ByM a r s R o s s

A N D

H.STONEHEWER COOPER

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T H E

HIGHLAM)S OF CANTABRIA %

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THREE DAYS FROM ENGLiisD.

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W IT H EN G R A V IN G S FRO M O R IG IN A L PH O T O G R A PH S.

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L O N D O N :

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 S T R E E T .

1885.

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PREFA CE.

A FRW lines by way o f preface are all th a t are required.

The pioneering o f the HigUandB o f Cantabria and the w ritin g o f th is w ork have n o t been un­attended by labour, bu t i t has been a labour o f !ove.

W here jo in t authors’ names appear on the iVon- tiepiece o f a book, i t seems only r ig h t th a t the ir respective eharo o f a n y praise o r blame which publication ra igh t b rin g about, should be justly awarded. I d the case o f th e “ H ighlands .o f Cantabria,” the choice o f route, the m ountaineering arrangem ents, and the very difficult task o f tak ing th e original photographs w hich illqstrato these pages under conditions w H ch woold stagger the ordinary professional, to say no th ing o f an am ateur, fell upon th e author o f “ My Tour in the H im alayas,” and to him alao is duo nearly all the translations o f the Spanish H igh land traditions th a t appear in the following pages.

N early all tho purely literary m atter is th e outcome o f th e pen o f the w riter o f “ Coral L inds.”

A s th e revise was m ade in the absence o f the authors, one o r tw o m inor errors have been allowed

IT PTiEFACB.

io stand. F o r instance, a t page 120 read hienas for bueno. A t page 286, m M r. -poem,ichereer should replace wherevir. I n proccBsional o rder w e reserva th e m ost diatingaisheti e rro r for the last. A t page 39 wo are made to say, th a t we had ‘'b it te rs w ith th e Consul.” T he Lion and the U n icom ! F o r Consul, good critic, read Doctor. W e have unintentionally sinned r ig h t boastfully, b u t on th is w hite sheet w e do our public penanoo. E oni SOÜ qui m al y pense is a good concIuBÎon to th is expression o f onr unfeigned sorrow.

W e havo gratefu lly to acknowledge th e kind aasistance o f sundry good friends.

F or severe criticism in proof, our thanks are due to M rs. Stonehewer-Cooper, the m other o f the an thor o f C o r a l L an d s /' w hile Mies Jean H . G rieve e patien t investigation in to varions C antabrian m atters, invo lv ing in th e ir solution lite ra ry acnmen o f a high order, mu&t bo dn ly pUced on record. To Messrs. H arrison o f Santander, J . A . ilones o f Gijon, a n d Christopher B . Cooper o f Ilam pstead , acknow­ledgm ent m ust be niade, especially to th e two nam ed gentieracn. W e do no t know i f the sliade o f the late D r. W ilson o f Bilbao is av^-are th a t we have no t forgotten his kindly assistance, b n t such

is the ^ c tM a r s R o s s .H . S t o k e d e w e b - C o o p e r .

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INTRODUCTION.

I t is perliaps th© resiilt o f one o f thoeo cosas de Kspcma, w hich from tim e to tim e liave formed the puzzle o f European statesmen, tlia t Spain is generally so little know n, even in th is age o f travellers, the la tte r h a lf o f th e n iuoteeuth century.

To th e ordinary B ritish tonriflt ita very ports are, w ith th e exception o f a few places which can be coiinted on the fingors o f one hand, hard ly know n at all, w hile N orthern Spain is practically a scaled book. W ith a view o f interesting our conntrym on and others in a an a ll w ay in w hat are really new fields for th e ir study, recreation, and industrial enterprise, we have deliberately chosen fo r description a region o f the Peninsula whicjh is sim ply unique in its attractions o f a ll sorts, and a t th e same a t thoir very doors.

T he H ighlands o f C antabria, whose mountain-peaks arc the first glimpse o f liu rope seen by th e re tu rn ing travelle r from tho lands popularised b y th e dis­coveries o f Columbus, are inhabited by a hardy race

whoae proud title ie Invicta. L ike our countrym en o f K en t and Cornwall, thoy have never been subdued, and th e g re a t fipaniah monarchy, w ith all its magnificont traditions, eprung from a victory of these mountaineera in a defile w hich h istory has made famous for all time.

I t w as in 718, in th e Cid de sac o í Covadonga, th a t the G othic chief, Pelayo, w ith his nohle band o f about 300, struck te rro r in to the Mooriah invaders, and dealt tlio first o f those series o f blows to Saracenic interference w ith Spain and her people, which cul­m inated seven hundred years la ter in the conquest of th e ir last stronghold in th e Peninsula, G ranada. A t Covadonga i t w as th a t Pelayo donned h is iron crown as K in g o f the Afitiirias, Leon, and Castile, its m aterial being the points o f Moorish speais, taken from ch iefe th a t he had slain w ith his own h a n d ; and here, too, the Spanish people are to-day erecting a nohle cathedral in immediate proxim ity to the cave w here rest tho ashes o f the founder o f the ir nation. A lm ost every m ountain and valley o f the C antabriin range has some tradition o f th a t fierce and unequal stm gg lo o f the mountaineers for liberty , and th ey all appeal strongly to B ritish sympathies.

T he whole o f its coast-line is more o r less associated w ith exploits o f ou r navy, and in one o f its chief harbours, Gijon, the “ Invincible A rm a d a ” was repaired, while from the self-same p o rt the A sturian deputies sailed in 1808 U> implore the aid of B ritain to help them and tlic ir more tim id southern

countrymen from the all-conquenDg g rasp o f Napoleon the G reat, and so commenced a chapter in the ever- glorbiiB Peninsular w ar. Thiao »acta speak for themselves as to tlie historical interestB o f th is really most romantic reg io n ; and i t ie certainly strange, in days w hen tours are personally conducted to the utterm ost ends o f the ea ith , to find th a t no t only Messrs. U achettc 's o f P aris ‘ G uide to S p a in ' omits to g ive altogether any account o f the w ilder part« o f the A sturian m ountains; b u t even ou r own dear M urray U exceedingly defective—his jroograpby hav ing been evidently compiled certainly before the year 1868. The admirable new roads w hich the Spanish govern­m ent have completed during the ]>aat few years throughout the Cantabrian M ountains, the enormous increase o f steam communication between the no rth o f Spain and G reat B ritain , ow ing to the extraordinary development o f the iron ore industry , the gradual extension o f the 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; bnt, judg ing from some little experience in the U nited K ingdom , Swifjierland, the Pyrenees, the H im ahyas, and th e S ierra N evada o f America, and elsewhere, w e claim i t to be absolutely correct. The chapter on the spoi-t w hich is to be m et w ith in the Pia>s de Europa, and in th e green valleys which nestle a t the ir feet, should convey its own lesson to those who, finding i t a fine m orning, w ish to go out

and k ill somcrthin^, i^leet and snow are, i t is true, to be found in th e C antabrian liilla a t th e rig h t seasons o f the year, h u t s t o ther times the lovers o f hig* gam e w ill, i f go ing the r ig h t w ay about the ir business, no t only enjoy a m ost exquisite climate, hut also sport w orthy o f th e ir weapons and th e ir skill.

I n this regard i t is perhaps only neoeeaary to refer to M r. H arrison’s erperience in tho A ugust o f la rt year, w hich in th e following pages o f th is work is detailed a t some length . The salmon fishermen, who pay so deaily for th e ir privilegeB in the Unit<^ K ingdom , should be acquainted w ith the rivers Deva and Sella. I t is true these stream s are open to all, and S ir G orgius M idas him self has no hotter chance than th e local peasant, unlees ho bo a better m aster o f th e “ gentle* ' craft— if th a t expression m ay be applied to salmon fiHhing, O n reflection, however, this nood n o t be an insuperable objection even to Sir G orgius Midas, as i t is possible lh a t the tem porary equality o f his fisliing in Spanish w aters m ay break pleasantly th e monotony o f his plutocratic existence in Britain.

I t is w ith bated b reath th a t w e would ven tu re to speak o f the m ineralogical w ealth o f tho beautiful country i t has been our exceptional good fortune on m ore than one occasion to traverse. T h a t the w ealth is there is incontestable; th a t i t is there in v c ty la ig e qiiantities no one w ho nnderstHuds the gram ­m ar o f m ineralogy w ill deny. W hether, w hat in our opinion are invaluable deposits o f all sorts of

m etal in th e more remote districts o f tbe Cantabrian r a n |^ can be worked a t a profit, is for others to Bay. A ll th a t w e can do ld the m eantim e is to g ive the &cis es w e know them^ a fte r very carefiil investig^a- tioD ,and i f good result« from the publicity wo give to those fecte, bo m nch the better for those who BucGOBsfDUy in v e a ti^ tc th e claims o f th e fields to which Just LOW we w ould point as finger-posts for systematic inquiry.

I n 1862 th e first 300 tone o f iron ore were exported from the eastern ex trem ity o f the Canta­brian M ountains to G reat B ritain . T he minea wure no t commenced to bo w orked fo r ten years aftor th a t date, and then , for th ree long years, the unhappy Carlist w ar no t only hlcjcked tho progress o f tho trade, bu t nearly stoppod i t altogether.

In 1 8 8 3 nearly t u r k b m i l l i o n tons o f iron ore w ere exported from the C antabrian port o f Bilbao alone. Those th ings being done in the g reen tree, w hat w ill no t bo done in tho dry , w hen th e beautiful coast m ounfains to the no rth o f Spain, rieh in every- thm g tlia t can m ake earth ly creation rich , are known afi they should he know n to the trav e l lovers, the artista, and tho coionieing capitalists o f th a t country o f onre, from whose shores th e y are only separated by three short days o f sea travel ?

Surely beautifiil scenery, historical interest, and a people whose kindly qiialitiesic is impossible to spoak too highly of, and potential w ealth o f incalenlal)le value, flhould c e r ta b ly attract B ritons to a country

BO near to ih e ir southern seaports; h u t i f w e can in terest Uiom in tbe l l ib g s o f Spain, and ao p )pu- larise the study o f the langnage o f O il Bias amoDg our countrym en, we shall certainly lay claim to h a v b g sliared in a g rea t w ork for th e ir advancem ent, and th e progress o f th e w orld a t large.

A fter all th ings are said and done, i t m ust bo adm itted th a t m odem history tells us o f only tw o g rea t coloniaing powers, and by th a t expresaion w e m ean powers th a t have le ft the ir clear and distinct impress on the countries to w hich th e ir eors and daughters have ©migrated. Those tw o coimtries are B rita in and Spaiu.

W hile B rita in has spread th e tongue, which Charles T . ra th e r foolishly said -was only fitted for the cackle o f geeso, across the h rtad th o f N o rth Am erica, from Plym outh rock to tho C ity o f thu G olden G ate, and is now doing the same th in g on the continent and islands, w hich know the “ long w ash o f A ustralasian Stias/’ the language o f Spain practically dominates the whole continent o f South A m erica; aye, from north o f th a t spot whcire M. d© Leascpe is now cu tting a water-way to revolu­tionise Polynesia, to those stra its calWd afte r one of the Peninsula’s noblest sons, Magalhaens,

This htige continent is being rapidly developed, and, in its opening up B ritish capital and industry should have its legitim ate sh a re ; bu t if ou r sons are to succeod well in South Am erican venture«, they w ill requ ire to know som ethiog o f the mother-

tongue o f tlie countries whose greatnesB is y e t to be. I f E ug llsh ISf as fiome say, to be the laoguagc o f the futuTfi, aJI ih&t wo can soy isy th a t as fa r as Oonser- vative Spain is concerQedf and w hat were onco Spanish Colonies, i t is a v e jy d istant fu ture indeed. Tliere- fore, among o ther and very num erous replies to tbo quogtion, “ W hat shall w e do w ith ou r b o y s? ” we would beg to be allowed to suggest ** L e t them learn Spanish/*

I n concluding th is introductory chapter to a study of a portion o f N orthern Spain, w hich migntained its average low death ra te w hile tho cholera was rag in g in the South, wu w ould only ask our readers to go and judge for themselves, begg ing them to take in kindly good p a rt th e suggestions fo r their guidaoco w hich w e have enum erated in our final chapter. W c trust, indeed, to have our humble share in popularising the H ighlands o f Cantabria; b u t w e fervently hope th a t tho simple kindliness of the mountuineers w e love so well w ill bo spoilt as littlo as m ay be by tho advent o f those w ho w ill ac t as reproaentatives o f B ritain and her people.

M a r s l i o s s .

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C O N T E N T S .

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C SA PT E R U .

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C H A PTER IV .

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XIT C O N TE N TS.

C EA PT E B V II.P19B

W w T w iu ij S t i l l ..................................................................................71

<!HAPTEB V IU .

A CABTJtB&UN C i t y ................................................................. S 7

OHAPTEB IX .

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CHAPTEB X.

T n s N o r m i i iS F 06TBBN G a t b ........................................... 109

C H A l'T E E X I.

T h 8 M a w O a t e o p P aj»i s .................................................................... 121

CH A PTER X U .

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

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

T h e M o c ifT A iifE E E .^ ..................................................................................1 4 8

C H A PTER XrV.

T e e B a t b s o p L a H b-r m i d a ........................................... I f t l

C H A P rE B XV.

T jti; Vau< o r L i g b a k a ...................................................... J 75

C H A P T E R X T L

T n i; O iJ» M a n op C a s tro . . . . . . 1 7 8

CH A PTER X V II. rab»A a DK8P0ILT S p a r is h T o w k ............................................. 183

C H A PTER X V III.

T a £ Home o ? te b C k a n o is ...................................................... 19 (>

C H A P T E B XTX.

A B oat» to C o v ì d o s o a .................................................................... 3 1 4

C H A P T E B X X .

T h e C a p it ìl 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 ì t .................................................................... ' 240

CHAPTEB XXJL

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CHAPTSiE X X III.

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CH A PTEB XXIV-

T e x BntTH-?LACB o r S p a o . ........................................... 275

C ILA PTEK X X V .

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C H A P l'E U X X V I.

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C H A P T E B X X V IL

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

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C nA P T E R X X V IIl.

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CH A PTER X X IX .

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CLLAPTEE XXX.F o r th o se w a o m l l o w o u b T b a c s . . . . 3 6 3

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

HIGHLAKDS OF CANTABRIA;o a .

T H R E E DAYS FROM ENGLAND.

C H A P T E R I.

T F IR E B D A Y S FRO ii R NO L A N D .

OvR work, which embraces the Cantabrian range of mouiitains, touching geu tly the seaboard, as its prom inent and m ost in teresting ports follow in pucceittiou from east to w est o f the B ay of would be incomplete i f w e d id no t casually allude to the g rand watoring-place o f San Solastdan, famous for its history o f aeg es and slaughter, and now for iU peacefulness and beauty, and also to the more commercial po rt o f Pa^sagos, linked to i t b y only a mile o r two o f rocky pathw ay. W hen heading our first chapter “ Throo Days from Enj^land," we m w nded to convoy the idea tLat our beautiful moun- tarns, and the scenery w e are about to describe, the pl^Buros for the lover o f tbe pictniiisque, the artist, miucralogiHt, aporlaman, fisherman, and even the

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r n j s H 2 0 S L A N J > a o f C A S T A J Í J í I A ; O R ,

in T e s t o r , m ig lit by th ree days’ travel, either by ra il th rough Prance, o r by steam er from vario^is iwrte, bo enjoyed. T he following w ork w ill, w e hope, guide the tou rist to any o f th e aspirations w hich may lead him to follow oxir footsteps.

Coal-laden sfaamors sail frequently from Cardiff or N ew port to P assag es; aud fo r a very moderate sum, w ith, good accommodation, those th a t caro to “ do ” Cantabria m ay be landed a t Passages, or, if afraid o f the dw aded B ay o f Biscay, w hich in our experience is often vory smooth indeed, th e y can go through P aris and Bordeaux, and, passing tho fron­tie r a t Iru n , be pleasantly landed hy railw ay a t the

selfsame spot.W e have seldom seen a po rt so peculiar as

Passages; a long stretch o f h igh bluff elifís stretch from the F rench to th e Spanish coast, against which tho whole fu ry o f the A tlantic Ocean constantly h ea ts ; and yet, here is a small opening between tw o cliffs, o r m ountains, th rough which, a t a ll tides, large steamers m ay pass iu deep w ater, and when inside, afte r steam ing th rough a closelyroekcd defile, ride ill absolute and completo safety iu a deep-water lugoon, capable o f holding th e English N avy and more. Passage«, as know n to the sailor, is b u t a w h arf for coal o r general cargo, discliarged against the R ailw ay W harf. P>ut to us, w ho desire to see Spain, no t ao m uch in its commercial as in its pio- tureeque aspect, w c select th is po rt as a pure picture o f a peaceful pool o f water, a lalce o f infinito beauty.

T2IJ ÎE E D A x n y n O M í?^^0LAKI>.

SO laud lockcd by tlio mountainii as to show shadows in ite clear w aters o f wondroua in tensity , to which is added a qiuiiût old tow n, w ith it« Tip and down streets; ita ferries to now here; its absence o f any­th in g m odem except near the discharging site, and we belie VO th a t a p re ttier p o rt scarcely exists even in th is wonderful country “ HiRpania." Landed a t “ Pa^jûgeR,” a rail, tak ing a q n arte r o f an hour, o r a Yery p re tty road ou foot, three-quarters, and our follower, if he will be led by us, is in th e raagnificeLt city o f San Sebastian, modern and ancient combined. On one side near tlio sea rises the steru hoijçhts, which, in 1813, cost so m any liros to storm ,* and on tho other, built upon sajid, literally piled up by the A tlan tic Sea constantly d riv ing in to ita opou boy, unHke tho land-locked P a s w ^ . The bay w hich forms itself here h quite open to the westerly p ie s , and nearly always g rea t bouldere ro ll upon Ita sandy heach, causing the greaUwt am usem ent to l-alhers, who here reaorfc fh>m iia d rid and otlier large towns for the ir annnal bath . O ur p h o to ffraph shows a fine city ; hu t one rare ly sees a nobier w atering.placo, aud w ith all its hiaiorical in terest for the Englishm an, Spaniard and French­man, we are no t surprised to see i t beautifully laid

the g lo -P o rr te n e s o bem cgbg force w as 58

l l l L 332 I . « , 70,5C^ « h o H n dHhoU w « p c jK m rw i into t h e d e v o te d cast)« , a a d 5 ô 7 a b a rr o U o f gU D p ow der o f 90 p o u te d . e « h w c « . ubocî.

B 2

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

ou t w ith gptendid hoteJsi, boulevards, cafes, theatres and th e like on the very ground saturated witli the ancestral blood o f perhaps th e p leasan t and p re tty loungeri« representative o f tho afoTe*moDtionod th ree nationalities, who, careless o f bygone days, forget the fact th a t tlie ir g re a t grandfathers* bonee perhaps m is w ith tbe sand they love so well. These srunnier visitors m ake San Sebastian a beautiful Spanish “ B righton,'’ a really fashionabie w atering-place, and, perhaps» v e ry attractive to tlie m ajority o f tourists, althou|^h we have our own opinions about plaeos to tlio westward» n o to n account o f th e ir facilities, o r the accommodation offered by the locs^ties, hu t thivt w e th in k th a t m ore natural beauties are to be found w lieie God lias g iven the spot, th e climate, and th e necessaries for a bathing- place» and man, w ith hia levelling commercial ten­dencies, has n o t yet penetrated. W e do no t in tend to describe S t. SebastlaD, for altliough no t oiien visited by th e E nglish tourist, its very nam e is auffi- cieut for the reader o f th is cen tury 's h istory to concentrate him upon the spot on which we first wisli to land him, as an introduction to countric« m ore wild, to scenes o f h ill and dale, o f rock and m ountain, dearer to us th a n all tho tinselled diiiplay o f modern towns,

F rom San Sebastian the traveller should procec<l ( if possible by sea) to Bilbao. The railw ay to th a t place passes th rough beautiful scenery, b u t tho journey is a very tedious one.

TJiIf£E r>AY8 F£OM ENOLAh'/>.

C H A P T E R II.

ACKOBH THE BILBAO BAR.

I t ia «trange tLal tbe riv e r on which the prosperous port of Bilbao and it« adjaccnt shipping snbiirha are situate should be so little know n by name. OaptaitiB who have flailed acrosR tbe bay laden w ith coul from Cardiff, Xew|M>rt, o r the N orth, a hundred timee, and discharged tbc ir cargo on the bank« o f tho Nervion, call i t Bilbao river, and they probably tliink life k much loo short to mako a fuss abont its exact title. B u t i t ia a btream w hieh boasts, ad our trans.atlaiitic cousins eay, a record o f no m ean order, and long before the B ritish ironm aster tliOiight of tapping the metal m ountains th a t line its banks, small bu t stately argosies o f the m edieval period sailed down its shallow w aters, outw ard beiind w ith cargoes o f m anufactured iron and wool. In the days when Qiioen Elizabeth ruled the destinies of th a t in fan t g ian t B ogland, Biscayan iron exported from tlie po rt on the Norvi<nj was th e favoJirite iiietal o f her people. Thus wo find Shakespeare rem ark ing : “ Grive mo a tru e Spanish Bilbao blade, Those w ere the palmy days o f rapiers ; au3^

TM K liJ O B L A U D S O F C A N T A T tl t lA i OH.

m any a fighting weapon o f tbo E nglish and Scottish cavalier« w as forged in th e Ferrcrias o f the proTince o f Biscay. Across the A tlantic, ioo, t i ll comparatively roodom times, th e N ervi on was knowti w herever flew the Spanish flag, for the colonists from tho peninsula rig h tly preferred th e fiat and p ig iron th a t came from ita banka to th a t o f a ll o ther rivals. H owever, about fifty y^are ago, o r perhaps a little more, th e o iporta tion o f A m erican cotton in to E n g lan d cm shed th e Spanish wool trade, and the w ater wheels o f the m ountain stream worked Ferrerias were no m atch for th e powerful ateain inuehinery then being rap id ly brought in to use in B rita in . A bout fo rty years ago IcAabod w as w ritten on tho walls o f the decaying city o f B ilbao ; bu t even then there were no t w an ting prophets who ad<led boldly in its interest the word Ee.’fu r ^ m , and they w ere righ t. Thoso prophots had in view the pro­bable vast developm ent o f B ritain 's iron in d u s try ; and they foresaw, in w hat now seems to us a strau |-ely hesitating w ay, the dem ands th a t our countrym en would sooner o r la ter liave to m ake ou tho g re a t m ineral deposits tow ering b y th e side of the ir despised N ervion, D uring tlio life time of these dear-sighted gen try , they go t the usual rew ard o f the pioneer, in being told th a t they were fools for th e ir pains ; bu t the ir descendants have since roaped and aro reap ing tbe rich h arv c it then scoffed at, and no t only for Biscay and her people, b u t also for tbousarids of ou r own coun trym en ; for altiiough

T in tü K I> Â T S F U O M SN<}I.ASI>.

Bilbao and its surroundiniça m ay be a terra incogniia to ibe large m ajority o f thoeo who live w itb in the BOund o f Bow Bells, i t has been a source o f greatly increased wealth for OTir leading ironm asters in Sooth Wales, G l a ^ w , and tho N orth , and counts le » Englieh homes are kept comfortable by tlie commercial resurrection o f the N ervion Kiver,

A distinct bay forms the natiiral entrance to the N ervion, the points on either side being those ot G alea and Luzuoro, the la tter being on th e southern o r starboard hand on a vessel m aking for the city, which, to u m oral curtikinty, in A m erica they would have christened Oreville. l ‘a«siug the pilot station and the pilot village o f Santurce on the r ig h t haud side, the p re ttily situated watering-place o f A lgeria comtifi in view on the left, and th is place aud ite suburb, L as A renas, the B righton o f the Bilbao people, arc much rescJ^ted to during thh few short months th a t our good Spanish friends th in k i t no t flying dire*ct in the face o f Providence to batbo in the sea. Good firm sands, pleasant looking villus, some rows o f b ith ing machines, slightly im proved im itations of the incxpreesibly hideous E ng lish model, are p a rt of tho effects o f these rising townships, Iho former nam ed o f w hich is also the term inus o f the tram w ay from Bilbao on the r ig h t bank o f the Nervion. ^ h e n the wind sets in , as i t can very effectively from the west and north , the sandy beach o f L is A renas forms a -seascape w orthy o f the brush o f M r. Frédéric S ang o f Puris. The hnge ocoan

8 7' i f£ E IÚ n Z A N D H O F C A Í iT J J l i í fA ¡ OB,

rollers s trugg ling fiercely iu a dcsperale race 38 to wLich should firsfc alriko the Spanish elrand, tho fly ing ppume o f tho w hite cresta w hich show off the emerald cloameas o f the wave bodies themselves, is a n old, old g to r j o f any coast w here the sea haa p o w er; bu t old as th e descriptioD ie, the story o f the sea in any o f its phases is ever new, w hether told o r depicted to the sea-loving children o f a sea-loTÍng race, and w e confess to belong to th a t class.

O n th e lü fl bank on the riv e r ¡3 now seen tlie im portan t town o f Portuffalete, which in fact is ju s t past tbe famous “ B ar,” whose disastrous m osning, to use the words o f K iugaley, has w recked m any and m any a fine ship. Before ven tu ring to dcscril« the tow n o f P ortugale te itself, a few words m ust be Ipven to the h istory o f th is B ar, which in & ct has been th e dragon o f Bilbao for centuries, and to destroy tho ravages o f which eouiñless good and tru e Spanish St. Gkorgee, aided by a miscellaneous miJitia o f all countriea— English in particular—-havo from timo to tim e gone out to battle w ithout attainiu|v g rea te r succe?« than hero and there affecting slight wounds cm his sandy coat o f mail. I t seems, however, th a t a t laitt tlie shipw roeking dragon ie g e ttin g in a very “ tig h t place,'’ and i f the citizens o f Bilbao only do th e ir du ty fo r tbo nex t few years, they will, we tru st, m ake a practical end o f him altogether, H e him self baa lived far too long for mischief, and as w hile he lives he kills people, the cry of the Bilbao people should be a unanimous

bhout o f “ Deletidum fst repagulumy" o r a t any rate Bucb lim itation o f lils powerR as fo confine his dedtructiro tcndeociee to a miDlmum.

According to th e last inform ation as to the progrees o f these woi ks for the im p r o T e a io n t of the navigation o f the N ervion, they are espected to bo completed about tho middle o f the year 2886, a t a vast cost, T be river is being syatematieally em­banked from Bilbao B ridge to the p ier a t Areiiajs (immediately opposite to tlia t o f P o rtugalc te ); and eeverül im portant cuttings to save distance have been made. Tbe teudoncy o f aJl th is w ork will of course be th a t the riv e r cu rren t will run much «traighter than fornierly, and by so aetinp; p reven t tho accumulation o f silt in tbe low er banks. B u t the m ost im portant fact connected w ith th is reeolute struggle o f the Bilbao people w ith th e inherent difficulties o f the navigation o f the ir river, ifi th a t a t last vessels o f aboTit 2 0 0 0 tons harden , and draw ing 2 0 lfc>et o f w ater, are able to get up to tho loa-lir^g tips for tbo iron ore. and thus effect g re a t economy m freights. Several dredges aro a t w ork between Bilbao town and the Bar i tse lf; and the new pier, ex­tending from tbo old p ier b« id a t th e last named plaeo, will CüTtainly do a deal o f good. Thisiiow extension will have a leng th o f 800 metres and will go actually l>eyond the bar for 50 metroe. The now p ier le being solidly made, being an iron struo- ture bm ding and encasing w ith screw iron palings the rubble stono foundation, on which a concrete

wall w ill be laid to the heigh t o f an o rd iiia rj spring tide.

Tbo following ie a fairly snccinct account o f the efForte m ade by tho local authorities in years gone by to im prove the N ervion, and i t will eljow how im portant has alw ays been Urn difficulty o f tho Bilbao iBar. The whole stru^-gle rem inds one o f th a t o f t i e Clyde CommisflionerH w ith th e ir river— but after m ak ing due allowances fo r the apathy , careli^Buese, and indifference o f m any o f tlie Spanish authoritiofl responsible for the sta te o f the N ervion, i t m ust in justice be adm itted tlia t tho men who made Glasj^iw th e noble po rt i t is to-day had no shifting eaud*bank w ith a heavy sea ro lling over i t to face, say a t tho Cloch Lighthoiise. Before, however, recounting the early efforts, i t should be stat<?d th a t m any prom inent Kngliah engineers, iu e b d in g such namcR as Sxr Charles Vignoles and S ir Jo h n Coodo, presented scbemes to tho local authorities far m aking u la rge port o f rofiige on the bay to w hich a railw ay from Bilbao was to be prolonged. H owever, as both tho osfimates o f these gentlem en exceeded a million sterling, th e ir figures an d ideas wero too m uch for the perhaps too over-thrifty Bilbao m er­chants, and ao th e m odest scheme o f M. Cburruca, now in progress, was finally adopted, f t wonld perhaps liavo Ijeen m nch better to liave gone boldly in for the “ b ig bijsiness” o f th e Britishers, but “ tho ro u g h ” is no t a note even o f our tHends 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 Board o f T rade w as elarted iu Bilbao, to regulate the morcftntile operation 8 o f tlie port, and th is heinj^ du ly authorised by the Catholic kings o f Spain, under the title o f Oonsulado de Coroerclo, i t exercised a powerful influence down to tbe year 1844, w hen i t became know n as thn Jun ta de Com^tcio. Tbo orders o f th is B oard were very wise and practical, and i t is certainly w orthy 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 institutions in m any o f the first oommorciaJ ports in Europe, and wore adopted as a legal te x t in the whole o f the peninsula. P erh ap s tho rem arkable importance in trad ing m atters, which Bilbao has, m ore o r leas, sluco maintained, is due in no Fmall degree to this corporation and its rnles. In the early u j^ s o f tbe trad in g h isto ry o f Bilbao, as to-day, tbe exislenee o f tho B ar a t tho m outh o f its r iv e r was th e ifreat obstacle o f its progress, and in the year 1502 tho Board o f T rado o f Bilbao eaw the necessity o f having some im provements cfiected in tho lower reaches o f the river, for even then i t was a well eetablished feet tb a t the canal o f the bar along Portngaleto “ was in a bad condition, and being also o f a variable nature, was the caxtsa o f the w recks and loss o f life which oecnrrcd w ith no little froqiiency.” A system o f biioys brouglit from H olland was then made use of, and i t is said th a t fo r a tim e they were satis­factory, bu t somehow or other the ir use was abandoned later on. in 1040 tho Board was not content w ith

12 THE mOtìLANTiS OF VANTAJiHlAi Off,

red tape an d the records o f past f'ailnree ; th e y m eant buaineas; s o p ie rs w ere orected a t F o rtil iz ie te and L as Areiiaa on the r ig h t hank atid ju s t opposite the first nam ed j)Iace, w ith a view o f d riv ing the much deteete<l bar by the strengthened cu rren t farther out to sea. T he piers w ere duly G ree ted , hu t did not g ive much satiwfactioD, fo r in 1630 th e shjp-mastors w ere loud in th e ir com plaints o f the dangers of navigation to and from Bilbao, and as a consequence th e K in g ordonid the Local Koard o f Trade to open a r e ^ l a r enqu iry in to th e loiwes o f tho ]>ast few years» and to add a report explanatory o f th e tn ie natu re o f the bar and the river.

M uch curious inform ation wa« g iven in ihi» ancicnt record o f bygone Spanish commerce— inform ation, by tho w ay, w hich has its value to-day, and wo quote a sentence o r two. “ D uring the 20 yeare preceding 1630 the bar a t P ortugaletc com­m anded a depth o f 20 Spanigli foct a t spring-tide and from 14 to li> feet in neap tides. L u rin g th a t tim e 40 ships bu ilt in the N ervion safely crossed the bar, some of them hav ing a burden o f 700 and others no t leas thari 300 tons, The bar movee sometimes to the north side and others to tho aouth, an<i now and again to the tiorfh-cast ; i t is m erely composed o f sand, The change» in iie direction are principally produocd hy the gales and w ash o f the liiBcaysm fHAS, and tho only rem edy against this— aa haa boon cxporienced o f old— is a r iv e r flow,'’

Tbo first inenti<m of Las A renas quay ia in the

T H JiE E D A Y S T T iO ^ K hfO LA H D . 13

year 1558, bu t before It a pier e x ite d , which was erected between tlie years 1542 to 1550, and which wns about 77B m etres in length , The Portugalete pier o r brciikwatcr wua already i(itundG<i to reach a? far as the breakers on tlic bar, and th is is now the C5ise, aud ouce p>iet th is, vessels are ixi pcrfcct safety and steam aii in a canal by the picturesque tow n of Portugaleto to Luchana— a placo distant about three o r four miles, w here tliuy take the ir tu rn a t tlie tips for the mluerala w ith whicli they are to be ladon. T he bar (which is about 4<35 metr&s in iengtli) a t tbo mouth o f the N ervion still maintain« its anciont reputation for mischief, and as tho atrong north ­westerly gales from tlie A tlan tic strike the Spanish coast, the huge rollei-s o f the Biscayan Sea claim the ir Bilbao toll in hfo and property , as mourners and the uuderw ritera a t “ L lo y d s ” know too well.

Ae provion»»3y staled, the w aterbg .p laco o f X is A renas, w ith it« pier, is on one aide o f the N ervion ja s t south o f the b a r itself, and on tho o ther is th a t town o f quain t houaes and stoep hills— Portugalete O n tlw riv e r front the place presents a moderi, appearance, however, and i t is only in the centre o f the tow n th a t you are rem inded o f i u an tiquity rh o m a rk e t^ o n Sundays attended by crowds o f women very gaily dressed in strik ing colours, red and blue being p ro m in e n t- ls well w orth a v isit if tim e permit«, and so ia the ancient parish ehurch which go t severely dam aged during tiie Carlist war of ten y e a r , a g o ; bu t t^youd 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 liigh altar and a remarkablo o rgan in tLü w estern gallery, there is no th ing particu lar to notice. Those in quest o f the real m eaning o f tha,t h^daicycd quotation, “ a n ajicicnt and fiahdiko smell,” should v isit some parts o f th is Gravesend of Bilbao. T he inspector o f nuisances has a con­tinual h o lid ay ; and the sewago and its gasos work th e ir own sweet w ill a t pleasure. Tow ering above th is really picturesquely-situated tow n is the conical­shaped m ountain nam ed Cerante«» and from the watch-tower a t it» sum m it a noble viow can h© obtained by those w ho do n o t fear the stiff ascent by means o f the m ilitary road. I f th e Kay is in a peaceful m o o d ^ a n d i t is a very m uch m aligned bay to te ll the tru th —it sprcada o u t before you like boundless fields o f liquld^azqre. Now and again, gHsteniiig from th e ray s o f a Spanish sun to your rig h t, you can sec tho w hite breakers on the ban tb e yellow sands o f lias Aromw, the prom inent houses o f A lgorta , o r tho Shakespeare-Cliff-Kke chalk prom ontory o f Qalea. T urn ing your back to the 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 long procession o f screw steam ers, either slowly m aking the ir w ay up to the “ tip s " fi>r iron ore, to discharge the ir black diamond c a rg o s , or, l>eing “ outw ard bound,'’ head ing for th e “ ^ r ” w ith m ore o r less preccDce o f free bc>ard. B u t in justice to the B ritish shipowner, i t sliould be said th a t in nine cases ou t o f ten when tliC free board is

T B IiE E P A T S F n O M E iTG LA N D . 15

“ too little b j a g^reat deal, ” the enaign th a t floata from tlie ta (Trail is no t th a t o f tho U nion Jack of Old England. A tnvmway followa th e courso o f the N ervion and ita eRtiiary from Santuree to B ilbao; hn t tak ing one eonsidoration w ith another i t is not a pleasant road to travel. R oughly speaking, i t is about aeven irtilcs o f th ird -ra te houaea alternating with mineral ra ilw ays; “ t ip s ” for th e iron ore— heaps o f the iron o re ; pleasaut looking, bu t very d irty people wIjo shij) the iron or© and land the coals; E nglish and Germ an firemen, w ho eooin to spend their time in practically dem onstrating against b ir W ilfrid Law son and aU h is w o rk s; and tho ubiquitous carabinero, who, w ith m ore o r leas o f a slouching gait, 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 Majesty Alfonso XIX, N o. vro w ill prefer th e Las A renas tram way for exploring thcs© banks, and wo will have to fe rry the N orvion river.

TH K n iO H L A U V S O F C A iiT A D H IA j Oft,

cnAPTER in.O N T H K B A X K a O F T H R N F R V IO J i .

I r tlie Lalo o f nnoaaice han^^ somewhat al>ont Twickenham ferry , i t m ust bo adm itted th a t prM tlcal b usiiie^ dom inates ite num erous namesakee gn the N ervion. T he boats are stu rdy and broad-beamed ; tbe boatmen— w ith tb e ir bine je an jackets and tiousers and th e almost im ivereal tcarle t boina— wlricb m uch resembleH tbe broad H igh land bonnet •—are esceediogly picturesque, and very patient a t the sam e tim e, as howuvor crowded the traiis-N erviou packet m ay be, i f they spot an old lady w ith a basket a quarte r o f a mile off, tbey will w ait for her to a certainty . I t should be noted too th a t nearly a ll the women carry baskets, and practical athletics o f no mean order are recjuired to dodge those l«askete in em b ark in g and disem barking. Some o f the lan d in g places are very good, others reqn ire not only tho presence o f m ind so much reoommonded, bu t also th a t o f a good stick. Jklarket women are ju s t the sam e from China to P eru— a ceaeolesa chatter o f itjdiflerent Spanish ; and the unapproach­able Basque is m aintained by the, far tho most part,

THRPF^ P A T 8 F B O M E m i J N J i . 17

plcaaant and good-iiumoured looking carriers o fcabbages, pimentos, tom atos and the l i k u during ^tbe few minuteB^ row acroes the stream, aud thenthey separate on the ir various errands. The h ilb onthe Las Arenas side o f the riv e r are not eo command-ing ly tall ae those on the other bank, and a belt oflovel land, in m any places cultivated w ith^m aize, ^lies between the ir feet and tho riv e r itself. Thè*A lgorta-Bübao tram w ay d iife« materiaJly fromm any o f our E nglish inatitirtione o f the same name.Three mule« abreast are driven, and a very rapid pace is kept up ; there are no onteide seats—smoking ie, o f course, allowed iuside, and people are perm itted to stand on the platform. Iu these cars i t is no ©xagfferatinn to say th a t almost as much E nglish is heard ae Spanish, the prepondoranco o f tbe British m ercanùle marine being perhaps more apparent a t Bilbao th a n any other fo rd g u port. Before enter- m g one o f these cars lo ru n up to th e city , a ffood Jw k a t Portugalete shoald be taken , and as th e sun »Ilum ínate the windows o f its French-looking

lights up the proportions o f the church o f Santa M aria, i t difficult to believe th a t th is poacefuZ

Im king sort o f place was only eleven years nso the scene o f one o f the most severe bom bardm ent, of

t i n ,o ^ th e wreck and r.un o f tho being •nfim tdy g rea te r th a « th a t o f A loxandria. Oi> the

K. V. ^ p u b lic a n fleet

l^to and 8 « it« r< » -a n d sent t h d r shell» ovèr

X )

th e inoim ta ins in to the very Carlist poeitlons the L iberal ” land troopR w ere attacking. Portiigalet©

was simply rendered a mass o f ru in s ; and tlio l)cautiful palace o f M iirrietta, where a gir3s’ si^hool Lad taken refuge from Santurce, was u tte rly de­stroyed, Santurcc snffered too tremendouRly, as 560 shells fell in to th is harm less little pilots’ v i l l» ^ from tho aquadroD. P ortugaleto m ore o r less sided with the Bepxiblic, and only yielded to the Oarlii^ta after a, forty days’ siege, so tho unluckily placed tow n fell*] between tw o stools, o r ra ther, go t i t uneomraonlyT ho t from bo th side«, in th a t m iserable civil war. B eing, in fact, the key to Bilbao, the Carllsts strongly intrenched them selves there, and b a rm T lh e naviga-j tion o f tho riv e r by stre tch ing chains and cahk from sLoro to shore, thus rendering the aacent or descent o f tb e riv e r im e. These cables were overlooked b y pow erful artillery batteries, ready and v e ry w illing to sink an y vessel th a t should attem pt to cu t them . T he record o f tb e blood- st^iined hills around th e m outh of* the N ervion is far too long to give here. B u t almost every field is the scene o f w here Spaniards killed Spaniards, and ss you gaily tread the tn r f a t th e foot o f Somorosti you are w alliing in th e cem etery o f thousands of brave men. W o are no prophets, and w ith politic w e liave nothing w hatever to do, h u t th e mottt painful and th e only painful reflection ab S it thia: p a rt o f Spain is tlia t th e old feud is sm ouldering, and th a t on th e leaat excuse th e re will be more brotherl]

T E S B E D A T S F H O M F f/G L A S D . 19

cut-throating, either for some Republic, “ one and iudi visible,” o r for Don O a t Io b and tb e o rprovincial privileges o f tbe Basque provinces, which, w betbcr for good o r evil, have been doQC aw ay w ith by tbe M adrid authoritiei?. Between Las A renas and E l Dw?ierto, the ru n hy the tram w ay is entirely rural, bu t a t the la tto r nam ed plaoo yon en ter wbat ie really a fluuriahing suburb o f Bilbao, from which city i t is exactly six miles distiint by tbe cars. Tbe handsome river atone wall, w ith num erous landing places, continues all the way from Las A renas to Bilbao, and i t is utilised in a rem arkable w ay a t E l Deaierto, as i t forms a handy aeat fo r a g reat num ber o f men, who, hav ing no th ing to do, decline to go in to the m arket p l ^ in search o f work.A p art from th e intelligent male native, who finds the waU a convenient lounge, i t is really an unspeak­able boon to the B ritish firem an, who, hav ing had qnite enough o f the infamgus poison sold a t some low grogshopa “ down the river,- natxiraUy lies down in the middle o f tho road to get his hard-earned sleep and then i t is th a t the riv e r wall prevents him ro lhng over into th e quick-flowing N ervion, and perhaps going ou t to aea a g a i n ^ a corpse W e «ay the male n a tiv e ; the women work, and >yifh a v e n d e e ; in landing tiie coal o r b ring ing tho iron ore m peddling^ caUcoes and sheetings, in reaping V ? the w heat o r tilling the soil, th e women a i^ ^ t te re to tho fore, always working, sieg ing , and apparently alw ays happy. Perhaps no t a prettier

0 2

labour aigbt, i f regarded from a serious poi!it of view, is to be had th a n th a t o f th© bundrcde of women o f a ll ages—from ihe old veteran o f past seventy to the Httle m ite o f six o r seven— discharging a coal-laden steam er in th e N ervion river. E v ery woman <arriee h e r loaxl on h e r head, and gaily hum m ing some plaintive air, th inks no m ore o f a load o f m ore than 120 lbs. th a n wo should o f one o f ten . P ractice makes p e rfec t; aud from very early ago the g irl-obild icn learn to carry w eights steadily on the ir heads, wid as the ir years advance the burden is o f course increased, ti ll really marvellous quantities o f coal o r ore are carried w ith ease in the simple fashion o f tlie m ilkm aid o f the stage. These women are paid by the day o f tw elve honrp, and earn about 2s. to 2s. 6(i. p e r day w hen trade is brisk. A bout the same tim e th a t th e little g ir l has mastered tho a r t o f carry ing a loaded coal basket on h e r head, and in a fashion becomes a bread w inner, h e r brother has acquired th a t o f perfectly ro lling and sm oking a

g a r o t t e , bo th a t quite eaxly in life they are wisely prepared for th e occupations o f th e ir la ter years. T he stores a t E l D esierto are num erous and jjood. F o r beds and hotel accommodation, “ M orley’s ” stands suprem e; for ship chaudleiy and coals, the large premises o f the 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 ed ro Barcena, Café P rogresso and C urling's may he recommended. These are in fact the clubs o f tho locality, and if one w ants to find

T R R S IS D A T S F S 03Í E N Q L A Í^D . 2 !

aoybody, you naturally look in a t one o f the cafcs Mtached to th e stores, ra tho r th a n chance tlio almost certainly hopcloae errand o f calling a t hie house. E l Desierto is a ham let o f tho mouDtain TÍlIf^^ o f Krandio, d istan t some tw o o r three loilee away» and the Alcalde o f tlia t place only allows one licQused butcher ¡n tho place. The prices th is in ­dividual charge« are fairly reasonable, b u t in parliu- mentjvry language» we cannot do justice to the toughness o f his steaks. A full-grown Rhark would perhaps find them easy eating, h u t the average dog preiers a b it o f soft wood to gnaw at. This octroi is stric tly preserved a t hapless D eserto , and on one occasion we were witnesses o f the seiznre o f some fine looking hoof, w hich a daring woman had surrep­titiously brought into th e d id rlc t from Bilbao. As most people know of the absurdly prohibitory tariff (soon we hopo to he altered) tha t Spain lias for some years m aintained sgairwt B ritish goods, i t will perhaps be unnecessary to rem ark th a t a good de«l o f sm uggling o f a ll sorts goes on, thongli in most w e s the articles so brought into the country are intended m erely for private consumption. The average B n ton will, i f he can, wbafevcr semi-cra^ed moralists m ay say, smuggle in h is tins o f salmon. BDiokeable t o b ^ o , o r liis cheap fo r h is ownpersonal benefit. W hen, however, the Spanish m er­chant thmfes o f decreasing his country’s revenne, he makes a quiet arrangem ent w ith some h igh func­tionary, who becomes a v irtual partner in the firm.

The influence o f th e E ng lish steam ers is more re­m arkable a t E l Desierto th a n anyw here else on the N ervion. M ost o f the stores have E nglish o r quaai- Engli&h signR, as “ P e te r lioatm an,” and “ m eat of fine frosch bullock 5 ” bu t we mui?t really caution OTJr good frictid, M ariano Rios, th a t “ P each suplid ” is donbtleesly very -well intended fo r p itch sup­plied,” bu t i t won’t stand ovon our atandard o f the language. Tho E ng lish colony is strong , and i t ie aleo strong in dogs, A n Englishm aji is usually m ore o r lees “ d o g g y ; ” b a t i t ie a, m arked feature a t E l Desierto. A e you stroll along tho em bankm ent it rem inds one o f the Uttle-knowTi line« o f Tennyson—

“ Ikpgs to ih e rig h t of yon, dr»gs to tbo loft o f you, ftll in front o f you, volleyed and tbm idered ;

and th a t is exactly w hat th e y do a t E l DcFderto. N o t fa r from w here the handsome ^'arehouscs o f the Seville O il Company raiso th e ir d a rk frontages to face th e loft hank o f the N erv ion a perfect avalanche o f dogs m ay be expected, who “ go fo r” the passing tram -car in a delightfully bandit fashion ; failm g the tram -car, whioii w ill n o t stop fo r them , they look around fo r o ther dogs to qnarrel w ith , and w hen they have found those o ther doge the experienced traveller eliould take refuge, say a t G arcias, and -wait till the canine pandemonium ie over. Spaniards have often been accused o f unkind neas to anim als; i t is a m atter o f certa in ty th a t they do n o t love them iti the same senee th a t w e do, no r doee tlie lac t th a t they are

TBJiJuE I t A T S F R O M E N G LA N I> . 23

humble inends and compauioue strike them iu the same fashion qa OTirseLves. B u t in ou r somewhat vigiirous esporienco of, a t any rate , northern Spain we cannot say th a t we know of any case o f deliberate cruelty to animals beyond the bull fights thcmRelvee, o r caused by poor untutoiud urchins who know no better.

A t E l Desierto a terrib le w arn ing exists, a warn­in g to pliilanthropic ladies and gentlem en who wish to s ta rt institutes lo r seamen, aud so reclaim our reckless ta rs and firemen from over-dovotion to the cup th a t clieers and inebriates very much. Some tiiuo ago some good people determ ined to s ta rt a Iseamen’s Roclamatiou Factory a t E l Deaierto, aud fiuding th a t the line of store« and public housf^s was on the em bankm ent o f the river itself—placed how­ever 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 i t some seventy y a r .^ behind tho rea r o f tho houses, and only to be reached by crossing a field o f conrso unlighted. W h«c i t has been raininff, and there 18 no mistake about the ra in in Biscay wlion i t means business, tho (boipath o f ord inary earth ie uot exactly perfect, and some injnOicious persons have lelt shoes therein as memonlocs o f th e ir atMmi.t to reach w hat ough t to be the sailore’ homo on the banks o f the X ervion R iver, and w hich is cortainly nothing o f the sort. Tl.o build ing itse lf i« fairly BuUtantial, and i t onght to be bo considering the sum It co s t; and on en tering i t you wiU fiud th a t in

24 TH E J flO B L A ifD ii O F C A i f T J B i i l A ; OB.

uine cases ou t o f ten yon have the New Seuman’g Institu te entirely to youTself. O n tho r ig h t is tlie library and reading-room . Y ou are perhaps * stranger to Spain, although no t a m ariner, and you look forw ard to spending a pleasant hour o r so a t a so rt o f Knglish clul>-houBo which m ay rem ind you of borne. T here are plenty o f newspapers al>out— that is to H a y , you can read th e Recryrd, o r tho Christianf o r numerous o ther jou rnals o f the same c lass; h u t w ith tho single exception o f the London evening Olobe— a little in advance o f Jack aiid h is friend the fireman bu i t understood— not a single paper a t tha t reading-rortm ^•ould appeal to the in terests o r sym­pathies o f nine hundred and n inety-n ine ou t o f a thousand Knglish seamen and firem en who visit the P o r t o f Bilbao. Of the “ library ” little can l)e Raid, becauso there arc so few books; the g rea t m ajority of them have never been read ; and aa they a ll seem to havu been w ritten in the d irect intercst^^ o f very gnsh icg ly Evangelical Sunday School te a c h e rR , of about eighteen years o f age, i t is no t likely they ever will be. 1’here is a fair billiaxrl table used row and again by Rome of the captains and the ir long­shore frien d s; a bagatelle board m ore o r less ou t of repair, aud a “ bar,” w here the harmless lemonade and^ the soul-inspiring soda w ater can be had a t tho price o f fonrpence p e r bottle. T he one r e d e e m ! tig feature about th is ghastly attem pt to m ake tho 1 ives o f Jack and Tien in Bilbao B iv e r m ore sober and comforlable is tho coui te«y o f the w arden o f the

TU Ü F.E D A Y B F R O M B N G lA y ü . 25

place itself^ an old man-of-warsman we believe, who docÄ his utmost to make tboee w ho visit hiö deeolatc Instiiuie as tH>mlbrtablc as anybody can feel iii a kind o f deserted chalk-pit w ith tbe wiftd in tbe east.0 you good fioula, v ho find tbe money for these and other dilly exhibitions of coin excess and no brains, p ray do the wbolo o f your du ty and fii»d out what Jack and T im really w ant w hen they seek tbe Spanish ore on the N ervion R iver. The “ Con­verted Cowkeeper o f Camberwell '* m ay doubtless be an excellent work in ita w ay ; b u t tbü lUiuiraifid ZA/micn AVw?, o r Punch, o r Mtxmshine^ o r tho othor comic papers, are moro to the point. The Record has often very valuable theological inform ation in its pages; bnt w e question very much if we had been “ trim m ing” across an angry ‘"Bay,” we sLould prefer i t to a good secular weekly paper. Then again, why not have genuine sini?-K>ngs ” as we used to call them in tbe colonies; D ick o r H a rry iu the chair, everybody doin^^ th e ir best, aad jo in in g in the choruses. Call them music ball choruses if you K ke; is It no t far better to be indifierent to the claims of W a i te r , and sing comic songs in a welJ- rejfulated place o f rea l entertainm ent, in a real Soa- n ^ s Tn^itute, than be v irtually ta ra c d out o f a sham one s doors, only to d rin k death 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 take a horse to the w ater, b u t yon cannot m alie bim drink,

ack and T im tiie fireman are taken to Bilbao

because th e y have to go there, bu t they are far t-Do hum an to caro au g h t for the New Seaman a lustitul a t E l Doiicrto o r to en ter it, even w hen taken to (be roadw ay th a t leads to the field th a t lies bofore ita dooi Tem perance—aye, and total abstiueuce too aro, we arc told, m aking rap id strides among our poop) aud no one w ants a helping hand m ore th a n on road to even fe ir m oderation th an onr typical Jack and Tim, Fad-forcing is a bad bneinesa a t any time a t K l Desierto i t is simply wrecW ng a movernt righteously in tended. L e t the seaferers be treated^ AS men, no t as a lo t o f sickly goody-goodies; and if some o f them havo n o t y e t a ttained to the heroic| v irtue— if eo i t b^—o f total abstinence, le t them d rin k in the ir own hearty fashion “ Sw eethearts and W iv es” in good E nglish o r G erm an beer on Satur< day n igh ts, w ithout th e suspicion th a t around the corner eomebody is w aiting w ith a trao t on the evil o f habitaal drunkennesi- I f the N ew Seam an«' In stitu te w ere to act up to its title , i t would sock the m ental and m oral im provem ent o f every Kuglish^ speaking sailor who visits B ilbao ; as i t iR, i t only apjwala to those who care for th e mofit rig id form of Pnritiknism o f a fossil character, and th e eccentric o f a ll creed» who th in k th a t w ithout to ta l abstinenc there iH no salvation, e ither in th is w orld o r the next.

W h a t ia really w anted in the cuec o f the New Seaman’s In stitu te is th a t i t should quickly bo made an unsectarian aiTaiv altogether. A w orking com-;

T IJItE B I>AT3 F S O M E ifO L A ifD . 27

mitfee o f laymen, w ith genial Hympathy fu r Jack , aud who know hie ways, aliouM take tho w hole affair in hand, ask if ncceseary for aid and sym pathy in E ngland , and if th e proper men were only appointed, they would soon galvanise into useful aud honourable existence the unhappy corpse in the field a t E l Dcsieito-

C H A P T E R IV.

T E E CNOO.VQUBRBD C IT Y .

F r o m E l Deaiorto to Bilbao tVie cars take al>oulj forty m inu tes; and, availing oneself o f the platfoi ono can g e t a good viow an d note all th a t is to m aiked, learned, aud inw ardly digested i a this poi tiuii o f Spain, Perlm ps the first objects th a t wotih »trike the eye arc tho tw o huge Spanish smeltini works, its huge chimney-stacks being visible for considerable distance. The “ tipa ” a t Luchana are' also very conspicuous, b u t wo shall havo more »ay w hen we deal w ith tho vaat deposits o f minei weiilth wliich surround th e city o f the beautiful bay — Belle Vao, modernised in to Bilbao. T he windlnj o f the riv e r N ervion have suggested to one inventn gazetteer th a t tho marmerR’ phra»3, in the Kill is derived from tbe perils o f tho navigation o f stream in the old days o f sailing-ships. "Re th i i as it may, i t is certain th a t oven w ith powerful ateioneJ and p len ty o f tu g aaaietanee, there are p len ty of m inor dangers to ho m et witli, o itlie rin m aking for] the “ t i p s " o r leaving them . A t h igh tide the river presents the appearancc o f a huge sleamsht)

T B S E E D A Y S F R O M E N O L A y V . 29

procession, aa the really sta te ly scrcw collicrs o r steamers in balla&-t th read th e ir w ay up Ibroiigh the iidm)w reaches. The exporte o f ore alone in 1 8 8 i heiug about th ree million tons, tlio to n n a ^ to and from th is com paratively little-know n port puts i t in the front ran k o f tlio shipping cities o f tlie world. The en tered” to:m age o f Bilbao comes immediately after Liverpool, London leading the van o f the w orld w ith over e ig h t millionf?, New York following close on to th is total w ith seven millions aud a half, w hile Liverpool shows a littio lese. The tug-boat» —all o f E nglish build— must do a very handsome business, qm they ure seldom or ever idle. TTutil tbe recent depression in the iron trade, th e eeaaelcss cry o f the iron smelters in B ritain was “ more ore, roore ore! '* and so the N ervion was a t time« dangerously crowded w ith vessels anxious to g e t tho precious m aterial for the hungry British aud G erm an furnaces. To those who fancy the “collier»’* o f Cardiff are like the m ore o r lees ancient craft, whether steam or sailijig, th a t carry London’s eea- hom e supply o f coal, i t should be stated th a t m any of these vessels no t only possess beautiful lines, hut are patterns o f cleauHness as well. Tako eneh cra il as “ W are’8 Y ach ts” ae they are ca lled -n o tab ly the RayUujh's Croee, o r M e«rs. Cory's Rougt^nont, and i t would be difficult to believe th a t they are colliers in a t any rate th e ontward hound service o f the ir sea travel. Small pa*en g er boats p ly in the summer months from tho bridge a t Bilbao to Portugalete, but

the favourite w ay o f roacWng tho sea h o a t

eertainly the tram w ays on e ither side o f tho ri’ thü fares l>eiag very luw, only % few pence taki) one all the -way. T here is little to say about th< suburb o f Olaveaga, which lies between E l Deaiei and th e city proper, The opposite side o f the from th is v i l l a ^ however, has a thoroughly l)h country look, and w ere i t no t for th e clear blue th e Spanish sky and th e pleasant heat o f the norl Spanish sun, one ■would be inclined to th in k tl somehow o r o ther steamers had roanaged to roach byj a ship canal, le t ua say, th a t m ost delightful wate: place, D udley P o rt, and th a t you wero once aj enjoying its sccnery an d smoke. T o recapitulate the iron-works i a th is locality w ould be ou t of o\ p roviüce; b u t m ention m ust be m ade o f th e fam< forreria o f Messrs, Y barra and Oompauy. I t ie furnaces o f thee© gentlem en aud thefr rival« that l ig h t up ou dark n igh ts the w indings o f the Nervi' r iver. Some littlo dietance beyond these tokens of civilisation and poisoned a ir, w e see a little spot on

i th e sam e aide o f th e riv e r (the left), and th a t is th* \ E ng lish cem ctery, poor Jack’s long homo in nin<■ case« ou t o f ten . P erhaps a p re ttier o r quiei \ burial-place does no t exist in Europe. The U»1 has been granted by the Spanish au thorities in petu ity to the B ritish G overnm ent, and the place no t only well-planted w ith cyprua and other ti bu t th e paths and surroundings are kep t in the perfect order. Too m any o f the occupants o f thi

beautiful littlo Campo 8anto o f our people came there throngh tho treacherous bar a t the river’s mouth aod others j and alpo far t<K> m any haRtencd the ir occupation o f a sito in tho cemctory by another bar, the bar w here ran k poison was sold as honest fitimulant. If, iii8tt5ad of ondeavourinj» to make people Bobcr and pious by A cts o f Parliam ent, Govern- m entR would insist on the p u rity o f every glass o f beer and w hisky sold» tho cause o f temperance would be practically won. I t is no t altogether the quantity b a t the ch a ra c t^ o f t h e w retched RtiifF th a t makes Jack “ mies stays’* in p u h h a M any a m an drinka ju r t as much as he in a suiuptuouB club, and walk* down P a ll Mall w ith head erect and sober aa a judge, the feet being th a t bo has partaken o f an unadnlteraied artic le ; while Jack , who is around generally, has partaken o f nearly unadulterat<?d poison. I f we had onr w ay w ith the retailers o f this bad drink the inquiaitiveucas o f tho H oly Inquisi­tion would be nothing to it. A few weeks’ hard labour beneficently bestowed on some rieli g iu paUco robLer o f the livea o f the people would stam p Ihu eWI out. The polioo all down Bilbao river are very H n d and oonsiderale to the iàiliugs o f the seamen, If, how ever, Jack insista in m a k b g a perfect nuisance of

imself, aud doelmes to pay any atten tion to tho « ^ a t ^ admonitions to be quiet and orderly tho police reluctantly take him to the local lo 4 -™ where his initia! punishment is in m ost cases a well! d « erv ed flogpng, and tliis is followed l y a few days’

detention on a hoarding fure w hich is certainly n( luxurioije. A s w ith OTir enemies the garotters, th* sailor w ho has bad one heating a t the hands of Spanish police seldom o r ever troubles tho aiithorii again. Bilbao proper is now w ithin v ie w ; a lonj line o f handsome houses w ith w ell-kept ffardens she the w ealth o f her citizens. T he tram w ay ends in public square called the Axenal, th is is well plant w ith trees, aud hoaste seat accommodation, which no t few and far between. Tbie A renal forms a iarf triang le on th e river hank , and t^igcther w ith tl Campo Y olantin makes a capital public gardcfi- i t is near the railw ay station, which is ju s t aei th e Isabella B ridge, a handsom e stone one (near to which, b y th e way, vessels o f 1000 tons bu rden ha’ come np ), close to the theatre and adjacent to all tb< leading m ercantile oíBces, i t m ay be cbaracteri^ aa the centre o f the unconquered city, aa the Bill people, w ho arc m ainly “ l ib e ra ls ” are prond to • the ir tow n, w hich has tw ice aiiccesafully besieging effort« o f th e Carlist m ountaineers. Tb first w as in ] 835, w hen Zum alacurregui, the gn Baaqne leader, w as directod by D on Carlos to attac) th e plaee, in order to satisfy tho com plaint o f H uí - th a t h e had captured n o t a single im portan t tow n m the provinces he said were so devoted to him , Tf whole th iu g was an absurdity, for Don Carios v e rv w ell th a t Bilbao would iv-sietto tb e death, an* i f he had sufQcient m ilitary prescience he would once have puabod on to M adrid, w hich w<mld ha^'

T B S E B D A Y S T H O M T lfG L A N P . 33

furrendered without a blow, eo g rea t w as tho p r e s t í^ o f liis victories o f tbe north, O u the 10th o f June Zuiaalacsarreg'ui received a fetal wouud w hile sur­veying the c ity from tho height o f Begoua, and w ith him practically diod the Oarlifit cauRe a t th a t time, for ou tbe le t o f Ju ly hifl snoccsaor, Eraeco, raised the aiege. However, the followers o f Don Carlos were not to be eaaiiy beaten, for th e y reappeared on tbo 2:ird o f October, and carried a ll th e undefended poeitioue on the rig h t bank o f the N ervion, the

.Clírisíiüd^ general, San M i- iie l, raaking no t oven a i^ow o f reaialance. I t ie more than likely th a t Bilbao would never liave obtained the title o f Invicta a t thiB juncture had it no t been for tho B ritish blue jackets, who came to the reecue o f the Quoon’» fovcee aud the ir incapable leader; to use tI,o words o f Mr

‘‘ andColonel W jldo , tlie rua! lieroes, pointed out the trueline o f re lief by crossing tl.e r iv e r Espartero, and

F n “ Sen-lo violeneo ; thenK ng lah .ailors prepared rafts wluoh tho fire o f the Engl.*)-. a r iJ le ry protected, and so the Nervion f i r s t p a»^d by Espartero ; and next the A«ira {a tri- buU ry o f th o l,e rv ,o n on the r ig h t bank) wascwssod

^i>»'“ sh endurance o f hardships.”o

Tlie B¡6|?e o f cloven years ago will bo remembered byj a g rea t cum ber ot* ou r readers, and we bavo no to dw ell on thia most interesting b it o f mode) history. Justice bas bardly been done to the biavei aud devotion o f cither side, in tho lam entable war, b th e B ritish press—in fact w e are unaw are o f the exif ence o f any reliable E ng lish account o f tho stnigj b u t th a t i t w as a very seveiu one as far as Bilbao wj coneemtid ibe following facie will sh o w : Shells fell a t the ra te o f 200 per day, frequently 22 in an hoi and although wholo streets w ere fired, and m any o f 1 public buildings destn>yed, th e idea o f surreudcj novor entered the defenders’ heads ; and the ladies Bilbao “were m ore prom inent than the men in the fierce defiance o f “ no su rren d er/’ P o rk , ham, tongue w ere a lb,, fowls 20;?. a pair, dried eod-l Ss. per lb., ])0 la t0 es OO*-. p e r cw t., and there wero nj vegetables, fresh fish, charcoal o r coal. The defend« w ere JuBtificd in th e ir d e tk ice ; th e squadron of tl Eepublic settle<l th e CarHst question, a t any rate a tim e, and the city o f th e Beautithl Bay " tl« claims also the p rond title o f the Ciudad inmcla.

A s yon leave the Laa A renas tram car in the Aiei the C,AÍé ftuizo m eets tbe eye, and frnm about cle’ to nearly tw o th is is the favoured h au n t of E ughsh captains, brokers, and in i ^ t o f the wl o f th e E ng lish colony. W e have h<iard stay-o t-h< EngHsbmen complain w ith some bitleriiess of c la tte r F rench an<l G erm ans make a t restaurant»,^ w e th in k th a t if they visited th« café vve refer

they wonlfl adm it th a t E nglish m aster m ariners and their frIonJs can ta lk and j^sticulal© ju s t a#? load 1« any b f the l>enighted “ forriners " who annoy the in ­sular John Bull in hie “ eati ng hou ge. ” The last ti me wo « itered tho ijafo Suf^o— and i t is aesociated in our minds w ith very pioasant memories and o f good aud true friende, o f whom the pontiif woe M r. R idley, and the aaeistont liigh priest the pleasant b i t unhappily now deceasod English doctor, Wileon hy name— a Btentorism voice was calling out “ I t is rwisoy D unlop/’ and w e knew th a t tho B riton w as abroad, The Span- lards were quiet, reticent, aj,d reserved ; tbo Knglieh w ere laughing and talk iug loud, and evidently enjoy- tn g tliomeelves to the full, although the Caf6 Suizo 1« It mjderetood, is tho centre and business ox- change o f the shipping trade o f the cnpital o f Bieoay. I n a word, 3t is a combination o f “ Lloyd’s,” the “ Jerusalem ,” and th e R oyal 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^dw h o « m arble t^h le . tako rt.e place o f m a h o g .n j d c k e

a ^ form s. ^ ■ « 'e o rn o n o o f the ,^ d w in « o fn o rtb o m

a t ^ ° T ^ snw O ld Í * T Tt o f g O ld Tom and « g „ .t.,ra bitto™, whilo th e welKW „ A ncho r b ^ d o fS .b ied am h ^ i t . v o t o i « ind f c t E n g l^ h aud G erm an beor w . , d « , f a v o . , d

™ s r j r T " Í " ” ™ > “i-™ *British i>r i • f * by eomo harltanan o f a

•vetiüee (dixty LoursH -Cardiff orD 2

36 T B E 77J(iHLÂÎ^DS OF CA2ÍTABRTA x OE,

N ew port to Üio B ar), tbo fearful sta te o fth e shippi Irndc, the geucial w orry o f tbe Custom House, curso o f quarantine, the whereabouts o f Genei G ordon, and tlie iusufferable ignorance w bich prei vailed in E ng land as to the ca}>aeity o f Spain for m agnlticent commercial future. M uch also was s<kii for and af^alnst the present governm ent o f tl country, bu t w e have nailed tbe Has o f absolût neu tra lity to tbo m ast, and th a t ensign alono cai throw its folds to the breeze over tlie barque have christened th e “ H ighlands o f C antabria.’'

The fitûlistics w e have given show th a t Bilbao ii ft prosperous, busy city , and the signs o f wealt th a t m eet the eye a t every tu rn show how mi th e iron ore harvest has benefited the place, lu population, how ever, is a sm all one, beitig a fc' thousands le® tlian 40,000. Nestled in a valley a»J the foot o f the spurs o f the C antabrian Pyrcnet is h o t enough in tho snramor, delightfully pie: in spriijg and autum n r ig h t up to C hriitm astide; hi in the th ree m onths o f the year, w hen (he m) Ptorms sweep over the A tlan tic and across the Kay, is r o t a place suited for those subject lo ])ulraordieorders- In tlie comparativt^ly modern portion th e town situate uear to the A renal, the Ríreetíi ai very narrow and the houses v e ry lofty ; every pOBRosses a balcony, and tho oCfect o f some o f th« w ynds, as they would say in K dinburgb, is remr ably picturesque. A nother featnro o f th e ordim Bilbao house is the uiîivorsal projecting roof, > bn

T M S E B P A T S F Q O ^ E N Q L A N P . ^ 7

in a faehion affords protection from wiini a 'id rain, and in the kot Bummei m onths from the sub also. Carriajfe traffic in tliese slreets is no t allowed by the antlioritli’! bu t verv narrow gauge tram w ays exist for tbe transport o f goode. A curious w ay o f carry­ing merchandise from one part o f tho city fo the other exists in Bill>ao; tho package or p a c k a ^ s are pW cd on a so rt o f slodge o r solid piece o f tim ber and thus draw n th rough tli© streets, rom iuding one, in a &6hio>i, o f the w ay in which, 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 the m angling block a t T yburn o r elsewhere. Ajid now fo r a word as to northern Spanish cloanlinees. Ali tbe houses w e ioapected in Bilbao, aa d they wero very m any, wore beautifully d ean , and the aim o remark applies to tbe wbole region dealt w itb in th is volume. W hatever m ay be the case in the more sunny soutb, the oft-used English expression, Spanish d irt, cannot «Pi>ly to the Cantiibrian provioces. In m ast o f the ^ t ^ s in tbo villages by the m ountain side even a B uteh housowifo would be more than satisfied: and the spotless w hite o f tbe b ^ -Iin en , w ith tl.e la<«.edied piUow., evory hotel, inn, o r private Laueo tliat w e came across, would compare mc«t feyourably witL

experiences o f oure th a t need no t bo i^ooraod m tbis place.

Bilbao w au early rising: place, and long before tho »verago Brito., th ink , o f his bacon and coffee, the

tow n is all ye, a ll classes beings a t work, Tk© marVeil place is a large Land some buiidini', a a d is well BUj)plicd w itb tiioat, fish, frn it, and vogutablo«; price« are fairly m oderate, beef boing from Sd. to lOd. a Ib. for a n y p a r t o f th e animal, apparen tly no difference being m ade l>etwecn a rum p steak and tbe m eanest b it o f shin beef. The same cnrioi w an t o f classification extends lo the ju icy Spanishi m utton, which is obtainable a t per ]b ,; eggs are very dear a t.IC J . a doaen. A m ong titles which ths: city by the 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 the po rt a t w hich the largo am ount o f saltedj cod used in C entral Spain a riiv cd from the N orth Sea. A bout the 12i\i contury the bold fishermen th e Cantabrian coast w en t aw ay to the iiorlbei seas in starch o f w hales, and donbtfese iufrodu< to th e ir stay-at-home countrym en the nourishing] fish food they found so abnndaT^t and so cheap on tlie Scandinavian coast- Tn 1881 no less thaa 10,045,517 kilogram m es o f co<l-fiflh wero im|M>rte4| into Bilbao, o f which nomc thrco miUions cume from Chr»stiansaud. A s w c a te trea tin g w ith the food, supply qn<!stion, i t should be stated tlia t there are few good restaurants, the cookery a t tho Trussiai l)eing ffon<l and the charges moderate, w hile the brealcfasts and d inners a t th e leading hotels—notabi the Fonda do Ing la te rra—wonld no t disgrace tbe men Is a t any ord inary F rench provincial inn . The charges even a t the best hotels in Bilbao are reinark-

a b lj low, and are inclusive in th e ADxcncan seiise. Thus a t the fonda ju s t referred to , a^d which occupies the first floor above the Café âuizo, the tariff is only Os. Cá. per day, and th is includes a comfortable bed-room, attendacce— w hich doee not mean the privilege o f pulling a bell cord and waitinj» for nobody-—chocolate, or ooifee w ith bread and bntter early in the morning, and tw o nncommoDly “ eqnare meals as tiie Yankees have i t a t ono o’clock and abont seven. The^e numeronsl 7 coursed banquets are washed dowiï hy good generous N orthern Spanish rod wine, which is both gratis and ad lilituin. These are all very practical details ; and the reader, perhaps aghast a t our n ineteenth century way o f p u ttiu g things, will w onder if w e are going to say nothing about the people and the public buildings. A ll hi good time, good critics- W e are tak ing you into ou r confideuce, and you are go ing through lîilK-w ju s t as we d id ; and JoDg before wo made a study o f the Basques, saw tho famou« bridges, adm ired the handsome church of BegoBa, we had bad some bitters a t the café w ith the British Consul, and enjoyed a p le a ^ n t meal a t the Fonda de Inglaterra. A few more lines devoted to purely every day and very im sentim ental wants, and wo w ill rush in headlong into architecture, the easily acquired Basque language (th ey say tho devil stayed seven years in Biscay, and only picked up three words of Basque), and ethnology pure and Fimplo. T iie Spaniarde-Englisli liavo an excellent club m the Oalle del (Jorreo— otherwise Post-office

street— and the balcony from ita billiard room, where there are four excellent tables, is adm irably situaled for th ro w in g down cigar ends and o ther dclicacie« on tbe uususpecling Enffllah in tb e sido w alk—a t i leaat th a t ia onr experience; and another new clab callod “ RI Sitio»” o r The Siege, and a t th is institutioii four E nglish newRpajwrs are taken , and strangeia ; a re politely adm itted on presentation o f th e ir card. Things m ay be i^oing to tbe deuce in tb e ‘*city,’' and M acaulay’s b c ^ y m ay be g e ttin g bis skotcb- book ready for th a t long promised view o f dilapi­dated S t. P au l's ; bu t tbe B ritish a t Bilbao laugh well and heartily , and remind one forcibly o f those pioneers o f tbe o ld flag w e have know n under snn- n ier skies th a n eveu Spain, and near a b igger ocean th a n th a t o f tlie A tlan tic Sea. B eing tim id, un- aisum ing beings, w e did no t venture to approach the august representative o f tiie L ion and thii Unicorn (w hether fighting for tlxe Crown o r not), bu t were credibly inform ed th a t th e ofGco o f the B ritish Consul w as somewhere near tb e railway station. Tho theatre , w here w e bavo beard some v e ry good singhig and fa ir acting , ia close to tho A renal. I t ia no t m acb to look a t outside, bu t is comfortable w ithin. T he boll-ring will accommodate nearly 10,000 person?, and the fights take plfu» every year in May and A ugust. W e have no t tbe slightest in tention o f inflicting m ore annoyance upon our readers th a n our natu ra l infiim ities necessitate, so the nsual two poge-and-a-balf description o f. the

TUKKF. P A Y S F H O V B N O L A yD . U

ring , its huTnours and its burrurs, id duliberalelv omitted Lere. T here are p len ty o f other worka on bull figlite—for those who like them . One th ing sfrnclc us, th a t perhaps it is o, fortunate th in g tha t bulls don’t read Spanish, becaaee as tho unhappy victims are being driven up to tb e r in g on the early m orning o f tlie hloodthirsty show, they are faced w ith a large placard whioh anuounces th a t tbe ir flesh will bo sold a t a n alarm ing sacrifice on tho foliowiiig day. I t is evident th a t thero m ight be trouble w ith tho bu lb i f they grasped the im port o f th a t notice.

E xcept down the road to Las A renas aud to P y rtu g ak te , whoro druukou S^-ianish and foreign sailors occasionally cause some trouble and yse the kdifo o r draw a revolver, tho whole neighbour­hood o f Bilbao is rem arkably orderly, and serioiia criiDos are few and far between. O f th a t admirable constabulary force o f Spain, th e G uard ia Civile, we shall have tospenk a t some little leng th k te r on, but the purely muuicipal police foi*cea o f a N orthern Spanish tow n should bo noticed. The local police are called tho Orden Publico, o r guardiatis o f public o rd e r; those mon either wear uniform o r plain clothes, as required. I n aniform th ey carry a cutkss-like sworJ, bu t th e ir chief use is as detoctives. The Screno, o r n ig h t w atchm an, ie a curious survival to be found in N orthern Spain, and for au g h t we know all over the peninsuU». H e is u gentlem an o f tho truly Guido Fawkes order, w ith a long eloak, a

42 TUT. tíS O H Z A S D S OF OAXTABRTA ; OS,

Y ¡

r

/

lantern, and a pike staff aud rapier, and lie chanta the hours o f the n ig h t and the state o f tbo weiithcr in a fftontorian laaliion, w hich those Kcking^ the aid of N ature’s gentle uurso are inclined to anatliematise. “ P a s t tw enty-tJirec o’clock and rem arkably sto rm y” would perliaps be in teresting as a jnraLle o f an aritique fashion w ith the new clock notion. B u t sleep

a k>le>isiug, and tbe cheerful Sereno doce his bc»t to destroy it. Tbe Celadors again are another public body, and the ir cliief business is to see th a t all doors, &o., are projKiily fastened in much th e same fabhlon as th e benig-bted City m an soca the police g ian ts o f Colonel F raser s command try in g the ware­house doors in Cannon S treet o r elsewhere. The EogUsh s tran g er to Bilbao, wbo emptied his w ater- ju g over the S e r ^ o th in k in g he wa* a tile-prowling cat, and sough t his rovolver for the Celador, con­cluding ho m ust bo a burg lar, narrow ly escaped, trouble, and la now rem arkably well inforuicd as to tho duties o f these tw o l)odio9 o f Spanish olliciale.

I t was a fine b righ t sunny m orning in October, when, according to an appointm ent w ith the la te, courteous Dr. W ilson (so w ell know n in Bilbao), “we m et him a t th e Cafe Suizo and sallied forth to “ do ” the public build ings o f th e unconquered city. l ie ]>refaced the excursion h y say ing th a t for a r t critics there was little o f h igh interest in so em ineutly a eouimercjal tow n as Billwo, b u t th a t there was niucb th a t wsis w orth nofiee, and w e found ou t he w as co rrec t A s w e sallied forth fi*om tbo café w ith

T B S K E D A Y S FJIOH EN O LAN D . 4 3

' tho words charter p a r ty ’’ and foot a f t ”ring ing in our ears, w e m et a party o f ladies coming from the teu o’clock Mass a t the church o f S t. Nicholas, which faces tlie A renal. I t is a saying as oH as tho hills, th a t really w hat a piry i t is th a t the graceful Spanish mantilla is being eupersodod by tho Parisian boniiet. The BilLao ladies as u ru le etlll cling to the former, aud aUhongli th e ir features arc no t Ro beautifully reg a la r as arc those o f our fair countrywomen, who to every right-m inded individual stand first in the world’s beauty sliow, yet the grace o f a Spanish lady's motion and th e w ay she di*eose9 m igh t be studied by some o f th e w ives and sweet’ hearts who live in the foggy little island se t in a N orthern eca, and w hich w e call home. The uuiver­sa! hlaek, however, has douhtless its charm s in a brilliant climate, bu t we cannot help th e rem ark th a t the th in g is a little over done, bu t w e adm it these ciiticismR o f ours aro ra th e r “ th in .” W'e aro tread ing on danger«ua g ro u n d ; the sliadow of tlic g rea t god Fashion comes before our eyes, and we m ust own, as all tlie m ale ees do in the ir hearts, lh a t i f Pope referred to the fasbioua o f ladies when he w rote “ whatever is, is righ t,” he was perfectly correct iu His observation.

