers, an d continued our jo u rn e y o n toot to
th o sm all ham let o f Triollo, w hich we reached
th o ro u g h ly tire d an d h u n g ry , an d Ibund tb is place
to be fa r b e tte r tb a n Bui n es. W e lodged a t the
houae o f th e alcalde, w bo w as a person w ho thought
il n o sm all l>eer" o f himself, a n d o f th e responsi-

bilities attach in g to hia im p o rtan t office, in tbesc

m ountain fastnc^ca.
H ero w e noticed a couple o f atorks, w ho h a d tb e ir
onormoue nest id a larg e bay-tree in th e alcalde'e
garden.
T h a t nest, says be, existed th ere w hen my
g reat-g ran d fath er w as b o m ; n o one e v e r distoibs
th e birds. T hey g o aw ay a t th e beg in n in g o f w in ter
w ith th e ir yo u n g onea, an d alwaya re tu rn ag ain
in the sp rin g alone.^
H e firm ly believed th a t theae w ei6 th e tw o
identical birds th a t w oro p resen t a t th e b irth o f his
greut^giandfather. W liy th ese b ird s should have
selected th e village o f Triollo ae tlie ir h av en and
hreeding-place is a m ystery w e leav e to those
learned in bird-lore to solve.
W e w ent to Corl>era, thonc h y G overnm ciit road,
sk irtin g th e foot o f th e Picos, to P anes, passing on
o n t w ay th e celebrated copper p y rites oiines a t
C arractdo, one o f w hich is now b ein g extousively
worked b y a S panish compauy.
T he Pioijs de E u ro p a aud th e ir offshoots or
spurs a rc teem ing w ith m ineral deposits. Tbey
have yielded immense re tu m s to several companies
bpanishj F rench , an d B elgian, b u t to th e present
tim e only p articu lar districts have been explored.
O th er localities w ill a t a fu tn re d a y yield qu ite as
m uch, p erh ap s more.

O EA PTEK
U N ?O V O n T - iT O R

XXTE.
WEALTH.

Ttt virord w ealth brings to tlio m ibd thought of

n c h e s o f varioua d escriptions; and th e w ay s o f
(jlrfaning w ealth a re v ery various too. W e wili
confine ourselves to th a t pixxluced from o r by the
m ineral resources o f th e O antttbrian pro vincos.
A n cien t anthora w rote respecting it, an d , in
p ern sin g th e ir w ritin g s an d n o tin g th e v aai sum s in
gold au d o th er m etals tb a t w ero y early transm itted
froni tho peninsula to Rom e, it has o ften stru ck us
as su rp risin g th a t a t th e p resen t d a y th e sources
from w hence a ll th ese ri chea proc;eedod a re secret
an d undiscovered.
Tho rem ains o f th e w orkings o f th e m ighty
m iners o f bygone ag es rem ain, a n d it is w ith
Bomo o f these, a s well a s w ith fresh fields, wo
in te n d dealing in th is chapter.
i h e Phcenicians a a d C arth ag in ian s worked here,
and some o f th e ir m ines w ere loft uudistnrbed
a fte r th e y h a d le ft th e co u n try u n til a recen t date.
I n others they wore ioUowod b y th e K om ans, aud
they again by tho Moors.

Th PLceniciaiS m ined bo th for gold au d ooppt^r,

an d th c following instances b e a r cvideuco o f tliis fact.
A n ancient m ine w as discovered in I S 64 th ro u g h
the w ashing aw ay o f debris by a in o u n tain torren t.
An opening to sm im m ense cavo w as laid bare aud
on inspection th is w as found to liavo been form ed by
the excavation o f a m ^ o f coppcr an d cobalt ore.
Its w alls and roof w ero spotted th ro u g h o u t by ore,
exccpt ill plaecs w here it had beenoovcrod ov er by a
thick coating o f crystallised cal cite. T his cave has
H len g th o f over eig h ty m etres, a b read th o f th irty ,
and a heig h t o f tw enty-five. Its cubic contents b eio g
about 60,000 cubic m e tr ^ , it will readily be be
lieved th a t th e en tire mass consisted o f copper aud
cobalt ores, and its w eig h t w<mld exceed lGt),000
tons. A gall wry
recently boon d riv en a t a
<lepth o f fo rty mcti-es below th e oor o f th is cave,
th ro u g h t}io continuation o f th e sam e shoot o f ore,
and has proved tiie m ine lo be o f g re a t value.
Frr)m th e cave sm all irre iju la r galleries radiato
into the m ountain, followinj^ branebs o f ore.
These galleries wero fouud to bavo been w orked
in a v e ry prim itiv o m annoi. T h e ir floors w ere, for
tho most p a rt, covered ov er b y a hatd en ed eoatiug ot
ftout, w hich in som e places w as four Inches in
thickness, a u d th o ir w alls show ed everyw here traces
o f fire. O n b ie a k iu ^ up th e tiooring o f soot, g re a t
numl>ers o f rounded stones w ere fo u n d ; m an y w ith
grooves around them , w here the w ithe w ould hav e
been tw isted, to form a handle foi' its m anipulation,

These stones would hav e been uaod to b eat dow n

th e ore, a fte r th a t it had been first heated, a u d then
cooled a ^ i o .
Careful in v estigation followed th e disoovcry o f this
cave an d ite galleries. I n one o f thoso, rcmainR of
email furnaces w ere found, a n d n e a r thceo lay
quantities o f m aterial p rep ared for th e fu rn acee;
th e ore had been pulverised then m ixed w ith a
g an g u e and p in e charcoal, a n d m ade u p in to masses
o f about five to te n pounds each. T h u s w ero they
found a fte r h av in g lain in situ for m ore th a n tw entyfive centuries.
N o o th e r tools o any description, n o r coins, nor
o th e r tro p h y o r token o f a n tiq u ity , hav e been m et
w ith.
W h en thef m inors w orked, pine-trees g re w on
th e surrounding heights. All has change<l; pines
have disappeared alto g eth er, a n d a re n o t found
w ith in a distance o f fifty miloe.
A n o th o r o f theee ancient m ines w as aceidoiitally
discovered in 1851, w ithin a dintance o f six kilo*
m etres o f th e san ctu ary o f O u r L a d y o f Covadonga.
A t th e tim e o f its discovery it w ae considered to be
th e most an cien t m ine In)own.
A l l em inent S panish
en g in eer w rote inspecting
its discovery a s fo llo w s: A m o n g st th e rubbish
th e re w ere no tools o f iro n o r an y o th er m etal found,
n e ith e r lam ps, n o r a n y object o f baked clay, o r to bo
baked. W b a t w as observed ^vas a g re a t num ber
o f points o f d eer h o rn s ; a u d th ro n g h th e ir b ein g so

w orn, it w as ticduced th a t th e y h a d l)en T2 sei\ a

jK>ints for scratch in g an d loosonmg. T h e ham m ers
were m ade o f th e th ic k p a rts o f th e samo horns.
F iv e o f these w ere found, one o f w hich h a d beon
pointed a t one end. I t could be seen th a t th e y had
bc<n v e ry m uch used.
O ne o f th ese exists a t
p resen t in th e Ma<lrid School o f M ines, an d M r.
iiu sk , to whom I showed it, told m e th a t tlxo hern
from w hich .they h a d been form ed w as w ith o u t
doubt th a t o f th e
elaphus. T he eye if? well
c u t and q n a d r Ilateral, so th a t th e h an d le would
liave been o f w ood e u t d o w n to f i t
T bero were
also found a g re a t num ber o f larg e pebbly quartzito
stones, th e h r g e s t o f w hich w eighed eighteen pounds,
a n d th e sm allest abont th re e pounds. T he g re a te r
num ber h a d aji ovkl form, w ith fiattened faiios.
A io n n d th e ir sm allest circum ference th e y had a
spaeo Fiink, three to four ccntim etrca in w id th , and
from tw o to five m illim etres iu depth. l*his would
probably have been done w ith a view- fo securing
them w ith a cord, o r to tie them , so aa to m ake
them m ore m anageable to b eat dow n th e rock, after
th a t it had first been attacked b y fire. W ith reg ard
to th e ham m ers an<l th e pointe o f horn, I beliove
they w ould be ]>rincipally em ployed to loosen ont
a n d d ig th o o re w hieh w as em bedded in a reddish
clay o r in a decomposed limestone. T hese would
havu been in moat ea^c sufficient to effect th is, w ith
th e assistance, w h en neeesaary, o f th e oval pebbles.
Tho only ones o f th ese points and ham m ers th a t
z

w ere fonnd ill a

condition, w ore found am ongst
cbaxcosl, o r iu ih e o r e ; those found elsew here
p u l verified ou being toucbcd. A la rg e q u an tity of
charcoal, soot, au d ashee w as fonnd a t th e bottom
o f th e esi!avations. U ndoubtedly thu tim e a t w hich
th is m ine w as commonced is v e ry rem ote, and will
probably reach back to tho tran sitio n period o f the
stone a g e to th a t o f hrouze. Tt appears tliis is tho
m ost an cien t m in e w hereof tb e re is a n y advico/
T h ere is a sim ilarity in th c m ode o f w orking, and
toola em ployed, to thoee o f th e first instance, and
in all probability tb e y w ould h av e been w orked
slm ulianeouslT.
W o have carefully inspected tb is mine. T he ore
is a v e ry rich carbonate and g re y copper (tetraOiedrite), a u d occurred iu bonanzas, several o f which
w ould h a v e yielded Irom th ro e to five thousand tons
each. These occur one below th e other, and were
joined one to th c o th er h y leaders o r s trin g s o f coppcr.
T h e low est p o in t to w hich th e y h,ive been y e t
w orked is 1550 feet ahove th e sea^lovel, an<l m ore of
thcso rem ain to be tak en o u t. Tlio w estern p a rt of
th is provin ce h a s hcen v e ry extensively m ined by
tb e anoieuts.
I n one plaoe Tmmeiwe excavations
have been m ade, an d a t th o en tran ce to one o f the
gaileriee, thero is a serpent sculptured, o r otherwise
form ed, on eith er side.
Thoao w orkings w ere effected in th e search for
gold.
T h ere is a u a<iueduct over six m iles in le n g th , o f

R om an construction, ta b rin g w a te r to tho epGt.

L a rg e quantitios o f tho procious m etal w ould have
beoD taken aw ay, a n d doubtless larij;e qn an tities etill
remftin.
T he inhabitantfl o f th e v illag e n e a r theae ex
cavations avail ihemselve o f th is source o f w ealth.
D n rin g th e h eav y rain s, th e w ater w ashes qnautities
o f de'bris from tb e side o f th e h ill, a n d w hon theee
raiTis a re over, th e p ro p rieto rs ol tho laoda through
w hich th e m u d d y stream s h av o flowod, lose n o tim e
in sa irc h in g for th e graina a n d n u g g cis th a t h av e
como down. T h ey a re often v e ry succcaaful, and
ra re ly seareh w ith o u t finding some gold.
Some yoara ago in th is district, a po o r a n d forlorn
old w idow was d riv in g in h e r cattle from th e pasture.
T he boys o f th e village, thoughtless an d idle,
considered it sp o rt to tGuac h e r wlicnover a n oppor
tu n ity offered. S he had borrio all v e ry p atien tly
until th is occasion, w h en a t la st losing h e r tem per,
she determ ined to retaliate. S he picked u p 'sev eral
stone lo th ro w a t them . A m o n g st th ese w as one
tb a t attraetod h e r attention ow ing to its g re a t w eight.
T his ah<^ retained. O n exam ination it w as found to
bo a large tiu g g et, w hich w as afterw ards sold for
eevorid hundred s o f jwnnda.
A t th is place th e re is th e en trance to a Ruhterra n e a n gaJlory, blocked b y a la rg e stone. T hore ai*e
a num ber o f trad itio n s reapeciing th i a T he one
moHt cu rren t is, th a t afto r rem o v in g tho stone, and
g o in g dow n some distance, a la i^ o deposit o f puro
z 2

gold exists. N o one has to tUe p resen t beon bold

enough to overcome superstitious scruples, to lift th e
stone, an d secure th e gold. Tbia, like a ll th e otb er
aiicint w orH nga in th e w cat o f th e province o f A sturiaa, is in tb e S ilu rian fo nnatiou. A n o th er o f these
w o r k in g exisls fu rlb cr south, b u t in th e Biime ran ^ e
o f bills, and in tbe sam e form ation. This has also its
aqueduct, fiJlow ing tb e m eanderinga o f th e iiills for
a v e ry long distance, to convey tb e w aters o f a iako
to tlie reserv o irs th a t w ere establiebed n ear tbo
inoutb o f th e mine. T b e im m ense a ttic heaps prove
th e ex te n t o f th e w ork w ith in . A t th e foot o f tliis
h i 11 a stieam ru n s, and d u rin g sum m er tb e people o f
tb e d istiic t wash th e sands o f th is stream to recover
th e gold contained in tbem , I n w in te r th e sanie
stream is a m ig h ty to rreu t, sw eeping all before it.
Tlie rubbish from th e old w orkings is waiJied in to it
h y th e riv u lets th a t m s b down tb e m ountain side.
Like ev ery th in g an cien t, leg en d ary lore and tra*
ditiou bave bo th been busy w ith th is m ine. I t is
said th a t D ona U rraca, queen o f R am in), one o f the
k in g s o f A stnrias, w as laid in state in ono o f the
g n lle rii?B o f th is m ine, atten d ed by couitici*s formed
o f m assive gold. W ith in h e r dism al palace, a lamp
th a t n ever goes out lig h ts u p tlic whole, an d death
is the penalty p aid b y an y bold in tru der.
S everal years ago, cupidity induced a num ber of
m en o f tb e district to endeavoor fo reach those
golden ig u r e s ; an d n o t w ithstanding th e prohibition
an d ban o f ho ly M otlier C burcb, they set to w ork to

clear ont th e falls o f ro ck and rubbieli from the

g allery , T hey h a d alm ost effected this, w hen they
w ere b u ried boue^th a mass o f stone, th a t fell from
the roof. N o attem p t w as e v e r m ade io relieve
them , a u d th e ir rem ains r e s t to*day whero th e y f e ll;
n o one feeli^jg snfficiuutly bold to m ake a further
attem pt, w ith snch a w a rn in g before th o ir eyos.
These w orking o f th e Fhcenicians and Romans
extend from th e sea in to tbo province o f Ijeo r, a
distance o f ab o u i six ty mile, w here th e y culm inate
iu w orkings o f g re a t ezto n t. Tlxe am ouut o f w ealth
iaken aw ay m nst h av e b een v e ry g reat. T h e y are
w o rth y o f bein g ex p lo re d ; an d it is probable tb a t
iic h gold mines w ould be opened out, and a good
re tu rn for outlay gain ed , b y an y one v en tu rin g upon
th e ezp en m eu t.
Tho PbceniciauB trad ed extensively aloug th e coast.
Ita Iffiys gave th em eliclter from th e storm s they had
to encounter w h en on, tb e ir voyages to th e Cas^
siieridest w here too th e y w ere occupied in m ining.
Is it n o t therefore reasonable to eupposc th a t the
ships o f H ira m w hiob carried tho gold, copper, and
tiu to Solomon for th e coustructlou o f tho Temple,
received th e ir cargocs in th e harboura alo u g this
c o a s t; th a t these m ebds proceeded from th e m ines Iu
tlii c o u n try ; an d th a t th is is ouo o f th e veritable
O phire o f Bible h isto ry ?
I u th e n o rth o f tbo peninsula th e Moors ap p ear to
have w orked b u t littio. T b e ir footsteps a re better
traccnl in A ndalusia, N ew Caslille, and Cataluhu,

"When tbey w ere expelled tb e y undoubtedly cxpocfed

to re tu rn again for m uch o f th e ir w e a lth w as left
buried o r bidden in tb e conutry, a n d now aiid again
th a t treasu re tro v e is found.
A numl)cr o f yoars ago a poor m an ow ned a very
sm all tenem en t iu a to w n on tbo M oditcrranean.
Krcali w ater is ecarce there, an d th en , as now , in
dividual efforts were m ade to obtain a supply. Tbie
m an h a d a small y a rd attached to h is b o u s e ; d u rin g
Lie leisure h e continued to d ij' a well in th is yard.
A fte r siu k in g to a d ep tb o f several m etros he caino
upon a bard fnibatancc, w bich o n cxautiuation ho
found to bo a larg o m assive gold cobra (A ngliec,
g o at). T h is w as soon transform ed in to go ld o n ? ^
H is descciidaute in th e co u n try to-day bold a title
w hich h e obtained as a consoc^uont to th e finding oi
tb is goat.
M oorish documonts havo been occasionally found
rocording details o f buried treasure. B u t d u rin g the
course o f agos, landm arks have been rem oved or so
changed a s to b e unrecognisable, an d on ly tradition
assists th e S eeker. Ono o f th e s e docum ents records
tbo lockiug u p o f a vast treasuro <m tb e M editerranean
shore in a m iue g a lle ry closed b y a n iro n door, all
trsLCcs o f tb e entrance h av in g been a t th e tim o ob
literated , th e distance from w here tb o sea w ashed the
shore being th e only fixed p o in t to g u id e th e seeker,
B u t th e shore co d to u r lias been com pletely changed*
and n o th in g b u t chance w ill e v e r ag ain la y bar th is
treasure.