Tho m en a|>o E ng lish dreas a gr^at deal, aud there is quito a class o f Bilbao maaherR who would do very well as supers a t the stage door o f onr London G aiety, and be hardly distinguisliablo from tho regular band o f devotees. Children seem very

num erous iu Bilbao, and families ru n large. The church o f Sfv NicLolas is a handsome circular edifice, w ith a noble h igh a lfar sripetb l/ oniam ented ^vith solid silver—^ihis m ay be called tho rich m an's church, as i t bears sig^s on all sideH o f llie g reat w iialth o f the congro|?ation w hich assembles there. N ear the h igh altar in tins church stands an old- fashioned ta ll clock bearing the nam e o f a London m aker o f years gone by. T he church o f S t. A nton , a build ing o f the I4 lh century , is well w orth a visit, i f ouly to notice the hideous w ay iu w hich i t has beeu “ restored.” I t is one o f tho&c places which m ust be seen to be appreciated. “ Chui ehw arden’i ( io th ic ’* in its w ildest flight never approached tho architectural horrors o f th is poor ill-used church o f S t. A nton, By far th e most in teresting eccleaiaatical edifice in the immediate nei^hl>o»rhood o f Bilbao is th e church o f Begoiiu, situated on a commanding plateau, from w hich a fine view o f the tow n can be obtaiued. F rom th is spot Bilbao certiiinly looks esceediuijly pictures<|ue, ly ing , us i t does, nestled in an am phitheatre o f green hills. The church, which is dedicated to the Assum ption o f O ur Lady, is o f very ancient date, aud on the feast o f the Dedication, the lo th o f A ugust, g rea t num bers o f pilgrim s from all })art8 o f the N q rlh o f Spain v isit the church to pray before au image o f S t. M ary , wliich tradition says was found in the centre o f an old oak, and this yearly pilgrimajfc is by fa r tho most im portant in all Biscay, A very handsom e picture o f a procession

TEHEE DAYS FROM ESGLANP. 45

singing litanies to stop the plagiie adorns ita wivlls» and the Stations o f fhe Cross are rem arkably well executed. I t is said tb a t the figures in the picturo o f the prt>ce.ssion, w hich took place a t tbo plague, are a ll portraits. A nother b it o f in terest about tbis ehurcli is, i t id evidently a |)lac<3 o f gi*eat devotion for seafaring folk, as th e walls o f tb is really noble church are crowded w ith votive offerings o f modeJ ships, some beautifully executed, and pictures of m arine peril, in m oat cases evidently tbo w ork o f tbe B ailors themselves. Some o f these pictorial ropresenbitionR o f bonrs o f danger iu tbe deep are really fair works o f a r t, w hile o thers really stiigger one as to th e ir meaning- Previous to 1794 th© ehurch o f O ur Lady o f Begona boasted tbirty-tw o splendid lamps o f silver, b u t those had fo be melted down to help the w ar fund required for the w ar w ith tbe F rench Republic. A ll these Bilbao cburchcs are p trfeot models o fdean lin^sisaud sbame

o f onr A nglican and Oatbolic churches a t borne. Close to the ahriue o f B ej^na, which iho stranger should ceitaio ly visit— thouffli he may j u m b le a t the ateop ascent, tho road b tin g in some places impassaUe for wheelod T e h ic k s - is tbe Ciimpa Santo, o r a m e to ry , whiob is no t particularlv in terest, m g, except for the feet th a t sem e v e ry hairfsome m ortuary chapels s re being erected in it, and tb a t in ito centre is a m onum ent to the soldier« who foil in We defonwj o f Bilba,, du ring the last^Carlist aiege. I'rom th e ages on the atones i t is evident th a t iu

this p a r t o f Spain, a t ariy ra te , old ago is not a*; m arked feature o f tbe inbaU taüt«. In tbis respect JJiseay compares very im favouiably witb .Santander and tb e A sturias. K otraeing our steps towards Bilbao again , and in a quiot street, w e found a little h a lf round door w bich bore tbis label:—Ej:posiio$ de Viscaya^ and w e soon found ou t w bat i t ineaDl It was in fact a brauch o f th a t m agnifieeut system by wbich Spain lias taken aw ay all cxcuse for infant»- eide w ithin h e r dominions. The uudecsired Iwby ia brought, say perhaps in th e dead o f n ig h t ; a ll that the m other o r bearer has to do is to w rite a Christian nam e, and the date on a card ultacbed to a b it of ribbon p u t round tbe child’s neck, and, having touched a bell, the door opens, aud go ing inside tho opening o f a sliding door, shows a kind o f cradle attached to a h o is t; tb e little stranger is deposited therein, tbo cradle-hoiat ascends, and the poor creatare, who in uU probability has le ft her ow n offspring^^^J can go aw ay w ith a com paratively lig h t he^irt, for she know s full well th a t th a t baby o f hers will be well cared for, bodily and spirituaUy. T h a t i t w ill be well educated, and th a t w hen old enongh, if a boy, he w ill be apprenticed to the arm y o r navy , o r some good trade, o r if a g ir l to domestic service. More­over, a t any tim e she can claim her child free o f all expense, simply by g iv ing th e nam e o f the infant and the date o f depositing it.

T he children thus left are educated a t a building architecturally w orthy o f ita noble uses, aud rigb tly

TlU iE E D d T t i FI Î f f M ENG LAND . 47

called the \ a Misericordia ; aud this is one o f tlie most striking edifices seen com ing up tho N erv ioc, as it hfande ou t in bold re lief a t the top o f a m u Jl liill as i f in a fishion challenging the atten tion and soliciting tho im itation o f its morit* by benighted E ngland. A t any rate , as regards this m atter, J)r. W ilson Itad m^ny a st^ry o f lio\v, go ing ou some niedicaJ errand in tJie early hours o f a w inter’s m orning, he has necn, unobeervod himself, some o f th© poor, perhaps friendless mothers, kneel down on the pavem ent before the door o f the Expósitos in earnest prayer for a few m inutes, and tlieu , reiving the unoonsciouB haby one long, lingering kisa, touch tJio bell,

L a Misoricordia is m aintained by Governm ent g ran ts and volnntary contributions fiom the well-to- do. F o r t i e donors, however, no p ir a J e iu Iodjt newspaper lists, no gratu itous advurtisi'ug ; «II the rew ard th e y g e t iu th is w orld is thü satiafaotioii of 8 ÍTood deed doue. Comparisons are odiuus, so the reader njust m ake them himself, bu t th a t they are obvious enuugh i t is certain.

There is littlo ruaj poverty ¡q the Biscayan provm ce^ though the th rif t o f t h . lower classes oft^n mduces them to assume it« guise. The professional beggars one m eets w ith in tiio south o f Spain are no t very conspieuous in the northern provinces,

hero the stoclîing moio o r less full o f gold coin takes the place o f the l a r i account in Britain.

One o f Ur. W ilson’s stories ilfustrat«d the saviii.r

an d penurious habits o f these peaflauts o f Biscay. H e bad occftslon to vielt a farm er patien t in tbo suburbs o f Bilbao, and on leaving bim waa informed th a t another former, a neighbour, w ould like to see the Phiglish medical man. A ccordingly D r. W üson drove some cooeidcrablo distance and found tlie eick m an ly iug in a bed in a bouse, which, to the Knglieb- roaii’e eyes, lacked tb e very eU m ents o f comfort.! P u ttin g i t dow n to tKe m ost dire ¡w verty, D r. Wilson, in hia good nature , m erely charged and took a nom inal fee, and w en t on hia w ay rcjoicinjr, inasmuch as he though t he had performed a cburitable action. Some few daya la ter he m et hia orig inal invalid, wbo, in language m ore forcible tb a n polite, intim ated, p re tty p la in ly , tb a t tb e doctor was an a rra n t fool. “ ITiat m an poor ? w hy he ia ten tim es aa rich as I a m ! ” he exclaimed indignantly . “ l i e had a n m za i i U ) in b is pocket ready to g ive you, i f you bad only asked your o rd inary fee fo r d riv ing all th a t d istance; and under th e planks o f b is ground floor is quite a «tore o f gold coins. K ever judge by appearance in Biscay again . Señor Inglese.” W ith all the Biscayan peAsanls’ shrewdness in keeping money— and it ifl an old saying th a t any fool can m ake money, i t is the wise mail who keeps i t— Ihey have been fre­quently m ade tbe liv in g bu tts o f practical jokers in tb e tow ns b y reason o f tbe ir love o f th a t filthy lucre th a t plays so im portan t a p a r t in our economy. Shortly before Christniaa, a fow years ngo, an adverliacm ent appealed in a Bilbao paper to the

e fleet tha t a n j one bringing gold onzas o f the reigns ol‘ P h ilip V . 0 7 0 0 -2 1 ) , o r Kerdinaiid V I. (1759-88), to ibo office o f the paper on the 28th December (iDnoceiita D ay) t l ie j wmild be paid in modern coins w ith a very handsome premiuoi for the antique money. Innocents Day duly cam© along, and tbe tram-cars and roads leading to Bilbao w ere full of poople from tbe country b ring ing in the ir hoards o f gold coins o f more than a hundred yeare old, o iJy to be scoffed a t by some im pudent w ag who w anted to learn how long the Biscayan farmers kep t tho golden pieces the ir g rea t gntndfathors had perhaps acqi^ired.

The old B ridge o f Bilbao, now disused, is a most interesting relic o f the 12th centnry ? i t is practically an impcrfecrt triang le bu t o f beautiful propoitious Bilbao bridge formi, the heraldic charge o f tho city arms, with two wolvc* on either side o f i t N ear the bridge , on th e Jeft b an k o f tb e N erv io n , m o th e head- qnarte rs o f th e Car^u^ra,, o r fem ale p o tte rs , w ho do alJ tho W d w ork 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 pay . H ow ever th e y a p p e ^ to b« conten ted , and do tLe m en, who g o on «m oking eudlose o igarettea, and , iean iu g ,.p ag iunat a w all m thn b r ig h t aunghine, n ev er aetm to

S k S ‘he*« fon,alew i L “ in th e m arket-place, so™ have •,! ^ ° la n f ru a ^ should be acquired. \V. h - e a lready „ fo r rc d to tho feet th a t H i. Satan

sozneQ

ic

Majesty found tho study o f the language very dilEcult indeed, th ree words after seven years' liard w ork was no t quick p ro g ress; and ae a ru le w e should g ive P unch 's luatritnonial advico to those about to study th is combination o f all th a t is perp lexing in ancient Irish , W elsh, aud le tu a suy Choctaw.

W hen w c found ou t th a t tho Basque nam e for Bilbao was Tbaizabcl, w© fiiirly gave the Basque m a tte r np. I ts gnne wore far too m any for ns. Be th is as it m ay, several EJnglish ladies iu Bilbao ta lk fluently in some mysterioufl lingo, w hich they say ie Basque (it certainly is no t Spanish), and they seem to tlirive on it, as a Basque-speaking person a t the m arket will certainly do better th a n he w ho only ta lks the la n g u a ^ o f lordly Castillo. Volumes have been w ritten about the ethnology o f tho Basques and th e ir customs, ajid volumes more could bo writteUrt hu t as our m ore immediate task ia tow ards th e other eud o f the C antabrian range, we have little t>pace at onr command, and as w e go W estw ard ITo, we gradually leave the Basque iiiQuence. S till as we have been trea tin g o f w hat m ay be called a Basque city , a few notes about these most interesting people should be g iven , and they w ill bo found in the following chapter.

CrLA PTEB V.

T H R B I S C A Y A N P E O P I . E .

Tub throe Jiw qne provinces o f modern S}>am are those o f A U vii,Te2caya (o r Biscay), and Guipúzcoa, and o f tboee th a t o f Biscay is tbo largest. Thos© .provinces, ly ing in the N orth corner o f th© ^ Iborian peniusula, formed the Cantabria o f the anciont mapa, and iwjoarding to some authors this word is derived from K ent-A ber, o r “ corner o f the w a te r/’ and a glancc a t tho m ap will show the reader how appropriate in tbe desigoafion. In to tbis corner o f Spain the last remnanta o f tbe A bori^nos o f Spain were driven, and like the Liberal city o f th e ir hatred — for the average Basqne a Carlist to the back- b o n e ^ th e y have never been expelled from the ir m ountaíü home, no r really subdned In it. Provincial righ ts and home ru le have been th e ir watchwords for cetituriee, and tiioy have never been backward in fighting for the ir own. Cradled as ihey have been in the literally iron m ountains th a t surround them, they have over and over again defended their hbcrtiea and land w ith the d\yc>rds which tbe k n d produced. According to Señor Peroc'negai, the very

B 2

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

word B asq u e means suificiency in self, ae ho eftye it ig derived from Biiyaecogura, somos bastant^s ; ” and the ir knowlodgo o f the weakness o f separation has forced the iuhabitAnta o f thoso little understood provinces to acquire tbo s tre n ^ li o f union, and their national symbol is th ree hands jo ined together with the m otto Ira rac B at—equivalent to “ T ria juucto in Dno." T he Basque people have alw ays w ith more o r less success held the ir own against th e ir Sonthem neighbours; bu t a tlioaaand yeare ago they were unable to resist the inva^on o f tho fair-hairod adventurers from N orw ay, o r as some say Scotland, and to th is hour tb e ir bluo eyes and lig h t brown locks are marlfed features o f m auy o f tho ir little know n people. T here can be no donbt th a t the orig inal inhabitants o f Spain Lad d a rk eyes w ith d a rk eyebrows, and generally speaking brow n h a ir; w hile th e G othe have always had the credit of having fa ir hair and bluo eyes, though in some cases the hair w as dark, W e have no room in theso pages to c u te r into the h isto ry r>f the various struggles o f the Basque people ; bn t i t is w orthy o f record th a t in the 14th century the lordship o f the«© th ree provinces hav ing been annexed to tb e Crown o f Pedro tho Cruel, ceded the u n ru ly little confederation to our Black P rince o f E ng land . B u t w ith true Spftnisb jealousy o f tLe foreigner and all his worke, he privately told th e Basques uevor io le t th e Knglishm an fake possession, which, as w e all know, he nev^r did. The worthless tjannfer was made on account o f tbe service«

T B S E S Z> A 73 F S O M E N Q L A y D . 53/

of the English fleet a t the battle o f N avarotto, wiien, in, an ill-advised sp irit o f chivalry, our illustrious country- tsan took th© side o f th© w orthless Spanish king.The Bdsqne futroSf o r rights, have been modified from tim© to timo, b n t th e ir principal advantage to the population was an Ciomption from th e conscription ^ t h e th ree provinces only being bonnd to contribute a certain rnimber o f soldiers w hen Spanish interests required a foreign w ar, to invasion th ey would take good care o f th a t themselvoa. W hether the law o f Ju ly 1876, by w hich tho fueros w©ye abolished, w ill tend to keep tbo peace, is no t for ua to say ; all th a t wo know is th a t tbe b itle icst fftelinj? prevails against th e enforced m ilitary service, and over and over agaiij w e havo heard the Biscayan peusant farm ers praise in a startling ly woll-informed feshion tb e g rand voluntary s j stem o f B ritain , both for her reg u la r and ausU iary forces. T he Basques havo no great objection to local m ilitary servico like th a t o f onr M ilitia and YolunteerB, and in tim© o f w ar would c m a in ly come forward in good numbers for foreign eervioo; w hat tboy ol^ect to, and w ith OTir B ritish tra in ing we can well understand the ieeling, is the blood tax , which sends eo m any o f the ir finest sons to fill tropical grave« in Cuba o r the Philippiues. But, on tlie other hand, i t m ust b© a d m itt^ th a t whilo the Basque peasant makes a first.cla£s^uerilla soldier ho V « no t v e iy valuable in a reg u la r forco, and the reason ,s no t fer to seek, Tho Spanish peasaiif, and especially m th e northern provincee, ia a m an o f

t S B f » ’ C A H T A B IH A OB,

S tro n g n a tn ia l sense. H o ee&ws io <lo littlo else tH n th ink , retiect, and analyae, and as proof o f liis powere o f comparison, he often speaks by proverb o r by analogy—a mode o f expression indicative o f reflec­tion and com prehension o f tbe canneiion o f canaee and effect» w ith each other. T h is quality o f reflection^ m ay be considered as a proof o f h is fitness for m ilitary service, bu t i t m ust be as an iustiuraf anim ated b y iie own energies, certainly no t as a pj o f a machine. In th e tovrns the reflectlDg pow er ol th e B iscayan o f poor means does no t apparentl; show itse lf to m ore advantage than the best w ay of

/ ^ g a re ttc m anufacture; bu t on the lone uiOTintain side, w hether shepherd o r labourer, the peasant hw tim e fo r th a t g rave th o u g h t w hich is so peculiari;< Spanish. Knowledge does n e t altogether depond on hooks, and hence i t b th a t though th e Biscayattj labourer m ay he and probably ia wholly un le ttercd j y e t he is unquestionably wise 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 strong feeling o f in d e p en d en t runs th rough tbe whole Ufa o f these people, and i t is ptThaps beet expreased in th e idea th a t a Baaque m an earning w eekly w ages in a cotton i^ d o r fi would be a am ple impossibility. P erh ap s th e fact o f universal nobility for those born in the thre6 provinces referred to has m uch to do w ith their stu rdy pride and love o f freedom. L ike th e Irish, W elsh and n ig h la n d Scots, they are v « y tenacioH 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 im L A N D . 55

fiimily froos and coats o f armd a m o u D ts to w liat is practically a craze w ith m any. T heir cocservatism is dccidodly o f the fbasil order, aud tlioir passionate love for the ir own provincBs, th e ir old laws» and the ir own traditions, can h an lly bo e s p re se d in too forcible Unguago. 'W hat wa« good fu r ou r great grandfathers ia good euougli for us» in the ir motto, and they abide hy i t ic nine cases ou t o f ten , a t any rale , iu the ru ra l parte o f the Basque provinees. S trongly boilt, they are a eobor, active race» almost insensible to tbe changes o f }jcat and cold, reserved iu speech and oonversalion, easily led if tbcir independence is respected, bu t tbe very reverse if th e y }iave go t tlie notion in to th e ir beads th a t they are being made servants of. T heir game«» like thoso o f the_A sti^ian^ o f which we sliall speak la ter on, ^ are on all fours w ith true R tsqae g rav ity . Unlike the typical Spaniard, fam iliar to the m in d s eye o f m any an E nglish reader, they know nex t \o no thing o f tho use o f tbo knife. Their weapon of o f f ic e o r dcfenco— aud from wbich they derive their principal amxisement on Sundays and H oly B ays—is a knotty oaken «billalah, and w hich in the ir hands ia a very terrible weapon indeed. T bat they are expert ffliigle-sUck playors i t need hardly now he sai<l, and a t tennis (no t th a t o f the lawn order) aud k it t le s they are perhaps w ithout rivals in Europe. B y far the sailors t^ be found in Spain, thoy are « c e lle u t oar>aiion and fishermen, tak ing kindly to the sa lt water, w hich strikes tbe ir irou-bound coast.

66 THK H lO E LA U D S OF C A H T A SH IA ; OP.

Tlieir skill ae oarsmen ie ?w) iamoua tb a t a well- kaow n au thority used to say th a t the highiist f(»d bo a ts crew in tho E nglish nation does no t ©qml a boat’s crew o f Biscayan fishermen.*’

T he peasant women in the ru ra l p a rts o f tbe province o f Biipcay, and in fact a ll along the C antabrian coast, are ©very b it as laboriouH ua their sisters on th e N ervion o r in tho towns, Fresh- coloured in complexion, w ith ruddy cheeks and b n g b t bluo o r brow n eyeR, tbey are really comely specimons | o f no rthern Spanish female beauty, especially when youDg, when th e ir lighf-hearted gaiety adds to their o ther cliarms. B u t b a rd w ork aud p len ty o f i t soon a g « them ; bu t th is ie no t so much tbo case in the a g ric u ltu i^ d istricts as am ong the ooal-porters and o th e r women, whose hard labour is doue n ea r the tip s o f Luchana, T be younger women generally go tarebcaded, w hile th e ir ciders cover th e ir heads with A mualin kerchief tied in front, w hile th e tw o onda gracefully fiuat behind. W ith th© b rig h t colours ef th e ir Uxe®es, theee clean mnalin headdresses m ake a m ost effective contrast, especially on Sundays and feast-daye when dressed in th e ir best.

T be firet agrienlturiet wajs unquestionably A dam ; so farm ing tb e land is prim itive enough for tbw prim itive people, and does no t lessen the ir nobiHty. T hey hold, and rig h tly too, th a t thcmgh “ A dam dolved and E ve span,” bo was th e first gentlem an of Ilia time, and the Baisques w ho arc no t engaged in fishing follow h is footsteps. T he & rm s are, how-

T S B E B D A Y S F H O M E N Q IM N D . 57

ever» small, tboTigh as a rule well cultivateii. A bout five acres m a j Le taVen as th e ir average size, and lliia m&\us ju s t th e so rt o f p lo t tiia t a man, his wife, and tam iiy can m anage to w ork. A gricultural machinory as wo understand i t in E ngland is practically unknow n—the an tique p rong fork o r mattock being in daily use. Tho uae o f tho plougli is hardly old-fashioned enongh fo be common in couservative Cantabria. W hen tho day’s labour in the fields is ovor, the .Basque peasants w ill often aasombie for dancing aud gossip» b u t tho tim e to oLeerve tho iocaJ devoteos o f Terpsichore is afte r the last Maes on a Sunday m orning, when some really pretty dancing can be eoen. Tlio musical iuatru- loents cannot be recommended. The tamboril and pito make noise enough, aud those who like noise pnrb and simple w ill appreciate the accompaniment of a Basque a i M e c o hall. The dancing itse lf is very much afte r the H igh land Scot, o r Irish type» and many ol the youngor women are particularly giaoeful m fhe complicated evolutions o f ¿orzicvj or Movements o f e ig h t persons, I n fact, in the ir

igious fervour, th e ir |^m e« and amusements, in i ^ i r virtues and vices, tho Basque peoplo strongly i^ m b le the Celts o f B rita in and Ire land a t hom e; ^ d , as wo have said, the ir language haa a remarkablo »A m biance to Professor Bhickie’s pet idiom, One authority, Percohegai, sta tes th a t there can he no oubt whatever th a t A dam spoke Basque, as being

0 language o f a n g e ls ; bu t tlus is such a n evident

5 8 T f lE E J O n L A N P B O F C A y T A B J ifA j OJi,

filauder on the good taste o f the heavenly choirs in a m atter o f musical im porlaneo tKat we decline to give aTiy credence to the legend. 11 is likely enough, aR H um boldt eayR, th a t Basque was the universal lauguage o f the peninsula, and M r. Barrow ia of O p in io n tlia t the original inhahitan ts o f Spain, the rem nants o f whom are tlie Basques, Lron^ht i t from T artary , as be states th a t i t mueh reFwmblea the Mongolian, and has a decided elem ent o f SanFcrit m i t Bo this as i t m ay, the Basque nam e o f a village a lo n t a mile and a h a lf from Bilbao is enough to stagger tho m ost word-hardened student o f W cleh or ancicnt Irish . T h is aforesaid village, w ell known fo r its famims m ineral spring , its old and a t one time very rich copper mines, aud its splendid view s of w ild m ountain scenery, is pltAsantly bn t hardlybriefly d e e c r ib e d as Ytnrriberrigorrigoiooerotccoelhca.

The G erm an compound words, w hich, as M ark Tw ain rem arked, take good-eized lines, and th e n go round the corner ns i t were, are hard ly in the race w ith th is alphahetical procession o f Basque. Being in terpreted , th is verbal phenomenon means som ething afte r th is sort “ I f you follow the footpath and cross the hill, keeping to the r ig h t o f somebody’s house, and then look ou t for a la rge lieap o f stones, th a t « the place where the sp rm g is.” F ancy anybody b rin g in g in 8 t. P au l’s, W eetm inster A bbey, and tJio Crystal Palace, and M ark Lane Station on th e In n e r Circlo R ailw ay, to define th e nam e o f the plnx» w here the M onum ent could be found ; b u t th a t is

T a a K E 7>AT8 F B O M S N a r .A N B . 50

liow they manage these t l i i ü ^ in Baequo land, and yet no dentist eaina a liv iog there. W c confoiB we arc DO authoritiee on th e q u ^ io n o f Basque pro- nnnciatioa, bu t the Andaln&Ian foke is certainly truo, tha t these good peoplo write Solomon plain enough, but persist iu pronouncing i t Xebuchadaozzar.

I f the youQg Jiasques aro dancing mad, they are not over g iven to matrim ony, uxAqps indeed the fair bride h a s dot enough to,enabIo h e r lord and master to retire in graceful and wall-seeking idleness fo r the rest of hi» life. This makes tbe fair sax th rifty as to pealas, and careful in collecting furniture, a a tho posftession o f these tw o noceasarios is tbo ir only chance o f being m ated. I t will no t Ixi w ondered at, tbereforo, ib a t such songs a s the followi»g are deddodly popular w ith the bachelor Basques. W e give It in th e original Spanish, and ulao a f rc o t'fiiifilation in i in g lis h :__

ü o a mo la ropH,O tnt mo da d© comcr.

O tra m e C08« m i voHt&t ¿Porqué qnioro major?

Or in English—

I f a vromckii w ill m«k© a ll m y hoee,And ftTiOther me feed w ithout strife.

And another put« bnttons ou clothcs,W ltal tho de’i 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 i l O R O S T R O .

In our opening chapter w e referred to the cnormoiis exports o f iron ore from Bilbao to B n U m and G erm any, and before w e leave th e immediate neigh­bourhood o f the unconqiicred city for tb e n igh lands proper some detailed account o f thia g igan tic ro- d u B t^ should be given. To an Irish gentlem an resident in Bilbao is due tb e credit o f being tbe first to practically introduce Spanish iron ores into tk c B ritish m arket. In 1862 be shipped some 300

tons as an experim ent to a famous n o rth country firm o f ironm asters, wbo, w ith th e proverbial unreadiness and dialibc to novelties in trad e o f the Anglo-Saxon, soon le t the shipper know th a t they d id n<rt w ant k is ore a t any price. A fter eoroo volum inous cor­respondent*, th e fer-sighted firm referred to ofTered to use tho consignm ent ly in g on the quay, provided th a t th e shipper w ould guaranteo th a t tb e ore would no t dam age th e ir f u r D a c o s . Tbis, however, tha t gentlem an decUned to do, and we M ie v e 4 a t the U c e l w as a f te rw a rd s -b u t years a f te rw ard s-so ld for a mere trifle to a G lasgow house, who wore not

TTTIiEE DATS PJiOM KNOLAUD, 61

afriaO o f m aking a n exporim cnt. WTiethcr they a t 0L<» tried the new-fangled im portation o r no t -we do not know, bn t i t was n o t till the iron famine o f 1871-72, when p ig iron reached alm ost fahulons prices, and gam bling on ite rise and fall waa uni- TCTsal, th a t a rush waa m ade fo r the hidden wealth of the mountains surrounding Bilbao. The complete returns for the past th ree yeare are no t aTailuhle, but wo Imow tb a t iu 1881 the am ount o f iron ore shipped fn)m Bilbao was oloae on th ree millione o f tons, o f which two-thirds came to B ritish ports. In the four years onding 1881, B ritain took 5,011,054 ton& of thie precioua atone, F rance 935,381 tons, and Germany D utch ports, for i t nearly all w ent to the worka o f Messrs, K ru p p a t Eescn) 858,721 tons, aud Belgium secured 277,889, and tbe U nited States ‘ » ly 75,645 tons. In regard to these B ritish im ports, the report o f the Iron T rade Aasociation for the year 1881 say s : T he m ost noticeable feature o f the past year, so far as the trade in iron ore is concerned, is the ^«ry exceptional increase o f the im portation from Spain

other countries. W ith in the last tw elve years the of importations o f ore by the 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 the eamo psfiod the make o f p ig iron in the U nited Kingdom has increased to th e ex ten t o f 5 p e r cent. Evidently, ihereforo, the iron ore rosources o f onr own country ™ve not only quito failed to respond to th e demands 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 ì OB,

employe»i for Bessemer purpose«, bu t tliey have l a i ^ l j gIvcD place to the im ported oroe, o f wKieh hffimatit© ironm akera now so la rge ly avail them- Bulvee.”

T he difforetit k inds o f m inerals shipped are thus d ivided;—CamiauiK o r red h em atite , about 61 per cent, o f tb e to ta l quaD tity exported ; rublo, or brown h®m atite, 32 per cent. ; v e rrà dulce, o r tUo purest rod h sm a tite found in tho district, 7 per con t.; a proper tn ix ture o f the th ree g iv ing tbe best k ind o f p ig iron. The am ount o f capital in­vested iu the m ining localities surrounding tbe hifetorical filopo o f Somorostro cannot be far off th ree millions s te rlin g ; and th e re are five d istinctJ | railw ays from th e river to the mines. T he Bilbao Iron Oro Company has 21 kilom etres o f railw ay, the Orconera Com pany 14, th e Luchana Company 11, th e Vriano Company 8 , and the Società Pranco- B elge 7- T here arc aUo aererai w ire tvamw&ye w hich foot u p , as our cousins say, to about 18 kilo­m etres in length . The industry employs some tea thousand men u t w ork in the mines, and m ore than fifteen hundred bullock carti». These perhaps dry statistics w ill convoy lo th e reader some idea o f the oauHo o f th e busy scene th a t w e have endeavoured to describe th a t meets the travelle r on tlie N ervion. A v e ry b rief account o f a v isit to tho most pictu­resquely situated o f the iron m ines w ill c o t be ou t of placc here. To the courtcsy o f tho Secretary o f tbe Orcxmcera M ining Company w e owe th e pleasure of

T B S E E D A Y S F R O M E N O LA iTD . 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 vegetation o f Mentone, alternated bere and tbore by glimpses of the Bilbao riv e r 800 feet bolow us, o r o f the wide ewecp o f the w hite crested waves o f tbo Biscayan Sea. Loaving th e dop6 t o f the Com pany referred to a t tbeir tips a t Luchana in a comfortable opon carriage, reserved for the officials o f tbe m ine and th e ir friends, the train runs for a short distance th ro u g h the level

fields, passing here and there a v illage church with tbeir universal campaniles, and then commences tbo zigzag ai?cent o f th e ab ru p t mountains around ^m orostru. iTiis railw ay ride is a panoram a of beautiful scenery, and tho th ir ty deep gorges in the hill sides, which are all spanned by substantial bridges, are nothing else bu t the perfoction o f valleys clotbed ^ i*Gpletion w ith tbe varied greens o f trees and

o f all sorts, tho w aving wide spreading choetnut «JíJg especially prom inent. Tw o-thirds o f tbe w ay

a Bteepor g rad ien t is reached, and a t a kind o f oMndon Junction, on th is most beautiful situated jne of railw ay, ongincs are changed, and passing

several íongish tunneln hew n tlirough tbe solid roc jo n reach the aummit, and leaving the spacious ^ tmn With its vast collection o f ore-trucka you

y ascend a steop bank and m ake for w here tbe ^Ports o f the dynam ite charges ahow the men are

a t a t it. Tbe line has been opened fifteen years, ^ the rads and locomotives (o f which there aré

04 T E E H T O E L A S D S O F C J X T A B R T A ; OH,

fourteen) are o f Knglif^h m anufacture ; the ffaugo ia th a t o f 2 feet 6 in . and the capital em ployed in t}iu company is jo in tly B ritish and G erm an, the moet prom inent continental stockholder being th a t k in g of ironmasti^rs Mr. K rupp o f EeaOD. Over 2,200 men are em ployed, and tbeso eam from about Is.4h. a day. T h e ore is taken by bnllock carts from th e scene o f the actual hlaflting to the railw ay trucks, and m en find th e ir ow n caits and team s for eight shillings a day, paid by the com pany. Ab often not the carter w ith a heavy load o f irun-oro is of th e f e i r e r

sex, b n t who in physiqne looks infinitely harder than the m ineral she ie escorting. Some o f these bullock team s «vill take a load o f tw o o r th ree tons ssifcly j down a gratlo o f 1 in G. The particu la r nam e of tho term inus o f tho railw ay is G alo rta ; and here the com pany have a well-conducted hospital, as also tho local offices, te legraph station, and the residence of the m anager, a fine specimen of the Hiffhftind gcutlo- m au, who also boasts th e very respectable nam e of Koss. By his kindness wo were allowed to w ander th rough rough tunnels cu t th rough beetling cliffs o f iron ore, into vast open p its w hich tho hard­w orking RpaniHh dynam itarda had filled w ith huge Imulders o f the sought^for m ineral, then ascending a steep bullock track to w itness an explosion from a perfectly safe place *, see th e g igan tic masfees o f red rock trem ble, as if in m ortal agony, and then bursting fo rth in a dying throe o f despair, jo in the ir whilom companions in the cliff only a few short hours 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 much moro o f i t ; w e noticed how in some eases the action o f thepow erfal explosive had actually carved out pinn&cles and spires and fantastic shapes o f iron-ore for its own am usem ent, and then , hsTing watched the long^ proceasicm o f bullock cartd Btai^t for G alorta, looked seaward. O ver agulnet us on the green mountain side are the famous line« o f Somo- roatro ; fiOO feet bc3low us is th© bridge where the troops m et bayonet to bayonet, and near by is the village cliurch, round w hich daily dosperate fighting w ent on. To tbe loft o f the historical blood-stained battlefield is tho agitated bay, and to its rig h t again is the conioally-shaped h ill called Cerantf«. I t is a peacefnl scone tru ly as the setting antnm ual sun tin ts the w hite liouses o f the ham lets; h u t i t ha« o ther memories for oar courteous guide M r. Ro®, who for six long weeks was, as ho him self described i t , cooped up in his house like a fos, dependent for his food supi^ly on the generosity o f either aide. K e was an eye witness o f tboee artillery duels th a t pre- foced those sangninary attack« on th© well-defondod Ime*, and from Iiis lofty vantage ground saw tho f>oim covered CarlistR moot tho shock o f the k ^ ' 'd Iviberals—and the grav«« filled afterwards.

Tbe Oooneera Company export aboat on© million two hundred thousand tone o f ore per annum , y ie ld b g about Bixty.two per cent, o f p ig iron , and they look orw aid to the good times coming, when the ir out­

pu t will am ount to h a lf aa much again.NaturaDy enough, the Spaniards are rightftilly

TUE E ia n L A m > ii o f CAJUTATÍHIá í o r .

te lling advantage themselves o f tbe v as t stores of m ineral wealth, and the b ig irou w orks o f tbe Maxquis M údela (whose handsome steam launch is the g lo ry o f the Nervioix) are bnsy tu m iû g ou t good m aterial for domestic consuroption. Mossra. T barr* and Company, whose fumaoes w c have mentioned, do a largo trade in th e m aking o f w rought iron. Of course i t is evident th a t th e heavy duties imposed by Spain on to re a n iron and steel help to foster the local iron tra d e ; bu t should, as all reasonable people hope, these prohibitory duties be largely reduced, the m argin le ñ fo r profit will s till he attiac tivo enough to tem pt Spanish capitelists to invest th e ir money

in thia channel.T he reader will tm derstand th a t th is is an

e v i d e n t l y commercial ch ap te r; and theretbre, though in no way connected w ith the m ineral wealth o f the Somorostro, w e m ake no apology fo r introducii^J a few rem arks on the fact th a t Bilba# is rapidly beoomiîig a shipping place o f im portance for Spanish wines, mo«t o f th e hu lk going to Bordeaux, where i t ia artfxilly m anipulated, and, being p u t int^* bottles w ith p re tty F rench labels on them , comes E ng land aa Chateau, som ething o r o ther, o f the oclebi*ated vintage o f 18— . 8 0 h tt le is in K nglaud o f the exoeUence o f the wine produced in the central and north w estern provinoos of Spain (for one B rito u who has been to the north o f Spain, tw o hundred have visited th e cities of tlie south), th a t w e feel i t a positive duty to those

of our countrym en who appreciate a good thing, to give the subfrtance o f a n articlo on Spanish wine®, which appeared in tb e excellent “ P rac tia il G uide to Bilbao,” puhliehed in 1882. The author say s :—The fe^uperior quafity o f th e Spanish wines, particnlarly thoBe o f the central districts, ia universally known on account o f th e ir flavour, purity , and excellent taste, bu t the small field for export du ring recent years hae tended to lim it th e production, aud conse­quently Spanish wines became iesa know n and leRS appreciated. I ’here was a timo whon m ost o f the wine w ent to ou r American coloniee and to England^ bu t Ite consumption haa g reatly declined iu tboee countries. M eanwhile tho winy industry in France, ow ing to th e epodaj oircumstancea in w hich ' the country le placed, baa attained the h e ig h t o f pros- perity , the axporta hav ing reached a febulons figure. U ufbrtunaiely a large deficit iu production has beeu owaaioned there during tho last three to four year* by the phy lloxera; and th m , being unable to m eet the demand for ho r wines, France has hiul to K sort to Spain for fmpplies, with the view of m m n g our wines, which a te romarltable by the ir ^trong quality and colour, w ith i,« own inferior Medoc and B urgnndy, &c„ and no doubt the former after careful m anipulation, are subsequently ex­ported under the naa.es o f tho best known Bordeaux trauds.

The v.ine trade in the n o rth o f the peninsula ha« consequently m recent year« reached a point which

F 2

6 8 T E E IUOHLAHT>S OF C A i^T A B M ÎA ; OF,

deserves Rome consideration, n o t m erely on account o f its actual position, b u t also as regards its future proBpccte.

T he north-eastern proTinees— A ragon, N avarra, and Catalonia— are being overnm w ith en(iu in» from agen ts o f F rencb wiue dealers from P aris and Bordeaux cLiefly, and tliey actually take nearly tli© w hole o f the vintj^çc in those districts, w hich may be roundly stated as about one-third o f tho whole Spanisli v intage. This has a raison tTétre ow ing to the deficiency referred to , bu t should this abnormal j state o f th in g s cease, th a t is to say, should the phylloxera disappear from France, w hat outlet will onr wines find i f tho present F rench m arket cloaoe to U R ?

Now th a t thero is some proq)ect o f Spanish winea being adm itted to th is country a t the shilliûg tlnty, it 5 s to bo hoped th a t tlie B ritish public w ill soon be able to taste the generous red wine d rank a t meal times in the peninaula. I t is none o f your tliln acid clarets, which being so m uch like red ink caused the w it to say he had a craving for b lo tting paper, but the so rt of w ine th a t w ould w arm one on a eold day.

A m ajority o f th e people a t the tablo d ’hote m ix it •well w ith w ater, and th is is certainly advisable in Skimmer time. O n tb e score o f cost i t is abont that o f th e w orst F rcneh claret, th e cost o f a pipe (115 gallons) boing about £11 to £15, free on board at any nor;them Spanish port. This wonld enable some en tcrprisiug company Hke th a t untitled the Bodega

TTTTtEE D A T S F S O M SN O LA 27D . C9

to rofail i t a t a very low cost; aud thn t in time it would bo appreciated by the average B rito D , who wearoth no t the l>lue ribbon o f toototalism, w e do not doubt. I t is pure, sound, honest juice o f th e grapo, arid if ou r good wino m erchants would ouly le t us have i t ai» i t is to be had a t Spanish hotels and restaurantfi, th ey would do a signal aen ico to those who believe w ith ua iu tbo words o f Scripture, tba t wine ^v^s made to gladden man’s heart, In the province o f Biscay, and to a ceitain ex ten t in tha t o f Santander, a f a v o ^ ^ wine o f the inhubitanU IS a wm© called from tbe A rabic chaeatel,m eaning thereby thínnéBB or weakness. I t is th in , and i t is no t very s t r o i ^ b u t i t is very palatable, aud is düddcdly wholesome.

A pleasant footpath w alk o f about a mile and a half across the hills, starting not h r from our friend M anana Rios’ store a t El Desierto, will b ring the traveller to a perfect specimen o f the solidly stone typical Biscayan farm-house, and there, as a rule, he can taate for a nominal fee tb© real chacolí as the ^ yeomen farmers love it. On Sundays inT um m or tamo the good folks o f Bilbao mak© up parti«« to v isit ^13 picturos^iueJy situated house, and, d rink ing the harnaose atimiüant provided for them , dance o r p lay games till they are all tired our. aud then re tu rn by tram car to supper in the Ciudad invicta. .

A nd on th a t proud unvanquished city w e m ust now to rn onr backs, for th a t sotting snu a t Qalorta remin ed na th a t t i e nex t day would see us setting

70 THE jrroni.AifDS o f c a n t a i i n i A o s .

ou t in eearcli o f Lira— over tLe Lills and far aw ay— past Decido w Lcte the indcfatigaLle Englishm an ie a t w ork w ith bis iron ore, past Caefro tJrdiales, fiiiuous fo r ita sardine fishing, and so on ti ll w c catch eight o f tho noble bay o f Santander, from which place the road to th e m ountains o f C antahria ia beet taken. Yes, our m otto n o t on ly ICiisxUiory b u t alao weetwaa*d still ; and w h a t in th a t pilgriioage o f ours, in im itation o f tho route o f th e well-known star of em pire struck ua o f in terest, ahoE be faithfully recorded in the follow iti g pages.

T E R S E 2/A Y S F R O M S y Q L A y p . 71

C H A P T E R V I I .

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

A OB BAT deal o f good-natured kiud o f bag^U ng entere much into the life o f ao rthern Spain, and some little time wae moro o r less pleasantly epeut with a liv e tj- Btablc keeper a t Bilbao, before w e finally elected to go as fkr ad Castro U rdíales in a chartered carriage with a pair o f horses, instead o f proceeding hy tbe regular “ coach” (mTJch resemblmj^ th e penny tram ­way omnibnse« iu aso in ly^ndonX early on the n e s t momiog, A t leng th wo »track a fair bargain, bu t ^ e wero no t v e ry difficult to please, inasmuch ae sec had practically determ ined on availing ourselvee o f tbe more luxurious form o f travel, provided th a t i t could he obtained w ith duo regard to economy. I t was, pyrhitps, lucky for us th a t we oame to terme, as the coach we should have othorwÍF?e gone by camu to serious grief, and tw o o f its paasongers w ere badly injuro<l.

I^ e road to ('astro or> leaving the laud o f tips—in tho eoalheaving aense, no t vaila—nciir Luchana 8^ 'rte the hills around Somoroetro, and tho traveller thus eees from the lovel th e heigh ts he would havo

72 T H E S lO f fL A N D S O F C A N T A Itl i lA ; OR.

to ascend if he followed our track in v isiting the mines o f the Orconcera Company. Genial Mr. M cVeigh accompanied us on th is expedition as lar as Caiitro, w hich is d istan t some tw enty miles from Bilbao. T he detaib; o f th is particu lar ride are torth- coming w ith a good deal o f difficulty, aud the fault m ust be em phatically la id a t the door o f the lafit- nam ed gentlem an, l i e so m anaged to sandwich bis really valuable inform ation w ith eueh an apparently inoxliayetible supply o f th e drollest stories—“ y a rn s ” w o should call tbem under th e Southern Croes— tha t one hard ly h ad tim e to recover either from a split- gide h u rs t o f laughter o r from the m ental effort his statistics and facts involved, i t was sheer physical and m ental hard labour th a t lido to Caatro, aud th e w arder in charge o f th e party would m ake us langh aud would m ake us th ink . Good hum our, they say, is a marvellous digestive, aud though the discipline o f good M r. M cVeigh was rem arkably severe in every w ay, i t enahlod ya very soon to forget a very substantial early breakfast, and do am ple ju stice to a good d inner la te r on. B u t thia is w hat is called ‘ anticipating,” a practice which, w hether as regarda salaries o r hook-writing, is much to bo deprecated.

T he road w as a good one, tho w eather w as b righ t and w arm , th e horses w ent on a t a steady pace w orthy o f Spanish gravify, th e company was as ju st described, and if w e d id no t enjoy ourselves we ought to have done. A ligh t northern breeze oaine

r m iS J i l D A T S F B O M E S O L A N D . 73

from over the bay, o f w hich we had successive glimpsea all the way. A t one tim e w e were ascending a steep road, a t others passing through pleasant g reen valJcye ; a t titne^ the road was perfectly zi^psag up tho side of an iron-houud ^ u r of thü Cautabrian Hill», and on th e le ft was a h ig h preci­pice o f dark brown rock w ith tho roar o f th e A tlantio waves heating a t its feet. To use an expressive colcnialiam, we w ere n o t “ new chuma ” a t scenery ; but it must be distinctly 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 ÎD any p a rt o f W estern E urope is th a t from the vicinity o f Bilbao to th e qnain t h tt le tow n o f Castro Urdialea. The villages wo paased th rough w ere not of the m ost in teresting oi*der—-few Spanish villages proper are. The houses are clean and fairly com­fortable w ithin, bu t they look woefully desolate out­side. E veu the old houses o f th e well-to-do g en try have an ahuoRt forbidding look about them , which even tlie arm s and creat o f the owner elaborately c ^ e d in a conspicuous pluoe do«« no t relieve. The late M r. W illiam P it t knew how to tax any th ing and erery th ing , b u t i f h e could visit modern Spain Ike would learn a lesson o r two. F o r instance, all signboards aro faxed, so even th e village inn is ‘ndistinguishable from th e neighbouring cottages,' ®icept by the lianging ou t o f a &ir-sized vine-bush ; hence we suppose the old saying, tlia t good wine Deeda no buüh to indicai« fo the experienced where It niiLy be found. The tax -ga therer abo haa his

^^raa])ing liand on all adTertiRemcnts ; so tbo walls in B rita in 90 plentifully covered w ith notices of and cattlc sales, o r w ith th a t g rea t juvenile joy—

Tho circiis is com ing ”—exiRt in all the ir barenefi« in the Jdng^ona o f Alfonso. The E^ianw s NacivnaleSy or plao€fi for the siile o f stampR and tobacco, are very plentifiil, bu t you cannot get stam ps a t tbe post- office. H av in g w ritten your lettftr, you m ust first find out w here th e stamps can be got, and th en whore to post it, This is a couvonieut systom, and saves a lo t o f timo and worry, as in nine oases out o f ten the E ^ m c o Naci(fnal is ju s t tho o ther end o f the villago from where tbo post-office is. A t tbe la tter place, in tb e little w indow, o r as often as n o t aJHxed to a wooden board inside tbe house, is a list o f le tters that bave arrived for the people round about. B u t tbe post-oftice does n o t count fo r m uch in tho Cantabriwi region o f Spain, I ts inhabitan ts are no t a corre­spondent-ridden people like w e arc, and would, we fear, a t first even fail to see the obvious advantages o f p u ttin g som othing to your left ear and speakingta the wall, saying a t intervals—“ Hallo, is tha t

1y o u !O f Spanish tobacco i t m nst be said tb a t, being a

stric t governm ent monopoly, i t m ight be infinitely worse. W ith us in th e m ountains, i t was o f course Hobson’s choico, and o f necessity we had to pu t up w ith i t ; h u t a t times, w hen a sligh t breeze blew the dried hay-like stuff ou t o f ou r pipes, w e certainly did long for the flesh pots o f K ielimoud Gem

TEJfEJ^ D A T S F n O U HK& LAKI). 7 5

gmokiDg m ixture, o r some equally first-claaa brand. Aa to the cigarettes, o f w hich one can get one hundred for tho low price o f one real they are no t eoobjectionablo ae mere whiffe, bu t unleas deftly handled in true Spanieh iashiou, they have an inconvenient hab it o f falling to picoes. On© of the most astound­ing proofs o f thè g reat patience o f th e Spanish peoplo ia to be found in the ir toleration o f the hoxc« o f veatas which tbe G overnm ent sell a t th e aforesaid JCfitancos KacioiuUes. They arc the m ost ingeiuons contrivances for losing matches, and g e ttin g them so to speak all over the place, th a t ever tho w it o f man devised. T he paper cover o f th e box is long, the brow n paper box inside is short, w ith a kind o f flap to i t th a t breaks off fifteen minntes o r lees afte r i t is in yoor poegeeeion. W hichever w ay you open these boxes tlie vestas stream ou 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 the authorities in p laying w ith fire. O n one occasion, when standing near a grate, one o f a s found he had been unconsciously tak ing an impression o f his bunch o f kcye in the wax o f a quan tity o f loose veetas w hich natu ra lly onough bad come adrift from the ir useless h o i. This is a regu lar B ritish grum ble and a tru e one. O ur good friends the Si^miards complain am ong themselves, ho t do nothing. They bear the ir m atch-tas a g rea t deal better than our peophs d id w hen L o id Sherbrooke attem pted to get some luce ex lucellum. One o f the prettiest o f the m any p re tty places we came across

io thü panoram a o f coast scenery' on tLe way to Castro is tho Tillage of O nton, wbicli is situated to th e left o f a ciiarm ing m ountain stream, and which huro divides the provinces o f B i« » y and Santander. The bay w hich forms the m onth o f th is r iv e r tonne a perfect little po rt w hich deserves the host skill of an artist to depict, A small pier runs out into tho sea, and la rge vessels occasionally load iron ore here. Sheltered very much by the surrounding hills, i t po^iiesses a v e ry equable climate, and so mild is the average tem perature, th a t the v ine flourishes im­m ediately above the tow n, and a g reat deal of

ia m ade in the neighbourhood. So g re a t aro th e attractions o f O nton as a place o f residence, that an Knglish m arine surveyor who had occasion to visit th© tin y port on business, has purchased an estate there, and rt-Bidec a t O nton d u rin g m any m onths of the year. F rom th is little gem of w hite houaee set in a sem i'circular belt o f em erald g reen , the road is more and more intereeting, by means o f the diversi­fied seA and landscapes, till another esqnisito bay, bu t o f much la rger proportions, th a t o f Castro IJrdiales, cornee in sigh t a lofty h ill command­in g a full view o f tho town, p ier, castle, church and lighthouse, and from which a very steep descent baa to be m ade to Castro proper, ly in g as i t does m i tbe sea beach o f the bay itself.

I n Spain they drive horses very slowly dow n a h ill and v e ry fast np one, so in our leisurely descent w e could easily take in the full scene before us. As

THBFE DAYS FBOM ES91AND. 77

Mr. Ford eays very tru ly “ This p re tty po rt witli its bay» headland rocks, castle, and herm itage o f Santa A na, waa made for th© artis t.” A rrived on the level in the centre o f th© town, which has a popnlation o£ about 8000, on© soos on the l©ft a hold, rocky headland, on w hich are the cxooodingly picturesque ivy-oover©d ruiiifi o f one o f thoeo tail inasuivc aquaro Moorish caatles w hich meet tlie ey© now and till the A stu rian H ighlands properare readied, and there, as we know, tho Moslem never had away.. U nder shelter o f th is headland, which rem inds ouo, in a feshion, o f th a t a t Scarborough, a small bu t strongly built ston© p ier rn m ou t fo r soin© Httle distance, and a busy econo is pre«eiit©d, as Castro is a very im portan t centre o f tho sardin© fi*liory— the take th a t m orning had been fairly fluccuesful, for numerous craft w ere landing their spoils from tbo soa, whilo out in the Bay itsolf we counted from the ston© em bankment th a t feces the harbour itse lf no lew than IC l flardine boats a ll a t work. Tbo fish m arket proper a t Castro is interest­ing, b u t i t only exists, rh far as wo coiJd make out, for local demand, all the sardioea boing either saltod in barrels o r sent away to ho packed w ith oil in tho universally kiiown i k t tine. A first-chias hotel, entitled tbe Funda E t Si^lo, ie in tho centre o f the town, and commanda from its U]>p©r win do^-s rem ark­ably good views, as is ueedlesfl to bo said. I t is close to th e public gardens, w hich are faetefully laid out, aud the fare enpplied by Mr. A lexander Josse is

78 T E E H JO m .A N D S 0 ^ ' C J S T A S J iT A i Oli,

well cooked, plentiful, and m oderate in price, l u ihe hathiiig season Castro is very p>pular as a p k ce of resort, so / o n d a is a large one for N orth ern Spain, and there is p len ty o f sleeping accommodation, a ll in the most perfect order. One has only to stroll along the older p a rt o f the tow n and notice the strong stone houses all bearing lordly ooats o f aim s, h u t now doing du ty for very indifferent stores, to find ou t tha t Custro has bad a g rea t history, though, except per­haps in the m a tte r o f sardines, ita g lo ry has de|>arted. I t is a Bl»lely relic o f the glories o f ancient days in

C B asq■^^lan^^ aud i t ia likely enough th a t from the g rey ahadow o f th a t sonvcnir o f Moslem rule, the ru ined castle, th e first European fisherman went aw ay N orthw ard I Io ! fo r a whale hun t— because it is, w e believe, adm itted on all hande th a t th e first to inaugurate th a t branch o f m arine iudufitry w ere the hardy boatmen o f th e O antahrian coaat. F irst Tiaitlng the church by m eans o f a no means well- paved stone road aud fairly steep, w e again came in w ith our old frieud th e “ re s to re r” and again denounced him aud all h is works. W c are inclined to th e opinion th a t th e same gentlem an who de­stroy ed the beauty o f the church o f S t. A nton a t Bilbao afterw ards hen t his w icked w ay to Cartro Uidiaies, ; th e re to accompliah the same fell deed— how well he succeeded le t the EngHsh louriats (aud wo hope there w ill bo m any who w ill be tem pted to go and enjoy N orlliem Spain lilce w e have) go and judge for themselves. W e forbear to go into details, bu t the

TSREE DA FS FROM 79

reader m ay retncmlwr th e old stove pipoa tliu t u£od to beautify churches in the days o f h igh pews and thieo deckeïi. A t Castro the church is decorated w ith monstron? stone supporte, very m uch like the pipes, and ont o f a ll koepiiig* w ith tho reet o f the build­ing. Beyond the church, a t the ju ttin g o f tlie head- I.ind w ith the eea, is a liiçhthouse, and from ita lofty tow or th e whole situation can bo pleaw ntly surveyed, and i f the traveller ia not satisfied, ho m ust indeed be hard to please. Cloae by is tho herm itage o f Santa A na, a separated rock on which onco lived a saint o f lh a t nam e ; the chaarn th a t divides i t from the head­land has now been b ridged over and in p a rt bIoc3ced up by solid masonry ; and hore in stormy weather tlie w ild A tlantic waves beat w ith all th e ir fory. The site o f tbe old rewdoncc o f the herm it now forms a pleaaant nook, o f course o f lim ited dimensionR, but the authorities have thoughtfully provided shelteiB and seats, and w e can im agine no ploaaanter phice than ihia herm itago a t Oaatro fo r an idle man to pasa a quiet reflective m orning, especially iu tho sp rin g o r summer. The high green m oontains ou tho east aide o f th e bay w ill face him, and between themselves and hia retirod spot will be tho fishing fleet ; the bustling Httle town w ill bo on his righ t, while a t his feet and a ll round him , save for the narrow bridgo which binds him to the m ainland of Spain, bo w ill find fhe sea, tiie m urm ur o f whoso ceaseless wash m ight, i f he so wished it, send him soothingly to sleep. M any years ago the talented

editor oíP tm ehs M r. F . C. Buman-1, so t e teÜR ug in one o f bift bum orons w orks, Rent as a k ind o f travel­ling iuspector by a company started in London to find a rea lly quiet w atcriog-place, bu t th e “ effort WM in vain.” I f tbo society w hich employed bim is still in existence, w e would strongly rect)mmand them to send some competent individual to report on Castro Urdíales, w hich boast« a superb bathiug-place to its other charm s. Tvro poun^ls a week (w ine and every th ing included), o r even lese, would be about the f i ja r e a t tho E l Siglo, aj\d w hen our readers find out how easily they can reach N orth ern Spain— and we shall tell them by-and-by— w e shall be m nch surprised if Mr. J o R B c , or R o m e deaj-sigh ted com|>etltor o f his, w ill no t require to obtain a stuff o f Englisli speak­in g w aiters for th is heau idéal o f a p b ce for a real holiday o r residence for those who have small fixed incomes.

Castro is still a walled town, and its defences are pierced for m usketry, b u t h a lf a battery o f field pieces would soon m ake them useless. A s we have said, tb e im portance of Castro lies in the past, and tbero are m any soul-stirring stories in connecticm with brave hu t ineffectual attem pts o f th e Gothic Spaniard« to storm th e Moorish Castle ; the difficulties attending w hich can beat be judged by surveying its precipitous walls w ith th e ir frow ning apertures fo r arrow shooting. T here is an unexceptionable café a t Castro, w ith some good billiard tables kep t by a Frenchm an, who, strange to say, seems to g e t on well enough in

tlie laud o f hia adoption. A e a ra le , tow ever, tbe fiuíipicíon and disliko o f the foreigner, so common to all Spaniards, is, in tho northern provin<»s o f Spain, coneentratcd on tho devoted heads o f the French. In the Canta^brían provincee, as a m le , th e y look down on anT deapiae tho southern Spaniai'd as effeminate, weak and guRbing, bu t they positively hato the lYench.

Our coach fo r Santander not s ta r lin g till an early hour ill the m orning, wo elccted to d rive back a short diatance w ith our friond, who w as retum insr to Bilbao in the carriage roforred to , and then iu tho coQTBe o f a starlit antnm u evening w alk back again to Castro. D uring th is five-mile ride w e lea rn t iiom tho eloquent lips o f M r. M cVeigh th a t a romance o f modern daye clings to the historical tow n o f Castro Crdiale«.

Of course, in the short tim e w e had, wo could only manage to g e t a t some o f th e facts ; bu t i t as they i're alleged, n o t one o f Miss Braddon’s o r W ilkie Cdlins’a novels w ill approach in in terest tho records 0 * tho adventure®, political, social, and otherVkiae, of Clara of Caetro—a leading feminine in triguer, aa far as wo imdorbtood, on th e p a rt o f the Carlist party , in the iiortJi o f Spain. Too s tran g e n o t to he tru e ,” is a good motto fo r a ll th ings out o f the w ay in the P‘ n su la , and the story o f Clara ie ono o f them . As

understand, how ever, th a t a t no distant date it ■^ill be given to the E nglish public w ith th e strik ing title o f “ Tho V acant Throne,” i t would he manifestly

0

82 T E E H ia E L A m > 8 O F C A iH TA JiR iA ; OR.

unfair to refor fu rther to tho history o f a heroiii© who has im mortalised Castro in h e r chequered life.

Saying farewell io C lara’s hlsforian a t the top o f the 6teep h ill, from w hich one geta the firat view o f Castro Bay, w e looked westward, and the scone hy th e gloom of early evening w as perhaps m ore beautiful th a n in the sun ligh t o f m idday. O n either side o f ub were dark forcals o f trees, th rough w hioh the moonlight tr ied to m ake w ay and foiled. Before us w as the bay itself, sh ining like burnished silver in the moon a ray s ; above us was a cloudless sky hght«d by thousandii of stars. Looking as for as w e could see, on onr left were the fa in t gas-hgbts o f Castro, whicli looked fiiint indeed, compared w ith th e sea^reflected moon­ligh t, and on onr r ig h t w as th e revolving re d lamp o f the lighthouse, w hich is plainly visible a t a distance o f seven mile«. W e knew th a t the Desado m ines w ere somewhere near, a^id, as we w anted to see w hat progreaa thw new and rising Spanisli port waa m aking, w e fell in w ith an in telligent native, wbo, Rtrimge to say, though liv in g close by, actxially knew where Dccido w as, and, tak in g his advice, w e made for a short cn t and left the m ain road, which, like all others in N orthern Spaic, w as a perfect model o f a highw ay, and a p a tte rn to m auy o f th e so-called post^ roads iu England, I t was good ath letic exercise that descent by the short c u t ; jum ping from boulder to boulder, and occasionally cannoning shoulder to shoulder, made i t lively work. L arge round stone*,

romarT?aLly unsteady and deep Lolea between tliem, made the track, bu t w e g;ot down to sea-level a t laat and made for tbo village inn. W ith tw o large co jxxs,

or tumblers, o f good red w ine bcforo ua w e were resting our acliing lim bs, w hen one o f iis noticed Romo one in tbe dim ly-lighted bar-room of a tho­roughly colonial type, read ing th e Standard news­paper. K now ing a t once be m ust be Kuglisb, we were soon in conversation, and found ou t th a t he wa^ 0D6 o f the engineers o f the Decido Iron M ining Company, whose enterprise hag sim ply made Docido, wiiich I I few ye a rf? ago hardly had a name, H ere John Bull has erected a p ier 786 feet long, w ith a houd ftO feet wido and 242 feet in length, and along this pier vessels draw ing eighteen feet o f w ater cau always bo afloat. T he iron oro ia tranaported by trucke from tho rainea to tbo ccntrc o f tbo pier, tb e full waggons draw ing up tbe em pty once, and tbe whole work reflects tbe h ighest credit on M r. (x. Wells of W estminster, th e eDgineer*in*chiof o f the Decido Iron Company. A bont 2(10,000 tons o f iron ore are eipo rted annually, and tbe out-turn ia a l« u t 53 per cent, o f good pig. In th e mines, Mr. A ustin (the Standard reader) told ua they w ere eonatuntly finding Roman and Mooriah rcHca and tools perfectly oudif^ed—tbe wooden baft o f a p ick-aie, p it lamps, uavicuiar wooden frumea—and had all bccome iron ore. A fter having inspected the p ier and o ther works which were visible by the m oonlight, we bad moro conversation w ith Mr. A ustin , and i t was before all

2

8 i T S B n iG S L A N D S OF CA2JTA£TtrA ; OS.

tilings characteristically British. The three o f us had been to every p a rt o f tho w orld. Seated on somo em pty barrels aud lookiog* on the peaceful soa we yarued o f travels in strange lands in the mattcr-of* fact fashion w hich astonishes and confounds the average continental. “ "When waa he last a t B aku?”“ Then, o f course, he knew A llender?” “ W ell, tha t i? strange.” “ H e w as in Samoa w ith m e in ’77.”“ I rem em ber liim w ell a t 2janzil«ar, though," and so on and so on. The travellers for the g reat commercial house o f Messrs. Jo h n Bnll & Com pm y a te pushing, enterprising gentlem en, and they seldom reckon m ileage and are never homesick.

A n ig h t in a Spanish coach—it holds eiffht inside, and is omnibus-shaped— is one o f those Inxuries that w e confcsa w e would dispense w ith. T be roads are good, h u t tho sp rings are bad. I f you open the window, you w ill be almost certain to catch coJd; if i t is up, the atm osphere is awful. H owever, as sm oking is allowed, the vo tary o f the weed makes an atm osphere o f his own, as i t were, and if tired with exercise, laugh ing , and sight-seeing, he w ill soon go to sleep. A s th e drowsy god had us very fiiirly in h is g rasp on th e particu lar m orning about w hich we w rite, a ll th a t w e can say about the jonrney could be summed up iu very few words in M ark Tw ain 's diary fashion r “ Grot in to coach; w en t to sleep. W oke up a t Santander.” Concise bu t unin tei'esting. H aving , however, travelled and retravelíed th a t road many timos since, we can tell our readers w h a t is to be

T T ISB B D A T S P R O M E m L A i m . • 85

seen, and w hat w e did no t seo the last timo w e risked our limbs w ith H is Majesty 8 Maila fro ia Caetio to Santander. A bout f ire ini lea irom th e scene of “ Clara’» ” home is th e picturesque lietlo po rt o f 0 riñon, placed a t the mouth o f the riv e r o f th e eamo name, which is here croased by a la rge punt, on which the loaded coach ia placed— this is w orked by chaiUAi; bu t on one occaaion, and no t eo long ago, the chains gave w ay, and tho coach, mails, passongera aud all wore quietly floating oat to aea, and w ere only rescued from the ir perilous position a ile r g reat diffieuUy. W hen a governor o f the province has been drowned a t th a t ferry, th e y will p u t a bridge there, bu t no t bofore.

W here every place ia o f in terest prai®o gets monotonous; bu t i t m ust be adm itted th a t the aitua- tioii o f Santona ia unrivallud in tlio península, w ith perhapa the single oxception o f G ibraltar. Lying, as I t does, a t the foot o f an isolated m ountain, and feeing thu centre o f a bay which could receive a very large fleet o f ironclads, acid w hich ia so land-locked

i t is alw ays caJm ináde, how ever hard the westerly gale may be blowing (rnfside, the place is a natural fortress, and its im portance w as easily recog­nised by the flrst N apoleon. W hen th a t g rea t eader and destroyer o f m en gave tlio kingdom of ^ i n to his brother, he m ade a reser\'ation lo r him-

f o f the town o f Santona, which, to use h is own expreasion lu a little-kuow n doapatcb, ho wished to niake tho G ib raltar o f tbe N orth.

T h e church in th is tow n is in teresting enough, especially fo r its tombs—w hich are very Qnmoroua aud handsome— aud also for a miraculous ofth e V iig in w hich came from A ntioch. The first pilot w hich Columbus employed waa a native of Santona, and a q u arte r o f th e tow n is called the B arrio de la Cos»a, after the nam e, o f the historical m ariner referred to.

A large prison establishment is m aintained a t Santona, and affords accommodation for no t l€«s than 700 convicts ; as Nve flhnll have occasion to refer later on to other Spanish gaols, i t is no t neœ ssary here to refer a t any length to th e convict dépôt o f Santona ; . bu t a w ord is dne to th e marvellous proficiency the prisoners have acquired in tho a r t ol covering bottles and the like w ith coloured straws, and in the manu­facture ou t o f similar m aterial o f card and cigar

cases.Tlie Bilbao coach viâ Castro is in no particu lar

hu rry ; th e stoppages are frequent aud long, so i t is alw ays early in th e tbrenoun, if one takes the convey­ance leaving Castro about one a .m . , th a t you find yourself in the plea>jaut suburbs o f Santander, anxious to g e t o u t fo r a w ash and breakfast, and desirous maybe o f finding w hat there is o f instruc­tion, in terest o r amusement in the capital o f tbe province, w hich gives the place its nam e, and which w e have called a C antabrian city.

K-iè*

lió

C H A P T K R V m .

A C A N T A B R I A N C I T Y .

I t is true, in a senac, th a t Santander is a Cantabrian catj, bu t to look a t its long line o f ta ll very Fronch bn ilt boasee along th© quay o r rauelle^ ono would feel inelined to the opinion tb a t i t is hard ly Spaniali a t ali, much Jess Cantabrian, in the purely local sense o f tbe word. H owever, its central po&Ition betw een tbe weetera aud eastern ports o f Bilbao and Gijon, its commerce—whicb if jn s t now a little stagnan t ie still eonfriderable— and ita place as capital o f tbo province, all point ou t Santander as a representative tow n, well worthy o f attention.

To the student o f h istory th ia C antabrian city has many attm ctidns, for i t was the PorUts BlentiiuTn of tbe Romans, and its la rge and secnre bay, w ith its anchorage and shelter, have fiom time to tim e been tbe rendezvous o f fleets aud vessels famous in the aunab o f EJurope. I n 1248, for instance, the ships of Ferdinand le ft Santander to blockade Seville; in 1522 K in g Charles T . landed here on tb e 16th Ju ly to tako possession o f Spain, aud i 01 years la te r our own Charles I , em barked for Port»m onth afte r his

88 T E E E lO E L A V B S O F C A T ^T A B R IA '. OS,

rom antic v isit to Madrid. Soult crueEy sacked iho place in 1808, and in 1834 i t was the scenc o f tho land ing o f th e h ravc B ritish legion nnder S ir D© lA cy E ran a , when, ow ing to the p ro T e rh ia l S p a iii^ suspicion o f th e foreigner, they w ere treated so badly ; and com paratively only a fow years ago, in 1868, it w as th e scone of a sanguinary engagem ent between th e troops o f Queen IsaheUa and tho revolutionary

forcee.To-day Santander has all tho appearance o f its

form er im portance ; h u t i f the tru th m ust be told, its proeperity is on the wane, The long and handsome m w lk w ith its stately five-storied houses is imposing enough, and the arriva l o f th e huge transatlantic liners from Liverpool and Bordeaux, callin'? a t the well-loiowü hay outw ard Ixjund for H avana and Mexican ports, give a k ind o f life to the place, h u t it is no t tho old vigorous commercial life which onco distinguished th e famoos city , muy noSle y siempre Ual y decidida, w hen h e r w harves wero full o f barrels o f fish and flour for Cuha, o r cotton and tobacco sen t in return . The commercc on the banks o f the N ervion riv e r has tho ‘go” o f th e nineteenth ccntury abou t i t ; th a t o f Santander socms to afiect i t because i t is Santander and no w here else. T he population o f tho place is over 40,000, and in th e gay sunshine o f a Spanish spring , summer o r autumn, i t is pleasant enough to stroll along the quay and sec the crowds o f A stu rian em igrant«, w ith the ir scanty baggage, make for the tender which is to take , them to the

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

ocean liner, w aiting ju s t below tb e tow n ready and w illing to. transport tbem to “ A m erica," aa thü Spaniards call Cuba, in search oitber o f a speedy fortune o r an early gravo. The sp irit o f oolouisation i* atill in active force am ong tbe sturdy L ig llanders o f C antabria; they , a t lea^t, have no t lost th a t iinpulao o f eelf^evolopm ent w hich has made Brítiiin th© Power she is to -d ay ; and even if tho hum ble A sturian peasant w ith his bundle only seeks better tim es in tho narrow hm its o f the still Spatiiab-ruled Cuba, be a t least commands the sym pathy and good wishes o f those whose proud boast i t is th a t th e y are sons and danghters o f th a t m other o f nations-^Im perial England.

O ur quarters a t Santander have always been the Fcnda Europa, kep t by an estimable Frenciiman whose politeness is aa good as hie fare, and hi« tariff veiy m oderate (the terms, inclusivo, being eigh t

«£66o ^ a day). W e m ention th is hotol for the reason s ta to jy bu t th e re are others eqnally good, and per­haps, better in Santander, such as tho Grand and Dos Aihiyos^ bu t w e can only testily o f th a t which we blow . Tixe Cafe Suizo on tbe muelle is a n elaborate mstitutioii decorated in the m ost barbarous tast^j as ^ r as eolonring is concerned, b u t th e average Briton '^ill be rew arded by pay ing i t a visit, by th e siglit o f the D aily Xt^legrapk, which is alw ays to be found on its tables, an d arrivetí daily.

In the “ unconquered city ” o f Bilbao, no t for from the P laza N ueva, there is a passage w hich has the

>C

90 T H E E I & U L A N D 8 O F C A S T A B B I A ; O R ,

reputa tion in sum m er tim e o f exhitlinjç any th ing bu t the odours o f A raby the Llert, to say no th ing o f euch a scent factory as th a t o f Messrs. Gosnell ; b u t in Santander th ey boast o f a .com cr which should be held famous in any dictionary o f tho location o f la d smells. W hen the tide is ou t tho black sewage runs under th e quay and centres in the harbour mud, and the travelle r w ho can endure m ore th a n a whiiT o f th is atmospheric poison, m ust be strong indeed. T he san itary arrangem ents o f Santander are so dis­gracefully im pôt feet, and so m uch w an t immediate a tten tion , th a t the atbre^iid is writt^jn more in sorrow than in anger, w ith th e avowed hope th a t the local authorities will see the ir way to th e ir a t once looking afte r th a t ceaseless w orry o f modern civilization— the drains, W e could no t be an g ry even i f w e would. H ere in London w c have a nohlè tidal river and we simply choke i t w ith unm entionable filth, a few miltie afte r th e long-euffering stream has paased the province o f houses w e call the metropolis. L i San­tander, iu so-called benighted Spain, they have a noble hay aud they do exactly the samo th in g on an infinitely sm aller scale. W hen the sewage o f London ceasea to pollute th e m outh o f R irk in g Creek and Crossness, and is beginniDjç to raako useful the sands about Foulness island (a most appropria te name by th e w ay, as i f i t was m ade, for the business), we can afford to lecture th e good peoplo o f Santander, b u t no t till then . Meantime Hia Excellency the M ayor o f the city referred to should do bis bc*t to

make an cud a t ouce» and for ever, o f th a t “ smelly c o rn e r” on the beautiful m udle tb a t is under his jurifidictioQ, 4

Looking* from the quay itse lf tlic rest on tho green spurs of Cantabrian hills, and now and again the Buow-capped tops o f the h ig h e r mountains can b© seen glisten ing in th e sun. H ills, in fact, sur­round th e tow n on a ll sidoa, aud the city is practi­cally divided in to tw o towns, one being th e upper and tho other the lower ; the la tte r being the more modem. Being, as w e have said, the capital o f the province, there are uumoraus public bnildings, some o f w hich are w orthy o f notice, h u t naturally the m ost im portant b the ancient cathedral» which stands on a so rt o f rocky promontory o f th e quay­side, and w hich in effect divides th e new ntuelle, which extends for nearly th ree miles from the old one, to which the rails o f tho N orthern R ailw ay have freo access. T he cathedral is a pure Gothic edifice, w ith th ree naves» and a t ita h ig h a lta r uro the precious relics ot S t. Em etriue and S t, Caledouio, patrons of th e city, w hich was made the seat o f a bishopric suffragan to tb e archiepiecopal boo o f B m gos in 1174. The beautiful holy-water etoup o f m a ^ v u ^ r h l e is a feainre o f th is in teresting church, and so IS the in 8cripti<m in A rabic le tte rin g th a t surrounds it. B eneath th e main fioor of the church proper is the crypt, w here mass is said a t stated hours on Sundays and o ther days. Tho p r ie ^ ie u chairs, so common in F rench and other continental cliurchea,

a re no t seen in N orthern S p a in ; w hon no t reverently )meeHng th e congregation stand. B ut, as a rule, except a t the tw o gospels and tho Credo, tho dovout female Res rem ain kneeling from tbo Iftiroibo ad altare D ei to ih e Deo graiiaSf wLicli follows tiie last line o f tlio first chapter o f S t. John . H owever, for the aged and infirm, there a re in tnoat oburchoe two o r m ore beuches set choir-wise, and liero those who cannot woll ntand o r kneel srt dn ring all bu t the moet im portan t p a rt o f the function a t th e altar. On Sundays, a t most o f the low masses afte r th a t o f 7.30 A.M., a sormonotte is g iven o f about te n to fifteen minntee' duration, aud a t th e conclusion o f th e maw — not in the middle, as w ith u s-^ the Epietle and Gospel o f th e D ay arc read in the vernacular* A s in old tim es in E ngland , the L itan y o f th e Saints is frec]uently said, no t only before h igh maRR is s^ing, bu t also before wcIl-attcndcd low masseR, such as those a t the hours o f 8.30, 9 o r 10 on a Sunday m orning. W e have n o t th e loaat intciution of entering in to any ijuestion o f religious controversy, bu t justice m ust be done. Tho people o f northern Spain arc, aa a ru le, devotedly and loyally Catholic, o r th ey are freethinkers o f a most advanced ty p e ; b n t generally th e Spaniard dies a Catholic, w hether o r no t he m ay have been faithful to the ordinance« o f h is O harcb during h is active life.

In every Spanish tow n the public foimtain is, o f course, one o f th e most prom inent institutions o f tbe municipal life, eud th is is especially th e case at

f '•

' .y^ A. V

•N.

it . Vi

t v

, l>A. T.'S*

S an tander; and i t is well w orth the etranger's while to follow the oxample o f the gentlem an who w ont to the “ Bine A lsatian ifoantainfl,” and when a t Santander to “ w andor near the fountains, ja s t to hear tbo maidens eing." T hey sing very well do some o f theeo C antabrian water-carriers, and tho conanmmate case w ith w hich they carry on th e ir hcadR large buckcts fall o f w ater is no t tlio l^ast strik ing feature o f th e busy scene o f some th ree or four hundred gaily-dressed women, every ono w ith a bucket, a ll good-humourodly striv ing as to who should be first in g e ttin g the evening's w ater supply. Occasionally there is a little b it o f a squabble, bu t it is alJ ovor in a very short tim e ; the Cantabrian people are eaey-goiiig aud very patient, and family

^jars over family pitchers are few and fa r between.Santander boasts a theatre which will hold about

a thousand people, and th e bull-riug bas accommoda­tion for, a t least, 8000 spectators. T here arc very many pleasant walks and drives around Santander, notably tA h m td a Seg%mda, on the Bilbao road, bu t the favourite drive o f the tow n is certain ly th a t to Sardmero, w hich ig on th e open bay, aud about three nnles from the muelle. A tram w ay takes one down to the pleasant bathing-place o f th e Santander people for a few pence in a v e ry short tim e, and en rouie you pass th rough the fashionable faubourg of Miranda, from the handsome houses o f which suburb splendid views o f the bay, the ocean, and the moor- lauds can be had. Sardinero in summer tim e often

has as n m iy •visitore as five o r six thonfiaud persons sfoppiBg there, h u t in the antunrn and w in ter i t is quite deserted, the waimth-loYiDg Spaniards having very little affectioE for the sea-Bide ■when i t ie more th a u liVely th a t Blormy winds m ay hlow. Tbe best bathing-plaee a t Sardincro is th a t called 1 ä Magda­lena, to w hich is attached an excellent hotel. In the sumroer season th e prices ‘‘ go u p ” a t Sardlnero, as th e y do in other watering-places nearer hom e; hut in October aud N ovem ber, usually delightful munths in no rthern Spain, one could live a t L a M agdalena for a trifling eaim per week ; as i t is, in sum m er the inclusive charges for bed, board, wiue, and attend­ance, i f th e meals are taken a t the teble, is only 7 i. ^d. a day. T he gardens o f th e lodging-houses or casas de ktu^pede^ a re p re ttily laid o u t ; vegetation of a m ost luxurian t order is abundant, and a very pleasant-looking w atering-place indeed is th e local B righton o f the good people o f Santander. The sands are firm, and aiford excellent w alking, while the geologist w ill roam from rock to rock, w hich he w ill find to contein fossils o f a ll sorts. The perfect foBsil o f a m astodon w as discovered a t Sardinero in th e snniinerof last year, b n t some would-be im prover has destroyed a portion o f the relic. Facing tbe place is th e rocky isle t o f Mouro, on w hich a light­house now stands. I t s cliffs are very precipitous from the sea, and even no\s', w ith ita steps for the lighthouse keeper, i t looks a very unapproachable place indeed. H owever, th a t difficulty did not

prevent it« utilisation by Britiah tera, and a t any rate for a short tim e the U nion Jack o f B ritaiu hae waved over th a t isolated rock.

Tho F rench hav ing eackcd Santander in 1808, occupied Sardinero in force, and a portion ol* the Channel fleet was detached to make th a t occupation as unpleasant for them *as poasxble. Accordingly one mom inff a British squadron appGtired off the harbour o f Santander, and, to the Frenchm cn a delight and astouishment, p u t to sea ajjain \ b u t tho jo y was turned ¡üío sorrow the nox t day w hen i t v a s found tha t under cover oi‘n ig h t th e fleet had returned, and by marvellous plnck and skill had actually m ounted a battery o f guns on Mouro Island ; and the sentries of Marshal Soult'a force w ere no t believed by the ir superior officers w hen they flaid th a t tho daring English w ere actually occupying M onro; h u t the Doise o f th e B ritish cannon soon convinced th«m. The French had no means o f dislodging the brave British detachment, who eventually broke up the occupation o f Sardinero, and were lelievod when Soult s ibrees had re tired in m uch the same fiishion as they go t thcj*e. The B ritish occnpation o f Mouro lasted very nearly tb ree weeks.

Tho Santander people never seem to have forgotten or forgiven the cruel w ay in which the F rench looted thoir town, and an En^lishn^an who can m ake him - self nndoretood in Spanish o r who im derstands i t will hear m any b itter th ings said o f w hat M r. Max O'Rull would call our “ dear neighbours ” across the silver

06 T S B E l Q E L A U D S O F C A J ^ T A B B I A ; ORy

atreaL jMtLoiigh tlie Spaniards have a t tinies Laved very coldly and ungratefully to tlie Bntisli who did and suffered bo m uch on the ir account, yot in t t e i r hearts they have never forgotten, no r will they ever f o i ^ t , th a t i t wa* m ainly due to British generalship th a t the best M arshals o f F ranco were driven ont o f Spain, and th a t i t was by raoane of B ritish w ar ehips th a t the picture« w hich the French h ad stolen from the churches, w ere restored to their places. Some m onths afte r th e crushing defeat of V'ittoria, w hen such au enormous am ountof plunder fell in to W ellington’s hands, a B ritish aqnadrou appeared off Santander, and his Excellency the M ayor waa duly iuformed th a t tho object o f H is B ritannic Majesty’s w ar vessels was to restore to one o f th e churches acme pictnica w hich th e French had rohhed them of. Some bine jackets and marine« were landed, and w ith stately ceremonial on the p a rt o f the B ritish and Spanish authorities, both ecclesiastical and civil, the British won p lunder was restored to its righ tfu l ow noi^ In th e old tim es o f th e b itter w ar against tho French i n v a d e r s , children, w hen asked to eay the Creed, used to commence w ith “ D am nation to the F iuuch— I believe, &c.” A n d i t is no exaggeration to aay th a t the same feeling lingers yet, and in no p a r t o f N orthern Spain d(Kss i t exist stronger tlian i t does in the sAcked city o f Santander. W e w ere gratuitously told in a shipping office th a t being Englishm en we could easily be at'commodated, “ had we been Frenchm en itw onld have been a totally different m atter. T here w ere too

m any o f them prow ling abont w ith tbe ir endless eliam politeness,” and eo on and much m ore to tbe same effect, TIiG no rth ern Spaniard has the m ost im- d i i^ i io d contempt for w hat he consideia the frivolons character o f tho F rench , and i f you are a t a ll in his confidence he w ill aoon tell you so.

A ll tbe environs o f Santander are rem arkably pro tty , and they aro studded w ith handsome villas snrrounded by orchards aod gardens in w hich tho orange and the citron trees grow Juxuriantly. Tho view from the h ills id e w alks above tho old town (which a t one time was waJled, bu t o f w hich no vostige rem ains) w ith th e ir panoram a o f tho bay, is well w orth the ascent, aaid thoso w ho are iuterested should visit the large govornm cnt tobacco factory whore over 1000 hands are employed. A uyw ay, thcso aro tho salient features o f this most interesting Cantabrian city, which we m ust leave fo r the road to the H ighlands.

C H A PT K R IX .

T E K R O A D T O T H B H I G H L A N D S . ,

From Sautandcr to th e C antabrian HighlaiidR proper th e re are tw o d istinct routes, one being b y w ay of Santillana, tlie b irth placo o f G il Bias, and tlie other a m ore d irect wsky by tak in g tho tra in to Torrelaveg», and thence one o f the tw o riv a l coaohca to tho bridge o f i-n q u e ra a t the bach o f th e exquisite litflo po rt of T ina M ayor. I n Spanish railroad travel one has the advantage o f not being perplexed hy the num ber of routes, and the pros and cons o f each. I f one wishes, say, to go from Loudon to E dinhuigh , be cun avail of th ree lines o f d ircct r a i l ; while I f the straiiger wishes to see th e F en country, and tb e tow er o f Lincoln Cathedral, he can go now hy the faat expresses o f the G roat Eastern, aud arrive a t A u ld R eekie only au hour o r so l a t ^ for h is oriental detour. They manage these th ings very differently in Spain. There a te th ree tra ins io Torrolavega in the day, two being ‘‘ m ixod'’ ones, iy . carry in g pa»*engoie and freigbt> th e other being the mail train . A s this m ail tia in does n o t connect w ith the U nquera coache* w e had to leave Santander a t about 7-15 in th e m om iug (that

was the ofScial tim e, bu t th e tram was late), and once having (Jtarted, proooeded in an exceedingly dignified, no t to gay Ruperuaturally »low pace till we were fairly o a t o f the suburbs o f S an tander; and there, having go t a fa ir way on, so to speak, had to pu ll in a frightened sort o f fashion a t tho little station o f Bo(), near w hich are some royal dockyards, whero, as M urray garcastically rem arks, ships o f auy »iîse can be built, b u t never are. The view from thia station o f Boo is a rem arkably fine one. Beyond the m arshes th ro u g h which the tra in runs aro largo patches of land, in a m ore o r less reclaim ed condition ; and beyond is th e noble bay itself, dotted on the occasion o f our la rt v isit w ith numberless steamers, nearly all flying the red ensign o f B ritain , doing the ir penance o f quarantine. K ising immediately behind these representativeg o f t l » m ercantile marine arc the precipitous mountaing o f the Kagtern Canta^ b rian ran g e—a rom arkable sugar-loaf hill, ra ther sm aller th a n tbe others, being a most conspicuous object. K o t far from Bo6 are gomo lamoua saline waters, a t a place know n as Solaree, and thege are h igh ly recommended for gastric complaints o f all kinds, A fter w aiting quite a considerablo tim e to Bee i f no one elae whs really going to tu rn up, our engine (a very old-fashioned style o f Rngliah build, and i t haa the date 1859) phickcd up its courage, and, through a very p re tty undula ting wooded country, took us a t a fa ir pace to Renedo, d istant th irteen miles from Santander, w hich station we

H 2

100 T E E m a } lL A 2 !D S OF C A F T A £ £ 2 A i 07i,

roached about tw o hours afte r leaving the lattor named city, so tho pace waa slow i f sure. A t Rcncdo the up-trahi has to w ait for the dow u; th e la tto r being somewhat late, w e had a leisurely stay o f quite h a lf a n hour, and ae nearly everyl>ody g o t out, w© had plenty o f opportunity to study the tra in aud our fellow-passengere. The carriages, i t m ust ho said, w ere m uch better than the engine, and lookod thoroughly up to any reasonable w ork demanded of them . Some o f them axe o f F rench , and others E nglish manufacture ; the second class is good enough for all prskctical purposes, and au a ll railw ay feres in S]>ain are v e ry dear, w e should strong ly advise the average reader never to th in k o f compounding extorti<m h y go ing firs t; Tinless, indeed, he has a free paas, in w hich case the extortion o f h is leas lucky fellow-travellers w ill be a m-itter o f no moment. T here is littio to be ftaid about onr passengers hy th a t n\osi d ilatory o f tra in s, on th a t b r ig h t autumnal m orning. A few peasant wom en in loud dresses, some effective looking ladies in black, w ith mimlillaa find good ornam ents, a couple o f the Civil G uard— who looked as i f they had ja s t come ou t o f a band-»Ixjx__in their ra th e r O p^ia Bouffe uniform ; and asprinkUng of workmen and commercial travellera formed the patient crowd, who w ithout an expression o f sarprise aw aited the a rriv a l o f tho M adrid trsiin, ao as to enable them to g e t on to Torrelavega. 'W'e say i t in no unfriendly carping spirit^ b u t our good friends the Spaniards aeem to do everything, in

m atters connected w itli railw ay m anagem ent, the -wnyns way up, so to epeak. F o r instance tho 7.15 tra in from Santander prociXjds no fu rth er than Tórrela vega, tho road being a single one ; w hy, in the name o f common sense, does n o t i t pass the M adrid tra in a t tlm t ratfier im portan t dépôt, instead o f a t Renedo. wlxero few people Tvant to g e t in , and except for reíretíhment purposes, o r gtretching tlioir legs, no one w ants to g e t o u t Tiiis nvub the question whick “ bothered ms intirely ,” ae they say across the Ohaünel o f S t. George, b u t o f Spanish travelling anomalies there is litera lly no end.

The town o f Torrolavega, w ith its popuIati<m of th ree o r four thouA-ind people, is about a tiiir ty minutes' good w alk from the elation, and aa the road IB rem arkably uninteresting i t ie best to avail o f tbe railw ay omnibus, which lands yon in the heart o f the town for Lalf a _ p e a ^ , o r fivepence. Tliore arc ^ » good num ber o f well-built modorn hous€« m Torrelavega, w hich look as if they wore the outcome o f money a c q u i i^ in Cuba, o r th e PhUippinea, bu t i t cortaanly is no t a pJaco a t w hich w e can conHdently advise the traveller to stop and ponder. I f he is our ^ y o f th in k b g he w ill be glad to g e t out o f it, o r ^ e r e is little to in terest an y one in it. However,

tbe time w e visited th is coach-efarting placc for the H igblands and tho Asti;rias, we looked forwaM to m aking th e acquaintance o f Torrelavega w itb a

deal o f pleasure, as we w ere g ravely informed a t the Muelio a t Santander th a t Señor Tetis, tlie

proprietor o f ono o f the coach lines to U nquera, was no t only a very pleasant gentlem an hu t spoke EngliKh rem arkahly well. Tbit* w as splendid ; he w ould p u t us on the r ig h t iraok, give us all the stra igh t lips, place us on the best term s w ith his coachmen and guards, indicate the best togQ to —th e oneA t<j avoid, Ac,, áíc. This was the baielcse fabric o f a vision w biie auoning onrsolves a t tbe fence a t Renedo station. W e arrived a t Tórre­la vega. I n accents trem bling w ith broken Spanish •we inquired for tbe office o f Benor T etis—w c found i t ; and the Senor hiranelf, a well-built, handsome man, w ith a sm ihng countenance and a jet-black heard, advanced tow ards ns. R aising our hats in a way w hich w e considered to be tru ly Spanish, and ex­ceedingly graceful, w e remarked, o r ra th e r one o f us did, in a cheery tone o f voice— “ Good inorniog, Senor, w e are going by one o f your coaches, you k n o w ; w e are so pleased to find some one who can speak Knglisb. I f there is tim e p r b a p s you could come and have breakfast w itb us. This ifl m y friend

f ro m -------Señor Tetis smiled, and tb en added, “ P lenty o’

w atter.”Tbis, i f he referred to the A tlan tic o r even the

B ay of Santander, wafl immortal tru th itself, b a t in our circumsiaoces i t was bard ly to the point, m it w ere ; in iact one of us though t i t irrelevant altogether. A nd onoe again we spoke of travels, coaches, horses, hours o f departure €t hue

omne to Señor Teüe, who th is tim e burst in to a hearty lau^h and said in Spanish he knew that h it of E n g lish ; aud tha t, alia, was the ex ten t o f h is vocahn- lary . This waa somu year o r so ag o ; and as during th is intervenijig tim e ho has only learned the singlo word “ yes,” our friend Señor Totis ia no t ap­parently destined to startle tho w orld aa a Spanish Mozzofanti, W lien the Señor now apota a n E nglish­m an he always brings in th is “ plenty o ' w atter, yes,” and if the B riton doos not enjoy th e joke, he does.

M any o f onr readers m ust know the little penny onmibnses w hich p ly bet^recn Cannon S treet and liiverpool S treet S tations in tho C ity, and the U nqnera coach was a very poor im itation o f one o f these in some respect«?, hu t i t was very different in othera. A sort o f canopy o r shelter w ent over the driver’s seat. I t boasted four horses, instead o f the London one (we say no th ing as to quality, we give tho nn m b ers); ancient ^vaa the pain t and infirm were the springs o f the Spanish Koyal Mail. A s the odour o f no t evon cle;tn straw and govem m ontal eigarettea w as sligh tly over noticeable in the inside, wo soon m»tde arrangem ents w ith ou r good friend “ P len ty o w atter, yes,” to g e t us the tw o aeats to tbe hjft o f the driV e r, and aw ay w e w ent. T he last-named individual had a kc^m e ^ a e o f th e humoura o f tho road and also for th e wineshops, which, i f he could possibly help it, ho never passed. W hen he was no t telling a comic story , o r sing ing some snatch of a eoDg evidently go t from some M adrid musio-hall— tor the

plaintiveness o f th e A pturian melcMiies waa couspieu- ouB by its a W n c c from our J e h u ’s vocal utterance®— he wan expoatuJatiug w ith h is horsee, calliug them by th e ir names, uud iu a com plaiuing w ay addressing them aR to tho ir laay and gonerally disgraceful behaviour : A uder, A nder, A ndcr, *‘ T chk—Tchk tchk—Dum— P c • drPi—Jn an — eta,” aud now and again ho would alternate th is tendem esa w ith a burst o f untranslatable local B illingsgate to which, however, nobody, p riest o r laym an, h igh o r low, rich o r poor, objected. The horsea w ent fa irly woll a t a racing gallop up h ill and very slow ly down. Sometimes seven horses are driven in these diligence coachos, tw o pairs w ith a th ree in th e middle. W hen this plan is adopted the d river usually provides himsolf w ith a beg o f some objectionable-looking stone« for the purpose o f accelerating the pace o f his two leaders. The accompliahed d river w ill never fail to h it the ear o f the horse he aims a t w ith hia piece oi rock, aud though i t socms a b it cruel, yut our four- footed frieuda do no t seem to feel th is stone-throwing as much as they w ould a sevoi'o w h ip p in g ; b u t we are g lad to say tb a t as far as onr experience goes iu these northern roads there is little o r no abuse o f th a t g rea t g ift— horsetlesb. T he indescribable w iuk w hich our ooachmau w ould g ive aa he neared a posada m ust be seen to he understood; itnd th e astonishing num ber o f glasses o f g inebra or D utch g in (hol)anda) which he m anaged to pu t away, w ithout in the least affecting hia head, would be a

perfect su rp rk c to those w ho th ink tlia t w e are the only nation in Europe who use atrong w aters. A s a rcfâtter o f fact, in the Cantabriuu Highlandfi (though when they can |çyt i t good men practically .isiug tho praises o f tho m onarch r>f the Vine—in the shape, of vino Hnto), for a regn lar d rink Ih jtch hollande is p re­ferred. Thü country as fa r as the sa lt m ines o f Car- hazoD, and in & ct a ll tho w ay, is very in teresting, and rem inds the travelle r o f th e softer portions o f W elsh and Scotch Roenery, w ith occasional patches, aa it were, o f purely ru ra l E ng land o r N orm andy. The Bnug little villages clustering undtn* tho hiU-adc, tho m urm ur o f some r iv e r well stocked vn th trou t, the well-kept gardons, the fields o f maize, th e luxurian t hedges, the miles after miles o f good roads fit for any ol the “ w heeling” confratom itiea, w ith the trees reaching overhead, are not. a ll thoso th ings pl«2aeant to see, pleasant io re (a ll to one’s m ind, pleasant to w rite about, for o thers to go and enjoy w hat we have enjoyed ? Now and again a n old ruined Moorish tower, thon & sta te ly ferm-Louse, which in days gone by had belonged to some prond grandee and to-<lay w as occupied by some equally pfbad yeom an farmer. A nd th is pleasant ride, brimfull o f interest by itself, IS m erely the preface to th e H ighlands o f the Cantabrian range, the antiphon to the psalm o f the beauty and grandeur o f God’s creation, w hich can bo read by those who can read in the limestone ¡asses o f the A sturian mounfciins.

The Salt mines of Carbazon remind one o f fhe

absurdly protective du ty on th is a tso lu te noceeeary o f life. T he du ty on E ng lisli sa lt is 3 pesetas 50 cents per 100 kiloa., and th is infamous ta x exists ju s t to m aintain a monopoly o f a few Spanish salt­m ine owners. N o t very far frnm T orrelavega are the celebrated zinc m ines o f B io Lui^, w hich, duri^^g th e last tw en ty years, have re tu rned io then fortunate owners immenso sums o f money. Tho orig inal find was qu ite accidental in a field, and a deposit of calamine about a mile square and to an unknown dep th has been tbe result. The m ineral is ym ply dug out, being iu fact qxiarried— not m in e d ; in short, th e so-called m ine is an im mense “ pocket,” where tw en ty years ago pure aj^riculturc ruled supreme.

Some hours after these m ines several very steep hills are passed, and a splendid view if? obtained of the most picturesquely situated town o f San "V incante de la "Rarqucra, located on th e sea, and as i t is ap­proached on the coach-road crossing th e h igh hills on the east w hich command tbe tow n few places of its k ind in Europe ean be said to be like it. San V incente de la R arquera is unique. O n th ree sides o f th e place i t is surrounded h y lagoons, and these are covercd w ith wildfowl in tho w inter months. T he Spaniard, how ever, is no sporfamau, and con- sequently th e b irds are hard ly ever thinned. I f these w aters were only properly attended to hy gentlem en anxious “ to go ou t and k ill something, it being a fine day o r n ig h t,'’ a new food su]>ply m ighi be created for a t any ra te some m arket, i f the

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distance and diftÍCTiIties o f transportation proTonted tliü export o f th© fowl to tliU h u n j^ y LozidoQ of ovirs- Thusü laj^oons arc formed in great measnre by the riv e r Barceual w hich jo ins the rnain stream of the la rger lagoou a t P eñ a Candil about three milea from the town. A splendid bridge o f tw onty- e igh t arches, and bu ilt in 1433, eroesos th e maiu lagoou, and after go ing throug^h the little tow n itse lf a modern h r id |^ o f e igh t arches lands tho traveller on tlie main land oppoaito.

The Posada a t this place ia a poor ono, and is called Kl Basilio, though the place is well wortV> a v is it Most travellers will, wo th ink , follow our p lan ou our laat ‘*run tb rough ” to the llighlanda, aud coutout themselves w ith the exquisite panoramas o f sea and m ountain scenery to he had as one approaches and leaves the town w hile passing through in one o f Mr. P len ty O’W attera’ mail “ coaches."

Tho G othic church o f San V incente is only notice­able for a fine reclininj^ % u re o f the Inquisidor Corro. I n the hot sum m er tim e San Y incente boarts o f quite a varie ty o f smells, and aa tho Httle place is no t & voured by an eau do cologne fectory, the un­savoury odoura uncontrolled and unoppoeed waft h ith er and th ith er perhaps to tho ir entire satisfaction bu t to tho average travel Ier*a dis^uat.

Aaauming th a t tlie coach loft Torrolavega about I I A.M., tho authorised timo i t should reach San Trncente de la Barquera, ia about two, aud after a

haaty diBmount for refrisbm ent, tbe passenger will noto as Le crosses rajige afte r range o f wild bills tb a t a t last be is approftcbing tbe caun try o f tb e bigb'est o f tbo C antabrian m ountains, especially i f i t be a clear d a y ; and on Lis le ft Lis eyo discerns g listen ing iu the afternoon stjnsLine tbe w hite snow caps o f tbe Picos de Europa. TLese mountains— stated in all tLe eucyclopffidiaa and gazetteers to be almost im ­practicable and very litUe know n—lio beforo bim, and a fte r tm versiug a long s tra ig h t road for about two hours bo will find himself, as w e have dono about four in th e afternoon a t the viUage o f UrKjuera, asking our friend th e d river (guard there is none) fo r th e knapsacks o r L'ght valise« w ith which alone It is advisablu to encumber oneeelf in thia remote p a rt o f Spain. The road to th e H ighlands has been gone over. W e aro in th e H ighlands themaelvoa. T he o ther road to U nquora Santillana and the new w atering-place o f Com ilhs wiU be dcaJt w ith in one o f on r concluding chapters.

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C H A P T E R X .

TEE KORTHRRN POSTEBET GATE.

pRACK and qu ie t a je frtamped od all th a t surroun<Í8 tho p re tty little v i l k ^ o f Unqiiera, and afte r a hasty w ash (w hy is i t th a t th e Spaniards w ill always insist on m iataking finger bowls for w ashing basins ? ) w e strolled out over the wooden bridge which hero crosees the shallow m urm uring Deva, aud thin bridge i t is which divide« th e village o f Uncj-nera, w hich ír on tlio righ t-hand hank o f th e river, from the post- office o f tho ham let called Bustio, where, a t an iim kept by a b ro ther o f Señor Tetis, the coat^h pulled up. T he view w hich m et our eyea as w e looked up the valley o f the D cva w as exquisite in its beauty, O n e ither eide o f us were the long arm s o f the Cantabrian H ills, the w hite lim estone stra ta here and there a lternating w ith th e green graes and stum py vogeta- tion. H ig h er up were tho ta ll spirea o f tho Picos de Europa, themselves standing like the sentinel güardtí o f the splendid Picoa, whose snowy tope, some9,000 feet h igh , could he seen h r away up in the distance. The p lain tive music o f th e Deva rem inded Uf? o f first impressions o f the Dee iu tho hind of brown heatli and shaggy wood, aud th e perfect qu ie t th a t

surrounded us added a poetry to th e eceuc tl.a t no words cau expiess. T u rn in g seaw ard wo saw tho perfect little lake wliioh the Deva makes before it poBsea tho narrow gorge wViieh i t has m ade for ilself th rough the ouast range o f m ountains th a t hide the B ay o f Biscay and its troublous sea ftom th e s ig h t of the peaceful dwellers naar tho UiK^uera B ridge. Between us and these natu ra l hreakw aters were some pleasant lookiuj? flat meadows tl .a t inereasod th e itt^ portance o f th e hü ls themselves. V illage Kfe^is m uch the same all the w orld over. A dded tu Señor T e tiss posada is a small b u t well-stocked general store, and nearly oppoeite ia th e post-oflice, while quite a block o r ao aw ay, as ou r transatlan tic cousins would say, is the Estanco Nacional, where the G overnm ent re ta il th e ir rtam ps, tobacco, and cigar­ettes. O u th e U nq u era aide is really a capital hotel ke |)t by a Frenchm an, P ierro Geoffroy, and the cooking, attendance and accommodation here are first class, tbe charges being rem arkably moderate. A ttached to th is hostelry is a Crstclasa k itchen and fru it garden, the sigh t o f w hich iu early autum n would, w e th ink , aJone repay the journey. Tlie pro­fusion aiid perfection o f a ll tlie vegetables and fruits ao dear 10 the palates o f th e W e s te iD European are e e r ta in lv v ery striking. A fte r a chat w ith the estimable landlord who rules th e establishm ent ju B t

referred t o - a n d which, by the w ay, boasts some tw enty bedrooms, all k ep t in an adm irable condition o f clcanlinesa—w e sauntered up th e road on the n g h t

bank o f the D ova tow ards the v illage o f Un<iucra proper. N ear the chuixjh, o f th e ordinary Spaiiish type^ a g roup ot peai>atits» in th e ir Lluc je aa trousers and jackets w ith ttiuir red easlies and boinas, w ere clmtting w ith the \o ti^ padre, w hile in a crowd apart the women were hav ing perhaps a “ Home ru le ” parliam ent o f th e ir own. Vt^ry dignified and quiet, how ever, w ere the confereneea, a n d a s wc respectfully raised our alouch h a ts as w e passed the reverend father thü whole o f the assembled peasants and tho ir p r ie ^ do£fcd the irs in re tu rn . N ear the village there are vast deposits o f fossil r from th e nautilus tü tho smallest anim alculs, and th e geologist w ill note w ith surprise and in terest the m arked features o f tlie strata a« th e y dem onstrate the g igan tic upheaving of the earth , o r perhaps more correctly tho bottom of the sea. U nquera Bridgo is about a mile from the Biscay a i l Sea itself, and vessels o f about 100 to 150 tons can come up to it. 'i l ic exports aro nearly ex­clusively calamine and blende, and a y ea r o r so a go they re>w>hed the respectable to ta l o f 10,000 tons, all going to A ntw erp for m anufactuie in to zinc, P ilots are always on the look out, b u t vessels d raw ing only ten feet o f w ater can en ter a t any time. Considering by thia time th a t tho Solent, the E ng lish Channel, and the W estern H ighlands o f Scotland, are, to p u t it mildly, fairly kuow n by onr yachtamen, wc would venture to suggest th a t they should vary the mono­tony of, say, Cowes to Cherbourg o r G ieenoek to Oban by testing the sea-going qualities o f th e ir craft, by

X

facing tlic B ay and findin|? ou t fo r tbeinselvcs in tbo landlocked estuary o f t t o D eya (otlierwiso tlie port o f T ina M ayor) the natu ra l beauties o f northern Spain w hicb w e are endeavouring in th is Yoliime to m ake know n to them and others. Tbo riv e r Deva, w hich divides th e province o f San tander from tha t o f th e A etuiias, is th e beat salmon-stocked n v e r in S p a in ; no licences are required in th e open season, and frequently fish exceeding th ir ty pounds in w eight are cau g h t; tho trou t, too, are m ost delioioua and plentiful. A s tbe riv e r is full o f fish, ao tho hills abound w ith variegat^id flora all the y ea r round. In the sp ring i t is simply poasihlo to ro ll in croouaes, gentians and orchiaes, and aa th e sum m er advances you m ay collect such assorted bouquets as would be rem arkably dear even on a cheap day ( if such a th iug exists) in Covont G arden. I n the beautiful northern S]>ani8h £ill varieties o f heother can be seen, and as to the varieties o f ferns—m aiden-hair being epeeially prom inent— they are am p ly countless On the ahmgly sand surrounding th e lake o r p o rt o f T ina M ayor tho l>otaDiBt wdll find to hia astonisliment several sub- alpine p lanta w hich have been carried down the stream of the D eva from the lofty crags o f the Picos, and here again a fow feiit above sea level can he found the rare heath » ¿ c a ^fo/:kaiana,

L ate r in the year tho flora develofe itse lf most rapidly, and the scent o f the w ild rose and the numerous early flow ering planta cuixy the r e c e n t iu one succession o f pleasant feelings till full blown

eummer arrives, w hen n a tu re in its full robust youth asiort'R itself by flowering trcoa and sbrubs îdnu­merable. W o have seen blossoming close by the N orthern P ostera G ate a low-Iying »hrub w ith a small Jeaf developing a very l a r ^ four-petallcd w hite corolla, which is eo like tbe dog-roso th a t otiteide the p lan t itifeJf i t m igh t easily be taken for it. However, i t flonrislje^ best a t early daw n and

, ftides altogether w ith th e afrong rays o f the sun. A gain, there Is a most curious dim inutive p lan t rising in a stra igh t etem and w ithout leaves, b u tliav in g o n it innum erable amull flowers g iv ing ou t a perfum e th a t Mejsera. Kimmol m ight envy, and wliicb, if collected, woold, w e think, be tu rn ed to most profiiablo and beneficial account. Two apecies o f green flowering anemones, one o f wliich is h igh ly scented, also appear about the la te spricg , ae also does the ord inary wood anem one in its varied colours of w hite, red and bine. A s the mountaina pn>per are approachcxi from U cquera, trees become ta re , not, as we th ink , owing to the ir inability to find nature for development, bu t m ages gone by, as in m ost \vil<l countries, the im provident have utilised Qoà'n gifta for iiiel w ithout th in k in g o f the incum bent du ty o f re p k n tin g tbem ; in fact, much ia barren w here even now flourish the cbeatnut and tbe w alnut. H owever, i t m ust be said o f th is terra incognita w ith in four days irom Eugland tha t tbe near approach o f a village is invariably m r k e d by cultivation o f various sorte, in somo cases trm t treos, such as û ie pear, apple, and plum being

114 T H E E IQ H L A 2 ÍD S O F V A i^ T A J lh lA ; OJi.

prorpm ont, bu t ow ing to tbe strong w inds and ra ins o f w in ter these do no t do ro w ell bs iu o ther parts of “ fiunuy Spain.” A few w ords to the clim ate o f th is lovely spot w ill be useful. In apring and summer i t ie similar to th a t in the south o f E ngland, w ith ju s t the difference o f being a few degrees w arm er in tem perature. P len tifu l ra ins cool tbe atmosphere, bu t cohtinuoiis ra in longer than a day and a h a lf rare ly happens. I n w in ter there is much wind and a good deal o f rain , bu t snow seldom falls. T he villagers theraselves aro happy, km dly people, and gladly welcome the Rtraager w ith in th e ir gates who know s how to behave him seli. In a sedate fashion th e y have a strong sense o f t t e humorous,, and m erry laugh ter is heard much m ore frequently in XJn<iuijra than in m any o f our own n ira l |)uradÍB©« in im maculate E ng lan d ; poverty, as w e understand it, is simply unknow n ; tho cottage homes are plainly b u t suhbiantially fumiehed, th e walls in most cases being adorned w ith a few loud coloured pictures o f religions subjects relieved now and again by a H avana taken photograph o f some child or relative w ho, like BO m any o f tho Cantabrian mouniaineors, has gone to Am erica, as they call th e pearl o f the A ntilles. Conversing w ith some o f these good folks afte r the ir chat w ith th e ir pastor had term inated, we eoon found out w hy i t was lh a t we had passod so m any vau-loads o f em igrants on the ir w ay to join steam er a t Santander du ring our c o a ^ tide th a t day. *‘ A h, S e ñ o r! " said one pleasaut^looking elderly man

to us over a copüa o f red wine, “ you do no t know how wo hato th a t accursed conscription. Is i t not cuougli th a t w e pay taxes and our dues, is i t not enough th a t w e are quiet, orderly people tillin g the fields, going to mass, and spending in as woll us we can the life the good God haa given us, th a t th a t G ovornm cnt u t M adrid should roh us o f our £osh and blood and send our aons to dio in some uuhcaltliy place against th e ir own and th e ir fathers’ will. No, Senor; if m y boys m ust cross tho sen, they shall go as free-born Spaniards, and so mine,” and her© the fa ther looked the tenderness he felt, “ have gone before the tim e the G uvem m entcan claim them , and th e y are now, thank God, learning farm iug w ith my bachelor hrotlier in America. I f Spain was attacked o r invaded, who would no t he a soldier ? O ld as I am, I would go if I was w orth a n y th in g ; h u t i t is white slavery to m ake colonial soldiers o f the good lads who w an t to live w here the ir fathers lived and die where the ir fathers died.'’

T here is, tho reader will observe hy th e foregoing, a bkeleton even in the Spanisli A rcadia w e love so well. In to the ijueation o f the political necessity o f tho conscription w e have no w ish to enter, bu t th a t in the H ighlands o f C antabria i t ia as a burn ing iion, eating out the loyalty of the people to the G<pverument o f M adrid, w e can deliberately affirm, Moffn^is est twiVtM, &c. Shaking liands w ith the old peasant f irm e r we determ ined on p u ttin g up for tho n ig h t a t the hotel kep t hy the b ro ther o f “ P len ty o* waiter,*’ and ju st

I 2

before aunset w e reacbcd tb e briO ge. W estward, ov er Bnstio and the little irm to w hich wc were bouod, tho sinkiDg eun s le d a dark-red glorious halo over tho hiH s; w hile looking to onr loft, tbo lofty crags o f the Picos themselves here and thero ehowxiig n a tu re ’s eternal w hite m antle, reflocted th e w arm rays aad made a p icture h igh up in tb e sky o f a perfect setting o f rubies, pearls, and diaruonds. L eaning over the b ridge and reflecting th a t far away in Southern Seas, ill the d istan t Himalaya/^, o r w here tbe S ierra N evada look dow n on th e vineyards o f fi»tr California, we had n ev er seen any th in g m ore perfect o f its ty p e ; one o f ns q u o t^ tho w ell-know n last lines o f Thomas Ingo ldsby :

“ Afi 1 U y a-iiynk^T ig© ih o go ld en e u n w as b tiik ing ,0 m c rr ie sai^g t h a t Urá tis i t g l i t te r e d o n h e r b r c M t;

\VitI> a thoiiSAiid gorgftOTiB dyofl W h ile a o ir in g to tli<s skica,'W id tb e btAia «he eeem ed to riae

Ajj to l ie r ne^ t.

“ A » 1 U y ft- tb y a k y u g e , >icr m ean in g vras e x p r c j t ;F o llow , fo llow m o »w ay,J t boote B o t to delfiy»’T w a a so, elko seeirif"! to sa y e i

H e re is r e s t ! ”

and go t in rew ard t3ie em inently practical rejoinder of “ Yes, quite so ; i t certainly does boot no t to delay, for if wo do no t h u rry up and g e t t > Tetie’s, th e dinner w ill b eq n ite cold.” T r im th a t hour sentim ent was banished from our even ing conversation, and the trail o f th e serpent was over us all.

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W hou in an EnjjHah country inn you ask w bat they have go t, o r w hat th e y can ffiv© the h u n g ry traveller fo r the refreslim cnt o f the inner man» the reply is gonorally “ any th ing you like, s i r / ’ w hich afterwards resolves itself into “ a nice chop o r steaJc, sir,” o r somo a)Id roast beef and pota.toeB» w ith , in summer time, and thjB rarely , the occasional luxury o f a half-cloaned, half-driod, di*crepit-Iooking^ lettuce. TVhen a t Dnq-nera we le ft the menu o f ou r banquet to Señor Totis, and tb is is thü fere he provided us w ith : V egetable soup, boiled potatoes, beaus and cabbago, and sliced beef and bacon in cubes, pork cutlets witl) touiato sauce aud chicken a liver, fish (trout) cutlets boiled, roast chicken and fried potatoes, cheese, salud, and roast apples, plum pudding ; dessert o f al 1 k ind s ; coiFee and cognac, o r t^a and_anisettci. The generous red wine which g ratu itously acc^mpauied this mo^t substantial meal wa« done ami)Ic justice to, and ligh ting onr pipes os th e cofTee and cognac w ere h rongh t in w e requested onr host H com pany and spent a pleasant hour o r so in conversation as to the fishing and the like. O f fish­in g glories there are no end on th e banks o f the Deva, and a«* they are very m uch like those one hears a t the Invercauld A rm a, B raem ar, thoy are h ard ly w orth repeating h e ro ; but i t stem s th a t in th e little A sturian village o f Bustio there is an exact copy o f Mr. B nm and’s famous ang ler in ‘ Tw ickenham shire/ who was alw ays fishinj^ and novor caught anything. A fter th is Thames-side follower o f lz a a k had been for about sixteen hours dibbling for chub without SUCCCf S

th e ed ito r o f PuTWA tb o u g h t o f enlivening Lim wifh ñ m ild joke, and R a id jocosely, “ W b at the dibbi© aro you doing?” tbe reply wfw to tlio effect tb a t th e bead o f the au thor o f “ H appy Thongbts ” would m ost certainly be punched i f be d id no t keep quiet. A t Buefio Ibero is tbe double o f the irrita ted hero o f M r. B um aud’s story. H e has fished a t tho same spot by U nquera bridge daily for some fifteen years and m ortal eyes haTO aa yet no t seen any result from bie patient labour. I f in terrogated ae to tbe pleasure he finds in ceaseless failure, be rcepoiids i n a fashion w bicb le ts bis questioner know tb a t he is capable o f b rin g in g in very holy names in to w hat may hardly be called, even witb an excess o f cbarity , a rolígious discussion. A nother o f Señor TetLs*« stories ‘w’as th a t o f the astonished Kngliflhman and his “ paUy ally,” as th e b ro ther o f

P len ty o* w attor, yes,” defined tho inim itable Ba¡«of B ritain’s Beerville, Btirton, E ngland. I t soems tb a t a Glasgow gentlem an no t u tte rly unconnected w ith th e m in ing in terests had been inspecting some pro ­perties in tb e Picoa, and as be was unacquainted w ith ^ word o f Spanish his hosts bad w ritten to tb e p ro ­prie to r o f B lanchard’s H otel to m eet tbe coach on its arrival, g i v e bim w hat is know n as a square meal aud le t him have some pale ale. The seeker after calamine and dollars duly arrived and was inform ed b is meal was ready, w hen sitting down he found tb a t his thoughtfu l hosts h ad provided him w ith eix opened quarts o f Bass's export brew , bottled by Beads o f K entish Town. Tlie traveller was speechless from tw o causes;

fo r tha good o f th e honse i t is said he d rank a bottle aod a balf, and as a natu ra l conseqoence fell in to a ch ild lik e slumber w hen going eastw ard in tho coach, bu t w hat lócam e o f tho rem aiudcr Señor Tetis did no t know. The beer-^rinking propensities o f the E nglish are well known, bu t th e m ind o f a Franoo- Spanifih innkeeper m ust be really capable o f b ig ideas w hen he tliinks th a t a m ost tem perate m ining engineer could w ith easo pu t away a gallon and a half o f Boss’s best a t a single sitting.

L ater in the evening tw o commercial travellers ta m e d up in the pleasant little room, w hich is Señor Tetis’s principal apartm ent, and, anxious to learn all w e could, w e soon drifted into conversation. B oth o f ou r n«w-foiind friends woro advanced free-traders, and b itterly regretted for the if own sakes th e pro­h ibitory ta riff which has shnt out B ritish mauu* facturcs in g reat meaeuro from tbe Spanish m arket. Num erous inRtancee wero g iven on th e injustice o f th e protective duties, especially in regard to common necessaries o f life, w hich aro bo cheaply manufactured in this country. One o f the intelligent bagm en referred to inform ed us th a t a customer o f his, an “ Amuricano," who had resided for some tim e in England, insisted on hav ing one o f Brinsmoad’a best pianos, and, as a oonsequenco o f its being o f British m anufartnre, his firm, aud o f course th e ir client too, had to pay a d u ty o f £ 1 2 10^^ wheroas if i t had been o f French o r G^«lman m ake i t would only have had to pay £ 8 . I t says m uch, how ever, for ou r m anu­facturers o f ecrtain classes o f goods th a t they arc ablo

At all to hold th e ir own a j^ in s t snch untkir competi­tion. W hen the ta lk ing left tho subject o f Frce-trado versufi Protection, and drifted towards the rospeclivc m erits o f Kepuhlican o r M onarchical governments» tbe reten tion o f G ih raltar h j B rita in under such a tn i ly “ L ib e ra l” and “ peace-loving” m inister as Mr. G ladstone, we suddenly found tb a t ou r co«ch journey liad v e ry m uch tired ue, and th a t to ensure the succees o f the pedestrian w ork to he done on the following day, i t w as absolutely nocessary to go to bcsi. A ccordingly, am id clouds o f tobacco smoke, wo aaid bueno n o c h e and adkft to our commercially- trave lling frionds, and w ere eoon fab*t asleep in Señor Tetis’s clean lavender-perfum ed sheet«, dream ing of eomo such impossibility as th a t o f tho heroic defence o f the “ K ock” by Mr. .fobn B right, ab ly uiisisted by a strong contingent o f the “ P erish Ind ia ” con- fratornity.

WheD tbe b righ t sunshine woke us in the m orning the concert o f the D eva was in full sw ing ; tho old gentlem an w ith his rod was, as our host had told ua, a t his usual fiehing-for-uothing post by the bridge;, the sky wa¿í brilHantly blue, a tempered breeze irom tho n o rth was cooling the valley o f the river, and under these ¿ v o u ra b k circumstance«, and in light m arching order, for our knapsacks w ere to follow hy ih© coach, w e said good-bye, afte r coffce and bread and buttijr (and such b u t te r !), to U nquera and its bridge, and fearing notliing made on foot for the main g a te a t Pane«, The northern postern gate w as pas.sed and won.

«

i l É M Í T il I I I I

C H A P T E R X I.

T B E M A i y G A T B O P P A N E S .

I t will be noted from the beadin^^ o f thi.9, the pre- coding and otber chapters, tb a t w e bave constituted tbo Picua de Europa, th e most lofty o f th e H ighlands o f Cantabria, ioto a so rt oí* fortress, and in no boasting spirit Wu th in k tbo idea a v e ry lhappy one. Re­garding tbe Picos thcmsolve.«? as tbe citadel, th e y are only to be approached by tw o ioads o r ^ te a , ono ûom the north and tlio otber from the south ; aud ao strangely ba#? nature iu th e eccentricity o f h e r As­to n an mouDtains clung to the similitudo o f a castlo, tb a t tbese roads pass th ro u g h gorges w bich distinctly m ark, like gate#?, progress to and from tbe h ea rt o f tho w ildest portion o f a ll ftpaic.

The Ga?>etteorB tlia t wo consulted about tho Can­tabrian region w hen wo first th o u g h t o f exploring it, w ere no t consolatory reading— far from it. One said little is know n about these m oiintains; there aro no roads ; band itti abound, and provisions, oxcept th e very coarsest food, are scarce and deai. T hat is the playful G azetteer a ll ovep. L ittle is known, be says, and then on t o f his inner oonscious- ne*s be evolves all th a t can be posaihly said against

122 T H E rn Q T IL A N D S O F C A H T A B Ü IA ; Oi?,

a country o f w hich he adm ite L b iguoraiice. The road, which would suit any k ind o f cyclist, l>cÍDg adfoirably kep t in order, wiude over some low hills •wliich w arden th e northern postern gate, aud ih iu (iesceuds in to the valley o f th e m urm uring Deva, and fo r some ccmsiderable distance keeps th a t ri ver’s r ig h t bank. I n aumicer, this D eva is a beAutifnlly clear, limpid stream, sing ing its w ay to T ina Mayor, b u t in w in te r a tu rb id and strong-flowing torrent. W hen the descent in to th© valley has been m ade the main gate is approacliod, and if the reader takes our advice and goes and secs for himself, he will find bimaelf in a gorg^ w hich fo r oonsurainate grandeur w e deliberately affirm has no rival in Europe. Our jo in t ex})erience in tho m ountain f is tn e se s of N orthern In d ia and o f o ther h ig h lands u n d er the S tar-spangled B anner and tbe Southern Cross, to say no th ing o f the pleasant Swiss country, may be some guarantee th a t the enthusiasm w e felt in passing th e m ain gate o f Panes, and which w e are now endeavouring to express, Is no t th e gush o f the untravelled , bu t ra th e r th e real tru e feeling o f those who know w hat beauty is, bu t have found some­th in g exceptionally majestic.

A mile o r so afte r reaching tbo level o f the Deva the exceedingly p re tty v illage o f P anes is reached, and before us stretches an undula ting plain blocked in completely by th© spurs o f tho Picos, w hile in front traversing in stern solemnity is the pioneer m ountain o f th© Picos, the very strik ing peak of

Penam ellera. O nr photograph w ith the lonely chxirch by the road side, and where the ever faithiiil Spanish CatboIicR have heard mass for aome nine centnries or moro, givefl b u t a fa in t idea o f the g randeur o f the approach to the m ain gate. In our opinion i t Boems to dw arf the aplendid wildneas o f tb e approacli to a defile which, kia Mr, B all Rays, has nothing to approach i t in Europe, except porhapa in a small d e^ w j th a t o f the B ronta between Pinnolano and RaawDo, through which th a t r iv e r finds its \vay from the mountains o f tho Tyrol in to the plains o f V euctia.

G azing upw ards a t the limestone m onntaiu aenti- nels a t th is m a ^ if c e n t m ain gate, tho thoughtful trave lle r will a t onoe he struck w ith tho am azing w eariiig forcc o f w ater, w hich has cu t tbrouffh10,000 feot o f rock deep, deop down, so tlia t tho ra ins o f valleys south o f these g re a t heights shoidd em pty themselves into tb a t deposit o f a ll w aters, the w ide sea. I t is certainly strange th a t tho Deva, rising from m any small sources to the south o f tho Pioos, say al>out fifty m ik« from the bay, baa litera lly found it« w ay w itbont a fall o f 500 feet, th ro u g h g igan tic m ountains 10,000 feet h igh , whoso poaks are usually covered w ith snow. W e do not know o f any aimilar instance in all our travoU or reading. O f the Dcva i t m ay certain ly be said__

“ T lie rcMsks stood a g a in s t m© a n d w© w ro«tlod,B u t I b a r s t from th n h o ld in g o f th o i i hAtids,

B ro k e ftrom th « i r h o ld in g 4n d w e n t s l ip p m ^A nd »hiding in to lo w e r lan d s .

“ X caro lled a s I w o n t, a n d tb e w oodlaad«S m iled a8 tn y bound m Q rm ur«d "by;

A o d tb<» L ird s o n th e w ifig h e a rd m e aiT \^ n g A n d Meat m o a bleseiD g from th e sk y ,

“ B ill 1 l a o ^ ^ a s I le f t th e m in i}i« bUosLine,T h c ro w a« n e v e r a u g h t o f r«« t fo r me.

T il l T n i in g l id m y w a te r w i th th© oc«ttn,T il l 1 « m g in th e ohoru« o f th e e«a.”

N ear tlic river’s source is a vory im portan t town which w ill be descrihid la ter on, aiid the small fell ot w ater on tlie Deva’g p a s ia ^ th io u g h tlie m om itain passes o f thu Pfcos attracted the atten ­tion o f th e Spanish G overnm ent, who instructed a commiflfijon o f engineers to report on the feasibility o f canalising the stream aa ta r a« Potes, the town referred to . The sto ry runs tlia t w ith g re a t pomp, and doubtless w ith considerable cxfKmse, the expe­dition 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 they thought th e scheme perfectly practicable. B u t alas for the ir hopes! a little h ig h e r up th e y discovered a small collection o f boulders ly ing in th e stream , o f the w eigh t perhaps o f a thousand to n s ; and aa this limestone collection had evidently fallen from tho heigh ts above, w here there wus p len ty m<iro to follow if need be, the coiumiftfiion returned dis­heartened, o f course, and abandoned the absiord idea. The fact o f such an expcditiou s ta rtin g a t a ll shows the ignorance which exists even in Spain o f the C antabrian mountains— in fact, there is no such thing

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as a proper map o f th is regfion a t aD, W'e liave said lha t the road is perfect—in feet we do no t know any m ountain road equal to i t I t is nearly on a dead level for tw enty miles, and men are constantly keepiDg i t in tlio beet state o f repair. TLe handsome stone hrtdges which cross the Deva and other stream s are models o f the ir kind, and, as shown in one o f ou r photographs, a low stone wall protects th e unw ary traveller from felling into the Dcva, which runs parallel w ith th e road nearly all the w ay through tho Pioos. This I'Oad w as finished ahoijt I fir>8, and certainly reflects the very highest (!rediton the Spanish G overnm ent. AV here th e old road wont, w e have been uaahlo to trace a t the northern entrance, h u t as we were told hy the v illagers a t Panes th a t a jo n m ey from tho seaboard to Potes used to tiike two days (tho coach now takes eigh t hoorw, heing about four to five miles an hour), we presume tlia t the travelU rs in old days did no t follow the course o f the Deva, but w en t from vilki?© to village, never dream ing o f the simple expedient o f u t 'l id n g the batiks o f tho r iv e r as a roadway, which, aa we have said, tho Govern­m ent have done. I t is sirange th a t in i ln r w y s Spain (the 1882 edition) no t the least m ention ia mado o f this bcaati folly level road nor o f the day coaches, th a t onahle thoso unable to walk, to see something o f these glories o f A sturian nature.

B a t i t should he stated th a t shortly before en tering the actual gorge it«elf, the rem ains o f a very ancient bridge exist, w ith an arch in perfect

proportion, one Lalf hang ing over w ith ivy. W e g ive an illuetraiion from a photograph taken by us in a m ost difficult situation (as in lac t nearly all th e views given to ou r readers in thia volume were) eloee by th is relic o f the pa¿it, w hich romains íq strange juxtaposition to the modern metallod road. A bout a fix)t o r tw o above the bed o f th e cold w ater o f tho awift-flowing D eva iesucs a h o t alkali sp ring held in g rea t repu te for euro o f rheumatiísm and o ther a m ila r com plain ts; i t is bu t a apriag, h a t for hundreds o f years the poor for miles around Lave come to bathe th e re ; and although no bathing-Louae has been bu ilt a t the spot its health-giving cclebrity is annnally spreading w ider and w ider. Quito recently tw o en terprising jRnglisbraen well know n to the authors have though t eo higlily o f its curativo properties as to pay for a perm anent concession o f the spring , w ith a view to building a large hotol and an eztenfQVG bath ing establishm ent for tho richcr people w ho come here to find a healing h o t bath. A b w e pasned along the road we ohf?orved a so rt of te n t over th e spring, thie te n t really eonsieting o f a couple o f b lankets spread from boughs o f trees, with a n elderly m an ev idently keeping w atch and w ard out* side. E nqu irin g who was w ithin, he replied civilly enough th a t a lady who had had the “ rhcum atica’* very badly o f late wae ineide, and i f w e liked to eee her w e could. Quite a maidonl)' b ln eh ‘suffused our bronzed countenancee as we politicly bu t firmly refused to in te rru p t the señora a t h e r medicinal ablutions.

T S S £ K 7 )A 7 $ F H O J i E N O L A X D , 127

W e aro now well in our castle; bu t even our photograplia can do no juRtice to the g randeur o f the pass, o r show the altitude o f the niouiitains. A s you advance by the wood close to tbe rivor-bed, tho scenery develops every second* now you have a tow ering height o f six to seven thousand feet in & ont o f you, and tn rn in g round behold g rea t masses o f isolated rock w inch had before escaped your notice in the bewildering walls of limestone which on aJl sidea surround and tower above you. Tho V ia ifa la , the Simplon, and other ]>aR8es are g rand enough for an hour o r so, hu t tl.e gorge o f tho Picos finrpaBses either in magnificence, boing, in faet, between tw enty and th ir ty miles in length. T he canons o f the S ierra N evada o r the To«omiie have no th ing to show to th is ; and y e t th is unlsnuwT) country is only four days’ journey from Chari ng Cross Station. R ver- flow ing (ascades are continually parsed, faUing from g re a t heights, a a d these aie abeolutely Jinod with th a t moet delicate o f a ll ferns, tbe maiden-iiair. So prolific is th is fern in the pass o f tho m ain gate, th a t w e wondered t i a t somo enterprisfcg florists like Cutbuah Lave no t sen t a c]ork ou t to fill baBkets o f th is fem for th e ir retail cnstomcre. W o present th a t em m ent fiim w ith this gratuitous biDt, fo r w hich they ough t lo he grateful.

In these damp 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, bn t on closer iuspeclion we ound to be more delicate and more beautiful. TV'e

128 TT11Ù H ia U L A ÿ D S O F C A N TA B f{TA : 0/î.— ......... ......................... ................. ------- ^have done our best to iraport thin p ian t into England, hu t so far have failed, th© a W n c e o f ite native a ir being probably tlie cause, Aa a Inn t to botanists, w c sliould say th a t i t is cvidejitly a p lan t w tich is nu rtu red on hydrate o f Hmo. The &eenery is limeetonc, road and riv e r ; fo r mile afte r mile no t a ho\i«e ifl to be seen, y e t so varied aio the limestone forniations, so awoetly sings tbo river, and so ffood ia tb e road, th a t the pedeatriau who can eee w ith his eye«, and th ink w ith liis licad, w ill find the tim e only too abort. Novk' the go rge will enlarge a little , and then i t w ill narrow again ae abrup tly . N ow it seems as if cscape, except by flying, w as impossible; the walls o f limeetone are all Rurrounding, aud if tbe trave lle r looks upw ard w itb a view o f g e ttin g away, be w ill h ea r again and again the m ountain eagle’s peculiar no te , o r tbe n ig h t owPs m ore diemal ^ u n d .

T be balf-w ay boxisc th rough the pai» h the little ' inn o f TJrdon ; and though the quick pedestrian w ill do tbe d i s t a n t from U nquera in a few hours, wo bave lovingly lingered over one o f th e g rand eet develop- mente o f n a tn ie we liave ever seen. I f th e paes of Panee,if the tow ering liraeatone m ountiins snrrounded in th e low er lands and on tb e ir spurs hy foresta o f oak and olive trees, i f a region w here th e rains o f w in ter and t)»e genial w arm th o f summer gene­ra te the rarest plants, docs no t interest the traveller and m ake him reflect ou tb e littleness o f m an and the greatness and goodness o f G od and H is creation,

uotkiiig ever w ill A nd y e t there aro people liko this. W e rem em ber once on a voyage from the City o f th e Golden G ate to AncklaJid po in ting out to a follow-paseenger th e flower-wreathed atolls o f tlie ti^outh Sea. A h ,'“ aaid H is Serone In telhgence o u t friend, “ those are atolls, are thoy ? I wonder they are no t more punctual in serving lu u ch /’ B u t th a t mai2, WG aro g lad lit say» was a miserable exception, and tbe g reat m ajority o f m ankind love n a tu re and revel in it. There are those who are perhaps tired o f the hackneyed Sw itzerland o r lih in e , and wo aay to them , t ry tlie Picos, w alk if you possibly can, from U nqucni to the inn o f U rdoc ; f o i ^ t all about poKtica, tbe Stock E x c h a n ^ , dates o f bills payable, and w hat to do w ith your h o y s; and if you don’t sleep a t U rdon a liappier and a w iser m an, tho jo in t author» o f thia w ork will be exceedingly sorry. The Iniauties o f natn re wore given by a beneficciit Creator for man’s en joym ent; wo havo seen her g randeur iu Cantabria, and w e w ant o thers to go and enjoy i t like w e have ourselves. In onr CDtbusiasm about the scenery, however, we have forgotten one very im portant item, >md th a t is, in the village o f Panes, w hich o f course is on the northern side o f the gorge, are tw o excellent hostelries, th a t kep t by Seííor Manuel Gomoz being, in fiict, a model o f a m ountain hotel, an<l would sham e m any o f the eetahlishmontg in Scotland. W e have no authority for saying so, bu t we understand th a t if the Spanish G overnm ent did no t charge so heavy a tax on

K

ßigti-boards Señor Gomez in tended to have a board p u t ou t w ith , on th e n o rth aide, these Hnes ;

B efore you ven tu ro th is boro p a « ,T a l e a good n^fr«6hjng gla«»>

and on tbe south a d e :

N ow you’re o r e r ta k e another.T o n r d rooping s p ir i t i to rocovof \

aud thus follow th e example o f the well-known inn- kooper o f Penm aenm aw r, in N o rth W ales.

O n tho last oceaidon, however, w hen w e passed th rough th is v illage o f Panes, ev idently derived from p a n (b read), as the place whero th a t neceeeify is m anu& ctured for th e neighbouring mountaineers, w e suppod a t th e Estanco Naciimalt w hich, as is often th e ease, is a hostelry as w e ll H ere w e fered r ig h t sumptuously.

The excellent landlady o f th is G overnm ent eetob- Hshment, who m nst be anonym ously im m ortal, as ^we havu, to our shame bo i t said, forgotten h e r Rponse's nam e, is n o t only a mistress o f tho divine a r t of cookery (an eighteenth ceu tm y Choctaw Ind ian ou the w arj» th would have beeu soothod by such a m eal as w e had), b u t adds to h e r other accomplish­m ents a keen in sigh t into hum an character based ou—noses, L ike the first D uke o f W elliugton, ehe is a firm believer in th e lucky possessors o f large and prom inent nasal organs, h e r own being specially prom inent, and tts one o f ua boaste a typical Rom an

ca«t o f fcaturo, she langhingly «aid U) her hushand as w e entered, thu t to one a t least o f th e Sen ore Ingleee bLu m ust be related, seeing how much alike w ere our prom ontories o f intelligence and w it. H er lord and m aster, who affecte a nose o f uncldseioal size and shape, said i t w w a good jo k o ; hu t perhapa, hke the famouB parro t, thought the more. I n the har-n>om of this istanco is one o f those cxirious placards o f advice wliich one occasionally sees in out-of-the-way publii>house4B iii England, ita p u rp o rt being— “ Come m here often, drink moderately, )>e good company, pay the reckoning, go home quietly, be a t peaco with all men.” Porbape i t ia a, far cry from P anes to (xkiagow, h u t in a certain warehouae on the Clyde side we have fc«d a m uch m ore sa tiria il notice than th e one jua t q\ioted. I t is headed “ IIourB o f Busi­ness,’ and thuB proceeds: “ From 9 to 12 w e see insurance agents, lightning-rod sellers, and people w ho sell books in n u m U rs ; from 12 to 2, missionaries out o f collar w itli colieeting caids, profuRsronal m endicants, and m en w ith church Bubscriptlons on the b ra in ; from 2 ti ll 5, and a ll day, commercial travellers, and in fact anybody who likes to call, make themselves a t home, smoke about the plaoo, and loungo and gc«®p. W e attend to ou r own business in th e middle o f the ni^hl.'‘

C H A P T E R X H .

T H B n i Ü E K S T P I O O P .

PbJKHAPS our bappiest pbotograpli is th a t o f tbe little inn a t U rdon, and thu tow ering masses o f h*mo- stone mountaing th a t precipitately rise behind this modüBt little hostelry. To the trave lle r w ho wisiica to thoroughly enjoy th is m ost bcautilul i*egion wh w ould say, h reak th e jo u rn ey a t TTrdon, as> for the içenial landlord Santiago, a a d in h a lf an hour hu w ill show you aa fin© scoucry as you m ay find iji E urope. T he house itsulf is a little more th a n a roilo from any hum an habitation, and beirig clean and OüUifortaVile, is an excellent “ sU y o v e r” place for thoso who can exist fo r a few days w ithont the luxuries o f a P a ll M all club, uod cooking wr)rthy of LclmoDico’s chef. Looking upw ards, one o f th© mobt perfect oi* m ountain torrents joins the noisy D eva to the left o f Sttutiago'fi in n , and i t is thie stream which tu tu s the hoaffl mill, fo r he combines tlio three avocations o f licensed victualler, as we should eay, m iller, and general btoro-dcalur. L ike m any other inns and private houses in tbe m ore remote parts of Spain, Santiugb can boast o f » clock w hich always

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Btrikee the Houfr twice—the second time being*, we presum e, a rtm iu d cr to g e t T ip or go to bed, or keep th a t noarly-forgottcn uppoiiitment, T he m akers o f those double-striking clocks, however, could never have contem plated the new way o f reckoning tim e— a clock th a t would, say, twice strike tw enty-three would, w e tliink, afte r timo be voted a n unm iti­gated nuisance. A e a rule, in ru ra l Spain books and newspapers are rare ly m et w ith . T he g re a t m ajority o f the adu lt population can neither read n o r w rite, and if thoy did they would, in our opinion, care little for books o r w hat ia going on in the outside world, In Bilbao itself, for instance, th e re are only tw o o r three small daily sheets a j newspapers. 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 quite a sm all lib ra ry o f good books, m ostly o f ancient date, bu t a ll beaiing marl?8 o f hav ing boon extensively read, bu t w hether hy Santiago o r his &miJy w e did no t inqoire. One o f these works waa a sort o f Spanish iieCuUoeh’s D ictionary o f Commerce published in i la d r id m ore th a n fifty years ago. The au thor was evidently an advanced Free-trader, and h is denunciations o f the absurdly protective ta riff o f h is country would he salutary read ing a t the present day. I n thia quaint collection o f literature— is i t no t Charles L am b wiio says th a t no th ing ia more deUghtful to find hidden aw ay m a window-sill cupboard o f an old p rciing 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

broniçht aw ay w ilh us. Tho letterpress was se t up a t V alladolid about fifty years ago, bu t the accompany- injf reproduction o f the rem arkable woodcnfH wliich illustrate the tex t w ill show tb e least learned o f our readers in an tiqnarian m atters tb a t th e “ b læ k s ” Lave done heroic du ty for the ir country 's ballads for a t least two centuries, perhaps a good deal more.

Santiago boasts other things besides hia library— he ie a very practical man, and h is chief mundauc g lo ry ie his b ig p ig . The loving w ay in whieh he would reflectively look a t th a t fat porco was am azingly funny to w itness, bu t i t tem pered our m irth to consider th a t long oro these lities would roach our readers and onr critics th a t p ig would know U rdou do more. I n tho m atter o f cuisine S<uitiago's hostelry can l>e strongly reeommended, considering where the placo is situated. I lia good spouse, who m ust know no thm g o f th e meribd of A llan 's A ntifat, w ell looks afte r th a t most notcssary kitchen, and she has quite m astered the a r t o f pro­v id ing a m ost dollcious siipper fo r two h u n g ry pedestrians, a luscious tro u t ju s t taken from the D ova's bed being a prom inent feature o f the meal. T o those who do no t en tertain an invincible dislike to garlic in a modjficd form w e would warm ly eommond our U rdou host*« ckeriias o r sausages, made from pork tro tte rs , pepper, and apiceH, W e consider them no t on ly first-class eating , b u t a fine stomachic, bu t then chacun à ^ n goài ; and wo have so often roughed i t on dam per and sp ra ts in oil

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—c a l le ^ r d in to — th a t perhaps on r judgm ent iu theae m atters in no t to be al\K^>^ rched ou. W© give our own ©xperieuco and opinion for w hat i t is w orth. Somcitimee boiled yam s and sa lt havo beeu more enjoyable eating than a fift^n-conrse d inner a t the Cafe Yoiaia in P aris . L ike th© boys w ho will deetroy th e ir sisters' mcohanical dolls to find ou t how the th iu g w orks, w© determ ined to penetra te into the culinary sanctorum aud discover w here all theee i?ood th ings w ere prepared fo r our d e lig h t I t was a «pacious room, w ith a noble firo-place w here potswere boiling.

Seats wer© all round th is rea lly old-tashioned hoartb, and by th© j?low o f the woodeu embers jokes were bandied out, stories o f by-gono days told, village gossip retailed, and w hen the ashes o f the Isujt pipe had been knocked out wo re tired lo a cosy little double-bedded room, and our hillaby l«6ing Rung by tho Deva on its w ay to the sea, w e w ere soou tended b y N urse Sleep.

Tlie climb to the m ountain-tops o f the h ighest Picos m uR t be oommencod a t XJrdon, and the path on leaving the in n is to tho rig h t o f th a t building. I t is a plain, unpretending m ountain highw ay, al)out h a lf the brea<lth o fth e G overnm ent road, b u t w hether the aaeCDt ia made in daylight o r in the calm tw iligh t a t th© close o f a Spanish sumraer day, the ti-avcller should cortainly no t ia ij to note the extraordinary physical fealurea o f th e crags w hich li© clos© to this m ost rom antic portion o f the ABhirian provinco.

W itLin a atoiicB throw o f the inn there is facing tbe m ain road a cavoru, now need ae a k ind o f slielter for goafs and sheop, which, viewed w ith somo o f the iden.R our Spanieh travels engender in our miiid» m ight I)© held to ho tlic entrance to some Rock Dom<m’s cafitîe. A v e ry narrow pathw ay zigzags to its entrance, and if the tou rist ia disposed to travcrso th is goat-track he will be rew arded by a good view o f tho deep and black in terior o f th e cîïve. O f conree cavctns are common enough in a ll moun­tainous couutrica, bu t if the reader has the least artistic eye he w ill eco m uch m ore th a n black cave« presum ably occnpied hy hobgobline, b u t ivally by goata. C a ^ upw ard, reader, tako in the precipitoue crags riaing atra igh t np on either sido o f yon, and if your im aginative anil a r t powers have no t been destroyed altogether by too mueh o f the scenery of the U nderground Kailway, you w ill 8o q the faitliful repreeentaticii o f two rnined castlea, th e towers, gate ways, entranece, k e e p , and outer fortifications all complete, and thia dark cavern, the photograph o f which as shown by Tis can give no idea o f the boaiitifid tin ts o f brow n, grey , and even groon forms, th e only apparent ingress to ou r châteaux m Æepaffnff created perhaps hy our fancy, b u t which w e venture to th in k w onld be noticed by other eyee than ours. O n tho first occasion w hen w e eaw the cavern, in fro n t o f its dark en trance w as a «mall iattioe-work o f rudely com?tructed houghs to keep in th e animuJs enclosed for the n igh t— dowu the deep

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g c a ^ o f the limestone crags some s tray rays o f the setting sun had w andered, and we wished no t only for thü pen o f a word pain ter, bu t for the scieiicc yet to be, o f piiütogniphy in colours, to do simple justice to the scenc th a t mot our gaze. I n these strango freaks o f nain re th is neighbourhood abounds. H igh up in the Picos can be discerned from the inn o f U rdon tw o m ost astounding natijral bridgee, th rough which a t certain hours o f the day the sun shines aa th rough a lens. These have never been exph)red. T he natives know little abont them , and care loi«a, and as tliey are on the Santander side o f the D eva— and littlo love is lo rt between th e people o f th e two provinces, or, rathor, they aro no t jo sh in g over eacli o ther— Santiago and b is friends could toll us no th ing ; perhaps som eday some W liym per o f the H igh Linds o f Oaiitabria will unfiirl the Union Jack from one o f these natural bridges, whiclj are to be seen g litte ring iu the suu some GOOO feet above the valley o f the Deva a t Urdon. Santiago is c e rtiin to aak thu tou rist w hether he has seen the “ Cathedral,’' and althoi^çh w e have often stayed a t U rdon, and evuu photographed thu spot, i t wna only on oup Jaet depar­tu re tlia t w e appreciated w hat he m eant. One dusky night, however, w ith tho fain test o f moons, and an atmosphere sJightly misty, w e wore taken by our landlord about 500 yards from h is house, and in an instan t th e phantaam agoria w as before us— a grand Gothic cathedral w ith tw o tow ers rose before onr vision as if by m agic ; one o f th e towers was slightly

broken &r if ftam age o r Ix^m baidm ent; tho doors wore well m arked, and apparently Bculptnre o f the m ost delicate natu re rose above it. The structuro was gigantio, and almoat excitcd feelings o f reve- rontial awe. In daylight w e tried to see the edifico again from th© same ground, bn t all in vuin : i t was evidently tbo w eird fancy o f the n igh t, and like a

summer’s dream faded w ith the first rays o f the ritiiitg ann.

W e have to ¿jet to Trcsviso, and th e sooner we s ta rt the bettor. On a very ligh t lunch o f a cherita o r so and bread, washed dow n w ith red wine, we eaid good-bye for a few days to host Santiago and U rdon, and made fo r the h igher Picos, the homes of the bear and th e chamois. A gain w e started no t over onciimbcred with baggage, as ou r obliging friend th e innkeeper insiirted on sending up our knapsacks by one o f his people who had business a t the quaintly remote village w hich was our destination. The lield-glasscs were sccurcd, and a littlo £aak filled w ith diluted spirits carefully pocketed, while a m ih tary canteon th a t has dono yeom an's service for its ow ner in niany a b lood ies fight in KngUah and Colonial m anœuvres, w as filled to the brim w ith tho pure cauae o f the melody o f the riv e r we were leaving, and du ly slung, and aw ay w e started— “ outw ard and upw ard hound."

F o r perhaps h a lf a mile tbe narrow road by which WG wish to conduct the reader to the h ighest Picos folioWB the m ountain stream or r iv e r (we do not

know its name), first on tho r ig h t bank aud then on the left ; a tu rbulen t to rren t below a lo v e lj wooded, fcrned and shrubbed compainon to th e pathw ay on the left. A bove us rises a 6000*feet sheer precipice of cavem ed and crevassed rock, from w hich dizzy height the “ e u te rp iia n g goatle t when a m ining ,” now and again sends a rem inder o f its existence hy playfully sending a boulder o r tw o iu to the stream below. P ew accidents, however, have happened from this HOTjrce, bu t i t ahonid be rem arked th a t nature afte r very w et w eather is much m ore respon­sible fo r falling stones in th e Picos th a n all the rock- remo vm g goafs in the province. Thia wo do not doubt will serve as a word o f w arn ing aud caution to those who will follow our steps. Before th e real aacont is commenced a moat picturesque wooden bridge is passed^ as shown iu th e photograph from this spo t; i t is jufit as well to contem plate the road upwards, for “ E xcelsior” is the motto fo r th e day. The load up a precipice o f 6000 feet is hefoi'o us, and from the 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 wonderfully oouatructed road, thia mountain path to Tresviso; i t lakes advantage ot every gully, o f every rock, and every vantage point, going steadily upw ards and onw ards iu siigzag fw hion all on the face o f the m ountain side. A t timea, m f a c t , as o f eourse, the path is v e ry tiring ,

u t i t is « 0 well made as no t to cause a n average pedestrian mueh distreso. W ater o r hqu id refresh­

m ent should always be taken, aa .no t a drop ie to be had the wliole w ay. Tho scencry o f tbo valley as takon in from the Icdg^ walk ou w hich jo u are w alking is g rand , bu t very barren aud rockv. A fter go ing somcdTfttance w itb fa irly comfortable gradients you Jiave to face a s tra ig h t incliTie o f about one in five, aud thia continue« for about a tboTisand yards o r more, and hero i t ie th a t tlio bold m ountaineer w ill first appreciate th e fw t ' tlia t lio is no longer tm versiug the flags o f F lee t S treet, the green eward of H yde P ark , o r oven tho gweot shady side o f P a ll Mall. Tbis mcliDo, too, is a perfect srm-trap, and in all our vigoroTis Q jountaiueeriug experience in m uch higher altitu<les, wo havo never felt m ore exhausted than w© have a t tb is p a rtic u k r spot in tbe com paratively Bfieaking short road to Tresviso. Y et, w heu the mines close by th a t place were hoing worked, biJloek Cttrts duaceTidcd to tho riv e r level by th isv e iy path , aud tw o bullocks would b rin g down, say a tou or tw o o f ore, daily a ru(e, w itiiout accident. A easnalty, however, means instantaueous death, for as before s ta ta l, tbo road cau be seen from the bridge below tlio altitude, a t th is point being slightly more tban 6000 feet. O f course there have boen fatal accidents on th is ascent, bu t they are few and far between, and tfio novice in m ountain work should be cautious jn bow be goeg near t}ie edge o f th e predpico o r o f b is fbot-hold o f t)»e ground w hen loose stones abound- Tbero ie, however, no real danger for the seiisible. l-’ools and practical

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jokers ba4 far better stay a t Santiago e, and from his comfortable rerandah coutomplatc th e fa t p ig of the ir time. Tlioro are storiefl, too» o f this ascont auythiiig bu t consoling to the Tory Britisli notion th a t, as in every th ing else so tv*o lead the van o f the wide wide w orld in moutitaiii climbing, and th a t in matt<!r o f norve wo are eimply unapproachable in oTjr eupromacy. W ell, tbe U rdon folks, ajid in tiiis the inhabitan ts o f TresviBo are agreed, do say, tb a t onoo upon a tin^e, and no t so very lon^ ago citbor, a certain Englislim an o f som ew hat over th e middle stature, being in fact as long as six feet four, tiianaged (notwithatandinghiB eTident terror), by keeping away from the precipice on the one side, and by hu^ijing the rock on tbo otber, to strugi^le u p to the v i l la ^ abovo, bu t when he w as obliged to ro tu m he conld no t ])0S8ibly stand u p rig h t and contemplate the depths below w ithon t vertigo—and ra th e r unLcroic- aily finished his Spanifsb experience o f m ountain­eering^ by descend iog on all fours b'^cW aids, necessitating, on his nltimato arrival a t Urdon, a certain patch being inserted iu the hinderm ost portion o f his nether garinont, W e attem pted to take a photograph o f the view from tliis precipitouf? cliil w ith tlie wisb to show the low er bridge from the h e ig h t; b u t th e eamei'a would no t obey us a t tbo angle, and i f i t had been possible, i t would havo had to have been lashed w ith lens dtnmicardB, a position rare ly taken even in modern photography o f the most advanced school. Perhaps Messrs.

BoniiJi? and Soiall, o r some o ther ^^reat scientlsl.R in th is art, w ill succced whoro w e have most dismally fai lod.

Tho m ountain to iren ta which em pty themselves in to the Deva a t U rdon seem to have, liko the ir h igger sister, cu t tho ir w ay deop down almost to the eea-lcve], and as you ascend even h ig h e r than the spot wo have ju s t referred to, you can Rtill hear th e ir ceaseless roaring. I n fact, from the peipou“ dienlar precipicu on w hich yon stand, a little h igher up i t is no th ing mcire o r less th a n a sheer fall of som ething like 6000 feet in to the bed o f the stream . W hen a t last, after a hard toil o f tw o hours’ duration, w e reached a greeu plateau near th e miuca o f Tres­viso, how welcome was the rest and the sigh t of the g reen grass, how sparkling was the cool Deva w ater (we w ill modeatJy say no th ing about th a t Kttle flask), and how pk^aed we felt th a t w ithout over- fatigue o r w orry wo had done th e ascent in fair A stu rian achedule tim e ” ! A fter a well-earned lounge on tho award, gazing dow n th e valloy of roeka w a lk d in hy o ther ranges o t ra th e r S|>urB of th e Pieo&- afte r noticing how the ir w hite crags w ere lit u p fancifully by tbe playftal afternoon Hun, w e again trudged ouwards and upwards, and aomo 500 feet fiarther w e found oui solves wolcomed most cordially by Don F aim o o f Tresviso, in other words, M r. Jam es P on tife s Woods, a gentlem an who with his aoeompliahed wife and tw o children aud iw o domeaties, oue English and one Spanish, pioneers the

Picoa for the benefit oi* m inoralogical roacarcH, and the developnaont o f the rich j>ookets which sarrouud his certain ly re tired location. O f oitr kindJy hospi­table reception a t tho hands o f M r. Woods and hie ftimily we w ill say b u t little , except th a t i t was w hat anybody who knows au g h t o f h im and his suironnd- ings would expcct. T lie best he liad a t hie disposal waa onrs— and tendered in such a laahion ae no t to be easily forgotten. A nd h av in g aaid this, w hat more can we say? Mr. W oods' house is a snbstantial wooden building o f the bangaJow order, sitnate on the side o f th e m ountain, and i t commands, && per­haps we need n o t eay, view s o f g rea t beauty aud interest. A smal) flower aud vegetable garden extends to the cliff side, aud attached to the houee is a fonall stable for a pony o r donkey. M r. Woods being a g reat naturalist, w e w ere no t surprised to find th a t the walls o f his reception-room wero literally covered from floor to ceiling, and ceiling too, with epecimens o f birds and the lik e ; th e skin o f a gigan­tic chamois killed close by the house adorned ouu corner, while the outspread winge o f a îa i^e eagle in another showed tlia t there was local sport in the air ae well aa on tho land, W e have no space fo r a catalogua o f Mr. Wood a’ curioaitios—to tlie intereatcd they alone are well w orth the trudge up tbo mouu- ta iu pathway. Perhaps a t the tim e w hen wo first saw them wc were m ore anxious about d inner than e ^ lo s o r even chamois, and a flrst-class meal being diaposed of, we gathered our chairs round tho blazing

wood fire— oh ! the occasional puffs o f th a t smoke which would cume down and no t go up tlio chimney— and afte r discufisijii^ th e affairs o f the w orld from China to P e ru , cousins a t Hampsrtead aud a t Suakim, friends also under the m eteor flag in N ew Guinea, aud others skating a t M ontreal, w e woke the su r­rounding echoes o f th e tow ering Picos still above os by vocally rendering in th e beat fashion we could aspire to such E nglish ballads as m em ory couM furnish. H ow is i t th a t th e doar old E nglish miflic alw ays sounds so infinitely sweeter far away—miles aw ay from St. Jam es’s H all, th a n i t does a t th a t homo o f ballad ooncyrts and M onday Pops ? B u t i t does, gentle reader, an d wo know the experience o f almost cry ing over a rendering o f “ Tom Bowling»” (which th a t infallible au thority tho Cfiurch Timee once de- Hcribed a« a music-hall song— hoaven save the m a rk !) in a N ew Zealand “ run ,” which, if w e had heard i t near the Piccadihy Circus, wonld have driven us frantic. W ell, w e astonished th e nerves o f the Spanish servan t w ith “ D y e K en Jo h n P eel? ” and “ H earts o f O ak,” w ith now an<l again somo har­monised VolkHliad^mi^ a fte r a very pleasant evening, feeling m uch Uko th a t m ost excellent fellow tho village blacksm ith w hen he had dono o r accom­plished som ething, w e accompanied a gnide w ith a lan te rn still up the mountain*sido to the house o f th e good padre o f the village o f Tresviso, Mr. Woods h av in g all h is sleeping accommodation occu]ried by tho presence o f a lady friend, th e wife o f M i. Brindley.

tbe roeidoct engineer o f aome adjacent copper minee, and wbo, w e sinco loam , is building a house for }iimaulfnot very fer from the B ritish outpost o f Dou Hafmc. O f tho tw o E nglish ladies, suffice i t to s a j th a t th e y would havo personally graced any draw icg- room in B rita in . A fter th a t plain statem ent of ■unvartiiahed tru th flie dullest reader w ill apprehend how they w ere regarded 6000 feet ahove the level o f the D eva river.

I t was pitch dark when we left th e hospitable roof o f Don H aim e, aud i t was pouring w ith ra in too, a etroDj^ wind was hiowiuj^ ae ro * the valley, and now and again icy ftleet seemed to circum vent the collar o f ou r waterproofs and go in for the m anuiacture of slides down onr bare hacks. T he p a th was certainly new to one o f tis; a very nearly perpendicnlar precipice was on our left hand ; tho village before us showod no t tho solitary tw inkle o f a fe rth in g dip, and then o f <»ur8e— for troublefi never come singly— th a t lantern wont out, according to the immemorial ctifitom o f all lanterns when th e y really are wanted.A fter a good deal o f groping and feeling w e g o t a t

to a place o f shelter, where ou r good friend tb e O VI la g o j^ n s te n m anaged hy some means o r other to ' X w kindlu bis lantern and onr hopes o f ever reaching fresv isoahve ,and some ten m inutes la te r wo entered op«n oor night's repose a t tho parsonage of-Tresviso, o t which w e have moro to say in our nex t chapter.

A s, however, wo have dropped th is particular portion o f ou r work, the h ighest Picos, we should say

here, before dwcUiag on th e ethnological view o f the queatlon, th a t, fiir aud aw ay beyond tbe 6000 foot o f Tresvigo, the H ighlandg o f Cantabria clim b the Spanish sky, th e ir loftiest peak being aboot 11,000 feet above sea-level. I n rea lly p^od w eather, especially iu spring, a m ost agreeable w alk on a fairly good road (paten t leathers bad iKJtter be left w ith Santiago) cau be taken from Tresviso village itscilf, tlirough field afte r field o f erociiees, gentians, aud o ther luonntain flowerets, towards tho upper heights. Iu aU w eathers a 'p a n o ra m a o f secnery, mostly o f th e g rand ly stern order, meets the eyes of those who can appreciate natu re in th is guise- Hero and there will l>c seen nagged peaks» suow-capped and fre^inently untrodden by the foot o f man. N estling nndcr the bleak sides a large forest of bcoch trees will be noticed a few miles from the T illa g e , and th is is the last rem aining b it o f sylvan w ealth in th is p a rt of the A sturias. Commercial common sen^e is n<3t a marked feature o f tho modern Spaniard, and so i t is th a t millions 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 Spaniards treated tho vegetable w ealth o f South Amen'ca, so they have done in th e ir owu favoured land . O ur love for Spaiu and her peojJe compels na to hope th a t ihese lines w ill m eet th e ga:?e o f some o f th e ir enlightened ru k rs , and tlia t tbo universal law o f nature, th a t to reap one m ust sow, will be in the fu ture m ore under­stood in th e peniüsula. Thia m onntain road—

avoid i t as the plague afte r a heavy ra in —leads to tho q u a in t village o f Sotres, which, being in terpreted, m eans “ There ark three ”— from the Spanish ftory-tres — th a t being th e report o f some prim itive re tu rn e r o f the census, perhaps some centuries ago. Tresviso gets itfl name from Tres-viso, “ I sa w th re e ;" and the general opinion is th a t the G overm nent collector, having climbed the h ill to the last-named placc, declined, salary o r no salary, to go a step farther. Sotres, and the equally outnjf-the-way village of Tielba, he fairly gave up and took as gospel w hat the Trosviso people told him. Thoee mouDtain villages are very m uch alike, except fop somo little differences no t unconnected w ith the manufacture of cheese, w hich w e will explain fu rther on, and t x uno disc^ orme.8^ W e will take Tresviso as our model, and tho following puges will dem onstrate as well os wo can w hat so rt o f place i t is, the k ind o f people ■who are its inhabitantj?, the lives they lead, and the fitories which have localisod themselves about its unique position.

L 2

C H A F fE R X l l l .

T Q E M O r N T A I N E K R S .