A notL er rocorda tL at a t a cci ta in placc th e re ia

a n old m ine eh afi h a v in g a num ber o f gallerie
en te rin g from it. O ne o f these is blocked u p b y a
maRBiv br<mze door. Thii? door lockg in a n immense
accum ulation o f troasuro. S tran g e an d w eird sounds
a re h eard to proceed from tLia sbaft, a s if tbo spirit
o f tb e departed Musexdmcn ooutinued to Lover ov er
an d w atch th e ir treasu re, an d to m o m u tb a t it could
n o t be rem oved.
S everal years ago, tw o bold w orkm en determ ined
to penetrate th e m ysteries o f th is enchanted pitshafts O ne le t tb e o th er dow n u n til he had reached
th en tran CO to tbo first gallery . T his h e explored,
finding several larg o amphoTU filled w itli go ld coin a.
Probably these had been lfl tlicre because tL w r
form er ow ners wcml<l have arriv ed too la te t<i bave
them p u t inside th o br<mzci d<Kr, Tlict^e wer
aecnred, iu th o m d^t o f terriblo noises from below,
T hoy w ore satisfied w itL tL eir find, and n ev er ag ain
v en tu red inside tLe m ysterious shaft, altL ough iL ey
knew o f tb e g allery blocked b y tiie door. T h ey
beicamo extensive landed proprietors, and persons of
im portance in th e ir district.
T reasure seekers, how ever, seldom succecd iu th e ir
enterprise, w hen searching fo r w ealth bidden aw ay
b y Moors o r others. A Lnost all such accumulations
a re discovered accidentally.
B u t th e r e a re o th e r boui*ccs o f w e a lth w ith in th
c o u n try , alw ay s to h a n d , to r e w a rd th e p e rse veraneo
o f th e e x p lo re r a n d c a p italist. %Ve re fe r to tbo

n uw roiiglit ore deposits foim d everyw here. C apital

is o f courao needed to w o rk with, b u t rosuJtH w ill
w ell repay a n j ontlay.
A t a pla<56 called C arabia, a n d w itliin a m ile o f
tlie coast, w here f?blpe can load th e re a re v ery
extensive deposits o f iro n ore, y ielding from fifty-four
to s ix ty p e r c e n t o f m etallic iro n . These deposita
iiave h a rd ly been touchod u p to tlie presen t. T he
cost o f cuttin^^, tran sp o rt, an d ahipm ent is low. The
working o f theae deposits w ill be a sonrco o f larg e
profits.
I n m ore tb a n one p a r t o f th e province thiiie are
pockets an d lodes o f m anganese, h av in g a h ig h per
cen tag e o f th e m etal. Theae, too, hav e only been
p artia lly worked.
C opper lodes an d pockets a re num erous, and in
districts th a t h a v e on ly recently been opened u p hy
roads somo a rc found to be rich and abundant.
M in in g setts m ay bo secured w ith o u t g re a t difficulty,
w h ich w ould w ell rep ay an y outlay m ade upon
them . Som e o f these a rc w itin n easy reach of
railw ay atati<ms, a n d a t a relativ ely sh o rt distance
from a sh ip p in g p o rt.
C innabar is b ein g m ined in one d is tr ic t; b u t in
a n o th e r th e re ex ist one or m ore lodes w hich bave
n o t y o t been touched, alth o n g b tbo m ineral crops are
fimnd on th e surface. F e w stran g ers pass th a t w ay,
althougli it is w ith in easy reach o f a sliipping port.
Calam ine deposits exist. Some a re worked, w hilst
others have not y e t been disturbed. R ealg ar and

orpim ent, I h ere a re in various places lodes of

these. O d o f th em has n o t y e t been opened oat,
b u t th e crop a t th e surface is betw een th ree and
four feet thick.
V e ry excelleot and ab u n d an t coal exists in th is
province. T h ere a rc ovor a iiuudrod h eav ily jntohcd
scams, w hich v a ry in thickness from a few inches to
te n feet. U p to th e p resen t all w o rk in g s hav e been
am fined to th coal above level, Th o u tp u t is not
la rg o ; i t could be v e ry m ucli increaiied b y tho
judicious outlay o f cap ital. L abour is choap, uud
tlie Belling pricc o f th e product if? ab o u t fifty per
cen t, h ig h e r tlia u th a t o f coals in E n g la n d . Ghx*d
results a re obtained b y coking th e email coal, and
th is ie for th e m o st p a rt effected in piles m th opn
a i r ; b u t w h ere ovens a re em ployed th e results a re
exccllont. A railw ay h av in g its term in n s a t G ijon
travursea th e field. F o reig n capitalists w ould find
little difllcuJty in obtain in g collieries,
Tbo prcence of coal, read ily go tten , and the
abundance o f iron ores an d limentone, have g iv en
a g ro a t im pulse to the iro n industries in th e district.
N ow forges a n d m i 11^ a re being added to th e existing
ones, an d a n impTovement in th e state o f th o iron
m ark et is anxiously d e sire d ; w hen ih is tukee place
th e re w ill be ab u n d an t room for fu rth er develop
m ent aud
capital.

th e beneficial introduction o f foreign

C H A P T E R X X V III.
T nE

nOM E

OP

G IL

B L A fl,

O ne Jaat lio g e rin g look a t th e q u ay o f B ivaJasella

and one loun^ little th o u g h t o f tho h a p p y memories of
p leasant daya it ba4 engendered, and w e w ere off.
E aatw urd and hom ew ard bound vi Llance, our be
loved U nquera, S antillana, an d S antander. T he uow
road from U ivadasella to L lauea is perhaps b ard ly
w orthy o f m uch notice, esco p t th a t ow ing to the
H ndnees o f D on A n tonio wo w ere introduced a t a
h am let on th e w ay to a fine old Spanifib gentlem an,
one o f tb e m cderu tim e, whose profuse hospitality
Btrangcly connected th e m odern A tb o n s w ith a piotu 2*e8quc little Ib erian village w bich m ust be k ep t
nam eless here for reasons o f our qu&ndam h o s t
W e arriv e d tired, d irty , aud trav el-stain o d ; the
evil sp irits w ho ru n th e N o rth e rn Spanish dihgcnces
liad possession o f u s ; a n d w e wore received, as we
expected, w ith a n ex act im itatio n o f tb e politeneifs
o f D on A n to n io o f R ivadasella. A fte r a repast
w ortliy o f Lncuilue (but th e re waa g a rlic in tb e
disbes) w e w ere th e n introduce-! fo a cortain fanctum
sanctorum , an d th ere, for our special odiCcation and

dcligbt, some H ig h lan d whil?y w as dkplayetl, and

o u t noble Lost iuform ed us th a t for n e a rly eig h ty
years th a t p a rtic u k r b ran d o f w h isk y had never
been absent from his easa. A g ra n d la fh e t o f his
L a^ savod th e life o f a w ounded Scottish ofBcer
dx:ring tlio fig h tin g days o f tlio Poninfiiilar W ar, and
on o u r countrym ans re tu rn to A u ld B eekie, he had
ir g ra titu d e forw arded nundry excellent gallons of
H ig h lan d w hisky blended hy th e o iig ln a l founders
o f th e w ell-know n firm in ScotU nd o f Messrs. J . & Or,
Stow art, o f E d in h u rg li.
T b a t w hisky took th e
A stu rian m agualoa fasle, und so it is th a t from
1810 to thia b o u t a certain m ansion in tbo n o rth of
th e A stu ria s has n ev er heen free from th e presence
o f th e stro n g w aters w hich h a il from th e m odem
A thens. W e n e v e r felt o u r ignorance o f tho details
o f tho i^roat P en in su la r W ar till th a t evening,
W ith th e ceaseless strife and tu rm o il o f a n ev er
g ro w in g em pire h ere i t h a s become a sliadowy dream
o f th e p ast. I n th e houses o f the aj^cient families o f
N o rth ern S pain th e ficrce stru g g le is remembered
w ith a keenness >vhicb recalls memories o f school
boy history, o f how th e troopfi u n d er th e U nion Ja c k
w ere th e principal faetors iu tho terriblo w arfare
th a t ended in m arshal a fte r m arshal o f F rance b ein g
h u rled back from S p ain to th e ir ow n country ov er
th e P y re n e ta . A m o n g o tb e r relic o f tb e past our
host boasts a m agnificent specim en o f a claymoio
an d a veritable m u ll o f tlie m ost approved pro
portions.

A fte r d ream in g o f a n offensive and defensive

allianco betw een th e kingdom s o f Scotland an d the
A sturias, o r aome such ** m ixed matters wo found
onrselves after a m orning repaat o f fru it an d coffee
sta rtin g for th e littlo seaport o f Llanes, and about
w h ich th e re is n o t m uch to say, except tL a t wo
stopped ag ain a t th e F o n d a de h, N a v a rra aud
visiled th e cburch, w hich is in terestin g to those who
care to stu d y G othic arch itectu re w itli Rom anesque
ornam entation. Tho gentlem an w e espccted to meet
a t L lanes n ev er luru(Ml up, so wo pushed on by the
atuffy Httle bathlng-m achin^Iike coach, a n d w ere glad
indeed to reaeb once m oro th a t haven o f re<t
U n q u e ra ; and tb is tim e w e elc|)t on th e rig h t, or
U nquera side proper o f th e m usical D eva, I t will
be noted th a t com ing ejw fw ard w e bav e closely
followed tb e coast-line b y m eans o f tb e new roads
ju s t finished, an d thus tho tra v e lle r ia enabled to
v a r y hia routes.
There is a m ost delig h tfu l excursion from U nquera
th a t really should n o t be mlaaod b y th e touriat, B y
ta k in g th e main road from th e village aa fa r aa
th e wine-shop o f S en o r B lanchard, o r b y crossing
(only a t low tid e ) tho meadows on th e river-bank, a
rojid leads ro u n d th e m ountain-side to tbe actual
ju n ctio n o f th e ])ev a ^\th tbo F?ea bay, wbi.*ro in
lact
S h o m in g le s h e r ^va.tr8 w itli t h e oooan
S lic QgR i n tlw cboiD s u f t b e sca,
Aikd h e r
froiQ th tu m u l t o f tU w a te ra
"Will n o T cr sn o re be ju b i la n t M id freo .

 T h e re is a o b o to o -ra ttiro in g fb r t{i6 w aters

T o tli.6 luoQDt&ine w bcc(X th e y cam e gld arid free,
T h e re ie n o b a p p y d i t t y fo r th e riv e r
T h a t boa autig in th e chorus o f th e sco.

T h e view s wliich w ill bore re p a y th e traveller

are o f g re a t b eau ty ; beneatb bim is Htill tb e blue
D eva, show ing its one o r tw o cbaunela f^sain g
tb ro u g b b anks o f sand, w liicli glisten like silver in
tb e s u n R h in e ; facing bim a n d tow ering bebind biui
a re tb e O anfabrian spurs tliat, eentxnel-like, g u ard
ib e p o rt o f T ina M ayor ; to h is le ft stretch th e d ark
blue, an d it m ay be w h ite erested, w aves o f th a t
curnT o f tb e A tlan tic called th e B ay o f Biscay.
C o ntinuing th e p it h slig b tly aw ay froiu tb e sea
front, th e pedestiiun w ill coniu to a delightful g reen
ew ard sloping dow n tow ards the sea, surrounded ou
a ll sides b y every v a rie ty o f h e a th ; passing th ro u g h
a rom antically situated w ood h e w ili b e astouishod
to find be bas reached a little bay o r cove w liich
should entrance bim .
T o u step from tho most
lu x u ria n t vegetation o f the tem perate zone on to
sands w hich vie w ith Scarborough au d p u t R am s'
g a te to th e blush. O n y o u r le lt is a prom ontory
o f rock eaverned b y th e action o f tho sea in th e most
fantastic m anner. O n y o u r rig h t, a fte r th e long
firm stretch o f sand comes ag ain th e vegetation
anxious to kiss th e sea, as indeed i t does in tho
sum m er isles o f E d en set in p u rp le spheres o f
sea." A n d th e chances are nin^ to one tb a t you
w ill have th is exquisito little spot to yonrsolf! Save

th e miirrriTir o f th e plaod sea aiid th o earoUDg of

th e hirds in th e jlades behind ua a s -we atrolled
along tho sand, th ere on ly rem ained th c silonco of
absolnte r rt, 'fhoae fa r too b rie f h o u rs spunt a t
th e little bay n e a r U n q u e ra w ere perfoct roTolry to
ua, for
T h e r e
a p le o n T o i n th n p a th id s tn x id s,
Q licro ie * n p t ) i r i n th e Im iely hre,
T lie re ia s o c ie ty w h e re n o n e io tm d e
B j t h e d e e p se a , a n d m n a ic i a i i ro ftr.

A lthou g li w e h a v e chrlstcued th is ch a p te r T he
H om e o f G-il Bias, w e hav e n o t m uch to sa y about
Sautillana w here th g re a t poot w as b o m , a p a rt
from its eccleeiastical in terest, except th a t th ere is
excellent fishing o n th e r iv e r B esaya, an d th a t tbo
tow n ia a T cry p re tty one.
T h c Cole(/iafale ccrtain ly one o f th e finest chnrche
in tliO province. I t is Jlom ancsqne o f th e tw elfth
oontury w ith eome alig h t m odification o f th e P ointed
style inside th e chnrch. T h e fine rotahle o f tho
fifteenth re n tn ry , covered w ith sculptures o f th a t and
th e succcodiijg h u n d red years, is w ell w o rth observa
tio n . T he clerg y bore hav e in th e ir keeping some
fine jew els, n o tab ly a splendid silv e r processional
cross.
B eyond doubt v is it the cloiatcr, w hich w ith th e ex
te rio r belongs to th e priTnitive w ork ; it if? sadly dilapi
dated. T he capitals a re extrem ely fine ; they rcpreacnt ubjecl from th e P assion an d Crucifixion o f our
L ord, and th e legend o f S an ta Jn lia n a au d th e Devil,

a n d n one o f them is dopieted th L a st Judgm erit.

TliO g en eral effeot w ith th e v in e tw in in g ro u n d tbo
arehee is hig h ly picturesque.
I ig o Lopez dc
M endoza, th friend o f J u a n II. and th e Meenae o f
S pain, as9uinti<i th e sain ts narae for hia title o f
M anpiis, an d gav e it to th is hie city, T he Casa
Consistorial, in th o P laza, is a fino building, and
w urtliy o f a tow n w htcli gav e b irth to tJie arcb itcet
o f th e Escorial, Tuan de H e rre ra . T h e streets are
m ost picturesque, and nam berlees old houses abound,
b u t unless th e to u rist is constituted v e ry differently
fi*om U0, he w ill n o t care to personally exam ine
every nook a n d c o m e r or crevice in very house
w hich is presum ably old. JiF?ides, wo aro h u rry in g
hom ew ard, an d th e B a y o f S antander w ith its London
Liverpool bound steam er, is alm ost in sig h t, so to
speak.

302

T U B B I Q E L N V S o f C TF B B I ;

OR.

C n A P T E R X X IX .
TN

I H R

P iM H L B S

W O O D S.

In' tljG prcccdiiij? ch ap ter w e quoted iome Iloee as to

soiltudu b u t as th ere a re tw o sides to ev ery question
w e w ould eliow th o revcreo p ictu re to th e ^ pleasure
jn th e pathless w oods h y d6cribin| a n adventure of
one o f our au th o rs iu th e forests aro u n d Comillas,
g iv e n h i th e firat pcraou a iig u la r, as a t th e timo
w ritte n b y him , in Lis diary.
I h a d been reidDg for some w eeks in tho lovely
ep rt Unq-nera, scarcely seein g even a s tra y triLvellcr,
w hen on m orning a couple o f p riv a te coacLos turned
u p filled w itL ladies an d gentlem en. SucL an
uuusual occurrence tLrw tb sm all v illag e into
commotion, m ore especially us K in g A lfonso was
know n fo he on th c o a st; how ever, it w as not royalty
b u t th e g re a t ban k er, M, R ie ra, o f P a ris , w ho had
ta k e n a la rg e p a rty from his sea-side rBidnc o f
Cotaruoa to see th e beauties o f th e in terio r. B eing
th only d ie sse d in h a b itan t I waa ajw tted and
interview ed, an d a fte r sh ow ing th e p a rty round
th e noighbourheod rooeived a n in v itatio n to vieit
M. H iera a t ^iia palace cm th e foJ low ing day.

Oomillae is on tlie cf8t, an d us th e m ain ro ad from

U n q u era divea into th e in terio r a fte r leaving tlio
an cien t tow n o f S an V inoente d e la B arquera, I le ft tiie
in o m in g coaoh a t the ju n ctio n o f th e tw o roade somo
three m iles from th e last-nam ed tow n. I t w as a
beautiful a n d w arm m o rn in g w hen, clad in m y best
su it o f serge, I descended from P le n ty o w a te rs con
veyance a t th e little in n wliore th e tw o road meet,
a n d w as left aione to do th e best I could to reach
Oomiilas some o ig h t m iles d istan t. Fortunately a
c a rt, w h ich in E n g lan d w ould be called a g in g erbeer cart, tu rn e d n p , ta k in g m ineral w aters to
Comillae, an d I w as politely offered th e only seut on
tb e concern, b a rrin g th a t o f tho d riv er, o u r Com
panion b eing la rg e bozes o f bottles o f all kinds of
beverages, and in t h s m an n er I w as drivon to the
tow n w hich, a few d ay s before, held ro y alty , an d to
th house o f th e princoly ban k er, w ho h a d ju s t
entortained
Isabella.