T b e w orthy ciira had gone to Yalladolid for a fow daye, eo we had the run o f th e “ parsonaj^e,” which was about th e eize o f th e lock-up o f m any a snug E ng lish r e c to ^ . The house o f th e reverend padro w as about the only one in the little com m unity of Tresvieo th a t boasted a glass w indow or two, bu t they w ere o f such dim inutive size as practically to render the gloom o f tho little rooms more apparent. The sacristan and h is wife live w ith th e ir pa*tor, and the good lady keeps the place scrupulously cloan. The furniture, however, cannot take u p m uch tim e in it« cleaning, thero being eo rem arkably little o f it. The w orthy clergym an whose kindly roof was covering us evidently never contem plated th a t tw o persons woTild sloop in h is bed, o r in his charity he would have had a b igger one built hy th e village carpenter. The “ clo thes” difficulty puzzled ns for a time— it was either all o r none— but w c solved the question by each tak in g a couple o f blankets and ro lling them ronnd our bodies; wc w ere thou independent o f each other, Thus, as ^*mwnmies a la sardine,'^ we passed

the n îgb t, and wero nr)t so rry to rise early on the following m orning and gaise aionnd a t certainly tbo quaîn tart T illa g e in all Spain. T he cottage« are irregu larly scattered all oTer th e mountain-Rid©. A Spartan sim plicity pervades each o f th s ir interiors, b u t ihoy are all d e a n and -well kept. Jn M r, M urray 8 last edifion o f bis Uuid© to Spain he pays th a t a t TreRviso “ no wine ia ever drank.” A ll tliat w© can say is, th a t in OctoLer o f Iw t year we asked fur the taberna. w ere quickly taken there, had a few glasfiee o f excellent red wine, in tho consumption o f wbich w e were ably assisted by several intolHgünt viUagetH, who informed na from time immerDorial tha t there had always bvou a wine-shop in the village, though Mr. M urray waR quite correct in his addendum th a t no doctor o r apothecary’s sbop hae ever been know n there. Certainly a healthier sat o f people tb a n the Tr©imso villagers i t would be impossible to find anyw here, though tliey have th a t hard woatber- beaten look w hich always distmgnisho« the exposed m ountaineer. Tbo ages o f these people will indiciite th e ir health. One old gentlem an a t Tresviso boasts th e fine life record o f one hundred aud four years, w hile nonogenarians are plentiful. D uring our last stay a t th is most romantically situated place au “ e ld erly -lad y o f the v iU a g e ^ h e was no t Cfilled old, being only eighty-fonr— camo n p tho m ountain patb from U rdon carry ing on h e r hoad the w eight o f her y ea rs m avoirdupois, her burden being, in fact, jn st eighty-fonr o r eighty.five poimds.

The dresa o f the villagers differs from th a t o f a n j p a r t o f 8 |ia in ; th e men en grm de tenue w ear eboi t th ick jackets o f TreRviso-epun woollen cloth, breocbos o f tb e same m aterial, opening for a little upw ards on tho sides from above the knee, aud etout homeepnn stockings, w ith curiously made local boots o r shoes w ith a la rge ilap going all over th e foot itself. T heir head-dress is a kind o f cloth ca.p w ith a widish brim , which, so the U rdon people say, is ‘‘ cocked” whou its fortunate ow ner is in lu c k s w ay o r has come into any money o r th e like, So m any o f tho inhabitants o f Tresviso, how ever, ap|>eared to ns to go ahont w ith cocked hats th a t wo aro incliited to th in k tho idea a m ere fency on the p a r t o f the lowlandcrs as the outcome o f highland arrogance. T be w om en all w ear homespun cloth dresses, w ith shawls o f a like m aterial for head covering. Both male and female garm ents last an incalculable tim e, and traditions of eoata and petticoati^ boing worn by gonoration after generation exist. I t w ould seem impossible to practically w ear ou t Trosviso-made cloth. I t is noodless to say th a t i t is coarso in finish, h u t us<;ful more than ornam ental, and docs w hat m any finuly- nam ed E nglish elotbs & il to d o ^ i t keeps ita woarer d ry and w arm from tho ra in o r sleet o r snuw,

'J’resviso is o f course a pu rely figricultuial village, and down th e steep mountain-sides can ho seen the little children o f the place carefully tending their sheep. W here all is quain t i t soems impossible to particularise, bu t co ilaiu ly the church a t Tresviso is

alone wortL thd excursion up tlie lim estone procipices o f the Picos de Kuropa. I t is very old, being built o f g rey limestone ■with a campanile w ith tw o l>ells in i t bearing date IC 13 ; small-siaed wiudowa up by the roo f m ake tho church very gloomy an d dark . Tho floor is rcmarkahl© for its u n e v e n n ^ , and reminded us more o f tho paving o f u firet-cla/« street in N ew Y ork “ in tho days th a t once w ere golden " for the Tam iuany r in g th an any th ing else. Tho pu lp it and coafesaional arc th e unaided work o f tho good ja r is h p r ie s t; the first is both neat and gaudy, u9 his reverence is evidently fond o f colours. A s to tho la tter, ow ing to the peculiar colour and texture o f the curtains, i t would be suj^ostive, even to the most revoront visitor, o f the erection in wbioh a t street corners P u n ch and Ju d y and the ir cea;<ele5a w rang ling delight a cusutd audience. O ver the liigh a lta r is a wooden reredos also painted by tho padre, and the tw o aide alturs have also bcon orna- montod by him. W ith fear and trem bling w e shouJd show th is Uttlo m ountain v illage church to Home sovero jesthetlc AngHcan, o r one o f the “ good t4isto " school a t th e O ratory o r the “ F ro .” I n fiict we doubt w hether some o f those queer-minded people w ho look a t every th ing through West^end-of-London a r t »pectaclos would survive the “ decoration” of th is lonely outpost o f tho U niversal Church in tho A sturian monntaina ; h u t th e re is another aido to the question. F o r more than ten long centurioe the books o f tho church and the registry o f births.

m arnagee, and deaths go back, and the Chriatiau peo|)Ie o f 'Xresviso have worshipped in th is humblo little ehrine. The tinkle o f the acolytos' bell has rn n g there ju s t the same, and w ith jiist the same m eaning, as i t hae iu the loftiest cathedral, and if ite ornam entation be “ unartiatic ” and “ taw dry," the lesson to ibo th in k in g mind o f the parish church of Tresviso ia told in tho inscription painted on ita porch by tho pastor o f th e place. E sta es la casa det D io é y P ^ i o d tl “ This is th e house ofGod an il the gate o f heaven.”

W heu referring to the subject o f decoration i t rem inds us th a t in the m atter o f harvest festivals th e y ra th e r overdid the thini? some years ago in Lancashire, w hon they p u t on th e a lta r o f the church a p ig s head, and th e y fell into a similar e rro r aome short time ago a t Trosvieo. Mra. Pontifex W oods gave to one o f the village children a ra ther handsome doll o f English manufacturo. Tbo m ountaineer children o f N orthern Spain do no t se<ám to care in the leaet for toys o r dolls, so Ibo little g ir l gave her present to the parish p r ie s t I n w hatever w ay the clergym an regarded the g if t we do no t know, no r have we been able to make inquiries, but the doll has since lc(!n seen on one o f th e altars o f th e chnrcb, bu t w hether i t wae placed aa a votive offering o r not w e are also ignorant.

Close to th e church is the€nmj?o santo^ and, nestling near by ite outer wall, is tho only Englieh gravo in Treevi?íü. TIhh eloquent rem inder o f the unhappy

diviSiOQs” th a t exist am ong Christians is the last reffting-piace o f ono o f M r. Woods’ little children.

The village school, which has about th ir ty o r fo rty scholars, is more in tlie centre o f the v illage than th e church. Thu children here seem to be well and carefully tan g h t by a m ost patient young man. As an inetaiico o f how thoroughly Tresviso is ou t o f the w ay, so to speak, the teacher reforred to showed us a g rea t curiosity— some ord iuary school slates, ju s t teceived from M adrid, and which. he told u r , he shortly in tended to introduce in to the school. A t the time he spoke the Uttlo hoys before ua wero learning the lest o f t i e th ree R ’s by means o f m aking th e ir figures on tho shoulder-blades o f oxen.

B u t a voJumo conld be w ritten about Tresviso i¥nd its surioundings, So struck w as H is M ajesty K in g Alfonso w hen he first visited the neighbourhood in A ugust, 1882, th a t he insisted on the w orlliy mayor o f tho place accompany b g him to 3fadrid, whore ho rode through the city in the same carriage w ith the km g. W hat the w orthy alcaldepf Tresvieio though t \ / o f th e capital we do no t k n o w ; h u t th a t he was as ^ struck with M adrid as h is eovereigu w.is with Tresviso, w e th in k is open to doubt.

Commniucation is, how ever, regularly kep t up between Tresviso and the outer w orld by moans o f a postman, who evoiy other day ascends and descends the steep hillside from U rdon. H ia pay is not magnificent, l>ejng in fact only fivepence (h a lf a peseta) each time he makes the journey , and, in-

credible as i t would seem to ua, he is paid by the anthoritiea iuAiVis. F rom th isw rctched p ittance i^>me small doJuetion haa to l>e made to cover the coat of difioouut.

Tresviso ia famous for its cheese, w hich is a kind o f R til ton, and ie tocally knowti as P icon. A t timee i t ia very full flavoured, so much eo th a t an Kn<?Hah gontlom an,w ho w as bringing a few home as presents to his relations, was stopped by the French authoritiee a t thü ñ o n tie r railw ay etation for the usual pur|>o»cc o f cuatoma exam ination. O ur friend told them i t wae some rare Spanish checee. T he F rench doua- n ie t looked eerioxis an<l suspiciously a t a They evidently th o u g h t th e fa in t odour they amelt was connected w ith some dark deed o f blood, and die object o f the obstinacy o f the Englishm an in not ope:iing his package was n o t to crim inate him self by aho w i i^ his h um an remsiina. W rapper after w rapper was taken off, ciotlis wore carefully removed, anci when th e Picona’ full flavour m et the cuKtom-honae oÜiciaU they fe iiiy bolted and ran . Mild spoeimons are to ho had, however, and to our taste thia Tres- vieo cheeae ia m ost delicious. Between the villages o f Sotres and Treaviso a n ancient rivalry has cxleted, and eome few yeara ago i t threatened to break out into a reguhir aot-to between the males o f both places. A t any rale, the good folk o f I ’here are three ” eaid th a t the villagers in “ i see th re e ” accusod them of p u ttin g no b u tte r iu th e ir (the Sotres-made) chceee, and ae thia waa a wicked, baselcsn fabrication, they

-..,K >.rm •¡■■iMl‘ III

determÍQed on,„a<io34mstcriiig severe puiiisLment on v ^the peccant ^ r c s v ia ^ .^ TLe Sot res people startedout, imd HO did tb e folk from Tresviso to meet them,and i t was only by th e devoted efforts o f th e privateo f both places th a t peace was maintFunod. To th ishour, how ever, tho villagers a|>eak dispanigm gly o feach other's cheeee.

Tho legends o f tb e Picos de E uropa are no t so m any as ono would incline to believe, bu t w hat they are are interesting enough, and some o f thesu we shall g ive in another chapter. T here are, however, somo c u r i^ ^ m odem stories which are couueeted w ith T te s iiso w hich w ill bear repetition, and will come in here in a chapter dealing; w ith the m ountain­eers, thoir village«, and th e ir ways.

T hrift o f a very decided character, and a certain anxiety to earn an honest penny, aro m arked features o f 'th e monntainoors who brave the w in ter snows a t Tresviso and Sotres. N o t so very long ago a well- known and distinguished naturalist, stay ing some time nndor the hospitable roof o f Don H aim e, w ent ou t one m orning collecting on thu mountain-side, accompanied by an elderly Spaniard as a guide.The man o f science, seeing a particu la ily large slug, eagerly look possession, and afterwai*da earefnlly p \it i t into a little glass bottle, whicL he subsequently labelled witL some rem arks in p en c il Tlie g iavo A sturian concludod as follows :— “ Slugs are scareo and valuable in th e country o f the Senor Inglosi;.They are common onough here. W ill ju s t m ention

tliojenorajyliC D I g e t home. I ehall please Don H aim e aud his friend from across the sea, aud p a t m oney in m v pocket a t the sam e timo. I I ! g e t him some o f the alags hu valuea so much/* A ccordingly, early nex t m orning Mr. W oods was awak<2ned by the arriva l o f oTir roQective friend, w ho was accompanied by hifl better h a lf ca rry in g a largo parcel. In q u irin g tho caiise o f the visit, Dun H aim e was inform ed th a t thov had go t as m any as th ey could, aud they reckonc*d there was .ihont twenty-five poundii w eight. I f a fa ir prioo was givon they would b ring aome m ore to-morrow. “ Bnt ichoi have you g o t? ” said th e puzzled Englishm an. “ Slugs, e e n o r;” au d th e incident o f Baron H . aud hie apecinien w as related. M r. W oods burst in to a hearty laugh, and did his best tr> explain how m atters stood. Tho moTiotaineers w ere a t first io- d ignant. and theu crest-felleo, and sorrowfully w ended th e ir w ay back to the ir hom e; bn t they would no t ca rry th e ir valueless burden further. Mr. W oods should have as a preseut w hat he w<mld not pay for, so they em ptied the coutunts o f th e ir basket over th e Englishm an b klteh^n-gardeu fenco, aud it being m ainly p lanted w ith cabbagca, tb e tweuty-five l>ounds w eigh t o f sings m ust Lave had, in Am erican parlance, a ** h igh old tim e o f it.” W hen Mr. Woods saw thu wreck o f his cabbage garden, be uaed kin- giiage as to the results o f scientific investigation which seemed strangely sceptical from such educated lips.

W e have already referred to th e rcmarkahlo th rif t

of these people, and in m any cases m ust bo added to th rif t an astuienesR Tphich won Id do cred it to a PliiladelpLia la\vycr. A few m onths a n old peaRant, who waa depositing some h a rd -ea rn e d pesetas in a socret roclc-crevice in a roadside bank, was ra tb e r etartlcd on discovering th a t he bad hocn obfierved, o r m igh t h a re been obaerved, by A neighbour who for some reason o r other d id no t b c s r the highest character in the v i l la ^ . The depositor returned in a few days, and, as he was h a lf afraid was tlie casOf he found ail his oheriahed money-store o f some ten pounds in value had gono, and instinctively Lo knew th a t his neighbour, who wae hovering about w hen he last deposited money, m ust bü tiie thiof. T he problem w as now how to get tho ten pounds back again, and this is the way the old gentlem an who p u t h is money in the rock sot about th e businoBs. F irs t o f a ll ho songht out the m an who he fe lt certain had stolen bis hoard, and told him th a t he expected in a day o r so to receive from a lawyer abont fifty ponndfi. “ N o w /’ he added, “ any little sums o f money th a t I don’t w ant I have been in the hab it o f depositing in a secret place only know n to m yseE T be question is now, aa I am to have for me a large sum, shall I p u t i t in the old place or tru s t i t to some bank a t Santander o r notary a t Potea? ” Visions o f a clear haul o f fifty pouudfl rose before the dishonest neighbour, as with manifest smcerity he w arned his doar friend on no account to tru s t to these new-fangled banka and

the like, b u t Hlick to the old and truF?fed placo o f secnrify. FooliDg certain th a t i f tbe gentlem an with expectations found h is te n pmjnds gxjne he would never p u t the t i f t j pounds in tho rock, the ncighhour placed th e ten pounds in tho crevice and waited jwtienLly for the b ig fish. H ow ever, th is dlshoneKtly m eant restitution w as discounted h y th e intended victim , as he removed tho ten potmda aJmoet ae soon aa i t was placed there, and has never used the rock- hank since. W hether the fifty pounds he expocHed was u fictitious sum w e do no t k n o w ; w e are inclined to the opinion th a t i t was.

Sometimes the m ountaineers carry th e ir love of economy to tbo verge o f w hat W0 should certainly consider indeccnt conduct Three men were once cuga^^ed in carryiii<? the eori>se o f a p e a ^ n t woman to Tresviso for intorment. Coffins arc not know n in the remote C antabrian H ighlands, and the deceased was covcred by a new sack. Iii the eyes o f the carriers th is was dow nright foolish extravagance, so ono o f them w en t and fetched a very old sack th a t belonged to him , and the hody waa buried in it. A fter the intojiuont they tcssod np fo r the new sack.

To those who love the well-kept, flower-bedecked “ God's acres” o f our village churchyards in tkigland, nothing is m ore repnleive than the apparen t irreve­rence o f the Spaniajds for the dead. A t Treaviso the little campo eanio is no t a scandal, whereas in m any casos th a t w e know of i t ecrtain ly is. P erhaps the moat realistic account o f these disgracefully kept

village churelijarda h g iveu by a w ork on ‘ Soutliern Spain* by M r. Rose, who eays

“ Much as I have beard o f the beauty o f burial jpx)U7id« abroad, I looked a t Icaat for doccncy and clejiuHneas. T be first th ing tb a t stn iok ice, as I opened the gate aud took off m y liat, was tho sickly pu trid smell, tb a t well n ig h cangcd me to vomit. Close before me, on a rough hew n and im lettered stone, stood tw o tin y coffins ; th e lids, always o f glaRs, were no t screwed down. I pnsbed one aside, and there, beautiful even id doath, wore the rich tresses and p ink cbeeks o f a child somo eigh t summere. The otlior w as the coffin o f an infant. B oth bodies w ere wrapped, as is crnstomary, in coloured silver paper, for the elothoa are burnt invariably, as they m igh t bo a tem ptation to dishonest persons to exhum e the ooflln from its shallow grave. Just then r looked down, and lo, tho whole o f tliep laee was covered w ith hum an bones ]ym g on the aurface The evening breeze rose and fall, com ing from tbe distant h.lls, wafted 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 aad tangled Lair, btooping dowu to l<K.k, I saw th a t thero w a . plenty o f n abont on tbe gravestones au<l around tbe dry th is Ie« which g rew in abundance ; I bad t . ^ e d and I t clui,g to nie. There w as n o grass, b o tu r£ only Hand and rocks peeping out. I asUod tbe old grave­d igger whore ho would bnry tho t.vo b ttle ^ ffin ..

M anana to-morrow), he answerod, ‘ but tho place IS so full I hardly know where to scrape a hole.’ "

IIuvLL" spent eoma very pleaeaat days w andering arooud the h ighest Picos, we made for the inn of U rdon, a|çain to coutinne the road throu^^h the m ountains o f Cantabria to the quain t tow n o f Potes, beyond which place the plains o f C entral ft^win commeuce.

G oing down th e m ountain patb , though i t takes baturaJly much less than the ascout, is n o t easy work, and care should bo taken , as boforo m entioned, o f the loose stones, eepeeialiy a t th e com ers o f tho z ig a ig paths. On the last occasion w hen w e made the dowîent, and w hich we did in rem arkably quick time, thü sudden change fr^im the ra rity o f the atmoephurc in Treeviso to' tbo com parative warm th o f Urdou caused in one o f us a painful deafness w hich lajÿted some hours. Somo people arc affected differently by th e sudden changes. Crossing the fiierra N evada in A m erica by th e railway, wo have noticed Spaniards, going on t to “ prospect " among the vinoyards o f fa ir California, bleed from the eyca and nose as they entered the sunny valleys from the lofty snow-capped heights.

W e bave said nothing in th is chapter as to tho sport to be fonnd in th e Picoa. Thia w ill bo treated separately la ter on, when w c have visited all th e parts o f our monntaino^s citadel and have loisuru to th in k o f the bear, th e chamois, and the eaglo.

%

C H A P T E R X IV .

T H K B A T H S O P I , A H E R M I D A -

“ T.RAVELrj5Rs’ ta le«” do no t a t Santi?»go*s host^fry go t the same measure o f incredulity as they do in tbe uutraveiled sots o f people th a t we find laying' down the laws o f the homesick and i^ o r a r i t in tbe public rooms o f ostabhshm euts w hich would laugh to scorn the hum ble Inxurica o f our U rdon reetiug-plac«. I t is true w e wore somewhat severely CToes-examincd aa io o u r sporting experiences (o f which, aa w e have Raid, m ore auon), bu t the fact th a t we had visited as pilffriras and strangers th e region o f the highopt Pieofi mado us somewhat objects o f interest, aud round the hospitable kitchon fire o f our host we had m erely to te ll to behoving audiences truf.hful stories o f life and scenery o f w hich they themeelvee w ere moiit excellent judges.

A fte r a good n igh t's rest wo determined on con­cluding our jou rney through tho citadel o f the Picos, as we have christened th is m igh ty form ation o f lime­stone, and 8 0 reach the Southern Poeteru G ate near Potcs.

S till tho self-same level road, still the ever-flowing

Deva, still the self-samu lofty masses of mountainous rock on either side o f ms. Ju» t afte r leaving the inn o f U rdon the direction is almost directly south, but tbe road so tw ista and tnm a a t intervals as to render following the compass a porfect puzzle. A pleasant stroll o f abou t a mile b tin g s one to the v illage o f La H erm ida, which is in w in ter perhaj« one o f the coldest places in all tliu fa ir region o f “ Sunny S p a in /’ The reason is no t fa.r to seek. O w ing to the altitndo of the still precipitous m ountains which on all side« sur­round the place, tb e sun in w inter rare ly shines in L a H orinida for m ore tb a n an hour a day, and dnring tbo iibort Decttmber days wo bave seen the whole population o f the placo sitting a t a well-known local w all, prender el so l” o r in otber woidö to warm th e ir l)odies by means o f N ature’s g reat stove. There ia an inn in th is place, b n t its approaches arc uotporfoct— far from it. In bad w eather—and i t has been our miserable fate in m ost cases to vi^it La H erm ida w hen little o r no snn wa-R visible, whereas rain w as plentiful—ita principal door is reached by reckles*ly go ing through a foot o r two o f black mud, iu tbe manufacture of which the numurous pi^js which simply surround th e ostablisbment liavo bad their fu ll share. B u t th e pigs have no monopoly of tbo wretchedly-carc-l-for inn yard a t L a Hermida. üorse&j mules, and bullocks block up ita approachea and the bold traveller w ho will face th e acciimulatod filtb w ill find, w hen lie entera the <lingy bar itself, th a t tbo lesplendeut bottles, all m arked w itb the

labels o f Baaa, Allsopp, 7>e Kuypera, H ennessy and tbe rest, a re nearly a ll dummies, like tboao in fb© Bristol drui^gidt atore o f Mi‘. Sawyer, late “ Nockemori,'’ in ‘ Pickw ick,’ and th a t wliicb tLo average th irsty soul hM to rely on is simply rod wine, fortified, however, to auit tbe local Spanish palato, by th e adm ixture o f the in n » rted potato spirit—whieb, how ever, finds its way V " readily onougTTto tbe harbourr oi Bilbao and Santan­der. I f the tru th m nst be told, tbe average N orthern Spaniard infinitely prefers these “ doctored" wines, w bieb are always caJled Vinos de Ca«tiUe,” to tho vintage which wu can cordially recommend to all those who are not exactly s tr ie t t^ to taler« , and th a t ia the rod pure juice o f th e grape calle<l Licbana, which has all tho dehcacy o f the finest Bordeaux wines h u t can hardly boast the ir depth in coionp. This Wine is no t fortified in any w ay, and is cyrtiin ly one o f th e most delidons d iinka in aummor- tíme, wpeeiaUy i f the traveller has tho cautíon to ank hia triend the h n d io rd to place a tjnart o r so in tho cool nionntain stream io act as a refrigerator.

B randy is very w arce except in the coaat towns, bu t h .llanda o r ffinabra is th e popular s p ir i t ; a good deul o f anm seu . Ú .üso drunk, ii» also a nativo spirit, X ^ l e d caila, which we believe is distilled from maizoO ne o f tho sights o f L a H erm ida is the 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 warm weather the pL^we enjoys ouvy 1« «,id 0 t>egin, O n one occasion, when ill-luck cempelled

U 2

TIS to stop overn ight a t the local inn , we were en- rountercd by about tw enty m en and women, all mountaineers and all clad in the same homespun brow n serge. Some were almost carried, somo atrnggled painfully along on crutchee; th is was in th e evening. In the m orning perhaps a hundred more bad arrived , and all tiiese people w ere bouod for the celebrated ho t alkaline springs situated about a milü from L a Ilcrm ida proper, w hich has boen famous for centuries, and is a,Uogod to cure alm ost all thü ills lh a t floRh is heir to . These springs have now been enclosed, and a really comfortable bathing estab­lishm ent has been crccted.

Tbe popularity o f N ature 's w arm haths in Spain is something extraordinary. D uring all the summer m onths there ie always a rush going on to some place o r other, and the c u m one hears o f rem ind one of t]iose long advertisem ents o f paten t medicines in w hich one fully expects to read th a t eome one, years afte r death , has been restored to a renew ed and vigorous existence by the application o f Messrs. So- aud 'So’s ointm ent. W e have our own theory about th is m ania for w arm baths. W o give i t for w hat it is worth, and perliap« the action o f its scope should he, stric tly speaking, confincd to the Caiitahrian mountains—it fítay, however, for a ll that, be true of the whole peninsula. In our opinion the average Spaniard, especially in mountain regions, seldom if ever washes him self a ll over. Tlio virtues o f Terebene soap have had no attractions for him , and

he could w ith tru th th a t famous to^tlmonial which appeared some tim e einco, tb a t “ ten yeara l>efore he nsed Mesara, Cleavers' soap, and dnee tbou he ha$ used no other.'’ A s a natural oonsequeoce, in a climatü liko th a t o f N orlhero Spaiu, bo soon falls a victim to rbcumatiam, lumbago and tbe l ik e ; hut

to these bath» and bathinj^ “ all ovor,” as the phrase goes, in medicated w ator a t a temperAture w hich perhaps waa never known to him before, lio BOon becoraca a different and a healthier man. I lis pores have been opened and h is frame invigorated by tbe nnwontod wasli. The m erits o f th a t superb institution, the m orning tub, combined with Toru- bene, bave yet to be discovered in Spain.

A few yanlfl from the baths o f La H erm ida is tbe very centre o f the Picos, the h ea rt o f the magnificent upheaval o f limestone rock w hich ia tbe distin­guishing feature o f tlie long line o f tho H ighlands of Cantabria. A nd ju s t a t th is spot we find a curiosity w hich no doubt g reater geologists than oureelvofl can explain. L a Ilerm ida is really abont a mile on the southom slope o f the Picos do Eunipa, and, m said over and over again, horo tho compounda o f calcium atta in an altitude o f tbousanda o f feot, but in their way home, so to speak, and poised a t an angle of forty-five, and called the R ed M ountain, is a dei>08 Ít o f red sandstone to be tniccd by tho naked eye to tho very bw e o f the baths o f U B erm ida. The highest deposit o f tbis red aandstono seems to have a breadth 0 quite a hundred yards, and here i t is lh a t tbe

pine, which is noticeable b j ite absence from the Picos, seemR to have found its home. A s a m atter o f fact, a t the hatha o f L a Hermi<ls, and ow ing doubtless to th is different stratification, th e mountains are more ojHJn aud tho sun has moro power. Small forests of clicstUQt aud w ahiut trees g ive a charm to the gloomy appearaucc o f tho g rea t fo rges preyioualy described.

The traveller, however, is barely th rough this p re tty little break, and passed tho ci^'ilization sign o f a square-built hotel and bath ing establiahment, before tbe road he has g o t to trave l by dives into deeper and deeper goi^es, and the th in w hite camino and the glifrtening riv e r seem, as the eyo wandurs forward, to be lost in the precipices o f rook th a t hsm them in on all sidtis, I t is jua t about here tb a t, porcbed on quaint-loofcing le<lges a t g reat height, a few trees eeem to flouriah. O n all sides are deep-cut caverns aud watercourses, w hile the wildness and desolation o f the place arc sublime in the ir m ajesty. i»o wonder, indeed, th a t tho Moors never reached anyw here near the centre o f the Picoa de Enropa. T he citadel o f ou r fortress is unconquered aud unconquerable.

W e have a lu rk ing auspicion th a t some o f our readers aro w ondering w here the brigands come in, and in effect they are s a y in g : W hat's the use of trave lling in Spaiu, especially in the wildest parts of an almost unknown province, if thero is no fighting o r disturbances witli bandits and tbe like? Ladies

and peiitleiiion, for your «tkes wo 5tre Rorry tl>ei*e are n<i briganrls to w rite about, aiul tlie lonj? twenty- mile pasa o f the Picos c3o Europa ia safer for tbo pe<5^triaD tb a u any ro?ul in E ngland, and infinitely more so than , aay, the crossing from K in g W illiam’s statue to tho oorner w hich loads to the “ Shades ” in ila r tin 'e Lane o r some other fast-cab-riddcu locality. Through the pass we have been describing, no one ever goes, except the eoacli d iiven twice a day, or perhaps lialf-a-dozcii stray m arket people iü tho tw enty-four hours.

Ono dark evening in w inter, \vbile going along th rough this grandly w eird gorge, w e were m et by two o f the famous (.'ivil G uard o f Spain, who, after ttu interchange o f civilities, and an insf>ection o f our licences for carry ing arms, o u t weapons boing on onr shonlder.^, w ent ou thoir w ay to L a Herm ida. The following is a good account o f tko constitution o f this fo rce:—

The Civil G uards o f Spain are composed o f 20,000 Foot and 5000 Horse Guards, or Gendariu«iric, first organised 1844-45. They aro diüesed in dark hlne tunic and trousers o f eaine colour, lig h t huff-coloured belts, and arm ed w ith HomingtOQ riSos ; some have the short, some tho long rifie.

The Guardias Civiles are under m ilitary law ; thoir punishments and penalties exceptionally severe, but the ir eeprii de corpe is rem arkably good.

T heir ranks are composed o f the liigh-cliaracter and long-sorvice men o f the Spanish a rm y ; and of

cadetR from th e College» noar M adrid, w bere all tfao orphan cliildron o f Civil G uards who Lavo died in the pursuance o f the ir du ty are cducutcd, Iree of expense, for the force.

T he datiea o f tho Civil G uards are much the «am© as those o f th e R oyal Ir ish Constabulary, whom they g rea tly resembJe in organigation,

T hey aro stationed, in couplce, in every tow n and small viJlagii, and in sroall barracks alnng every frequented high-road, and in squads o f from twenty- five to fifty in Spain’s la rger cities. T hey are police, w ithout beicg spies; soldiers, w ithout being liable to be called on for setvico beyond the peninsula. They perform the ir duties as police m ost effectively, N o t a robbery is committed bu t w hat these men find out, and, thanks only to th e ir eaortions, Spain is now well- nigh free o f robbers. Two o f them m eet every tra in a t every statlou, examine passports w ith courtesy, chock every th ing th a t is w rong, as well by the ir presence and m m ik , as by tho Rtrong arm o f the law. They escort prisoners irom one prison to another, and, know ing how uncertain in ite action is Spanish law, th e y constantly shoot dow n a m urderer, taken red- handed, o r try in g to c^cape when on tbe m arch w ith them from prison to prison. T hey have certainly done more to establish order in Spain than any other body. The men are 5 feet 8 inches in stature, well- set and powerful. Their head is a G eneral in the arm y, liv ing in Madrid, w ith the title o f Dircctor- G eneral. T heir ofBccra are nearly all o f th e middle

class, say, o f tlie class of* tradesm en, A li members o f the force must r«iad and w rite. Prom otion from the laiiks ie the rnle, no t the exception, T hey live in barracks, mesa togcthor, and associate bu t little w ith the ou ter world.

The force supports a w eekly periodical, callcd BoleHn ujicial ds L a Gnardia CivU, first started iu 1858. Tlie rules o f tlie corps are arranged iu tlic Caitilla, gam bling Iwing entirely prohibited. “ The coupfea cngag;ed in patro lling the roads must walk twelve paces ap a rt from one another, so as no t to be both surprised a t once.” Tho rules for protection o f persona and properly p re« rib e the proper conduct for every emergency, such as earthquakes, fires, floods, w ayfarer losing hie w ay, and so on» duly laid down. The cavalry carry heavy dragoon sworda of Toledo make, and levolvera and short ca rb iae ; the foot-aoldiora^for soldiers they are, bu t trained to act iti couples as well as in largo bodies,— Rem ington rifle and bayonet, and sometime« revolvers. The safety o f property in Spain may, w ithout exaggera­tion, be said to depend on th is most excellent force. N o Civil G uard is allowed to accept a rew ard, how­ever g reat be his eervice to you.

The BcmpuIoQs ckaulineBS o f theae splendid, troops IS Bomething astonishing; every man looka tho tru th , t at^ho is a gen tlem an ; bu t he seems to have ju s t ^ ^ face, and neck, and pared hia naila,an ia uniform and accoutrem ents seem to have

just eeived out to him. T he uniform o f the

Civil G nards is as described, bu t the cloth ffaifere they woar as h igh as the knee, and the o<3cked hat, w orn a la Kapoleon atliw art the head and not fore aud aiV., so to speak, give» a la th u r th«;atr¡c.il and picturesque look to the men. T he graceful way in w hich the G-i;ardia Civile will “ cloak" in bad weatlier, would drive poor Tom m y A tkina o r even P a t o f the R . 1. C. almost mad w ith envy. TIio R oyal Irish Constabulary jg tlio finest body o f armed men in tlie eurvico o f the Queen, bn t w ith a ll our national prejudiocs, w e th ink they would bavo to toko a seat in row No. 2, as compared w ith tbe Spjinlsh Civil Guards. A ll other gcndarm crio forces aro, so to speak, no t in the racc w ith th e two bodies ju st referred to,

Tho w(»od afte r the R ed M ountain is passed traverses sim ilar gorge« to those described. N o t a habitation is to he scon, and tbe riv e r is crossod tw ice, tho ^ m in o real takinj^ nearly always th e righ t bank o f thu river. About two miles o r m ore from ibe baths a t L a IIcrmi«la, a rush ing to rren t emptíe^» itself in to tbe Deva, crossed by a veiy substantial bridge; and bere we would recom mccd the travelle r to tako the m ountain p a th to th e r ig h t o f it, and spend at least h a lf an hour o r so in exploring i t upwards. The pathw ay is similar to th a t o f Tresviso, very narrow and steep, b u t i t is nicer m ountain climbing th a n th a t ju s t named, inasmuch as the music o f tbe mountain stream far aw ay down a t his lee t is pleasant to listen to.

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A fier heavy rains this feeder o f tho D eva is hnisteroufily noiay in its falls from rock to rock. Now it will lose itself in the numerous dark cavorns w hich honeycomb its rocky Hed, bu t ou t i t wil) em erge agaiu, and fall w ith fu ry some tw enty feet Ixflow. Above are tim bered and cragp;od peaks, and tlie valley o f th is littlo stream is really very beautiful. The b ig fall is h igher np the mountaiii-eide afte r the traveller has passed the stra ta o f red deposit. Those to whom time is no particular object should» either going o r re tu rn ing th rough the Picos» leave the m ain road a t tho baths o f 1^) Hermi<la to traverse tho wbole o f tho upper fertile country, the oasis o f th e R ed M ountain, and re tu rn throu|çh the dense chestnut forest w hich overhangs the cascade w e liave ju s t referred to. A lady or gentlem an could easily make thie detour in a fow hours and w ithout fatigue, ai»d no ¿^ ide is required. A ll th a t the podcetrian has to do is to follow tho path ; it starte from and re tnm e to the main road. M any o f the quaint old villages which do t here and there the mountain-sldc are w ell w ortha visit» bu t one never see« young mon about__theyhave all gone soldieriug. A fow charcnal-bumers* hut» are now to bo seen, and oue can easily contem­plate tho whole process—the cnttinp th e trees from the precipitous beighte o f tho gloomy gorge-side, and tho stacking and burn ing o f the tim ber. Theso men s remuneration for the ir labour is miserably email, a t an y ra te to our notions, b u t they eeomed happy enough. In the upper portions o f the craggy

sideR o f tliis p a rt o f iho long w inding road from U n q T i e r a to Potes aro innum erable caves aud crannies w hich have never been trodden by the foot o f man, W e are inclined to tho opinion th a t tlie aeceut to somo o f these caves would puzzle the cleverest member o f th e A lpine Club. W e have told th e mounlainera w here they arc. A fte r inspection o f th e precipice i t ia for them to «ay i f i t is worth while r isk in g th e ir uocks over the business. W e liko tb e look fn>m the toad m nch better. W ith a few mechanical appliance«, however, w e bavo no doubt all difficulties would he speedily overcome.

One o f tho w ildest gorges o f the Picos is com ing to a couclnsion, and the g reen valley o f Liebana is almost w ith in sight. Though moatJy o f tbe s tem order, tb e first impressions o f the Picos w ill never fade from our recollection. Those who know w bat i t is to love sconery and to adore th e Creator o f N ature for tho blessings eouferrcd on men by its existence, will readily understand th a t more th a n once in the quiet o f one o f the long passes w e have brolien out into

Te i> c« » ; Ic Dtmintm confitentar.

The crags, the watorfall», the sunshine aud the flowers» all »poke to ua in the ir unerring lauguage— Rejoice, for ou t beauty is for you I

C H A P T E R X V.

T H E V A L K 0 ? U R B A N A .

OoKTiSTiXG our jau m ey through the gorges o f U rdon and L a n erm id a , witL njountains still tower­in g above ub, almost a t a tu ro o f the road we lucet the aoutl ictii aim in all its gloi*y and its w aim th, burfiting th rough a g rand opening between tw o im- meiiso PieoR, probably inaccessible. These, ow ing to th e ir peculiar poation to the south aud the beauti­ful valley wo are now about to deRcriho» take an exactly sim ilar position, in the idea we have formed, to our Main Gato a t Paneg ; and our Valo o f Llobana, wbich now opens up and coutiuues for several miles, is a sm iling R o u thern entrance into ou r castlo from th a t direction. Llebana, o r Liehaun, as w e believe It IB m ore correctly spelt in Spanish, ia a m ost lovely mountain-cnelosed valley, shelving gen tly upw ards to the east w ith innum erable vineyards, and fields o f tbe richest cultivation. H ero, altliough wo are still following the course o f tbe Deva, K atnre seems to bave created a nest, almost a eua-trap, w bere the gnows o f th e upper regions are Dover know n aud tbe people differ entirely from tbe

hardy mountaiiicerfl whom w e have described pro- viouely, both id costume, mamierR, and education. W e Lave noticed in m any o f our travels th a t ^liere the vine grow s in lu sunance the peoplo seem more happy aud contented, and th is first pictiirc o f tier upon tier o f cultivation bears o a t the theory, for a more prosperous, bappy and contented village ibuu Liebana, cosily reposing on a sloping alluvial soil, wo bavo seldom seen. E vidently tbe “ monks o f o ld '’ bad ibc ir oyo to th is “ H appy Valley," for the church shown in onr photograph is, according to local tradition, the oldeflt o f th e very old one« Been in the Picos, and bas a repute for antiquity throughout the country. I t is seldom visited now, as the m odem road is on the opposite a te o f the river, and the trav e lle r w})0 about tw enty years ago from the mule track glanced a t its woatbcr-beaten battle* ments, and p e rh a p stayed a t its now fu rg o tttn inn, passes some miles on tbe otlter side »md haa more modern accommodation a t th e new ^^'ayaide Posada. W e stayed here oncc on an exploring expedition for mines, and pcneti'alcd a valley to the w est directly a t the foot o f the h ighest o f these grajid moimtaina, which, being nearly unknow n except to tlie v il la ^ rs , w< ll repaid a few hours o f quiet w alking no t fatiguing in any particular degree. W e liad been shown a niineral w hich w e a t first though t to he borax, and h ad traced i t to L iebana and allc i w anls to tho valley beyond \ and hungering afte r a good bit, go t hold of a pcasiint resident, whom we asked to show us

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tLc mlue b u t in no case divulge on w hat errand we were bent» for Spaniardd (even poor people kavini» made ^ a u d fortuuos ou t o f casual disu>veriea) aro always on tlie aJert, and tb e first declarers o f m ineral deposits in Spain have th e ir rights, be they lo rd i or peu'ftints. liU^lisboien aw ay from the m ain road are tiiercforo tbe subject o f village gossip, and we told our guide to bo moet cautions and eav uothiug afl to ou r business. F o r th is purpose w e pasF?ed th rough tho village a t early dawn, but, iad to relate, ou r guide was as deaf as a post, and, Hke moat deaf people, thouglit we could no t hear him also. Tlie result was th a t he shouted ou t answers tu questions moat discreetly p u t as near his ear as posfciblc, and arouflod the villagera and causod a barking concert o f th e ir guard ian dogs. Fortnnately and unfor­tunately th e find tu tnod out to be no th ing but gypsiim , bu t in a moat l>eautifiilly crystallised $tiite —fortunately, for w e aro sure the Spaniards would have been bofore us in thu declaration; and unfor­tunately, hecauso w e had a day’s journoy for littlo, w e were about to eay no th in g ; b u t really a moro cLsrminir grasa-grow n valley on the southern slope o f the Pioos do<a no t e iia t. H ad th is spot tiuuod out tho Borado wo Itad pictured to ouraeivcs / and a reeidenco inquired, we should hav« wlected a ' ' site iu » large forest o f olive trees w ith a cool limpid mvoam rnn iiiug through it, tlio glorious Pieos iu frnnt, aud for miles th rough the openinga in the forest, views ot naugh t else but o f uncultivated green

kep t verdant for cattle and sheep. There are said to be indications o f copper neai here, and i f th e y ahould be explored by a n y m ining engineer sent ou t we can recoromcnd him , if a lover o f N atu re’s greatest gifts, a lovely dimate» grand scenic cffecta o f m ountain and w oodland; and probably from ita being aw ay from tho main rofld, llie cheapest and m ost comfortable dwelling-place in Europe, and yet no t m any milee from Panes and Potes, IkjIL m arket contrea for com parative luxuries. Coming back to lie b a n a and its inn , a few yarda from w bich onr photograph w as taken, w e would ask the traveller to cross th e bridge over the riv e r and w ben on tho other side, i f he wiahes to hear all the folk-lore o f ibe pliicc, to inquire for “ Lothario ’*— we call him llie gay ‘•Lothario,” b u t he is n o t this, ho is essentially practical, aud com paratively well to do—-and from h is honse (where he w ill g ive you a good glass of the local claret m nch esteemed in ih e country), th rough a window four foot by two, you can pe«p a t as p re tty a landscape as any a rtis t could desire. O n one occasion a t th is inn w e wore witness to a s ig h t whicb, am using a* i t w as, we would rather no t have seen. A t the door waa a mule saddled and harnessed and the country people ronnd laughing in a boisterous fashion. I t seems th a t the priest o f a neighbonring village waa attem pting to m ount, and afte r a tta in in g the back o f the anim al, fonnd be could n o t balance, and after several failures be w ent inside aud took another glass o f spirit, and then fairly gave

the m atter ap , and before a s all wont on h is knees and prayed for aaaistanoe, w hich so s tro n ^h en ed h im th a t w ith ou r aesiatanoe w e g o t him safely on h is miile, and fo r aiig^ht we know he arrived home all r ig h t The w anderer near th is valloy will notice cu t th rough by tbe road a large and very durk de­posit, an upheaval o f w hat a t first s ig h t m ig h t be mis­taken for coal o r an thracite, and wo th ink the wealth- seeker w ith sufficient knowledge o f his subject m igh t w ell stay a few days exploring the neighbourhood. According to on t theory , tho Picoe h av in g shot themselves upwards th rough w hat m ust havo been level ground, tho upheaval o f all s tra ta from Liebana for miles southwards slips downwards w ith ita various snrface-outcrops a t an ang le o f th irty o r forty-five degrees. The clim ate now is to tally different to th a t o f U nquera o t the m ountain passes ; i t is hore, and as \N-e proceed south, “ Sum iy Spain ” in tru th . In fact a m ore varied panoram a o f scenery ean scarcely be im agined than th a t which comes before the eyes o f the traveller from tho shores o f Biscay in the few honrs o f coach tran sit to this charm ing vale o f Liebana.

-V

cnAirrKR xvi.T H E Ol.D M AN OF CASTRO.

N o t far from w here tho g o i ^ o f th e Picos de Europa tenn inates for th e level lan<lfi th a t lie on either baDk o f the Deva, &s the traveller approaches the little town o f Potes, ia a strange sentinel rock called hy the natives th e O H M an o f Castro. This m onum ent of stone is certainly a m arked feature in the rocky land­scape, and the keen-visagod tou rist w ill notice that the eyeg o f th e “ old m an (they do no t iii the A sturias affix the g rand) look bo th ways, up th e gorge ae you go north , and tow ards Poles aa yoa leave th a t unspoilt tow n. A lypieal E n g lish L iberal would jK j l i t ic a l ly

and “ poetically” illnstrate th is peculiarity, perhaps in th e following crude fejsliion:

P o o r raeo o f T o rie s , » y p i ty ia g critica>D w rly f o pay fo r y o u r ClinreI\»Il fi»Il;

Some traces o f D izzy y e s t i l l ioherit.B u t th e ey© o f tlio Q . 0 . H .’b o r e r y ty ti a ll ,

Accordinj? to Potes tra d itio n ^ and w e g ive tho statem ent, like the 8 t Louis editor w hen he said tha t ft quondam G overnor o f Missouri hful heon seen perfectly sober a t six P.M., “ for w hat i t m ay be w orth the

old m an o f Castro was a Gothic outpost, wko, no t being removed, fro^e to h is post, aud w as couvortod into stone, A nother reliable fiction ie th a t he wae an oc^ox offiecr o f Potes, bu t tlie evidence in support of these fitoriesB is very nnsatlsfaelory, and tho unfjuRpect- iug trav e lk r should no t l>e too trusting in the ir regard. Unlike hiß British prototype» the g ran d old m an of* the Picoa will say nothing about Iiimaelf even if in ter­rogated by postcard; aod w e are simply unable to make head o r ta il o f the hundred and ono stories which the mountaineers tull ae to the cause o f hie preternatural fondnefls^for office a t tlie top o f tho A stu rian height.

One evening in the Café Suizo a t Santander we w etü laughingly recounting those stories o f the C antabrian G . 0 . M. to an A m erican citizen well known a t the “ Savage ” and no t unacquainted w ith the decliviiy o f M artin’s Lane in the “ City." Mucli to otzr astonishm ent ho called for pen and paper, exclaimed “ I have it,” and in less than ten minutes panned tbo following extraordinary aok tion of the g reat natural phenomenon o f tho Southern Postern Gate.

L E G E N D O F T O E O L D M A N O P C A ST R O ,

O ncc th e re w as a p io iu lady , l a th© good o ld d a y s o f y o m ;

y h lo gLe w aa, a n d w e ird a n d tro a tliig ,B u t th e l»gez)() saya n o m ore.

'O ep t h e r eon w as lo s t q n itc early ,V o y a g in g o 'e r m aj) j » ec ft;

T h en , n o CAblegraca n o r podisc«OoBld w p p ly tb o n ew a to abo.

N 2

A fter m any y ea rs Iiad flowed,Aj)i1 sho moGTD^ h im a s liead.

G rea t th e c ry wika th a t h e /-oimn) Spanift’a bhor«B in Apcod ho ep&d.

B « t w o ta lk o f f jlO«B4Bd yCARB,T liis th o tim e o f w hich w o took»

Long befoi'o the Uegathoi'jum W as coz)T«rted in to rook.

K o th e r E v e a tid A daia n a r c e l j Hftd th e ir e m n t coanto begun.

W hi'ti thtB m other m uiin)«d In elLcDoe F o r h e r wandering tn ism t eon.

G r ta t adTertl86m«tita w cro tityloed C n th o local P ap 'ru s ¿iheet.

A nd th e agony she pU oed,Son to see a n d eon to me«t.

A d t h e D am o w as r e r y w o a lth y ,A n d th© w o rld w aa ver y poor,

M a n y c la im a n ts n a t u r a ^K n o ck ed o f te n &l h e r door.

T i n a t last» i n crw :y inom eot,6I1O Cook o<rthes th o to n .

IT ia t th e n e x t w h o m&de appcaranoo, €o& it que i:oéU , eho iild b e h e r aoii.

T h e n th e ro cAmo a g ro a t m i e f ^ u n T o th o widow*» te n d e r b r ta e t,

M an t t irn c d n p w i th nam e o f O rtn n , A n d h y })0r w m « lick caieei»e4V

B n t Ih c la w s fo r lu n a t ic i« ,W e re h y p a t r i a r c h i fram ed ,

A n il th è C ld m a n t fo o n d fhaf. ho m u s t b y th « m e r he déulaim ed,

H e m n9t p ro re fu H itu Jy ,A U i n sp it« o f vU lage g roan ,

T hi^ t fo r BOToral h u n d re d ^eATOfi,Oil a mounC lio*d Rtcmd a lone.

T hc«c ntiiKgfl /»loaii q u t d a tran g c ly I n thc»o (U ys o f life fcmrscxTe,

B u t th e patrlaroIiM n o t F u r ft h m id red je e r a o r m ore.

H d w as s tro n g , lio w u h e a rty .A n d b e bow ed u n to tb e la w ;

A n d up o n tb e m o u n t» m range« l i e oom m enced h ia g r ^ t laLcir.“

T lie re b o w as a n d tb e re h e ia ntrw,H ia e it ii t« to a to n e ;

PrvT idonry baa beon fcinfl, th o ’.A n d co n v e rted to sto n e .

T b o re b o BtanJs» a o iU n stra tio n O f th o FDorUl s in o f g r ip .

TJkoe« ^ t t r y fi>r m o s t w on’t g e t i t ,F o r tu n e is eo blip .

» « » •Bo’sau C b u c lty , w e rcmom'bei',

I n t b a t “ E a s y M id^ly ” lo o k ,B aid , a l l th is g n w e re r«prodiiood,

D ow c’e r lo n g tb e tim o i t look.

U o a Mfiltede d o n k ey e ^ o d o once,C h ee rily tb o course o la a •.

Afld b o sa id ho’d dono th o Kame th in g .O n tb e g a llA itt UosU-]<ni.

C sn i t bo tb ia leg en d onoidnt.O f th ia o ld m a n tu rn e d to etono,

I s repoat«d a t (b ia m o u ie n t «I n B uhetan lia l a k iu a n d bono.

W e’r e tracRlatoTB n o t poeté»T hifl y o n acarco ly no©<i be toW ,

A n d can o n ly a»k th e i}a««ti<ut,Do th e M oderns a p e th e a id ?

B bd tl ie re n o t b een o ld ish C lu m a n t , t r i iü , tr e a d in g m ill,

F o r t i t c d y diepl^yaied»N cAr th « p o in t c a lled P o r t la n d B i l l

W o'll n ow e n d & strii&gc decoatro. GÍ7C a problem to o u r eagos;

O o w iii H th e T>aTT>ft o f Caiftru H a s rem ained bo m an y ages ?

C H A PTK R X V II.

A S IJNBrOlLT ßPANISn Towy.

PoTEö, tho quaiu t little h igh land capital, is generally p u t a few mi lea ou t o f its p roper placo in most of th e mapB o f Spain th a t we have come across. Some­tim es tho unhappy town is roprueented ad being north , other times south, eart, and sometimeH in the middle o f the I ’ioos. H achetto's ^ i d e to Spain does n o t even m ention the Picos a t a ll ; h u t th a t is no excuse for p u ttin g Potes in tho map Wliero Panes really is. B u t tho French have no t learned even now the lesson o f 1870, and are almost a& carelese as ever in th e ir maps aud geographical detail.

F our delightful valleys conjoin a t P o te a ^ those o f Del Prado, V al de Baro, Creceda, aud CeUorigo. T he town itse lf is situated on a hill com manding the road to the Picoe in a northerly direction, and th a t wbich leads to the low range o f hüls th a t keeps in û*om Sight the C entral S p a n i i plain. The Deva is crossed by a good b r id ^ ju s t outside the town, and you are eoon in tb e markot-place o f the motropolie ol the Picos de Europa. Potee is well descnbcd by us in tbo heading o f this chapter. I t ia

anspoilt. Santander, Bilbao, in & ct, aud a ll the la rger and moat o f the amaEcr no rtliem Spaiiiah towns, all show decided m arks o f tbe influence o f tliO B ritish and the French. N ot so Potes. I t ie Li^fhlaud Spanish, and, w ith perhaps the exception o f th e daily m ail by the coach, is exactly tho aame aa i t waa coDturies r . T he pavemente, th e houses, the church, and th e shops, a ll aro m arked w ith an indefinable hatred o f auy tb iu g ucw -fangleJ. W hat­ever m ay su it flashy places like Santander or P alencia w ill n o t do for Potes. In the m atter of rcsxstanco to change Potes is adam ant. M any of our readers w ill know th e following sto iy , and, in om* opinion, tbo ^ u d old gardener h ad g o t Potcsa in h is m ind w hen ho referred to the laud o f sunny Spain :—

On d it assez plaisamment qu ’il y a quelques années qu’A dam rev in t au monde, e t qn 'en faisant le tour de r Europe, il la tronva tellem ent changée» qu’aprca avoir patcoum la France, TA ngleterre, la Hollaude, l’A llem agne, eio., il ne lus reconnut pas ; m ais qu'eu a rr iv a n t en lOspagne, il s’écria tou t haut, ha î pour ce paysKii, jo le reconnois, car on n 'y a r ien changé depuis mou départ.” M any o f the booses are o f tb e Moorish typo o f arcbiteclurc, and the longieh littio s frœ t of

»shops in a k ind o f colonnade s u r e s t« th e Eastern city . T he old wino-ahopa, w ith the ir counters in tbe streets, aro c^^actly the aamo as thoee found a t Pom peii. Tho maa’ket-place ia aa Rom an as i t is ])0 S- sible to be, while a lofty square Moorish tow er shows

how vury near th© bold Saraecns go t to the citadel home o f the mtconquerud iaountaineers. The chnrch a t Potoaj 18 u tterly aninteresti ng , and, though cjlo m and weU kept, would be all the hotter for a little m ore ornamentation. In oonuoction w itli thie church i t m ay he said th a t close to i t a new one has been huilt, a3id, we w ere informed, a t the sole oxpenso o f one man wlio is eincc doad. F or some reason o r other th is church h no t used, and inase is daily said in the pariah churcb. W e tried in Tain to find ou t the reason for th is extraordinary noglect o f a substantial building. Som ething was said to us about “ a wicked rn an ” who had eomothing to do w ith tbe b u au ca s ; bu t w hetlier the person who found tbo money to huild the chorcb was a “ w icked m an,” o r w bcthor reference was being made to th a t opening vereo o f tbe A nglican eervico we caimot say. A ll we loiow 18 tb a t a fine church is going to m in in Potes. W h a t a chance for barracks for tho Cantabrian division o f the Salvation A rm y !

The T i e w s of tbe surrounding country from any p a rt o f the little tow n are very fino. The southern poRtern gate o f tbe PicoB looks dow n on the gazer if he tu n is to the north, w bile g rw n undu la ting hills, here and thero densely wooded, are e e e n in e v e r y

other direction. M urray eays there are tw o o r three inns, bu t we know only o f one where w^ con recommend our reader to stop. I t is a quaint tumble-down old stone m ansion w ith a huge coat of arm s bJazoned on ita front. I t is on the r ig h t hand

side of thü m aiü Btrcüt going south, .ind cannot be uiistakeu. H ere tho travelle r will find plouty of p la in good food, clesiu bods, and good attend anco, for a very moderato snm . Aa usual, the landlord o f tho hotel o f tbe Celosüal Fields— (oh ! tho m ud o f Potca streets—no v e n d e r its inhabitants long ib r an e tern ity o f daisies)— we forget the w ortliy landlord’s nam e—keope a general store in addition to his liotel buauess, a^d ju d g in g from the Qumbor of young porcwi abont the yard , a t tb e sides o f the lie use, is no m ean p ig breeder, P etes 1«? the iieadw^uarter» o f the finest trou t fisbing rivers in all Spain—the sport in the rivers Nansa and S al as well as the Ü eva being splendid. For breakfast and tlinner one always had a freshly ca^nght salm on-trout o r trout proper, and they wero alw ays welcomed afte r tlie soup and first jo in t o r entree— w e publicly state tLat w e ra tb e r like th e fieb com ing m ero o r less in tlic centre o f the mual as i t ia in Spain, for i t ads as a Ionic in m uch tlie same fasiiion as tlic jambon en cJuimpoi/ne a t those modest little dinners one gets a t th e M erchant Taylors. D uring one of ou r stays a t Potca a t the hotel m entioned, we w ere p artly amubcd and p artly annoyed by ih© strange antics o f an unquestionably intoxicated photographer w ho bad been sent by h is entcrpriring bu t somewhat confidiug employer to v is it th e wilda o f the Picos and g e t tho inhabitan ts to have tbeir likenesses taken. O ur newly-fotaid iLc<jnaintanoe waa a t times very noisy and demon^trativu, b u t it

must bo adm itted th a t he made us laugh when he said w ith unaifecteJ g rav ity , as far, tlu it is to say, as Lis condition would alL w him, ilia t ‘‘ i t was no earth ly good com ing to such a placo a* P o tes—the people who stood still were too poor to be photo­graphed, and those who had th e money would not be quiet a eecoud. H e would g ive the whole th in g up and re tn rn to Santander.*' W hilo ho ■was ram bling on in th is &8hion one o f the p a rty iu tho la rge common room Ruggested th a t i t was a g reat p ity no one had a sto rk 's w ith him, a/i tha t would fioon cure h is intoxication and would make hini a fit member o f sooioty.

This etraiigo idea is certain ly oommonly prevalent in N orthern Spain, and, i t aeems, also obtains in tho BOTith, as in th e ¿^eld some few wookR ago wo came ac ro ^ tho following passage :—

“ A s I was w alking through the P la sa del Mercado, a m arket-place iu Seville, w ith Manuel, an old fruit- solior asked him . . . . to get her a stork s egg fur her son . . T here came a bargain, aud fioally tlie old iady agreed to give ton reals, an enormous price for her, and for such an article. W hen we had go t out o f oarshot, Mannel informed mo tiia t her eou was th a t very rare th in g in Spain, an habitual drunlcard, and i t is the popular belief th a t a stork’» ogg is a c iTtaixi cure for th is «nfortnnate habit.”

I n roferenoo to th is we m ay add tb a t “ Swan says in his Speouium Miru^hi, tb a t “ the eggs o f an owl broken and pu t in to the oup o f a dnm kard, o r one

desirous to follow <lrinldng, will so work w ith Lim tb a t be w ill Budcionly lothe liis good li^^uor and bo displeased w ith drinking.” I t is a p ity tb a t fliie simple rcccipt is no t b e tte r know n am ongat tlio Good Tem plars and teetotalers j^n era lly , as the iu troduo tion o f owls' a t our banquets instead o f plovers’, w hich aro said to be too often crows’ eggs, m ight jMjwerfnliy contribnte to tho sobriety o f ou r native boards, and thus easily a tta in th© object eo earneetly desired.

W hile w e wero cross-eiam ining onr fellow guest as to w hat he knew practically o f the events o f storks' eggs in cases o f very severe devotion to J .D .K .Z . or “ Three star,'* a bat flew across the room and quickly m ade for an opon window. Since tho timo that th e Moorish hosts fled before thu all-conquering hundreds th a t were the phalanx o f Pulayo, we do n o t th in k P o tes ever saw eueh a stam pede fo r tbe door. The tw o phlegm atic B ritons wore the only persons wbo seemed to re ta in th e ir eang-froid. Bats are detested by the averago A sturian , a n d on no aooonnfc would one o f the p a rty re tu rn to the room where th e cheiroptera had been fly ing u n til in fact i t was broad daylight, One o f us in reference to th is childish superstition m ade some ghastly joke th a t the exiled native “ had gone o u t w ith his batj" and w e adjourned to tbe roomy kitchen where round the wood iire w e eoon g o t up a conver­sation on the iblk-loro o f the neighbourhood. W e heard a good m any stories— the m ajority o f which

Lad a atrong religioTis flavour. W e do no t v/ish to tire onr readers w ith m ore than two, for enough o f a th ing ’» enough. The s tro n g faith th a t was dopictod on th© bronacd hoo o f the narrator, as he sonoroiosly told iho following by the fliclcerÍDg iig h t o f the kitchen fire, was woU w orth the study o f a R em brandt fo r a Cantabrian in to rio rj—

Onee upon a time, tho devil, in h is w icked ronnds, «im e to a villago very near to Pot<H, bu t up in the mnuntóins w here a pastoral simplicity o f m anner prcwailed, and, by bis seducing a its , speedily en­trapped th e villagors into all m anner o f evil. B u t tb e monks proved too m uch for Satan, and go t h im nnder tho ir thnm b. compelled him to p u t on the hab it o f th e ir order, and to preach so powerfully th a t the straying sheep wero all b rought back to the fold again.

O ther “ yarns," as we should call them in the g reat South Sea, followed ii, quick succession—ono o r two o f them being o f a c la« w hich cannot woll bu intro- duced here. 1-hc story pendulum sw ung from grave to gay, 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-wor- sh ip i^ rs a t PotOB burst on us w ith the following which w e givo in a litoral Jcind o f feshion •—

Onco upon a time, w hen Jesus C hrist was gom g w ith H is disciplos to Jerusalem , H e mot an old man and asked alms o f H im ; The old mui, said fo Him

• I am only an old soldier, and they sent m e away Irom the arm y w ith ouly two soub, boiause 1 am no

loDger good for atiytliing. 1 have al ready aw ay one aou on thè road ; I iiave oniy one Ìeft, and I give th a t to you.”

T hen our Txird saye to him , “ W hich would you prefer, a eadc o f gold o r Paradise ? "

S t. P eter geiitly nndge« tbe old m an in thè riba, ** Say PaKMÜse ! ”

“ W})at ! Paradise ! says th è old eoìdier. A iW - w ards w e shall have Paradise as w e ll I prefor a sjick o f gold.”

A nd onr L ord gives him th è sack o f gold, and H e said a s H e iç a v û i t to hìm !

“ W hen tliitì eack is em pty i t %vill he suffieient to eiay, Arichila murichUa! go in to m y eac k !" aud Bverything you w ish will go in to thi» sack ! ”

O nr m an take« thè sack and goes on hìs road, W lien he had gone a little w ay he paesed before th è door o f a n inn a n d sees a lejç o f m niton on thè tahlc. H e was 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 ü a t ' F ino leg o f m utton, come in to m y Rack.”

In an in stan t i t w as in it, and in tho R a m e w ay he had every th ing he w ished for.

One day th è devii camo to tem pi thie old m an ; hut, as soon as he hcard hlm , he opcned his eack and said :

“ Artcliila murtchUa ! go into m y sack ! ”A n d thè devii h im ^ilf ontored into tho «ack. H e

takc« th è sack w ith thc de vii in i t to a blacksmith, and, for a long tim e and very vigoronsly he pounded i t w ith hifi elodge-hammer.

W hen the old man died be w en t to Paradiae. W hen he ftiriTcd tlicrc, S t. P e te r appears and says to h im :

“ W hy are you standing th e re—and w hat are you Rfikini^ fo r ? "

" Paradiae."“ W h a t! Paradise ! D id no t you prefer to have a

sack o f gold when God gave yon tho choice ? Be off from here. Be off to hell. T here aro the gates— th e ro !"

O ur old man, in deepest saduese, goes to the door o f holl, aud knocks ; hut, as soon as the door was opened, the devil recognised the soldier aud began to cry 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 and too many misfortunea. H e is ao very vicious I ”

A nd ho w ould no t receive h im ; he re tu rned again to Paradise, atid God commanded S t. P e te r to let this m an en te r who Lad been such a foi> to th e devil.

Shortly afte r th i i sto ry o f tlie old soldier wo »ougbt sleep, and wore only awakened about tbree A . B . b y the advent o f tho photagraphcr an d some newly.foutid friends o f bis, who in endeavouring to olamber np tbe stairw ay o f onr bostolry m ade noiso enough in all conscience.

'l-he nex t m o m b g we determined to r e to n hy tbe coacb to Urdon. The vcbicle was to s ta rt a t

nice, and o f course w as no t visible a t th a t hour, so having packed up our trifling im pedim enta w e lounged abont th e town. N o t far from the door o f our hotel ID a vacant yard, w ith a kind o f asphalt pavement!

w e found Rom© Lright^eycd, &ir-liaired little lads, p lay ing a t “ fives.” Before w e hard ly knew what wo w ere doiug w e wero w ith them in tKe gam e; and when lookiDg up the street some tima after w e liad actually seen the diligence ou t o f it#» bouse, (no horses w ere visible) ; w© had som elittlu difficulty in tearing ourselves away from onr o n g a ^ n g young companions. The senors fngleses could easily go by to-m orrow 's coaeb. W hy no t p lay to-day and travel mañana f '*

Í j very th ing , says tlie F rench proverb, comee to Lim who w a its ; and so i t w as th a t a little before eleven the three horees w ere harnessed to the “ Royal Mail penny omnibus, oiid the authors o f the “ H ighlands o f C antabria ” took th e ir places under the conpé, to th e left o f th e driver, w ho occupied the r ig h t seat. The coach was full inside,” and there w ere several outside passengers, including the now com paratively aoLer photographer, who had, by the w ay, shrew dly passed o£T some o f his heavy baggage as ours, thus avoid ing paym ent for excessive weight, w hich lie would, trave lling solus, otherwise havo had to disburse.

T he usu»il moro o r less gap ing crowd, the cenai adioe, the usual p artin g inossages to friende a t San* tander o r Llanes— the d iiv er cracked his whij> and off w ent our throe gallan t steede a t a fair paco down the cobble-paved h igh street, and, hav ing crosecd the bridge over the Dova, came to a dead halt a t a tabttma on th e r ig h t l>ank o f th a t p lotaani littlo river.

The anthor w ith the l o û ^ r îiatne was between tho driver and hia friend, and, being com paratively new to Pûtes and ite LaHte, asked h is more ex­perienced fellow.f ravel 1er, “ W liat iu tho namo o f goodneee wero thoy stopping fo r here? ”-r-tlie here, being in faut five miiiutcs* caay -walk from the •‘ H otel o f the Celestial F ie ld s"— “ I t looks vary much like a d rink and a goeaip»” wiw th e reply. Then the driver th rew the reins acrnsa the splash­board, and descending leisurely entered the wino- ehop, tho inside passengers, w ith tho exception o f a beautiful sen o rita y all followed suit, and the photographer and his companions on the roof clauibcrod down ar>d did ditto. F ive m inntes, seven minutes pasfied, aud no sign o f forward motion. “ I cfin't stand th is any longer,” said the son o f tho W ar God. “ I ’ll jo in th e crow d/’ H is feet had no sooner touched the ground than of? started the three horses a t a furious paoo, up hiJl, b ring ing heliind them , in addition to the coach, H is Maje‘sty s mails, the fair-haired sehcriia and the unhappy English queetionor ae to the reason for the detention a t tho road-side inn. Sboutjng was no goud. T he crowd a t tbe tohema wtm le ft far behind ; to the le ft o f the fiery untamod trio wa ? a low w all and a forty-feet drop to the Dt-va helow ; to tbe rig h t was a stone fence and some raaize M d s . H astily g e ttin g hold o f the reins, tbe ‘British pioneer o f the Picc« tried hia level best, bu t a ll to no avail. Two o f tho horæ s seemed am enable to reason, h u t the tb ird— he was

0

for liberty o r death. Thin<?s wei« lookiDj? p re­ternatural ly a g ly BA the off stoed on the k f t w is carefally makings for tho precipice, ■wLüü from a Irsick on the r ig h t camo ou t a maize-cart, draw n by a team of sturdy bullocks, r ig h t across the path. The peasant in charge saw th e sitimtion, and so hacked his cart th a t th e riinaw ays w ith tb e m»kil went stra igh t fo r th e woodea w all lie presented instead of th e hullocka. T here was a collision— but com­paratively speaking a small one. A t the critical moment the B riton jarapod off and a t once w ent to the apsi stance o f the young lady in tho cuach, who w as wisely lying on thc lloor o f the vehicle, a little shaken, bu t neither frightened nor hu rt. A s served Lim l ight, tbe horse th a t would no t pull up sutterod tb e worst- Some sligh t dam age wa« done to the coach itself, and the w inc-diinklng crowd having assembled in rea r o f th e runaw ays, a so rt o f tii- umpKant procePRion w as form ed hack o f course to the tahéma. T he lau g h te r a t the whole affeir waa loud aud long. I t was a good th in g for nearly every­body. Señor A- would have a job to attend to the wounded horse. Senor B . w ould have to repair the coach. More cnj/itas o f vino tinto and qme^rra would be di ank a t Senor O.’s w ine shop. hile everybody would have tim e to bave a pleasant chat aud rejoice the accident w as no worse. The only po^jple who wci*e to be pitied were the unhappy etrioriia and the Süñor Inglese. I t was a runaway-m atch o f course iu a double sense. The clumsy fellow w ith his hulkxjk

cart stopped all the romance (the interested author ia devoutly grateful th a t he did) ; and i f the coacli will be four hours o r so late to-day» who w ill bo ttio worse ? A nd 8 0 on, and ao on. The really p retty g ir l m her black m antilla looked half-disconcerted» hall^m nsed a t the badina^fi. The Knglishman said th a t i f there had been four horses now» ho would Kavo eusiiy know n how to have handled tliem ; i t was th e tliree th a t puzzled him. Everybody enjoyed th e fun— the “ adm inistration ” paid for tho damages, the people for tbe ir driiika ; and a fte r a fu rther delay o f two hours wc started once moro on onr way» and witiiout fu rther incident, except th e m ad frcake o f the by this tim e very tip sy photographer, reachcd tbe in n kept by Santiago a t Urdou.

C H A P T E R X V III .

THE HOME O F THE CHAMOIS.

I t is 031 old bu t a veiy tru e aayiDg th a t one ounce of practice is w orth a ton o f tliuory, therefore w ithout boring the reader w ith a long dissertation on tlio existeTice o f chaaiois in the Picos and a careful bu t m addening treatise on th e m anners and caistome o f th a t aniraal, w e w ill ju s t plunifo in medias rV6 and g ive a detailed account o f au cxpodition in which w e took a sm all p a rt tow ards th e end o f A ugust laet year. Mr. Ilarrigon, the U nited S tates Consul a t Santander, lias been good enongh to give ua a full account o f th e expedition, and in thia chapter we largely quote from him as ho saw m uch m ore of tbe h u n t th a n wo did, Accompanied by Don Sevon del Diestro, w e le ft Santander, and a t U uquera we met one o f Benor Diestro’s Picoe m ining captains and arranged w ith him for supplies, provisions, boddjn^f, for the last station a t w hich w e should pu t up. A t the first one, th a t o f A liva, we w ere amply provided fo r by ou i M end Don Bennquo A rce, the manager and principal proprietor o f th e most extensive and valnable groups o f calamine mine« in tb e Piooa, aud whose head quarters a t A ndara w e w ere bound first

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for, to join Rome othor frioads who had been invited to mcut us.

W e left U nqnera about 6 p .m . in n uondescript kind o f machine, and soon reached Panes. A t tho adm irable little inn kep t by Manuel Gome^? quite a host o f local notables w ere assembled— the fiime of Señor Diestro as a sportsman, qxiite ap a rt from h is h igh Rocial poijition, is w ell known to all N orthern Spain. M r. Pontifex W'oods had arrived from Tresviso, and also tho v i l l a ^ p riest and doctor, the local chemist, and a w ealthy ** Indiano ” (the 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 adventures in the Picos, all more o r lees flavoured à la M unchausen, aud in the applicati<m of th is sauce our friends the Spaniards aro adepts, and held th e ir own fa irly even g a i n s t ono o r two EngHshraen o f th e p a rty who even in the compétitive esam inatieu for exa^^geratiou waved h igh the m eteor flag o f B ritain . Towards bcd-time th© sporting fal«Í6 cations g rew positively alarm ing, and rem inded u s o f th e old Scottish farm er who, hearing a friend say th a t h© had shot a thirty-four-feet-loug tiger, shortly afterwards quietly rem arked th a t no t long ago he had caught a skate abont au acre in ex ten t. H e w ith the long tig e r dem urred to the veracity o f the exact size o f the fish, whereupon the agriculturist retorted, I f you II take a few feet off your tiger. I ’ll see w hat cau be done w ith m y skate.” A jfreeing iu a dreamy snddened fashion to the grave propositiou th a t in

bome parts o f tho Picos bears were m nch m ore plenti­ful th a n d a ^ in M adrid, wo retírod to rest, and tho vieiou o f a g igantic chamois haiuitod otir couch during th a t n igh t. N ex t day w e w en t up to Tresviso and passed the n ig h t a t M r. Pontifex W oods', who was as hospitable and M nd as usual.

T he next m orning w e m ade for A ndara, w hich was considerably ou t o f th© w ay, and hero w e found another well-known local sportsman, Don Luis Bueta- m ante, Don A ndres Hustamanto, a son o f thc Conde de M oriana, and the son o f our host Señor A rce. A splendid dinner w as ready 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 the surroundings and the luxuries on the ta,ble were a perfcct contrast, and a placid con­te n t was engendered by sundry copitas o f curaçao. Benedictino aud other liquenrs after tho meal w as over. W here host A rce gets those cigars o f Iuh w e do not know, bu t the flavour o f his Caracolillo will n o t bo forgotten in a b u rry by us. Now tb a t i t eeeme only yesterday th a t poor Colonel B um iihy died go gloriously in the Soudan, i t ia strange to recount the fact th a t du ring th is famous d inner we heard A udres Bustam ante recount to Mr, H arrison various o f his shooting experiences w ith Colonel B urnaby in Spain. Tho onthusiaam of the gallant Spaniard for tb e noble fellow wbo w as speared in th e A frican desert was unmistakable.

A fter a decent in terval for digestion w e stjirted for A ll va wliich, as before stated, was th e bead-

quartoftt o f onr first hunt. Mr. Ilarrieon w ent alone on horseback from Tresviso to A ndara, and bis account o f tbo proceedings o f a. oertain horso len t to him by Mr. W oods ie very amusing. I t seems tha t aJmofit as soon as he was ciossed, tbe. animal showed ■unmistakable syroptomH of a de*in> to re tu rn hom<i. F irst bo tried standing still, bu t eeoing tb a t tliis suited no t the views o f iiis rider abont reacliing A ndara iu tim e for dinner, a little obatinacy on Mr. H arrison’s part overcame this. Shortly a i ^ r the fiery nn tamed tried another gam e. Doubtless sovorely depressed by the dreary surrounding« and absolute w an t o f vegeta­tion, seeing nothing hu t g rey stones and huge cliffs, he determined to commit suicide, and w ithout more ado suddenly flung hiniself off tho road o r pathway, aud found bottom on all fours, some tw elve feet under. M r. H arrison, beiug au excellent horsernatj, kep t h is seat. A fter thiR last failure tho horse adm itted his defeat and w ent on well enough, hu t th is is w ritten for those who may como after. I t is no good w hatever trusting to horses who aro not accustomed to the moantains, and i t is uo use trust- m g to boots th a t are no t snited to tbe mountains. Good horses for chfimois work can be found a t Sotres, and i t was a t th a t village th a t w c w ere jo ined by w hat we may call the headsmen o f the h un t, and the beaters. W e are sorry to say, and M r. H arrison’s memory is equally defective, th a t we have forgotteu the names o f the headsmen, b u t any ouo wishing to follow our Rteps, hy addressing up (the authors) a t

FincKIey, w ill ha furniabed w ith tUo fallest ¡aforma- tion how to prooced, and in any case they will find tho r ig h t man on tb e ir arriva l a t Sotrea. I t should he Qotod th a t there is a regu lar recognised fraternity o f heaters w ith the ir elders juRt referred to , and they w ill o i^ n is o the whole expedition, Each heater ie paid about e ig h t reals, o r U . 8d. a day, aud wine ex tra ; th e b e tte r w ay is to g ive 2s., an d th is sum to cover everything. T he h ead i^ e n are paid ou a h igher scale according to agrooment, and in the ir case a g ra tu ity is always th row n iu according to the f?port and th e B|>ortBman8 satisfaction w ith their ■work. Sotres is tho nearest inhabited place to the hu n tin g grounds, h u t i t is m uch too far aw ay to bo used as a head-quartora, as i t takes throe hours of good rid ing (w alking paco) from Sotres to A llva.

A liva ia mraply a collection o f a few m iners’ tem porary barracks, and the house whore we stepped •was p u t up by Senor A rce for h is ow u accommodation w hen a t the mines, *We have no doiibt w hatever th a t Señor A ree would w illingly place tho house a t the disposal o f auy parly properly introduced. I f how ever there are diiEcultiea on th is head, tho only plan is to take tentfi, and camp even still nearer th an A liva to th e ground to be shot over. O f coiirse i t m ust be clearly understood th a t a ll provisiona would have to bo ordered beforehand, and sen t on to reach the head-quarto« a day before the shooting p a rty arrive. Miissre. Barnca & Co., o f U pper Thames Street, who prepare reg u la r cases o f preserved pro-

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v iao n sfo r tho Ind ian tig e r huntB, Trould, w e have no doubt» thoroTighly undorstacd tho requircmouts o t tho B ritish chamois hunters in Spain. I t m ust be c le a il j nadtirEtood th a t no presorved provlaions are to be had in Spain, escep t in very few placca, aud th e n a t cnormans cost. I t is fa r and a w av the best plan to take the provender from London.

A ll the party w ere very tired on arriva l a t A liva, and wo were v e ry g lad a fte r a a cxcellont supper to seek repose on th e sp ring m attresses th a t lay aronnd th e floor o f Senor Aroe’s m ining house. A t four iu the m orning w e w ere awakened by th e Captain of the H un t, an apology for a breakfast was hastily snatched, the horses woro soon saddled, and wo were o£F for our d a y s work.

N o t easily shall we forgot th a t strange rido in tho grey daw n o f the morning, stupondoas mountftins on oveiy side o f ue, and here and there in cavities large deposits o f frozen enow— tho rolling masses o f white cloud and mist w ere ly ing hundreds o f feet below us, and looked like a P o lar sea. Tho transform ation scenes as tho m orning wore on were surpassingly beautiful. Tho path w e were following was a kind o f track to a n abandoned mine, and about s is o’clock we found ourselvoR a t the foot o f the mourttain we had to breast on fo o t The fow atithoritics on the subject diJfer as to the particu lar nam e o f this m ountain, bu t i t is in the immediate v icinity o f Pena Vieja—probably one o f tbe h ighest elevations in the Picos, being some DOOO feet above sea-levol

A n d to r e a word o f w arn ing as to foot-goiir. Wo fihall give in hie own worde onr friend’s valoal^lo advico on thie head tow ards the oud o f thie chapter, h u t should explain th a t th e grouuci to be crosRed ifi nothiujf else bu t a aucceaaion o f \ a x ^ bouldere iuferfipereed w ith prfretches o f moTing stouca like road m<;tal o r ballast. W hat, therefore, is w anted is some­th in g th a t will no t sh*p, eo th a t w hen jiiinping from one etoue to ano ther th e re ehould no t be thc least fear o f a iin n footing. Boots w ith leather sole« aro no good a t all.

A fte r tw o good hours o f thie so rt o f th ing we sighted about a do55ou chamoie go ing elowly up a Buowgnlly, and sa t down to admiro th e ir n\ovemcuts% which were b rough t ou t p lainly in relief against the wLito snow. T hey were d istant froiu us about a quarte r o f a mile, b u t w ere ev idently qu ite conecious o f our vicinity , as thoy would stop evory now and again aud look round thorn. T hoy soon diaappeared over a crest, und w e thou breasted the asccut ngstiu, aud afte r about th ree hours from th e time we left our horeee we arrived a t onr poate.

borne idea o f the country ehould now be given to enable th e reader to undoratand the p lan o f npora- tions. You find a sJicceesion o f large hollows with precipitoue side«, and tw o o r th ree, and in eome CftAes h a lf a dozen, paeaes w hich the chamois habitually use when changing from one hollow (natives call tbem koyo8) to another. T here ie no t a trace o f vege­tation except here and there, bu t a t veiy wide inter-

Tals Rmall tn n ch es o f a thick a»rt o f grass and A lpiue flow ers; and i t is a sonice o f w onder to us wlmt 8 0 m atiy chamois can live on, as in tho whole d ay s w andering over the ir gronnds w e d id no t ecii etiongh graas to feed half a dozen. I t should, how­ever, be mentioned th a t a root called liq«orice by the local inhahitants was fairly abundant- On arrival a t the riia o f the cra ter o r hollow our captain and lu8 headsmen planted ub all a t the various outlets and took n p position them selves in good vantage pointa. TLc Ixsatcrs, to the num ber o f tw enty or more, had left A liva a t m idnight w ith inatruclione to beat to this hoyo w e were now posted at, and wo could now hear thu ir peculiar shonta re-echoing far and wide th rough th e almost deathlike stillneaa w hich surrounded ns, and on peering cautiously ovor onr stone ambuBcade w e oould eoc the chamois to tbe num ber o f a t leaiit tw o hnndred begin to make for th e passes. T he best dress the sportsm an can wear is a g rey corduroy and a cap o f the samo colour m as to blend w ith the surrounding stones as mueh aa possible. Good w arm underclothing is absolutely essential, as, although tho aun hroils one a t times, yet on arrival a t th e posts w hen w aiting for the game yon B o o n begin to feel the penetra ting cold o f the m onntain air, more especially if a sharp w ind is blowing, M any people Ffuffer from soreness o f the eyea and even tem porary blimlness afte r being up one o r two hours, and i t is well to use a pair of groen spectaclcs. To resume Ihe history o f tho hunt

itselE I t was now evident th a t the chamois were m aking for the side o f the Ihoyo on w hich w e were situated, and th e beaters could now be seon diatinctJy against tho aky-lm e on tiio opposite ai<le doing their best to drive them towarda u s ; b u t i t was n o t to be, as a sligh t wind go t up, blowing our scent (and they are very keen in thie riigard) d irectly towards them, and wo had the mortification o f seeing them pass ou t o f gnn-ehat range, th rough a pass between ue and the beaters, m any o f them scaling a cliff which one would have though t no th ing bu t a bird would have attempted. Two o f oar party fired, but, as far as they could judge, b it nothing, altliough the oh»- moie were quite w ithin range o f th e exprese rifles carried by one o f them. Tbo rest o f ua had very ord inary No. 12-bore central-fire breechloaders and cartridges filled w ith shiga, bu t on fu tu re occasions a general wieh was oxprosaed tb a t tbe expreRs pat­te rn should be carried by a t loast tw o o r th ree o f tho party , as those rifles aro invariably effective whuro other guus cannot bo need,

A fte r a substantial lTinchi»nn, no t quite so luxurious aa those ono geto accustomed to in tig e r hunting how­ever, b n t relished in a most uncummun fashion, we moved on to the n ea t about a mile fu rther on, and in w hich direction the u n tirin g bealcra were driv ing . This wa^ certain ly th e ti^ughcst b it o f tbe whole journey , and g e ttin g over Bonie bita i t was just hanging on by one s eyelids. O f course in thc«e expeditions the gun is always slung by a belt over

tb e Bijoalders so ae to le a v e tho b a n d s quite free. O n A rrival a t ihe hollow wo fo u n d ihe wind had q u ite diod aw ay , a n d w b en w e w e re p o s ted f e l t m u ch m o re confidence i n th e r e s u l t o f o u r s p o r t in g efforts.

O ur eipectatlouB were realised to the full. In a minnte o r tw o we saw several batches o f chamois in the bottom of tho htn/o, evidently very m uch frig^ht- cned by the shouts o f tho beaters, wbo in addition were ro lling huge stones down the prcciplcea, m aking a ra ttle like salvoes o f artillery. The whole party wa« concentrated as m uch as poseible. B u t hero wo must quote Mr. H arrison’s own words from the excellent d ia ry so kindly placed a t oiir disposal.

“ I was posted a little to one side o f w hat was apparently the most frequented paas, communicating almost immediately w ith auotber /u>yo. W ith my nerves a ll stm ng I board a ra ttle o f loose stones near me, and concluded a t once th a t i t could only be caused by chamois, the only Jiving th ings beeddes ourwlvee in these wastes. P eering cautiously bohind tbo rock whicb concealed me, I saw w ithin tw en ty yards o f tThi a malo and female chamois, both standing siock- still, qu ivering in every limb, snifüng danger all around, bu t no t daring to lice in an y direction. This was o f oourso only a question o f seconds, and they were ju s t tu rn in g to bound back again along tbo paes they had come by, when I fired a t and wonnded the male, who however did no t fall bu t boundcnl up tbe side o f the paes into a cliff overhanging the hoi/o and then deliberately th rew himself over. I feel quite

X

certain as to tb is bag, and m y atten tion was now dircct«d to the ra tt le o f shote all round from the posts occupied by m y compimions, and 1 soon bad o ther three o r fou r cbiunois in range, one o f Tvliich I killed. Tbe resu lt o f the hag hero was seven chamois, tbe one w hich th rew Itself over the cliff being after­wards recoverod.”

/T he hunters now prepared to re tu rn by the samo road through a cailcm they had takon in reaching the hollow ; aud again fo quot« Mr. E arrison a detailed

account o f the sp o rt; “ A a th e beaters w ere pre- ceding tis, we expected to g e t a shot o r two on our w ay ; and when about h a lfw ay back to th e spot our horBes were le ft at, w e w ere auddenly ordered to ambu-vade by the old captain, aud sure enough two chamois came tCiuing up ihe gorge over the boulders and loose stones aj? if i t were greon ta rf, and a t a pace which defies description. They made for the sides o f tho canon, and aa the cliffs w ere almret perperidicular w ith the exception o f twr> o r three plipscs w here only a cat o r a chamois could get over, aud tht*se were already occupied by tho boaters who drove them back with l i e i r shouts, tbo |)0 or animals a t last took a path which conducted thorn to an isolated promonlory and, as we closed up behind them, tliey had no chance o f o»ape. W hon they 6aw the ir last re treat cut off, w ithout more ado they took a g rand leap into the gorge heuoaTh them, and in all probability all died long before tJioy readied the bottonL W e were now visible by the beafera;

and here I mufrt p u t on dcllbcralo record m y admira- lion for thesQ Lardy A sturiap mountaiuoers. They Lad now been eighteen hours hard a t work, covering miles o f the m ost difficult country to w alk o v e r - walk over, d id I say ?— it is simply a case o f constant jum ping, climbing up an<l down cliffs, wlicre it took a sound nerve and iioad no t to tu rn giddy— and were then fresL enough to sling a dead chamois over tlieir shoulders and carry i t to A liva, ou r head­quarters,

Thus ended m y first experieuee o f chamois shoot­ing, and a t p resent ray last, as, uotw itLstanding the ^ c a t attractions o f the spot, ow ing to m y totally inadequate foot-gear, I was reluctajitly ebli|w d tr> stay over and rest th e n e s t day along witL one of my Companions wLo was too tired to move. T hat evening the shooting p a rty re tu rned witli six or seven chameis from a h u m over g round n&arer lo o v i head­quarters, hut a more difficult country to g e t at. Tbey returned by a breakneck pa^aiige called the Canal del V idrio (Anglic4i, Glass Canal), made famouH ^y Don Alfon^n X l l , liaving gouo up i t when on Lis chamois ex|>editioii in IS fil. Alth<jugh H is M ajesty had a footpath cu t fo r him beforehand, it wasau ugly b it o f road to cross, and ocrtainly demon­strated his m ettle and courage. Owing to husiness engagements I was compelled to bid m y friends iuiiofi on the m orning o f th e th ird day, they proceed­ing even fnrther up the Picos to m ake the ir head­quarters a t some wooden b a i ^ k a belonging to my

friend D iestro, who w ill g lad ly p u t them a t t ie disposal o f a n j p a rty go ing on the same errand, and }iore they expected to g e t a bear o r tw o in addition to the chamois.”

T he captain and beaters from Sotree w ere also discharged here, as tho nex t station was within tho jurisdiction o f o tber villages, whose iuhabitartts would require to be engaged, and th ey seem very careful o f w ounding each other s 8U9ooptibiliti<a by encroaching on each o ther s preserves. A fter skin­n in g th e bag, tliu flesh was divided among tlio beateru, unci each m an started fo r homo as happy as th ings m undane can le . I joined the “ e lders '' of tho tribes, and on our a rriv a l a t Sotrea had a trium phant en try— the whole village flocking oat to rccoiv© us.

I was compelled to dlsmo^mt and t ry tho best “ b re w ” in wine« tb e place conJd show, and was then escorted as for as Treaviso by one o f th e fathera of th e village, accompanied by the arden t wishes o f tho wholo com munity for a safe journey and a re tu rn to the ehnmoia grounds the following (this) year—which I shall certainly do, i f th e fates are propitious.

T he captain iu charge o f th e bcatere explained to m e th a t he had atalked chamois various tim es; bu t it m ust be wearisome work, and n o t to be depended on. Ilow over, there arc ccrtain seasons when they come dow n close to A liva to d rink a t the sa lt springs close to tb a t place, and by laying in svait for them they are easily shot.

Tboi*6 are lotR o f wild boar on all the iowcr ranges o f tbe mountains in the provinces o f A sturias arid Santander, aud iu tho w in ter they afford excellent sport.

Aa regards foot-gear, Mr. H arrison writea th u s : “ Unless, perhaps, a good boot w itb a doullo rabbcr ^ l e can be ohtaiQcd» the best »rabstitiitc is the Spanish a ip^ia ta , which hs a species o f aandal worn in fhe ^ihW iiing, w ith canvas uppers and hcm()en soles. A t«*ot of th is doscription could bo made a t Santander, o r the sporfsman could remove the soles o f a rcaJly ffood-fiitinff Engliah sporting boot, and substitute the alpargata sole. I should say pu t on double soles, as the wear and tear is great. Perhaps, after all, rubber soles wonld bo the best. I t was ail ow ing to ray neglectiug tn supply myself w itb adequate good gear tba t I }iad lo g ive up afte r th e first day a bunt, ray foet being completely knocked up. I wore simply a lp a rg a t^ and, no t being a perfcct fit, they doubled up after a tim e with the rough usage. The stones cut through th e canvas uppers, and wounded m e , but, w orst o f all, the soles being hemp, with liO luner sole o f leather to present a smootli snrfiioe, tho ‘ and ‘ downs ’ o f tho bem p sole raised blisters whicli caused agony la ter on. I lay Htress on this, so a« to preveut others fallm g into the same trap ,”

¿’be dense ignorance th a t prevails in England as to all tliat concerns no rthern .^pain has o f eours© preveured b itberto any systematic organisation for iimtiDg the chamois. But some few m onths ago a

circular waa p rivate ly issued from which w e cxtract the following j—

“ The w an t o f a hun tiug ground» w here ‘ big gam e ’ m ay bo m et w ith iu the ir wild and natural fitate, w ithin a reasonable distance o f London, has long been fe l t I n the lofty range o f mountains know n as the P icos do Europa, province o f San­tander, Spain, the chamois rove unmolested, and in suiHcient numbers to afford excellent sport, while bears, wolve«, and w ild boars, although not plentiful, a re oocasionally m et w ith ; whDet in th e valley is a river, affording good sport both in salmon and trout. This region, ouo o f tho m ost picturesque, and w ith a climate unequalled in Europe, has h ithorto buen almost unknow n to lovers of the gun, ow ing to th e en tire absence o f any accommodation, however humble, being available either on th e spot o r within m any miles, and although i t may bo reached w ithin fuur days from England, oiâ Santander, either hy railw ay o r steam er, to tho present no attem pt has been made to overcome the existing difficulty.

“ liocently , however, a few noblemen and gentle­men Lave m et, and suggested the establishing o f w hat shall be styled th e ‘ Chamois Club,’ to consist ot* 20Ü members, candidates for admission to be pro­posed, seconded and balloted for, to pay an oiitranco fee o f ten guineas w ith in one month a fte r being elected and receiving official notice from the secretary to th a t effect, and a n annual eubecription o f two guineas, due on ibe first day o f Jan u a ry in each •

year, payable in advance. Ladles are aleo eligible ae carididates on the same term s as o ther members,

“ The officers o f the club to consist o f prcfiident, vicv-prcfiident, and a couudl o f s k members, wbo shall constitute th e govern ing body, to be elccted by the members from am ong themselves, the 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 the expenses o f the office, to be sltuat^edin London.

“ I t is proposed to crect th e club-house on the heights o f A hva, a romantic region in tlio Picoe de Europa, 8000 foet above th e level o f the sea, aud a favourite haun t o f the chamois, ow ing to tlicir resort­ing to d n n k a t some saline springs in the immediate locality.

“ According to tho plans subm itted by the architect, the building w ill contain dining, draw ing, and billiard rooms; twelve roomy and w dl-ventilated 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’ apartments. The cost o f building is roughly estimated a t ;C1200, and for furnishing ^ ^ 0 0 ; these siims will exhaust the sum paid as ontranco fee by tho 200 m em bers; and if building operations a ic commenced a t ouco, the building will be ready for occupation in the autum n o f this year.’*

B u t wo fear littio o r no progress has been made, and the reason is no t far to seek. The c ircu b r goes

p 2

OD to say th a t no profite Trill be allowed to th© m anagor or anybody connected w ith tko institution. W e live in a commcrcial age, and people arc inclined to th ink tbo labourer well w orthy o f hie Lire. I f only the clnb w as started ws a sporting inveetment — bound to pay— either in tbo form o f a private syndicate o r as a email jo in t stock company, we believe the necessary funds would eoon be go t together, and suitable head-quarters erected fo r th e hungry B ritish aud Spanish invaders o f tho homes o f the chamoie.

In th e valleys o f the districts irequented by tlto chamois, bears are to bo found in coiisldeiable num bers; b n t tbe sportsmaD wbo really wisbe« to have good sport should certainly make Sotres hia hoad-quarters, In tbie m atter o f bear L^^nts in the Picos de Europa, Lt.-Colonel H ow ard I rb y thus w rote to the Ib tx some little tim e a g o :— “ O ur main object w as to shoot a Spanish beai’, bu t afte r several beats we w ere uneuccessful; th e quarry , w hen started, w ould always go th e w rong way, and never pass near onr posts. A lthough some o f the local cazadorts had fruitless starts, all w e saw o f the bears was their foot-prints.

“ These bear hun ts were always headed by the cura o f T^edoya, a jolly little priest, w ith a m erry eye, in lay costume w itb tb e exception o f his w hite collar. H e was a g rea t cazador, excessively active and energetic, und was very proud o f au arden t sp irit, the streng th o f w hich exceeded an y th in g o f the so rt I

havo ever Boen; liquid firo would be the only tiame for it. In gpitfe o f thoso pn)clivifde8 he did not neglect hie saeerdotal duties, as one m orning a t Aiybreak found ue a t the Chapel o f Lft T irgon de la IdUZ, au isolated fdirino a t an elevation o f 4100 feet. The door was unloekod, our oura entered, and, don- ninp; hie robee, forthw ith B ald maas, the beaters w ith much devotion form ing the congregation.”

C H A P T E R X IX .

A BOAD TO OOVADONGA.

W e passed tbe day o f A rK W ednesday in th e auclent tow n o f Potee, described in a previons chapter, and in the curious old church, dark aud dismal, w atched in th© morning; th© qaain t custom of p u ttin g aflhea on th© heads o f tho dovout population. In the centre of th© church was placed a real coaI*Bcuttlc, and as each devotee passed in single file, old and young, rich and poor, liad a small scoop fijll o f wooden ashes pourod upon the ir heads hy the attendant priest. W e noticed, however, more women th a n men go through the ccre- mony, aud as th e former had the ir hair generally w ell greased, we couM but th in k o f tbe tr ouble and tim e wliich would h© taken up iu thc cleannmg o f tbe head la ter <m.

I n tbo evening, close to the Church, w e attended a most unique hal ma&qu^. I t m ust be understood th a t th e town, although containing a few rich people, is principally inhabited by the extrem ely poor, and th a t sueh a day as this is a gala day in th e ir otlierwise monotonous existence. W e arriTcd a t a small low bujlding more like a cattle shod th a n a liabitation, and liaTing Hoen Teatro w ritten on tho door, on pay­m ent o f fivepenc© each, were ushered into as motloy

an aaacmWy as one could wcli imagine. Tlio dresees were of the simplest—«nothing g rander tliao cotton — save one female who was the admired o f all, as she had a yellow sateen trim m ed w ith scarlet, h igh- hoeled hoote, and a hat w ith art enormouR feather. She, as they all were, was closely maske<l, and w e could no t for «ome timo m ake her o u t ; bu t a t last she proved to bo the servant g irl from fh© hotel in which w e were staying, and the envy and rem ark o f a ll h e r fjur friends. The room, some th irty feet by tw enty, was densely crowded—smoking, expectorating, and horse­play, screaming and shouting, m aking the place a very pandem onium . T h e orchestra— all local artists— was eomp<)Red of a guitar, a £ddle w ith tw o strings, and a very dilapidated oornot, aud, to induce harm ony, by special engagom ent wo had also a ro u g h and w eird old m an who groaned sonndR ou t o f a moun­tain' bag-pipe. H arm ony there was n o t ; b u t fun and frohc of a kind continued un til the band, revived occasionally by cana and o ther intoxicants, ceased to play and the wearied dancers retired to th e ir respect­ive homes. The m orning broke fine and fresh, and perhaps from this old-fashioned Spanish tow n no finer view o f the tow ering Picos can be obtained. In fron t lie beautiful hills covered w ith vineyards up to the ir highest altitnde, and beyond th e grandest, bleak­est rocks, snow-capped, b u t w ith the azure blue base denoting distance and beauty. W ith lig h t hearts, aud spirits freshoned by tho crisp a ir o f an early February m orm ng, wo left the ancient city by the w estern ap­

proach, following up t)ie r iv e r D eva on ite left bank. O n the road, abont a mile fttun Potes, w c <s^lled a t a roadside poaa-ia, whore w e eaw a dozen akine of foxes bftautifuUy cured and stnfftd w itb straw . The governm ent gives a dollar a head for foxes brought dead to the capitals o f the province, w here they havo a small piece cut out of tlie oar, and then can be bought for a mcro aong. A fair qu an tity could bo picked up m various (juarters a t about two shiUinga per skin, mzo about forty-five inchos from nose to tip o f tail, brusb very bushy, and about tw elve o r fourteen inches long . Tho colour is a greyisb birff, no t very ruddy, and very handsome w hen made in to carriage-rugs, or the like. W o now crossed the river, and ascended a w inding path tbrougli mountains sparsely wooded, and w ith , a t times, poorly-defined roads and few in­habitants, W hen two roads dividod, w e had frequently to w ait h a lf an liour o r more until a mountaineer passed to toll wliich road to take. A lw ays ascending, w e arrived abont n ightfall sorce hundred feet above a beautifully wooded dell, containing all th a t makes a picturesque village : ruabing torrent, large water- la ll, rugged rock covered w ith ferns and ivy, an immense w alnut tree oversbading tbo village green o f Lon, and small chnrch, and tbe tw en ty or th ir ty old vorandahed houses placed on little p lateaus one above th e otlier. H av ing go t the name o f one o f tbe inhabitunte, w e desecndcd a precipitous bullock track , and, w ading through m any quagm ires in fron t o f various houses, found

our man, who agreed, tliough dark, to pilot uf? some two liOurR* jou iney still upwards to th e realdoace o f the loiicly Englishm an who has chosen the high Picos as his reaidenco. The road liefl th rough forests of* stnnted oak and hircln A lthough wo had a, lantern, w e wore frequently in mud and w ater where mountaiu rivuletii uuchecked traverRod our path. W e arrived a t last, somewhat weary, aod, althongh unannounced, were received w ith th a t cordial hospi­tality w liich .au Knghahmaji always gives to a com­patriot in foreign {»arta. W e are no t aw are o f the exact altitnde o f o a r host's h o u ^ , bn t j u d ^ i t to be about ‘1000 feef. I t is a la rge house, w ith atabling and farm huilding.s. I t in nil walled in to prevent the encroachment o f wolves o r othor wild beasts. There are no houses o r inhabitants tiearcr tlian Lou, and above th e tow ering suow-eapped Picos, dark, dreary and desolate. A nd here the author o f ‘ My Tour in the H im alayas’ shall g ive h is personal narrative, aa the w rite r o f ‘Oorai L an d s’ .took no part in th a t gentlem an’s rash attemjst to reach Cova- donga in mid-winter.

My friend and I arranged to s ta rt the foDowing ruoming, and over a good fire w ith our host we indulged in old E nglish songs, w hich rose thc echoes o f ibis wild region, our friend rem arking th a t during tho m any years he had been there such sounds had never l>een heard w ithin his doors. The notes o f tha t evening w e re ; cheatnuts* tire, and an old servant, then an EngHah bed, and 1

woke ia the m oruing to the tlnkl© o f the cow­bells. A t last good-byo; we leave our host with lii?ht hearts, for the m urniog is fiae aad fresh, and our eq irpm oat ay ligh t as our spirits, caasistiBg of alp ine stocks alone— ves, I had forgottou, about ten poiinds o f raw beef, whicli was nearly p laying a serious p a rt snbsoquontly. The path» w h k h is hut a JTinle track, rises for several thousand feet, zig- zag ing upw ards through a n immense g«illy, which, in fact, is unbroken save for im niease ju ttin g rocks and caverns w hore en terprising m iners have left p itfa lls for tho unw ary r ig h t up to th© liighcst picos. W ith ligh t spirits and fin© w eather the first ascea t was speedily overcome, and so precipitonsly w ere we rising, tlia t for several hours wo could see on r friend’s house l«cIow. A t last snow w as reaehod, first in patches only, which, w ith tho w arm sunshine, was m eh iu g aw ay, leaving the ever dam p aud sloppy ground so unpleasant to the pedestrian. A a th© track l>ecame gradually covcred w ith snow, w e • Could only define i t by indicatioaa and our moua- ta iaeer experience. U av iag generally the lead, my friend beiug less used to the snow th a n myseJf, I w as gaily m archiag forw ard and upw ard, when, g lancing round, U> m y horror, I missed his tall figare, but in an instan t heard the cry o f help, and, g lancing in every direction, a t last discovered a boot in the air, m y Hiend hav ing fellen down a cavity covered by soft snow. Shouting to him to reinain quiet, 1 hounded down, tak in g a low er position than

where L© had feUon, and, b j cliot o f baxd puUmg downwards on a slope o f snow, cxtricated liim , more frightened tbrtonately th au h u rt, althougli, ju d g in g from tlie d a rk u e^ lielow, the cavity w as probably very deep; ho hung by hie legs w ith hia head downwards. L anghing over th is miahap w c con­tinued, being perhaps m ore careful thau before, when, facing a singularly enormous precipitoue rock, i t struck m e a n ccho to enliven our proceedings luight be go t ou t o f even th is w ild an d deserted spot. The AuBtraliau call ‘*ooooy” ie perhaps the moet effective test of natuiti'a stored eoands, and our delight and eurpriee a t the rep ly from tho rock was immense. A t first loud, cveu louder th a n w e gave it, tho mountains and little hills beyond echoed and re­echoed, un til i t eeemed ae if the wholo o f the snow- caps were welcoming us onw ards and upward e. Knowing from Swies experience how travellers will go in rain, sleety and discomfort a t a ll hours o f the n igh t or m orning to he&r such echoes as th a t of Lanterhruneu or th e ho rn ou the R ighi, I can reci)mmoud the spot ae one o f the most unique I have over eeen. M y friend wished m e to rocord th is incident in a diffci*enb m anner, being no t ao matter-of-&ct as myself, aud desired m e to m ention th a t on our dem anding a t the top o f our voices “ How are you," the immediate response from our rocky friend was “ V ery well, th an k you,” and tha t the far hills laughed in eheer good hum our; hut ma^nofit eet vm ia s—and I proceed- The snow

w as soft and sloppy, and all bu t bary jutting^ rockR now inTisIble, and w e proceeded, know ing tbo diroctign only a$ onr m ountain instinct directocl ns. O n a audden I heard m y friend declare, “ look a t these feot m arks on the snow,” and sure enough wcll- traced and nowiy trw iden were B ru in 's &et, probably a femily party o f th ree—father, m other and rhild—oTrt for a w inter stroll. W e did no t see a bear how ever; bu t from this moment I reg retted no t carry ing a gnn, revolver o r o ther weapon, and though t gravely of the boef w e w ere carrying, atid the chance o f somo b n n g ry wolf sniffing i t in the breeze. Those thoughts had barely pa^ssed th rough m y mind when, abont a hundred yards abovo us on a U rge patch of snow which was a t first hidden by a perpendicular rock, a troop o f fifteen fine able-bodiod wolves marched in single file before ns. Some twelve m onths before I bad read in the D aily Telegraph a curious and sensational story o f tbe Picos de EJiiropa, somewhat as follows: “ A t a small and isolated village in one o f the least know n valleys of tbe h igher regions, ou Ohristmas-eve, m idnight mass wa-8 being perform ed in tbe small parish church, a t this timo o f the year h a lf buried iu snow. H ardly liad the service commenced, w hen a pack of hungry wolves made a ra id on the church and its occupants, and commenced a figbt w ith tho terror- strickeii people; w here the priest go t to was not stated, bu t the sacristan w ith g reat presence of mind rushed into the pulpit aud commenced to bark

like a dog, wLeu th e tide waa turned and th e wulvca flcsd in te rro r lo their m ountain fastneasea." H avia|ç th is somo what im probable story in m y m ind I performed the same operation on the pack before ns, mimicking tho loudest and deepest dogV b a rk I could m nakr. Tl)e effect w as peculiar, aud a t first diBf^uicting ; the lo n j' atring o f wolves in fdnglo file turned the ir noses tow ards us like a com pany of soldiers ordered “ r ig h t about feoo” and commoiiccd gnashing their teoth most nnpleaeantly, bu t as th© harking oontinuud, much to ou r delight “ rig h t tu r n ’' was ordered by th e ir l<>ader ; and no t hastily, bu t in gcx)d order, tho enemy retired. The ascent was now entirely in th e «now, w hich fortunately, owing to the coldcr region we were approaching, ^ aa fairly frozen over ; au<l oxcept for the sigh t o f another p a t i o f wolves fome considerable diafancc off, and the footprinté o f a la ige bear followed evidently by its offspring, no tlilng fu ither occurred till wo gained the summit, about 8000 feet above sea level. D uring the last hour o r tw o the m ountain-tops had been gradually covering w ith cloud, and a blinding enoW'Storrn m et u r in the face as we peered over tho *• col ” and faced the no rth w ind w hich w as blowing a hurricane. Ilestiug a few rainnteR under th e lea of the rocks, w e faced the blast aud caaayed the descent of the northorn slope, no t however being able to sco m any yards before ua. The path a t first was fairly defined, where the strong w ind had denuded i t of snow, bu t great drifts frct^uentlv cios&ed the roud

l ound which w e Lad to make lou^ detours, occasiouaDy daQgcrouidy near terrib le precipiocy. Tt was aL<mt th ree o’clock in the afternoon wLeu wo arrived on a precipitous ineliuo o f snow, aud all trace o f the road vanished. W e Lad hoen m arching up to ou r kueos in snow for some time, w o re w ot through, otu* boards oiio maefl o f ice, our tobacco moist, »md oar m atch« useless, when I th o u g h t a parley necessary. The first quostion was, d id m y compuuion know the road. Yea, he d id , i f there had been no snow, no blinding sleet, and no darkness, such ae was approaching. I eaw the danger o f moving, for we wore snrrounded by precipices, and I propounded tliree ways o i procedure, 1st, to go forw ard a t a ll h a ^ r d e ; 2nd, to re tu rn tbe w ay we cam e; aud 3rd, to d ig a snow house in one o f tho drifts, and remain there un til the st^>rm was past. Before deciding, tny friond thought hu would htLve ono more exploration, *and he struggled eome fifty yards, b u t came back, stating be could see no th ing bu t danger on all sides. W e therefore gave Jip all idea o f a forw ard movement, and only tw o propofiitione rem ained, w hich quickly resolved tlieinselvoa iu to one, for w e though t o f the bcare and woWee, and th e ir unpleaeant eompanionsUp d u rin g the darkness o f a w inter’s n ig h t H aving decided to re tu rn , w e p u t th e l>est iace poeaible on th e m atter, and I m ay say th a t during th e terrible physical exertion o f reascending, our spirits did not droop, and w e laughed outiigL t a t our numerous stumbles and falls in the soft snow, now nearly up to

OU r wiubls. I shall ii ever forget th e fatijpie to tho legs, for every sfep th e leg Lad to bo lifted ou t o f nearly three feet o f b u o w , and deposited as far forward as pORRihle. I t was about half-past fonr, w hen pan ting and pulling, certain ly w anner by onr exertion, but half fan)ished and nearly ready to eat ou r raw beef, which we still carried, w e again reached the sDmmit o r “ col,” and» under a rocky shelter, breathed tLanlw for tbe past, and hopes for the fatnre . Tho southern slope which we now desconded bore quite a different aspcct to w hat i t d id a fuw hours before; soft and large flakes Lad fallen, and, except for projecting rocks, bad entirely obscured the landm arks o f tho path, aud, know ing only tbe direction, w e boldly w ent straigLt down. Cold and miserable we were, w e kep t well togetLer, cLeyring eacL otLcr svUL occa- si<mal anecdotes, o r perbapa a lively song, whose notes died aw ay amongst the echoing Picos, A t one point only was our rapid descent im|>edcd; w e Lad to jum p from a ju ttin g rock, now aa >i!ipi)ery as glass as tLc evening froets came on, upon a g reat iueline o f snow, some five hundred yards wide, term inating— should tbo foot sLp, o r tbe snow give way— in a precipice m any hundred feet deep. W itL m y A lpine and Ilimu^ lay an experience I le t go the rock and leapt boldly, immcTsing my foot bu t slightly , and, by a aeries of quick bounds, was across and » afo on a rock on tlie oppoate ade. T urn ing round I found m y companion bad no t been bo happy, and was still clinging to tbe slippery rock, ar^d calling for help. The more I told

him to jum p, tlie m ore lie protested he could not, and a t hurt, 86 he prohahly felt liis gm sp g iv ing w ay, he implored me to go on and leave him, aa he said, to dio thore. I laughed i t off, and profiilscd to go to Iiia relief, w hich 1 did by retracing m y steps; and, giving him m y shonlders to lean upon, let him down gradually , and atep hy step in m y old footmarks we g o t acrosa the danger and resumed our way down- ■wards. Aa wo le ft th e snow, thu storm from froa?n ra in gradually changed first to «loet, w etting ua through, then to real, proper, h eav y rain , wliich continued u n til dusk. W c were, however, getting on fa irly well, ae our pa tb , although precipitous, waa now defined w hen there rose from th e valley benoath w hat I can ouly deacribe as dense hlack smoke. I t was w et miat o r cloud, bu t i t rose u|>on U6 as black a.4 the smoke o f a sluamboat’s funnel. I asked my companion w hat th is waa, bu t he could no t tell. H owever, in less tim e than I w rite i t was pitch-dark, and ho and I , although close to each other, were invisible. B y d in t o f ou r sticks and constant calling to each o ther w e kep t from separation and felt the edgea o f the road, and v e ry alowly continued <lown- wanlR. M^e had gone on groping in th is w ay some h a lf an hour when our sticks indicated all round no continuation o f th e road, and even by knculing down WB could only fuel w ith fhe liynda a fall ou all sides w ithont a path . H alting , we listened atten tively to any sound, aa wo knew w e could no t ho very from our E nglish friend’s houR e, and iu a few

mrnutee our delight w as g rea t to h ea r the cow-bell o f one of his cattle down— deep down below ns. W e shouted thon a t th e top o f our voicea, and the grim hills eeemed in tl\e etili cloudland to laugh in echo a t ou r position. Preeontly w e beard a Toice, and wts w ere eoon discovered b y the servants, who, guided by our voices, made us out w ith a lan tern , und piloted ns down fw m w hat in tbe m orning proved to ua to be a most perilous position, almost on tho edge o f a 500 feet precipice. T ired, w et, hungry , and miser­able, we rejoiced to th in k o f tho hospitable quarters wo had loft iu the m orning, and iu a fow mluntes wero a t the portul aud again w ithin reach o f a roaring fire. O nr host was there a t a table qu ie tly indulg ing in the genial occupation o f cracliing w alnuts, and w ithout tu rn ing round o r expressing surprise, simply said, “ I oxpaeted yon wonld re tu rn . Huvo u w al­nu t." A w alnut in ou r state ! W e pleaded for d ry clothos and food; and then onr host turned , and, seeing tho p h g h t w e w ere in , instan tly ordered tho & tted calf, and in an hour onr beef was cookod. W o wero well w rapped in blankets, and afte r a hearty meal were soon fast n^leep. W'e have never attempted the h igh Picos again in th e w inter, but preferred tbe beautiful low er roads by the rivers and rivulets which ultim ately take you to Covadonga w ithout the perilous short ca ts w e tlia t day attem pted. The wi»j ones o f our little p a r ty were sunn ing them ­selves u t Potee, w hile an E nglish resident in the Picos aud myself w ere battling w ith an icy snow-storm.

Q

C H A P T E R X X.

T H E C A P I T A L O F T H E A S T T J R t A S .

L e a v in g U nquera about foar o’clock iu th e after­noon in the diligence w e roached the eznal) eeaport o f L lanes about te n a t n ight, and had to w ait some th ree hours o r moro for the coach for Oviedo. W e have been in L lanes several times, bu t i t cannot be called au intereiiting place in any sense. Fonda da la Navarra, however, ia a n adm irably kep t hotel, the bed-rooms aro clean and comfortable, th e atten ­dance good, and tbe table-d’hAfe undeniable. More­over th e charges are very moderate, being in fact only As. ftif. per day incluaive. Smokers will par­ticu larly ruhsh th e host’s brands o f cigars, which are fa r beyond the average o f S p a n i s h O f the n ig h t jo u m o y from L lanes to Oviedo we can say b n t little. W e slept as well as tb e jo lting o f tbe w retched vehicle w e w ere in perm itted us ; b u t after a ll i t was on ly an apology for a rest, and wo were by no means Bony w hon day broke, and found us approaching the p re ttily situated little town of Infiesto, w here early co£Fo© and bread and b u tte r was to be baxl a t the Fo^da Z>upin. L ike all the region

of Cantabria, the country about lioro abounds in minerals o f a ll eorte, and tlio presenoo o f two strange En^lialimen a t once suggested “ mines ” to the sbrewd native understanding. T he consequence was th a t in a very polito fiisbion wo w ere somewhat cross-examined as to which particu lar m ineral wo wore in search of, and when w e a t leng th said th a t it w as perfectly tru e th a t though “ E ng land was our home," we were on no g rea t search for copper, o r lead o r calamine, o r even iron , wo were regarded by tho inhabitants in much the same foahion ae M r. Clemens was in H onolnh , w hen he said he wae neither a miseionary, a w haler, nor a member o f HiB Majeety’s Government*’ I f i t had n o t boon for tho porfect iruthfuJneas depicted on our countenances they would have disbelieved us to a certainty.

Infictfto i» embosomed in green hills o f consider­able height, and through the valley th a t th e y make ruuB the river P ilo n a ; and a little beiow the tow n is tbo spot where Pclayo forded the riv e r and so escaped from the pursu ing Moors on hia w ay to Covadonga. Tho etory runs th a t being hotly pressed by tbe infidels, Pelayo, his sister and hia squire, reached the banks o f the PiloSa and wwo dcBpairing o f finding a ford, w hen the la tte r ruehing in shouted out, P ie Judlw, “ I find a footing,” and the ^ 0 got safely across the rap id flowing stream. Tho

< ^ n d ^ t s o f tbe bold squire are to th is day called Pie-ballio, smd glory in the name. Tho footing •which Pelayo obtained th a t d a^ in the bed o f the

Q 2

PiloSa waa tlio cause o f the Moors losing th a t wHcli they liad taken so m uch pains to eetabHsh in Bpain itself.

Once past tbe cordon o f hills w hich surround ln J ie « to the road passes th rough a slightly uiidnlat- in g grass country, w ithout a n y foatures o f g reat interest- T he hedgerows in most eases are un- trim m ed and luxuriant, tho fields aro la rger than th e y are in Biscay, cattlo and sheep are nnmerons, b u t th e farm-houses soom few aud fa r between. The traveller is, in fact, traversing a broad belt o f p la in ly iug between the Cantabrian coast range on the r ig h t hand and the spurs o f the Pieos on tho le f t ; these look ra th e r d im inutive in tho blue distance, and the general aspect o f tho scenery is ju s t w hat one expericneos in no rthern Middlesex o r south H erts, « ly from the famed churchyard a t H endon o r the pleasant garden o f th a t quaint old hostelry, the “ Old K in g o f Prussia,” a t F inchley. A few scattered ham lets, villages they a re not, now and again are papaed; hut, diclu, the ooachstopped a t none o f them , and w ent on as steadily as a detestable trackway o f loose stones w ith here and there an oa^ls o f macadam would allow it, straight on for Oviedo, wliich cathedral c ity w e were glad to reach after a nine honrs* jo lting . A cynical French­m an, whom w e rnet a t tho Caf« Suizo jua t a ite r ou r arrival, said th a t th e reason th e diligence hard ly 8topj)cd a t all a fte r leav ing Infieato was because no vino timo o r ^nchra was to he had j tho

coachman (ho knew him well, th e rascal) hated cider—apple orchards dot the roadside all the w ay —and he ju s t pushed on to w here Le could get some­th in g to hifi s tronger taetc. Bo tLat aa i t m ay, we have found A sturian cider well w orth tho drinking — perhaps no t equal to tho cham pagne brands of nercfordsKire, h u t cjuite as good as th a t ordinarily sold in any p a rt o f E ng lan d outsido o f tLe apple districts.

W hile wo stopped a t the capital o f th e Astnriaa th e weather was only fitftlly fine, and most o f our time wa« spent In th e cathedral, which Is, in fact, the solitary lion o f tho place. T here are a few ploaaant walks in tho vicinity, notably the Pa«eo de San Francisco and the Ja rd ín Botánico. The university buildings are handsome, and so is the official residence o f thu provincial authorities, bu t ono goes to Oviodo to see its cathedral aud its world-iamous Cám ara Santa,; und theru is little else beside to Bee. The popniatiou o f tbe place ia about 36,000. According to some authorities Oviedo derives its nam e from the rivers Ove and Diva near which Pelayo defeated the Moors. C p to the year 770 th e Gothic princes resided a t Cangas (o f w hich moro anon), h n t about

a t year Froila I I . m ade Oviedo his capital, and the seo was founded about 8 1 0 .

la a fiue cruciform structure in the PerpeudicuUr style, and w as built by Bishop U utierrez de Toledo, in tho la tte r half o f the I4 th <^Qtnry, on the site o f a n old church foundod by

F ro ü a in 781, b u t mucii enlarged h y Alonso the Cliaete in 802. W o do n o t p ie tond tho whole o f tho following account lo l>o en tire ly orij^inal, but wo have adapted i t from tbo best works in Spanisli and K nglish on th is noble building. Tbo west façade of th e eatbedral is striking. A noble baluefraded portico o f richly ornam ented arches stands between tw o tow ers, only one o f which is complete. I t rises to Ù little over 200 feet, is ornam ented w ith buttresses, crocketed pinnacles, and open parapets. In 1575 tho chapter added zn open filigree pyram idi- cal spire instead o f finishing the opposite la rger and incongruous tower, which is carried np only to the he ig h t o f the navo. T be h igh a lta r, w hich is in a pentagonal apex, is very effective, and i t forms ono o f ou r illustrationa. The retable is in fivo divisions, each again subdiviMed in to five. Tho bas-relief figures re p re « n t the L ife and Passion o f our Lord. In the centre is the Saviour w ith the four evangelists; undum eath the Blessed Virgin,ifurroi:nded by angels, and a t the top o f tb is fine piece o f workm anship is tb e Crueifisien. T lie date o f th is work ia 1440. The solid silver balustrade, which once adorned th is part o f the h ig h a lta r, was appropriated by the FVeiich when they occupied and sacked Oviedo ; bu t i t has been replaced by a l>ronze one.

A ll tbe side chapds are more o r less combinations o f G othic w ith the style o f the Renaissance, and to tb e devotee o f P u g in w ould be regarded as so many horrors. In tbe transcoro i t is trn e tha t tho elegant

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Gotilic ccntre haa boon whitewaRhed, w hile on caoli side, altars o f dark m arblu bavo been crectod in a piirely classical atjlo . T he form er lady-clmpel waa the escurial, o r burying-place o f the early kings o f Spain, aud is now called th e Chapel o f Alonso I I . Kl Key Oorto lies buried here tc^e th e r w ith Froila I., Alonso el Cat451ico, Ram iro, Ordeno I ., and m any othera. Six n iches in th e walls contain stone coffiiDs. T he orig inal sepuIcLres, epitaphs, and inacriptior« bave all been rnthleasly sw ept away, and a wretchedly poor modern tab le t alone records the ir time-honourod names, The gorgeous shrine of Sta, Enlaiia, the patronees o f the city, lies uear tbo entrance—her body reeta under tho iiigb altar. Tho stained glasa o f the cleroatory ia superb, eapecially th a t w hich ia green. Thu oloiaters, though they encloae a very small space o f ground, are lofty and Bimplo 5 the tracery o f the ir w indows is very rich and bold. The cathedral o f Oviedo, however, ap a rt from the Cámara Santa, would only paRa a t any rato in France and G erm any as second rate , and this holy room mufit bave acme detailed notice a t our hande.

Betvreen the cathedral and the cloisters eUinds the g reat object o f veneration ; and the m ost intereeting piece of antiquity in Oviedo, the H o ly Chamber, whicb was built by K ing Alonso e l Caato in the year S0 2 , aa a receptacle for the aacred relics, which had been transported in to the A sturias from Toledo a t the tim e o f the Moorifih invasion. I t ia strange tba t i t contaiua uo a lta r, fo r mass ia never said

tK ere; and MoraJeR, tho an tiquary , w bo was eom- mif?sicmecl by P h ilip I I . to invesrtigate tlie ecclesiaatí- cal antiquities o f Spain, w hen w riting his “ Jo u rn a l ** in th e bidlding, says: “ T w rite th is in tlie church before tbe g ra ting , and God knowa I am , as i t were, beside tnyeelf w ith fear and reverence, an d I can only beseech God to g ive mu stren g th to proeeed with th a t for w hich I havo no t pow er myself." W e are ftingnlarly fortunate in hav ing an accurate account o f tho A sturian antiquities, draw n from personal observation a aud original docuínenta, by so faithi^l a hand as Ambrosio Morales, as early as the sixteenth century, and fu rther confirmed and illustrated by Bandoval iu tho seventeenth, and Risco in tho eighteenth cen tu ry ; and those authorities have been frequently consulted in compiling th© following account-

T he Cám ara Santa is raiücd to somo heigh t above tho g round, iu o rder to preserve the relics from the efFccts o f the hum idity o f the clim ate ; beneath i t is a chapel, dedicated to the m arty r i^anta Erocadia, which m ay be seen from tb e cloisters— a simple, somicircular atone vault, massively bn ilt to support tho auperin- cum bent w eight. I 'h e Cámarsv is approached from th e Bouth transopt o f th e cathedral by a flight of steps leading th rough a w inding w ay to a vestibule, from which you en ter the chamber itse lf by a square doorway, descendiug by a shorter flight o f steps. I t would seem as i f every precaution had been taken to conceal the boild iog and tho treasures which i t

contains. Ita dimensione are g iven as 24 feet by 16, exclusive o f the sanctuary a t th e fu rther end, the floor o f which is one step h igher th a n the rest o f the building, w hile its w hich is o f stone, and plain, is considerably lower tban the elaborately groined semicircular stone roof o f the otber p a rt. Three groinings sp ring &om pillars w ith ricbly foliated capitals, six ill num ber, a« there are tw o bays ; and attached to each pillar, form ing an in teg ral p a r t of tlje shaft, aro tw o full-length figures o f apoetles, elaborately sculptured, m aking twelve in all. T be pavement o f this p a rt is richly tessellated. The only window is a small opening a t tbo east end in tbe iipper part o f th e eanctnary. T be ornam ental work all th rough is Lom bard o r Rom anesque; b u t there is, w e believe, no doubt tb a t tb e sanctuary is the only remaining p a rt o f tho w ork o f Alonso e l Casto, while tbe outer p a rt o f tbe chamber, together w itb the vestibule, ie o f the time o f A lonso Y L , the end o f the eleventh, o r beginning o f tb e tw clftb century. The Spaniards always apply th e m uae Gothic to the Romanewjue style, as ]iaving been the work o f the G oths {obras de losgothoi)^ and tbo te rm is much m ore applicable to i t than to tbo Po in ted style.

Tbo reUcs are shown to th e faithful every room ing a t 8.30, and a t tb a t hour accordingly w e repaired tbithor. Several lamps w ere then lighted 5 and one o f the canons was in attendance, together w ith a chorister, who namod and described tbe sacred objects. In the centre stands tbe H o ly A rk , in w bicb tbe relics were

orig inally contained. This is about five feet in length aud three feet in w idth aud h e ig h t; tbo iop is i k t ; and both th is and tbo sides are p la ted w ith silver, w bich ie rich ly emboesed wiib*figur€« and foliage, and there is an inscription re la tiug to the relics. I ts h isto iy is thus given by MoraJee:— “ W hen Chorrees, the k ing o f Persia, in the tim e o f tho em peror He- radiua, came upon the C u ly L and and took th e city of JcruFíalem, the bishop o f th a t city, w ho was called Philip , and hifl clergy, w ith pious forethought secreted the H o ly A rk , which from the tim e o f the apostles had been kupt there, and its Btones augm ented w ith new relics, w hich w ere deposited therein. A fter the v ictory o f Cborroee, the bishop P h ilip , w ith m any of his clergy, passed in to A frica, carry in g w ith them the H oly A r k ; and there i t rem ained somo years, till tlie Saraccns entered in to th a t province alao ; and then Pnlgeutius, th e bishop o f Kuspina, w ith provi­dence like th a t w hich had m ade P h ilip b ring i t into A frica, removed i t in to Spain. Thus i t came to the H oly Church o t Toledo, and was from thence removed to A sturias and bidden in the cave o f Mon sagro; finally, K in g don Aloiif?o el Casto removed i t to tho Cámara Santa, and afterw ards K ing don A lonso the G rea t enricbod it.'* T here seems hardly any doubt th a t i t wae b rough t from Toledo to the A sturias, but i t may weD bo doubted w hether any o f its earlier w anderings are authentic. The settings and orna­m ents o f m any o f the relics are in tifo style o f early m ed ieval a rt, and a re eupclb specimons o f jew ellery

and eilver-Bmiths' work. The relics theraselvia, of \^^hich ca ta lo g o « axe preBcuted to those who vinit thorn, aro even moro rem arkable th a n the ordinary ooUectiona o f such ol^ects ; am ong thorn are found a piece o f EUjiih’e mantJe, some o f “ the h a ir w ith which the M agdalen w iped the foet o f C h ris t/ ' p a rt o f the broiled fish and honeycomb w hich our Saviour ato after his resurrcclion, and one o f tho th ir ty piecoa of silver for w hich Judua betrayed H im . The most sacrod of a ll is the Sudario, o r sacred handkerchief, w hich is only shown three tim es in the year, when i t ie displayed to tho people in th e cathe­dral from a balcouy w hich communicaloa w ith the staircase o f the Cámara Santa. T here are also tw o ivory diptycha o f m ost curious workmanship), in one o f which ia A figuro o f C hrist on the Croas, very nobly executed, w ith tho legs han g in g a p a r t ; while the other is extrem ely rich and w ell carved, repre- scntirig accnes from the lifo o f our Lord,

These rem ains o f veritable o r doubtful an tiqu ity are rauged on shelves and in cntea about the w alls; there isi however, one am ong them , the genuineness o f w hich has considerable prohahility in its favour; this is Pelayo’e oaken cross, w hich he bore in hia hand w hen he sallied forth against the Moors from the cavo o f Covadonga. T he wood is now entirely concealed hy the beautiful eilver-work, w ith which i t is encased, and which is enriched w ith enam el and huge uncut gem s. I t is nearly , bu t no t quite, a G reek cross, the u p rig h t being about tw o feet high,

th e cross g ird eighieea inches, and i t redts on a kind o f spiko. I t was covered w ith silver a t Gauzon in A-t». 908, and dedicated l y K in g A lonso e i Magno, and ha» alw ays been regardevi ae tbe one bom e by Pe)ayo, w lucli would very natnrally be preserved ae a relic ; bu t Morales himeolf rem arks th a t a difficulty ftrises froni there being no monfion o f th is in tbe inscription, which sim ply spcakf? o f ite dedication by AloiiBo, “ I wish,” (says tho faithful old an tiquary , “ th a t th e k in g had stated th a t i t w as eo in bis inecription.”

A local an tiquary , who showed uh over the building, pointed ou t to us some sculptural figuros on one o f the jam bs o f th e m ain soutb entrance. They woro in Jow relief, somewhat w orn, bu t we eonld distingijish them as a m an on horeoback w ith a turbaned fi^^ure in flowing robes by his side. This, thu an tiq u ary told us, reprosectfed K in g Fav ila with a Moor in Lia com pany; b u t in this he vrua probably in error, for th e figuro w hich he took fo r a Moor is in rea lity a female figure, and the scene is p a rt o f th e story o f the death o f Favila, which was a popular one in the A sturias, and is reprosentod ou several atones now existing in the m onastery o f Sim Pudro de T i llanova, no t fai* from Cangas. The story is, th a t Favila, who was th e aon and succe^or o f Pelayo, the second founder o f tho Gothic monarchy, after re ign ing two years m et his death in the follow­in g m anner. H av ing re tu rned one m orning from a fray against th e Moors, he determ ined to go out

hnn trag in arm our an Le was. I l ie wife, Laving a pre«intim ent o f Lis dcatL, tried to detain L im ; bnt he iüSiRted on g o b g , aud was ultim ately hugged to death by a bear on tho mountains. O f the fa^t itself, independently o f t t o details, there can be little doubt, as i t is mentioned by Bishop Ctibatiano, who says that, “ quadam occagiono levitatis ah uno inter- fectus est, anno regn i sui secundo.”

Aft m ight lie expccted, Oviedo contains some of th e moet ancient C hiistian chnrches in th e pcninenla. Tho fiuest specímens oxial on the lofty 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 bu ild ing is well w orth the trouble o f tho w alk out, as ap a rt from its antiquarian intorcfet tLe view o f Oviodo Lacked by tho mountains is m agnificent TLo latest opinions o f SpauisL critics on th is in tereatiug building is tb a t i t w as originally bTiilt b y K in g Hamiio, a,d. 860, for a palace, and converted in to a church soon after (v . MonumeniuJi ArquiterMmiccf(). Tho church built iu connection w ith i t is S . Miguel do Lino. Santa M aria de N aranco has a semicircular stono vault, used as a crypt, similar to the ono beneath tlio Cámara Santa, To thc oast and w est o f tho ciyp t tnere is a rude chamber, and tLe entrance to the cryp t 18 from tLe soutL fdde. The church ia entered by a porch, wLich etajida in tLe middle o f tLe north wall. The in terio r js a simple parallelogram wilL a chamber a t either end, th a t a t th e east being on th e

level o f the nave, th a t to th e w est is raised three stops above i t T hey are separated by round arches supported by elegant pillars. The church is fifteen feet w ide and th irty-six ftxit lon^, exclusive o f the chamberfl. In tb a t to the cast stands the h igh altar, A long tlie n o rth and south walls runs a n arcado w ith round arcbe« supported b y pillars w ith cxirved capitals. T be roof is a round stone vault, witb bands o f g ro in ing springing irom plain corbels above sbiclds o f o rn am en t O n tb e capital o f ono column is a rude sculj>ture w bich is supposed by somo people to refer to the female tribu te paid to the Moors by M auragafo, who died about a.ií . 788.

Oviedo in fact is a rich treasure store for the ecclosioiogicai student, and should be much better know n than i t is. T be time a t our disposal was far too abort to enable ua to givo, in full, descriptions of all tho churches o f interest. The curious in these m atters o f detail w ill have to scarch m ore ambitions books than the “ H ighlands o f C antabria." Suffice it to say th a t w e havo pointed th e w ay, and tbe in telligent scholar o f an tiquarian lore o f the ccclesi- aetical and arcbaiological types will find the work easily himself. I f ho is no t satisfied w ith tho study o f the cathedral city o f Oviedo and ite suburbs he m ust be fastidious indeed.

F rom tho capital o f tho A sturias w e determ ined to nex t m ake our w ay to G ijon, celebrated as th e only p o rt in the peninsula w hich exporta native coal. As LlandalF is to Cardiff» so is Oviedo to G-ijon. W e

qiutted the times past for tim es preeent an d to be ad we entered tho tra in a t th e railw ay station o f tho «lUxedral city, hav ing tickets in our keeping for a purely Spanish coal-port on the south-west of the far-famed B ay o f Biscay.

C H A P T E B X X L

A 8 P A K I 8 H C A E D E F P .

A s m ay "he readily sutm ised, the tra in th a t took xss from the capital o f A sturias to th© seaport o f Grijon w as in no particu lar h u rry ; to say th a t i t dawdled is a m atter o f &ct, bnt th e n railways are now in north­w estern Spain, and the particu lar extousion hy w hich wo travelled, and w hich completes the chain o f ra il commujiicatiou from the B ay o f Biscay io Madrid» v i â Oviedo, wa« only opened iu the Anguat o f last year. B eiüg due a t six p.m. w e reached Gijon a t eight, and, en trneting our scanty ha^çffage to a ifuide, eoon found ourselves a t a m ost comfort­able posada—n o t the H ôtel Métropole o f tliO town, bu t the i ^ n d a Comercio. Shortly afte r w e had duly washed off oiir trave l stains w e sa t dow n to au evening meal, o f w hich ihe following is a iaithful copy o f th© m enu :— Pochera, o r soup ; w hite beans and bacon ; ragou t o f m utton ; fillet o f beef w ith tom atos; veal cutlets and sauce picjnante; salmon, boiled, cold ; m elon, sliced ; roast tu rk ey and salad ; fru its assorted, cafc aud cognac ; wino ad Hb. Oue o f us endured i t to tho b itter end, the o ther fearing

tlie hoTTOTR o f dyspeptic ui^^htmare cried codj- paratively earJy, *‘ T hold enough ! '* and to the wailer, “ liands off,” w ith almost the same impetuosity as Mr, Gladstoiio addresaed those now famous words to A ustiia . T here w ere plenty o f supper oaterg a t our new.fonnd hostelry—th e genus Spanish la^Tnan being proim'neiit. Tbe good wino was a« abundant as fionud, and ^leep -was eoon attained iu a com­fortable room, which, by the reflection o f th e moon cm the placid waters, wc knew t<> overlook the harbour o f G ijon ,ihe most im portan t o f the A sturian seaports. According to aome authurs tbe place derives ite name from Gyphoity o r “ vullev o f grace,” in Syrian. I t is the G ig ia o f the Eomimi», and has coD8iderai)le historical interest. F or instaticc, i t was m tbo havbour o f G ijon tlw t P h ilip II . repair<;d tne Invincib le’* A rm ada, and by the irony o f fat* i t was from G ijon tlia t Toreno itn<l the Aaturiun deputies eailed on the 30th M ay, 18(18, to implore the aid o f Britain to save Spain from tho al)-con- Queriug Bonaparte.

A bout a little after eeven in the m orning a waiter Irouirbt ua two excellent cupe o f coffee w ith ho t roils and bu tter; and oajjer in h is searoli for knowledge, one o f us a t once left hie bed to inveetigate w hat was to b« invcetisated about G-vjoii. D irectly in front 0 our hotel ran ou t a su l^ tan tial p ier w ith a harbour th a t seetned more o r loss full o f shipping, aud along t IS pier ran an elevated railroad, alon^ w hich coal trucks, empty o r loaded, w ere continually passing.

K

To our l ig h t lay 4ho quay itself, backod w ith more o r less plain looking buildings, w ith one o r two rem arkable cxoeptlone, w hile a t rig h t angle« to the quay itse lf another p ie r extended so as to make w5tb the coal used ©xteasion, already referred to , a perfect harbour for thia solitary Cardiff o f Spain. On hifl w ay back to th e to tell h is travellingcompanion w hat he had seen so early in the morning, th e au thor referred to passed tw o gentlem en ood* v e r s i D g , and was ra th e r surprise<l to hear ono of them use a w ord w hich the editor o f a poctical d ictionary wonld allow to rhym e w ith cram . S trange Spanish, th o u g h t th e stranger, perhaps i t is an A sturian idiom or i t m ay be—and here th e relics o f a smile crossed his weather-beaten features—it may be a w ord w hich now and again is used in England by vexed persons o f the stronger s e x .

Curiosity being aroused the new comer foEowed the presum ably idiomatic A sturian , who had left his friend, aud found him in a doorway, over w hich wns w ritten in le tters tlia t thoso who ru n m igh t road, La Britannica. E a is in g h is hu t w ith tru e G ijon polite­ness the tourist said, “ I beg your pardon, bu t do you speak E nglish ? ” Qnicfc as ligh tn ing came th e reply. “ 1 d id laat n igh t, sir, aud perhaps I can to day. W ill you step in to tho café and take a glass o f w ine o r som etldog; i t is ra th e r chilly th is raom -

” O f cours«; o f ccoirse the inevitable Britisher l a d been found, like you discover him in the atolls of tho Pacific, keeping bar rooms in th e Congo or

acciug* w hat is io b6 made o f th e oarly eccle- siaetieal h istory o f the Patagonians down by T erra del F u e j^ for a good solid book o f reeearch to please tbe dryaadustR. O ur new-fonrtd friend Mr, Lvcett, who is th© only hJn^lifih shipbroJrer in tbÍR little-known town, thereupon a t once introdTiced hi» consort Mr. Jones, whose nam e is w orthily im* mortali&ed in our preface.

The modern aspect o f Gijon is hard ly pleasing though the harhour ia a fine one, and w hen somo projected irúproverneuta are carried ou t i t will cer­tain ly be a very foTinidable riv a l to Santander, i f it does no t altogether eclipse th a t somewhat stagnan t port. W e have chriatuned G ijon a Spanish Cardiff, and before describing a t any leng th the social and other life wo noticed in its T ic in i ty , w e w ill ju s t reproducía for ou r readers’ odificati<m aome com­mercial jo ttings about th e place lh a t we took down from thf“ m ouths o f tho tw o w orthy Britons wo ha<l tho extreme good fortuno to stam ble on. G ijon is tho natu ra l po rt o f the coal mines o f Sam a in the Langroo district, from w hich i t ia dÍR t*n t some tw enty iniloB, the mines themselves beinj^ on th e second range of tbe Cantabrian H ills. To connect theae mmes with th e sea coast, a railw ay—being in feet the second in Spain-—was opened in 1840, the major p a rt o f the capital being found by the m other o f Queen Isabella, Queen M aria Chrietica. B u t th& stock hsA since found its way into other tban royal hands, the pret?ent holders being tho Duke of

E 2

Riancorea, and his friendR, and tlic partuers of* fhe Frencii firm o f Micres and Oo,, w h o ‘‘ run " the biggeRt iron w orks iu th is part o f northern Spain 5 who was the contractor for th e railw ay we do no t know ; b u t go expensive was th e work, o r perhaps ro m uch more tru ly g reat was the jobbery connected w ith the bminesR, th a t when Queen ChrialiDa came down to declare the line 0 |>eii, she &aid th a t the rails ough t to have biyen o f pu re silver, r o ex travagan t was tho i!0 Rt o f the uew road. Tho m ines tbem selves are w orked into the slope o f the hills, bn t a large q u a n t i ty of tbe Langreo black diam ondR are found

.o n the su r^ce . N ot 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 Bilbao (for aruall coals only), Ooruna, Ferrol, Cadiz, and the south i^onci’aliy . N early a ll t h e R e shipm ents go in E ng lish vessels, the freights being so m uch m ore m oderate than by Spanish- owned craft. T be a v e ra j^ price oi’ coal being p e r ton , free on board for th e best, 12«?. lO J. per. ton for nu ts, a n d 7s. and 9 j. per ton fo r “ w ai^hed" and sm all A ccording to Mr, Jonea, w ho is a great au thority ou Gijon coal, i t evaporates fro m eigh t to te n litres of w ater per kilogram m e o f coal ae against th e 7 4 litres per kilo^tam m c o f the best Cardiff coal, and thie was proved to bo tb e ease a t a severe t r ia l at th e G overnm ent D ockyard a t Ferro l. Somo iJ500 men are em ployed daily a t these m inee; eo the induatry which has necessitated our calling G ijon a Spanish Cardiff is 1‘eally in ite present state o f develop-

mout no contemptible feature in no rthern Spaniali Irade.

Llke ita British prytotvi>e G ijon has acme very larg;6 iron works in its Immediate vioioity» the proprietors bein^ Mesars. D uro and Company. They liavo la rge mills for arm our plat«;a, l>oaBt a steam hammer o f forty tons strik ing force, m ake the ir own coko in the B elgian style o f ovcus, wliilc th e ir biaat furnaces are square in th e fashion adopted a t C yfartha and DowlaLs. M usstr. D nro and Co. own the ir own iron minua, bu t they m ix w ith thirty-five per cent, o f the Q-ijon ore, aixty-five per cent, o f th a t o f Somorostro, and the combinatiou pixKluocs a No. 3 p ig o f excellent quality . A s regards A sturian iron ore« i t should be stated th a t the percentage is us follows: ibrty-thrce per cent, pu re iron, and seventeen per cent, o f silica. To thoae generally 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 bar iron, in the A stnriaa hoop iron is mado direct from the puddled b a r itself, and the result in “ hoops ” is considered to \m g reatly sijperior to tho re tu rn o f E nglish worke. The foreign trade o f Gijon is rapidly riaing in importance. I ts im ports inclnde mai^ie from tbo Danube and America, timber from No^^7ay and Sweden, ropery aud cordage from Belfast and Liverpoo], “ square

' from H olland (liow those qnaint-looking greeu <^a«s o f J-. p . K . Z., being landed on the quays of Gijon, recalled years long ¿fone by in th c g reat

South Sea wLen land was valued and sold by so m any dozcu o r case« o£ square face ")» sngar aod sa lt from Cadiz, and pitpropa from the n o rth of E ngland . The leading item of export bewdcs tha t o f coals is nuts, and perhaps sw ond to the romantic little po rt o f Rivadaaella, G ijon ie th e leading mit- ehipping place in Spain. B arcelona n u ts axe eo c a ll^ i in England because they do noi come from th a t place- Once upon a tim e, ao th e sto ry runs, tho good m ercantile folk a t G ijon had rather overdone th e th in g in th e m atter o f aveliana or n u t consifçnments to Barcelona, and the shipper ol an E nghah vessel homeward bound for thu Thame« wae tem pted to speculate a t a low ra te in the, to him , “ new -fangled” dessert. H e did so, and w ith true B ritish oonservatism the Corylu^ Avellana from Sj>ain have been called Barcelona nuts in our country to th is day. W e presume the avera^^e Briton regards the liarmlcee necessary n u t as a n admirable th ira t provoker, for on no o ther grounds can w e ex­plain the strange w ay in w hich ho t w eather, crowds o f pleahTire-eeekers, B ank holidaya, and huge supplies o f Barcelona nu ts fearfully, w onderfully, and quickly consumed, g e t trdxed up in the m ind o f the observant notlcer o f the m anners and customa o f the English.

O f thoee lavourites o f tlic rurallaers a t Hampstead H eath and elsewhere about 18,000 tons were exportedlast year__^mostly to London, Liverpool, and Bristol.O f chestnut« about 1000 tons w ere sent aw ay, but in th is item much depends rm tho severity o f the

British w iüter. I f our cold season is mild and open the offer o f re<i hot chestnuta, evon “ tw enty a p e n n y /’ falls on deaf ears. I t is w hon snow ia falling o r an icy wind tempered w itii alcot is m aking a b ig city’s atrccts a t n ightfall m ore wretched th an usual in an uncomfortable season o f the year th a t the glow o f the tiny furnace o f the baked chestnut m an is welcomed by tho humble pedestrian, who gets a w arm fionry meal for a mere trifle. A nd w hen the news of continued cold weather in England recichcs Uie AstnriaB m ore chestnuts are gathered, m ore vessela are laid on, and freights are “ firm ," w ith an upw ard tendency as the commercial reports te ll us. Sm art little vessels, like the T d e ^ n £ o f P lym outh, do a good buäness in th is n u t trad e : she is only 44 tons regiöter, carriea 62 tons o f dead w eight, and gets about £100 for hor fre igh t fi‘om G ijon to some B ritish port. They are admirable sailors these nu t carriers, and when the w inds favour them they will reach the E nglish coast alm ost as soon as the etcamera. W alnuts form a small article o f export, about 100 tone being d^patehed from G ijon during tho past twelve months, bu t tbe trade in A stn riau butter, especially to Cadiz» Seville, and Cuba, is rapidly on tho increase, m ore th an 1000 tons being shipped in 1884. T he bu tter as used by the A s­turians themselves is simply thc perfection o f butter, and i t ia nothing short o f a scandal th a t i t has not y e t found a tr ia l in the E nglish m arkets. T he samples o f export bu tter which w e have tried , however, would no t stand the test o f the B ritish private consumer.

Between w hat the A stu rians trea t themselves with and w bat they i^end abroad there is oWdenfJy a great g u lf fixed; bu t we speak here w ith no little degree o f ÜDcertain ty aR w e m ay n o t have been favoured w ith the beet samples o f G ijou export bu tter. Th© price in b a rre b runs alw ut lOd, a pound wbolcsale. I f properly m anaged 50,000 hand-picked apples could be annually exported from the Spanish Cardiff. To mako a pipo o f cyder th irty-three bushelfi o f apples are required, and thie qu an tity o f tbo hand-pioked variety can be purchaeed in the season a t Gijon for ^8 ov 32s. W e make no comment on theso figures except the rem ark th a t the statcm ente can bo verified by anyone in terested ; and tboso who care to in ­quire fu rther will, i f they w rite us to tbo a d d r ^ g iven in the preface, g e t as m uch inform ation us lays in ou r power. In tlie retail m arket in the cyder season th ir ty good-felzcd apples can be bad for a penny., Tbo ARfurian cyder is famed throngbout the Spanish "^ee t Indies and central Am erica, and large quantities o f i t iu boi.tleearo exported viâ Santander. This cyder is sound and good, and should find a ready sale iu E ng land if properly introdnced- B ottles are, however, very dear in N orthern Spain, and to obtain a m argin o f profit i t would require to bo exported in bulk.

Outaide the po rt o f G ijon tJie fishermen »re fairly successful w ith lobators, wbich ure sent alive to N autcs, H avre, and Bordeaux, b a t they do no t seem to sell m any iu the town ftsc lf D uring L en t ling seems to be tho favourite fish for those who ecru-

puloiisly obey the laws o f M other Cliurcli, and occaaioiially i t Lae fetched as m uch 4s. 2rf. a pound, 4 price w hich if asked in England would, w e think, render a t a n y ra te aLatinence from fiali as well a« m eat compulaory on m ost o f us. A good m any tins o f SpBJiiah sardines a te packed a t G ijon every year, the line by the way all bearing F rench labels, wbilo large quantities o f the eainii fish are sailod and pu t np in barrels for export to the M editerranean or the South-

The foregoing w ill g ive the inquisitive reader somo account of the commercial side o f G ijon. T be town iteolf is, aa we bavo said, no t a very in teresting one, th e governor’s castle bcinj^ th e rnost p rom inent huild-

— ^ i s bu ilt in th e 17th cen tu ry , and is a gloomy, heavy-looking gtructiire. The proprietors’ dnes {jiff) are, as ia often th e case in Spain, paid in kind, w heat being the usual medium. This w heat ia deposited through a k ind o f hole in th e wall, and bebiud this entraince the proud proprietor o f the province sit« tru ly a t tbo ‘‘ receipt o f custom.” W e h a v | no t tbe pleasure o f know ing the j ^ t l e m a n who uow occupies th is im portant post, bu t w e should say he must necepsarily be proud, inaèmuch aa his m otto ^ t b a t o f Conde du K evillagigeda, is—

D ispnea d e D ios U catt» <!e Qtdro»»

' ’ hich in English means :

Attcir G od th e boasd o f Q oiioe.

I t Í£f evident from thia tku t “ th e g ran d old gardener and h is w ife” aro not in i t in the m utter o f descent as compared w ith th e w h o a t^ lic c tin g aris­tocra t o f Gijon,

T he Tow n H all iü the Plasma is by no means a bad building o f its sort, bu t to th© critic’s eye i t is a pity th a t while the steps o f th e main stairw ay should be of w h ite m arhle th e banisters ahould bo o f wood painted w hite. Thc abmu is easily detoctcd aud ia n o t w orthy o f G ijon. In the court room of the Tow n H a ll are some paintings, the beet one being tb a t o f Claudio A lva C o n n ie s , who commanded the w arahip “ Villn de Madridy" and a ra th e r indifierent p o rtra it o f his present Majesty K in g Alfonso X II . The furniture in this building is plain b u t substantial— tho presence o f num erous spittoons being perhaps a necessary e v il A t th e Centennial Exhibition a t Philadelphia in 1876, the following placard adorned its w alls:— “ G entlem en w ill uso th e spittoons— others must." Justice to onr Spanish friends compels the admission, however, th a t as iu tim es o f yore they uniformly placed themselves in the first category.

N ot fur from the P laza is an autií^ue low-storicid building w ith columns like those one aeos on tbe Spanish D ollar sometimes called th e P illars o f H ercules, and th is liouse is to this day called the D ollar Ilouse. The story runs th a t m any years ago w hen In ternational Law was n o t dream t o f and our Drakoa and R aleighs w ere a t aoa on the war­path afte r any Spanish c ra tl w orth the trouble oí

or capture, th a t a tocboI lh a t owned tho sovereignty o f his Most Catholic Mujeety was retn rn ing homeward from tlie Ind ies riclily lac^en w ith bullion and coin o f all sorts. The Spanish vefwel was almost Id sight o f the enow-topped Picos d© E uropa when, to Tiae an idiom o f i l a r k Twain’s, ono o f those accelerators o f m erchant ship«’ passages, in other words an E nglish pirate ship, appeared, m ak ing th e best of a stem chaee. Tho Spaniard did his beet, bu t stiU th© free-lance o f the ocean gained and gained on his lumberini? galleon. A t la st, fearing a hatkd to hand ooinbat— his sailors had become demoralised by luxury in the Indies ’’— he loaded hia lon^^ carronadee w ith trilver dollars, and so excellent waa the mai'krnanship o f hia sea-gunners th a t in a double sense they soon took the wind out o f the Englishm an’s sails and th© trea­sure-bearing Spanish voffiel w itb th e g rea t bulk o f her cargo eoon found safe refuge in the harbour o f Gijon,

In connection w ith thie harbour, w hich is about to bo iniincneely im proved by the creation o f two now large molos, i t should be fiaid th a t a quain t m ap of Gijon and its port, bearing tbe date 1635, ejtlats in the Town Ila ll, from w hich i t ia evident th a t the old town ju s t clustered round the bluff near which the Governor’s casUe now stands, aud tha t where th e new town with its ironworke, railw ay stations, G ovem - ment,,ci^ar and cigarette factory, em ploying 1000 hands, now atands, wae no th ing elee bu t a swampy marsh tenanted perhaps by the same kind o f wildfowl who now swarm in the lagoons o f S an T incen te de la

X

Barqoera. O u the o ther o r western s id e o f tlio really fine bay th a t (iijon poswasea ia a rapidly r i s i n g watering-place where good bathing is to be had. On tbe eaatem side, above the old town, ia a well-cared for lighthouse w itli Û small block fo rt containing accom­modation for some few artiUcrymeii ; but, as i s tlie case in all th e tow ns o f K orth o ra Spain, tb© m il i tA ry are no t much en évidence. I t ia down south,” w}iere the revolutionary di«ciplee o f tlia t hideous H e- liberty, equality, and fratern ity—‘have been sowing the ir evil seed tha t th© M adrid G overnm ent w an t tL eir soldiers and the ir weapons. So long as tb e pretenaons of B on Carlos arc n o t flaunted before tbe face o f tbo northern Spanish peasant he will w ork ou contentedly even iu the Basqu© provinces. In the A sturias the red ra g ftf ( flTliftm will hardly afTert Limj a t all. One of th e aiglitÄ o f Gijon is tbe A stu rian Inatitute, foandcd by th a t true p a trio t and Spanish bcnefactor C aspar Melchor .fovellanos, who w as bom in tbe city on tho 5 th Jan u ary , 1744, and who died à persecutiid man in 1811. The lib rary in tlie Institu te is a fuirly good one, and tlte cullcetion o f original draw ings arc w orthy o f study ; bu t the collection is v e ry badly claKsiûed. Murillo, Ponterello, Salvator Ko«i. A lbert Diir©r, Yelaacjuez, are a ll represented. I t ia said iu gnide*books tb a t E nglish is tau g h t a t tho Institute, b u t ou inquiry as to who the professor o f our m other tongue was w'C w ere inform ed tb a t ho had died raany Y e a rs ago, and no on© had beon appointed in bis p lact ; more the p ity , in onr opinion. A s a usual th ing , i t la

to rc v«2rse m atters to go from tlie In s titu te o r Acadeuiy to th e gaol, bu t in tbe A sturian Cardiff tb a t was onr espcrieuce ; and w e cannot say th a t our in sigh t into durance vile was altogether an unpleasant one. T nm ing up a h je fttreet we came to w hat was ap­parently a carponter’a shop, and afte r a few questions had been asked o f and answ ered by a respectably dressed w orking m an who was busy w ith a saw, wo soon fonnd out tb a t ho waa tb e h<sad gao ler and the responsible p a rty fo r some tw enty o r th ir ty male prieoncrs—of th e geu tlo r sex there w ere uone. U p a dingy flight o f stone ateps, clean enough bowevor, we came to a doorway surrounded by iron bare, aud looking through tbepe w e saw tho Gijon prisoners’ sleeping and common room in oue. Thrco o r four largo windows opened on t on the streets below, and as two o f tlicse were open tbe ventilation was good. Eacb prisoner had a soparate bed, and in a corner of the room, whicb was fully sixty fe^t by tw enty, were tbo needfti) appliances for w ash in g ; w hether com­pulsory ablution was tbe rulo w e do no t know. Abont a dozen o r so o f m en w ere lounging about, nearly all smoking, aud tb e fun o f tb e th in g —i t was n A . M , wben w e paid ou r v is it—was evidently tho reluctance o f one |>articular gentlem an to q u it his bed. Some o f his companions, whoso spirits were In no way damped by tb e ir conflnement, evi<lontly resented this indulgence in the luxury of,bed as a proof o f bis in- »erent lazine®, and, virtuously inclined themselves,

belaboured him severely w ith th e ir pillows, a b it of

pleasantry w hich brough t down th e prison, wc moan tlie gaol'b irda, in the shape o f laugh ter and applause. A fte r standing th is Imffeting for some tim e v e ry good- naturedly th e lazy m an g o t up and was a t once accommodated b y one o f h is quondam enemies with a cigarette. N o t a m an am ong these inmatea had th a t unspeakable look w hich unhappily only too otlen onr own prison occupants have go t. T hey had g o t into ‘‘ trouble*’ on some com paratively m inor m atters, and as the gaoler explained to us, even the m ore eerions caaes w ere m arked by no t so mueh malice o r wickedness, aa pu re and aimple recfelesa- ness o r carcleaeness. Grave offences againat the person aro bardly know n in the A sturias, and purely oommcrcial offences are usually settled am ong the parties themRelvea, P e tty robberies and tho like are checkcd by a few days’ confinement, b u t gcucraUy speaking the provincial Spanish authorities have a very wholesome dread o f filLng th e ir prisons, and i t is no t ti ll a man has once o r twice overstepped the bounda o f the law th a t ho finds him self locked up, and then , 6wn i t will only be fo r a short timei f he shows th e lea*t com punction a t h is past career. F o r the genuine crim inal class— as i t nnfortunately eiii?ts in M adrid and tho b ig Spanish cities aa else­where in 1 ^ 0 centres o f our boasted civilisation*—a v e ry different trea tm en t is adm inistered ; b u t to oon^ sider the penal code fo r a claaa w hich has practically no eTJistenoe in tlie H ighlands o f Cantabria would be altogetlier ou t o f our province.

The priHOuers a t G ijon receive subslatenee money to the dxtent o f fivepence per day per individual, t u t ba their ftHends have ready access to them a t all hours, and can brin|ç Knch food aud luxurien as they can afford, th e average détenu does no t altogether re ly on tho municipal pittance. Some little time ago a Britiah eaîlor for some m iuor offonce was incarcerated a t G ijon for a te rm o f th ree weeks, and soon found out th a t hie ignorance o f the language and the fact th a t he had no friends p n t him at a aerioüs disadvantage in regard to the comforts o f the inner man ae compared w ith his locally botter-known comrades. The caie o f tho h u n g ry Briton was, by our friend tho carpenter-gaoler, duly brought he fòro the Alcalde, who compassionately rem arked, th a t the English were a l way a iti the habit o f feeding hotter th a n the Spaniards ( i f his worship knew all we know of tho E ast E nd o f London he would th ink differently), and th a t i t was D o t p a r t o f Spanish law tha t a man ahould bo starved as well as imprisoned, and therefore ho decided to allow our offending fellow- country man a full peseta a day. Jack ’s delight was nnbonuded, and w heo, th rough the moans o f his Spanish fellow-prisoners, ho found w hat a peseta would furnish, i t is to h is credit to add tlia t he cheerfully allowed to them a t least some jw rtion o f the ex tra fare he had boon enabled to obtain.

Bnt, however, every prison has its black hole '* ÜT punishment cell, and the one w e inapected a t Gijon

a fearful plaoe indeed. Black aa <Iesp>tir it«olf.

i ts wallfl and floor-were sKiniug w ith disgusting ooze ; b u t tbe unfortunate tenan t Las company all the time he is there, as tbore are p len ty o f ra ts to share tlxe (brknesa aud filtb w ith him. I n G ijon tb is awfnl looking place is seldom inbabited, and tben only for a few bours. W hatever people who lived in the days when barons and otbor wicked persons were continually and fo r ever p u ttin g th e ir enemies in dungfons under tlie castle moat may have stood— nowadays solitary confinement for a long tim e m such a b k c k hole aa tb a t o f Gijon should soon bring about insanity,

Justices justice has been for such a long tim e a joke in B ritain tba t we feel a nerveless hand ^^rasp th e pen as we venture to record one o f tbe stories o f th e curiosities o f judicial adm inistration as develojKjd

a t Gijon.A.t an y rate» a Spanish ^ n tle ro a n , w bo shall be

líam eles in thia worV, had a qiiarrel w ith another alw ut certain attentions paid to bis fond spouse. The explanations offered by the la tter w ere not considered eatisfaetory, and an assault was the result. The ca«e lH)ing brough t before the magifltrate, tiie caballoi‘0 , wlio thongh t biniself insulted, was oommltted to prison for a term o f fourteen days. A n official was sent to con­duct him to the loek-up, bu t tb is man he declined to follow, U cause hi« sbipbroking buRiness would certainly M off if be was in gao l; the policeman represented th is fact to tbe justice, who adm itted th a t there was much tru th in it, and tlierefore.

undor the circnmetances, he wonld only confino S eu o rX . to hig p rivate house for th e period deter­mined on. Onoe again th e oiTicial w aited on the gentleman, aud told him w hat tho m agistrate had decided, b u t tho passionate defendant ind ignantly naked th© qneatlon—how ho could be expected to do hia business unless he w en t to hie offio©? I t was simply absurd for the Alcalde fo ex|>©cii th a t ho would see all his buaiuess friends and acquaintancea in the privacy o f hia own drawing-room. This new viow o f m atters waa duly b rough t before the authoritioa» who in th e end allowed fteñor X . to go to his o£Bce ou condition th a t he wonld promise no t to frequent tho Café Suizo, no r w alk on the quay-aide, but be a reformed and well-mannered shipping merchant, come home ro^nilarly to tea, aud never more go h ittin g people about w ith h is fists. Well, all’s well th a t ends weU. W hether Señor X . promised o r not wo do not k n o w ; bn t we m et him on til© muelle, wo eJinked glasses a t th e Cafe Suizo, and nobody seemed one penny th e worse. Tho tourist may happily spend m any a day about Gijon and ita environs. The fine broad CaUe Corrida is weU w orth a stroll, and tbe gat© dol Xnfanti, erected by Charlea I I I . in commemoration o f Pelayo, i f a little out o f the perpendicular, ia w orthy o f attention. The harbour is alw ays attraciivo, and a fine view o f its noble proportiona can be obtained from tlie signal station on tho top o f the hill o f Santa Cantabria, which is, in fact, the projecting low peninsular

headland on w hich tb e town Ir built. W e ViaTe already referred to tbe good firm sands and excellent ba tb in^ to be g o t; and considcriug th a t tb e daily expenses a t tlio fonda, including board, lodgiag, attendance and wine, are n o t m ore than six pesetas a day, tboee o f our readers wbo, jniirtering Tip a little Spanish—and a v e ry little will go a marvelloofi w ay — find th e ir w ay to G ijon w ill, wo th ink , thank us for tbo b in t to go and judge for tbetQselves.