A lfonso

X IL an d h is

mothor-queen

Tho d a y w as extrem ely h o t an d th e ro ad u n

in terestin g , tbe g re a te r p a rt o f it b ein g ov er lagoons
form ed b y tb e sea, w ith few houses o r inliabitants
visible, an d for sound n o th in g b u t tb e re s tle roar
o f tb e ocean and th e p lain tiv e tones o f th e immense
quantities o f sea birds h o v erin g about. From a
sm all flour-mill a t th e m ost easterly p o in t o f th e large
lagoon th e toad rise, an d , passing tlirough a n
avenue o f a m ile o r so o f poplars, ashered me into
the tow n o f Oomillas itself, a p re tty little seaport,*
2

w ith h arb o n r for ja c h is o r gmall steam ers, and a

lovely sandy b ath in |j beacb. H e re dw ells th e g reat
Lopez, ow oer o f th e im m ense steamern th a t tra d e
betw een S pain an d H av an a, and, ss in stfit^ly
proceasion th e y m ove out o f S an tan d er fo r th eir
ocean trip , th e y n e a r th e shore, a n d g iv e th e ir ow ner
a partiQ g g re e tin g by sound o f cannoD, rocket, or
w histle.
T he K in g had been sta y in g w ith S e o r Lopess, wbo
lives in a la rg e b n t u n p rete n d in g house n e a r th e sea
level, w b e n h e espied th e m ost p ro m in en t featu i^ o f
tb landscape, L a Coteruca/* a bouso th e on to
w h ich I w as invited^ poised on th e to p o f a conicalahapod hill, quit overlooking th w hole tow n,
h arbour, and b ay . M ens. R ie ra, h a v in g h eard the
K in g s adm iration o f h is residence, in d u ty , althoagh
a n alieo, th re w it open to him ; a n d I u n d erstan d his
M ajesty w as so pleased w ith b is reception ae to g iv e
th e ow n er tli d istin g u eBd honour o f th o rd er of
Isab ella Catlica.
I
arriv ed a d a y o r tw o later, R o y alty had gone,
h u t th e r ig h t royal h o st bad th e sam e reception for
th hum ble as for th e g r e a t ; an d I m ay say , in my
m any jo u m ey e all ov er th e w orld, I hav e n ev er eeen
Buch lavish ho sp itality on eo sh o rt au d uniutroduoed
acqnaintauce. Alone. R iera'e bouee ie a palac; its
in te rio r perfect in its arrangem ents, a n d its fur
n ish in g comprises th e h ig h est P a risia n cultivated
taste.
A fte r lun ch a reg al d in n e r w ould b m ore proper

in description as the d a y fttill continued beautiful, it

w as suggested th a t a p a rty should be form ed to ride
a n d w alk o v e r th e m ountains to w h a t is know n as
th e H erm itag e, a little tow n perched on an o th er
a n d h ig h er conical hill, em bedded in g ra n d old
tim bered slopoa some five m iles d ista n t. W e eet
o u t in o u r friend's carriages, an d , a s for aa cos
m opolitanism is concerned, a w ell-w isher to all
nationalities could n o t hav e chosen a h ap p ier g roup.
S p ain w as represented b y th re e y o u n g ladies a n d
th e ir duenna, in h ab itan ts o f B arcelona; F ran ce, b y
th e P a ris b a n k e r a n d hia sp o u se; G erm any, b y a
m ost am iable y o n n g roan whose nam e I f o r g e t; and
E n g lan d , b y an o th er lady a n d h o r son and y o u r
hum ble se rv a n t th e w riter.
W e drove o u t in th re e carriag es an d o n ly halted
w h e n th e road ended, th e w hole p a rty proceeding then
o n fo o t T he d a y w as b rig h t an d th e com panion
ship pleasant, a s th o w hole p a rty spoko K nglish
i f th e y wiahed, b u t F ren ch , S panish, a n d G erm an
w ere often interm ix ed for th e sako o f v arie ty . T he
v illag e cura h a d ju s t jo in ed t i s , w h en a audden change
cam e over th e scene o f w it, la u g h ter an d amuse^
m ent, Clouds from th e w est rolled tow ards u r , and
alm ost boforo wo could g e t sh elter a heavy th u n d er
sto rm broke o v er u s. Tho &ura saved us how ever,
b y conducting u s to a little chapel, w hich jn a t held
th e p a rty and n o m ore. T h e d u en na, afte r h a lf
a n h o u r o f to rren ts o f ra in , m arshalled h e r g irls and
w ould go back, th e cura a good y o n n g churchm an
2 A 2

a s in d u ty bound, followings th e w eak er o f lii flock.

O u r E n g lish lady, h e r sou an d m y self determ iued,
how ever, cote qui coty to do w h a t w e w e n t OQt for,
a u d see th e Herm itai^o. N o w aterproofa, no um brel
las ; b u t a t d littio village n e a r we w ere supplied w itt
th re e re a l old gam ps, an d in th e m ost drenching
ra in m ade boldly fo r th e m ountain to w hose sum m it
w e aspired. I do n o t speak for h e r son au d myself,
a s both w ere accustom ed to ro u g h i t anyw here, b u t
th e lady show ed th e g reatest courage ; sm othered in
m u d , *wet u p to th e knees, h a v in g to cross deep
w a te r o n step p in g stones, au d g e t o v er au d u n d er
fences o f tho m ost ingenious co nstruction ; aud
th ro u g h o u t she w as cheerful, lively, au d th o en
courager o f th o trio,
Tho ra in stopped, and w e achieved our object
n o th in g w hen w e g o t th e re b u t a rain ed tow er ; but
o u r rew ard w as th e m oral one o f h av in g battled
n a tu re and w on.
H e re com m enced th e second
lesson, for fro m th is to w erin g heigh t i n tb e n ow clear
atmoRphcru I couJd discern th e m ain ro ad to Sau
V incente and C n q u e ra ; and, although five oclock, I
insisted th a t I could find m y w a y back w ith o u t again
troubling m y fe n d good host o f th e
Cotoruca.
I w as u o t to he dissuaded, and m y com panions loilm e,
re tu rn in g to Comillas b y them selves ; b u t, a s th e n I
k new little Spanish, th e y carefully instructed a n old
w om an clad in th e m o rt hum ble a ttire , an d w eariug
h eav y w ooden shoes, to p u t m e iu th e straig h test
coure t o th e m ain road.

T he pleasures o f the

pathltisa woods n o w b eg an . T he old woman and I

took a divo in to tlie dense forest below wa, slie leadiDjs;
th e w ay, clogs a n d all, through denso an d tan g led
b ria rs a n d fernf? o f larg e size wLicb^ o u t o f com
p lim en t to o u r prowess, show ered upon n s a t very
footstep th e ir aocum^ilated ra in o f th e afternoon,
w ettin g ua up to th e m iddle before w e h a d g o n e a
h u n d red y a r d s ; tb e g ro u n d w as clayey, and, as nice
littlo pools o f w a te r stood a t ev ery tu rn o f th e goattra c k w e were o n , ev er and an o n abe lost h e r sabots,
an d I g a v e a ferruginous t i n t to m y n e th e r g aiin en ts
b y g re a t splashes in tbia m u d lark lu g forest. Obecrily
w e proceeded, how ever, to th e bottom , w hen lo my
dism ay th e old lady, m ore h y signs th a n speech,
inform ed m e she h a d raistaken th e road, a n d perforce
I h a d to tru d g e u p ag ain th ro u g h am ular troubles to
th e point a t w hich w b a d started , some 800 feet
above. W iia t h e r littl gam e w as I did n o t k n o w ;
it w as now n e a rly 6 p .m . a n d th e shades o f n ig h t
w ere falling f e s t t h e sk y w as atorm y-looking, and
I h a d not progressed one inch. A t la st a c ry from
Lor o f A q u e s ! " (H e re i t is I) an d I wa show n a
d elig h tfu l deep ru tte d bulloek-track o n tb e rid g e of
th e m o u n tain ; a n d w ith o u t cerem ony she le ft me,
m erely p n n tiu g to tb e loft an d saying siempre,*'
w h ich I k new to b e al^-aya. B ounding lig h tly ,
g la d to g e t rid o f m y so-called guide, I commenced
a n d continued a h a lf ru n , h a lf w alk th ro u g h the
forest follow ing th e ru ts , b n t w ith th li^^ht from
tb e sky alm ost excluded b y th e h eav y foliage o f th e

trees a b o r e ; n o sound to stir th e atillnesa o f tho

fa st ap p ro ach in g n ig b t T h ere waa on ly one track,
a n d it w as easy to follow b y tlie glistonio|^ w ato r in
th e ruts. S uddenly tw o roafis converged to right, and
left, and, follow ing m y iustrnctione, I to o k tho left,
to be landed in a few m inutee in a
w e o f trees,
th e woodmanfl last w o rk in g in th a t direction. N o
o th e r o p en in g b ein g ap p aren t, I retraced ra y steps
a n d took tb e on ly altern ativ e, th o road to th e rig h t,
L av in g a s only consolation th a t soiuo d a y I im ist iu
th a t direction reach th e sea and cross th e m ain road
to Oomillas I had travelled on iu th e m orning.
A ll w e n t w ell n n til I rcached tho confines o f tho
forest, an d , still on th e to p o f th u ridge, had to
descend. Bnlloclcs can go w here oven m an Fcarce
treads, a n d th is I found to m y u tte r discomfort.
Bn Uock-tracks hav e ru ts too for niilcs som e tw o to
th re e feet d e e p ; M r. B nllock m arch in g on th e
hillock betw een, an d leav in g M essrs. tho w heels of
his iarfc to g o a t a n y a n g le th e y p lease; b u t to the
pedestrian in th e d ark , w ith a steep desccnt on
clay ey soil ju s t nicely oiled b y n atu res lubricator, I
do n o t rccom m end a tria l, unless clad in a B oy ton
su it w ell padded. H ow 1 stum bled, h ow I fell, how
I w as oovored from head fo foot w ith m ud, m ust be
im s^inod. I hav e seen ladies sit dow n an d c iy o v er
dangers th e y Lad perforco to m eet, an d really, a t
th is m om ent, h a rd y m o untaineer a s I w as, I felt
m ore sym path y for them , and n early im itated them
io m y despair, for, chilled to th e bone, n o pocket-fla^k.

T 8 R L A Y a F & O U B N Q L A ifD

359

no weopone, an d in pitch darknees th a t now coTild

alm ost be felt, I arriT ed a t th foot o f th e m ountain
on t})6 confines o f a n immonso lagoon, and b e re lo6t
tlie tra c ^ . 1 h a d tobacco and aome m atches not
q u ite w e t th ro u g h , an d commenced h a lf a n h o u rs
search for a n y trace o f th bullock carts, a n d a t last
found it w e n t s tra ig h t into a stream , how deep I did
n o t know . I w as desperate, and w alked s tra ig h t in,
la n d in g fortunately on th o th e r side a iU r a kneedeep immersion, on ly to fin d m y self in fece o f a bog,
to y iirel step into w hich took one le g n e a rly u p to
th e middle, a n d I had to perform a dexterous feat to
extricate myeelf. A t th is point, a s I beheve, th e
d riv e r o f carts lea his bullocXs h av o th e ir ow n w ay and
flom ider a t tho ir leisure, fo r somo distance off is the
ro ad , o r semi*road, o v er w hich, w hen found, I crossed.
T he g ro u n d h ere b eg an to rise, an d I m ust have
crossed quito tw o m iles o f m oorland, black an d dam p,
b u t chccrful a s com pared w ith preTious experience. I
WAS congratulatin g m yself th a t I w as g o in g rig h t,
an d should haT no m ore troubles, m ore especially as
some m iles aw ay seaw ard I deecried a little tw in k
lin g lig h t. O h, d ear fa rth in g d ip , o r six p en n y p etro
leum lamp, h ow I blessed yon ^at th e tim e, and
how m y spirits to s e to th h ig h e st pitch in a n
in s ta n t! to b dam ped liow ever before I reached m y
goal, b y an o th er beautiful stream to be croesed w ith
ic y w a te r u p to th e m iddle. Tiie lig h t w as my
haven, a n d w h at cared I for w ater o r m u d ? I cleared
all obatacies, and found m y se lf d im b in g th e back

g ard en w all o f a little in n on th e m ain m ad n ear

th e sea. I t w as 9 p.m. w h en th ro u g h th e back
door I m ade m y appearance am ongst tho village
gosBipe, w ho, a s I could n o t explain, m ade b u t little
rem ark I presum e say in g to tliem^elvep, * H o res
a n o th e r m ad B oglishm an ! I w as afraid o f fever if
I sa t dow n, so, b o ltin g a couple o f glasecs o f n e a t giu,
I commenced m y tru d g e tow ards S an V incente, not
d a rin g to re tu r n to Oomillas, w hich is m uch nearer,
fo r tb e pU gbt I w as in w as n o t fit for th e palace I had
left. I m u st sa y I w as subsequently ra te d severely
by M o d s . R ie ra for n o t re tu rn in g to h im ; he said I
o u g h t to havo know n all ho had w as a t m y disposal. I
w alked fest on th e lonely m ain road o v er th e lagoons,
n o t m eetiug a soul for th e four o r five m iles I
traversed, and m y nerves w ore now a Jittle shaken.
M y ears w ere ale rt for an y sound, and once a couple
o f w histles from th e n eig h b o u rin g hills m ade me
quicken ra y pace aud take u p a la rg e stone as defence
in cose o f attack. T he clonds had broken, an d th e
n ig h t w as still as death, and v e ry w a rm ; th e stars
fihone b rig h tly , an d in th e ir com pany and w ith the
p re tty fire-flics a s m y com panions I arriv e d a t the
ju n ctio n o f th e tw o roads, an d b ein g n early d ry , both
in w a rd ly a n d outw ardly, sp en t a haif-hour b y a little
w ood fixe. M ino h o st asked m e to w ait for th e coach,
w hich would pass ab o n t m id n ig h t, say in g , a s he sabsequeutly to ld me, th a t th e re w as an o th er storm
b r e w in g ; h u t now b ein g stro n g and h earty , and
feeling no ill effects fro m m y previous fatig u e, I

determ ined to do th e rem aiu iu g tliroe m iies o r eo ou

th e m ain road and take th e coach from S an V incente.
I Lad ju s t m oved o n ab o u t h a lf a mile o r so when
th e re eamo dow n th e heaviest thuudcr'S torm I have
e v e r w itnessed in th is co u n try , aud thoro fell a
deluge o f rain , w hich in tw o m inutes w ushed aw ay
all m y stains and soaked th ro u g h ev e ry th in g s h iit,
pocket-book an d all. N o t a sh elter o f any kin d occnra
o n th is road, w hich faces weat, eo th ere wae no option
b u t to m eet th e splashes o f G ods buckets, whose
contents w ere poured on me for a n h o u r an d a h a lf;
an d , a s w et as i f I had fallen in to th e sea, 1 arriv ed
a t th e coach-ofBce, the only house open a t th is tim e of
n ig h t, a t 24 oclock, I to o k n early all m y clothes
o^ squeezed a gallon o r so o f w ater out o f them , aud,
feeling b itterly cold, d ra n k a la rg e tu m b ler o f n eat
spirit, a n d sucked some half-dozen ra w eggs. F or
tu n a te ly the coach w as n o t lo n g tu rn in g up, and to
th a t feet and to the o th e r, th a t I w as squeezed into
th e in te rio r a n d jam m ed u p betw een tw o extrem oly
fa t and p ersp irin g females, 1 attrib u te th e circumstanoo
th a t th e n e x t m o rn in g I had n e ith e r rheum aiism , fuvcr
n o r ague, b u t, to use a ra th e r sla n g phrase, w as as
rig h t a s a sand-boy."
T o such experiences
th o fo reg o ing an d m id
w in te r expeditions to Covadonga th e au th o r o f M y
T o u r in th e H im a lay as is h e a rtily w elcom e. H e
w ho w ro te Coral L a n d s en v ieth him n o t. T his
ch ap ter should be headed Perverseness punished
and obetinacy rew arded,

962

T n e

M m r iL A s n B

o f

o a s t a b b i a

on.

T he H ig h lan d s o f C an tab ria have been ascended,

entrounded a n d inspected, a n d Olr task is n e a rly over.
I f th e read er w ill enjoy a little o f th e pleasure in
perufliiig th e foregoing chapters th a t w e d id in
p io n eerin g ^ C antabria, w e sh all feel perfectly
satisfied. B u t w e do n o t only w a n t peoplo to road,
w e w a n t people to go, an d therefore, in a ll hum ility,
w onld g iv e a w ord o r tw o o f advice to those who
w ill follow o u r track . T he show is over, an d on ly
th e epilogue has to be added.

C IT A P T E R X X X .
TOR T n O ? E 'W E O T O IX O W O U R TBACK.

N o words o f onre cac add to th e value o f th e follow

ings rem ark s o f th e la te M r. F o rd , an d we therefore
reproduce th e m v e ry nwvrly in exieww.
Since S pain appears, on th e m ap, to be a square
an d m ost com pact kingdom , politiciaDS a n d geo
g rap h ers h a v e tre a te d it and its in h a b itan ts a s one
and th e sam e ; practically, how ever, this treatm en t o f
th e peninsula is impossible, since bo th th e political
an d social in stin cts o f each once independent province
v a ^ th e one from tho
chm ate ao d prodnctions
BpaD conetituti<m, be it
calico, can a t cmco efface
a thousand y e a r s ; th e

o th e r, no less th a n do th e
them selves. N o spick and
p rin te d o n p arch m cn t or
trad itio n s and an tip ath ies o f
accidents o f localities and

provincial nationalities, o u t o f w liich th e y have

sprung, reraain too deeply d y ed to b6 fo rth w ith disc h a r | ^ b y (heoristj?. S p an iard s m ay ta lk an d boast
o f th e ir country , o f th e ir PiU ria: ev ery single
individual in h is h e a r t really on ly lovea hia native
province, an d on ly considers as his iellow-countiy*
m an, su p a isa M a m ost b in d in g an d endearing

w ord on bo rn in th e jam locality ae him sol f:

Lenc it IS n o t easy to predicate m uch in reg ard to
t liO
S p a in s' and S p an iard s in general, w hich will
hold q u ite good ae to each p a rtic u la r portion ruled
b y th o sovereign o f L a s Espaa^y th e p lu ra l titl
g iven to th e cliief o f th e foderal u n io n o f th is kin g
dom. EapaholUmo m ay be said to consist in a love
for a common fa ith aud k in g , a n d in a coincidence of
rcBostance to a foreign dictation, T ho deep aentim enta o f religion, loyalty, and independence, noble
characteristics indeed, hav e been appod in o u r tim e
b y th e intluence o f tranaj>yTeiican revolutiona, and
b y B ourbon niiegovem m ent.
Two g en eral observations m ay be prem ised. F irst.
Tho people o f S pain, th e scHJoiled L o w er O rders, are
in somo respect superior to thoee w ho arro g a te to
them selves tb e title o f b ein g th e ir betters, an d iu
m ost i;pspcts a re m ore in tereetin g . T he masses, Ihe
least spoilt a n d th e moat national, stan d like pillars
am id ru in s, and on them th o edifico o f S pains g re a t
ness m n st be reconstructed. T his may liave arisen,
in th is la n d o f anom alies, from tb e p eculiar policy of
g o v ern m en t in C hurch and S tate, w here tb e posses
sore o f rohgiona an d civil monopolies w ho dreaded
know lodge a s pow er, pressed heavily on th o noble
a n d rich , dw arfin g dow n th e ir bodies by in ter
m arriages, an d all h u t ex tin g u ish in g th e ir m inds by
Inq n ieitio n s; w hile th e people, overlooked in the
obscurity o f p o v erty , wore allow ed to g ro w out to
th e ir full g ro w th like w ild weeds o f a rich soil.

T n iiE f f J }A F S F n O M S K O lA N P .