C H A P T E R X X n .

REAL W fllTB V JK T, AND W HERE IT COMES PROM .

Both to the c a ^ and weat o f Gijon lovely scenery is to be found all along th e sea-coa«t» w hich ia here alternately bold and ro c k j o r v erd n re^ lad almost to the soa beach. W o bavo no space for details of m any pleasant excursions, w bich, thanks to our m eeting tbe only sbipbrokcr and his friend Mr. Jones, w e were enabled to take in tbo environs of the Spanish Cardiff, bu t one o r two must bo noticed. Perhaps th e most boautifial w alk ont o f G ijon is tha t to the little village o f Deva, aboTit tJireo itdlos from tho town and w bere tbero is a church which was bn ilt in 1006. The inferior o f tho ebnrch is not very interestlu|f, bu t in an adjoining farm -yard may be foiind by th e curioTW Iw t fine B yzantine capitals and somo wooden fi^^ires o f saints o f tbo Romanesque period. This was a pu rely pedestrian d ay ; bn t on another occasion w ben w e had cbiirtcrod a fly and drove ou t to the east o f Gijon, keepi{)g as nearly as we could to the coast, w e m ade tb a t remarkable diHcovory th a t, like niany o tber th ings in th is de­ceitful globe, “ real W hitby j e t ” does n o t come

9 2

{rom W hitby a t all, bu t is sent to W bitby from near G ijon in Spain. I t is very dietreseing all this up­roo ting o f tbe m ost cberisbed trad itions o f our blameless y o u th ; bu t i t is a strange w orld we live in , and therefore one ia no t a t a ll gurpriscd to find tba t cocoanut oil ia exported from London to Levuka F iji, and th a t W hitby jfft is im ported into W hitby and aiierw ards, as pure W hitby and no th ing else bu t W hitby , is actually sold w ithin a mile o r bo o f whero i t is found. W ith in n ine mil«? o f G ijon any am ount o f je t is to be found in tbe d istrict called Las Marinas. I t is, in fact, a w ell o f triaesic formation, runn ing from Villianosa to w ith in tw o m iles o f G ijoc. I t is usually found in a decomposed bluish eandatone ru n n in g in vory irreg u la r layers o f a maximum thickness o f tw o and a q u arte r inches. T bere are tw o varieties o f W hitby je t. Ono is evidently of chcgtnut origin, w hich “ creases’* when exposed to th e sun, and another o f a very different wood. The first varie ty is evidently th e treo itself, whereas the second is the bark . The cylinder o f the tree has been actually extracted from the w orkings and is ofU n m et w itb . Liko tlie coal a t Langreo, tbe je t is v o rk ed a t t t e side o f tbo h ill, bu t boring in any part o f the triafflie formation, je t is to be found a t a depth o f from five to tw enty metres.

T ill com paratively recently, about th ree years ago, th is trade has been a practical monopoly o f an Euglisbm an liv in g a t G ijon, who, a« m igh t be ex­pected, bas m ade a fairly largo sum ou t o f the

“ lignite,” th a t being th e nam e by w hich i t is im ported into Kngland. The price o f production of 112 pounds o f superior je t is tw enty-five shillings, and, &B Mr. W rig h t o f W hitby gives tw o shilliiigs aod sixpence a pound foi* it, i t will be obsorvod th a t the bnsiuciss ie fa r from being profitless. A bout 1600 boxes o f about 112 ^ u n d s each go annually to London from Gijon, The m ines o f th e orig inal je t m ice proprietor are, w e understand, practically exhauBled, bu t o thers are being worked, bu t only on a small extent ow ing to w an t o f capital. W c iiappen to know of several good mines w hich would pay handsomely i f th e owuerR w ere enterprising, business­like, and had some little capital. T he price o f j e t is artificial altogether, and should come down. The W hitby je t manufacturer, w hen he has received hia lignite from Spain, is wise in his generation, inas­much as he never allows a workman to do m ore than ODo operation. N um ber 1 “ ro u g h s” o r cuis up iho je t ; No. 2 w ill roughly shape i t ; No. 3 furnishes and pohshfisit; No. 4 will bo re; No. w ill attach gold o r the like, and N o. 6 will pack up for export or home m arket. W hy th e je t ornam ents cannot be mannfactured a t G ijon instead o f in Y orkshire fairly piizzlea us. I f we w ere com pany prom oters we would sngg^ist a jo in t stock organization w ith moderate capital to be eahed the “ Keal W hitby Je t Company, Lim ited.” W e would go t hold o f somo of the best men in W hitby , secure one o r two o f the mines a t Lae M arinas, establish works a t G ijon,

and if w e wonld no t puy a fair dividend, and a t tlio same tim e defy all honest competition, i t could only be by th e grossest mismanag^ment.

A fter w e bad found w here W hitby je t came from, w e paid sundry and divers visits to the minea, and we were well rew arded fo r our trouble in many respects. O n one occasion, go iog np to the highor w orkings o f th e mine, wo saw th a t the bark is fossilised into perfect je t, w hile tb e in terior o f th e tree was even then (O ctober last) ro tten wor>d aud nothing more. O n the ou ter workings thu bark only, is fo»silÍ6cd je t, w hile the tree itself ia solid crystallised liinesstone.

Quito apart from the in terest o f the mines the pleasaut nndn la tiug c o a n tr j o f Las M arinas has innum erable cbaim a to r thoso who love natare . The fltrango A stu rian farm-houses w ith th e ir qnaint in­terior» abound in th is district, and the travelle r can revel in bree^^y w alks over th e sweeping downs th a t w ill rem ind h im o f Sussex a t its best. I f the sun is now and again hot, th e sea wiiid from the blue bay before you tem pers its rays, and for combining scientific basiness w ith h eah h y pleasure, a v isit to tb e jo t mines a t Las M arinas can be confidently reccmmcnded.

C K A F l'E H X X III .

B Y T H B Q U A Y O F B IV A 3 » 8 I? L L A .

\Vk were very reluctant to leave pleasant Gijon» more especially perhaps on account o f Señor Jones and hia friend Lycett, tb e only »hipbroker; b u t tíme» as the son|f goes, is “ a m aster a ll m ust obey ” and the fugitivcn«« o f his character hastened our departure. Accordingly, early one b rig h t m orning w e settled our modest reckoning a t th e pusada and w ent b y the sohtary a.K. tra in on the line to the coal mines to raugreo , iut«nding to leave th e ra il a t the station o f Noreila, w here w e should jo in the coach going eastw aid from Oviedo. The existence o f th is line enabled us to avoid revisiting the capital o f the Asturias, and theiofoie saved some time. The diatancü to N orena is only fourteen miles o r there­abouts— but in th is short jon rney w e m et w ith a fellow*oonntryman. H o w as rid in g in the nex t compartment, and overhearing a peculiarly hearty langh» concluded th a t w e m ust he English, aud dcteiminod on findíní? ou t for himself. Consequently, a t th e very firat station from Gijon he entered our division o f th e coach, and soon found ouf. th a t he was

perfectly correct, H e was a clieerful epearaeii o f the ul>i(iuitoua B ritw h engineer gom g to v isit the coal miucB iu the interests o f some friends a t O porto ; and wo wore so n y to say good-bye to on r ucw-found ac(^uaintance, when the traiUf hav ing been pulled np by cable a steep incline near th e station called Florida, landed us a t N orcna, w here w e had no t long to w ait for the llivadasella coach.

W hile w e wore w andering around the Spanish Cardiff wo had no fixed in tention o f v iaiting the place referred to , b u t w e received from Mr. Lycett such a ddBcription o f th e little seaport and such a le tter to a landed proprietor in tb e neighbourhood, th a t w e baatily scattered all prograrcones to thu w ind and m ade for the famous quay.

I f trave lling a t the top o f a no rthern Spanish diligence does no t enconrago thu cultivation o f tho blessings o f being patien t and philosophical, nothing w ill. I t is tru e th a t aft«r wo had qu itted the flat country the scenery go t in teresting, no t to say beautiful, b u t tru n k s m ake a t th e best bn t a bad bed, and a ru t favo^irlng road does n o t take ofi* the aharpneRs o f tbe ir edges.

A ll th ings, a t any ra to in thia sublunary world of ours, however, come to au end, and wo wero no t a t a ll displeased to shako onr 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 way to Las A rriondas, where connection is m ade w ith the H ivadasella conveyance. La« A rrlondas is situated

at the junction o f the tw o rivers P iloua aud S e lla ; and HA the crmch road, on a h ig h oiubaiikmeiit, keeps by the sido o f both these stream s in succesflion, w hile trees on either aide, and whose branches meet, line the w ay, i t m ay readily be im agined th a t tbe neighbourhood o f thie lit tie-known tow n is pleasant enough, especially in fine w eather. W hon tho town itse lf ia passed en rouie for RivRxlasella a low er level i^ obtained, and by the side o f th e m urm uriug Sella, itself surrounded on both sides b y h ig h hills, th e toad reminds one m uch of Loch Mareo in Rose-shire. H ere th e journey is completed, and perhaps the quaintest p o rt in the Aeturiae is rcached a t last. Take i t a t its best, i t is a tiresom e jo n rn ey how ever, and when, as in our case, the fatigued traveller finds him self imme* diately in rear o f a carrier’s cart stuck in the mud, and has to w ait ao intlefinite tim e tcxr th e extrication o f the jaded horses, he w ill find i t a g rea t tr ia l for his patience; h u t the road from Las A rriondas to Rivada- sella is w orth the trouble if viewed in the r ig h t spirit.

The little town ia situated on th e r ig h t hank of the Sella, and is fairly laid out, a t the back o f a long well-hnilt quay alongside o f w hich on tiie occftsion o f our Isfit v is it several little c ia fl flying the Cnion Jack were engaged in loading A sturiau , o r we should eay, o f course, Barceloua uuts, o f whicfe some 2000 tons were exported to B ritain from th is plac« during the year 1884.

The entrance to the port, like th a t o f T ina Mayor, near U nquera B ridge, is a very nari*ow one, bu t these

is no bad bar, the w ater a t sp ring tide being twenty- six feet aud a t neap tide« sixteen feot deep. Kven when the strong nortb-w est wind prevails there is no sea to speak of, and tlie harbonr itself ia tboroughly protected- T here is excellent anchorage, and tho headland on tho east side o f the po rt affords a capital shelter. Kivadaeella, -with its population o f less than 2000, vioB w ith G ijon in its export o f nnts, and the picking o f these little edibles by men and women in

th e Jai'ge n u t warehouses is quite a feature o f the place. iJuring" the season i t is in fact quite a sigh t to see the ap|>arently endless procession o f uut>ladeu carts, w ith th e ir quain t wheels hav ing on ly a single spoke, deposit the ir burdens a t th e doors o f tbe so rting places, and th en eee tlic cheery i\j^turiuns singing as they work and pick the nu ts for the pceuiiar benefit o f the B ritish B ank holiday consumer. F o r this labour the vom eii earn about a day, w hile the few m en em­

ployed g e t 0 8 mnch as Is . 8rf. To encourage tbo pro­duction o f nutB, maize if? g iven to th e peasantry io March in exchange for n u ts in Septem btr.

The Poeadi» del Selhi is clean, oomfortikblo, and very moderate in its chargoe, allhough the woak-stomached Briton m ay poflsiLly object as w e d id to stewed octopna in ink-black sauce, form ing p a r t o f tlie m enu o f an otherwise pleasant little supper. T here is a place for0 very th ing , and if the octopus is no t a t homo in , say, the Brighton Aqnarium» he oogh t to be ; he has really no r ig h t to aspire to thc d ig n ity o f tho d i n i ^ table. Of the tow n itsolf little need he said except per­haps th a t i t boasts th e birthplace o f D r. A nguatin Argucllcs, called the D ivine, th e celebrated tu to r o f Isabella TL, wbo died leaving every peseta ho poseeesed to tha t la«ly and no t one to b is family.

The Sella river is ono o f th e m ost iam ous salmon rivers in Spain, and fish are continually being caught in i t weighing from eighteen to th ir ty ponnds cach, Nete aro chiefly employed, and one R ivadasella fisher­man ba» been know n to catch as m any as one hundred salmon in one day. Tho price a t Kivadafiolla varied from to lOci. a lb. according ro supply.

O ne o f th e pleasantest w alks in tho im mediate vicinity o f thu tow n is th a t to th© sulphur sp rings on the sea port and cloee by the entrance to the charm ing little port. There Is a little clim bing over thc 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. *

Ooe o f tli« show placcfi nho\\t four milee westward from RIvadasella is the üx tm oid inary n a tu ra l pho* nomenon called Inlre-pouaü. H ere h y aome violent concuftsion^—£re looked the cause, bot i t certainly was not— the d iñe near the sea have been to rn asunder and tw isted ÍD to all m anner o f strange and weird ehapos. One solid p illar o f rock, over 800 feet Ligh, w as m uch la rger a t its sum m it than its base, and as one looked a t i t on© w as astonished a t its perfect bal­ance. A t the foot o f these rem nants o f a g rea t u j^ heaval a narrow stream ru n s out to the Biscayan sea. O n either side o f tb e rocky pillars a re steep eloping hills covered w ith i^ rs e and other vegetation, while th e rich undulating coun try is tbo pleasant rural- looking background. O n our first v isit to Intru-penas w e w en t over the bridge and down a very steep path from near the la rgest p illar lo the riv e r l)ed, hu t tins is a m istake to be avoided. There is a foot-path on the r ig h t hand side looking west which sk irts the little church and liajnlct, and which, i f followed, will enable the tourist to g e t a splendid view o f this remark­able freak o f nature . Tho aurhor w ith the longer nam e boasts anotlior w ay o f “ doing ” Intre-penas, w hich can bard ly be recommended to th e a v e ra ^ traveller. In rtead o f go ing dow n the very steep hut certainly iised path , the w riter o f ‘ Coral L an d s ' in­sisted» like a certain Air. Jones, o f m aking a w ay for him self, tbo consojuence being tha t he fell inglorioualy about th ir ty feet in to a perfect bed o f briars and prickly things o f o very Bort and varie ty . The struggles

of Laocoon w itii the ficrpcnts were renew ed in his person in the lonely ftpanisli valley, bu t a good jack- knife a t length freed him , and tom , c\xt and bleeding, ho rejoined h is companion. “ Keep to tho old paths ” 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 very reasonable snm, tw o full pints being g iven for a penny. Most o f thie p a rt o f the Aeturiae is simply a large orchard, and the quantity o f cyder produced is som ething astonishing. W e havo referred to a le tte r o f introduction, w hich kindly Mr. L ycett gave us a t G-ijon. O n roacbing Bivadasella w e found th a t ou r friend w as aw ay but was expected in a few days, so as Don A ntonio Pelayo was a gentlem an no t on ly o f w ealth and importance, but, a« wo afterw ards found out, well w orth w aiting for, we stayed over a t tho little Fonda del Solla ti ll onr expected hoet should arrive. From tbie centre w e made nnmeroue short excursions in all direction 6, and had, therefore, plenty o f opportunity o f learning all th a t w as to be learned about the A stu rian peasantry. A s Mr, F ord well says, “ In th e A sturias, a country little expoeed to Moorish and Spanish foraye, security o f person and property has long existed.” A ccordingly th e pea­santry, instead o f herd ing for protection w ithin walled towus, live iu small forme and often own tho fields they cultivate. L and in general is more subdivided here th a n in the south, w here large districts wero g ran ted lo tlic Mn>iuif(tadcres who

assiated in ousting the inCdol orx^upant«. Thc costnme o f the low er cUi«ws Ir Swiss-like. Tho females, when dressed iu th e ir l>e6t, w ear bodice« of yellow o r green laced iu frou t and adorned with gold joyap and pink and w hite coral necklaces. Dark coloured serges aud b lac\ mantles aro th row n ove r th e head ; souiotimes p re tty handkorchiefB aro uesod w hich are tied loosely ronnci the front, w hile tho hair hau^s down l^ehind in long plaits. Tho rude G allican mordrefias o r wooden shoes are horo often replaced by leather ones, aud a small sock edged w ith red or yellow is w orn over th c stockinge. The men generally w oar home-spun linen cloth and a Llack cloth cap, though the nineteenth century bowler o r felt hat ia rapidly com ing in to fashion, especially in thc la rg e r villagea. The national gam es m ay be described as skittles and sinffle^atiok, a t w hich th e peasantry are g rea t adepts. The giime o f skittles afte r th e last mass on Sundays is quite a rocognizod institution in every v illa i^ , and the whole population tu rn ou t io w atch it. A s in other parts o f Spain, th e m en go by themselves and the women by themselves. T he froo in term iugling o f the wxes in social life, ench as obtains in Enj^land, F rance, or r^ennany, does no t e??ist iu ftpain ; so th a t on a Sunday m orn ing w hen tho country people are com ing into church yon w ill find the straggling procession commcnce w ith a vanguard o f the fait and “ devout ses,” w hile the rear is b rough t up by the m en who are in no particu lar hn rry to rencli the

cHnroh, a t anv rato, btiforc the first gospel is rea<l.

Numerous stories ex ist o f the prowess o f the Asturians w itli th e ir shillelahs. O n one occason near R ivadasella a faction figh t occurred near a village chnroh, and th e civil guard and carbiccros to the num ber o f six v e ry p roperly interfered. Tlicsc woro armiid w ith rifle and bayonet, and ut;ed the ir weapons ad well as th e y could w ithout firing. The peasants, who wore only oqual in numbers and m erely carried th e ir sticks, booh drove off theiv aefiailants and captured the six rifles.

I f little o r uo beer is d runk in tlic Asturias, akittles enter very largely in to the life o f its people, a:id the males o f th e en tire village m eet noarly overy day and always on Sundays for th e ir favourite amusement. In the towns a mueli h ig h e r pitch is given to the ball than in the m ore ru ral d is tric ts ; and i t is nothing short o f marveilouB to not« the profideiicy some o f tbo poaBants have acquired in the game which in th is country ia so closely associated, m common parlance, w ith foaming tankards o f tho product of John Barley com.

The few days' w aiting pleasantly passed asvay, and oTir host arrived. A tall commanding-looking, bn t ra ther slight figure, an eye like an eagle’s, a hiMihomie th a t was perfcct in the honesty o f its iiindlineas— such we fonnd to be the characteristics o f Don A ntonia Pelayo, as, afte r I'&uiini^ tbe letter w e had brought w ith ns, ho welcomed us to Jiis

residence. H© would n o t allow ue to rexaain a t tlio hotel. H av ing fouud out by cross-examination — B on A ntonio speaks very fa ir Knglieh indeed— tlia t w e had dono the lione o f Rivadaeella, ho oou> teously projMwed a drive to the tom b o f liis aiwcstor__the g rea t Pelayo, the founder o f tho Spanishm onarchy a t Covadonga— and as th is would mean a long day’s w ork, w c m ust have a n early etart. A Httle bofore nine, therefore, w e inspected tho stables and w ere shown o u r hoet's favoarite charger, o f wliich be had good reaeon to l>e p ro u d ; b n t he seemod m ore ajisious for us to praise th e Knglish- m ade saddle w ith tho m aker’s nam e on it— U rch & Co., L ong A cre—th an any th ing else, and we could n o t resist a slight feeling cif prido in on r national skill in manu&cturee w hen our friend rem arked th a t there w as no t a saddle better th a n th a t in all S p a in ; and, ho added, “ everybody here is now g e ttin g th e ir saddles and harness from th e big store you call E ngland.” Thoughts o f th e statistics o f a falling export trade paased th rough our ininde as w e sighed a gen tle “ w e hopo so," and Ibllowed our host to breakfast.

H ero a certain surprise aw aited us. W e have lived in strange placcs and have led etrange lives* bu t snch a m ixtnre o f liquors a t a forenoon tneal w e bave never before encountered. A pre-broakiast ‘‘ n ip ” is common enough in the p ioneering colonies, bu t the m eal iteeif is generally no t accompanied by spiritnous liquors. F irs tly w e w ere asked to have

brandy, thon rum , and h av in g so & r complied w ith our w urteous host’s evident w k h ou t o f pure kindness, to p reven t us seeing a t ^ th a t day, by accepting a liquenr glass o f v e ry old cognac, he apparently was much p n t ou t by our refusing to drink Bomo o f Guinnesses bottled stout, w hich was opened especially fo r us, w hich he thought w as tbe invariable liquor to w ind up a real old English breakfest w ith. W e wero vory firm as to th a t stout, and as well us w e co^ild pointed ou t th a t fiery spirits were hard ly ever taken early in the day in our island homo.

Before accompanying tho reader to the birth-place o f Spain— Covadonga—by tho quain t little town o f Cangas Onis, w e m ust here deliberately p u t on record th a t, a t any ra te in N orthern Spain, thoy slightly overdo the politeness o f w ishing ono and another good m orning and good day. I n tb e coim try proper this is a ll very well, h u t i t grow s somewhat monotonous near the towns, and wo noticed i t par- ticularly in the very ru ra l suburbs which surround Rivadasella. One m orning w e wero go ing ou t o f tbe town and a large proportion o f the ru ral popu­lation seemed ben t on going in . The following is a sample o f tho cheerful conversation w e enjoyed— ‘ W ell— h u e n o s d i a s ^ t h e last time— b t t e n o s d i a s — I

saw him he ouly— hucnos diAS— said— dias" — and so on for tw en ty m inutes. The E nglish waa between ourselves, th e Spanish salutations fo r tho numerous passers by. A s soon as twelve o'clock has

gtrnck yon a re expected to say huenae tardes, or good evening, and i f you iniiict a buenofi dias on the peasan t lie w ill cei ta in ly correct you w itli an Tiu- m lstakable hucnas tardes.

W c Lave Hngured long b y tb e quay o f RiTadaeeUa — it has plcQsant modcrn memories for u s ; bTit in p ay in g a p ilgrim age to tbe shrine o f O ur L ady of Covadonga, wo w ere in sp irit go ing back to tbe remote p a s t; and w hen *we stood reverentially before tbe tomb o f th e m igb ty O brlstiau chief Pelayo, tbe hero wbo gave tlie fiie t g re a t ehcck to Moorish n ile , w e knew be bad m ade Spain a nation, and immortalized himf?elf.

C H A P T E R X X IV .

TTIT. BTBTH-PLACB OF SPA IK.

I t was a brigVit au tum nal m orm ng w hich saw u r

m ount ODe o f Don A ntonio Polayo’s traps, d riven by a sturdy cob, and ao commence our pilgrim age to the tom b o f his patriotic anoeetor.

W e have no apace to dwell on the beautiful scenery en rotiie. Perhaps w e have already aatiate<l our readers w ith our endeavours to m ake thorn know a little o f w hat exquisite m ountain views can be seen in K orthern Spain, and w e w ill only eay in regard to the road from Kivadasella to Covadonga vid Caogaa de Onis, tlia t o f its class i t is perfoct from a scenic point o f viow. A lte rna ting w ith dense chestnut foreats and shallow tro u t stream s wore the lofty rugged spurs o f the C antabrian H ighlands, the soaward-bound rivers carolled a t our teet, above us tbo birds wore singing long and loudJy, th e warm sun was tempered by the moTintaln brcessee, the road was a good one, and Don A ntonio drovo well and ti ie w h is w ay. U nder these circumstances we enjoyed our start, and tbe time paased pleasantly

T 2

onoTi^h. O ur genial host and Jehu (hie gtoom behind ns was, w itli liis arm s folded, eteroly regard ing h is m aster’s back) was inBtxnctivelj communicative, aud i t seemed a rem arkably eKort d rive to th e littlo know n tow n o f Cangae de Onis, w here w e stayed to rest and foed our horses, and g ra tify an ap]>ctite sharpened by tb e keen h ighland air.

O n our w ay Don A ntonio conrteonsly faluied a h ig h ly respectable old gentlem an, w ho, on a first floor balcony, w as calmly sm oking one o f hie m om iug cigarettes. O n inqu iry as to who th e w orthy old

w as, w e w ere astonifihed to fiud llia t somo fifteen years ago he was th e te rro r o f tlic neighbonr- to 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 civil guards Lad rendered a preca­rious, n o t to say a liberty-endangoring occupation. H is lairt exploit was th e robbery o f £400 from a m ail cart, h u t h e has never been prosecuted for his final transaction, and lives now a very re tired country life. Tbero are different waye o f doing thiugs. H ad our passing acquaintance lived in England he w ould ]>robably Lave graced tbe eea*side a t Portland or D over, b u t l)oing a Spaniard 4n Spain they apend no money over him and le t him bo. If , how ever, he attem pted to d isturb the peace, the gentlem en o f the civil guard would w ithout m ercy accelerate his jo in ing tho m ajority by a woll-directed rifle shot. T he b rigands on tbe re tired list know tliie well enough. T heir day, a t any i-ate in N orthern Spain,

is over, and the roads are os safe as those in K en t or H ertfordshire o r elsewhere in Britain.

do Onis is a q a a in t little towo o f abont e igh t hundi'ed iniiabitants, and tU« chief place o f a dozen communes whose united population amouiita to a t ieaat UOOO souls. The m urm uring Sella is crossed hy a G othic bridge, which 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 Catalonia, w hicb is there called the D evil’s. I t has th ree ogive arches, two little and one g ran d ono. T he supports o f those are set on m asave rock, aud i t has a span o f eighteen metros and twenty-one m etres in height, from the mean level o f the w ater to th e keystone. The hndge is narrow w ith a very steep elope. Th© thickness o f tho bridge is composed solely o f the masonry o f the arches. Two large curtains o f ivy covet the stone work from the b n ttres«« upwards.

I t is impoeaible to g ive the exact date o f th is g reat cqriosity, bu t in the I6 th century i t w as always spoken o f ae the Old B ridge.”

N ot fei from th is relic is tho femous herm itage of th e H oly Cross, founded by Pelayo in gratitude for his g ree t v ictory a t Covadonga, and as tho whole o f the iteighbourhood o f Cangas de Onis is sacred to the memory o f tliu fouiider o f th e Spanish K ings, wo “w y jufit as w ell condense w hat is genei-ally kuov>^n o f the g roat A sturian hero. O f the last o f the Gothic kiuga o f Spain little is known, except th a t they wore ceasolessly fighting am ong themselves in

tliO good old fashion. Two branches o f tb e royal fiiinily respectively, th a t o f Cliinda and Wamba, wero alw ays on the w arpath after each other, and there can be little doubt th a t th e W am ba party were g tu lty o f betray ing the ir conntry to th e Moors in order to be satisfactorily revenged on tbe party w ho owned the allegiance o f K in g Cbinda?vinto. T h is long-nam ed pot«Jta.to had a la rge fiimily, the tw o younger sons o f w hich w ere nam ed Thcodofred and Favila, and a ccrtaiD K in g W itizia, o f the W am ba p a rty , no t only ra n aw ay w ith Favila 's wife, b u t caused him to be m urdered; w hile nn- fortunate Thuodofred had his eyes p u t out by Witizia'fl orders. Pelayo, another son o fP av ila , was driven in to exile as tbo n a tu ra l reifnlt o f these high­handed proceedings; bu t Roderick, the son o f Tbeodo- fred, recovered the tbroue by force o f arms, aud acting on the Mosaic theory deprived th e Hdulterous M^itizia o f his sigh t in the same rough fashion as W itizia had treated his father.

Roderick w as th e th irty-fonrth and last o f the G othic kings o f Spain, bu t he offended th e laws of m orality to such an extent th a t he was driven from his th rone, .and assumed tLe garb o f a m onk w it i the uam c o f F a th e r Maccabeo. W hen Pelayo raised th e banner o f anti-M oorish revolt. F a th e r Maccabee juined the C hristian force, and waa, tradition says, pre- aent a t the crow ning victory o f Covadonga, b u t what became o f liim afterw ards nobody knows. H is helmet, flwoid and cuirass were found, and so w as his horse.

Kuadere o f Sonthey and S ir W alte r Scott know well tbe details o f th e vision o f Don Koderick, how, in hig lonely cell near Toledo, iie saw pass before him the fu ture o f liie couutiy divided into threo periods— firstly, tbe invasion o f the Moors, w ith his own disgrace and d e a th ; secondly, tbo A u fu s tán ago o f Spain and th e ir conqnests iu the In d ie s ; and th ird ly , the decline o f Spauish power, th e oppression o f the country by Bonaparte, and its siiccour by th© British. According to a local tradition the last words o f th is last o f tbe Spanish G othic k ings were uttered in a tom b full o f snakes and adders, where he had remained for th ree days u n h u r t ; bu t on the m orning o f tbe fourth day a herm it who knew o f H s strange place o f retirem ent heard him cry ont alond, “ T hey eat me now, I feel the adders bite.’* Tho previous n ig h t he had passed in cease­less prayer, and so bis sin was atoned for, and he died.

According to o ther accounte Don Roderick died shortly after tho battle a t Guadalete, and therefore coTiId not have been present, a t an y ra te ia a natural ^ y , a t the battle o f Covadonga. Be this as i t may, Pelayo alone detijrmined to do battle for the in* dependence o f Christian rule iu Spain, and he ’«•as well w orthy o f tlie gigantic task. To use the words o f Southey

I n h im tJie o ld Ib e r ia n blood O f o ld a n d ro m o tw t o n r« « tr j,P rtm t un d iijp n tcd soarce , Ü ow ed nndctile< l;

H o too o f C liiiic la d T iiito ’d lin e ,Sole rem n an t now d rew 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 ^nend h e a r t o f 8p»in.

P e l a y o ' s f a t h e r , FaviU , was a n o t e d h u n t s m a n ,

a u d l e g e n d s o f h i s m a r v e l l o u s e a p a c i i y f o r anglo- h a i i d o d b e a r k i l l i D g * a re c o m m o n e n o u g h t o t h i s d a y .

A t tb e period o f the Moors’ moet complete dominion over Spain, Pelayo, tho noble scion o f her ancient kings, stood almost alone in th e defence of his country. Undismayed by tb e misfortunee o f hia race and people, o r by th e oppreBsivo rigours o f the conquerors, he never tired o f rousing his brethren to a sense o f th e ir shameful condition, and stirring them up to th e desire o f again restoring tbeir religion and th e throne o f tbe ir native rulers.

M eantime bis sister H orm crinda, no l o s ardent and patriotic, h u t w eaker aud m ore short-aghtod, had though t to beneiit her people by fscallng a compromise w ith the invaders. Forgetfu l o f the religious laws w hich forbade such a union, she marriod M una7a, one o f the Moorii^h chiefs, who rtjigned a t Gijon» and for a few years im agined sho had effected wonders» because she bad induced tho coniiucror to m itiga te h is oppreseiona. Pelayo, however, was almost m ore diatressed a t th e con­tam ination o f h is siator, m arried to an unbeliever, th a n by the bondage o f bis fellow-countrym en; and being on the po in t o f leading the people he bad collected to an attack ou the Moorish AJciyar» he

first obtained an in terv iew w ith h e r w ith in the k ing ß private apartm ents, w ith tho view o f induciug her to abandon h e r infidei lord. H orm erinda, however, Lad chosen her path , and ccmld no t escape i u leadings; tho in terv iew wae both storm y arid touching. Pelayo, unflinching in h is m orality and patriotism , could find no th ing to eay to ho r but words o f rcproach. A n d H orm erinda could ouly uige» th a t though she m igh t have been w rong iu m arry ing the Moor, yet, now h e r w ord and life aud love wore pledged to him, she could no t leave him.

Munuza deepieed the Ohrietians, aud so Pelayo had no difficulty in gain ing access to H orm erinda, accompariied by th e venerable V errm uudo, Lia fe ther; bu t a .few in M uuuza’a service hav ing be­trayed thü inform ation th a t Le had no leee a person than Pelayo him self in his power, Lo ordered him to bo captured and th row n in to a dism al dungeon callôd a maÿînorra.

N o sooner d id M nnuza know th a t Le had nothing to fear from Polayo, th a n i t became evident Lis moderation tow ards the C hristians bad been dictated less by H orinerinda's representations than h y dread of Pelayo's ropriaids, fo r ho now began to add w ith ­ou t mercy to the burdens o f the conquered. To crown all, he issued a decreo, by whIcL all who would not make themselves MoLiimmedans w ere declared to be slaves.

This measure eompJeted th e indignation o f the Chrißtians ; and w lien i t became know n w here Pelayo

wag held in dtirauco, i t needed t u t little u rg ing of Q randio, h is brother, to lead tlie o u tra j^d population to tb© assault o f the A lcuyar o f (rijon.

T hc im petnoaity o f the despairing popnlation wae irresistible. M nnuza, inclined to despise them at first» found hlmaolf surrounded l>efor6 he w as aware, and eallied ont w ith h is reserve to g ive life to* hie troops and repel tho iusurgente. H e had no sooner left th e pre<nncts o f the palaco tlian H orm erinda took advanta^^ o f the circumstances to set free her bro ther, who w as thus enabled to ehow him self a t the head o f his people, Hke a miraculotie apparition, insp iring them w ith coqrage to d rive all before them.

M unuza, obliged to oscape fo r his life, re*entered th c A leàyar, wbero Ilorm orinda awaited him with feminine teiidernees, desirous ouly to make a bul­w ark o f b e r body between and Pelayo*e fury. Manuka, however, had doubtless courage, though it w as the courage o f a n infidel, an d n o t only refused to owe hia life to th e protection o f a woman, but, recognizing tlia t i t w as h e r hand alone th a t could have se t h is captive free, stabbed her and him self just in tim e to die a t the en tering feet o f Pelayo and bis victorious host.

This victory o f the Christian arm s wa« th c first fruits o f m any others, w hich hard ly fought th rough sueoooding centuries restored a t last tbo whole of Spain to Christendom,

This was ju s t before the crow ning victory of

CoTadoDga, w here Pelayo, w ith 300 warrior«, bnret from the historical eavo, ami, 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 wure deleted the numbers wonld be probably correct. A s i t is, th e m ost absurd estimates are made, even iu modern Spanish history, aa ti> the num bers o f the Moors killed in th e famous valley. F or instance. Bishop Sebastian, in his work, valuable in m any ways, says as sobor fact th a t124.000 Moors w ere killed in the valley o f Co vadou |^ , and 63,000 w ere drow ned under M on to Amosa, whon, according to P au l us Diaconus, the rest ran away in to France, whore 375,000 wero killed. A no ther Spanish G eorge W ashington, in his gijile- luBs ignorance ot the a r t o f careiul exaggeration, says th a t Orlando, w ith h is ow n Land, killed2.200.000 men o f K ing A grican’s arm y. To nse an Americanism tliis fairly “ takes th e c a k e b u t the statem ent m ay he studied wilL advantage by resi­dents, B ij a t A don o r th e Persian Gulf. F or simple coolness the Poles are no t in i t with the statem ents o f the SpaniiJi special correspondent wLo followed the fortunes o fth e Christian-chief Orlando.

B u t apart from these comic exaggerations o f the dead list o f the defeated Moors, the v icto iy of Oovatlonga waa a famous one, and w ill live fo r ever xn SpauisL history. N o fooIisL num erical errors will ever mako tLe student forgot th a t in tL at noble * ^ e y , g rand ly im posing in every sense, the first sonous blow was dealt ou t to tho Saiacenic invaders

who afterw ards becamo very chary o f approaching th e Higlilandfi o f Cautabria, The Moors found tha t tlio g a llan t m ountaineers had raised the banner o f independence and freedom, and also th a t when th ey boasted th e y were uuconquered, they were aa good as th e ir word. Th© site o f th e birth-place o f Spain is about threo miles from Cangas de Onie, wher© th e re is an excellent hoalolry kep t by Senor Baldomero Gaxcia Betosinario. The road follows the river Buena till i t is joined by the riv e r Deva, and a t th is junc tion is th© Oanipo do la Ju ra , where Pclayo took th e m onarchical oath afte r hia g reat victory. A fte r th e trav e lle r has passed a very anoiunt hoose, lie w ill entor a narrow valley, onclosed a ll round by mountains destitute o f any vegetation b u t heatiiy r; and th is is tiie place o f Spanish pilgrim age. Below th© village, on tho r ig h t \Â n k of the litlJe stream , is a n ob©lisk bearing date o f 1858, erected by the Duke o f M ontpensier on th e Campo del R©y Pelayo, w here Pelayo was proclaimed kinn;. Horo tho valley, which is a perfect 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 view by pro- jücting rocks. T he cave itse lf opens to some 40 foet, and is fringed w ith ivy and ferns, while there is a pool o f clear w ater. N atu re and m ankind in past time have dono so m uch to glorify th is most rom antic spot th a t i t doeR sw:m deplorable th a t th© m odem restorer did no t share tbe fate o f the Moors w ho fell here. To destroy th e solemn d ign ity o f tho ©ntrancc, 9>

marble atair-case lias been erected from the monaetory adjoining, w liile a carpenter’s (rothic ” wooden balcony ír c&rricd acro as in fron t o f tlie inner cave.A wrctcbed-loobing low GotLic chapel replaces the curiona old one, w bich was b u rn t dow n about a hundred jearR ago, and the decorations o f th e altar a rc out o f a ll character w itli the surroundings o f the place. Tho m onastery itse lf is in teresting enoTTgli, and the collection o f chasubles, copes, and other vest- . m cnts shown by tho sacristan is well w orth seeing; some o f these are o f the m ost costly m aterial and workmanship, and aro perfect gem a o f a rt. T hey are mostly preHent« to the Church o f N oatra Señora del Covadonga by meml>ers o f the B oyal Fam ily o f Spaiu a t different dates. Fortnnafely tho restorer had no t been allowed to ‘*im pn)ve/’ in Lis fearful and wonderful m anner, the simple tom b o f the founder o f th e long line o f Spanish kings. I t is w orthy o f the valloy, w o rth y o f th e R im pie-minded patrio t whoso ashes i t contains, w orthy o f Spain with all her g rand traditious. I t is ju s t a rock-hewn sepulchre, w ith no ornam ent but a sword o f Roman pattern. A r w o gazed bare-headed on th is simple re»ting-placo o f the hero who 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 than usual. Thoughts o f tho g rea t scene o f 717 came unbidden, and visions o f the fierce rush o f th e G othic w arriors from their romantic cave came before ou r eyes. To all the

m ^-sp cak in g race— aye, to every Christian in

the w orld—tb e soil o f Covadonga m ust be »acred ground, aud Üio tom b o f Pelayo a place o f pUgrim- age. Tlio subjoct o f tbe G urableton prizo poom at S t. P e te r’s College, W aatm insier, th is year, w as our lamented modern hero, <3ordon; and tho winner, M r. H . Morgan-BrowD, trea ts Lia subject in some rem arkably effective stanzas. Several o f these, i f altered to th e eircumstatrces o f Pclayo’s h istory and nationality, w ell su it the memories w hich oling round Covadonga. W e have on ly room for th ree verges;

0 , doabting Juwrte, 70 do no t know Uow Tain a t t in g i t is j-oc c r j !A life lilte Mb can never di©,

Tho great example » till slmll grow

And monld the h^toeti ye t nnbom,O f other creeda and o t te r dime«.T ie grcAtóflt men of la to r time«,

Th« b e r ^ e o f a fxdler morn.

W herv^er Iberia’s sarae u knowu,m o n lips oan ftume tbe Spanish tonffoc,W lwre deeds of living F a ith are mas.

Thero Fame «^ball hail fheo u ber own.

O n a rocky prom ontory close to the entrance of the cave >s now rising a really m agnificent church in the purest Gothic stylo, and w hich w ill cost when completed no t m nch lea. than a m iihon sterling.

Though It has no t boon onr lo t to he uoar there a t tlia t tim e, travellers should endeavour to be a t Cova(ionga on the 8 tb September, w hen the g rea t yearly festival takea place. The scene is moet

T U B l O U H O P PCTiATO , 2««.

:V*‘ *

ÍI

strik ing \ tho placo is throogod fo r th ree (lays w ith peasantry, who come from îminonsü distanceR, to b ring offerì ïigs and fulfil vows made ; m any com© in tbe ir Bhrouds and penitents* dresèes, carry ing ia])er3. The n ig h t before, g rea t bonfires are lit, £rc>vorks are le t off, and tbe people, w ho do no t bebave in an edifying maüner, danco and eat and drink all n ight. Mass ÌR aaid in tbo open air, and tbe effect is most picturesque—the row s o f p©aaants’ earnest heads, the lighted candles, vestmoata, and glorious Rcenery. The serm on ìr preached from a puJpit h n n g on to a w alnut-tree. A fte r mass, a s ta tu e tte o f tho Blessed V irgin ifl carricd in procession, followed by tho pilgrim s. I t is advisable to secure rooms a t tho Poaada betbrehand, o r procure an introduction to Bomo o f the clergy a t Covadonga, who w ith great Civility offer beds an<l th e ir table to any travellers. The poaadaa are overcrowded and unpleasant on those days.

Carnage« can be go t a t Cangas de Onis, b u t a bargain should be struck w ith the hotel- o r etablo- keeper. I t ia no t evcryl>ody w bo will fall in w ith ftuch a maRter o f H ighland Spanish politeness as onr kindly hoRt Don A ntonio Polayo. O n our re tu rn tide to Cangas, after enjoying th e hospitality o f oueoi the Covadonga fathers, w e passed several pilgrims «n Toutt for the sbrino, and quain tly dressed in long hlack cloaks ornamented w ith reHgious medalR,

sca llo p shells ajid th e liko. In all casus th e rosaries ^vere much in evidence, bu t ou r d river had b u t a

pcK>r opinion o f the reality o f m nch o f the religious sie^l o f tbeee travellers—Tvho all b e g ^ d for alms— B on A ntonio th in k in g th a t a p leasant autum ual holiday a t other people’s expense w as the motive for the journey.

Therii are m any quain t sights to be seen in Cangas (w hich takes its nam e from canicas, conchas, the ehelHiko broken valley), h u t a p a r t from the hifitorical in terest o f th e place, certain ly tbe m uni­cipal lock-up deserves a line. Ile re , level w ith tho stree t and behind some wooden rails, sa t a row o f prisoners w ho all looked tbe pictures o f good health and spirits» and every one o f whom w as smoking. To our surprise, Don A ntonio stopped his horse, handed the reins to one o f us, descended and shook bands heartily w ith one o f the d^imujiy and had a few minutes" conversation w ith him, Inqu iring w b a t h is friend waj? in duranco vilo for, ho laugh ing ly replied, *‘ 0 h , only the usual th in g bere \ too m uch ffimhra o r vino tinic, and too m uch use o f the shillelah over somehody else s head, th a t’s all. They are all in for somo k ind o f spree, and th e y w ill bo kep t there till they g e t quite sober and promise never, never to do i t again.”

O u a sierra, looking down on the little tow n, is the 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 an Pedro, in the bam let o f Villanueva, on th e capitals oi a doorway o f w hich ie a representation o f K in g Pavila, a descendant o f tbe G othic N im rod, being killed

wlnle followiug* liia favourile nmusernent o f bear- hunting, •

Iu til© pleasant open c o u n tr j th a t lio? immediately to the north o f Cangas do Oüis, Don A ntonio pointed out some really fine fields o f flourishing root crops, and said th a t was hia work. W© did not understand th a t ho had any property in the neigh­bourhood» hu t found ou t on inqu iry th a t ou one o f his

Barcelona n u t " CTpeditions to London, he had bcon rcquestod to purchase a large qu an tity o f Carters'seeds for a farmer trieud o f hfs, and he was ovidenily proud of the splendid resu lt th e y presented. O ur host was constantly referring to the kindness ho had received in England, and the w ay buaneaa was conducted on this side ol tho “ Bay,” and in calm s ta rlit evening, ffavo US somo well-rendered anai^hos o f English songs, to which w e rosponded h y somo doubtlessly painfiJ imitations o f A sturian Lallads. W e had just gone as far as we th o u g h t w c dare in the m atter of these musical inflictions, w hen to our am azem ent tho groom beliind us said th a t he too had been in

ngland and knew an K nglish song, Ju d g e o f our »urpriee when in a clear baritone voice tho, stoh'd- loükmg retainer bu rst in t o ^

“ A iX ^ n y n ig L t fu r * r« ra b k ,D o w n th o fl^^wcry deU,

til© gone aud braiohlo,Jiies and n^d r telL”

W hen afte r a long ride w e alighted a t Don Anionio's house a t R ivadasella, w e had tlie cheerful

reflection to m ake tha t w e had had an inetructivo,' am using, and mo»t pleasant day. O h! th a t all holiday-makers a t tlio close o f a day’s ou tiug coiaJd say the same tbiug,

I t wiD be m any a lo n g day bofore w e forgot Don A ntonio Pelayo, and w e hope he will read these lines. Maybe i f be dove f?o he will stra in his memory a second to rccoUect the tw o strangers and pilgrims he entertained in so princely a feshion, and whom he personally conducted to the tom b o f hia illustrions ancestor and th e birthplace o f Spain.

C H A PT Ü R X X Y .

A 9 T Ü B IA K H IST O R Y A lfD PO LK -LO RB.

W e have to go a long w ay back into th e n ig h t o f history for tho orig in ot* tb e àboriglnoe o f tbis province. In ordor th a t readers m ay form the ir own opinion as to wbo they were and from whence they came, we will here uoto aome o f the wild theories o f various w riters o f th e Middle and otber ages.

A n enthusiastic au thor in 1 5 9 2 wrote, th a t Tubal, the nepbow o f Noah, having corné w itb hia deseen- dants in tbo y e a r 2 1 6 3 d . c . to populate th e Spanish peninsula, reached tho region to-day called Can­tabria, and, finding tb a t the d istric t auitod bim , stayod thore. Being an artificer in iron, i t ia prob­able tba t he would have boon attracted by tho facili­ties he found for ite m anufacture on the spot. Uia mother aceompanied him , and b e r nam e w as Sybila Erithrea.

Noah meet politely came to v is it them, and here and theie founded towns, and among them Santander. H e also built several cities in Asturias, calling tbem after b s own name, amongst others, Noega, Noevia,

T7 2

Noela, and Nocrena. T ubal died iu the y ea r 1 8 5 0 b ,c .

and w as bnricd in a w ild spot near the Pico« de E uropa, and tho place o f h is sepulture is called Tubaliii even a t th e present day,

Osiris, K in g o f E gyp t, afte r nom inating his queen la is supreme regen t d u rin g Lia absence, left Kgypt attended by a num erous arm y, to see the world, and to teach a g ric d tu re and th© use o f w ine and hroad to its benighted inhabitants, he being tho discoverer o f tho la tte r, and hia <iueen th a t -of the former.

A fter m any adventures and hard travelling , he a t last reached Spain, w here ho found tbo gian t, Jerion , k ing , This g ian t waa a ty ran t, and far from being a lover o f tb© peaceful arts w hich Oairis de­sired to teacb. A qnarrel leaulted from the ir firat interview , a,nd a fight ensued, bu t Osiris made an end o f the giant,

Lete-irous o f re tu rn in g home to E gyp t, from w hence bo had been absent a long tim e, he par­celled ou t tbo K ingdom of Spain am ongst the g ian t’s three sons, under th e condition th a t they impix^ved on th e ir fethei s mode o f governing, o r otberwie© ho would re tu rn and call them to severe account.

These three, however, continued tho ir father’s ty ran n y , h u t f©aring th e consequences, thoy snl> om cd the E gy p tian hero, 1’yphon (w ho was do- airous o f usurping the throne o f th a t country), lo kill Oairia, w hich he faithfully did,

W hen I b is knew of tho death o f h e r hneband, ahe presented horaelf to the people, who made her sue-

ceREor to Osirie in the ^ v e rn m e n t . To a v o n ^ bis death slio sent h e r son H ero, o r H ercules, in pu rsu it o f the aeeassin, H e overtook him in A rabia, and, aftor forcing him to nam e b is instigators, pu t him to death. Kerculee lost no tim e in g e ttin g to Spain, H ere he carried ou t his father’s thr«iat, and parcelled out the country am ongst h is friende and rolstione,

Cantabria be gave to big brother A stu r, better known in history by tb e ep ithet H erm es Tiismcgisto o r Mercury. F rom tb a t time th is portion o f the kingdom has been called AsturiaR.

More has been wriHon respecting the kings A stur, o f wbicb nam e there w ere a nu m b er; am ongst tíwm one who assisted w ith his troops a t the second P an ic w a r ; bat probably w hat we have above epitomized will suffice to enable onr readers to come to a very decided opinion respecting tbe reliance th a t can be placed upon such very ancient history.

Judg ing from pre-historic rem ains i t is probable tba t i t w as first peopled by th e Iheros, w ho came from the d istrict to-day known as G^«orgia. A fter qniet poBseision o f the country fo r a period these were overrun by tho CeltB. T he footsteps o f the la tter are mot w itb here and there throughout tho coimtry, and in tbis province there are dolmens and tumuli.

Though a g ian t race—ja d g iu g from some o f thoir works, they seem to have lived peaceably— given to bnntiug, fishing, and cultivating chestnnts. Their ban ting appuratns consisted of artic leR o f the most

rudim entary description, and tboy fished iu coraolee -—the w icker framcii being covered over w itli skins.

H av ing a n a tu ra l barrie r on every band, they w ere able to m aintain th e ir iudependcnco for agos. The Phoenicians traded and mined here during tha t period. T he traces o f those m ighty navigators and miners are still ex tan t, b n t they gave w ay to the Romans, wbo camo as conquerors, and th e ir vast w orks th ronghon t th e province rem ain to te ll the ta le o f th e ir occupation.

The G o tbs, ou th e ir way southward, endeavoured to pass th e Cantabrian heigbte, b u t w ere nnable to do so, although tbey overran tb e reraaining portion o f the peuinftula. The A stu res had learned w orthy lessons from th e ir whilom roapters, tb e Romaus, and held th e ir own, Ceutnries passed. T he country was tho scene o f another and more subtle invasIon^—th a t o f the Moors, wbo came and efiected a footing so firm ly th a t i t took years, aye, ccntnrie8,to tu rn tbem ou t s^^in.

T h is footing was attained by the treason o f Count Ju lian and th e sons o f W itlaa, one o f the Gothic k ings o f Spain. Thu first batllu between iuvaders and invaded was fought on the m argin o f fhe Guadalete river. A fter eight days o f hard fighting tbe Moors succeeded in obtain ing a complete victory, and th e rem ainder o f the G othic arm y dispersed.

Tbo loa jo ri'^ o f th is rem nan t passed in to Asturias, w here they were rvceivcd w ith open arm s. They aaeiroilated w ith the people, and afterw ards d id the

p ro v in « good service in tlie m any struggles they sustained w ith tlieir common enemy, tho Moors.

The attem pts o f the la tte r to pass in to Aetnrias w ere for a Icmg tim e futile» bn t succcss a t liwt crowned th e ir efforts, and for a timo they reigned suprem e; bu t the eioesses o f th e ir ru lers canaed a rising o f the people, th is rising ripened in to a revo- Intiou, and a t Covadonga a battle w as fought.Pelayo headed th e people, and th© Moors were commanded by M unnza, th e result ou r readers know, and th is was, a* w e have said, the first o f a continuons series o f defeats w hich ended iu th e surrender o f G ranada and th e espnlsion of tho ilo o rs from Spain.

Thns Pelayo was th e first k ing o f A sturias after the rceonquoBt o f th a t province.

D uring the period o f tho Moorish occupation, communities of Musarahs wei*e her© and there form ed ^ amongst the m ountains. These had clianged their creed and had become Christian«. M any oi* these communities remained w hen tho ir com patriots wero driven out. They form to-day a special fe a tire in the country. Speaking th e ir own dialects, in te> m arrying am ongst themselves, and following tbe ir own traditions and usages, th e y are in roany cases similar to crews o f vessels shipwrecked on a foreign strand. One o f these oommunities Hves a t A storga, a city in the no rth o f th e province o f liCon.

A ny one w ho has travellod in northern and central Spain w ill have m et some o f th e members o f this community, T hey all drem a l ik e : th e men w ear a

broad black felt Lat w itli cords around i t ; a sLort black cloth jacket w ith a row o f buttons on either s id e ; a red v e s t; a very full plaited bJack p a ir o f pan ts reaching to the ktico; black woollen atocHit/ys an<l leather shoeB. T be buttons ou vcast and jacket conidst o f im itation or real coins : the rich use gold, th e poor b ra« . Tbey are m et w ith in every seaport and fishlQ^ place, w here they are occupied in tb e purchase and for­wardings to the in terio r the fruits o f the ocean. The m en are very honest, and the women are renowned fo r tb e ir beauty and cleanliness. ’ The ^rStorga maragaio is unfortnnately the oaly^Mysarab commu­nity w hereof so much can be said ili'\ the ir iavour. T beir com|>atriot8, as a ru le, have di3fere\t principles, and are notorious for the ir laziness and d ir t ; whilo the physique o f tb e A storga people is healthy and robust, th e m ajority o f the other M usarabs are puny, weak, and often deformed,

A fter the occapation o f A sturias by th e ii<K)rs, th e country continned to be governed by kings, who were appointed by tbe people, and confirmed in their positiou by tho C allpbof Cordoba,

T he country bad ita fu tr o s or code o f righ ts brought down from the tim e when the Supreme Council m et under the Carhayon, or tree o f liberty, to manage tlie affairs o f the State.

These ftieros wero joalously guarded by the nobles. I t is recorded, t h i t in one o f tbe northern provinces, on tbe occasions when the k in g m et h is council o f State, the president o f the council opened business.

\ i j unrolling the charter o f righ te , and say m g — “ Seaor, by ih is chartor you see th a t each o f us singly IB your oqual, bu t jo in tly w c a r o B uporio r to you." I t ie no t Stated w hether th is form ed the preface to the opening discourse o f the prcB ident in this province, bu t i t ia know n th a t tbe nohloa held to th e ir rightR w ith a. tenaciouB g * ^ p .

The kings reeided aud held th e ir court a t Cangas de T ineo-^a clean and pleasant tow n to-day, sur­rounded by m ountains, heavily wooded, aud grand ly picturesque.

ThcBu m ountainB al>ound in gam e. The brown hear, javali, aud chamois, arc abundant, so are pheasants, partridges, woodcock, quail, and snipe. Wolves range the m ountain heights, and th e nigged tops give a footing to eagles and vultures.

Thu riv e r N a rc ta runs by tho tow n, aiid ^ Im on , trout, lam pruyB , piko, and eols rew ard th e patience o f Izaak’s followers, aud supply m any a housewife with a n extra course.

W e do not in tend w riting a general h istory o f all the k in g B who ruled in A sturias after Pelayo, hu t will only uote a few, w ho w ere celebrated in the ir day, and who left to posterity some cauao o r other for rem em hering llicm.

Froila the F irs t is reputed to have founded Oviedo, to-diky the capital o f the principality. H e huilt a church thoro, and endowed i t . l i e w as a man of a most violent tem per, alw ays a t w a r w ith his dear neighbours ” the Gallegos and Basques, aud ever

i

jealous o f h is brotlier’s inflaence w ith the nobles, w bich ultim ately led him to cause hi» b ro ther to be murdered, A conapiracy w as a t leng th formed, which resulted in the assaflsination o f th is th e first aud moBt unplcaaaut K in g Froila.

Aurelio, w ho succecded him» was in every th iug tho reverse o f Froila. A stute and easy, he never fought when he could hy an y means avoid doing fto. A lthough P elayo bad driven ou t tbe Moors from A sturiaa, still tbey held the neigh honring provinces, aud were always ready to harnas th e ir conquerors. A s fighting did no t suit Aurelio, i t is said th a t he made a compact w ith A hderram an, Calipb o f Cor­doba, to sond h im yearly a tribute o f u hundred damsel»*— fifty o f theeo w ere daughters o f the nobles, and fifty those o f plehoians o r vassals— under the condition th a t th e Calipli refrained from com mitting any act o f hostility a^^inst the country. This monarob, strange to say, died on b is bed.

A. tew kings followed in thc succeaion, without hav ing left an y recorded eveuts o f im portance to commemorate tho ir reigns.

T hen came another w arrior, Alfonso tbe Chaste, wbo never felt a t “ peace,” except w hen a t the hoad o f his troops for some bloodIhirsty fighting w ith his enemies th e Moors» o r w ith hig neighbours the Basques and Cralleyos. H e solicited tbe hand o f thc daughter o f Charlemagne, b u t ineffectually. Hie sister having m aintained illicit relations w ith ono of hie peers (resu lting in the b irth o f Beinai*do del

Carpió, tbo hero o f th e paes o f Ronceevallee), Alfonso puoiehed hie eister by im m nring her iu a convent, and bor lover hy hav ing bis eyes b u rn t out, and lockiug him up in a perpetual prison in th e Cafrtillo de Luna. I t w ill be noted tb a t these w ere tbe vigoroue dayR o f old w itb a vonj^aiice.

A t leng tb Alfoneo died, and wae succeeded h j Bam iro, the husband o f th e celebrated A sturian queeu Doña Urra<5^, o f w hom w e shall have somt^ th ing to te ll in th e following chapter.

D uring the re ign o f th is k ing , G ijon waR the scene o f tb© land ing o f a borde o f NorRemen. A battle w as fonj^ht ou th e outskirts o f the town between tho invadera and the A ^tu riaus; tb e former being handsomely whipped. E ven a t th e present day some o f th© relicR of th is figb t are now and again turned up by tbe cultivators o f tbe fields, w hich wore the scene o f tbo struggle.

D uring this re ig n a feudal r ig h t was established under tbe name o f the vote o f Santiago, whereby tho lord o f the m anor w as entitled to certain tithes from each daW ^l w ithin h is m anor a t tb© tim e of her miirriage. Tbis tithe ha^ very pn)|Hirly fallen into disuse a t ibo proeont day. Spain, i t is evi* dent, invented th is so rt o f m aidenly tribu te long heforo the “ Salvation Arm y."

A fter th is m any kings re ig n e d ; aome in con- tmuous strife w ith th e ir neighbours, others too inactive o r too occupied in th e ir own pleasures to heed the coursc o f even ts: the country sometimes

m erged into th e kingdom o f Leon— again attaining its independence, Tintil i t w as m erged into the general kingdom o f S p a in ; retaining, however, tlio rig h t to the first title n e s t lo the throne—th a t ie to g ive to the nearest heir to th a t tbronu the title of prince o f AeturiaR.

Feudal iem pro vailed througliout th e middle ages in th is province, to tho extent o f every vassal being a slave to his lord. Transfers o f the eoiJ Included, too, the transfer o f its tenants, being in feet a qneer so rt o f fiiitu re o f tenure.

There uro a num ber o f ruined castles and ti)wers throughout the country, each w ith its legends of crncltles committed and w rongs |>erpetrated; and th e traditions o f tho ir ancient lord’s doings are & ithfully handed dow’n by the families who live lu the ir vicinities, all doscundants o f the poor vassals, wlio, a t tho tim e when those feudal iron hands fiouHsbed, groaned aw ay tbe ir exietonco, w aiting on the pleasure o f th e ir lords, bu t did no t dare to groan aloud, under penalty o f tbe lash, to rture , o r even death.

One o f these towers stands no t very far from Gijon, It« walls ai*© entire, b u t its in terio r has long ago crumbled into dust. The lands w bich belong to i t aro Btiil beld iu fief nnder conditions w hich arc but rem nants o f tbe olden time. Cultivators pay a rent o f BO m uch com , ao m any fowls, so m any measurea o f chestnuts, and so on, and th is ren t baa to be paid w ith a due observance o f ancient forms. A s ]{owcver it is low, farmers do not complain o f tb e custom.

From the tow er under notice i t ír reported tliat there is a subterranean gfdlery, leading to a stream a t the foot o f the hill, and to another tow or a long distance o£f. I t is said xliat on occasional holidays, strange light« are seen ou t o f the embrasuroa o f this tower, and th a t ghostly revelries aro hold. Tbe country people shivor as they pass by i t even iu day ligh t, and i t would require a very strong reason to induce tbem to go near i t afler dark.

In Rome parts o f the province rem ains o f ancient sepulchrcs havo been m et w ith , probably o f tho Celtic period. They consist o f th e k u t vaen, i.e., slabs o f stone p u t iotó boz shape, holding in eome cswes thü rem ains o f th e occupant, sometimes ex- tended a t full length, sometimea in a sitting posture. Unfortunately fo r an tiquarians, these have mostly been destroyed by th e ir discoverers, w bo probably wanted to “ restore ” thorn.

U rns have been found, too, holding the aahos of eome Roman occupants. T hey have le ft mòro lasting rem ains o f th e ir occnpancy th an th e ir more ashes, in tbe names o f tow ns and villages— buildings yet extant in some o f tbem —-relics o f th e ir baths and m oRaics^aquedncts and attle heaps, and above all their mode o f cultivation o f the soil, and o f work­ing in carpentry and m asonry. The ploughs and W row s, the mason’s and carpenter’s tools are almost idiiDtical w ith those w hich w ere used throughont the world by the Romans ; and w ere i t possible fr>r one

of those g rim old soldiers to wake np again out of his eternal sle6p and see how the w orld o f A sturias w agged, he w ould hard ly l>eliöve th a t Lc ftad been asleep for sixteen hundiod years. A sturias is uot alone in th is stoppage in the wheels o f progress in the arta and industries—it is almost the same throughout the peninsiiJa.

T here are still ex tan t R o m e vory anciont roads, one runu ing along the coast from tbe F ieuch frontier to Santiago de Compostella, tho sh iine a t which pilgrim -knighta and b o g ^ r s alike kneeled dnring the CTURadeR, and a t w hich the élite and th e lowly kneel now, as in days o f yore. A long th is road, in the m onntain featncssos, there are w h a t are now called hospitcUétSy in all probability founded by the K nights o f S ain t Jo h n o f Jerusalem , and each one w ithin s ig h t o f the other. D oring the w in ter m ouths, wheu hard frozcu snow covered the ^ louuds, the traveller o r pilgrim looked forw ard to reaching these refuges, as to havens o f rest, siuce th e y wero certain of finding a bed, and a loaf o f bread, as well as a f a g ^ t to w arm thomsclves ; and there, w hen over­taken by snow-storms they could rest un til they w ere over. T he buildings stand to-day, bu t as tho road ia seldom trodden except by shepherds, the cnstom of placiu^^ wood, hay for beds, and the loaf for tho hungry trav e lle r has fallen into disuse.

The buildings rem ain, how ever, as landm arks, and ex istiug proofs o f the hospitahty o f tho middle ages.

A no ther road—the work o f tho Romans— runs

from Yalladolid through Leon and A storga to P on t- ferrada, and over th e m ouutalus to Betanzos» wLero i t m erged in to other roads, consfrncted by thii aamo engineers, and w hich rim from this place in different directions, some to tow ns on tho coast, o thers to th e mines in Astoriaa.

To-day A etnrias enjoys a netw ork o f good govern­ment roads, k ep t in exccllont condition, and perm it­tin g ready transit to th e g rea te r portion o f the province. A lthough tho country has been opened up hy the road system, and tran s it maxie easy, efill there are some portions o f th e province difficnlt o f acnesfi, owing to its topographical features, and in aome o f these plaoos strange customR prevail, and almost aboriginal cuiiogities are to he m et w ith.

O n th e borders o f the riv e r N avia, far up its course, there is a »mall tow n, th a t is seldom visited by any stranger. A t a distance of a few mile« from thia place, there ia another to w n ; between tho two there exists a deadly feud, and woe be to th e inhubi- tunts o f th e one if they are caught w ith in the ]>re- ciueta o f th e other. They are m altreated, and often killed. Aa the riv e r ruahea by in its headlong course to the aea, w ith numoroua cataracts and deep whirlpools, an easy mode fo r the disposal o f the victims is alw ays a t hand.

W e have had occasion to v is it those strange vilUgee, tow ns they can hard ly be called. The feuds, however, only extend to each o th e r; strangers are most hospitably received, and assisted iu any w ay needed.

T he climatü o f the province along th e fiea coaet and for tw cü ty luiica in land ie pleasantly w arm and d ry from May to November, and temp<;rate for tiie rem ain ing portion o f the year, I t raina oftün during the w in ter months. T here is not, however, a con­tinuous dampness o r fog ; und during the whole year probably there arc no t tw enty daye in which there is no t aomo sunshine. F u rth er iuto the in terior, and on and about the m ountaine, the heat is m ore exceaaive in enmmer, and tLe cold in winter. H eavy snowa fall OD tlie mountains, and ow ing to the abundance o f woodland, the raine in eome parts of the province during antum n and w in ter are heavy.

i n fact tLo country tLroughoiit is very wot>ded; there arc large forests o f pin© trt^es, w hich aupply the props to tLe extensive collieries in tho G ijon dietricl, as well ae to the Soutli Walua coal mine« ; there are iiuinense chestnut trees and w alnut groves, having tim ber th a t awimingly w ould have supplied the means o f auhsiateiicc to tLe Celté, since am on|fst tbe chüstnut trece there are eome tb a t have a tru n k of over a x feet in diam eter. T hen again there are oxtcneive plantations o f hazel, w bich yearly yield tho ir quota to tLe sup|)ort o f tLe sh ipp ing trade of G ijon and adjacent porte, and to tho indigestion of children and the toothaches o f grow n persons jn B ritain . Beeidea these there are extensive foreeie o f oak, w hich are utilized to r railway sleepers and staves in th e country.

A e has been above noted, the cultivation o f the

SüiJ ÍH carried forw ard aa i t La* beon for m any cen­turie«. I t is useless preaching rotation o f crops, o r le s t modo o f m anuiing . A s tho ir fathers worked, so they continue, and are contented. The land is infini- tosimally euhdivided, so th a t tiiero is no opportunity

• o f in troducing im proreracuts upon a u extonaivc scale, in order p ractically to provo th e effect. The tüíDÍng up o f the soil is offectod by a small wooden one-handed plough, hav ing a cast-iron p o in t; this is draw n h y a yoke o f oxen. Tho m an holds the ploagb, w hilst the housewife w alks ahead, w ith her goad guiding th e oxen. Tho ploughing is gonerally offected to a depth o f from six to nine inches.

M anure la prepared hy cu ttin g the furze, heather, o r any other brush from the nearest hill, caoling i t to a m arshy o r muddy spot in the country roads, and spreading i t there H]?e a carpet, to be trodden over until i t has been disintegrated. Stables are only cleaned ou t once o r twieo yearly , w ith the natural ^ u l t th a t d ir t is o f course abundant, hu t the tarmers do not know how to place i t a t its best, and where i t wouid be foiind beneficial. Lord PaJmeraton a id onco th a t d ir t wa^ m atter in tiie w rong place, lú e A stu n an larm er is very carefol to see tha t such IS the caac. The carta are aimifar to those used by the Romane tw enty centnriea ago.

Crops constót ,c f maize, rye, and scanda, o r red » eat Sowing time ia a busy one. Ono neiffh.

° r helps tho other, and so on collectively in caoh operation un til tho g ra in is m arketed o r reduced to

flour. W hen the young shoot is up, all the avail­able women and m en o f the d istrict take in hand the operation o f th in n in g i t and w eeding it, and, in case o f maize, o f d raw ing up the soil about the stem or Rtalk, Tbey go from one field to the o ther un til all is done. T he first crop ready for harveflt is the $canda.

A gain there is a collection o f neighbours, every two carry a large basket m ade o f split wood, and w ith a couple o f short rods iu th e ir hands they proceed to strip off the heads o f corn in to the basket, tram pling the straw onder foot.

W hen the g ra in has all been thus collected, the men en ter w ith scythes, and cu t the straw , w hich is piled for w inter fodder. The rye is harvested in the same w ay. Shortly beforo the maize p;raii2 has hardened the people en ter, and cnt the stalks a t the butt. Theee are collected into sheaves and piled on cud. A fter they have been thus piled for some time, un til th e g rain is ripe and hard , they again set to, and pu ll off the ears, ca rtin g them to th e ir respective houses and hanking them. A fter th is, th e strings o r hanks are h im g around the outside o f the granary under the eaves, where they rem ain until required for use.

By tb e time th e raaiee is housed, i t is tim e to a tten d to the chestnuts. These are beaten from the trees by long rods, collected and piled in tbe open u n til they burst th e ir hedgehog, skins, afte r which they are collected and stored in the g ran ary o r sold-

N o sooner are the ijhestmita down, than i t Is time

to collect th e apples in to tLo Lagaree, wLicL are the cider presses. A stu rias mauufecturea a very large quantity o f th is Lquor, and drlnkR i t too, although a portion is exported to the AtitxUes. TLis in feet U tbe Isvourite lev erag e o f the people, but i t ia anU —a miserable concoction o f potato sp irit (im ported from H am burg) w ith tLe essence o f aniseed— that ia the cause w hy there ie such a g rea t am ount of drunkenness in the province.

The people o f ARtnria» live or i t were in commu­nities d u rin g the whole year, because w ben all the fruits are housed, the commence, and w e use the word in ite A m erican sense. A t n ig h t the neighbour« m eet in one house o r the other, to strip the maize from tbu ears. These occasions aw generally accompanied hy dancing fo r the younger people to the sound o f the gatia o r th e tamlwur, varied by sUinzas sung hy one o f tb e dancers, and taken up by tbe others in tu rn , The m eetings or feaats are never know n to degenerate into brawls, hut are kep t u p harm oniously throughout the beeing, which continues un til each farm er in tu rn has been cheerftUly helped w ith bis th rash ing . H elpings of th is sort are called in the coun try the e^foyasa.

Churches and heim itages do t th e coun try cverv- where, bu t are no t as they are in Castillc—vast feudal constructions, overshadow ing and chilling the pigmy bousee th a t surround them , bn t small build­ings w ith no th ing sbowy on tb e outside, and which ^re filled with congregations m uch m ore eArtiest

X 2

and devout than thosu o f ibc more eliowy edific<» o f th e otlior provinces.

Kach vilU ge churoh baa o f course its patron saint, aud its saint’s day ia kep t by a general reunion of aJl ih e people in the i*eapcctive parishes. A t these ga therinp î, a m erry trade ia d riven l y cider sellers, m ountebanks, and merry-aiidrows ; swcot sellers, musiciana and beggars. Once th a t m a s* i s otot , the day is givun n p to ergoym ent. (booking plaeea are improvisod, and ten ts are no t absent ; tliero is a general slaughtta* o f poultry , and everybody eata and drinks. TLcn dancing commencea. A ll the available tiddlcra find çaita players are sccured, and rings o f daneera are eoon formed around them. If there ia a scarcity o f these discoursers o f sweot mnsic, a tam bour sets huodreda dancing, and tbr>se who cannot procur«? even iLat, dance to the sound o f thoir own sw eet voicea, The wbole takes place in some field o r o tber enclosure,in tb© vicin ity o f th e clturch. A a evening seta in , each beau claims his belle, and home tbey all go, g ra tefu l for a day’s enjoy merit i f th e w eather has been fine, and Ho|>cful, i f i t haa rained, th a t the nex t ronieria will tu rn ou t le tte r. There ia one peculiarfty about tlic »^ndiug o f these romo'ian th a t ahould be notod ; any youog person w ho mny ha\*c m»wle an enem y o f another before th a t day, naa it in b is o r h e r p(jwer to Income a ^ i n friendly afte r tliis, A a above stated, theee aro h igh days foi sweet sellers. A n y person désirons o f ooneiliating another, purohiiKca sweets a t

tho roTrm'iay and t'^kea tbem in penoD , aud presents them to tire offended party . T hey are not refused, as i t is understood lh a t they m ust be accepted ; they are peace offerings which enable eveu euomies to shako hands and again be friends, in A sturias, sweets purchased w ith th a t object aro called per^ dones.

San Ju an is a very celebrated suint in th is p r o Vince. O n th is saint’s eve, young ladies, and believers in the traditions attached thereto, place chestnuts under the ir pillow, when they dream of th e ir swains ; i f thoy shall be m arried before the n c^ t anniversary, o r if they are in the unfortunate i>oâitioü o f having no swain, th e y endeavour by othor rites to dream of the OÜU they hope to have. This in fact is the most Weird n ig h t o f the year. T hen spirits como from air and earth , f a ir i^ dance th e ir sp righ tly dauees m the Qiohyaa^ and all th ings in the natura l, and the enpernatural o rder too, we presume, boar testim ony io sometliing o r other. W e havo had i t eerionsly stated to us on m ore th an r>ne occasion, th a t a t mid­n igh t on th is particu lar eve, all w ater is turned into th e finert old wine, jy^dnrian topers w atch fo r the moment when they can drink th e ir fill free o f expense, bn t i f they have no t m anaged to do th a t a t an earlier hour, they alw ays miss the m om ent when the ap ll is on, and we have never heal'd o f evon one who snccoeded in securinjç tho gratu itous ju ice o f tbe grape. A notlicr charm ing legend is th a t i f a new- laid egg be placed oii th e window sill, ontside, the

hen th a t laid i t bav jug been Mlled w itb m any conju­rations, and i t be taken in, exactly a t tbe moment the first ra y o f the sun’s Jigbt strikes the oarfii on tbe following m orning, iis yolk will have been trans- ibrnied into a moet beautiful m iniature ebip in full Rail. W c have no t yet tried tbo experim eut, and have never seen tb a t ebip,

C arnival is also a busy time in A sturias- Form erly g rea te r lioenso was perinittud to m asquers tb a n now, and jokes were sometimes carried to very foolish lengths. I t was the custom for m asquers to take with them any quan tity o f soot, w bich tbey threw over people againet whom th e y bad a e p ite ; b u t this m < 3 » t repreheneible &shion o f clothee-destroyiog lias been p u t down by tb e thum ping help o f good oak staves.

T lierc is a general belief in th e existence of fairiee, and m any are tbo tales th a t are to ld by sesagenariane, o f the ir trea tm en t by these; Low th a t they have unw arily stepped into the ir aialayajf (rings) on S t. Jo h n s eve, and Lav© been unable to ex tricate themsolves until daybreak, and bow tba t they had been teaeed throughout the n ig h t by their Hprigbtly though invisible enchainers; how the fairies bave an im portan t influenoe over cattle, some­time# p laying pranks, and stopping tbe ir milk, to th e ho rro r o£ th© good housewife, a t otber timea doubling ita abundanco to her delightful surprise. These fairies, o r j^anas as they are called, are believed to bold the secrets o f whei'e titiasaree are

\

hi .»,

r:

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

to lucky mau.Tlie evil eye ie another article o f belief, and its

maleficent effect on childreu and cattle. To p re­servo children from its b light, je t arm lets called ci^uas, were formerly p u t upon th e ir wrists. Then again there are w hite ladies, w ho waste th e ir timo in roam ing about the w orld a t m idnight, seem bgly w ith no other object than to frigh ten silly men.

Some years ago, one o f the foremen a t a colliery in Langreo was re tu rn ing homo after pay ing a v isit to some friends, who lived a t a distance o f about two milea from h is place.

The n ig h t was dark and w in d y ; he could, however, trace hie w ay by the fitful lig h t o f some blast furnaces in the vicinity, and near w hich he had to pass. A s he neared a dark portion o f th e road, ho could see some object m oving in th e direction be was going, and he felt terrib ly afraid. A ll the tales he had ever heard respecting diaños and o f all them ighty arm y o f supernatural im aginings came into his head, and his fear soou compelled him to fairly take to h is heels and ruu . Shortly afterw ards he Btumbled and fe ll O n g e ttin g up he glanced round, and again saw tb e same dreaded object, a t abont the Mme distance from him as before. H e again started off, fear lending him wings, and he continued running until he fiame to a p a rt o f the road well lighted np by the flames o f th e fnrnaces- H ere ho took courage, and fac^d round, finding him self followed not by hia

y

own shadow, bu t by t ie owu donkey. E o utilized ilia quadruped, aud again start&d for home, tbankful for th e aea a com pany, and th ink ing th a t for tha t n ig h t a t Icaat hie troubles wGi*e over.

H ow ever he had no t proceeded far w hen ho saw naked lights approaching. O n th e ir nearing him , h© oould see tlia t they wero Jarge can r3 lee carried by a num ber o f people. I t a t once struck him aa strange, th a t can d lee could be so carried on such a etormy n igh t. H e and his donkey oommoDced to trem ble; and neither moved until the w eird procession ]>assed. The crow d w ere accom panying a funeral, and as they w en t by, he noticed th a t they wero all h io w n t<> him, eomc bem g his neighbours, and m any o f tliem had been dead for years.

Thia fairly donblod him np, f?o to speak, and lie wae so frigh tened tlia t he lost all conaciaiisneee of w hat followed un til the following m orniiig. Some­how he reached home and re tired to bed, bu t tho apparition o f th a t funeral wiis distinctly remembered hy him w hen he awolce. H e w ent to vieit hia neighbours, and told them w bat he had seen. Thoy Inughed a t him, aud rem arked th a t i t waa moro than probable th a t h is friends had very strong cider, and p len ty o f anU.

The bat is coneidercd a biped o f ill omen, and a bouee where one enters w ill )oao one o f ite memhers by death, hence o f course the stam pede a t Potcs before referred to.

W itches are believed in even to-day by the ilJite*

ra te portion o f th e irihabitaiita, and th e y a re sup­posed to hold th e ir Sabbaths a t Sevilla, w here tbey arrivo, aooompanied by the ir famiHars, m ounted on brooms.

Such are «ome o f the items o f th e folk-lore o f th is proTince. O f courso the beliefs iu apparitions, &c., are those held by the illiterate ma® througl»out tho eormtry w bo have no t como in contact w ith populous industrial cen tres; these have advanced w ith the age, aud here such beliefs arc—although know n to all—a th in g o f the past.

A sturias is one o f th e Spanish provinces most noted fo r its industries, T he abundant coal mines in tbe Gij(m d istrict perm it the developm ent o f its o ther n a tu ra l resources. I t ia noted for its mineral w ealth, hav ing num erous rich copper ore deposits and lodee, some partia lly opened up, others not worked a t all, a« well as extensive calamine, m an­ganese and rich iron orea in a sim ilar position. The reason o f th is is evident. The country to w ithin the last fow years was b u t littio know n ; th e difficulty of transit prevented genera l exploration hy strangers; the road system is com paratively very recent, and «uce the construction o f theso roads, w an t o f d irect railway communication w ith the centre o f Spain has t*een an obstacle to the visits o f “ p rospecting” strangors. T hanks to M r, Donon, the railw ay has been effectually carried over the Pyrenees and ie now in w o rk ; a t present, therefore, there is no reason w hy the copper and other mines should not

be taken up by E nglish capitalists, since they are w ith in easy reach o f a pbipping port and w ith in a few days' distanco from England.

O w ing to the agitated stat^ o f the province during Ibe m iddle ages, convulscd a« i t continually was, eitJior by in terna i «txifes between tb e nobles and th e ir rulers, o r th e noblee and the Church, o r by fightfl fo r Jibcrty and the recovery o f the soil from the Moorish conquerors, as well as from o ther in ­vaders, tbe safety o f life and propeity was often very problematical, and when a town was conquered, pillage and rapine were o f course th e order o f tho <i^y*

To save th e ir traasures the rich am ongst the in­habitants often buried th e ir w ealth in out-ol-the-way pkces, hoping to bo again able to recover i t a t some future day. A ll landm arks th a t rem ained fo te ll the ta le w ere traditions handed down by hearsay, i t sometime« huppene th a t even a t the present day these treasure© are unearthed w here and w hen least expected, and the tille r o f the soil is enriched by finds th a t he nev«* dream ed of. The traditions w hich exist respecting the places where these tjeasures a re buried in special localities form a long chap ter o f the folk-lore o f the resident3 o f many IcKalities in A sturias, and the searching for them causes m any a disappointm ent to the ir very earneet seekers.

The ancestors o f these residents dug and delved for them , bn t failed to find any th ing . These follow

ID thoir fctoteteps, and d ig too, go ing ovor tho same groimd again and a g a in ; h u t a ll to no pnipoee. They tire for a while, aud allow the tradition to lie do rm an t; i t again wakes up—an idea «trikes one of the old men o f the place, there ia litile to do on tlieir farms a t the time, and th e y once m ore take up the ir picks, and go in fo r finding th e treiu?ure, and gene­rally w ith a like resu lt. Thore i s hard ly a d istrict th a t no t its tradition o f buried w ealth, and hardly a district, too, w hereiu th is w ealth has not been sought for, in ninety-uino cases ou t o f a hundred i n T a in ,

W ithin a distance o f th irty-five miles from Gijon, there is a governm ent g u n factory-—w e refer to tb a t of Trubia. This is situated in a valley through which two rivers w end tho ir w ay, and m erge in to one, a t a short distance from tho factory.

Tbe valley is w ell sheltered on every a d e hy high h ills, well woodeJ, and from th e beginning o f spring to the end o f autum n tbo sceDery is very heauti&l. Hero and there extensive limestone masses crown the hills, and, underly ing these, th e re are heavy deposits o f qiiartAito. T here are indications of ancient w orkings in these do|)osits, in m ore th a n one place, and a rum our is cu rrcn t, too, th a t gold has been found in and about these workings.

A n old gentlem an, who lived in the v icin ity of th is factory, had*—w hen a youth— been im bued w ith tho traditions o f buried treasure In and about some o f these ancient diggings, b u t these traditions did

no t go SO fa r as lo po iü t ou t tlio exact spots wbore th is had been effected. H o was a good L atin fichoiar, aud had studied fo r the Church.

A m ongst the properties th a t w ere le ft him by lús parents on tho ir denaso. he found a n old black-letter book o f necrom ancy iu Latin. This he paid very special atten tion to, and road and studied it, un til al length he firmly believed its doctrines and theories, and thouijh t he could a t ao y time “ call sp irits from tho vasty deep,” no t for a moment doubting hut tha t

they would come a t hie command,” provided ho exactly ibilowed the inattuctions and rnlee laid down in hia m usty book o f loro, for tlie calling up o f tho said spirits.

Some attem pts wero made by him io and around the ancient w orkings, to find e ith e r coined gold, or even gold in ingots o r dust, hn t w ithout any other re su lt than i^heer disappointm ent.

A s a last rosource he determ ined to call to h is aid one o f the trnsty spirits whicb hia book rocomtnended under such eircumatancea, and o f which i t gave num erous iustancea.

A m ongst m any others, he read iu his book th a t on the eve o f the battle o f Naaoby, on the n ig h t o f the 13th o f June , 1645, Cromwell and his ad jn ian t had gone in to a wood, w here th e y m et a annif^oloured old gentlem an carrying a small hox under his arm, ou t o f w hich lie drow a parcluuent, w hich was duly aigned by Ci'omwoll w ith h is own blood, and, by which signatiü'u, ho ensured victory on the follow­

in g day, and j)Owcr for a n expressed te rm o f years, Tlicsc instances w ere, to o n r friend, snfFcient proof o f the ability o f the oddly*coloured gentlem an, and, if he were onee able to coinc in contact w itli Lim, o r any o f his ghostly brood, Le d id no t doubt th a t they wotdd point ou t to him tbe desired spots.

A s he was no t disposed, however, to p ay th e price th a t was aaid to Lave been paid b y Cromwell, and m auv others, he, for a lo n ^ tim e, Lcld back from commencing his conjurations.

A t leng th by hard study, and re-perusiug, Le persuaded him self th a t Lc had discovered a way, wLereby he could aatLsfy hie w ish, w ithou t any personal risk to him self, by ra ising a fam iliar spirit, and com pelling it, by th e force o f h is own will, to disclose the w hereabouts o f the long-deeirod treaenree.

A beautifully calm summer n ig h t waa chosen for the m ighty perform ance o f holding commnnion w ith the inhabitants o f the nether world. Tho ripple of the w ater in tho river, as i t eoftly rebounded from the banks, and th e chirp o f the cricket in the grass, with here and tliere the bell-note« o f the tree-frog, were the only sounds tL at disturbed the silence. TLo moon had disappeared behind the hills, and tho w eird hoar o f m idnight w as approaching.

O ur friend, hugg ing h is ponderous volume, was followed by a sm all boy carry in g an iron po t and tnpod, w ith sundry ingredients cunningly prepared, and ho again precoded nine young duniscls. each

holding in h e r hand a large uoîighted wax candle, wended the ir ways to the centre o f a largo meadow in th e vicinity.

O n arriv in g thero, he placed his tripod, pot, and dameels in position, the former in the contre o f a r in g formed hy tho la tte r, who stood facing outwards.

A great deal o f persuasion had beeu ucceegary to indncetiie lim id g irls to venture upon snch a sacri­legious ospoditioD, bu t th e promise o f a la rge share of th e treasure, and the innate curiosity iuheront to t)ie w eaker sox, a t longtli overcame th e ir scniples, and although they doubtless quaked w ith foar, still there th e y wero. As tbe dread honr o f m idnight was being struck by a clock in a church tow er some distance o9, the requisite ingredient« to fill the con­ju re r 's po t w ere th row n in aud lighted. A ring w as m arked w ith certain w eird and cabalistic characters, outside o f th a t formed by the damsels, whose tapors were du ly lighted a t tho burning |>ot. I h e y were enjoined as a m atter o f course to keep w ith in iJie cabalistic rin g , and, le t the appearances be w hat th e y m ay, tliey w ere no t to step outside of tlia t enchanted line th a t surrounded them.

Tbe conjurations wero commenced w ith gre*t CDorgy, th e small boy ke42ping th e po t burning by occasional s tirring , bu t no th ing appeared.

l l io would-be sp irit raiser fearod he had omitted somo rite o f ceremony, and referred to his book. E v ery th ing was found, liowever, to 1« exactly as

ordered, and in ite place. H e commenced a second time bis conjuratioas, aud accompanied tbem by care­fully w alking round tbe inside o f the enchanted ring . This had continued for somo tim e w ithou t any result, bu t a t length a noise was heard, th a t froze every one w ith terror. A noise soroethitig sim ilar to a roar, followed by a trem endous snort ! Tbo ground began io vibrate, and a heavy body was heard to be approaching. I t came on and on, u n til i t was w itbin the lig h t o f th e candles. T here i t stopped to ga^c. I t appeared to have an enorm ous head aud horns. O f course th e g irls w ere prepared to drop the ir candlcs and run, w hon th e y first heard the noise, bu t the ir very feai*s held them spell-bound, and made them unable to move. A snort from the appa­rition broke th e spell, and, w ith an unanimons shriek, they dropped the ir candles, and ra n like frightoned sheep. In th e ir blind h u rry they over- tnrned the old m an and his tripod. H is pot-fire w ent out, scslding th e lad, who fled for his life, and he w as loft in darkness, and afraid to move. The enchanted r iu g hav ing been broken, he mom entarily expected to find him self caught up by the apparition, and hurried aw ay. H is te rro r a t length caused him to lose all consciouaness fo r a short time. W hen he came to himself, he found th a t ho was surnm nded by several cows. The lig h ts and figures in th e moadow, a t tha t hour, had aroused the ir curiosity, and they had come to see for themselves w hat was tbe matter.

O f course the old man had his doubts respecting

th e iden tity o f th e apparition, th a t frightened aw ay h is companioiis, and th e g irls conid never he per- feuadod th a t they had been frigiituned almoet on t of th e ir -witR by some old cows, b u t aet th e apparition dow n to H ie Satanic Majissty in person.

Tbe aged etndent o f Becromancy firm ly believed th a t i f th e girie had no t fled he would have obtabied th e secret o f th e treasure he was seeking, and in this belief he died, as he was never fibJeto persuade other nino dameele to accompany jjim to go over his magical proccss again.

IIj

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C H A F P E R X X Y I.

I N SB A R C H O F C O P P E R .

I n the preceding pages we have b o often jnsisled on tbo vast ¡» te titia l w ealth o f tbe Picoa de Kiiropa, especially from the mineralogical point o f Tiew, tb a t we 2UaIce no apolugy for giT ing bere our adventures w ith a m utual English fiicnd, who in eoarch of copper ascended tbe liigber Picos frem tbe southern aide in the Ju n e o f last year.

The friend w c accompanied is a profossed miuiDg expert and a n enginoor o f r e p T i t e , and to those wL<» wish to find O T i t for thcmsclTOJS as to th e value o f the Picns w e could no t wi«}) a pkaiiajiter, a m ore in- structivo o r reliable guide. Tbe reason w hy tbe journey was undertaken was tbe discovery o f a large stone in tiio hands o f an illiterate A atu riin peasant who had received i t from somo o ther countrym an in the more remote villages o f the Picos. The stouo weighed a b o u t fifty*six pounds, and afte r i t came into the j)ossession o f our friend was for a tiiuo cast aside as a m ere m ountain “ curio," bu t a period o f onforced idleness, o r ra th e r leisure, superren ing , i t was duly assayed and found to contain th irty-four per cent, of

T

copper, w ith a very Rmall trace ot iron— its ap|)car- auce boing th a t o f a piece o f rad Lerm atite oro, striatiid w ith beautiful crystals o f malachite.

A s BoiiUi tim e had elapaud since tho a|KKnmen had reached us» and had practically forgottun our iD fo rm a n t’e nam e, wo <ieterrQiQcd to v isit the southern P i c o R themselves, and find ou t w hero m ore o f tb ia valuable ore was to be ibimd. A ccordingly, having secured some indiifercut specimens o f the genus iiTiTo?, a n d a gnide who knew the w ild mountain tracks, w e R tarted .

F or the first few miles our road lay by a very tiu 'bulent and noisy stream r u R h i n g down a ravine, and the sources o f which, by the w ay, are to 1« tonnd near th e villages o f Bulucs and Sotres alrwidy referred to. As on the eastern side o f th is m ar­vellous range you are soon ou t o f a ll sigh t o f human habitation, bxit now an<l agairi we w ere reminded o f the living w orld by the swoop cjverhead o f some latge-sized vultnres, who were more frightened than h u rt by our revolver practice directed again rt them.

A fter journeying upw ards for some bours we came io a pleasant greon valley, well w atered and covered w itb luxurian t vegetation, dotted tbrough- on t its en tire length by cattle graiiing quietly. These strange oases in th e Picos are quite a tcature o f the Caiitabriaji m ountalus. Close l y were tbe shepherds’ shelters, and these consigned o f rude hufs built aiid roofed w ith the fsurrounding limueton©, w ithout moHwr o r any o ther m ixture, each bosustini? a

doorway o f about Ibnr feet Iiigli. Aa w e w ere oa aü üxplûriüg espodition w e determ iued to find out all we pos&ibly could about tbaee shepherds and the ir ways-

On m aking our wiehea koowu, one o f theui» who seemed to be the patriarch , invited u r to en ter. Wo fonnd a howrth made also o f a few pieces o f stone, and a wood fiix) buruin|ç. In one corner thoro was a la rge wooden vessel, in the rough form o f an amphcra. H ere, we w ere informed, tho product o f tho morning*« and ovening’s m ilking was pu t, anti! a sufficient quan tity had acciamnlated to perm it the procesa o f cheeee-making.

The milk waR curdled by the d ipp ing into i t of a calf» gall, and the curd separated and placed in a amall wooden va t. T h is w as prossod by heaping large blocks o f stone on to it. Thus thun was made the very cvlebr.ited Cahralee cheese whieli fi)rmerly we had delighted in , but which b rings an em phatic

I p ass’’ ever since w e found ou t the procesa o f its manu&cturo.

O n one side o f th e h u t w ere several berths, one above the other. H ere, w e w ere inform od, all the memheiB o f th e family slept a t n ight, both male and female,

Tbe cattle are driven up to thee© oases in th© mountains i n A pril, a n d in tho caRo of those tha t are ted for tbo shambles, romain there up to tho date o f some eiilebratod ûiirs in one o r other o f the adjaoen f piovince<5, o r un til one iu September for th© milch

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C O W S and calves. Tho pastors take i t in tu rn to go to the nearest villages to procure supplies. They are kind and hospitable to strangers, bu t are very ignoran t and excessively d irty .

A b WÜ had a long w ay y e t before us w e could n o t spare th e time necessary fo r further observations iu th is spot, and w e soon left the happy valley bohiiid us, and again commenced to climb.

A s wc had to tbe present passed the tim e ad- m in n g n a tu re s face, w e thonght i t now convenient to examine moi*© clossly the rocks th a t surrounded us on either side, w ith a view to aseertain the ir age.W ü had no t to go fai* before w e w ere rew arded for ou r trouble hy finding au ammonite y pro tiiid ing from th e fece o f a limestone mass. Thie hav ing been weather* worn, w e conld no t distinguí eh its species ; bu t w e soon m et w ith another which, by caieful picking aw ay o f tho enclosing rock, w e discovered to be a bifrortn. W e w ere also successful in securing por­tion e o f a Bdem nites eulcatus. T hus we had proof that, as w e had already presumed, we were passiDg th rough a section o f the lower lias. 2

B y and by wo found ourselves lu a moet dangerous position ; the path wo followed lay along the border o f an imuienso precipice, haviog a sheer fall ot at least five hundred ieet, to a to rren t which in some place« had < ut itself a way th rough the limestone, hav ing a w idth o f only about th irty feet. O ur horses q \iietly found th e ir w ay w ithout either stum bling or trem bling.

V

A t leng th how ever wo reucliod a place w here tlie w ay had been cu t th ro u g h th e rock, leaving a u over­hanging 6emi*arch o f only alx)Ut eigh t feot high. Tho push o f a finger would have been almost suCScient to h u rl both horae and rider to the to rren t below. The heigh t o f the overhanging rock had no t been calculated for men ou horseback to pass. The w idth o f the road wsie barely nine feet. T here waa almoat as much danger in ondeavouiing to dismount, as in attem pting to paas, b u t i t w as decided to t r y th e former, Thia waa effected w ith safety, and men and n a ^ paFwed th ro u g h th e jaw s o f death, thankful for th e ir lucky escape.

*\Vending our w ay upwards, w e shortly came to a H|K)t w here there wero five rude crosses csirvcd on the rock. O ur guide inform ed us th a t some w inters ago, Hoveral shepherds sought shelter under th is rock fi'om a terrible snowstorm. T hey sheltered too long, since the increased w eight o f the snow luaaa on tho ruoun- tain-side, far up above th e ir heads, caused a looaciiing o f tho rocks. These corameiicod to roll, tak iug with them the immense body o f anow, Jooaening further rock on th e ir w ay, crushing and tea rin g every th ing before them ; so<m the avalanche rftached the spot where the unl-ncky pastors wero resting , and, catching up five o f them in its w hirl, they wero carried aw ay dow n in its emhraec to the depths below, crushed and m angled, there to lie un til the spring thaw perm itted th e ir relatives to recover th e ir remains, and to give them Christian burial. In mcmoriam they

carvod thero five crosdcs, )d pusging* which, good CatlolicR w ill say a short p rayer for th e souIr o f Ihe unfortuDate mcu. W hen on tlie spot i t waR ea«y enough to picturo the whole scene o f te rro r and death.

F arth er up, ou r guide jo in ted ou t to uh a place where a anow-sliphad picked up a woman in it« eoiirse and carried her down to tbe ravine, a <lepth o f about one hundred feet, aud from which, notw ithstanding her leap, ahe escapod alraoat unhuri, and ia reported to be alive to-day, and ready to express h e r sentimentB tonching llia t jo u n icy upon m ch a w h ite horse.

T he immense liuieatonc masses opened on t on cither side j ^ n d e r and lugher, aa w e w ent forward. In some apots w e eould see abundant vegetation ; here and tliere these had goats browsing o r friRlring^ on them , and w hich a t tbe heigh t they stood, ap­peared to us like overgrown rabbits.

H ig h er Rtill wo could see a «mall herd o f chamoia, w ith aentinel aet, s tandiug ou t clear between us and th e sky, whose signal whistle o f d a n ^ r w e could hear, ow ing to tho ra rity o f the atrooaphere, even at th a t distance.

This was immodiatoly responded to by a scamper o f tho herd, who seemed literally to sp ring up the «doB ol the rock h igher and higlier, and holdijig on to “ nothing a t all,” uu til they disappctired from view.

A t length a heavy Scotch m ist closed out tho scenery, and compelled ur to a ttend solely to where wu trtxi.

Fogs ai‘6 generally iinploasant, liut in our very pec^iHar position, this fog was worne th a n unpleasant__it was positively dang;erous. W c had no otherreeonrcii, how ever, th a n to trudge along and “ make the host o f it,” and w hen thoroughly drenchod we reached the v i l l a ^ o f Buln ee.

Buhies, eveu in sunny w eather, cannot be con­sidered a plea«»ut o r oven p re tty villftgo. In tho m idst o f tog and rain , i t was simply miserable. As, however, i t w as th e only place whoro the niffht could be passed, w e had to call a ll ou r courage to cmr aid, resign ourselves to the course o f circumstances, and hope for better times.

W e .found on t the alcalde’s house, and solicited shelter. (Food w e had taken w ith us.) This was accordcd w ith a good grace. O ur host was the proprietor o f a num erous 'Hock oi small black sheep and goats, and w e found th is to bo th e caso w ith every villager, A s w c arrived a t tbe v illage the shepherds w ere re tu rn in g from th© pastures, leading

in the ir flocks.W e have hoard a g rea t varie ty o f noises iu our

different rambles— machin©ry groaning— locomotives shriekinf^—lions roarIi)g— elephants trum peting— wolves barking -and cat* ad discoursing sweetXQUsic—b u t th e ba'aing o f the Bullies flocks beats all these combined. I t ie no t to be wondered a t tha t the wolves from fheir fastnesseK como down a t night to try and pacify th e m ; still this makes m atters all the worse, since i t sets offbarkiug a hundred lusty

bboôj) and woll dogs. A ll these fhinge p rev en t any one from slueping, who has no t been inured to tho in ­famous noiae from the tim e tLuy w ere baben in arms.

The modern architecture o f Bulnes, like the huts o f the pastore» is o f ra ther a prim itive order o f four w.ilJs and a r<K>f, no chimneys, no w indow s; a doorway, sometimes hav ing a door b an g on hinges, and otbers Iiaudy hy, to be pu t up a t nl^jhl, and w hen ntxxled,

Then a la rge heap o f a^hes is ou th e centre o f tho fioor, hav ing some sm ouldering cmhere kept warm by i t ; a t cooking tim e brushwood and roots of heather and o ther shrubs aro added. This fuel being damp yields an acrid ainoke, pungen t to the cyos, aud un breathable o u til one becomes very accustomed to it.

O ur first experience causcd us ali to rnsh in to the open air» and to havo a hearty cry, H av in g rcliovod our opproaed eyelids, w e felt better, and w eat back ; blit w bothor i t w as tlia t th e smoke bad subsided» or th a t we had g o t hardeùcd to it» w e did no t feel i t so oppressive afterwards.

T here was a benob ofm asonry raised about eighteen inches all arounil the sidsR o f the room» and on this we Sirt together w ith tho members o f tlie family.

Sup^ær hav ing term inated, all retired to rest» our beds consisting o f straw pallets laid on th© masonry l)ench. A nd here too our hoet and his ttimily stretched themeylves, and BweetJy snored themselves to sleep.

I n our conversatioa w ith our Lost p rio r to re tiririg to rest, w e dropped upon tlie tra il o f the m an who had givou us the copper sample. H e resided w ithin easy reach o f BulneR, h n t followed tw o occupaticus, w hich often took him from home, hciDg* a eLamois Luiiter, and when no t thus engaged, he used to go down to the Liohana valleys on the o ther side o f the mountainfi to purchase b u tte r from the farm ers, and wLieL Lo sold to a huttcr«enrer in Asturias.

I t waa know n in the village th a t th is stone had been foiuid, b u t by whom no one could gay.

"We liad no resource therefore b u t to find tho hntter-m an, and obtain from him th n t inform ation, and th is w e determined to do in the znoruing.

Daybrealc Raw n& afoot- Tho fog had disappeared, and the m orning a ir w as r o pare and bracing th a t i t

•had the effect o f elevating onr spirits, and o f causing ns to feel as i f w e shonid liko to jum p over a gate, h n t there waa no g a te to jum p over.

W e could now oxamiiie the place a t leisure.There ate tw o village« o f th e same nam e w ithin a

short distance o f each othor, separated h y a hrawUng stream , the same th a t we had followed in ou r route. In the centre o f one o f these there is a rouud tower, hav ing an in terio r diam eter o f about fo rty feet. The stones in its construction are jo ined together by a hurd ccmeiit, like th a t o f th c Romans. A |K>rtion o f the w all had fallen, bu t there wa« no crum bling of th a t o r any other ;|)art o f th e biiilding. There is T\o tradition o r legend attached to it, w ith in the

know ledge o f the Bulnca inbabitante ; thcæ , like îty origin, have W en iost in tb e n ig h t o f history.. N o strangers had entered Bulnes before w ith in the

m em ory o f tho oldest inhab itan t, and we wore there­fore regarded w ith such curiosity as wo ourselves should doubtless feel in tho presence o f visitors from some o ther planet.

W e found th a t our man had been seen the day previous on tho Am uesa m ountain, w heré ho intended passing the n ig h t in o rder to m eet th e cliamois a t early daw n, and we lost no tím e in s ta rtin g for the spot, which was indii!ated to us h y ou r w orthy host

A fter a long march, always upw ard, we a t length espied tho h u n te r, on h is w ay home, w ith h is g«in in hand, a chamois w eighing about fifty pounds across h is BhoiUdetH, and followed by tw o fine dogs.

Surprise a t th e m eeting in such »m ont-of-tho-way place hav ing been du ly expressed, w e broached the Hubject th a t bad b rough t us there. T he m en pointed to a m ountain heigh t a t some distance, still snow- covcrcd, and in fo m o d us th a t there, in an opening between thu limestone beds, the stone had been picked np. “ T here wore p len ty moro,'* he said, “ some in lumps, and some soft and earthy ,” iind undertook to lead ns to the spot as soou as th e enow wonld permit, and w ith th is we had to rem ain content.

H e preesjed us to accom|>any him to his bouse, and taate tbe etcake he would prepare for ns, cu t fnim the gam e he cairied. H ow ever, we were desirous of passing over the m ountain and o f leach ing r vilLige

on tbo other side, and therefore excnsed oureeWes for our inability to accompany Kim. l i e pointed ou t to us the Alivw m ountains, wboro such abundant mosses o f whito calamine are mot w ith, and are now being w orked; and in th a t d istrict too thero is a small lode o f black oxide o f cobalt, w orked by a Santander firm, th e product o f w hich is exclusively sold in tho country to the tcrra-cotta and coarse ware m anu& ctnrers. W ith tho calamine axe found m asee o f blende, brown, crystalline, and «m i-transparen t, and here and there lodes o f lead aud manganese, and lodes and bonanzas o f copper,

I lav iu g obtained th e positions o f th e respectivo localities o f theso deposits, ns well as other inform a­tion th a t m ay yet bo o f servico to us when th ings are betto r in tho “ City,” w e bade our inform ant a good day, and agaiu started cm our journey.

A s w e neared th e top o f tho mcmntain, our routo became less perilous and easier, and we were ablo to m ake “ good way.*’ O ur doaceut on the o ther side, however, ccnmterbalanced the ease w e bad enjoyed. H ere again w ere rock maises to d rag our w eary quadrupitds th rough, worse evon th au i a our ascent on th e o ther side, bu t the scencry was not » 0 g rand , and by no m eans so interesting.

A fter f?tumbling along on our w ay, footsore and weary, for a long timo, we camo w ithin sigh t ot exteuMve workings. These w c found to be cou- ucct<^l w ith a cahimlue m ine o f g rea t value- Some eight hundred tons o f ore, seleetod and ready for

shipm ent, J a j on the floors, and had Iain there for some tw o years o r more. Tliis ore had been taken ou t from Bovoral largo w ater-w orn caverns in the limcfftooe, w bich had been filled up w ith the deposi. tion o f the culamine. T he g rea te r portion o f thü maaa consisted o f perfectly wliite calamiuo. There w ere hloiiks o f ore, m easuring over a cubic yard, and wbicb. on being assayed, yielded 54 p e r cent, zinc ; and th e rubbish beap» alone would w ell ropay being picked over. T he limestone is Jurassic, and WÜ noticed th a t w herever there waa a surûico breakage o f thiR, from w ater w earing o r disrupture, tb e re calamine existed in large o t smalf quantities.

T he distance from th is m ine to the town o f Cerbcra de P isueiga is about ten miJea. Tho road in summer is had enough ; in w in ter i t is impa^saUo ow ing to w an t o f bridges over w hat in sum m er are small stream s, bu t in w inter are respcctable rivers- l<Vom Cerbera to th e railw ay station o f A gu ilar de Campo<5 there ia a good G overnm ent road, »md tho distance is fifteen milee. E nergy , and a judicious outlay o f capital, would, in tbe w orking o f thia mine, resu lt in a tborongb success.

H ere w e bade adiuu to our guide an d our patient coursers, and continued our jou rney on toot to tho small ham let o f Triollo, which we reached thoroughly tired and hungry, and Ibund tb is place to be far better tb a n Bui n es. W e lodged a t the houae o f the alcalde, wbo w as a person w ho thought

no small l>eer" o f himself, and o f the responsi-il

bilities attaching to hia im portan t office, in tbesc mountain fastnc^ca.

H ero w e noticed a couple o f atorks, who had tbe ir onormoue nest id a large bay-tree in the alcalde'e garden.

“ T h a t nest,” says be, “ existed there when my great-grandfather w as b o m ; no one ever distoibs the birds. They go away a t the beginning o f w inter with th e ir young onea, and alwaya re tu rn again in the sp ring alone.’

H e firm ly believed th a t theae w ei6 the tw o identical birds th a t woro present a t the b irth o f his greut^giandfather. W liy these birds should have selected the village o f Triollo ae tlie ir haven and hreeding-place is a m ystery w e leave to those learned in bird-lore to solve.

W e w ent to Corl>era, thonc© hy G overnm ciit road, skirting th e foot o f th e Picos, to Panes, passing on on t w ay the celebrated copper pyrites oiines a t Carractdo, one o f w hich is now being extousively worked by a Spanish compauy.

The Pioijs de E uropa aud th e ir offshoots or spurs arc teem ing w ith m ineral deposits. Tbey have yielded immense re tu m s to several companies— bpanishj French, and Belgian, bu t to the present time only particu lar districts have been explored. O ther localities will a t a fu tnre day yield quite as much, perhaps more.

O E A P T E K X X T E .

U N ? O V O n T - iT O R W E A L T H .

Ttítí virord w ealth brings to tlio mibd thought« of nches o f varioua descriptions; and th e w ays o f (jlrfaîning w ealth are very various too. W e wili confine ourselves to th a t pixxluced from o r by the m ineral resources o f the Oantttbrian pro vincos.

A ncient anthora w rote respecting it, and, in pernsing the ir w ritings and no ting the vaai sum s in gold aud other m etals tb a t wero yearly transm itted froni tho peninsula to Rome, i t has often struck us as surprising th a t a t th e present day the sources from whence a ll these ri chea proc;eedod are secret and undiscovered.

Tho rem ains o f the workings o f th e m ighty m iners o f bygone ages rem ain, an d i t is with Bomo o f these, as well as w ith fresh fields, wo in tend dealing in th is chapter.

i h e Phcenicians a a d C arthaginians worked here, and some o f the ir mines w ere loft uudistnrbed afte r they had le ft th e coun try un til a recent date. In others they wore ioUowod by the Komans, aud they again by tho Moors.

Thü PLceniciaiíS m ined both for gold aud ooppt^r, and thc following instances bear cvideuco o f tliis fact.

A n ancient mine was discovered in IS 64 th rough the w ashing away o f debris by a inountain torrent. An opening to sm immense cavo was 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 and cobalt ore.

I ts walls and roof wero spotted throughout by ore, exccpt ill plaecs where i t had beenoovcrod over by a thick coating o f crystallised cal cite. This cave has H length o f over eighty metres, a breadth o f th irty , and a height o f twenty-five. Its cubic contents beiog about 60,000 cubic m e tr^ , i t will readily be be­lieved th a t the entire mass consisted o f copper aud cobalt ores, and its w eight w<mld exceed lGt),000 tons. A gall wry recently boon driven a t a<lepth o f fo rty mcti-es below the Üoor o f th is cave, th rough t}io continuation o f the sam e shoot o f ore, and has proved tiie mine lo be o f g rea t value.

Frr)m the cave small irre iju lar galleries radiato into the m ountain, followinj^ branebüs o f ore.

These galleries wero fouud to bavo been worked in a very prim itivo m annoi. T heir floors were, for tho most part, covered over by a hatdened eoatiug ot ftout, w hich in some places w as four Inches in thickness, aud th o ir walls showed everyw here traces o f fire. O n b ieak iu^ up the tiooring o f soot, g reat numl>ers o f rounded stones w ere found; m any w ith grooves around them , where the withe would have been tw isted, to form a handle foi' its manipulation,

These stones would have been uaod to beat down the ore, afte r th a t i t had been first heated, aud then cooled a ^ i o .

Careful investigation followed the disoovcry o f this cave and ite galleries. In one o f thoso, rcmainR of email furnaces w ere found, and near thceo lay quantities o f m aterial prepared for the furnacee; th e ore had been pulverised» then m ixed w ith a gangue and p ine charcoal, and m ade up in to masses o f about five to ten pounds each. Thus wero they found afte r hav ing lain in situ for m ore than tw enty- five centuries.

N o o ther tools o£ any description, nor coins, nor o ther trophy o r token o f an tiqu ity , have been m et with.

W hen thef» minors worked, pine-trees g rew on the surrounding heights. All has change<l; pines have disappeared altogether, a n d are no t found w ith in a distance o f fifty miloe.

A nothor o f theee ancient m ines was aceidoiitally discovered in 1851, w ithin a dintance o f six kilo* m etres o f the sanctuary o f O ur L ady o f Covadonga. A t the tim e o f its discovery i t wae considered to be the most ancient mine In)own.

A l l em inent Spanish engineer w rote inspecting its discovery as fo llow s:— A m ongst the rubbish there were no tools o f iron o r any other m etal found, neither lamps, nor any object o f baked clay, o r to bo baked. W b a t was observed ■ vas a g rea t num ber o f points o f deer horns ; aud throngh the ir being so

w orn, i t w as ticduced th a t they had l)«en T2 sei\ a« jK>ints for scratching and loosonmg. T he ham mers were m ade o f the th ick parts o f the samo horns. F ive o f these w ere found, one o f w hich had beon pointed a t one end. I t could be seen th a t they had bc<în very m uch used. One o f these exists a t p resent in the Ma<lrid School o f M ines, and Mr. iiusk , to whom I showed it, told m e th a t tlxo hern from w hich .they had been formed was w ithout doubt th a t o f th e elaphus. The eye if? wellc u t and qnadr I lateral, so th a t the handle would liave been o f wood eu t dow n to f i t Tbero were also found a g rea t num ber o f large pebbly quartzito stones, th e h rg e s t o f w hich weighed eighteen pounds, and the smallest abont th ree pounds. The g reater num ber had aji ov»kl form, w ith fiattened faiios. A ionnd th e ir sm allest circumference they had a spaeo Fiink, three to four ccntimetrca in w idth , and from tw o to five millimetres 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 make them m ore m anageable to beat down the rock, after th a t it had first been attacked by fire. W ith regard to th e ham mers an<l the pointe o f horn, I beliove they would be ]>rincipally employed to loosen ont and d ig tho o re w hieh was embedded in a reddish clay o r in a decomposed limestone. These would havu been in moat ea^üc sufficient to effect th is, w ith the assistance, w hen neeesaary, o f the oval pebbles. Tho only ones o f these points and ham m ers tha t

z

w ere fonnd ill a condition, wore found amongst cbaxcosl, o r iu ihe o r e ; those found elsewhere pu l verified ou being toucbcd. A la rge quan tity of charcoal, soot, aud ashee w as fonnd a t the bottom o f the esi!avations. U ndoubtedly thu tim e a t which th is mine was commonced is very remote, and will probably reach back to tho transition period o f the stone age to th a t o f hrouze. Tt appears tliis is tho m ost ancient m ine w hereof tbere is an y advico/’

T here is a sim ilarity in thc mode o f w orking, and toola employed, to thoee o f the first instance, and in all probability tb e y would have been worked slmulianeouslT.

W o have carefully inspected tb is mine. The ore is a v e ry rich carbonate and g rey copper (tetra- Oiedrite), aud occurred iu bonanzas, several o f which w ould have yielded Irom throe to five thousand tons each. These occur one below the other, and were joined one to th c other hy leaders o r s trin g s o f coppcr.

T he lowest point to w hich they h,ive been yet w orked is 1550 feet ahove th e sea^lovel, an<l m ore of thcso rem ain to be taken out. Tlio w estern p a rt of th is province has hcen very extensively m ined by tb e anoieuts. In one plaoe Tmmeiwe excavations have been made, and a t tho en trance to one o f the gaileriee, thero is a serpent sculptured, o r otherwise formed, on either side.

Thoao w orkings w ere effected in th e search for gold.

T here is au a<iueduct over six miles in length , o f

Rom an construction, ta b rin g w ater to tho epGt. L arge quantitios o f tho procious m etal w ould have beoD taken aw ay, and doubtless larij;e qnantities etill remftin.

The inhabitantfl o f the v illage near theae ex­cavations avail ihemselve« o f th is source o f w ealth. D nring the heavy rains, the w ater washes qnautities o f de'bris from tbe side o f th e h ill, and whon theee raiTis are over, the proprietors ol tho laoda through w hich th e m uddy stream s havo flowod, lose no time in sa irch ing for the graina and nuggcis th a t have como down. T hey are often very succcaaful, and rare ly seareh w ithout finding some gold.

Some yoara ago in th is district, a poor and forlorn old widow was driv ing in her cattle from the pasture. The boys o f the village, thoughtless and idle, considered i t sport to tGuac her wlicnover an oppor­tu n ity offered. She had borrio all very patien tly until th is occasion, w hen a t last losing her temper, she determ ined to retaliate. She picked up 'several stone« lo th row a t them . A m ongst these w as one tb a t attraetod h e r attention ow ing to its g rea t weight. This ah< retained. O n exam ination i t was found to bo a large tiugget, w hich was afterw ards sold for eevorid hundreds o f jwnnda.

A t th is place there is the entrance to a Ruhter- ranean gaJlory, blocked b y a la rge stone. Thore ai*e a num ber o f traditions reapeciing th ia The one moHt current is, th a t aftor rem oving tho stone, and go ing down some distance, a la i^o deposit o f puro

z 2

gold exists. N o one has to tUe present beon bold enough to overcome superstitious scruples, to lift the stone, and secure th e gold. Tbia, like a ll the otber aiiciünt worHnga in the wcat o f the province o f Astu- riaa, is in tbe S ilurian fonnatiou. A nother o f these w o rk in g exisls furlbcr south, bu t in the Biime ran^e o f bills, and in tbe same formation. This has also its aqueduct, fiJlowing tbe m eanderinga o f the iiills for a very long distance, to convey tbe w aters o f a iako to tlie reservoirs th a t were establiebed near tbo inoutb o f the mine. T be immense a ttic heaps prove the ex ten t o f the work w ithin. A t the foot o f tliis h i 11 a stieam runs, and d u rin g summer tb e people o f tbe d istiic t wash th e sands o f th is stream to recover th e gold contained in tbem, In w in ter the sanie stream is a m igh ty torreut, sweeping all before it. Tlie rubbish from the old workings is waiJied in to i t hy th e rivulets th a t m sb down tb e m ountain side.

Like every th ing ancient, legendary lore and tra* ditiou bave both been busy w ith th is mine. I t is said tha t D ona U rraca, queen o f Ram in), one o f the k ings o f Astnrias, was laid in state in ono o f the gn llerii?B o f th is m ine, attended by couitici*s formed o f massive gold. W ithin her dismal palace, a lamp th a t never goes out ligh ts u p tlic whole, and death is the penalty paid by any bold intruder.

Several years ago, cupidity induced a num ber of men o f tbe district to endeavoor fo reach those golden ig u re s ; and no t w ithstanding th e prohibition and ban o f holy M otlier Cburcb, they set to work to

clear ont th e falls o f rock and rubbieli from the gallery , They had almost effected this, w hen they w ere buried boue^th a mass o f stone, th a t fell from the roof. N o attem pt was ever m ade io relieve them , aud th e ir rem ains re s t to*day whero they fe l l ; no one feeli^jg snfficiuutly bold to make a further attem pt, w ith snch a w arn ing before thoir eyos.

These w orking« o f th e Fhcenicians and Romans extend from the sea in to tbo province o f Ijeor, a distance o f aboui six ty mile«, where they culminate iu workings o f g reat eztont. Tlxe am ouut o f w ealth i«aken aw ay m nst have been very great. T hey are w orthy o f being exp lo red ; and i t is probable tba t iich gold mines would be opened out, and a good re tu rn for outlay gained, by any one ven tu ring upon the ezpenm eut.

Tho PbceniciauB traded extensively aloug the coast. Ita Iffiys gave them eliclter from th e storms they had to encounter w hen on, tbe ir voyages to th e Cas^ siieridest where too they w ere occupied in mining. Is it no t therefore reasonable to eupposc th a t the ships o f H iram whiob carried tho gold, copper, and tiu to Solomon for the coustructlou o f tho Temple, received th e ir cargocs in th e harboura aloug this co as t; th a t these mebds proceeded from the mines Iu tlii» c o u n try ; and th a t th is is ouo o f the veritable Ophire o f Bible h istory ?

Iu the no rth o f tbo peninsula the Moors appear to have worked bu t littio. T beir footsteps are better traccnl in A ndalusia, New Caslille, and Cataluhu,

"When tbey were expelled tb e y undoubtedly cxpocfed to re tu rn again» for m uch o f the ir w ealth was left buried o r bidden in tbe conutry, and now aiid again th a t treasure trove is found.

A numl)cr o f yoars ago a poor m an owned a very small tenem ent iu a tow n on tbo Moditcrranean. Krcali w ater is ecarce there, and then , as now, in ­dividual efforts were made to obtain a supply. Tbie man had a small yard attached to h is b o u se ; during Lie leisure he continued to d ij ' a well in th is yard. A fter siuking to a deptb o f several metros he caino upon a bard fnibatancc, w bich on cxautiuation ho found to bo a largo massive gold cobra (A ngliec, goat). T h is was soon transform ed in to gold o n ? ^ H is descciidaute in th e country to-day bold a title which he obtained as a consoc^uont to the finding oi tb is goat.

Moorish documonts havo been occasionally found rocording details o f buried treasure. B u t during the course o f agos, landm arks have been rem oved or so changed as to be unrecognisable, and only tradition assists the Seeker. Ono o f th e s e documents records tbo lockiug up o f a vast treasuro <m tbe M editerranean shore in a miue gallery closed by an iron door, all trsLCcs o f tbe entrance having been a t the timo ob­literated , the distance from where tbo sea washed the shore being the only fixed point to guide the seeker, B u t the shore cod tou r lias been com pletely changed* and nothing bu t chance will ever again lay bar© th is treasure.

A notLer rocorda tLat a t a cci ta in placc there ia an old mine ehafi hav ing a num ber o f gallerie« en tering from it. One o f these is blocked up by a maRBiv© br<mze door. Thii? door lockg in an immense accum ulation o f troasuro. S trange and w eird sounds are heard to proceed from tLia sbaft, as if tbo spirit« o f tbe departed Musexdmcn ooutinued to Lover over and w atch th e ir treasure, and to m om u tb a t i t could n o t be removed.

Several years ago, tw o bold workmen determ ined to penetrate the m ysteries o f th is enchanted pit- shafts One le t tbe other down un til he had reached th© entran CO to tbo first gallery. This he explored, finding several largo amphoTU» filled w itli gold coin a. Probably these had been lüfl tlicre because tLwr form er owners wcml<l have arrived too la te t<i bave them p u t inside tho br<mzci d<Kír, Tlict^e wer© aecnred, iu tho m d^t o f terriblo noises from below, Thoy wore satisfied witL tLeir find, and never again ventured inside tLe m ysterious shaft, altLough iLey knew o f tb e gallery blocked by tiie door. T hey beicamo extensive landed proprietors, and persons of im portance in th e ir district.

Treasure seekers, however, seldom succecd iu the ir enterprise, when searching fo r wealth bidden away by Moors o r others. ALnost all such accumulations are discovered accidentally.

B u t th e re a re o th e r boui*ccs o f w ealth w ith in th© coun try , alw ays to hand , to rew ard th e perse veraneo o f the exp lorer and cap italist. %Ve re fe r to tbo

nuw roiiglit ore deposits foimd everyw here. Capital is o f courao needed to w ork •with, bu t rosuJtH will well repay a n j ontlay.

A t a pla<56 called Carabia, and w itliin a mile o f tlie coast, where f?blpe can load» there are very extensive deposits o f iron ore, yielding from fifty-four to s ix ty per cen t o f metallic iron . These deposita iiave hard ly been touchod up to tlie present. The cost o f cuttin^^, transport, and ahipment is low. The ■working o f theae deposits w ill be a sonrco o f large profits.

I n m ore tban one p a r t o f the province thiiie are pockets and lodes o f manganese, having a h igh per­centage o f the metal. Theae, too, have only been partia lly worked.

Copper lodes and pockets are numerous, and in districts th a t have only recently been opened u p hy roads somo arc found to be rich and abundant. M ining setts m ay bo secured w ithout g reat difficulty, w hich would well repay any outlay made upon them . Some o f these arc w itinn easy reach of railw ay atati<ms, and a t a relatively short distance from a shipping port.

C innabar is being m ined in one d is tr ic t; bu t in an o th er th e re exist one or m ore lodes w hich bave n o t yo t been touched, althongb tbo m ineral crops are fimnd on the surface. F ew strangers pass th a t way, althougli i t is w ith in easy reach o f a sliipping port.

Calamine deposits exist. Some are worked, whilst others have not y e t been disturbed. R ealgar and

orpim ent, I ’here are in various places lodes of these. Od© o f them has n o t y e t been opened oat, bu t the crop a t the surface is between three and four feet thick.

V ery excelleot and abundant coal exists in th is province. T here arc ovor a iiuudrod heavily jntohcd scams, w hich v a ry in thickness from a few inches to ten feet. U p to th e present all w orkings have been am fined to th© coal above level, Th© output is not la rg o ; i t could be v e ry mucli increaiied b y tho judicious outlay o f capital. Labour is choap, uud tlie Belling pricc o f th e product if? about fifty per cent, h igher tliau th a t o f coals in E ng land . Ghx*d results are obtained by coking the email coal, and th is ie for the m ost p a rt effected in piles m th© op©n a i r ; b u t w here ovens are employed th e results are exccllont. A railw ay hav ing its term inns a t Gijon travursea the field. Foreign capitalists would find little difllcuJty in obtaining collieries,

Tbo prc«ence of coal, readily gotten, and the abundance o f iron ores and limentone, have given a g roat impulse to the iron industries in the district. Now forges and m i 11 are being added to the existing ones, and an impTovement in the state o f tho iron m arket is anxiously desired ; w hen ih is tukee place there w ill be abundant room for further develop­m ent aud the beneficial introduction o f foreign capital.

C H A P T E R X X V III .

T n E n O M E O P G I L BLAfl,

O ne Jaat liogering look a t the quay o f B ivaJasella and one loun^ little though t o f tho happy memories of p leasant daya i t ba4 engendered, and w e were off. Eaatwurd and hom eward bound viâ Llance, our be­loved U nquera, Santillana, and Santander. The uow road from Uivadasella to L lauea is perhaps bardly w orthy o f much notice, escopt th a t ow ing to the H ndnees o f Don A ntonio wo w ere introduced a t a ham let on the way to a fine old Spanifib gentlem an, one o f tbe mcderu tim e, whose profuse hospitality Btrangcly connected the modern A tbons w ith a pio- tu2*e8quc little Iberian village w bich m ust be kept nameless here for reasons o f our qu&ndam h o s t

W e arrived tired, d irty , aud travel-stainod; the evil sp irits who run the N orthern Spanish dihgcnces liad possession o f u s ; and w e wore received, as we expected, w ith an exact im itation o f tbe politeneifs o f Don A ntonio o f Rivadasella. A fte r a repast w ortliy o f Lncuilue (but th e re waa garlic in tbe disbes) w e were then introduce-! fo a cortain fîanctum sanctorum , and there, for our special odiCcation and

dcligbt, some H ighland whi»l?y was dkplayetl, and ou t noble Lost iuform ed us th a t for nearly eighty years th a t p a rtic u k r brand o f w hisky had never been absent from his easa. A grand lafhet o f his L a^ savod th e life o f a wounded Scottish ofBcer dx:ring tlio fighting days o f tlio Poninfiiilar W ar, and on our countrym an’s re tu rn to A u ld Beekie, he had ir» g ratitude forwarded nundry excellent gallons of H ighland w hisky blended hy th e o iig lnal founders o f the well-known firm in ScotUnd o f Messrs. J . & Or, Stowart, o f Edinhurgli. T b a t w hisky took the A sturian m agualo’a fasle, und so i t is th a t from 1810 to thia bou t a certain mansion in tbo north of th e A stu rias has never heen free from the presence o f the strong w aters which hail from the m odem A thens. W e never felt ou r ignorance o f tho details o f tho i^roat Pen insu lar W ar till th a t evening, W ith the ceaseless strife and turm oil o f an ever­grow ing em pire here i t has become a sliadowy dream of th e past. I n the houses o f the aj^cient families o f N orthern Spain th e ficrce struggle is remembered w ith a keenness >vhicb recalls memories o f school­boy history, o f how th e troopfi under the Union Jack w ere the principal faetors iu tho terriblo warfare th a t ended in m arshal afte r m arshal o f France being hurled back from Spain to the ir own country over the P yreneta . A m ong o tber relic o f tbe past our host boasts a m agnificent specimen o f a claymoio and a veritable m ull o f tlie m ost approved pro­portions.

A fte r dream ing o f an offensive and defensive allianco between the kingdom s o f Scotland and the A sturias, o r aome such ** mixed ” matters» wo found onrselves after a m orning repaat o f fru it and coffee s ta rtin g for th e littlo seaport o f Llanes, and about w hich th e re is no t m uch to say, except tL at wo stopped again a t the Fonda de h, N av a rra aud visiled the cburch, w hich is in teresting to those who care to study G othic architecture w itli Romanesque ornam entation. Tho gentlem an w e espccted to meet a t L lanes never luru(Ml up, so wo pushed on by the atuffy Httle bathlng-m achin^Iike coach, and w ere glad indeed to reaeb once moro th a t haven o f re«<t» U nquera; and tb is tim e w e elc|)t on the r ig h t, or U nquera side proper o f the musical Deva, I t will be noted th a t coming ejwfward w e bave closely followed tbe coast-line by means o f tbe new roads ju s t finished, and thus tho trave lle r ia enabled to v a ry hia routes.

There is a most delightful excursion from U nquera th a t really should no t be mlaaod by the touriat, B y tak in g th e main road from the village aa far aa the wine-shop o f Senor Blanchard, o r by crossing (only a t low tide) tho meadows on th e river-bank, a rojid leads round the mountain-side to tbe actual junction o f the ])eva ^\•¡th tbo F?ea bay, wbi.*ro in lact—

“ Sho m in g le s h e r ^va.t«r8 w itl i th e oooan»Slic «ÍQgR in tlw cboiD s u f tb e sca,

Aikd h e r froiQ th© tu m u lt o f tU« w a te ra "Will noT cr snore be ju b i la n t Mid freo .

“ T here is a o bo too-ra ttiro ing fb r t{i6 w atersT o tli.6 luoQDt&ine w bcc(X th e y cam e gl«d arid free,

T here ie n o b appy d i t ty fo r th e riv er T h a t boa autig in th e chorus o f th e sco.”

T he views wliich w ill bore repay the traveller are o f g rea t beauty; beneatb bim is Htill tb e blue Deva, showing its one o r tw o cbaunela f^saing tb rougb banks o f sand, wliicli glisten like silver in tbe su n R h in e ; facing bim and tow ering bebind biui a re tbe Oanfabrian spurs tliat, eentxnel-like, guard ib e p o rt o f T ina Mayor ; to h is le ft stretch th e dark blue, and i t m ay be w hite erested, waves o f tha t curnüT o f tb e A tlan tic called the B ay o f Biscay. C ontinuing the p i th sligbtly aw ay froiu tbe sea front, th e pedestiiun will coniu to a delightful green eward sloping dow n tow ards the sea, surrounded ou a ll sides by every varie ty o f h e a th ; passing through a rom antically situated wood he wili be astouishod to find be bas reached a little bay o r cove wliich should entrance bim. T o u step from tho most luxurian t vegetation o f the tem perate zone on to sands w hich vie w ith Scarborough aud pu t R am s' gate to th e blush. O n your le lt is a promontory o f rock eaverned by the action o f tho sea in th e most fantastic m anner. O n your righ t, afte r the long firm stretch o f sand comes again the vegetation anxious to kiss the sea, as indeed i t does in tho “ summer isles o f E den set in purple spheres o f sea." A nd the 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 plaoîd sea aiid tho earoUÎDg of the hirds in the jçlades behind ua as -we atrolled along tho sand, there only rem ained th c silonco of absolnte r«rt, 'fhoae far too b rie f hours spunt a t th e little bay near U nquera w ere perfoct roTolry to ua, for—

“ T h e re a p le o n T o in th n p a th id âs tnx ids,Q licro ie * n p t ) i r « in th e Im iely »höre,

T lie re ia so c ie ty w h e re none io tm d e «B j th e deep sea , a n d m naic i a iü i roftr.”

A lthougli w e have chrlstcued th is chap ter The Home o f G-il Bias, w e have n o t m uch to say about Sautillana» w here th é g rea t poot was bom , ap a rt from its eccleeiastical in terest, except th a t there is excellent fishing on the r iv e r Besaya, and th a t tbo tow n ia a Tcry p re tty one.

T hc Cole(/iafale ccrtainly one o f the finest chnrche« in tliO province. I t is Jlom ancsqne o f the tw elfth oontury w ith eome alight modification o f th e Pointed style inside the chnrch. T he fine rotahle o f tho fifteenth ren tn ry , covered w ith sculptures o f th a t and th e succcodiijg hundred years, is well w orth observa­tion. The clergy bore have in th e ir keeping some fine jewels, notably a splendid silver processional cross.

Beyond doubt v is it the cloiatcr, which w ith the ex­terio r belongs to the priTnitive work ; i t if? sadly dilapi­dated. The capitals are extrem ely fine ; they rcpre- acnt Êubjecl« from the Passion and Crucifixion o f our Lord, and the legend o f Santa Jn liana aud the Devil,

a n d ó n one o f them is dopieted th© L ast Judgm erit. TliO general effeot w ith the vine tw ining round tbo arehee is highly picturesque. Iñ igo Lopez dc Mendoza, th© friend o f Ju a n II. and the M©eenae o f Spain, as9uinti<i the saint’s narae for hia title o f M anpiis, and gave i t to th is hie city, The Casa Consistorial, in tho Plaza, is a fino building, and w urtliy o f a town whtcli gave b irth to tJie arcbitcet o f the Escorial, «Tuan de H errera . T he streets are most picturesque, and namberlees old houses abound, b u t unless the tou rist is constituted very differently fi*om U0, he w ill no t care to personally examine every nook and com er or crevice in ©very house w hich is presum ably old. Ji©F?ides, wo aro hurry ing homeward, and the B ay o f Santander w ith its London Liverpool bound steam er, is almost in sigh t, so to speak.

302 T U B B IQ E L á N V S o f Cá í TFá B B I á ; OR.

C n A P T E R X X IX .

T N I ’H R P i M H L Í B S W O O D S .

In' tljG prcccdiiij? chapter w e quoted íiome Iloee as to soiltudu bu t as there are tw o sides to every question w e would eliow tho revcreo picture to the ^ pleasure jn the pathless woods” hy dü6cribin|í an adventure of one o f our authors iu the forests around Comillas, g iven h i the firat pcraou a iig u la r, as a t the timo w ritten by him , in Lis diary.

“ I had been re«idÍDg for some weeks in tho lovely ep rt Unq-nera, scarcely seeing even a s tray triLvellcr, w hen on© m orning a couple o f p rivate coacLos turned up filled witL ladies and gentlem en. SucL an uuusual occurrence tLr©w tb© sm all v illage into commotion, m ore especially us K in g Alfonso was know n fo he on th© coast; however, i t was not royalty b u t th e g rea t banker, M, R iera, o f P a ris , who had taken a la rge p a rty from his sea-side r©Bid©nc© of Cotaruoa to see the beauties o f the interior. Being th© only “ d iessed” inhabitan t I waa ajwtted and interviewed, and afte r show ing th e p a rty round th e noighbourheod rooeived an invitation to vieit M. H iera a t iia palace cm the foJ lowing day.

Oomillae is on tlie cf«8t, and us the main road from U nquera divea into th e in terior afte r leaving tlio ancient tow n o f San Vinoente de la Barquera, I le ft tiie inom ing coaoh a t the junction o f the tw o roade somo three m iles from the last-nam ed tow n. I t w as a beautiful and w arm m orning when, clad in m y best su it o f serge, I descended from P len ty o’ w ater’s con­veyance a t the little inn wliore th e tw o road« meet, an d was left aione to do the best I could to reach Oomiilas some o igh t miles d istant. Fortunately» a ca rt, w hich in England would be called a g inger- beer cart, tu rned np, tak ing m ineral w aters to Comillae, and I w as politely offered the only seut on tbe concern, b a rrin g th a t o f tho driver, ou r Com­panion being la rge bozes o f bottles o f all kinds of beverages, and in th ’s m anner I w as drivon to the tow n which, a few days before, held royalty , and to th© house o f the princoly banker, who had ju s t entortained Alfonso X IL and h is mothor-queen Isabella.

Tho day was extrem ely ho t and the road un­in teresting, tbe g reater p a rt o f i t being over lagoons form ed by tbe sea, w ith few houses o r inliabitants visible, and for sound nothing b u t tbe re s tle « roar o f tbe ocean and the p lain tive tones o f the immense quantities o f sea birds hovering about. From a sm all flour-mill a t the m ost easterly po in t o f the large lagoon th e toad rise«, and, passing tlirough an 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 A

w ith harbonr for ja c h is o r gmall steamers, and a lovely sandy bath in |j beacb. H ere dwells the great Lopez, ow oer o f th e immense steamern th a t trade betw een Spain and H avana, and, ss in stfit^ly proceasion they m ove out o f Santander fo r their ocean trip , they near the shore, and g ive the ir owner a partiQ g greeting by sound o f cannoD, rocket, or whistle.

The K in g had been stay ing w ith Señor Lopess, wbo lives in a la rge bn t unpretending house near the sea« level, w ben he espied th e m ost prom inent featu i^ o f tb© landscape, “ L a Coteruca/* a bouso—the on© to w hich I was invited^— poised on the top o f a conical- ahapod hill, quit© overlooking th© whole town, harbour, and bay. M ens. R iera, h av in g heard the K in g ’s adm iration o f h is residence, in duty , althoagh a n alieo, th rew i t open to him ; and I understand his M ajesty was so pleased w ith b is reception ae to give th e ow ner tli© d istingu íeB©d honour o f th© order of “ Isabella Católica.’’

I arrived a day o r tw o later, R oyalty had gone, h u t the r ig h t royal host bad the same reception for th© hum ble as for the g re a t ; and I m ay say, in my m any joum eye all over the world, I have never eeen Buch lavish hospitality on eo short aud uniutroduoed acqnaintauce. Alone. Riera'e bouee ie a palac©; its in terio r perfect in its arrangem ents, and its fur­n ish ing comprises the h ighest Parisian cultivated taste.

A fte r lunch—a regal d inner would b© m ore proper

in description— as »the day fttill continued beautiful, it was suggested th a t a p a rty should be formed to ride and w alk over the mountains to w hat is know n as th e H erm itage, a little town perched on another and higher conical hill, embedded in g rand old tim bered slopoa some five miles d istan t. W e eet ou t in o u r friend's carriages, and, as for aa cos­mopolitanism is concerned, a w ell-w isher to all nationalities could no t have chosen a happier group. Spain w as represented by th ree young ladies and th e ir duenna, inhabitants o f B arcelona; France, by th e P a ris banker and hia spouse; G erm any, b y a m ost am iable yonng roan whose nam e I fo rg e t; and E ngland , by another lady and hor son and your hum ble servan t th e w riter.

W e drove ou t in th ree carriages and on ly halted w hen the road ended, th e w hole p a rty proceeding then on foo t The day w as b rig h t and the companion­ship pleasant, as tho whole p a rty spoko Knglish i f they wiahed, b u t F rench , Spanish, and G erm an w ere often interm ixed for the sako o f varie ty . The v illage cura had ju s t jo ined t i s , w hen a audden change came over th e scene o f w it, laughter and amuse^ m ent, Clouds from th e w est rolled tow ards u r , and almost boforo wo could g e t shelter a heavy thunder­storm broke over us. Tho &ura saved us however, b y conducting us to a little chapel, w hich jna t held th e p a rty and no more. T he duenna, afte r h a lf an hour o f torrents o f ra in , m arshalled h e r g irls and would go back, th e cura— a good yonng churchm an—

2 A 2

as in d u ty bound, followings the w eaker o f lii« flock. O ur E nglish lady, h e r sou and m yself determ iued, however, coûte qui coûtêy to do w h a t w e w en t OQt for, a u d see the Hermitai^o. N o waterproofa, no umbrel­las ; b u t a t d littio village near we w ere supplied w it t th ree real old “ gam ps,” and in the m ost drenching ra in m ade boldly fo r the m ountain to whose sum m it w e aspired. I do no t speak for h e r son aud myself, as both w ere accustomed to rough i t anyw here, bu t the lady showed th e greatest courage ; smothered in m ud, *wet up to th e knees, hav ing to cross deep w ater on stepping stones, aud g e t over aud under fences o f tho m ost ingenious construction ; aud th roughou t she w as cheerful, lively, aud tho en­courager o f tho trio,

Tho ra in stopped, and w e achieved our object— noth ing when w e go t there b u t a rained tow er ; but ou r rew ard was the m oral one o f having battled natu re and won. H ere commenced the second lesson, for from th is tow ering heigh t i n tbe now clear atmoRphcru I couJd discern the main road to Sau V incente and C n q u e ra ; and, although five o’clock, I insisted th a t I could find m y w ay back w ithout again troubling m y fend good host o f the Cotoruca.” I was uo t to he dissuaded, and m y companions loilm e, re tu rn in g to Comillas by themselves ; bu t, as then I knew little Spanish, they carefully instructed an old w om an clad in the m ort hum ble a ttire , and w eariug heavy wooden shoes, to p u t m e iu the straightest coure« to th e m ain road. The pleasures o f the

pathltisa woods now began. The old woman and I took a divo in to tlie dense forest below wa, slie leadiDjs; the w ay, clogs and all, through denso and tangled briars and fernf? o f large size wLicb^ ou t o f com­plim ent to our prowess, showered upon ns a t ©very footstep th e ir aocum^ilated ra in o f the afternoon, w etting ua up to the middle before w e had gone a hundred y a rd s ; tb e ground w as clayey, and, as nice littlo pools o f w a te r stood a t every tu rn o f th e goat- track w e were on, ever and anon abe lost her sabots, and I gave a ferruginous t in t to m y nether gaiinents by g rea t splashes in tbia m udlarklug forest. Obecrily w e proceeded, how ever, to the bottom , when lo my dismay th e old lady, m ore h y signs th a n speech, inform ed m e she had raistaken the road, and perforce I had to trudge up again th rough am ular troubles to the point a t w hich w© bad started , some 800 feet above. W iia t her littl© gam e w as I did no t k n o w ; i t w as now nearly 6 p .m . and the “ shades o f n ig h t w ere falling f e s t t h e sky w as atormy-looking, and I had not progressed one inch. A t last a cry from Lor o f “ A qu í e s ! " (H ere i t is I) and I wa« shown a deligh tfu l deep ru tted bulloek-track on tb e ridge of the m ountain ; and w ithou t cerem ony she le ft me, m erely p n n tiu g to tbe loft and saying “ siempre,*' w hich I knew to be “ al^-aya.” Bounding lightly , g lad to g e t rid o f m y so-called guide, I commenced and continued a h a lf ru n , h a lf w alk th rough the forest» following the ru ts , bn t w ith th© li^^ht from tbe sky alm ost excluded by the heavy foliage o f the

trees a b o re ; no sound to stir the atillnesa o f tho fast approaching n ig b t T here waa only one track, and i t was easy to follow by tlie glistonio|^ w ator in the ruts. Suddenly tw o roafis converged to right, and left, and, following m y iustrnctione, I took tho left, to be landed in a few m inutee in a w e o f trees, the woodman’fl last w orking in th a t direction. N o o ther opening being apparent, I retraced ray steps and took tb e only alternative, tho road to th e righ t, L aving as only consolation th a t soiuo day 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 en t w ell n n til I rcached tho confines o f tho forest, and, still on th e top o f thu ridge, had to descend. “ Bnlloclcs can go where oven m an Fcarce treads,” and th is I found to m y u tte r discomfort. Bn Uock-tracks have ru ts too for niilcs some tw o to th ree feet d e e p ; M r. Bnllock m arching on the hillock between, and leaving Messrs. tho wheels of his iarfc to go a t an y ang le th e y please; b u t to the pedestrian in th e dark , w ith a steep desccnt on clayey soil ju s t nicely oiled by nature’s lubricator, I do no t rccommend a tria l, unless clad in a B oy ton su it well padded. How 1 stumbled, how I fell, how I w as oovored from head fo foot w ith m ud, m ust be im s^inod. I have seen ladies sit down and c iy over dangers th e y Lad perforco to meet, and really, a t th is m om ent, hardy m ountaineer as I was, I felt m ore sym pathy for them , and nearly im itated them io m y despair, for, chilled to the bone, no pocket-fla^k.

T 8 R £ £ L A Y a F& O U B N Q L A ifD 359

no weopone, and in pitch darknees» th a t now coTild alm ost be felt, I arriTed a t th© foot o f the mountain on t})6 confines o f an immonso lagoon, and bere lo6t tlie trac^ . 1 had tobacco and aome m atches not qu ite w et th rough, and commenced h a lf an hour’s search for any trace o f th© bullock carts, and a t last found i t w en t s tra ig h t into a stream , how deep I did n o t know. I was desperate, and w alked s tra ig h t in, landing fortunately on th© o ther side a iU r a knee- deep immersion, only to find m yself in fece o f a bog, toy iirel step into w hich took one leg nearly up to th e middle, and I had to perform a dexterous feat to extricate myeelf. A t th is point, as I beheve, the d river o f carts leía his bullocXs havo th e ir own w ay and flomider a t thoir leisure, fo r somo distance off is the road , o r semi*road, over w hich, when found, I crossed.

The ground here began to rise, and I m ust have crossed quito tw o m iles o f m oorland, black and damp, b u t chccrful as compared w ith preTious experience. I WAS congratulating m yself th a t I w as go ing righ t, and should haT© no m ore troubles, m ore especially as some m iles away seaward I deecried a little tw ink­ling ligh t. Oh, dear farth ing d ip , o r sixpenny petro­leum lamp, how I blessed yon ^at the tim e, and how m y spirits to s e to th© h ighest pitch in an in s ta n t! to b© dam ped liowever before I reached m y goal, by another beautiful stream to be croesed w ith icy w ater up to the middle. Tiie lig h t w as my haven, an d w hat cared I for w ater o r m ud ? I cleared all obatacies, and found m yself d im b in g the back

garden wall o f a little inn on the m ain m ad near the sea. I t w as 9 p.m. w hen through the back door I made m y appearance am ongst tho village gosBipe, who, as I could n o t explain, m ade bu t little rem ark— I presume saying to tliem^elvep, *‘ H ore’s an o th er mad Boglishm an ! ” I was afraid o f fever if I sa t down, so, bo lting a couple o f glasecs o f neat giu, I commenced m y trudge tow ards San V incente, not d a rin g to re tu rn to Oomillas, w hich is much nearer, fo r tbe pUgbt I was in was no t fit for th e palace I had left. I m ust say I w as subsequently ra ted severely by M o d s . R iera for no t re tu rn in g to h im ; he said I ough t to havo know n all ho had was a t m y disposal. I w alked fest on th e lonely m ain road over the lagoons, n o t m eetiug a soul for th e four o r five miles I traversed, and m y nerves wore now a Jittle shaken. My ears w ere alert for any sound, and once a couple o f whistles from th e neighbouring hills m ade me quicken ray pace aud take up a la rge stone as defence in cose o f attack. The clonds had broken, and the n ig h t w as still as death, and very w arm ; the stars fihone brigh tly , and in th e ir com pany and w ith the p re tty fire-flics as m y companions I arrived a t the junction o f the tw o roads, and being nearly dry , both inw ard ly and outw ardly, spent a haif-hour by a little w ood fixe. Mino host asked m e to w ait for the coach, w hich would pass abont m idnight, saying, as he sab- sequeutly to ld me, th a t th e re w as another storm b re w in g ; h u t now being strong and hearty , and feeling no ill effects from m y previous fatigue, I

determ ined to do the rem aiuiug tliroe m iies o r eo ou the main road» and take the coach from San Vincente.I Lad ju s t moved on about half a mile o r so when there eamo dow n the heaviest thuudcr'Storm I have ever witnessed in th is country, aud thoro fell a deluge o f rain , w hich in tw o m inutes wushed away all m y stains and soaked th rough every th ing—sh iit, pocket-book and all. N o t a shelter o f any kin d occnra on th is road, w hich faces weat, eo there wae no option b u t to m eet th e splashes o f God’s buckets, whose contents w ere poured on me for an hour and a half; and, as w et as i f I had fallen in to th e sea, 1 arrived a t the coach-ofBce, the only house open a t th is tim e of n ig h t, a t “ 24 ” o’clock, I took nearly 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 rank a la rge tum bler o f neat spirit, and sucked some half-dozen raw eggs. For­tunate ly the coach w as no t long tu rn in g up, and to th a t feet and to the o ther, th a t I was squeezed into the in terio r and jam m ed up between two extrem oly fa t and persp iring females, 1 attribu te the circumstanoo th a t the nex t m orning I had neither rheum aiism , fuvcr no r ague, but, to use a ra th e r slang phrase, “ w as as r ig h t as a sand-boy."

To such experiences tho foregoing and mid­w in ter expeditions to Covadonga the au thor o f ‘ My T our in th e H im alayas’ is heartily welcome. H e who w rote ‘ Coral L an d s’ envieth him not. This chapter should be headed “ Perverseness punished and obetinacy rew arded,”

962 T n e M m r i L A s n B o f o a s t a b b i a ; o n .

The H ighlands o f C antabria have been ascended, entrounded and inspected, and O’lr task is nearly over. I f th e reader w ill enjoy a little o f th e pleasure in perufliiig the foregoing chapters th a t w e d id in “ p ioneering^ C antabria, w e shall feel perfectly satisfied. B u t w e do no t only w an t peoplo to road, w e w an t people to go, and therefore, in a ll humility, wonld g ive a word o r tw o o f advice to those who w ill follow our track . The show is over, and only the epilogue has to be added.

CITA PTER X X X .

TOR T n O ?E 'W E O TOIXO W OUR TBACK.

N o ■words o f onre cac add to th e value o f the follow­ings rem arks o f the la te Mr. Ford , and we therefore reproduce them very nwvrly in exieww.

Since Spain appears, on th e m ap, to be a square and m ost compact kingdom , politiciaDS and geo­graphers have trea ted i t and its inhabitan ts as one and the same ; practically, however, this treatm ent o f th e peninsula is impossible, since both th e political and social instincts o f each once independent province v a ^ th e one from tho other, no less than do the chm ate aod prodnctions themselves. N o spick and BpaD conetituti<m, be i t p rin ted on parchm cnt or calico, can a t cmco efface traditions and antipathies o f a thousand y e a r s ; th e accidents o f localities and provincial nationalities, ou t o f wliich they have sprung’, reraain too deeply dyed to b6 forthw ith dis- c h a r | ^ by (heoristj?. Spaniards m ay ta lk and boast o f th e ir country, o f th e ir PiUria: every single individual in h is h e a r t really only lovea hia native province, and only considers as his iellow-countiy* man, su paisaM — a m ost b inding and endearing

word— on© born in the jam© locality ae him sol f: Lenc« i t IS no t easy to predicate much in regard to t l iO “ Spains’' and Spaniards in general, w hich will hold qu ite good ae to each particu lar portion ruled by tho sovereign o f L a s España^y the p lura l titl© given to th e cliief o f the foderal union o f th is king­dom. EapaholUmo m ay be said to consist in a love for a common fa ith aud king , and in a coincidence of rcBostance to a foreign dictation, Tho deep aenti- menta o f religion, loyalty, and independence, noble characteristics indeed, have been áappod in our time b y the intluence o f tranaj>yTeiican revolutiona, and by Bourbon niiegovem m ent.

Two general observations m ay be premised. First. Tho people o f Spain, the scHJoiled Low er Orders, are in somo respect« superior to thoee who arrogate to them selves tb e title o f being th e ir betters, and iu m ost i;psp€cts are more intereeting. The masses, Ihe least spoilt and the moat national, stand like pillars am id ru ins, and on them tho edifico o f Spain’s g reat­ness m nst be reconstructed. This may liave arisen, in th is land o f anomalies, from tbe peculiar policy of governm ent in Church and S tate, where tb e posses­sore o f rohgiona and civil monopolies who dreaded knowlodge as power, pressed heavily on tho noble and rich , dw arfing down th e ir bodies by inter­m arriages, and all h u t extinguishing the ir minds by Inqnieitions; w hile th e people, overlooked in the obscurity o f poverty, wore allowed to grow out to th e ir full g ro w th like wild weeds o f a rich soil.

T n i iE f f J }A F S F n O M S K O lA N P . 365

They, in fiict, Lavoloug enjoyed uudor despolismR of CLurcli and State a practical and personal independ­ence, tbe good results o f w hich are evident in the ir stalw art frames and m anly bearing.

Sec&ndly. A distinction mnet ever be made between th e Spaniard in h is individual and in h is colUctive capacity, and still m ore in an official o n e : taken by him self, he is true aaid v a lian t: the n icety o f his pimdonor, o r po in t o f personal honour, is proverbial; to him as an individnal you m ay safely tru s t yonr life, la ir fame, an<i purso, Y et history, trea tin g o f these individuals in th e colleolivo juniadM f proaents th e foulest exam ples o f misbehaviour in the field, of P un ic had fa ith in the cabinet, o f bankruptcy and repudiation on the exchange. iT iis m ay be, however, entirely ow ing to the deteriorating influonc© of bad governm ent, by w hich th e individual Spaniard , liko the m onk in a cod vent, has been h itherto fused into the corporate. The political atmosphere has been too infectious to avoid some corm ption ; and while tho Spaniard individnaliy fe lt tb a t bis character was only iu safe keeping w hen in hia own hands (and no m an o f any nation knows betto r iJt^n how to uphold it) , y e t w hen linked w ith oib^rs his self-pride haa le n t itse lf readily to feelings o f mistrust, un til acif- in torest has hoen too often upperm ost. F rom sus­pecting th a t he would 1« sold and sacrificed by others, he has usually been w illing to float down the turbid stream h k e th e r e s t ; y e t official em ploym ent has a e v e r entirely destroyed the p rivate good qualities o f

tbo empleado, and lio has ever been ready to do justice w hen appealed to &s an indwidual.

Tbo foregoing o f courso applies to all parte o f the peninsula, and tbe allusion to proviucial jealougiee and the like is especially tru e about th e beautiful provinccB i t has been our priv ilege to describe in th e foregoing pages.

B u t wo have even more practical advice th a n th a t givon hy Mr. Ford. W e would respectfully ask those who follow our stops, and wisely go and enjoy the contem plation o f bountiful n a tu r^ in Spain as w e have enjoyed it, to bear in m ind above all things th a t the people they w ill sojourn am ong aro essentially a race o f ladies and gentlem en, and deserve to be treated as such. The cring ing and purse-emptying^ Swiss or F rench landlord does no t exist in tho H igh lands o f Cantabria, and long may h is absence be re lished The tourist w ill m eet w ith a ll ranks, bu t m ust regard their members as his equals. H e should extend the same conrtesy to tho b tg g a r as be would give to tbe titled grandee. H e w ill find perhaps tb a t tb e former bears moro characteristic m arks o f th e tru e gentlem an than the la tte r. W hatever i t m ay be in boastful B ritain, poverty is no crim e in S p a in ; and th e usted Dios applies equally to the h ighest and tbe lowest.

Patience is a v irtue in a ll tim es and in a ll places, and its exerdee is exceedingly useful in fhe land of m m tm a. The malua o f the F ijian is as nothing to tbe natu ra l dilatorincss o f the ord inary Spaniard, eepecially i f he is a governm ent official. H e does no t live in a

country w here i t is possible to breakfast a t B rjg litou , and dine th e same day comfortably ftt E d inbn i^b . T he Civil G 'uard o f Spaiu aro, wo repeat, a body of gentlem en, and should be treated es such ; thoy w ill do a ll they can for th e travelle r w ho is civil aud polite, b u t th e y w ill s tan d no nonsonse. I t is better to have a passport, and, i f carry in g arras, g e t tbe neccBRaiy perm it. W hen a religious procession passes, remember the respect dne to the religion o f the majo­r ity , and i f no t o f th e ancient creed o f Christendom a t least raiso tho ba t. T he effort w ill cost little and w ill gain you a warm-hoarted people’s liking. I n the churches rem em ber as you pass th e high altar that, as M r, F ord rem arks, " the people am id whom you live believe th a t on th a t a lta r the Incarnate l lo s t dwells whero the tw o o r tliroo are gathered to g e th e r; aud, in order no t to offend, every considerate P ro testan t should m anifest an outw ard respect fo r th e sanctity o f th e place and the eastom o f bowing and o f gema- flecting.” M r. F ord pu ts th is advice in ita lic s ; w e tru s t th e y are n o t needed for th e readers o f this work.

H av e no th ing to do w ith politics; i t is a heart­b reak ing business in any country, and is worse in Spain. I f the loveliness o f God’s creation in the Cantabrian m ountains will no t Fatisfy, i t would be far better to worship the caucus in the immediatid vicinity o f Bow Creek.

Spanish politeness is not th a t o f thc Parisian, who raises h is h a t w ith infinite grace and then lets tbe

lady w alk iü tb e gottór. Speaking as Britotis, w e are proud to say tlia t as a m le our people w an t little edu­cation in respect to th e fa ir sex, bu t Spaoiah gallan try Bhonld he noted. I t is deeper seated tb a n the hat- rim fo< isliTieR8 o f th e wind-baga o f th e Boulevards, bu t then a C antabrian wDl h ard ly adm it tb a t a Parisian can be a gentlem an. C ertainly tbe ir re ign ­in g m onarch had bu t a poor sample o f tKeir m anners w hen laat in the so-called capital o f civilisation. W hen in a Spanish town w ith a lady do no t w alk arm in arm w ith her. I t is contrary to etiquette, and th e self-denial w ill in some cases do good.

E arly rising is alw ays commendable, and should he tb e ru le o f the trave lle r in Cantabria. A ligh t apology for a breakfast in th e bedroom or saloon, and two inibstantial meals a t m idday and about eight in the evening, is th e custom o f the country and will su it m ost people. T hey rest a good deal in tho middle o f tho day, and the churches, e tc ., a re gene­ra lly closed from noon to th ree in th e afternoon. W e have aaid tba t w hen i t rains in Cantabria there is no mistake about it, therefore a w aterproof coat or cloak should form an essential p a rt o f tho impedi" metúa. I t should bo borne in m ind too th a t in the rem ote fastaeescs o f th e A stu rias medical men are few ajid far between, and i t is ju s t as w ell to tako some easily « irried remedies. I f the iiver gets a little ou t o f o rder by change o f d ie t and the like, we have found a bo ttle o f Lam plough's Saline very valuable medicine, and i t make« also a cool re f^eh -

m g d rin k w hen mixed w ith th e pure w ater o f somo m ountain giream. D r. Collis Brow nos chlorodyno is a good th in g to p u t in th e knapsack o r v a lise ; i t is especially nneful for those who are likely to snffer from neuralgic pains an d from varieties o f cHmate. Betw een the w eather on tho Picoe and th a t a t Liebana a g rea t g u lf is fixed. T o slightly altor the dicta o f a well-known w r i te r : N ev er meaeura Spanish th ings by an E nglish standard, no r ecok for motee in b rig h t eyes. Scout a ll im a|^7iary dismals, dangers, and difficulties, which bccome ae nothing w hen m anfiilly m et, and especially w hen ou the road and in th e Fonda. V iew C antabria and her inhabitant« e n eoxU eur da and i t will j^o hard if some o f th a t agreeable t in t b© no t reflected on snch ft jndicious observer, for like a m irror tlie Spaniard re tu rns your smile o r frown, your courtesy or contnm ely ; no r ia i t o f any use going to Romo if you qnarrel w ith the H o ly Fatlier. S tra in a point o r tw o therefore to m ake th ings pleasant. D o not expect every m orning a t nine a rasher o f bacou and a cup o f th e ‘ btwt tea im ported '’; t ry to f o r ^ t th a t you ever “ tubbed i t " in tho privacy o f your bedroom : if a bold person o f the (so called) stronger sex, you m ay in some retired s])ot take a bath in a m onntain etrcam, bn t otherwise you will require to w ait till you g e t hack to Santander. Medicinal baths like those a t I a H erm ida su it not the tastes o f the robust B riton. A bandon all hope too o f lavatories and th e like. A Spanish “ Chalet

2 B

Company ” has no t enterod th e head o f the w ildest “ prom oter ” in the peninsula. U nlike the custom of France, the Fondas do supply you w ith soap, b n t it is generally poor s tu ff; therefore take a ciike of healthy Terebene w ith a sponge in a hag, and now and again ergoy th e luxury o f som ething approach­in g a w adh : hu t be n o t o^nr- sanguine in those m a tte rs ; i t is no t everybody w ho can bathe in a wine-glass.