365

T hey, in fiict, L av o lo u g enjoyed u u d o r despolismR of

CLurcli and S tate a practical an d personal independ
ence, tb e good resu lts o f w hich a re ev id en t in th e ir
stalw art fram es and m anly bearing.
Sec&ndly. A distinction m net ev er be m ade between
th e S paniard in h is individual a n d in h is colUctive
capacity, an d still m o re in an official o n e : ta k e n by
him self, he is tru e aaid v a lia n t: th e n icety o f his
pim donor, o r p o in t o f personal honour, is p ro v erb ial;
to him as a n individnal you m ay safely tr u s t yo n r
life, la ir fame, an<i purso, Y e t histo ry , tre a tin g o f
these individuals in th e colleolivo juniadM f proaents
th e foulest exam ples o f m isbehaviour in th e field, of
P u n ic had fa ith in th e cabinet, o f bankruptcy and
repudiation on th e exchange. iT iis m ay be, how ever,
en tirely ow ing to th e d eterio ratin g influonc o f bad
governm ent, b y w hich th e individual S p an iard , liko
th e m o n k in a cod vent, h a s been h ith e rto fused into
th e corporate. T he political atm osphere has been
too infectious to avoid some corm ption ; and w hile
th o S paniard individnaliy fe lt tb a t bis ch aracter was
on ly iu safe k eep in g w h en in hia ow n h an d s (an d no
m an o f an y n atio n know s b e tto r iJt^n how to uphold
it), y e t w hen linked w ith oib^rs his self-pride haa
le n t its e lf read ily to feelings o f m istrust, u n til acifin to rest h a s hoen too often upperm ost. F ro m sus
pectin g th a t h e would 1 sold a n d sacrificed b y others,
h e h a s usually been w illin g to float dow n th e tu rb id
stream h k e th e r e s t ; y e t official em ploym ent has
a e v e r en tirely destroyed th e p riv a te good qualities o f

tbo empleado, an d lio has e v e r been read y to do

ju stice w hen appealed to &s a n indwidual.
T bo foregoing o f courso applies to all p arte o f the
peninsula, a n d tb e allusion to proviucial jealougiee
an d th e like is especially tru e ab o u t th e beautiful
provinccB i t has been o u r p riv ileg e to describe in
th e foregoing pages.
B u t wo h a v e ev en m ore practical advice th a n th a t
giv o n h y M r. F ord. W e would respectfully ask those
w ho follow our stops, and w isely go and enjoy the
contem plation o f bountiful n a tu r^ in S pain as w e have
enjoyed it, to b e a r in m in d above all th in g s th a t th e
people th e y w ill sojourn am ong aro essentially a race
o f ladies and gentlem en, and deserve to be treated as
such. T he crin g in g a n d purse-emptying^ Sw iss or
F re n c h landlord does n o t ex ist in tho H ig h la n d s o f
C antabria, and lo n g m ay h is absence b e re lish e d T he
to u rist w ill m eet w ith a ll ran k s, b u t m u st re g a rd th eir
m em bers as his equals. H e should ex ten d th e same
conrtesy to tho b tg g a r as b e would g iv e to tb e titled
grandee. H e w ill find p erh ap s tb a t tb e form er bears
m oro characteristic m arks o f th e tru e g en tlem an than
th e la tte r. W hatev er it m ay be in boastful B ritain,
p o v erty is n o crim e in S p a in ; and th e usted
D ios applies equally to th e h ig h est an d tb e lowest.
P atience is a v irtu e in a ll tim es a n d in a ll places,
a n d its exerdee is exceedingly useful in fhe land of
m m tm a. T he m alua o f th e F ijia n is as n o th in g to tbe
n a tu ra l dilatorincss o f th e o rd in ary Spaniard, eepecially
i f h e is a go vernm ent official. H e does n o t live in a

co u n try w h ere it is possible to break fast a t B rjg lito u ,

a n d dine th e sam e day com fortably ftt E d in b n i^ b .
T h e Civil G 'uard o f S p aiu aro, wo rep eat, a body of
gentlem en, and should be treated es su c h ; th o y w ill
do a ll th e y can for th e tra v e lle r w ho is civ il aud
polite, b u t th e y w ill s ta n d n o nonsonse. I t is b etter
to have a passport, and, if c a rry in g arras, g e t tbe
neccBRaiy p erm it. W hen a religious procession passes,
rem em ber th e respect dne to th e religion o f th e majo
r ity , an d i f n o t o f th e an cien t creed o f C hristendom
a t least raiso tho b a t. T h e effort w ill cost little and
w ill g a in you a w arm -hoarted peoples liking. I n the
churches rem em ber a s you pass th e hig h alta r th at, as
M r, F o rd rem arks, " th e people am id whom y o u live
believe th a t on th a t a lta r th e In c a rn a te ll o s t dwells
w hero th e tw o o r tliroo a re g ath e re d to g e th e r; aud,
in o rder n o t to offend, ev ery considerate P ro te sta n t
should m anifest a n o utw ard respect fo r th e san ctity
o f th e place an d th e eastom o f bow ing and o f gemaflecting. M r. F o rd p u ts th is advice in ita lic s ;
w e tr u s t th e y a re n o t needed for th e read ers o f this
w ork.
H a v e n o th in g to do w ith p o litics; it is a h e a rt
b re a k in g business in an y co u n try , and is w orse in
S pain. I f th e loveliness o f G ods creation in th e
C antabrian m ountains w ill n o t Fatisfy, it w ould be far
b e tte r to w orship th e caucus in th e immediatid vicinity
o f B ow Creek.
S panish politeness is not th a t o f th c P arisian , who
raises h is h a t w ith infinite g race an d th e n lets tbe

la d y w alk i tb e g o tt r. S p eak in g as Britotis, w e are

pro u d to say tlia t a s a m le o u r people w a n t little edu
cation in resp ect to th e fa ir sex, b u t Spaoiah g allan try
Bhonld he noted. I t is deeper seated tb a n th e hatrim fo<^isliTieR8 o f th e w ind-baga o f th e Boulevards,
b u t th e n a C an tab rian wDl h a rd ly ad m it tb a t a
P a risia n can be a gentlem an. C ertain ly tb e ir re ig n
in g m onarch h a d b u t a poor sam ple o f tKeir m anners
w hen laat in th e so-called capital o f civilisation.
W h en in a Spanish tow n w ith a lady do n o t w alk
arm in a rm w ith h er. I t is co n trary to etiq u ette, and
th e self-denial w ill in some cases do good.
E a rly risin g is alw ays commendable, an d should he
tb e ru le o f th e tra v e lle r in C antabria. A lig h t
apology for a breakfast in th e bedroom o r saloon,
an d tw o inibstantial m eals a t m idday and about eig h t
in th e evening, is th e custom o f th e country an d w ill
su it m ost people. T h e y re st a good deal in tho
m iddle o f th o day, and th e churches, e tc ., a re gene
ra lly closed from noon to th re e in th e afternoon.
W e have aaid tb a t w h en it rain s in C antabria th ere
is n o m istake about it, therefore a w aterp ro o f coat or
cloak should form a n essential p a rt o f th o impedi"
meta. I t should bo b o rn e in m in d too th a t in the
rem ote fastaeescs o f th e A stu ria s m edical m en are
few ajid fa r betw een, an d it is ju s t a s w ell to tako
some easily irried rem edies. I f th e iiv e r g ets a
little o u t o f o rd e r b y change o f d ie t and th e like, we
have found a b o ttle o f L am plough's S alin e v e ry
valuable m edicine, and it make also a cool re f^ e h -

m g d rin k w hen m ixed w ith th e pu re w a te r o f somo

m ountain giream. D r. Collis B row nos chlorodyno
is a good th in g to p u t in th e knapsack o r v a lis e ; it
is especially nneful for those w ho are lik ely to snffer
from neuralgic pains a n d from v arieties o f cHmate.
B etw een th e w eather o n tho Picoe a n d th a t a t
Liebana a g re a t g u lf is fixed. T o slig h tly alto r the
dicta o f a w ell-know n w r i t e r : N e v e r m eaeura
Spanish th in g s b y a n E n g lish standard, n o r ecok for
motee in b rig h t eyes. S cout all im a|^7iary dismals,
dangers, an d difficulties, w hich bccome ae nothing
w hen m anfiilly m et, and especially w h en o u the
ro a d an d in th e Fonda. V iew C an tab ria an d her
inhabitant e n eoxU eur da
an d i t w ill j^o h a rd if
som e o f th a t agreeable tin t b n o t reflected o n snch
ft jndicious observer, for like a m irro r tlie Spaniard
re tu rn s y o u r sm ile o r frow n, y o u r courtesy or
co n tn m ely ; n o r ia it o f a n y use g o in g to R om o if
you q n arrel w ith the H o ly F atlier. S tra in a point
o r tw o therefo re to m ake th in g s pleasant. D o not
expect ev e ry m orning a t n in e a ra sh e r o f bacou
a n d a cup o f th e ^ btwt tea im p o rted '; tr y to f o r ^ t
th a t you e v e r tubbed i t " in tho p riv acy o f yo u r
bedroom : if a bold person o f the (so called)
stro n g e r sex, you m a y in some retired s])ot ta k e a
b a th in a m onntain etrcam, b n t otherw ise you will
req u ire to w a it till y o u g e t hack to S antander.
M edicinal bath s like those a t I a H erm id a su it not
th e tastes o f th e ro b u st B rito n . A b an d o n all hope
too o f lavatories a n d th e like. A Spanish Chalet
2 B

Com pany has n o t enterod th e head o f th e w ildest

prom oter in th e peninsula. U n lik e th e custom o f
F ran ce, th e Fondas do su p p ly y o u w ith soap, b n t it
is generally p oor s tu ff; therefore take a ciike of
h ea lth y T erebene w ith a sponge in a h ag , a n d now
an d ag a in ergoy th e lu x u ry o f som ething approach
in g a w a d h : h u t be n o t o^nr- sanguine in those
m a tte rs ; i t is n o t everybody w ho can b a th e in a
w ine-glass.
E x c e p t in ra re caees an d for exceptional services,
do n o t givo t i p s in th e m ountiiin in n s ; they are
n o t expcctcd, and it is a m iserable th in g to g o around
th is w orld as a n apostle o f th e e v il h ab its which
obtain here. U nless th e tra v e lle r intends g rad u atin g
fo r a hlgh*clas8 lunatic asylum , h e w ill le t tho Basque
language alo n e ; i t is a painful subject to be contemplate<l a t a respectful distance w ith rev eren tial awe.
B radshaw s Spanish P h ra se Pocket-book ia b e tte r than
none, b u t it is fa r from perfection. H o w is it th a t as
a n d e these w o rk s fall so sh o rt o f th e ir purpose but,
as w e h a v e said, a v e ry little Spanish w ill g o a v e iy
lo n g w ay ev en in th e villages w hich k n u w tho
w h ite m antle o f alm ost etern al snow. I t is o f conrso
nccessary to c a rry m oney, b u t th o N o rth e rn Spanish
to u rist w ill find th a t h e need n o t overburden him self
w ith th e w eig h t o f too m uch cash. C an tab ria is as
y e t v irg in soil so fa r a s reg ard s 'A n y and 'A rrie t,
au d g e n try o f th e ric h and shoddy class, and lo n g
m ay it rem ain so. A n d now w e w ould sa y a few
w ords aa to how lo le a c h tlxe locahtios we have

been deecribing. T he tra v e lle r can o f course go

overland v i P a ris an d K ordeaux to th e Spanish
frontier, o n teriu g th o Spanish railw ay systerQ a t
I ru n , and so reach S an Sobastian, Bilbao, o r
S antander v i V e n ta de B aos ju nction o n th e m ain
lin e to M adrid ; b\it it is a tiresome- busineBS this
lo n g railw ay jo u rn ey , an d w e say to th e read er who
fearR n o t th e l a y in a com fortable steam er ; Em*
b a rk a t L iverpool uu b o ard one o f Messrs. M eA ndrew
& C om panys re g u la r S panish lin e o f stoamora for
P assages (o r P asag es) an d S au tan d o r (th e fare is 5 ) ;
* d o th e Picos a s Nve h av e describ ed ; an d re tu rn
in g to S a n ta n d e r from G-ijon v ia Llanos, coach i t to
Bilbao, th ro u g h Casho U rdales, and th e n ta k e tra in
v i M iranda to S a n Sebastian for B ordeaux, and
th en ce hom e to London o r L iverpool b y lo n g soa
o r overland. T he larg o steam ers o f th e Pacific
Steam N av ig atio n Com pany leave B ordeaux for the
seap o rt on tb e M ersey ab o u t th re e tim os a m outh,
tb e fares being 135 francs first class, 80 fran cs second
class, an d 50 francs th ird class, provisions included.
T he G en eral S team N avigation* Compsmy m n a
w eekly steam er from B ordeaux to L(m don, th o fares
b i g 3 first cabin, a n d 2 second cabin, but
provisions in th is case a re extra. Tlie boats of
th is London service to an d from B ordeaux are
good, w e il^ u ip p e d steam ers, and th o tab le o f the
G en eral S teajn N av ig a tio n Com panys line is alw ays
a good one. I f th e tourist wishes to see Bilbao first,
an d loves the salt-w ater so d e a r to th e au th o rs of

book, l i O can n o t do b e tte r th a n uvyil h im self o f

Srleesrs. R o b e rt M ac A ndrew A C om panys liondon
L ine o f Spanish S team ers. T be office o f this
Com pany is Suffolk House, Lauroncc P o u n tn ey H ill,
an d tb e ir frteamcrs soil for B ilbao freq u en tly , the

tliis

fare being
M 'e Lave very p leasant recollections o f voyagtja
in Mcssra. >facA ndrew s SUbao, and hav e ap en t m any
An instructiv e ho u r w ith h e r lOngliah engineer, M r.
W illiam s. Those w ho hav e intoi*cet a t co u rt w ith
th e coal a n d iro n princes o f S o u th W alea o r G lasgow
can, if th e y foar ncrt a coal cargo out and iro n ore
hom e, g e t a passage to B ilbao o r S an tan d er from
Cardiff, N ew port, o r th e Clyde, a t a m erely nom inal
charge.
N e ith e r W ares y a c h ts n o r thoe o f
Mcsera. Cory a re iio atin g palaces o f th e O r ie n t
order, h u t w e h av e th o ro u g h ly enjoyed o u i * five
tid e s in vessels o f those lines. A n d th ero axe th e
routes b y w hich tb e to n n s t w ho is tired o f M argate
je tty o r Scarborough sands, can reaeh tb e untrodden
fields w h ich w e bav e cbrisioned th e H ig h lan d s of
C antabria, an d i f he so likes it, rev el n o t on ly in
tb e ir exquisite scenery, prospect for th e ir unaought
fo r w ealth, b u t g o ab o u t w itb a j ^ n and shoot tho
beara and chamoia w liich roam around tho desolate
buighta o f A vila. A n d th is rem inds ua th a t th e
co rrect cham ois h u n tin g boots w ith tb e ir donole
ru b b er soles are beat obtained a t MerB. H alls in
Biahopsgate Street, a n d M r. H iirrlson advises th a t
th e express rifles w hich g o t in m ost o f th e handsom e

cham ois l>ag o f A ugis, 1884, w ere those o f Mcaarfl.

R ig b y au d Co. o f D ublin an d London.
A u d now , good reader, we a r e about to say fare
w ell. W e to g e th e r havo jazed for a second a t
th e sm iling city o f S a n Sebastian from th e whilom
bloodslaiued slopos o f ite Castle, wo bav e h eard tho
m u rm u rin g ro a r o f th e death -d ealin g a on Bilbao
b ar, have su rv ey ed tlie iron m ountains around th a t
^xtdad invicta^ a n d a fte r re a d in g th e D a ily Telegraph
a t th e Cate Suizo a t S antander, h av e p en etrated th e
g re a t fortress o f th e Picos de Muropa. T ho busy
little D eva h a s su n g o n r welcome a s w e w alked
th ro u g h th e g ra n d g o rg es i t has m ade for ite dim inu
tivo self, a n d leav in g ite w a te r m usic behind u b w o
b a v e gone n p to Ibe dizzy h eig h ts a n d fonnd o u t th e
home o f th e cham ois. W e h a v e been in th e H o ly
Room a t O viedo, an d w andered w ith some Spanish
friends a t G ijon a fte r jo t m ines a n d th c liko. Don
A n to n io ha ta k e n u s to eec h is gaol-bird frlcud a t
Cangive, a n d th e tom b o f his glorious ancestor a t
Covadonga. W e can n ow boast tb e escallop shell
in OUT arm s, for w e havo been p ilgrim s to th e b irth
place o f Spain, a n d w e know also wboro th e Ba:*ceIona nuta come from.
R egardless o f a felling m etal m arket, wo have
boon seeking for copper, an d one a t least o f us has
boon g e ttin g him self ridiculouRly w et in pathless
w ooda w hich ho w en t ex p lo rin g a ll alone in tho
d a rk ; au d h av in g told yon a ll we know ab o u t tho
H ighlands o f C antabria, w e can on ly say th a t wc

hope w hen you finish th ese pages you w ill adm it

tb a t wo bav e n o t beon m ore th a n necefwarily proay
o r pedantic in th o inform ation w e b a v e been enabled
to publish to tiie w orld. Y on liav e jo u rn ey ed w ith
a s th ro u g h th o H ig h lan d s o f C antabria, an d tbe
B lue P e te r o f o u r B ritain bound steam er flies to th e
so u th ern breozo in th h arb o u r o f S antander. H av o
yon found ue pasfable good com pany? I f so, we
w ill ta k e y o u n e x t y e a r to S antiago Compostella, and
yon shall tra v e l w ith n s in tbo w ild reg io n surround
in g th a t venerable shrinu w h e re resla tho body o f the
p atro n s a in t o f Spain. Vaya w ie d con D tos,
M A B S B O SS.
I I . S T O N E H E W E B -C O O P B K .

INDEX.
A r v u T D n io tb F o r u t o f C onrilha.

3Si

A ^ rM iltu n l c o a a t / j , 228
A g r ic u ltu u , 80
A ^d, 7
A ierirta-li)llw >
1?
AEftli piscr, LoC l C
A lkliiu; p rio f . 1 6 i
A pple.
i ^ b WMneBiiAf io P n t^ a , S U
A s t u j M h ia lo r r,
291 292.
2^
295
-------k t n f i
F el70, S97.
2.
800
------ m rtantA ine, 2 0 6 .2 0 6
A o s tio , U r . o f D t l(K 63,
A1wk1hj cumaMBCNrated, S25| S2H

fm aw ij,
Hs9,

iSiet

yi9,

Si

K a l ka MU 214, 215
iJeeqiw kgrivQ ltur. 96. 57
------- d a tn e lu , 5 ?

-------M iM , W

yi, 59
------ pop1. fa,S^M ,65,S6
- , , p n m o M ti 51
B e t, a , e a u M $iam. ISS
------ IfciijOBgo, 5 6 ,

---- miMC, OT

B r h u a U u g . 2 1 2 . 288.
B n t s , tru oC
281
B U ft. fi, ,7
------ W , 8 . 9
------ ohw ob. 44, 45
' co etaiset 4 8 . 44
____ aaM ritM d. 86, 87, SS. 3 9 .4 0 , 41
i n d c , 6 0 .6 1 , C'A C3, 64

iitm

------------------ o W

b n d g . 4 n

------ p o b n s 1 . ^

triM 32. 3H, 84

------ I r v i 1 1 .1 2 , 1 8 ,2 9
BUInk tu OaMro r e c u l t . 72, 73
B iscft?. R a ; , L
H iw 'a T u CftnD'houM, 6^
------ llrif U 4 7 . 46, 49
B lco d . n i
7ioT, iJ d . :^09
iio 6 , V9

B outa, ki^H ^ th m o u & t ]i. 209

B o U n ? , 112, l i s , 127, 128
B rl4 g e . G o t b i o , 277

D d s . nfttojftl. i:7
BriRBQ^ r%tird f r t o i busiosaa, 278
B r li ^0CM]J^ 21
B uen, n v r.
U o ll
40. 41
Balnvs> eucouuDodatioU. 828
B u ria l oudkHQ,

n m f th y . C o lo n e l, I M

B o th . ft
o f vicM, 78
B u u n c a imuuucoincote, 13J
B iuU cs 1 1 7 ,1 1 8 ,1 1 9 , 120
B utSr n n %od c^lMinois bontr> 329
------ b n d e , 247, 248
C 7 c B riso , 9 i , S 5 . 96
C sfa , Ud

ChJMkLic, 111, S H

^ mine. 8>^l SSS

BQta> 231,232 231, 2 M , 235,
286
OftDA]
T U Irio, 207
Cene, 2S8 ^
------ d O oi**277

du TiicO, 207
0 ftu t b rlft,5 l

----- h n v tn ncb, 71,

h illa, 91
0cbaiOD. 105

872

Cw B eta, HS
C a rn iv a l. 810
O a rtb a ^ 'iu ia n s I n O a o U b rin S

O w tro . 7S> 77
------ U rdiflle*. 7 0 .7 1 .8 0
------ TJrdialM ,
78, 79
C a tiin i, 1 ^ , Jd7
CavCB.172
C alihedral o f U M on, 187
.
O viodo. 2f. 230, 2SI
O eiaatA m oiuituB , 14
CLwDus.S26

chvoit,

^ ^ O l u b . p ro p o fcrl, 210, 111

b o n i 20
------ l i a n t . 830, S81
h u n t o r . p n p e n tk K ), 199,200,
a 202,
C b c G v e , l $ 4 .155
n k io g .12K
<!hat&ut t n d e , 2 46,247

OLriflt * n d th eo ld lct' l e n o d , l n ,
16. 191
C b n ro b docontnn 1A2
------ . < o i k , QoV boU diag,

o f th
S M , 3^1
------ , T rrtT o , 1 5 1 . 1
C b u r e h n . 307, S I
------ i n 0 ?iw Io, 897
- IO P ote, 184
O iJe, 82, 248
U g * r IlghtB. 75

V<jiefQi^

OaBAUj.M

of

C la n
Astra, 81
C lla a te , 1 1 ^
O a e h rd o
Ui4oo> 102
&<*oh rtm e ftwy Creta iu n , 198, 191,
199
O w h m m , CaiteabrAn, I M . 105
C o ( d ,3 i,
, t* a d u i , SO
------ tpad Of GiioQ, S i i
CoUfv, 2d
CVJiinibiB, 86
C o m IlM S5S,
C uQ Jcm toB , 115
C o n lode, 344
p^U miiMe, 3S3
------ , M T o h foe, 881

io

SU

Coi^Qc. L*,

Cov.dcBk'u, u m o fi]
SC, 27.
888
w ceirt (OManb, 816, 819, 880,
921,
m ,
-, l e t t i
2NH

U t, 2Vi.
fi,

Crtrpe. 305, 806, air?

O f MDca ctd Ifi UiC lo c k , 885
C u n a s d lin u id U ra , 213, 818
CustouM
B f m
r^ s ra o U d , 967
------ 4 n ( k . l l 9

to

$9

E o g lia h Booff in

----- #01^^217

-------on; a b r a d . 144
Eo^liBhfDKn i i i tlw Piene, 217

narmw, a tbc w o v ,
d07
EtftABrio N aiiu u a], 1%)
E v il Bw, S U
Kxpuellc d e V ise * ; , 9

238, 21if

T A r m s , SIO
F e n m . 118
F e u d a l cjuitl*, 800, 301

---- kj.'endfi. I

Kiflheee u t O ijo a, 2 iS
F i ^ b i ^ , U 7 , 1 1 8.180
in Ih HeaAT n v c r, 866
b n ^ 198
a d v u itu fe in &, 87.
S59,
3 , 301
,
FdrB fte dentroyed. 116
F rm a tj^ i. C v ta h r a Q , 98
PaK e k io j, 816
F u ere o r odo o f riffb tt. 2>6, 2^7

Far^st,

Q a l i . p r o m n n trtr ;, H

G nnA , ftoudaat,
(H i m a 270, 871
G e w lo ^ , M , l i l , 1 2 8 , Ifl , 1 7 7 , a ,
8 6 8 , S l f i . 3 2 4 .8 3 1 .3 4 0

(ib o st . S U , 818
G ijo s . 2 4 0 ,2 4 1 , 848.
2 4 4 ,2 4 5
e w to m rinee, 849, 260
. CDvnma t n d U tiiia j;,
8^,
259. 80
------ w i j i n d e , 846, 246

l u r l i i i r , 251
, publB b o ild in g s, 849, 850, 858,

H.%

ffl.

2&S

D v . r i T , 122. 12R, m , 125, 170,

1 7 2 ,1 7 3 ,18:t, 2 Ilv B4ti, 349
, riv c r o d vullcy, l d
T>tU , PVTijeL lo g o l, 1S8

Gold i i M ^ dletovered. :-l42

Gordoo, eztnM f> m poem oo, 88f

D r m i& T re im w , 150
------ p c u A s U r, 270
D f i n l d i * u rc
l>ecido rtm tuinee. 68

Q ;f u a i. 175

l>ofa, Wklog, XiS

iu c k t o ,

r, 1S7,1S6

19, 80

---- toBi(t*o,S8

E m i o n i * , 114
ErH odio, 21
EfiUflb u t E1 D txbfiiu, 28
m e tc r y , 80, 81

---- Iiikbitf iKrf tAbe espe^. ^

s u lu r il) p rim n , &V)

O o th io EioRB

fi

877, 2 78.270

GuArfiM Civiles, ll>7 , 16, 1 69,170

Guu f v t n t j of Truljiak, ijl 5

E A Jtsic, K nglkJi, 272

V *ll#y, 174
H a rm o Q , fifr., M Stm Uiiider, 19C
------ . M r.. d f l ^ , 205
H w t b , TsriciiOb 112
H c n u ite p b Axp<^ition
t^ e , 3^$, 95C
----- - o f t t e H o ly Crew, T77
Iln o p iro , 245
Z lonnfirinde, 280, 2HI, 2 Q

Hur, fto QijAjDiue;, IVO

N, m i s i

i K n w r o , 2 ^ , 227

N o t tra d e , 246
N ut, 2 6 5 ,2 6 6 ,2 6 7

Ui

frnri m in e ,6 ^ , 6?,
------ n re.
------ workH, HO.

2 0 , 215
JS T . te a l m ih y.2 5 9 , m , 2 6 ] , 262
J c c b , MclColMrtiwI, S9
JoM U e m t^pain, 257

Oiriorci, itewtjJ in

iu l> b U o k 8aue>
2U?
O k v c a g a , 80
0 ) d TQn o fC n ^ tm , 1 76,179
O n to n . 7C
O p liin , G jn ta b r ia ODe o f th e m , 811

45

O tiH u B , 8 5

K iT o ifiS a t UrOoQ. 165

La
in s
LCLj^lXMU, lu c . IU?
l^ n g o u g c
O au U b rik , L iute, 870
12. 18
-------Arn<m<lM; 2U5
LceOTxi o f tbft o ld tn a n
179,
180> 18l, 182
LihM U, 1 7 6 ,1 7 7
------ T al. 178
I wiri4, 165
L ig n ita , io n , 1
14*0, 226
216
U r . o f G ijc , 248

of
ArntM. 7.

o(

&1*>mAJiin. 944
869
H in n fal
- wualUt, HIS, 314
f f i Q c r ^ ' j . 82L, 322
M ineral, 6& 888. 88,
844, 8 i5
M inea, e r c ie n t. 4isoov(?Td. SS6
------ o f BoioaBs a n d F b tfn ic ia n s .
8 tl
XBDsr furoac, a o c lc u t, Id o iv c , 836
------- tool, ac o ic a t, 887, 8SS
M iran d a,
ILMrioTffdia, L a . 4 ?
M iitt
ilic m vo ntaici^ 32(J> 827
M oney b s i d . 127, I&6
Mivirieii tia4e m Pote,
U o c rs A ^ n i a ,
iU l, 282.288
UouutALU tu r, 160
r e f D ^ 80S
M ouro, B ritis h capture,

iifhaine, 96H,

SiO.

'.I'i

'lit, 280.

---- Ulct. 9\

O ur L a d ; o f
O n e d o , 2 ^ , 2 S I, 280, I S i .
234, 2 a5 , 236, 237, 288

2S8.

P aJT S . oaiii ji^ tc . 123

------ , v U i a ^ 129, 30
P m , dAiiferoufl. S24, 825
P t t n n t r r , A e tu iia u , 269. 270
P a ]a ;u , d o u *"H>nits <je,
272

p rv rla im e d k ln ^ , 284
------ a n d th M m ra. 279, 260
F e n in s n la r w a ^ UU
o f flpaio, 361, m SCO
P h ia v ic u u tniitC, 865
rb u lu ftra p h A ti in p i i. 141
F b o k i p l r. i n ; , 187, L91.19A
iV o a , 1 2 1 ,1 2 i 1 2 3 ,1 2 4 ,1 8 7 ,1 3 8 ,1 1 5 ,
14ti, 172, 173 175, 177. 215, S81,
322, 238
d o E u r > p . 155
bigh . in V in te r, 228

Zi,

X!2

tm

P i e to n ta k e n Ijv
F re n c h , 9C
P ik o a . riCf, 227. 22S, 21^
FoUilcw (o be a T n d M , 867
P o rtn g a l ! . 6 ,1 7 .1 8
f o e tin a n , 153, I M
Poet-offictv 7^
P oles. 163
P o m , ro ad to, IC2
PrietR a tid hie m ulo, 176,177
P rie o n a t s4nUllA, 86
P rb o u L n a t C aaga, 268
Frieui: a o J etu n in ale, 2S3. 254, 255.
656
P ro rieio n i, 21

M u n a sa ,2 9 D .2 8 1 , 282
M im iM ta , p alar , 18
U o A r a l ,
yJ6

CjcARTZiTi: 6ton0. 337

l i n t M an d L'oldvu
640, 311

T irer, 297
K atu r U t a u d (lie J u s . 1&5,126
> a v ia , riv r. 308
IC o m o a B aTi^C ioo, 9 .1 0
------ , r ite r , 6, 15, IU, 17, 18, 29

K a d .v a v s in B pabi, 98, 99, ICKI, 101

C ie ra . U ., u f P a r u , 8 5 2 .6 5 4 , 655
B lu, L u ll, 106
Koftlfi, a n o tp s t. 302
------ > gQTeriuuunt, 303

in a m ine.

2 c

Socka r<fwring enquiric, 219

mBainSi 301
------------------ r o h , ( H

S patiieb p o liV n e e t 368

ptftilxw, H1, 82

-------a n ij F rotl3, 97

, 9 0 9

^fiirits, cuiU]kptton of. 2?J,

^ in r lb dronB.

----- trxcc l a PotAi. IRi

ScmjI cjtips, 289
Pound tnirj. H29 330

t b ilb a g . 29
S tn r k i^ o t ie t f o

Salm os. 112.267

BHiDne. 105. lOC
Hwlottinne in Spoio, 273, 274
8%n J u q 's ijvCv SIO
Skn ebwiaQ. 8, 4
Santo AOB
79
B7 , 88
------- , bqildbun 91
----- , c&tk.'dn.
9i
----- , cn^irona. W
----- , pQbiK*
93
niell c ) hsTtKXU. 90
BtMACTV, 8K, 89
^ B tii^ l& 2. l 3 S. m
850 . 951
Sftiiioitf, ^
----- , chorfli, 80
HikQtufc. 17.18
San Tiaccnio do la
lOU
krdij>e lsherj, 77

L r e ? . r0 3

lAjpt,
V e\^

05

3 I><, 819 , 820, H42 , 313

fUiip,

EuglW>i p n te,

----- , cdt;ii o ( tbe Tiam^ 147

14
------s m tK tft. i : , 1 4 0,141, 143
T rid lft,
103
T ro u t, l i a

'A:a.

201 ,

SoImc, SBliriA
18
147, SOS
Kpaia, piwKiC trang to mcS otKr.
808
SpADieb
84 , 6 Q
------n>ntleiBii> botfpifailiy, 81 $
---- jQsUcc. 56

o tk MAIL. 103, 1 08.105

r o q n ^ 108, 1 0 9,110, 111
'Drduu, 129

. tois m

V a l u t b , Cior, ju n tirm , 1S3

V c s ttfttio n . 11
V illA g , l i f t . 1 1 4 ,115, 147
V i ) l a r e . 149, ISO
V innc d o 0 s 4 t lv . 163
T uU urca, 832

W * i.s n r TRA*, 217

W a rm btitlis, I t i i
W a t- r . u w uf.
H petn. 1C4, IGS

In

W lld o*l, 106, in?

'if

'\S'DH
l^paio, CU, 7
>^'iiAhw 31& 318
V o lr r s ,

320, 221

W oiucn w o rk in e, I ^ , 20
WiXNifc M r, ,1.
1 42,148
Wood&, tbr> b, pkuVibiuo, 804

P.

T ln jiilu r fltf o rr ie o lo c to tc w lh f* , 58

----- lAisCDfi're 100

---- 111

251

T r a t e n . llS

liqjv?, SL

Reaman, oetnbM fot, SS

S1U. a svlojon rtv^r, 2 ti7
----- , tlVN, 205, 277
wiciout, 301
Mtd etuiU. 327
8hDl)nl tA tlic PImo. S2S
B nlk of
ViTMnt^> 107

b ftj

T ax , 73, 74
T--a, flnor, 1 02,103
'l 'i m .
113
T u U a u , p a u is b , 74
T om b o f
2H5, 288
To*n M fe*i, DfMf, 303
' i ' t r r A l a v e R ^ 101^ 12
l 'r v i a t Q ijv o . 248. 244.
T n u ro .
814. 315. 816, 817.

t^ardM, Apauil** FrcQcb lbola. H O

9*omem. i:^

m tva f>i

H o lp b u j progs 3 ^
Swexrtt, A
rMOUouiori, 308,

HftiHiMrrs t\ 'M. 95

&oco:fy, 116, 127 , T4T., iH.% S37 ,

263 . 2 if>. S * * . W J
. C^ntAbrian, 105
S^htttl in Tm vks 158
ficotch liekv In Spin, H47
BtMuon'e infriitata, 24 s.s, ^>, 27

278

Z io c m ice. 106

loar-jK: ruikitt sv wuw cmwe *n aoxSvijan'ui. eTAHrov>tuki

ABCulUkLtCCLe*

BY T H E

SAM E

AUTHOR.

In One Vol.. cpown8vo.. with Two llliJ8tFations,p/ice 7/6.

A PO PU LA R E D IT IO N O F T H E

Coral Lands of the Pacific.

BT

H . S T O N E H E W E R -C O O P E R ,
AiHLcff o f Tb L K w o f
P ij l." O u f N o * Colnoy.
n d Join* A ulbcff o f - T h e n ijrh U n d a o f C w t . b r i * , ' d c . , eic.

Being M AcoCTint of a m \ j a ll t i s M ftb iU d I s l u d s of tlie

Pw ifio, th e jr Peoples, and tb c ir Prodacte.
T h e JTo* K d itw n b e* b e t a re rie e d b y Ih e A u Uv t
g re * t cAr*
w id th e i n f o m e tio a I t o o f h t dutfTt to tb e J e tw l date.
TO

BE

ORDERED

THROUOH

ALL

BO O K SELLERS.

OPIl/JO>''S OF T ffE m K fiS .

S a ta rd a ^
M f. C o o w s 'C o re l L .u d ie ft mOft p l n g
b l t T ittcn iO< Ti^b<^ity wiUioiit divfWQ, * d c r u e lly l o ^ 'S t i n g to t h e
u ia n s a d T h e auLhoT h a * lie<l fiw
y e a rd e m i^ n g tb o . u o o m a b l o ^ o r t
flf tb ij P a ^ t t c . U2 t h e m id d le o f a m i x e i w o rld o f D r t c a M n |, c m ib a lis m
trtkdy i i f l o r t L g d o x d i ^ t n t . . . .
T L o m t o f h ia b o o t b i s a w u o t
y f I x w h - c u o b e w , f i n i t e ^ **f t h e
f i * h e , .u f tb o r ^ u i a e i i M o n E a a tc r
I lftn d i e a. e n ie itw u in g a e h i tth ip W r o n F j j i u ie in s tru c li? .

T h * T i m e * M f. O ty p c i's howk g i w i o s a n ela b o ra te ai^m oot of

K fJjiK 'aU a n d bfiitg hefort ub T e r - l 0 '>tewortby pew onagea, acofmg o iL c ri.
*B U l i H aj6 * ,' th e las* o f t h e p irate o f ih * Pacliic.''
S t J a m e ' G * * lle . M r, O jupir*9 lo o k i f o il t i in ta r e * U ^ in fc iim lion a W UlUe koom u y itio , a u d 10 excollcnt rM d in g from Uie flrM p ag o
( h e last.*'
G n f t r d i a n . - JTo ! > V b a s b e w y tb c T O p n U ia h ^ d w bloh
a^b a
a n d c le ta ik d ^ c t n r s o f u c o n a id tra b le pnrU on o f t h i i Tat AraUlpelago.

Ut

LO N D O N :

E IC IL S R D B E N T L E Y & S O N , N E W

B U iflT N G T O N S T .

puWWirrs in n m u rg to r r a j s i g

enien-

TH E

PTH K NEK S.

By H E N R Y BLAC KBU RN ,

W ith 100

by GUSTAVE

lU -U S T R A T lO N S

S r w E d i t l o o ,

DOR,

6 r o . , c lo t h , p r t o e ? . 9 d .

A L L R O U N D SPAIN.
S 'S *

WITH A SHORT ACCOUNT OF A V ISIT TO ANDORRA.

B y F. H . D E V E R U L L .
OrOMoi 8 to ., tUcih, W ith Iatv K *p , 10 . 6

k r^ n o e

B y C. E . B I L B R O U G H .
lllQ e tr& t6 4 .

C r o v B Bt o . , 7 . 6 4 .

SAUERS SPANISH GRAMMAR.

C rv w B 9 7 0 ., c l o th , 9 .

NEUMANN

&

; E e 7 , S*.

B A R E T T IS

Complete Spanish & Englislt Dictionary.

9 T o l ., TO., L B. O d .; b n d e A d e tU tlo D , I d m o ., 0 * .

LONDON ;

A M O N L O W , M A R S T O N , S E A R L E , & la V I N Q T O N .
18, F I.K B T B f B E E T , E C .

4 C o i< ilo ^6 o f A n u r a n a n d F < ntin B o o is P u H ish e d o r

b y ^tEssRS, S a w s o n L o w & C o . <an
h< h a d e n a p p liia tio n ,

jSS, F U e tS tr s ft,
Odobfr, 1885.

C r n tm Buihli>*gj.

a
S A M P S O N

Londan,

fro m tl)f l i s t o f B o o h s
PVDLISIIE&CY
L O W , M A R S T O N ,

S E A R L E ,

&

R I V I N G T O N .

A L P H A B E T IC A L L IS T .
B y a n F .io n B o y , A u lh o r o f A
Ck>lh limj', ^unre l6)no, >. 6ii
A tia m s iC JC .) M a n u a l0 / H is to r ic a lL ile r a tu t'e . C r, $vo, 1 2 s.6 d .
A k o t t {L o u isa M .) J a c k a n d J iU . x6m o, 5.
----------- 0 !d ~ F a sh im id T h a n ksg ivin g , J M y . y .
T r a v tr b S to rie s. i6 r a o , 3s. 6<A
. I S fin n in ji- P VieeJ Sto rrf f . i6 m o , 5#.
S e e a lso Kob T.ibrary.
A B O U T Som

F illtjw s.

Uay o i my Life.

A /d e n ( l y . Z .) A d v e n tu r e s o ffitn m y B rrrtS'n, -w riffcn b y h im se lf.

UlosOslcd.

Snik11 cr^wn Suo, cloib, 2/. 6c/,

A ld r itk ( T B .) F r ia r / e r m / s B e a u ltjtd B o& k, *S-<*.

c b o k e ly p iin l ^ o n

papcf parcb m cn t covcr,

CJ.

V ery

W o r k s d itio n d e L u x e . 8 vo, 71/.

A ^ r d { j A d y M a r ia n ) N e fd lfa x> rk a s A r t. W ith o v er xoo

----- F o ttic a l

U'oocirts, Pho1cP.ntres, &f;

Royal 8vo, 42*. ; Iwe

^ '

A m a te u r A n g le r 's D a y s i n Z io v e D a le : T h /e t W e c k f H o H d a y
in Jnty and Auguii, 18J. Hy K. M. Pfimd h j
t
the Chiswick Pres*. Clo<h c, >j. 6j'. 5 fancy boatdi, ts.
A m ir i in M e tio f L e tte rs. T h o re a u , IrvingV V 'tbslcr. 75.6//. each,
A n d tr s o n { i V .) P ic lo r ia l A r t s o f J a p a n . W ith 8 0 fu ll* p a ^

&j)d oihec FUtes, 16 vt tlFeioinCu1<iU)%. I .a r itujx 410, gilt trioding,

Cilt dues, 8/. Zj . 5 or w four m n, 2 i. 2/, ca<i.
A a ^ ie /s S ir a n ^ e E x p e n e n a s {* ) . I y C o t s w o l u Is y s . 'W ith
oomcrwus Eltisitaiton, 410, 1. K c * Edition, 3#. M ,
A n g lin g . S e e A m a lcu r, B ritish F ish e rie s D irecto ry , C u tcliflc, M *riiV' S ieteni," Theakstyn," "W allon, and

A r tia 'd { E J ti'in ) B ir th d a y B o o k .

4 s . 6d.

A r t Education. S e e B i o g r a p h i e s o f b r e a t A r t i s t s , l l l u t trw e d T e t C o o k i." ^M clletls D ictien aiT ."

A rtists a t lim e . P b o l o g r a p h e d b y J , P . M a y a l l , a n d r e p r o
d u ced m F acsim ilc. L c n tr p w s s h 7 l' G . S t h p h i s , I m o
Audslf9 (G . A .) O m avicntal A rts o f yapcn, g o P h l c s , 7 4
j n C o l w r t a n d G vld, w ilh Gnert1 od D e s c n p u T xl. 2 vcU ..

/ K I , Ob Ihe issnc ot P en

111- ie prtc^ wiJi be fnnber tjtunce.

jir i o f Chromo-Lithography.
P la te s
AueracA
B n ^itta .
zs.
On !h Heights.
f>S.
Spio%a.
s.
^ A L D W lN ij : ) Story o f S itg friei. 6 s,
Siory o f Roland. C r o w n 8 v o , 6 i .
. x
B allin {Ada S ., Lednrer to ike NaOorujl Health Soa^y)
S c lc n <Jf
in T h e o ry a n d P tac:ice
I llu s lr a tr t, 6i .
Bari<rtt' iA lfrO ) li'eaving by H and and by Power. W i t h
several hznwi Ilk stm lim is, Tbir<l E dition, royaJ S to , U. 5.
B a r ^ ( W illiam ) Nem TM erits o f Jfa tter and Fijrei. v o ls ,,
________
C o lo u re d
a o d T e i t . F o lio , 63 #.
( ,5 .)
lU u s tra te d .
________
3 v o .,

T ra rts la ie d ,
2 v o l s ., i S r o o , 4

iJvo,

^ _______________
T H E

B A Y A R D

S E R IE S .

E d ited b j th e U ie J . H a i n F k I s t i t l t C o fo p ri n c P lo u re BooVs
L u c ra to rr 3 iic c J in Ibe
C om panionable V olum es a t I lo m e flM A broad.

of

- W * CA b f d l / i f n i > t e W M r b o r t * C x W y * M r * d f

V ib im s ,

9-tJi rli HradioftdJa/t^JT'/tilfr*.

in

S tyU as
n fn l e p e n d e

x U i^ . Jt e x S k e Jftk ^ r fr , g U t ^ tJ,

<

T L e S to ry o f khe C hcrH er B ayard. D r . Johnons Rwla, P rioce

A h y ssim ^ W ith Kot^.
B y M . D e B trrilJe.
D c ^oDvills S t. I/OBI, K in of H e lit e 's K w m d TaUle. W itb Dio*
j ^ l 1)ical In trc lu c flo n .
Friincc.
T h e E u a y s o f A brahm ti C ow tcy, in* T h e Rcliffio M r f i d , HydfiO U pbU ,
a n d l i e I.stcr to * F rie n d . L y
cWiilng a ll hi* P rose \S'ork6.
A t ^ l i a h r o r ! * T f 'F y f I a v c i
S ir 'r h o m a s B ro w n e X n t.
J ia llid P o c ir j o f th e Aflcclione. Ky
B y Edociacd L ib o a d ay e.
R o b tl Buchanao.
I'ab-T alc a n d Oi>in*ons o f K >
C olendi,''' ChriitfcJjel, a n d otlici*
puleoi^ BQonapiti^
Im aginadT e Poemi. W ith Preface
V slh e k : A n O riental Ilom ance.
By W illiam HcckToid.
t y Algcmoi C . SwinUirt>e.
W e lliitio n : M n*im s i L o td O ie s te rtitld s I - e t l ^ Sen*
Ptl OpiniooB o f th e U rcat
teiice. a n d
W u h Iu .
tr d u ctc o l y ih e E d ito r, a a d
Uvkc.

V Joki of

B u y a r i Siries (continueS) :

Ejuf on CbeMerrield bj &L de

o( tS e F n ra ch Aca*
dcD*.

S;e.Kcuve,

Tfae K ijtg
th e Com isoiis. A
S)cDon o f Cavalier a n d P n n tan
S cpo^

E d ite ll y P T v i v ^ r M orte,

Mceaic Byl'bos. IMlau*

h lsF re o d s. E d ited h y P . Filt*

grald.
Iihc(inti3 ; or, MorAl SeBlenccs aod
M aiiiD s o f tHc U om i^e ]a R oche-

ruucnuU.
SocriUs ; Memoin fvc nj{bsh
KciiderBtomXcDopbonH Metoo*
EUw. Crin.

tjfie,
M y U o cle T o l r ; b S co rr anrl P n jtM A Ihn s (id(du Pncc(>ts.
M C a u c tm fa i J g d

y 4 lfm e i, f r i n

jw, fri;

tr th e C m iff r a tffy . f r v t

js.

BeftKki a n i Brvwne. C hili's Voice. S m a J l 8 r o , y . (id.

B ifkenteth (,Btshcp E . I f.) I7 u Chrgyman his Ilonu.
pceC S v o , t i.

!!

St'Ofi^UcaJ Ckurchmanship and E Tangtliial RcU itidim .

From Year ta Year; 0 ^'ip'u ji PotHiol Pitcts. S m a ll

Svo, u .

p o st &vo. 3/ . Cflf,; r>ao. 6 f. an d V*

^ mwcoccor lo f. o',

H ym fuit C ffn^nion io th i B oai 0/ Common Fraytr,

U a y b e h a d in vahoo style an d b iix ln ^ fro m

Lui euui^mfiee/ui W/l ieJwr*MrtUd0n npfiteaiim.

to J i i , &/.

The M astei^i Ilosie'C all; or, B rie f Afemi*rials o j Alice

Franc& B ick e n M fu

s o th 'I'bousarid.

Th4 M astiffs W ill.

ja m v , clotb gilc, tj,

A F u n e ra l S e rm o a p reach ed on
tb e D m t i o f M rs. S>, U q rn ; BvM on. Sew n,
; d o d i giic,

The Reef, a n i other Parables.

T h e S h a d o w ^ th e Pock. A
P oetry. xStno, cloth e * iri, it. ti.

itd.

C ro w n

8vo,

u.
ts. (ji.

S electio n o f R elig io n s

---------- T h e S h a d o w e d H o m e a n d th e L ig h t B ey o n d .

N ew

E d id o u , crow n Svo, cloth ew ro. 5.

B w g ra p h ic s o f th e G r e a t A r tis ts ( J llu itn U e i) .

C row n S t o ,

y . & /. p r v o lu n e , xcpl w here th e p n c e <sgives.

Claude I/orrain,*
Oaitisborov^Hi Mcd CvnitKbJe.
C o rre o io , b y M . E . lle a to ti. n . CJ, G hiberti a n d Donatello ti. 6J,
cmDlcmadcad binding,

D cU a RubbiA Bnd C eliini, a /. 6)t'.

CioUcs b y H n y Qatll^r.
A lh recb t l^lirer, b y R . F . H alh.
l la n s H o lb e ta . by^o * cp h CundalL
F if^ u e P u o le rs o f H olland.
H u g arth , b y A w t ia Dvbson.
F i^ n g e iic o ,M a s aceto.anJ Jodie eUL L andseef, b y F , <. S tevenv
F r a BartoJonimco iU bertlnelli. u d L ^w rcncc
R c o n c r , b y Lord
Andrew d e l Saclo.
R oiudd G'}irr>

is. CJ.

B io z r a p h u s o f Ih i G r e a t A r t is t s

{e e n t in u t i)

L w ra rfo da M n c l
L itil M a slc f* o f G e rm a n x , b y W a . S c W I.

K u ^ iw .
T m to rtu n , b y

K , O s ie r.

1 \iia o , l y F . K . l l e a l h .

Uanieena and Francis

is

T u in c r, h y C oanfl M onkl**.
u . 6 JH ah b y P . K . H ead
CWst*!. V*rdyck

M e i 5 o n i r> l>y J '*'*

U ic h e U iig e lr D v o s v t J in ^ b y
M u n D o , h j l ! e n 1^. h i a o T , 2i . 6d .
O v e r b e c k , b y I . B . A l V 5w i
R a p b a c i , h y N - D A i w c r .
K e m b f a iid i.ljy J . ^ M o lle it.

Velasqoe, hy t . SiOi".

V c m e i io * d D c l a r o e h c , b y J . R c .
W R U a u , b y J . W . M u lle , w . W W i l k i e ., h. .j J . W . M y l l e i U

Jii'rd (!: / . ) Ameriean P nuticai Dyt*s Compani<m.

B ir d

{H

B la c k

.)

C h e s s P r a c t ic e .

( I T * . ) iJ o it ls .

BU u kh u m

8v o ,

,2 S.

8 v o , 2 J . (^ d .

S e e L o w s S u n d a r d l i b r a r y .

iC k a r lt s R

) H in t s

on

C a t.iJo g u e

T it le s

an d

In d & x

E i i J r l , - w ith a V o * b * k f a iy o f T e n r u o d A W v u U o b s . c h \ c H j I r o m
F tM c iq o C a ia lo g o e s .

K o j * l S v o , 1 4 .

B la c k b u r n {H e n r y ) B r e t o n F o lk .

C a lb b c c tt,
__________ P y re n e e s

{T / t e ).

Ik>k4 ,'curTecwd \o tS8i,

B la e k m

W ith x 7 1 lU u s t. b y R a jj r> O L ^

I m p e c ia i S t o . r H f g , 2 I a ; p l a m e t b in d u jR , i w . d .
lo o

W iih

Illu s ira iio n s

Crcn S t o ,

o r t ( J i . > .) L o r n a L h o n e .

b y

7*>

t d iiio n d e iu x e .

G u s ta te

C ro w r. 4W ,

verr oometoui Ulasiraiions, cioih. giU edgch w - t ; piu^hfoeni.

mcut, cop gilt, 3 ?i. Che*p Edidon. miU pm 8to, W.
____ 2 ^ ox< els.
B la ik c

{W

S e e L o w s S t a n d a r d L b r a i y - ' *

illia m

ffc w

to

g e t S tr o n g

R a r to u a J , V h y s i o l , C T m o a s lic .

4 c ,,

an d

k& w

_________ _ S o u n d B o d ie s f o r o u r B o y s a n d G ir ls .
B o n w ic h

B r it is / t

( /w .)

c lo lh . s V

C o lo n ie s a n d

SC TO I . A s ia , U , ;

to

S ta y

F .x e rc is s s , I l l u u , s m - y o ^ S r ^

II.

5i .

x6xno, z s. O d.

t h e ir R e s o u rc e s ,

A fn ca, U ,;

so .

x v o l.,

T i l . A in e rjC i,

If.;

I V , A t r a l a * i * , /.
B o s a n ^ n e t {R e v . C

) B lo s s o m s fr o m

B o u s s e u a rd ( L . )

C ru s o e s o f G u ia n a .

__________ G o ld - s e e k e rs , a S e q u e l
B o y s

F r o is s a r t .

B ra d s h a w
B r o iie y

( / )

th e K in g 's

G a r d e n : S e rm o n s

2 f t d E d i t w D , * c n a ll p c fe t S v o , O - M i c s r r a . W .

f u r L b ild r .

K in ^

N e iV

A r th u r .

W ith

3X

% vO , J 2 /.

A u lo ty p e

r b ^ c o s . I jy U i^ ic l S T ttA iT ^ W o R T ia v .
B r ig h t ( Jo h n ) P u b lii U t t e r s .

i6 m o ,

M a b in o g io n .

Z e a la n d a s t i is .

(L a d y ) T a h it i.

5 ^5 ^

Illu s tra te d .

lU u s tr a te d ,

P e rc y .

6d

See

I llu s tr a tio n s a fte r

F t ^ i ' . 4

C r o w o 8 v o , t s . id .

Brisse {Baron) M bius ( 3 ^ 6 ).

f o r c T c r r D a y i n iJ ie Y r .

2 l)r| E<hilOB.

m inu, i n F r c D c h

a n d E n g li s h ,

T r iJ u J f c ie d l y M r s , M a t t i i h w C l a r k i .

CfOWn 8 tO, JA

B r/tis/i Fisheries Pireciory^ j 8 8 3 - 8 4 . S ra iail 8 v o , u . f><i.

B rittany. S e e ULACKBURii.
BrffTvn. L i/e and Letters o f John B row n, Liberator 0/ Kansas.
iw d M w tj i o f V i ^ n i a . B y F . B. S a n s o b n , U lasinU ed S r r s is s .W .
ro 3(ms {G . Lennox) Voice Use and Stim ulants. S o . Svc, s. 64.
------------ anJ B ehnie {Em it) Voi^e, Song, and Spteck, U l u s .
traieL 3 rd E d itlo s, n e d l u a S 0| i^ ,
B ryant ( IV. C.) and G ay {S. I f.) Ifistory o f ihe U nited States.
Bryce {Ref>. Professor) M anitoba, W i t h n i u s t r a t i o n s a n d M a p s .
Crown 8to, " . d.
Bunyan's P tlp-im s Progress. W i t h 2 3 8 o r i g i n a l W o o d c u t s .
S nudl poM 8 o, cloih
j / . 61/ .; g ill edge, a j.
Barnaby (C e/t.) On ffortel/ack through yisie Afinor. 2 v o ls .,
So, 38i . U i n p er E<lili(Mi. t vol., cruw o
>oi. Cd.
Burnaby {M rs. P .) H igh Jilps in W in t:r; or, M ountaineering
4 v o l , r u y a l S t o , p o fu s e ly in Q s tn l d , 6 0 s,

S to ,

JB S ta rc h o f H enJiL. C y Mr. F w n BuRWAbv. W ith P o riia it o f

Ih e Auihorc&s, M ip , a n d ollw r lUiiM ratioiii. H u d s o u e c lo ih . 14J .

BuiU r ( fV. P .) The Great Lone L a n d ; an Account o f the /ied

K iver F,xpe<Ution, 18^ * 70 . N e w E d itio n , c r . 8 vo, d o O i tx tr a , ? i. td.
----------- Invasion o f E n ^a n d , iold tu<nty years after, by an Old
S oldier. C ro w n Jj/cs 3j . &*'.
R ed Claud; or, the SifUlary Sioux. I m p e r i a l r S m o ,
n^uDcroQS illustrstvons, g J t ed^cs, 5/.

The W ild N orth L and ; the Story o f a W inter Journey

^. f>d.
B uxton {H . y . jy.") P ainiin^, English and Ameriean. C r o w n

-----------w ith D o g i across N o rtlie m N o rth A m riai. Svo, i 8i , t> . 8 vo,

Svo, 5/.

^ A DOG A N {Lady A.) Ulustraied Games of Padmct.

^

'i 'u 'n ty ./ o u r D is tf m n i i a Colour, w ith T c a i,

California. S e e N o r d h o lT .'
Camhridge Staircdse {A). B y

F c a p . 410,

th e A u ih o r o f A
L i/c u iiiOTk* S m al) crow n 9vo, d o th ,
6

is. d,

iis. 6J.

D ay o f my

~Ca*nrrdgt
; fro m an U iu ie rg ra ^ H ^ ^ n T '^ i ie A u l b w
9 " A V ty o f a y I.ffc ut Etcpo,' &e. i 6m o , cloih l i a , j. &/.
CarielffH {VU) F am i B a lla is, fa r v i Fes'vah, and Farm
L egends, i v o l., u aaJI p c e t S to , . 6J.
^
Cy Bailads. W l i b lU u s t r l o n a . x s . 6 ^ ,
------- See Also Ro Library."

Cam eg {A ,) A vuran F oarin-f/and in B ritain. S tn a ll

4to, IllosCrated, ycu~f>d. P c p a U r E d itio n , is.
" F ound fh t W orld. 8 v o , x o i. (d.
Chairman's Handbook ( Th). B y R . ? . D . P a l g r \ t i , O e t k o f
lk*f T aiJe O iL Koose c f Comiaon*. 51! Edition, a/.
C haad Crots (7 ^ ) , and o t h e r R e l i g i o u s P o e m s . i 6 r a o , u . 6 d.
Charities o f L ^d a n . S e e J ^ w s.
Chaltcxh {R . S .) Practical Notes on Licking. S e c . E d , , 8 v o , ^s. d.
Chiss. S e e B i b o ( H . E . ) ,
Children's Praises. H ym ns fo r Sunday-Sickaals and Services.
C om p ed b y I/O u is a I I . W . T r s i a u ,
Choice Editions o f Choice Books, s . 6 c a c h . l U u s f r a t e d b r
C W . C O ? ^ R A . , T . C iits x rK S , k .A ., E . D i'K C * k , D jR K er
F o sraw , J , C .
A .K ..\.. . HtCKS. R . R b d g b a v f , R . a
C . ST 0S 2H 0 S B , F . T a v l k f . G . T h o m a s , U . J , T o w k h b s c ^
^

H . ^ EH N t a r , H a M IS O K W i j

Bloomr>rds F sim c r's Buy.

Ctapb!!* PleBssra ft{ Hope.

&c,

U ilro u s L 'A H e ^ .
?otry o f y t t n t e , H a n o n W r.
G ^lendpe'* Ancij|C M onncr.
R o c e n ' ( S itn .) PIeaofes o f M em or/.
C otdiffiiihs E>ecn(t V iU i^^
^ b a k is p e ir ts S ongs ajvf S onntis.
G oldnaiili^t V icar o f Wafcefickl. Tcnnyswi'fi M ay Quei.
CJv y 's EIeg7 in C b u td iy u a .
J^ U u b e ih in Pol.
K eu 's Kve of S t . Agne.
W o rfsw o n ii' P*(ofsl Poem*.

~ 8 s n x k s u e > ( ( o r l b e a d fic M * h i a

Christ * Sotig. B y P h i l i p S c h a f f . N e w E d . , g i l t e d g e c , 6 *.
ChromO'Lithograpky. S e e A u d s le y .
CngW 9d (H arry) Under ike M eteor Flag. T l i e I . c o f a
M idihipenaa. IlhjM rifed, s l i J I poM 8m , g ilt, 6#.; pJaiocr, J *
------------ The V i^agf o f the "A urora," D iu s c r a ic d , s m a ll p o s t
8*0, p ilr, ts. I pUitif> 5 ; .
^
Colmle ( H E .) Accursed L a n d : JVater W ay &fEdom . i w . 6 */,
Compaers. S e e G r e a t M u s ic i a n s ."
Cor^estions o f a Frivolous G irl. C r . 81-0, $s. P a p e r b o a r d s , is.

CoM (Diittn) Bcl ofiheP hy.

N e w E d itio n ,

i ro L , 35

td.

S e c S m ith ( J . M o y * ).

C o stu m i.

B y M a jo r J o n s s .

Wh achlBss. i,c.

C r. $ r o , 3 /. 6 d .

C ta e iiffe { H . C .) T 9 u t B s k in g i n R a p id S h ta m s .

o f A r t.

C row n 8vo, u . 6 d .

E le m e n ta r y S i s i o r j c f M u s k .
t a r e , O ld M a s ; M o d e m P tim ijn -.

C ro w n

s. . ^cb

A fi- ^ A r ik itt< iH r e i S o d p .
O o w n 8 vo, 3

---------- ^ o n u fa d u r e o fL e a tk e r . W ith m ao y lU u strario n s. 5 2

I> a y o f

U f t { A ) ; c r , E v ^ ^ D a y E x U r U ^ c i E to n

By ao E to k B oy.

ifim o , c I L u O a , u . 6d.

D < is C ^ la e c n x a n E n iyd cp < ed ia o j P rv se Q u o ta tio n s,

pnal 8vo, cJoth,

D ic c ra t m .

6 /.

V oU . I I . t o I X .

'

Im -

N e w Series, folio, 7 /. d eaeb.

B y A5H'

D of^s tn B i s ^ s t ! i f u i r M a s a g m fn t a n d T re a tm e n t.

MONT. CrowD 8vo, <1.6 d .

D o n n tU y

{ r g n a fiu s ) A t l a n t is / t>r, i r A n itd tlw ia n

?tn t,abon crown Svo, is s . <^,

R a n a r o : T h e A g e o f F ir e a n d G ra v e l.
VrOWB ivo, tZJ. 6r/.

W o r ld

lU u ilrate d .

D>*i ( Gvsta 7 >) L ife and R tm iniuinas. B y B L A y c n F R o c s e v tL T . W itK nutnerous U lostration frvm ih e A rtist ptcricpusly oq*
* pvbUsb^ D ra w in g s Me<Lucn S to , 24^
Dou^aU i/a m es P a /u ef) SM ^ftng: ifs AppHafU 4 s, Pradk,
a n d P urvose. ^ * e Kdicion, rc'T scd w ith nddiUons. Cfowii S in ,
W.
"T h e buck i8
>t evsjy t i ^ . . > , IVv wi*b k iVvry tuco<4.'
'A TfT c o c e t e if^ujec. . . . . T.ilrJrio
bigb lask as u auikxii)' &n

D ram a.
Dyeing.

See C o o k ( D u tto n ).
S B iu d (K . J .) .

T ^D U C A T IO N A L Works

in

p u b lis h e d
G re a t lirita m .
S econd E d iiiw i, Svo, cloih ew ra,

C lassified

s.

E iy p t. S e e D e L e o n , F o r c i g o C o u n t r i e s ."
EigJit M onths on the G ran Ciacto o f the A rstntine Republic.
8vo, IV.
RleOridfy. S e e G o r d o n * .
EUiot {Adm . S ir G ) Future N a va l B attles, and Aow to F i^hi
th e m .

N u m ero u s lllu&tr^rions.

K o y il SfCs 14 ^.

Em erion {R . W .) Life. U y G . W . C o i 7 k e . C r o w n 8 v o , 8 s. 6 d.
E itglisk Catalogue o f Books. V o l. I I I . , 1 8 7 2 x 8 8 o - K o / a l
S v o , haU *nirtrco, 4J / .

E iglUh Etchinj^i. A
E nglifh Pliilosophen.

Se Iso Jivle.

P e r io d ic a l p u b lis h e d M o n th ly .
E d i t e d b y E , B , I v a n M C l l e s , M ,A .

A series i n t e n d ^ lo gi r e a eoneisc v iew o f th e w o ik i a n d hves o f En^lih

Ih in k eri. C ro w n Svo votnm es o f 180 o r SOO p p ., prii^e 3 f.
caeh.
F t a n d i Bacoo, b y TLomo4 F ow ler, *Jo 1in S in a /t M ill, b y Mis H elen
T aylor.
ilam iltw u , b y W , H . S . M ontk.
HAclly a n d J a io e s MiJI, Uy G . S> Shatle^bory a n d Ilu lc h cs^ n , hy
Bower,
ProfesBwr F ow ler.
A ilim S ra iih , b y J . A . F grrcr.

Esm arfh i^Dr. Frisdricft) Treatmeni o f the Wounded in W ar.

N um erous C oloured P lates
l l l u j t., '*0, trongly bound, ( /, Sf,
EtcAif^. S e e C j i a t t o c k , a n d E n g l i s h E t c t ' i n c s .
Etchings {Modern) o f Celebrated Paintings. 4 I 0, 3 1 / . 6 */.

S ee R o se L ib rary .

p A R I S B a l l a d s . F estiv a ls., a n d L e ^ s .

F a u r U l { C la u d i) L a s t D a y s e f th e C o n s u h te . C r. 8 ro , j w . 6d,
P a u 'c a t { E d g a r ) A
F e ilte n { f f . S t .
ScholiTship.

F en n

G e n tle m a n o f L e isu re ,

C ) Som t
C ro w n S to ,

P u llic

zs. 6 / .

{ G . M a n o iH e) O f f to

?xoh.teJy lU o sliated.

is .

Sekoolsy th e ir

th e iV ild s s

C o st a n d

S te r y /< v B o ys.

C row n 8r o , ?#. 6iA ; also j j .

_______ T h e S i lv t r C a n o n : a T a le o f th e
UULslratcl, seoaJi p e r t 8 r o , gU t,

W e ste rn P la in s.

p lain er, 51.

F ffm d l {G re v ilU ) B o o k o f ih e R o a ch .
F im s . S e e H eatb .
F ie td s { J . T ) y e s te rd a y s io ith A u th o r s .

N e w E d itio n , la m o , w .
N ew E d ,, S^o, lo i-

F lm in g { a n d fo r S ) E a ^ a n d a n d C a n a d a

:a

S u m m e r T o u r.

C ro w s S tv , 6 f.

S ee Y riarle .

F lo re n e t.

F o lk a r i { R .y j u n .) P la n t L o r e , D g e n d s , a n d L y rie s.
iraicd . 6 vo,

F rb e t { H .
pe{i\go.

its.

I llu s -

0 ) N a tu r a lis fs W a n d e rin g s in ih e E a s te r n A r c h i.
Illu sirM cd, Svo, J t i-

P m ig H C o u n tries a n d B H H s h C olonies.

A se rie s o f lie sc rip u v e

lU n d V x ik s. C ro w n Stcs 3/. W . cacb.

A ustralia. L y J . t '. V e s y y n t m a l d , . P c n i, b y ClcfocDt K . ila r k tu f o ,
CB.
AcLflria, b y D . Kay F .K .G .'S .
'
R i m a , b y \V , K , M orijll, M .A .
C a n a d a ,
W . F r w e t EUe.
S p aio ,b y H e .'V e n t o n li W eb iief.
D cT Jiu tk 8d>d Icelan d , b y F - C.Otbe.
Sw ffJen an d N orw ay, b y F , 11.
F g )'P ^ b y S. L ajte P v o le, 15. A.
W oods.
V rancc, b y M iss M . K obcrts.
S w t rrU n d , b y W . A . F , Cooliclfc
G enn*J'y, b r S . F aiing-G ould.
M .A .
Greece tV
S e ^ a n l , P .A .
Tucl'ey-in-Aw , b y J . C . McCocm,
H o lla n d , b y K . L . P ooie.
M.i'.
Ja[Dv b y H. ilvtsWJ*.
W e s t In d ies, b y C H . Eden,
N e w Zealand.
^
*
P e r a a , b y M ajor-G<n. St F . G o ld * .
F .R .C /.a .
s m i^
'

/i4t

F ra m p io n ( A fa r y ) J o u r n a l,
I 46 .

Svo, {4 /.

799

L e tte r s , a n d A n ecd o tes, X

I 'r a r u { M a u d J e a n m ) .

T h e follow ing fo rm o n e S eries, sm all

v c a Sto , m unironn c lo th btndings, w ith glU ed|;e :

E b Uv ' s C h o iw . S/,
V erm o o t V aie. 5 /.
H u ll V iaey arJ, 4/ ,
M inn ie ^fi&&rea
JrA n s W ii : A S lo ry o f T.ifr {n
LUele M ercy. 4 *.
S outh A u slraha. 4/
Dcam c M cltoB4 D isd p lin e. 4A
M siriaa ; o r. T h e L ig h t o f S w ne
N o Looi^cr a C h ild . 41 ,
f>ne H o m e. <a
Ool'ien O ifU. 4/.
SUken C o rd i a n d I m o F e tte . 4 r.
T w o S ides to E very Q n w ik ro . 4/ .
lu lo th e L ^ h i . 4/ .
Msster of Kakloa, 47,

F rands {Francis') E lrte and E th el: a F airy TaJe.

Cmwo 8ve, y. &ti,

F re n ch .
F r v s a r t,

IH u sC ra te d .

S e e Ju lic o .
S e e L a n ie r.'

L E {F . i t h i O ld B u ffe t^ M o d e m E n g lis h S p o r it : th e ir

s. ; a few U rg e p a p e r eoi*i. lo j. 6d.

fro m th e l'a e r e . S m a ll p o s t
? v o ls . i n i , s m a ll 4 1 0 , 6 s.

U se an d Ab*i?. C ro w n I v o , 6

G a r th ( F h iiip ) B a lla d s a n d I o e m

8?o, 6i.

GenSlt L ife ( Q u e e n E d i u o o ) ,

T H E
G E N T L E
L IF E
S E R IE S P rice 6 . eacli ; o r c a lf e x tra , price lO i. 6 ; Sm allec EIyD, clyth
eirtt, 2 &y., c s e c p t w lire p ric e is naioed.

j.

d.

The G eniti Life, l i s s a y s i n a i d o f t h e F o n n a r i o n o f C h a r a c t e r

oC G 'm tlcm cn ajtd (jei^C lew D cn.
A lm i in th 4 World. K ^ s a y s b y A u t h o r o f " T h e G e n t l e L if o ."
L b e unto Christ. A N e w T r a n s l a t i o n o f T h o m a s it K e m p i s
" r \ s Im itatione Chnsii.*
Fam iliar W ords. A n I n d e x V c r b o r u m , o r Q iio ta tlo D . H a n d ,
bouk.

6 f.

Essays by M mlaigne. E d i t e d a n d A n o o U t c d b v t h e A u t h o r
o i " T b e C e n ile I.ife,
'
The Gentle L ife, j n d S c r ie s ,
The Sileni H our; Essays, O riginal and Selected. B y t h e
A u th o r o f " 'I 'h e O eiulc L ife.'
H alf-Length Portraits. S h o r t S t u d i e s o f N o t a b l e P e r s o n s .
By J . H a IN F tlS W H tl.

Essays on E n ^ish W ritsn,

fo r

ih

S e lf - jm p r o v e c n e o t

of

8 (udenU i E n g lish Llceratore,

OOur Peoples WindiAos- B y J. H a i n F r i s t v e l i . &r.

A Ma*^s 77t0*ghis. B y J . H a n F r t s w e l l .
TA i Omnfess <f Feaihrok/s Areadia. B y S i r P h i l i p S i d n e y .
N e w E diiiop,

Geor^t E lio t: a Critical Sludy e f her L ife.

By G. W, C oO K t

C ro w n S o , > os, 6 / .

Germany. B y S . B a s i n g - G o u l i x C r o w n fiv o , 3 #. td.

Gilder ( W . H .) Ict-P ac\ and T^oidra. A n A c c o u n t
Setjcifori^^JoumcCt." Svcs l8i-

---------

SehvMkas Seareh.

o f ih e

S t e d g i o g i n q u e s t o f t h e F r a n k l in

l)J iu tra i U . 8 v c , 12 7 . td .

R eco rd s.

G ilpii^s Portst Sccnery.

E d i t e d b y F . G . lE A T H .

P o sI 870,

7 #. 6r/.

G ishrse {IV .) N eiv Zealand Rulers and Statem<n.

Gordon {(reneral) IV i^'ats D iary in China.
M ossW A K .

Goi-den

(/-

W itb

C row o 8 ?o,

Fonrkit.

E d ite d

by

S.

C r o w n 8 v o , " s . (* d .

E . 12., B .A . Can/ai.) Four Letfurts on Elcelfic

Indnctioo ai ih Ro>al Institution,

Illost., square l6mo, j,

EU drie Ligktinx. I l l u s t r a t e d , 8 v o , x 8 i.
------ Physii-al Trealisi on E ledrieity and Magnetism.

------------

E<ikion, enJargcd, v iib colcMired,

2n d

&c., I Hose. 2 rolt., 8v(>, 42/.

Eleelrieity fo r Sdux^s. I l l u s t r a t e d . C r o w o 8 vo 5 ^.
G o u ^ ( / / ) Royal Cookery Book. T r a n s l a t e d a n d a d a p t e d
------

f o r iM jg liih ue h y A l p i i o x s e G o u F y S , He.al P ts tr y c o o k t o th e
Q u t r a . N e w IL ditioii, Wich p la te s i n c o lo u is , W n o d cB ls,
8vo,

4ii.

d.

D o m e s t i c E d i t i o n , h a lf * b o u n d , x o i. 6

G rant {General, U .S.) Personal Memoirs.

lliu s ^ r a tlo D S ,

Great A rtists,

A u

2 t v I , 8 t o , 2 & i.

S e e D lc ^ ^ jh ic a ."

W ith

n u m ero u s

G reat M uiieians.

E d ite d b y F .
B lf^rapbiM , ctow ti 8 vo, $ /, eacb
ll u id c t.
Biih.
Ila y d o .
ikcchovcB.
M nTwUo.
Ucrlio*.
English Churca Com* McfidclssohjL

po&crs. B /B a s b it .
Cliick.

H uEFFFR .

S c rie s

of

PorcelL
SchnbcrL

Uouut.
Jmprg^oU^

Scboioaoib
RiJtArU WajQcr.
\V ebT .

G r o u s ( / . F ^ < y ) C h a rm c u ik G ra n g e : a T a U o f ik e S fV tn .

icnlh Cenwry.

lllostiated, sintU posi 8vo, RIt, df. ; pleiner, 5/.

T ra n s la te d b y R o b er t B i ack .
Supif'foral 8*0, 0 7 numerous KuUj^iaRc and olI>er ITIustratioti. Id
g v o li, clotb extra, ill, each *4^. tl rork U re-issocd in cbnper
hitidiiu', 8
U iQf.
each.

G f i i o f s H is to r y o f F ra m e .

' Ic fu p s lln
i i n i i<ahic>' h A S l o n g b e e e 6 J t , a n d O KSlW ( b e l a i b e huB ilH 0 1 Jl
M u j a M * J B 1 S IM 7 .*' 1
4

im l .

M a sso n 's S ih o o l E d itio n .

A b tid g eii

{nwti Ih e T ran slatk ra I j f R o b e n U ladc, with C hrw iolcgical Index, lislori<l

Genelcsic^ TaNea, & c . B y P to ie w r CusT.<VB frtassos,
B .A . W ith 3 4 full-pagc P o m siiti, en d o tb e r lU a s tttlio n s . I v<jl

8o, 6 cn3 pp.> iw . 6di

I n 3 v o U o f a b o u t 5 0 0 p p . each,
coiiteiainj; 60 Co 70 ful>pe^
other lIIu;^rtons, doth e z n , gill,
34/. ttc h ;
ia cheaper binfUog,
6d . eech.
r^c Juiurv a i
*>- <' 1/ >st, ad bcnitry of iTIvnnoa, iXew
volune, of hkh Irut 00c feU M yei eppftrd n ib:U u 01 hcW tbei* ova

G v is c fs H is to r y o f E n ^ a n d ~

a ^ ia s t n y p N ^ u c iio o o f u

a f V M L u ^ n n M S w jr o w n i a e rC T y tk jo g , l;p c r a p h y

u t

G u y o n {M d c .) L ife ,

J S A L F O R D {F .
1~1

B y U phau.

6 th E d irio n , c ro w n 8vo, 6 s.

F lo a tin g F liesy a n d h w io E r t s s ih em .

CulMireil plates. 8vo,

Isrg paper, |of.

HaU (IV. IV.) H ow to Live Long; or,

P b y s lo l, M m ta l.

H am ilton

M oral,

140 8

H aurh M axims,

a n d E d id o n , u a e ll p o st 8 vo, 2j,

ftecolUdians o f Fly.fiskxng fo r Salmon, Trout,

d.
H ands{T .) N upterital Exercises in Chemistry. C t . 8 t o , 2 s. 6 d.
( .)
a n d G m r liiv . W ith th e ir H ab its, ^ n u h ts . a ti4 HiM ury. I1]iii(raied,
sm all p o ^ w , 6.; k ^ 'e p a p e r ( to o n u m b e r ^ copie), lo f.
A n s v e rs separately, 6<^.

H a r d y { T h o m a s').

S ec L o w 's S t a n d a r t N o v e ls .

ITargrcatts [C aft,) Voyage round G n a t B ritain,

lllu s tra tw l

Crown Sro, Jf.

H arland {M arian) ffb w K itchin : a CoUfcthn o f Praaical

u td Inexpeiuive Kccdpts. Crowu Svo 5.7.

H arpti^s M onthly M agazim .

x6 0 p a g e s,

T u b lis h e d M o n th ly ,

tmlTy lUa^iated. \ s .
Vo). L
1S80, to May, i88i,
I I . June to ^ o T e o b o , iSSr.
,, 111. Dccmbo, lS 9l to&fay, XS62.
IV. Jiuie 10 November, x88i V. Dececnbct, 18S2, to May, 883.
V I. Timcto N yw m lxr, >3.
V II. Decc'l>er, x88j, to May, 1SS4.
V III, June to NoTcmber, 18S4.
X . Dcccmbr, l?K4, to May, 1885.
,, X. Jun to N ow inb, 1835
Sper*ri:'yal S^o, 8/.
eacb.
" *P s n x t't
Ite m

' M tbuU rsc^m viib McHertl idostnii^O t*c cb ccW

h * * o f is iM ; r o t l u a i t a p U t u j u

g fl^ tn

( t w M * l ftA<r

Sf, 9W<w<'( 0*4*He.

1 *

S o ltf

>"

i b * 1.11ft w *

jC B itt ' ( V * o f U J CbuK.!

U s.

. . .

M i d ' O p A f e t . v i l h i> v t a

,.

A * 6 .i ' * r a * 7 d

M < S (.

" "

T a r a c le a ;, a o J D M ib a h j* u o t e s a s

y Jl i i *0l i oe
>.
v
.
e
Au
$hiJtia>hewOiil' . . . c o m U i a u S C ^ c e i m r a B j r o i W I D M tio o & .

Harpfri Yeune People.

V o l . I . , p r o f u s e ly I l l u s r t a t c d w ith

woodeni and 12 color \ u e s . Royal 4'. tirra binOn^g 7^i

eilt iA gc 9 , 81- Published Wwkly, jft wrapper, l amo. AtuKiai
SnbccrwtioB, p ^ fr ,6 f.
; Mowhty, i n rapper, wkh loured
plate, 6 /. ; Afioual SnL**jiption, pose e , 7*. 6rf,

Harrisofi {Mary') S kiijid Cok : 9 Practical M anual 0/ Mod<m

EipetieiK. Crown8vo, p .

H attcn (P .) N orik Borneo.

Tos. B a t t o h .

W itb

B io g ra p h ic a l S k e tc h b y

UluMrated froBi Original Drawiags, Map, &c. Svo,

iSf.

Ilatlon i/osepA) Joum aH stii J.eruim : tvUk Engravings and

Portrait
________

DisOB^uiatid W riten o f ehe Day.

Keap. 4W,

a s.

6d .

Three fiecruiis, and the G irls they left behiud them.

Small post Xo, 6 .

' I l h u m e o s W o o # >0 u m L iC ii"

^ im n .

H eath {Frands George) A utum nal Leaves.

N ew

E d J lic a ,

with Coloured P la t in Faoim ile from Natur. Crow't' ax', *4^.

P irn Paradise.

________
c r m i S v o ( 2j ,

N e w E d iti o D , w i t h F i t e s a n d P i l o t o s .,

Ji<atA {J-'ranas G m ge) le m WoHd.

W iih N a tiire -p rid ic d

to jw o re d P U tcs. C r w i S v o , g{U edges, m . 6rf. C h e p E d ifico , 6

/ t f w/

Nw Ediuofi, 7i,

S<fn4 /y .

t.

I lJ u s lra t < l, 8 r o ,

'

>

X2 /. 6 / ;

O vr Woodland Tr^es. W i t h C o l o u r e d P J a t c s a n d
S m all 8 vo> ta#. bd.
------------ Peasant U /e in the W u t o f F.nzland. N e w E d i t i o n .
-----------tn g ra T ir^

c > fii S t o , jo f . 6tf.

------------

Sylvan Spring.

W iih

C o lo u re d ,

ic .,

n iu s ira lio Q s .

1 2 ^ . t iJ .

----------- Trees and F trm . I l l u s f i a t e d , c r o w n 8 v o , 3 ; , 6

Heldmann {B tm a ri) M utiny on Board the SAifi Ltander.^
bm*U poM Svo, g ill d^-es, nunjeroos U iostrelions, j f .

Jitn ty

A .) W inning M's S fu rs. l U u r t r a i i o n s . C r . 8 v o , 5 / .

o f H orse: A Story fo r Boys. D l u s t , ex. S v o , 5 ^.
-- --------- T a k o f the Crimea. I l l u i t ., c r o w n 8 v o , 5 s.
H em ck ijiodrrt) P o etry^ P r e f e c c b y A u s t i n D o c s o : . W iih

C ow /

oujnerD iu IIIiisiiw k.n b f E . A . A h y .

410, gllc ed|:cs, 4 .

H iU { S ta y ^ , Q. C -, M .P ,) From Home fo H om e: Two I^ n e

V a u t t i ^ a t th e F o o t e i th R o d ? M o u n ta in i
iin g rav u ig a w<I P h o lo ^ V Q irs . Svo, 2 1 #.

W iib W ocd

H itckm an, Public L ife o f the R ig h t H on, Benjam in LHsraeli,

E s r l tri IkacoD sficld. 3 rd E dltiofi, w ith P o rtra ii. C row u Svo, y , fj.
Holmes ( a W endell) Poetical W orks, x t o I s , , i 8 m o ,
q u iajk ly priBWd, a n d c h jite ly fccnnd in lim p cloOi, g ilt top, to i. f>d.
Homer. Iliad, done into E n ^ isk Verse. B y A - S . W a t . 5 #.
Hudson (W . H .) The P urple Land that P.ngland L ott
T v c l a n a Adx-enttir^s in ilie B anda-O nn(aI, S o u \ A m erica.
v o h , cro w n sv o , a i i .

H undred Greatest M en {The).

8 p o rS fo H o s, 2 1 1 . eacl> , 0 1 4 v o ls .
h A lijn o rix co , g ilt ec^g, lO guinens. K c tr K d ,, j voL , ro y a l 8vo, a t / .

Hygiene aad PuMie H ealth.

lU u stn lc d .

E d ite d by A . J L
a vols., lo y al 8 vo, 42 #,

H ym nal Companion o f Common Prayer.

B u c k . M .D .

S ee B ic k b u s tb tb .

L ist e f Publualions.

J L L U S T R A T E D T lx t-B o o k s 0 / A r (E d u c a tio n .
^

15

E d h e ii b ?

E d w a u J . P o T tiT tB , I t A . Jia c h V olum e cw ilains m iuerou Ill 6*

tratiwu*, w l k slPO^'gly b o n n d fo r S tudeot*, price y . N o w r t a d y :
P A liiT IS C .
F t s n c h u d S p & n lA b .
S n s l U b . a n d A m rlc a Q

G lM c lc t n d I t a l i a n . B 7 TSKCV
R . ile ^ D ,
O erin A B , F le m iflh , a n d D~ntch.

4 B C K ( te C T U f lS .

C la a a ic a n d E a x ly C h j l s t U n .
O o th lo a n d l U n a i s s a s c e . D y

ROOER S u tT K .

scetPTuat
AntiQQ: jCsTpUaA and<}r9k.
Jruiix to the English Catalogue, / oa.,

18 74 ,

to Dec.,

18 8 0 ,

Royal Sto, faslf-aorocD iSf.

Jrtd/ttn Garden Series. S e R o d i n s o n ( P h i l . ) .

Irving {Ifenry) Jtnpresrions o f America. B y J . H a t t o n , 2
vo)i., 31^.; New Editloo, 1 voU 0 ^.
Irvin g ( W ashington). C o m p l r t e l i b r a r y R d i t i o o o f his W o f k s
in 7 V o Ia , CopyngH l, UnnljriOged, a n d wiJli Ih A u th o r's L atest
R a r is io u , caUe-l
"C eoffttj C rayon * EdiUoo, handsom ely ititile d
in lar^.'c SQdar Svn, <MksuperiDe lai<l p 2M r. E a c b v u la o e , ofalm oc
5 pa^es, fu :iy lU iacratcd. tis. J. i r to L See ain l i t t l e B ritaia."
__________ _________
( A m e r i c a n M e n o f L c t i c r s - " )
s j . 6 d.
J A M E S ( C - ) Curiosities c f l/n v ctd Lawyers. S v o , ^s. Cd
Japan. S e t A u d s i.i.y .
Jerdon {Gertrude) Key-hole Country. l U u s l r a i e d , C r o w n S v o ,
c lo th , Ji,
Johnston {H . II.) R iver Con^Oy fro m its M outh io Bolobo.
N e w E d itio n , 8vi>, 2 1 #.
Jones {M ajor) The E m igranfi' Friend. A C o m p l e t e G u i d e t o
(tie U&iwd S lates.
Kditinn. v . 6/ .
Jo yfu l Luys~ Sunday School Song Book. B y I . o w b y a n d
DOanB. Bcanis, 2.
Julien {F.') R n ^ish 5>tudenfs Freneh E xam iner. x 6 m o , 9 S.
________ 2irst Lessons in Conversational Freneh Grammar.
CrD*Ti 8 vy, u.

Julien {F.) F m u h a i Him and a t Sc/totL B o o k I , , A cci*

iteocc &C. S^^iAie c ro v n 3v<s
------------ O m vertational Frtnck Jieadfr.
i6m o, clolh, ts. (>d.

PetiU t L e ^n s d i Co/tversaiion tl de Gramnutire. N e w

EdiciOK.

---------

F hroits

D aily Us.

L ^ F .L S E Y

L ic n p c l o l b , W .

Diseases e f t/u Fecium and A nns.

iit.
D aily 7ix/-B < vi. S q u a r e i 6 m o , 2S. 6 d. :

(C .
U lu$im teJ. Svo

'

KetpiT {Thomas a )

inictleavet] u s kinhdy Book, 1 , &/.

Kershaw {S. iV .) Prolestanis f r m France in their EngUsA

Hvme. trtwn 8o, 6j.

JCUUand. Sklpptr Worse. B y t h e E a r l o f D u c i a , C r . 8 v o , X0 J . 6 A

Kingsto/t {W . H , G ) D ick Chejeley. I llu s W a te d , x O m o , gtU
eo^ca,

jf, M .;

plainer bictdiac, p k in edges,

$ j.

LTfir c / K ilfinnan. U n i f o r m , 7#. (id .; a l s o $s.

Sni^u/'Shofs and Canoes. U n i f o n o , 7 f , td .; a l s o $#,

----------- T 1V0 Supereargves. U n i f o n n , 75 . 6 d. 5 a l s o $s.
W ith A xe and Rifie.
U
D if o rm ,, y j . ...
6 rfl ,5
a .V
lsV
o g..
5 ;.
'
-------/.ni^hf (F . F ) Albania and Montenegro. I D u s t. S v o , x 2S. CJ,
K;ii.r>ht (B .J .) Cruise o f t/te "Falcon." A V o y a g e r o i i o d t h e
W v rld w a 30-T c o Vidit. lU u u . N e w E d . 2 t o I j., crow n 8 ro , 2^ .
------

T A N T E H {Sidney) B o /s Froissart.

*' &tt ed^c, 7 .T.

I llu s iW o d , c r o m

Svo,

B o ys K ing A rth u r. U D iT o rm , 7 / , (U.

B oy's M abinof^onj O riginal W elsh Legends o f K in r
U niforfn, j i . d,
*
----------- B o ys Fercy: Ballads o f L m ^ and A dunfure, sdeeted
from th e
UDjforiti, <is. 6rf.
----------- -

-----------A 'lh iir.

Lansddl

Through Sibtria^ a v o l s ., 8 ? o , o , ; x v o ! , r o j . 6 d.

in Central A sia. I l l u s t r a t e d . v o ls , 4 2 #.
Larden {W .) Sehcot Course on Jfcat, S e c o n d E d i t i o n , lllu s *
m te d , Qown vo. 5,

Lenorman! ( / ! ) Beginnings o f H istory,

Leonardo da V ino's Literary JVoris.

C ro w n S ? o ,

u s . 6 d.

E d i t e d b y D r . J S A if

P a o l B jc h tr* . Coniainii^ hia W iidngi en PiuaUnc Sculpture,

*nd Anduteanrc, h Pbi1oophical > fu in i^ Homorous \Vrlljo^'j,nd
MieUwjeou ^clCes on P civnul Rveijtt, on his Contemnwiwrie, w
Liccratuio, & c,; published froia Maoucript&. 3 vols., imperial Svo,
contajaijR *bot 2 cp Dmwisss b Aucot^p Keprododktat, aod nonienms
Illusimlons. IV 'e^'e Gune^

Library <f ReHjiiaus Poetry.

\>j S c K A P F acW

ij>g. IQf.

OiluaK,

B e st P o e m s o f a ll A g es.

ia

R o > a l S v o , 2 1 a ; rc ssQ e

E d ite d

c lc e a p e r b io d

&i

Lindsay {IV , S^) H iitery o f M erihant Shipping.

150

O ver

IllusliaiioiL^ >Ta)s, nnd Ortrts. la 4 vo).. d?my Svo. cloth exOa.

Vids. 1 afid 2 ,
icb ; tuIs. Jtnd 4, 1 4 ;, cach,
50.
iz j.

L it/ie B ritain, The Spectre Bridegrotm, a n d Legend o f SUeepy

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5

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i.

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ts. ,

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a / . ; also

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th C ayw onliys.

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A N u r e l.

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u.

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jpit, 3A ey,

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S r o a ll p o s t

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K in g e / th T igen : a Story o f Central india.

--------
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D rum m er Uey. I l l u s t r a t e d .
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'

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3 v o l s ., 3 1 . 6

C ro w n Svo, t i .

d .\

x v o i , 6 i.

JiusseU ( T , Clark) T7u L jify iaud.

3 v o la ., 3 1 ^. 61/ . ; i ? o L ,

6t.

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31J. 6j .
------ W rtci c f ih t Grosvinor. 4 1 0 , s e w e d ,

-------S e e a l s o L o w s S t a n d a r t N

otrls-

C ^A IN T S o n i their Symbols: A Companion in the Chunrlus

g jid ricLorc G J le rtc s o i E u ro p e . Illu s tn c c d . k o ^ a l l6030, J / . 6JSalisbury (Lord) L ife and Speeches. B y F . S . P iilU n u , M .A .
O

W itL IliylOipfiviaT P o rttn il o f Locd SaJisLriiry.

21 A

2 t o t . , w o irn 8 ro ,

Saunders (A .) O ur Dotnestic B ird s: Poultry in EngUind and

N ew 7 ^ A d .

Cf<iwn S to , f.

Seherr {P rof y .) H istory o f E n ^ish Literature. C r . S t o , S i, 6 d,

SeAley. Jieseue o f Greely. M a p s a n d I l l u s t r a t i o n s , S v o , x s i . 6 d.
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Sehtveinfurtk (^Georf) H eart o f Africa.

T h r e e Y e a is T ra v e ls
an d A d v n itu it in (be U m stpiored R eyions o f C e n lrel A frica, &om
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I llu s tra le d
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SfnA (T . Roger) Arch'teeture, Gothic and Renasance.

II-

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^
^
^ ------Classic and E ariy Christian.
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u slrated . C row n Svo, 5/.
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'

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t&f.

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--------

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js ,

---------------

------------

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------------ M y W ife and L
S m a ll p o s t 8 v o , 6 i .
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Sutton {A. K .y A B C Drgesi o f ih* Baniiruptcy Lcnv. 8 r o ,
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^A T N E
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V o l. 2 .
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A Letter m Em igratiM . it.
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{B .) German and English D^ti>rtary. 2 i . 5 * p ap er,
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p rm ih and English D icionary. a / . ; p a p e r , l i . W . {

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Thomson ( / . ) Throttgh M asai Land. I U u s lr a ii o n s a n d M a p s ,

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