E xcep t in rare caees and for exceptional services, do n o t givo t ip s ” in the m ountiiin in n s ; they are no t expcctcd, and i t is a m iserable th in g to go around th is w orld as an apostle o f the ev il habits which obtain here. Unless the travelle r intends g raduating fo r a hlgh*clas8 lunatic asylum , he w ill le t tho Basque language alone; i t is a painful subject to be contem- plate<l a t a respectful distance w ith reverential awe. Bradshaw’s Spanish P hrase Pocket-book ia b e tte r than none, b u t i t is far from perfection. H ow is i t th a t as a n d e these w orks fall so short o f th e ir purpose— but, as w e have said, a very little Spanish will go a veiy long w ay even in the villages which knuw tho w hite m antle o f almost eternal snow. I t is o f conrso nccessary to ca rry m oney, b u t tho N orthern Spanish tourist w ill find th a t he need no t overburden him self w ith the w eight o f too m uch cash. C antabria is as y e t v irg in soil so far as regards 'A n y and 'A rrie t, aud g en try o f the rich and “ shoddy ” class, and long may i t rem ain so. A nd now w e w ould say a few words aa to how lo leach tlxe locahtios we have

been deecribing. The trav e lle r can o f course go overland v iâ P aris and Kordeaux to the Spanish frontier, onteriug tho Spanish railw ay systerQ atI run, and so reach San Sobastian, Bilbao, o r Santander v iâ V en ta de Baños junction on th e main line to Madrid ; b\it i t is a tiresome- busineBS this long railw ay journey , and w e say to the reader who fearR n o t th e la y in a comfortable steam er ; Em* bark a t Liverpool uu board one o f Messrs. M eAndrew & Com pany’s regu lar Spanish line o f stoamora for Passages (o r Pasages) and Sautandor (the fare is ¿ 5 ) ; *‘ d o ” the Picos as Nve have described; and re tu rn ­ing to San tander from G-ijon v ia Llanos, coach i t to Bilbao, th rough Casho Urdíales, and then take tra in v iâ M iranda to S an Sebastian for Bordeaux, and thence home to London o r Liverpool by long soa o r overland. The largo steam ers o f the Pacific Steam N avigation Company leave Bordeaux for the seaport on tbe M ersey about th ree timos a mouth, tb e fares being 135 francs first class, 80 francs second class, and 50 francs th ird class, provisions included. The G eneral S team Navigation* Compsmy m n a w eekly steam er from Bordeaux to L(mdon, tho fares büiüg ¿ 3 first cabin, and £ 2 second cabin, but provisions in th is case are extra. Tlie boats of th is London service to and from Bordeaux are good, w e il^ u ip p e d steamers, and tho table o f the G eneral Steajn N avigation Company’s line is always a good one. I f the tourist wishes to see Bilbao first, and loves the salt-w ater so dear to th e authors of

t l i i s book, l i O cannot do better than uvyil h im self o f Srleesrs. R obert Mac A ndrew A Company’s liondon L ine o f Spanish Steam ers. Tbe office o f this Company is Suffolk House, Lauroncc Pountney H ill, and tb e ir frteamcrs soil for Bilbao frequently , the fare being

M'e Lave very pleasant recollections o f voyagtja in Mcssra. >facAndrew’s SUbao, and have apent many An instructive hour w ith h e r lOngliah engineer, Mr. W illiams. Those who have intoi*cet a t court w ith the coal and iron princes o f South W alea o r Glasgow can, i f they foar ncrt a coal cargo out and iron ore home, g e t a passage to Bilbao o r Santander from Cardiff, N ew port, o r the Clyde, a t a m erely nominal charge. N either W are’s “ y a c h ts” nor thoe© of Mcsera. Cory are iioating palaces o f the “ O r ie n t” order, h u t w e have thoroughly enjoyed o u i *‘ five tides” in vessels o f those lines. A nd thero axe the routes by w hich tb e to n n st who is tired o f M argate je tty o r Scarborough sands, can reaeh tb e untrodden fields w hich w e bave cbrisioned th e H ighlands of C antabria, and i f he so likes it, revel n o t only in tb e ir exquisite scenery, prospect for th e ir unaought fo r w ealth , bu t go about w itb a j ^ n and shoot tho beara and chamoia wliich roam around tho desolate buighta o f A vila. A nd th is rem inds ua th a t the correct chamois hu n tin g boots w ith tb e ir donole rubber soles are beat obtained a t Me»«rB. H all’s in Biahopsgate Street, and M r. H iirrlson advises tha t th e express rifles w hich g o t in m ost o f the handsome

chamois l>ag o f A ugiísí, 1884, were those o f Mcaarfl. R igby aud Co. o f Dublin and London.

A u d now, good reader, we a re about to say fare­well. “ W e to g e th e r” havo jçazed for a second a t the sm iling city o f S an Sebastian from the whilom bloodslaiued slopos o f ite Castle, wo bave heard tho m urm uring roar o f the death-dealing æ a on Bilbao bar, have surveyed tlie iron m ountains around tha t ^xtdad invicta^ and a fte r read ing the D aily Telegraph a t the Cate Suizo a t Santander, have penetrated the g rea t fortress o f the Picos de Muropa. Tho busy little Deva has sung onr welcome as w e walked th rough the g ran d gorges i t has made for ite dim inu­tivo self, and leaving ite w ater music behind ub w o

bave gone np to Ibe dizzy heights and fonnd ou t the home« o f the chamois. W e have been in the H oly Room a t Oviedo, and wandered w ith some Spanish friends a t Gijon afte r jo t m ines and thc liko. Don A ntonio ha« taken us to eec h is gaol-bird frlcud a t Cangive, and th e tom b o f his glorious ancestor a t Covadonga. W e can now boast tb e escallop shell in OUT arms, for w e havo been pilgrim s to the b irth ­place o f Spain, and w e know also wboro the “ Ba:*ce- Iona ” nuta come from.

Regardless o f a felling m etal m arket, wo have boon seeking for copper, and one a t least o f us has boon g e ttin g him self ridiculouRly w et in “ pathless wooda” which ho w ent exploring a ll alone in tho dark ; aud having told yon a ll we know about tho H ighlands o f Cantabria, w e can only say th a t wc

hope w hen you finish these pages you w ill adm it tb a t wo bave no t beon m ore th a n necefwarily proay o r pedantic in tho inform ation w e bave been enabled to publish to tiie world. Y on liave journeyed with a s th rough tho H ighlands o f Cantabria, and tbe B lue P e te r o f ou r B ritain bound steam er flies to the southern breozo in th© harbour o f Santander. H avo yon found ue pasfable good com pany? I f so, we w ill take you nex t year to Santiago Compostella, and yon shall trave l w ith ns in tbo wild region surround­in g th a t venerable shrinu w here resla tho body o f the patron sa in t o f Spain. Vaya w ied con Dtos,

M A BS BO SS.I I . ST O N E H E W E B -C O O PB K .

I N D E X .

A r v u T D n io tb « F o ru t« o f Conrilha. 3Si

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2 « ^ 295-------k tn f i iSiet Fel»70, S97. yi9, 2 » .

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hilla, 91 0»cbai¿OD. 105

CwBeta, HS C arn iv a l. 810O a rtb a ^ 'iu ia n s In O aoU brin» S O w tro . 7S> 77------ Urdiflle*. 7 0 .7 1 .8 0------ TJrdialM, chvoit, 78, 79C a tiin i, 1 ^ , Jd7 CavCB.172Calihedral o f U M on, 187 .— Oviodo. 2ï£f. 230, 2SI O eiaat«A m oiuituB , 14 CLwDuÍs.S26^ ^ O l u b . propofcrl, 210, 111 —.— b o n i 20é------ l i a n t« . 830, S81

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C bcG v e , l$ 4 .155 nÁ kiog» .12K

<!ha»t&ut t n d e , 246,247

OLriflt * n d th è eold lct'« l e n o d , là n , 16«. 191

C bnrob docontínn» 1A2------ . <• o iò k , QoV boU diag,— o f th « V<jiefÌQi SM , 3^1------ , T rrtTÙ o, 1 5 1 .1 «C b u re h n . 307, SI»------ in 0 ?iwIo, 897-— IO Pote«, 184 OiJe», 82», 248 U g * r IlghtB. 75 OaBAUj.M C l a n of ÜAstra, 81 C l la a te , 1 1 ^ W O a e h rìd o io Ui4oo> 102 &<*oh rtm e ftw»y Creta iu n , 198, 191,

199O w h m m , CaiteabrÌAn, I M . 105 C o (d ,3 é i, Uù — , t* ad u i« , SO------ tpadé Of GiioQ, S i iCoUùfv, 2d CVJiinibiB, 86 C om ìIlM S5S, SU C uQ Jcm tíoB, 115 C o n « lode«, 344 —— p^U« miiMe, 3S3------ , M T oh foe, 881Coi Qc«. L*,Cov.dcBk'u, um ofi] S»C, 2»7.

888w ceirt (OManb, 816, 819, 880,

921, U t, 2Vi. m , 2ÌÒ -, le t t i« fi, 2NH

Crtrpe. 305, 806, air?O fMDca c»t««d Ifi UiC lo ck , 885 C u n a s d linu idU ra , 213, 818 CustouM OÍ B f« m to r^srao U d , 967 ------ 4 n ( k é . l l 9

D »v» . r iT « , 122. 12R, m , 125, 170, 1 7 2 ,1 7 3 ,18:t, 2 I lv B4ti, 349

, riv c r «od vullcy, ló d T>«tU, PVTiìjeL lo g o ù l, 1S8 l>ofa, Wklog, XiS D r m i& T re im w , 150------ là p cu A sU r, 270D f in ld i* «urc ùr, 1S7,1S6 l>ecido ìrtm tuinee. 68

E l P iu c k t o , 19, 80---- toBi(t*o,S8E m i o n i * , 114 ErHodio, 21EfiüUflb u t E1 D txbfiiu, 28 — — « m e tc ry , 80, 81---- Iiikbitf iKrf tA be espe«^. — su lu r il) p rim n , &V)

E o g liah Booff in ì $9---- - #01 217-------»on;« a b r a d . 144Eo^liBhfDKn i i i tlw Piene, 217

narmw, Ìa tbc w o v , 238, 21ifd07

EtftABrio N aiiuua], 1%)E v il Bw», S U Kxpuellc« de V ise* ;» , i 9

T A rm s , SIO F en m . 118F e u d a l cjuitl*«, 800, 301---- kj.'endfi. »»IKiflheñee u t O ijoa, 2 iS F i ^ b i ^ , U 7 , 118.180 —— in Ih» HeaAT» n v c r, 866

b n ^ 198Far^st, ad v u itu fe in &, 8Ó7. S59, 3 » , 301 ,

FdrBfte dentroyed. 116 F rm a tj^ú i. C v ta h r ía Q , 98 PaK ek io j, 816F uere« or «odo of riffb tt. 2£>6, 2^7

Q a l i ì . p r o m n n t r t r ; , H GnnA, ftouüdaat,(H i m a 270, 871G e w l o ^ , M , l i l , 1 2 8 , I f l ò , 1 7 7 , a » ,

8 6 8 ,S l f i . 324 .831 .340 (ibostà . S U , 818G ijo s . 240 ,241 , 848. H.% 244 ,245 —— ew tom rinee, 849, 260 — . CDvìnma t n d U tiiia j; , ì ff l . 8 ^ ,

259. 8«0------ í w i j ü in d e , 846, 246— l u r l i i i r , 251

, publÌB bo ild ings, 849, 850, 858,2&SGold i i M ^ dletovered. :-l42 Gordoo, eztnM f>m poem oo, 88f» O othio EioRB f i 877, 278.270 GuArfiM Civiles, ll>7 , 16«, 169,170 Guu f v t n t j of Truljiak, ijl5 Q ;f« u a i. 175

EAJtsic», K nglkJi, 272 V*ll#y, 174

H arm oQ , fifr., M StmUiiider, 19C------ . M r.. d ì f l^ , 205H w tb , TsriciiOb 112H c n u ite p b Axp<^ition t^ e , 3 $, 95C----- - o f t t e H o ly Crew», ÌT77Iln o p iroù , 245 Zlonnfirinde, 280, 2HI, 2 Q Hur», fto QijA’jDiue;, IVO

iK n w ro , 2 ^ , 227

frnri m ine ,6^ , 6?,------ nre. U i------ workH, HO. 2 0 , 215

JST . tea l m ih y .2 5 9 , m , 2 6 ] , 262 J c » c b , MclColMrtiwI, S»9 JoM U e m t^pain, 257

K iT o ifiS a t UrOoQ. 165

L a i n sLCLj lXMU, lu c . IU? l^ n g o u g c of O auU brik , L iute, 870 ArntM. 7. 12. 18-------Arn<m<lM; 2U5LceOTxi o f tbft o ld tn an o( 179,

180>18l, 182 Li«hMU, 176,177------ Tal«. 178

I wiri4», 165 L ign ita , io n , « 1 14*0««, 226

216U r . o f G ijc« , 248

&1*>mAJiin. 944iifha ine, 96H, 869 H innfal- — wualUt, HIS, 314 f f i Q c r ^ ' j . 82L, 322 M ineral«, 6& 888. 88», SiO. 844, 8 i5 M inea, e rc ie n t. 4isoov(?T«d. SS6------ o f BoioaBs a n d F b tfn ic ian s .

8 t lXÌBÌDsr furoac«», ao c lcu t, Id o iv c , 836------- tool», aco ica t, 887, 8SSM iranda, '.I'i ILMrioTffdia, L a . 4?M iitt ilic m vontaici^ 32(J> 827 M oney b s i d » . 127, I&6 Mivirieii tia4«e m Pote«,U o crs ÌA ^ n i a , '¿lit, 280. iU l, 282.288 UouutALU tur, 160

r e f D ^ 80S Mouro, B ritish capture,---- Ulct. 9\M unasa ,2 9 D .2 8 1 , 282M im iM ta, palar», 18 U o A ra l« , yJ6

T irer, 297 K atur»U »t a u d (lie J u s « . 1&5,126> a v ia , riv«r. 308 IC om oa BaTi^Cioo, 9 .1 0 ------ , r i te r , 6, 15, IU, 17, 18, 29

N««, m i s iN o t trade , 246 N ut», 265 ,2 6 6 ,2 6 7

iu l> b U o k 8aue«>Oiriorci, itewtjJ in 2U?

O kvcaga , 800 )d TQ«n ofC n^tm , 176,179 O nton . 7CO pliin , G jn ta b r ia ODe of th em , 811 O tiH u B , 8 5O u r L a d ; o f 45O nedo , 2 ^ , 2 S I, 280, I S i . 2S8.

234, 2a5 , 236, 237, 288

P aJTS. o»aiii ji^ tc . 123------ , v U i a ^ 129, Ì30P m », « dAiiferoufl. S24, 825

P t t n n t r r , A etu iiau , 269. 270 P a ]a ;u , d o u *"H>nits <je, Z ìi, 272— p rv rla im edk ln^ , 284------ an d th « M m ra. 279, 260F e n in sn la r w a^ UU

of flpaio, 361, m SCO P h ia v ic u u tniitC», 865 rb u lu ftrap h A ti« inp i« i. 141 Fbok«i«pl»«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

do E u r> p « . 155big’h . in V in ter, 228

X!2P ie to n « ta k e n Ijv tìm F re n c h , 9C P ik o a . ri»Cf, 227. 22S, 21^FoUilcw (o be aT n d M , 867 P ortngal«!« . 6 ,1 7 .1 8 fo e tin a n , 153, IMPoet-offictv 7^Poles. 163 P o m , road to , IC2 PrietR a tid hie mulo, 176,177 P rieon a t s4nUllA, 86 P rb o u L n a t Caaga», 268 Frieui:»» a o J etuninale, 2S3. 254, 255.

656P rorieion i, 21

CjcARTZiTi: 6ton€0. 337 l i n tM and L'oldvu in a m ine.

640, 311

Kad .v a v s in Bpabi, 98, 99, ICKI, 101 C ie ra . U ., u f P a r u , 852 .654 , 655 Blu, L u ll, 106 Koftlfi, ano tps t. 302 ------ > gQTeriuuunt, 303

2 c

Socka »r<fw«ring enquiric®, 219 mBainSi 301

------------------ r o h á , Í Í ( H , 9 0 9

----- trxcc« la PotAi. IRiScmjI cjtips, 289 Pound tniráj. H29» 330Salmos. 112.267 B«HiDÍn«e. 105. lOC Hwlot»tinne in Spoio, 273, 274 8%n Ju íq 's ijvCv SIO Skn e«bwiíaQ. 8, 4 Santo AOB 79

B7 , 88------- , bqildbun« 91----- , c&tk.'dnú. 9i----- , cn^irona. W----- , pQbiK* 93

»niell c ) hsTtKXU’. 90 » BtMACTV, 8K, 89

^ « B ti i^ l& 2. l 3S. m 850. 951

Sftiiioitf, ^----- , chorfli, 80HikQtufc«. 17.18San Tiaccnio do la lOU£krdij>e ílsherj, 77 HftiHiMrrs ít\ 'M. 95 t^ardíM«, Apauil** FrcQcb l«bola. H O 9*omem. i:^&oco:fy, 116, 127, T4T., iH.% S37, 201,

263. 2if>. S * * . W J . C^ntAbrian, 105

S^htttl in TmvÍíks 158 ficotch »liíekv In Sp«in, H47 BtMuon'e infriitata, 24» s.s, ^>, 27— liqjv»?, SL Reaman, íoeütnbM fot, SS S«1U. a svlojon rtv^r, 2ti7----- , tlVN, 205, 277

wiciout, 301 Mtd etuiU. 327

8h«Dl)«nl« tA tlic PImo. S2S B nélk of ViTM«nt > 107 SoImc«, SBliriA

18147, SOS

Kpaia, piwúKiC« »trang« to mcS otK«r. 808

SpADieb 84, 6Q------n>ntleiB«ii> botfpifailíiy, 81$---- jQsUcc. ¿56----- lAisCDfi're« 100---- 111

Spatiieb p o liV n e e t 368 —— ptftilxw, H1, 82-------an ij F r»otl3, 97^fiirits, cu»iU]kptton of. 2?J, 278 ^ in r lb dronB.

» t b ilb ag . 29 S t n r k i ^ o t i e t f o a b f t j L r e ? . r0 3

H o lp b u j «príogs« 3 ^Swexrtt, A m tva f>i rMOUoüuiíori, 308,

» JT ax® , 73, 74T--Üa, fl©nor, 102,103'l 'im . láAjpt, 113T u U a u , é p au isb , 74T om b of V e\»^ 2H5, 288To*n® M fe*iá, DfMf, 303' i ' t » r r A l a v e R ^ 101^ 1Ó2l 'r v i« a t Q ijvo . 248. 244. 0 5T n« « u ro . 814. 315. 816, 817.

3I><, 819, 820, H42, 313— fUiip, EuglW>i pínte, 251T r a t e n . l lS----- , cdt;i£i o ( tbe Tiam^ 147— — 14»------s m tK tft. i : « , 140,141, 143T rid lft, 'A:a. 103 T rou t, l i a

o tk MAIL. 103, 108.105 r o q n ^ 108, 109,110, 111 'Drduu, 129— . tois mVa l u t b , Cior, ju n ítirm , 1S3 V csttfttion . 11«V illA g« , l i f t . 114,115, 147 V i) la « re . 149, ISO V innc do 0 s4 tü lv . 163 TuU urca, 832

W * i.sn r TRA»*, 217W arm btitlis, I t i iW a t- r . u w uf. In Hpetn. 1C4, IGSWlld ío*íl, 106, in?'\S'ÍDH 'if l^paio, CU, £7 >^'iiAh«w 31& 318 V o l r r s , 320, 221 W oiucn w ork ine, I ^ , 20 WiXNifc M r, ,1. P. 142,148 Wood&, tbr>«b, pkuVibiuo», 804T ln jiilu rf ltfo rr ie o lío c to tíc w lh f* , 58

Z ioc m úice. 106

loar-jK: ruikitt« sv wuw» cmwe *n aoxSv ijan'ui. eTAHrov> »tuki ABC ulUkLtC CÉLe*

BY T H E S A M E A U T H O R .

In One Vol.. cpown8vo.. with Two llliJ8tFations,p/‘ice 7/6.

A POPULAR E D ITIO 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 of ‘ P i j l ." “ O u f N o * Colnoy.

»nd Join* Aulbcff 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 lu d s of tlie Pwifio, thejr Peoples, and tbcir Prodacte.

T h e JTo* K d itw n be* b e t a re rieed b y Ih e A uUv t g re* t cAr* w id th e in fo m e tio a I t o o f h t dutfTt to tb e Je tw l date.

T O B E O R D E R E D T H R O U O H A L L B O O K S E L L E R S .

OPIl/JO>''S OF T ffE m K fiS .S a t a r d 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 ru e lly l o ^ 'S t in g to th e

u ia n sa d T h e auLhoT ha* li»e<l fiw yeard em 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 th 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 is 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 on E a a tc r I» lftnd—ie a.» e n ie i tw u in g ae 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 iw i o s a n elabora te ai^moot of K fJjiK 'aU an d bfiitg» hefort ub » T e r- l 0'>tewortby pewonagea, acofmg oiL cri.* B U l i H aj6* ,' th e las* o f th e p irate» o f ih * Pacliic.''

S t J a m e « ' G * * ® lle .— •• M r, Ojupir*9 lo o k i» fo i l t i in ta re * U ^ in fc iim - lion a W UlUe koom u y itio « , au d 10 excollcnt rM ding from Uie flrM pago Ut (h e last.*'

G n f t r d i a n . - “ JTo !»> V b as b e w y tb c T O pnU iah^d w bloh a ^ b a a n d c le ta ik d ^ c tn r s o f u co naid trab le pnrUon o f th i i T»at AraUlpelago.

L O N D O N :

E IC IL S R D B E N T L E Y & SO N , N E W B U iflT N G T O N S T .

puWWirrs in «nm urg to » r r » a j s i g enien-

T H E P T H K N E K S .By H E N R Y B LA C K B U R N ,

W i t h 1 0 0 l U - U S T R A T l O N S b y G U S T A V E D O R É ,

S r«w E d i t l o o , 6 r o . , c lo th , p r to e ? « . 9d .

A L L R O U N D SPAIN.S 'S * w

WITH A SHORT ACCOUNT OF A V ISIT TO ANDORRA.B y F. H . D EV ER U LL.

OrOMoi 8 to ., tUcih, W ith Iatv« K *p, 10». 6±

y m m k r ^ n o eB y C. E . B I L B R O U G H .

ll lQ e tr& t6 4 . C ro v B Bt o . , 7» . 6 4 .

SAUER’S SPANISH GRAMMAR.C rvw B 9 7 0 ., c lo th , 9 « . 9± ; E e 7 , S*.

NEUMANN & BARETTI’SComplete 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* .

L O N D O N ;

ííA M Í’áO N L O W , M A R S T O N , S E A R L E , & la V IN Q T O N .1«8, F I.K B T B fB E E T , E C .

«4 C oi< ilo^6 o f A n u r ù a n a n d F < nti§n B o o is P u H ish e d o r by ^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 ,

C rn tm Buihli>*gj. jSS, FU etS trsft, Londan,Odobfr, 1885.

a from tl)f l i s t o f B o o h sPVDLISIIE& CY

S A M P S O N 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 .

A B O U T S o m F illtjw s. By a n F .io n B oy, A u lh o r o f “ A Uay o i my Life.” Ck>lh limj', »^unre l6)no, 4>. 6ii

A tia m s iC JC .) M a n u a l0 /H is to r ic a lL ile ra tu t'e . C r, $vo, 12s.6d . A k o t t {L o u isa M .) J a c k a n d J iU . x6m o, 5Î.-----------0 !d ~ F a sh im id Thanksg iving , JM y . y .— - T r a v tr b S to ries. i6 rao , 3s. 6<A . I —— S fin n in ji- PVieeJ Storr’f f . i6 m o , 5#.— — See also “ Kob« T.ibrary.”A /d e n ( l y . Z .) A d ve n tu re s o ffitn m y BrrrtS'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 Bo& k, *S-<*. V ery

cbokely p iin l«^ on papcf» parcbm cnt covcr, CJ.----- — F o ttic a l W o rk s É d itio n d e L u x e . 8vo, 71/.A ^ û r d { jA d y M a r ia n ) N e fd lfa x> rk a s A r t . W ith over xoo

U'ooâcirts, Pho1cçîP.ntres, &f; Royal 8vo, 42*. ; Iwçe ^ '• A m a te u r A n g le r 's D a y s in Z io ve D a le : T h /e t W e c k f H oH day

in Jnty and Auguii, 18ÜJ. Hy K. M. Pfim«d h j »tthe Chiswick Pres*. Clo<h çüc, >j. 6j'. 5 fancy boatdi, ts.

A m ir iù in M e tio f L e tte rs . T horeau , IrvingVV'tbslcr. 75.6//. each, A n d tr so n { iV .) P ic lo r ia l A r ts 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 mn», 2i. 2/, ca<i.

A a ^ ie /s S ira n ^ e E x p e n e n a s {*4» ) . I5y C o t s w o l u Isy s . 'With oomcrwus Eltisitaiton», 410, ¡1. K c* Edition, 3#. M ,

A n g lin g . S ee A m alcur, “ B ritish F isheries D irectory ,” “ C u t- cliflc,” “ M*riiV' “ Sieteni," “ 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 io g r a p h ie s o f b r e a t A r t i s t s , l l l u t - trw ed T e » t C o o k i." ‘^M clletl’s D ictienaiT ."A rtists a t l im e . P b o lo 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 ­duced m Facsimilc. L c n trp w s s h 7 l '« G . S th p h i í í s , I m o

A udslf9 (G . A .) O m avicntal A r ts o f y a p cn , g o P h l c s , 7 4 jn C o lw r t an d G vld, w ilh G«nert1 »od D e s c n p u « T «xl. 2 vcU ../ K I Ç », Ob Ihe issnc ot Pen 111- Üie prtc^ wiJi be fnnber tjtunceü.

________ j i r i o f Chromo-Lithography. C o lo u r e d P l a t e sa o d T e i t . Folio , 63#.AuerùacA ( , 5 . ) B n ^ itta . lU u s t r a te d . zs.

________O n !h£ H eights. 3 v o îâ ., f>S.— Spi»o%a. T r a r t s la ie d , 2 v o ls . , iS r o o , 4 s.

6s,^ A L D W l N i j : ) Story o f S itg frie i.Siory o f R oland. C r o w n 8 v o , 6 i . - . xB a llin {Ada S ., L ednrer to ike NaOorujl H ealth S o a^y)

S c lc n « <Jf in T h eory an d Ptac:ice I l lu s lra tr t , 6i .Bari<rtt' iA lfr O ) li'eaving by H a n d and by Power. W i thseveral hznàw i I lk stm lim is, Tbir<l Edition, royaJ S to , U. 5í. B a r ù ^ ( W illiam ) N em TM erits o f J fa tte r and Fijrei. « v o ls ,, iJvo, _______________

T H E B A Y A R D S E R I E S .E dited b j th e U ie J . H a i n F k I s t i t l t -

C ofopriánc P lo « u re BooVs of L u c ra to « rr« 3 iiccJ in Ibe S tyU asCom panionable Volum es a t I lo m e flM Abroad.

- W * CAÍ» b ü f d l / i f n » i> t e W M « r b o r t * C x W y * M r « * d « f ÍM n » fn l e p e n d e »

V ib im s , in x U i . Jte x S k e Jftk ^ r fr» , g U t ^ Ì£ tJ,

D r . Johnáon’s R»w«la«, P rioce <Á A hyssim ^ W ith Kot€^.

H e l i te 's K w m d TaUle. W itb Dio* j^ l» 1)ical In trc lucflon .

T h e Rcliffio M r f id , HydfiOUpbU, a n d l i e I.«stcr to * F riend. Ly

A t ^ l i a h r o r !* T f« 'F y ’‘f I « a v c i S ir 'rh o m a s B row ne X nt.J ia llid P o c ir j o f th e Aflcclione. Ky

R ob«tl Buchanao.C olendi,'« '' ChriitfcJjel, a n d otlici*

Im aginadTe Po»emi. W ith Preface

9-tíJi ríli HradioftdJ a/t JT'/tilfr*. T L e S tory o f khe Chcr»H er Bayard.

By M . D e B trrilJe.D c ^oíDvillíí’s S t. I/OBÍÍI, K in á of

Friincc.T h e E u a y s o f A brahm ti Cowtcy, in*

cWiilng a ll hi* Prose \S'ork6.

B y Edociacd L iboadaye.I'abí«-Taílc an d Oi>in*ons o f K >

puleoi BQonapitiV slhek : A n O riental Ilom ance.

By W illiam HcckToid. t y Algcmoi» C . SwinUirt>e.V Joki of W elliitíio n : Mn*ims i L o td O ies te rtitld s I - e t l ^ Sen* ■Ptl OpiniooB o f th e U rcat teiice». an d W u h Iu .Uvkc. tròductìco l y ih e E dito r, aad

B u y a r i Siries (continueS) :— Ejuf on CbeMerrield bj &L de S;e.«Kcuve, o( tSe F nrach Aca* dcD*.

Tfae K ijtg th e Comisoiis. A S«)«cDon of Cavalier an d P nntan Scpo E dite«ll»yPTvi«v^r M orte»,

Mceaic Byl'bos. IMlau*tjfie ,

M y U ocle T o l r ; bì» S corr anrl

h lsF rìeo d s. E d ited h y P . Filt* g«rald.

Ii«h«c(inti3 ; or, MorAl SeBlenccs aod M aiiiDs o f tHc U oìm i^e ]a Roche- ruucnuU.

SocriUs ; Memoin fvc £nj{bsh KciiderB £tom XcDopbonH Metoo*

EUw. C«rin.P njtM A Ih«n s (id(d«u Pncc(>ts.

M C a u c t m f a i » J » g d y 4 l f m e i , f r i n jw, fri; t r t h e C » m i f f » r a t f f y . f r v t js.BeftK ki a n i Brvwne. C h ili's Voice. S m a J l 8 r o , y . (id.B ifken te th (,Btshcp E . I f . ) I7 u Chrgyman « his Ilo nu .

pceC Svo , t i .

!!■ — St'O fi^U caJ Ckurchmanship and E T ang tliia l R cU itidim .Svo, u .

From Year ta Y ear; 0 ^ 'ip 'u ji PotH iol P itcts. S m a llpost &vo. 3/ . Cflf,; r«>ao. 6f . and V* • ^ mwcoccor lo f . ¿o',

H ym fuit C ffn ^n ion io th i B o a i 0/ Common F raytr,U a y b e h a d in vahoo« style« and b iix l ìn ^ from to J i i , &/. Lui euui mfiee/ui W/l ieJwr*MrtUd 0n npfiteaiim.

— The M astei^i Ilo sie 'C a ll; or, B r ie f Afemi*rials o j AliceFranc«& B ickenM fu so th 'I'bousarid. jam v , clotb gilc, tj ,

Th4 M a stiffs W ill. A F u n e r a l S e r m o a p r e a c h e d o ntb e D m t i o f M rs. S>, U qrn« ; BvMon. Sewn, itd. ; d o d i giic, u.

—— The Reef, a n i other Parables. C r o w n 8vo, ts . (ji.— — T h e S h a d o w ^ th e Pock. A Selection o f R eligions

Poetry. xStno, cloth e* ir i, it. àti.---------- T h e S h a d o w ed H o m e a n d th e L ig h t B eyo n d . New

E didou, crow n Svo, cloth ew ro. 5«.

B w g ra p h ics o f th e G re a t A r tis ts ( J llu itn U e i) . C row n S to ,cmDlcmadcad binding, y . & /. p«r v o lune , «xc«pl w here th e pn ce <s gives.

Claude I/orrain,*C o rreo io , by M . E . l le a to ti. n . CJ,DcUa RubbiA Bnd Celiini, a /. 6)t'.A lhrecbt l^lirer, by R . F . H «alh.F if^ue P u o le rs o f H olland.F i^ n g e iic o ,M a s aceto.anJ ¡Jodie eUL F ra BartoJonimco« iU bertlnelli. u d

Andrew d e l Saclo.

Oaitisborov^Hi Mcd CvnitKbJe. G hiberti an d Donatello» t i. 6J, CioUcs by H » n y Qatll^r. l la n s H o lbeta . by^o*cph CundalL H ugarth , by A w tia Dvbson. Landseef, by F , <». Stevenv L^wrcncc R c o n c r , by Lord

R oiudd G'}ir«r> is. CJ.A 2

1 \ i ia o , l y F . K . l l e a l h .T uincr, h y Coanfl M onkl«**«. V*r»dyck isá H ah» b y P . K. H ead 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 l l e « , w . W - W i l k i e , h j J . W . M y lle iU

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 rarfo da M n c lL i t i l « M a s l c f * o f G e r m a n x , b y W - K u ^ i w .

a . S c W I . T m to rtu n , b y K , O s ie r .

Uanieena and FrancisM e i5«on i« r> l>y J « '*'*• u . 6 J -U i c h e U i ig e l r » D v o s v t J i n ^ b y CWst*«!.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 lV 5w « i R a p b a c i , h y N - D ’A i w c r .K e m b f a i i d i . l j y J . ^ • M o l l e i t . . . .

Jii'rd (!•: / . ) Am eriean P n u tica i Dy€t*s Compani<m. 8v o , ¿,2S. B ir d {H . £ . ) C h e s s P r a c t ic e . 8 v o , 2 J . (^ d .

B la c k ( I T * . ) i Jo it ls . S e e “ L o w ’s S u n d a r d l i b r a r y . “

B U u k h u m iC k a r lt s R ) H in t s o n C a t.iJo g u e T it le s a n d In d & x E i i J r l « , -w ith a V o « * b * k fa iy o f T e n r u « o d A W « v u U o b s . c h \ cH j I r o m F tM c iq o C a i a lo g o e s . K o j * l S v o , 1 4 Ì .

B la c k b u r n {H e n r y ) B r e to n F o lk . W i t h x 7 1 l U u s t . b y R a j j r > O L ^

C a l b b c c t t , I m p e c i a i S t o . r ì H « f g « , 2 I a ; p l a m e t b i n d u jR , i w . ò d .

__________P y re n e e s {T / t e ). W i i h lo o I l l u s i r a i i o n s b y G u s t a t e

Ik>k4 ,'curTecwd \o tS8i, Crc«n» S t o , 7*>B la e k m o r t ( J i . £ > .) L o r n a L h o n e . t d iiio n d e iu x e . C r o w r . 4 W ,

verr oometoui Ulasiraiions, cioih. giU edgch w - t ó ; piu^hfoeni. «mcut, cop gilt, 3?i. Che*p Edidon. «miU pm« 8to, W.____ 2 ^ox< els. S e e “ L o w ’s S t a n d a r d L ì b r a i y - ' *

B la ik ìc {W illia m ) f f c w to g e t S tr o n g a n d k & w to S t a y s o . R a r to u a J , V h y s i o l , C T m o a s l i c . 4 c , , F .x e r c i s s s , I l l u u , s m - y o ^ S r ^ 5i .

_________ _ 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 . x 6 x n o , z s . O d .

B o n w ic h ( / w . ) B r it is / t C o lo n ie s a n d t h e ir R e s o u rc e s , x v o l . , c l o l h . s V S C T O — I . A s i a , U , ; I I . A f n c a , U , ; T i l . A i n e r j C i , I f . ;

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 th e K in g 's G a rd e n : S e rm o n s

f u r L b i l d r « « . 2 f td E d i tw D , * c n a ll p c fe t S v o , O - M i c s r r a . W .

B o u s s e u a rd ( L . ) C ru s o e s o f G u ia n a . I l l u s t r a t e d . 5^-

__________ G o ld - s e e k e rs , a S e q u e l l U u s t r a t e d , i 6 m o , 5^«

B o y s F r o is s a r t . K in ^ A r th u r . M a b in o g io n . P e r c y . S e e

B ra d s h a w ( / ) N e iV Z e a la n d a s t i is . % v O , J 2 / . 6 d .

B r o iie y (L a d y ) T a h it i. W i t h 3 X A u l o t y p e I l l u s t r a t i o n s a f t e r

r b ^ c o s . I j y U i ^ « i c l S T t t A i T ^ W o R T i a v . F t ^ i ' . 4»®»

B r ig h t ( Jo h n ) P u b lii U t t e r s . C r o w o 8 v o , t s . id .

B risse {Baron) M bius (3 ^ 6 ). A m inu, i n F rc D c h a n d E n g lis h , f o r c T c r r D a y in iJ ie Y « r . T r iJu J fc ie d ly M r s , M a t t i i h w C l a r k i . 2 l)r| E<hilOB. CfOWn 8tO, JA

B r/tis/i Fisheries Pireciory^ j 8 83 -8 4 . S ra iail 8 v o , u . f><i.B rittan y. S e e ULACKBURii.

BrffTvn. L i/e and Letters o f Jo h n B row n, Liberator 0/ Kansas.iwd M w tj i o f V i^ n ia . 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.------------ a n J B eh n ie {E m it) Voi^e, Song, and Spteck, U lu s .

traie«L 3rd E ditlos , n e d l u a S«0| i ^ ,B rya n t ( IV. C .) and G ay {S. I f . ) Ifis to ry o f ihe U nited States.

4 v o l » , r u y a l S t o , p « o f u s e l y i n Q s t n l « d , 6 0 s ,

Bryce {Ref>. Professor) M anitoba, W i th n i u s t r a t i o n s a n d M a p s .Crown 8to, "¡s. €d.

B unyan's P tlp -im ’s Progress. W i th 2 3 8 o r ig in a l W o o d c u ts .Snudl poM 8»o, cloih j / . 61/ . ; g ill edge», a j.

Barnaby (C e /t.) O n ffortel/ack through y is ie A finor. 2 v o ls . ,S»o, 38i . U i«nper E<lili(Mi. t vol., cruwo S t o , >oi. Cd.

B urnaby {M rs. P .) H igh Jilps in W in t:r; or, M ountaineering JB S ta rc h o f HenJiL. C y Mr«. F«w n BuRWAbv. W ith P o riia it o f Ihe Auihorc&s, M ip , an d ollwr lUiiMratioiii. H u d s o u e c lo ih . 14J .

BuiU r ( fV . P .) The G reat Lone L a n d ; a n Account o f the /ie d Kiver F,xpe<Ution, 18^ * 70. N ew E dition , c r . 8vo, doO i tx tra , ? i. td.

-----------Invasion o f E n ^a n d , io ld tu<nty years after, by an OldSoldier. C row n Jj/cs 3j . &*'.

R ed Claud; or, the SifUlary Sioux. I m p e r i a l rS m o ,n^uDcroQS illustrstvons, g J t ed^cs, 5/.

------------ The W ild N orth L a n d ; the Story o f a W inter Journeyw ith D og i across N ortliem N o rth A m «riai. Svo, i 8i , t> . 8vo, ^¡. f>d.

B uxton {H . y . jy.") P ain iin^, E nglish and Am eriean. C ro w n Svo, 5/.

^ A DOG A N {Lady A.) Ulustraied Games of Padmct. ^ 'i 'u 'n ty . /o u r D is tfm n i i a Colour», w ith T ca i, F cap . 410, iis . 6J. California. S e e “ N o rd h o lT .’ '

Camhridge Staircdse {A). B y t h e A u i h o r o f “ A D a y o f m yL i/c u iiiOTk’* Sm al) crow n 9vo, d o th , is . 6d,

/

~Ca*nÌrrÌdgt ; fro m an U iu ie r g r a ^ H ^ ^ n T '^ i Úie A u lb w9 Í" A V ty o f a y I.ffc ut Etcpo,’' &e. i 6m o, cloih « l i a , ±j. &/. CarielffH {ÌVÌU ) F am i B a lla is , fa r v i Fesü'vah, a n d Farm

Legends, i vol., uaaJI pcet S to , ¡í. 6J.—^ — Cí¿y Bailads. W l ib lU u s tr à l ìo n a . x s ì . 6^ ,

------- See Also “ Ro« Library."C am egü {A ,) A vu rú a n F o a rin -f/a n d in B rita in . S tn a ll

4to, IllosCrated, ycu~f>d. P c p a U r E dition , is.• " — F ound fh t W orld. 8v o , x o i . (¡d.Chairman's Handbook ( Thè). B y R . ? . D . P a l g r \ t i , O e t k o f

lk*f TaiJe O Í iL« Koose c f Comiaon*. 51!» Edition, a/.C hañad Crots ( 7 ^ ) , and o t h e r R e l ig io u s P o e m s . i 6 r a o , u . 6d. Charities o f L ^ d a n . S e e J ^ w ’s.

Chaltcxh {R . S .) Practical Notes on L icking . S ec . E d , , 8 v o , ^s. òd. Chiss. S e e B i b o ( H . E . ) ,

Children's Praises. H ym ns fo r Sunday-Sickaals and Services.CompÜed by I/Ou isa I I . W. T r í s i í a u ,

Choice E ditions o f Choice Books, s í . 6¿ c a c h . lU u s f r a te d b r C W . C O ? ^ R A . , T . C iitsx rK S , k .A ., E . D i'K C *k, DjRKer F o sra w , J , C . A .K ..\.. ü . HtCKS. R . R b d g b a v f , R . aC . ST0S2H 0Ü SB , 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 aM IS O K W i j &c,Bloomr>«rd’s F sim cr's Buy.Ctapb«!!*« PleBssra ft{ Hope.G ^lendpe'* Anci«j|C M onncr.Cotdiffiiih’s E>e«cn»(t V iU i^^Goldnaiili^t V icar o f Wafcefickl.CJ v y 's EIeg7 in t C b u td iy u a .K eu's Kve of S t . Agne«.

U ilrou’s L 'A H e ^ .?o«try o f y t tn t e , H a n íío n W « r. R o c e n ' (S itn .) PIea«ofes o f M em or/. ^ b a k is p e ir t’s Songs ajvf Sonntis. Tcnnyswi'fi M ay Qu«ei».J^U ubeih in Po«l».W orfsw onii'» P*»(ofsl Poem*.

~ 8 « « » s n x k s u e > ( ( o r l » « « b e a d f i c M » « * h i a

C hrist * 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 .”

CÆ ngW 9ôd (H arry) Under ike M eteor F lag. 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 u ro ra ," D iu s c ra ic d , s m a ll p o s t8*0, p ilr, ts. I pUiti«f> 5 ; . ^

Colmle ( H E .) Accursed L a n d : JVater W ay &f Edom . i w . 6*/,Compaers. S e e “ G r e a t M u s ic ia 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 (Diittùn) Bùcl ofihePhy. N ew E dition , i roL , 35 td.

C o stu m i. S ec S m ith ( J . M oy*).

B y M a jo r J o n s s .

Wùh achlBss. i,c.

C ta eiiffe { H . C .) T ’9 u t B s k in g in R a p id S h ta m s . Cr. $ ro , 3 /. 6d .

o f A r t . C row n

E le m e n ta ry S i s io r j c f M u sk . C row n 8vo, u . 6 d .

A fi- ^ A r ik itt< iH r e i S o d p . t a r e , O ld M a s « « ; M odem P tim ijn -. O o w n 8vo, 3s. « . ^cb

---------- ^ o n u fa d u r e o fL e a tk e r . W ith m aoy lU ustrarions. 52Î

I> ay o f U f t { A ) ; c r , E v ^ ^ D a y E x U r U » ^ c i E to n B y a o E t o k B o y . if im o , c I « L u O a , u . 6d.

D < iÿs C ^ la e cn x a n E n iydcp< edia o j P rv se Q u o ta tio n s, Im - p«nal 8vo, cJoth, 6 /. '•

D iccra tù m . V oU . I I . to IX . N ew Series, folio, 7 /. ò d eaeb.D of^s tn B i s ^ s t ! i fu i r M a s a g m fn t a n d T rea tm en t. B y A5H-

MONT. CrowD 8vo, <¡1.6d . 'D o n n tU y {rg n a fiu s ) A t la n t is / t>r, i4r A n itd tlw ia n W o rld

?tn t,üabon» 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 vel. lU u ilrated .VrOWB ivo, tZJ. 6r/. ’

D£>*i ( Gvsta7 >€) L ife a n d R tm in iu in a s. B y B L A y c n F R o c s e - v tL T . W itK nutnerous Ulostration» frvm ih e A rtist’» ptcricpusly oq** pvbUsb«^ D raw ings Me<Lucn S to , 24 »

Dou^aU i/a m e s P a /u e f) SM ^ftng: ifs AppHafU4s, P radk«, a n d Purvose. ^*e» Kdicion, rc 'T scd w ith nddiUons. Cfowii S in , W.

"T he buck i8 >t evsjy t i ^ . . > « , IVv wi*b k iVvry tuco<ì4.’'—‘'A T«fT c o c e t e if^ujec. . . . . T.ilr«Jrio bigb lask as u auikxii)' &n

D ram a. S e e C o o k ( D u t t o n ) .

Dyeing. S « B i u d (K . J . ) .

T ^ D U C A T IO N A L W orks p u b l i s h e d in G r e a t l i r i t a m . AClassified Second E diiiw i, Svo, cloih ew ra, ¡s.

E iy p t. S e e “ D e L e o n ,” “ F o r c ig o C o u n tr ie s ."

E igJit M onths on the G ran Ciacto o f the A rstn tin e Republic. 8vo, IV.

RleO ridfy. S e e G o rd o n * .EUiot {Adm . S ir G ) F uture N a v a l B attles, a n d Aow to F i^h i

them . N um erous lllu&tr^rions. K o y il SfCs 14 .

E m erion {R . W .) L ife. U y G . W . C o i7 k e . C ro w n 8 v o , 8 s. 6d. E itg lisk Catalogue o f Books. V o l . I I I . , 1 8 7 2 — x 88o- K o / a l

Svo, haU*nirtr«co, 4J / . Se« »Iso “ Jivle«.”

E ’iglUh Etchinj^i. A P e r io d ic a l p u b l i s h e d M o n th ly .

E n g lifh Pliilosophen. 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 te n d ^ lo gi re a eoneisc v iew of th e w o ik i an d hves o f En^li»h

Ihinkeri. C row n Svo votnmes o f 180 o r SOO p p ., prii^e 3 f. caeh.F ta n d i Bacoo, by TLomo4 Fow ler, ilam iltw u, by W , H . S . M ontk. HAcll«y an d Ja io es MiJI, Uy G. S>

Bower,

*Jo1in S in a /t M ill, by Mis» H elen Taylor.

Shatle^bory an d Ilu lchcs^n, hy ProfesBwr Fow ler.

A ilim S ra iih , b y J . A . Fgrrcr.

E sm arfh i^Dr. F risdricft) Treatm eni o f the W ounded in W ar.N um erous C oloured P lates l l lu j t . , £'*0, »trongly bound, ( / , Sf,

EtcAi»f^. 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 {M odern) o f Celebrated P aintings. 4I 0, 3 1 / . 6*/.

p A R I S B a l la d s . F estiva ls., a n d L e ^ s . See “ R o se L ibrary .”

F a u rU l {C la u d i) L a s t D a y s e f th e C o n su h te . C r. 8 ro , jw . 6d,

P a u 'c a t { E d g a r) A G en tlem a n o f L e isu re , is .

F e ilte n { f f . S t . C ) S o m t P u llic Sekoolsy th e ir C ost a n d ScholiTship«. C row n S to , zs. 6 / .

F en n {G . M anoiH e) O f f to th e iV ild s s A S te r y /< v B o ys.?xoh.teJy lU osliated. Crown 8r o , ?#. 6iA ; also j j .

_______T h e S i lv tr C anon : a T a le o f th e W estern P la in s.UULslratcl, seoaJi p e r t 8ro , gU t, p lainer, 51.

F ffm d l {G rev ilU ) B o o k o f ih e R oach . N ew E d ition , la m o , w .

F im s . S ee 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 ew E d ,, S^o, lo i- F lm in g {ß a n d fo rS ) 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 row s S tv , 6f.

F lo ren e t. See “ Y riarle .”F o lk a r i { R .y ju n .) P la n t L o re , D g e n d s , a n d L y rie s . I llu s -

ira icd . 6vo, its.F ä rb et { H . 0 ) N a tu r a lis fs W a n d erin g s in ih e E a s te r n A r c h i.

pe{i\go. IllusirM cd, Svo, J t i - P m ig H C o un tries a n d B H H sh C olonies. A series o f liesc ripuve

lU n d V x ik s. C row n Stcs 3/ . W . cacb.A ustralia. L y J . t ' . V e s y y n t m a l d , . P cn i, by ClcfocDt« K. ila rk tu fo , AcLflria, by D . Kay» F .K .G .'S . '

•C a n a d a , ^ W . F rw e t EUe.D cT Jiutk 8d>d Iceland , b y F - C.Otbe.F g )'P ^ b y S. Lajte Pvole, 15. A.V rancc, b y M iss M . K obcrts.Genn*J'y, b r S . Faiing-G ould.Greece« tV S e ^ a n l , P .A .

•H o lla n d , by K. L . Pooie.Ja[«Dv by H. ilvtsWJ*».

•N e w Zealand. ^ *•P e ra a , b y Major-G<n. S»t F . G old* . 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, L e tte rs , a n d A necdotes, X799— I ¿46. Svo, {4 /.

CB.R i m a , by \V, K , M orijll, M .A . Spaio ,b y H e» .'V en t« o n li W ebiief. SwffJen and N orw ay, by F , 11.

W oods.•S w tö rrU n d , b y W . A . F , Cooliclfc»

M .A .•Tucl'ey-in-Aw®, by J . C . McCocm,

M.i'.W est Ind ies, b y C H . Eden,

I 'r a r u { M a u d J e a n m ). T h e follow ing form one Series, sm all v c a Sto, m unironn c lo th btndings, w ith glU ed|;e» :—

V erm oot V aie. 5 /.Minn ie’» ^fi&&rea LUele M ercy. 4*.Dcamc« McltoB’4 D isdpline. 4A N o Looi^cr a C hild . 41,Ool'ien OifU. 4/.T w o Sides to E very Q nw ikro . 4/ . Msster of Kakloa, 47,

E b Uv's C hoiw . S/,H u ll X V iaeyarJ, 4/ ,JrA n’s W iié : A S lory o f T.ifr {n

South A uslraha. 4/Msiriaa ; o r. T h e L igh t o f Sw ne

f>ne’» H om e. <aSUken C o rd i an d I m o F e tte » . 4r.lu lo th e L ^ h i . 4/ .

F rands {Francis') E lr te and E th e l: a F a iry TaJe. IH usC rated .Cmwo 8ve, y. &ti,

F rench . S ee “ Ju lico .”F rv ù sa r t, S ee “ L an ie r .'’

L E {F . i th 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 ^ U se and Ab*i«?. C row n Iv o , 6s. ; a few U rge p aper eoi*i«». lo j . 6d. G a r th (F h iiip ) B a lla d s a n d I ’o e m fro m th e l 'a e r e . S m a ll p o s t

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L b é 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 is ’ " r \ s Im itatione Chnsii.*’

F am iliar W ords. A n I n d e x V c r b o ru m , o r Q iio ta tlo D . H a n d , bouk. 6f.

Essays by M m laigne. E d i t e d a n d A n o o U tc d b v t h e A u th o ro i " T b e C enile I.ife,” '

The Gentle L ife , j n d S c r ie s ,

The S ilen i H our; Essays, O riginal and Selected. B y th e A uthor o f " 'I 'h e O eiulc L ife.’'

H alf-L ength Portraits. S h o r t S tu d ie s o f N o t a b l e P e r s o n s .By J . H aIN F tlS W H tl.

Essays on E n ^ ish W ritsn , f o r ih « S e lf - jm p ro v e c n e o t o f 8 (udenU i» English Llceratore,

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G ish rse {IV .) N eiv Zealand R ulers and Statem < n. W i tb Fonrkit». Crowo 8?o,

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------ Physii-al Trealisi on E ledrieity and M agnetism. 2n dE<ikion, enJargcd, v iib colcMired, &c., I Hose. 2 rolt., 8v(>, 42/.

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M a sso n 's S ih o o l E d itio n . A btidgeii {nwti Ihe T ranslatkra I j f R o b e n Uladc, with Chrw iolcgical Index, Ìlis- lori<àl Gene»lcsic^ TaNea, & c. B y P to iew r CusT.<VB frtassos, B .A . W ith 34 full-pagc P om siiti, end o tb er lU astttlions . I v<jl„ 8«o, 6cn3 pp.> iw . 6di

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H a n d s{T .) N up terita l Exercises in Chemistry. C t . 8 t o , 2s. 6 d. A n sv ers separately, 6< .

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,, 111. Dcc«mbo, lS9l» to&fay, XS62.„ IV. Jiuie 10 November, x88i- „ V. Dececnbct, 18S2, to May, «883.

VI. Timcto Nywmlxr, >»3.V II. Decc'«l>er, x88j, to May, 1SS4.

„ V III, June to NoTcmber, 18S4.ÏX . Dcccmb«r, l?K4, to May, 1885.

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g f l ^ t n ( t w M * l ftA<r >»»" — j«C B itt ' ( V * o f » U J CbuK.«»! M < » S (. —Sf, 9W<w<'( 0*4*He. , „ . .

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H attcn (P .) N o rik Borneo. W i tb B io g r a p h ic a l S k e t c h b y Tos. B a t to h . UluMrated froBi Original Drawiags, Map, &c. Svo,iSf.

Ila tlo n i/osepA ) Joum aH stii J.eruim : tvUk E ngravings and Portrait» DisOB^uiatiíd W riten of ehe Day. Keap. 4W, a s . 6d .

________ Three fiecruiis, and the G irls they le ft behiud them.Small post X «o, 6í .

'■ I l h u m e « o s W o o # >0 u m L iC ii" « ^ í i m n .

H eath {Frands George) A u tum nal Leaves. N e w E d J l i c a , with Coloured P la t» in Faoimile from Natur«. Crow't' ax'©, *4 .

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Ji<atA {J-'ranas G m ge) l e m WoHd. W i ih N a t i i r e -p r id ic d to jw ored PU tcs. C r w i S v o , g{U edges, m . 6rf. C he»p E difico , 6t.- - / t f w/ S<fn4 /y . I lJu s lra t« < l, 8 r o , X2 / . 6 / ; N«w Ediuofi, 7i, ' > Í

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oujnerDiu IIIiisiiw k.n» b f E . A . A ü h íy . 410, gllc ed|:cs, 4á í.

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H itckm an, P ublic L ife o f the R ig h t H on, B enjam in LHsraeli, E s r l tri IkacoDsficld. 3 rd Edltiofi, w ith P ortra ii. Crowu Svo, y , f j .

Holmes ( a W endell) Poetical W orks, x t o I s , , i 8 m o ,quiajk ly priBWd, an d c h jite ly fccnnd in lim p cloOi, g ilt top«, to i . f>d.

Homer. Ilia d , done into E n ^ is k Verse. B y A - S . W a t . 5 #.

H udson (W . H .) The P urple L a n d th a t P .ngland L o tt T » v c l« an a Adx-enttir^s in ilie B anda-O n«n(aI, S ouü\ Am erica. 2 v o h , crow n sv o , a i i .

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H ym nal Companion o f Common Prayer. S e e B i c k b u s t b t b .

L is t e f Publualions. , 15

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{O. LfroadeU’« Throvsh Siberia. liliubatcd and unabrlij 107, 6d .

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Lote's S tandard N c u ls . S m a lJ p o s t 8 t o , c lo ih e x tr a , 6s. e a c h , snl«ss o lbcnrU e &tat«d,A D*i2s1it»r o f H «th. B r w . BiACK,I n 9 U X AtMr«. By W. BtACK.K llm w ir A Nowl, By W. F m ck .L ad y 6 UT«r4 ide'» Sw astbM rt. By V f . B laci:.SwwlM, By W. Black.T br«9 PM tLer«. By W iiuAM B lack .A lloe li/orraui«, K. D. BfACKMOKB.Chri»to«»U, IV D A rtaoo r T»l9 . By k . 1>. B lacsm orb.Olikr* T ftiw has . By R , D, Riackmob^CndcHsk N o v e ll h j K . U. B lackuoke.CrlDpe th e OarrWr. Sy R. D, B lackuok il >T«ma ; o r, K 7 Fathar*« 81a . By R . D. Blackmokb.L o n ia EOon«, ]jy H> ^ B la c rk o rb .ICajT A nerl«y. b j R . D. BiIackhohr,T oauay '^[imor«. By R. D. Blackucke.Aa B n^lish Sqqìtc. By M iu ColbbjE’QB.A S to ry « t t)w D ræ o n n sd es ; o r, A aylum Obri>tI. Dyike Rer.

Îi. <jlLUAT, M.A.A LaodlcMiL By TrfOHAS H aIXiv.F a r f r o m tli« Kmddiuff O rovd. Ry Thomas nAfii)r«P a ir trf B lua S 7 «a. By TflOUAi 11 a s: i>v.B «tQ m of tha N a ti v«. By T 3 0 UA5 IIav ov.T ha B ond of E th a lb arta . By T h omas H aid y .T ha T r a m â t K ajo r. By TiioUAS Kahdy.Two o n a lo i r a r . Ry T homas llASoy.ITixa« B o cru ta . Uy Iu6hph Kattok.A O oldaa a o n « v . Cy M n. Caahhi. H o b t. New EdiitojL O n t of O onrt. By Mr». C a so c l IIohv.A dela C atbcart. By Gborcb Mac Doxald.<hul4 C o v i . By G touoc Mac Ln^î^ald. ï f a r 7 H a ra t« a . By Gbokgb M ac D okald .8toph«n A rd ie r . N«wE*L of “ GifCi’' By Geosgb Mac D c>XiU A T ha Vlofti'* S fto tlite r . Ry 0"0RGB Mac Dovac p ,W alebad and V a n t i s r - liy 0 kohob M ac D okai o.D iana. By Mra. Macqcoid.S lin o r D rrd sn . By>frs, MacquoiisIC7 Lady OraenaloeT«*. By HsLFN Matiisil^A laric Spancaley. By Mrs. J . II, K ipneii.S ais ie» a n d B nttarcnps. By Mr». 1. 11. K tnnr t r ,The Senior P*rtfi«r. Ly M n, J . t f . R id d s ll,A S tru ffila f û t fa m e . Ly Mr<. J , H . R îd d b ll.Jack ’* C o v tab ip . Ry W. ClaBK KUa-xaiL.John K oldaw orth. By W. Clark R ossbli.A S ailâ r'a S w eatbaart. By W. ClajiS RuâSiLi.Gaa ûuaen . By W. C1.ASK R ussht j,.W fttcb B alov . Ry W, Claric RussRtL.W r«ok ©f tb a Sroavenor. By W. C lakk Ru i»lll.

J .

L n /s Standat-d Noveh—contìnuiT hs lA Ìy * * 0 4 . By W. C la ìK RussSLL.Xdttle Loo. Dy W. Ci j ^kk R usszll.» F W ife « i 4 I . By Mft. BSSCHOK Stowx.P tw w ie P « p l« , t tw li LoTM *n d Llvea. B r Mra. R Stowz. S«o H n r : » Tale o f th è ChrlM, By L tw . W allacè.T r. «•.............AfiM. —“ • '• ^ i,H<V WU.».» l>7 X.t.kV,

B f COSSTANCft KCNIMOÌB WOOLSOV,^ t h è % A jo r. B y C o \ s t a n c s f a n c m o ib W d o u o N Fre&ch E «lrea» in h«r ow n OhAtMo. S».

Lov/S Handbook io ih t Charities fifLondcn. E d i t e d a n d re v is e d l o d U c b y a U a c k r s o s , F .S .S ,, E d ilo r o f “ A G oide to th« Qrtirshfis of U u d o n tn d it* Suborbs,’•&C. Y early , ti. W,{ Paper, i/.

Lyne {C karhs) N ew Guin<a. IK u s t r a te d , c row Q S v o , x o i . (¡d. ^ A«OTint o f Ihe E stabluhm «nt o f Ui« B ritbb P io iecio ra te o?«r the SoQihcm Shores oi N ew Coin««.

^ C C O R U I C k ( R .) . V cy a g tso fD isc rc e ry in th e A rc tic a n dAnUrctic h t a m tlie "E rebus" and "T em >f,'' <0 SeMcK of

hJr John FrMkbn. f g e ^ « ith Auioljioerapbical Notice bv ihe Author. »Lo T O MedjCBl Officer to each Exi»«li1(on. Wiih Maps and Uiho* graphic, 4«i, lll&iirations, a vols., royal Svcs 5Ji. 6rf.

M a c D o n c ld (¿?.) Q rtj. Sm all post Svo, 6s.

S ee a lso “ Ix>w's S faudard Novels.*

M o ig re g er { J o h i) *• R o b R ^ " on ih e B a U ii. ? r J Edition.small post Svo, w. W ,; clotb, gift edg«, y , W,

---------- A T h o u sa n d M ile s in th e ‘^ R o i R i y " C anoe, xithEdition, small pos* Sto, zs. €d. \ doth, gilt edge*, u . 6d .

— Voyage A lo n e in th e Y o io l " R o b R o y ." N ew E d ition ,»•(h tddmoiks, smtl p o % t Sto, J»,; 3*. W. «id 2r. C d .

M a cq u o id { M rs .). See Low ’s S t a n d a r d N o v e ls .

M a g a zin e . S ee D e c o r a t io n , E s jc u s h E x c h in c s , H a rp e ji ,

M a p n n ( i f '. ) M isceU anies. P ro se a n d Verse. W ith M em oir, t cou., crown Svo, 24/.

M a n ito b a . See B sy cb .

M anninff {E . E ) D d i^ k lfu t Thames. lU u a t r a te d . 4 10 , f a n c y kwf<1s, Sf.

M arkham {C% Tlte TTtreshold o f the U ninofva R t/fin .CfoiTn S to , w ith F o u r M aps. 4 th Edition. C lo th ex tra , lOi.

----------- - W eir le lu tm ñ r u and Chí/t, i S 7 9 >i3 S i . T h i r d E d .CruwQ Sro, w iih MapSj (0<.

S e e a l s o “ F o r e i g n C o u n t r i e s ,”

M a rsh a l ( JV. G . ) Thrcntgh Am erüa. N e w E 4 , , c r - 8 v(?, 7 ; . 6d . M a rlia { y . W .) F loat F ishing and S fin n in g in the Nottingham

Siyti, New Editicpn. Crown Svo, zj. f j ,

M aury {Commander) Physical Gee'graphy o f the Sea, a n d ilt Mefeorolüi.'y, New Edition, with Cliaxls aod Di*x*T«n»» cr. 8vo, 6 t .

M en o f M a r i: a GetHery o f Contemporary F ortraiis o fth e m oitEniiuent >fen o i ihe D iy. specially taken irom Life. CompUte in Sev«B Vols,, 4to, h£ndsomcly boujxl, cJolb, ¡^ t ed^'es, «51. each.

M endelsiolin F am ily {The), 1 7 2 9 — 1 8 4 7 . F r o m L e t te r s a n dJounidJ». Trvtslated. New EdSiion, 2 < ^ 6., Sro, jor.

Mendeissohn. S e e a b o G r e a t M u s ic ia n s , ' '

M trrifield 's N au tica l Astronom)/. C ro w n 8 7 0 , 7 i - 6 d.M illa rd { // . B .) B r ig h fs Disease o f ike Kidneys. IJ lu slT Ä ted .

Svo l i t . 6d.

M itchell {D . G .; I k . M a rte l) W oris. U n i f o n n E d i l io n ,smA>1 Sto. Sf. each.

]{ound together. Doctor Johns.D r « a o i l i i o . O ui-)f-Tw n Pkee«.

Reverie« of a Bachetor«Seven Stories, Qascincut and Arüc« We< D»y« (U EdgewvcMi.

M ilford {M ary RusseU) O ur Village. W i t t 1 2 fu U -p a p e a n d 1 5 7 smaller Cull. Cr. 4I0, c)otb, gUtedges, g u , : cheaper binding, tOf. 6d .

MoUeil ( f W .) Illu stra ted D ictionary o f W onls used in A r t and Arciucology. Tenns in Architccnire, Arm«, Brontes. Cht»»tiAn Art, CoJotir, Costome, neciKalwn. Devices, Emblem^ Herald rj, I^ca, PecK>nal Omsunenca, Pottery, Painluig, Seulpltre. &c. Small 4to, i j j .

M orley {H .') E nglish L iterature in the Reign o f Victoria,2CM(h volome of rhc Tauchnic2 Collection of Authwcs. iSmo, i t . 6d .

,Mvntw>d ( V, S .) O ur G if sics in C ity, Tent, a n d Van. 8 vo , tS .

M u ller { E ^ Noble W ords andN olde Deeds. B 7 P h i m p p o t r a u x .Sijoate imperial l 6mo, cloih extra, 7#. 6/ ; p laiaa binding, 5/,

M usic. S e u “ G r e a t M u s ic ia n s .”

IV Zeaiand. S e e B ra d s h a w .

N m Zealand R u le n and Staitspun. S o c G is b o rn e , N fW hig^in's SkcichAS a n d x8 m o , 4 i.

N fcholh { J . H . K fr ty ) The K in g Country i E xfdora tiom inNew Zealfcnd. JUny Illustration« aj>d Map. l ie v Edillon, Svo, 2ii.

Nichols<m ( C ) W ffrk and W p rkm p f the S r itish Assoeiaiifffu (2mo, t i~

//¿ xo n ( / . ) C m pleie Si&ry o f the Transvaal. S v o , l i f . 6 / .

H ordhoff{C .) California, fo r lle a lih , Pleasure, and Residence. New EJilion, Svu, wiik and lUusiratio&s, t i e . 6J .

N orthbrook Gallery. E d i t e d b ? L o r d R o n a ld G o w e r , 3 6 P e r - maaeae rbvlosraphs. Imperial 410, O3/.; laif» p«p«r> 105 .

N ursery P iaym atts iP r in a o f) . 3 1 7 C o lo u r e d P i c tu r e s fo r CluJdrai Ijf eminent A nise. Folio, in coloured boards, &.

f ^ B R I E N {R . 5 . ) F ifty Years o f Concessions to Ireland. ^ With a Porlcaif o fT . I^ itto io u j. Vol. I ., i6 j. j I I , i6j.O rvis ( C . F ^ Fishing w tk the F ly . I l l u s t r a t e d 8 v*o, X2 i . 6 d.O ur L ittle Ones in Heaven. E d i t e d b y t h c R ev. K . R oB D W s.

With Ffonddpiece aAw Sir JOSHOA RBYt«OLDS. Keif Edition, 5t.Oiven {D ougloi) M arine In sn ra n a N otes and Clauses. N e w

E d iilua , 14/ .

p A J Z r S E R {M rs,) A H istory o f Lace. N e w E d i t i o n , w ithadditional cuts test. Svo, Si/.

------------ The China Collector's Focket Companion- W i l l i u p -of 1000 Illustratiuaa uf Marks u>d Muiioijranis. Soiall Svo»

Pascoe ( C E .) London o f To-D ay. l I lu & U c r o w n S v o , 3 i , td . F harm aco^ia o f ih4 U nited States o f America. 8 vO , 2 1 J .

P hilpo t { H / . ) Diabetes M eUitus. C rov^n S v o , 5 ^.

------------D ie t System , T h r e e T a W e s , i n c a s e s , \s . e a c b .

P in lo (M a jor Serpa) H ow I CrossedA/rUn. W i th 2 4 iuU -p ju reand 1x8 ba r -p ig e a o d im allcr lUuslrtüciLV t 3 smaJl H»pg, utd one. i T0X9. , ilvo, 4 i» , ' *

P iu n ^ tt {M ajor G . R ) P tifru r e f O rihogniphü Projection. J lem eniary P n c o c a l S olid C e o m c tr j clearly cip la \n«d . W itli P rw b l«w s Kxere»««. .S p eo JJy adap ted fo r S d en ce aeid A rtO ais« * , a n d fw S todcBts w bo bave n o t d ie a id o f t Teacber.

Poe {E . A .) The Patsen. I l lu s t r . b y D o s i I m p e r i a i fo lio , 6 3 Ì.

P>ems o f thè In n er ¿ i/e . C h ie f ly f ro m M o d e r o A o th g r s . & saJI Svo, ¡i.

P oiar E xp ia tio n s. S e e G iL D U R , M a r k h a i i , M c C o r ü x c k .

P orter (N oah) E U nunts o f M oral S iien it. r o j . (td.Poii<Il { iV .) W anierings ifl a W ild C can tfy; or. Three Yean

am ong th e C ajiniU Is o f N ew B ritain. lU ostr., 8w , iSi.; c r ¡Svo, it.Pmt>eT {Prank) le tte r s fro m K hartoum tturing the Siege

Fcap , Svo, boarUs, u . *

Po}-nter {E fh u jrd J ., H .A .). S e e “ I l l u s t r a t e d T e x l -b o o k s .”

P uiO skeri C ircular {The), o iid General Record ( f B ritish ana Foreign Liferatoro. F ttb lah ed c a th e : s t an 4 15U1 o f e r e r j Monili, 3Ä

J O B B E R {F .) H istory o f A ncient A r t. 8 vo , x8.p,

P edfcrd (G .) A ncient Sculpture. C ro w n S v o , ¡ s .

R ichter {D r. Jean P out) Ita lia n A r t in the N ational G a lley. 4to . IDsistnited. Clotl) g ilt, a , z j ; bAlf-owecco, oncnt, t l , l u . 6 d .

S e e a J so L e o n a r i>o d a V in c i .

R iddell {M rs. J . H ) S e e L o w ’s S t a n d a r d N o v e l s .

P o lin H ood: M erry Adventures e f. W r i t te n a n d iU u s lra te d b y H o w A iD PvLB. Imperiftt 8ro , I j / ,

Robinson {P h il) Jn m y Indian Garden. C ro w n S v o . l im n doiJ), 5 ; . ^ F

Rol/inson Ind ian Garden Series, is 6 d. ; b o d rd S r i f . w c h .I , Cha.«ing a Koniuie, à c , : S turìes. I I . T i ^ n a t L vgft.

------ Hoah's A r i. A Cffniribuium U th t S tu d y o f U nnaluralH istory. S a u Jl pObC S«o> l i t . 61 .

S ian fT i and Sa in ts .* a T our aeross tM U nited S ta iis o fA iserica , an d R ound tlKin. Cruwn 8 t o , lOs. 6d.

-------Under the P tinkah. C ro w n 8 t o , l i m p c lo th » 5 / .

Rotksiro ( IV . S .) ffis to iy c f M ujts.Rodrigues { J . C .) T X i P anaina Canal. C r o m i 8 v o , d o t h

"A ten«« of rvnulsUe srdeU» . . . a ntnc of Talubl* dau Car effic« ud diylsBAii»,''—A'af Y rkNattm.R oland; the S to ry o f. C r o w n S v o , D Iu sirA ted , ts .R o s ii^ .) C<mplelePracticaiM achinist. N e w E d . , x 9m o , i i J . 6 / i

-------- — M uhanieal D n tw ing , 'tU u s lra le d , e m a il 4 10 , i 6f.

Rose L ibrary {The), P o p u l a r l i t e r a t u r e o f a J l C o u n tr ie s . E a c h voiamc, u . ; clotii, sr. 6^ . M a n ; o f th« Volaoi«» »re IUu»tr*led— l i i t t le Womofw By Louisa M. A lc o tt .L ittio W om en W edded. Form ing a Sequel to " liU le Wcosen. "

L ittle W om en and L ittle W om en W oddad. I toL , cloth g ilt,^ . 6a.

L irtie K en . B y L. M . A tco T T . a# ,; cJoih giJi, y . Cd,A n 0 ]i3*Fasliioned GUjL By Loui&a' M. AlCOtt> 2 t. ', doth,

3i. 6d.W ork. A Sioiy of Experience. B j L. M. ALCort, 3/. 6rf,; i vuls.

ir . cach,G tova ( K n . H . B.) T be F e a f l o t Orr*« lelaiid.-------- Tha Mlniflter’a Wooing.— W e and our K elghboure. &r.; clofh ^It, Cf,--------M y W ife a n d L u . ; ckHh t , 6i.E a n e B r is k e r ; or, th e SUver Skatea, By M n. Dodoe.M y S in d r W ladow a. By J . EL LoWRt,i_T he O u u d ia n A n^el, By Ou t r s W e 'DBLL IfCLbiss.K y Snnuner in a O arden. C. H, W asnrk.S rad . By M rs. B bbcoiji S to w i. is .; cloth p it , 6dC F a rm Sallada. By W i l l Cablbtoi«.F a m Foetlv*!«. By W il l Caxlbtok.

Rese U ò rary ( The)— (cniinued,P a r m L « r e a 4 t . B y W jì.l C a jilst o k .

Th® O U « n ti OÍ D i. ii. tacb.Th® U s d ls o e r e r ^ d C o o n try . B y \V . U H ow zLLS. ¡t. 6d- aod ìt. B a b y S u » . U y c . M . C l a t . 3», W . a o d l i .

T h « B o M f n B lo o m . B y I - M . A l c o t t . ft/. -, cloili gSli,E i e b t O o v a is j . E y L . M . A l c o t t . ts. •, clcpih g ilt , 3#. 6J.V n d « r t h è t i l n c e . By L . M- A l c o ì t . a / . ; also ¡r. frf,S i lv e r P l t c l i t r s . B y L oursA M . A l c o t t . j r . 6J . an d u . Jham y» O n tÌM i a th® “ P la a fo p * ,” ajnl w h c r T a l« . By

rx>oiSA >L A l c o t t . a / . ; do»h gìU, 3#. 6a'.J a c k a& d J i lL By LouTSA M . A L C O tr. 5#.; u . n u h n U ì. B y lh o AuihOT v f th è “ Cayw onliys.” 3 voU.. l i.e ac li:

1 Toi, dfiiii jpit, 3A ey, - » /F r i e n d # : a » u e t . B y E . S ryA R T P b i j ^ s . 3 / , 6 /.A O en U « m aii o f L e i s a r e . A N u re l. B r S p c a r F a w c b t t

3s. 6J . ; l i . ’Ih ® S to r y o f i c i a n T te y . 3 / . érf; ; al»y u .

(M ari,- a n d Sloneìuw er C<x>pcr) H igh la n is 0/ Cantabria ; or» n i r e e D ays Ìrotn Eftgland. lU uutdiioos an d i f a p , Svo, su .

R e u n i i h Yule i N c r w ^ a n Folk a n d R a ìry Tales. l ^ s ) a i e . i f n >02 th è Xonvcj.-ian o f P . C h » . Asnft^iKSBM, W iih ic o U Ju ira tif« * sf ie r drawitig« ijyN w m 'egiaji Ani«(%. an d a n Iotrodncili>n by E . \V Goste. Im p l. jSmft, cioLk « t n , g ilt edges, ? ì. 6 i and j»«

R onsselit { /^u ìs) Si>n e f ¿he Cfinstaèle 0/ I-rana . S ro a ll p o s t Svo, nomcTOUs Illasrratim is, 5 ,

-------- — K in g e / thè T ig en : a S tory o f Central in d ia . l i lu s -IfBied. S u d i p o s i 8vcs g llt, 6ì . j p lu n e r . J ì .

' D rum m er U ey. I l lu s t r a te d . S m a ll p o s t 8t o , j i ,

RoU'loiJiam {F .) T rip to P rairie / W . D i e S h a d y S id e o f tmigraiiofl. 5#.

R u fsell ( iV . C lark) E nglish C hannel P orts am i the E sta teo f th e E a i t sc d W est Itid ja D c<k CompAny. C row n Svo, t i .

J a c k s CourUhip. 3 v o ls . , 3 1 Í . 6d .\ x v o i , 6 i .

JiusseU ( Ì T , C lark) T7u L jify ¿ ia ud . 3 v o la ., 3 1 ^. 61/ . ; i ? o L , 6t.

U itU Lae. N e w E d i t i o n , s m a l l p o s t S v o , 6 / .

------ M y W atch B e h w : or, Yarns Spun a>Men o jf D u ty .S n u ll p o s t Svo,

—— Sailor's Lnitguage. O lu ^ t ra te d . C r o w n S v o , 3 i - 6*/.

— Sea Quoen. 3 toIs., $ u . 6 t l . ; J v*ol., 6s.S/range Foya^f, N a u t i c a l N o v « l . 3 v o ls . , c ro w n 8 v o ,

31J. 6j .------ W rtc i c f ih t Grosvinor. 4 10 , 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 o t r l s -

C ^A IN T S o n i their Sym bols: A Companion in the ChunrlusO gjid ricLorc G J le rtc s o i E u rope. Illu s tn ccd . k o ^ a l l6030, J / . 6J-Salisbury (L ord ) L ife and Speeches. B y F . S . P iilU n u , M .A .

W itL IliylOipfiviaT« P o rttn il o f Locd SaJisLriiry. 2 t o t . , w o irn 8ro , 21A

Saunders (A .) O ur Dotnestic B ird s : P oultry in EngU ind and N ew 7 ^ A » d . Cf<iwn S to , ¿f.

Seherr {P ro f y . ) H istory o f E n ^ ish L iterature. C r . S t o , S i , 6 d,SeAley. Jieseue o f Greely. M a p s a n d I l lu s t r a t i o n s , S v o , x s i . 6d.Schuyler {F.ugcne). The L ife o f P eter the Great. B y F . l 'c e n e

^CHUVLBS, A uthor o f “ T a ik esla fl." 2 « o ls . , i» o , 3*i.

Sehtveinfurtk (^Georf) H eart o f A frica. T h r e e Y e a i s ’ T ra v e ls and A d v n itu it« in (be U m stpiored Reyions o f C enlrel Africa, &om jb C iilo 1871. I))&smiions ai»1 l a t ^ M ap. 2 ro ls.. cro^^n t j ; .

Scott {Leader) Renaissanee o f A r t in Ita ly . 4 t o , 3 1 ^ . (id.Sea, R iver, and Creek. B y G a r b o a k d S t r r v k e . The Eastern

CoAsl. (2mo> u.Senior (W .) W aterside Sketches. I m p , 3 2 mc>, is.Cd., b o a r d s , is.ShadboU a n d M aikinncn 's South A frican C a w p a i^, 1 8 7 9 .

C onU toin^ fi p o n ra it t n d b iopraphy of ci'cry officer w ho Jost his ur«. 410, hw ii^oiaeS ; LoiuiJ, i l. lO/*.

S fusdM l {S. H .) A fghan C am /a ip ii o f 1 8 7 8 — i $ 80 . B ? S y d s b y S h a d b o l i , z voU., royal quarto, doth extra. 3/.

Siajespeare. E d i l e d h y R , G r a n t W h i t k . 3 v o ls „ c ro w n S?«, g ilt top , j 6i , ; AHrioH de }uxr, 6 \o\s., 8»o, clo*h e*lra, 6 jy.

Skaif]pM rf. S e c a l s o W iii i-E ( R . G b a n t X

• ' Shooft'ng N iagara / ' or, The L a s t D ays o f Caueuda. B y th e AaiJiox o f “ Th« N ew Lvm& cracy." Sm all post Svo, bc*ids, i t .

Sidney {S ir PkiH p) A rcadia. K c w E d i t io n , ts .S iegfried : The S tory c f n iu s t iM e d , c ro w n 8 v q , c lo lh , 6s.S itT iJa irfA irs.) TndigtKcms FUrwers o f the H aw aiian Islands.

44 P lates in Coloor. Im p . folio , e* tra landing, g ift edg«8, 3 if . id.S ir Roger d£ Ctn>erîey. R e - im p r in t e d f ro m t h e " S p e c t a t o r . ”

W iih *25 W oodciKs Mid special s t e d iro u ii ip ie c t , SnwiH fieap. 4*«, 6i.

S m ith iG i) A ssyrian E xplorations and IH se^em es. I l lu s t r a le d by M icnognplu stnd Wo&dcui*, N e » W itio n , dem y Svo, 18/.

----------- ; The Chaldean Account o f Genesis. W i th m a n y U lu s*reviicd ts)d re-raU«Ji by ra0»BS80»!

S a y c s , ( ^ e e a s CoU«g«, O rfs rd , 8ra , îS î.

Sm ith { J . M oyr) A ncient Greek Female Ccstumc x i « fuU - p«g« P lates aj)d o th er iM ieirstiona. C row n Svo, ^l. €d.

------ ^ H ades o f Ardenne : a V isit to the Caves ( fH a n . C ro w n«V0, Iltu$tr»icd, 5/ .

“ Legendary Studies, and eiher Sh lchcs fo r DecorativeFigcf« r* n e l4 ^5. ôrf.

------------ W oçing o f Æ ihra . I l lu s t r a te d . $2m o, is.Sm ith (Sydney) L ife and Tïm es B y S t u a r t T. R e i d I l lu s ­

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ÎÀ st e f P tiH kaiieits. g jSomrrsef {L a iy i K ) O ur ViHage L ife W o r d s a n d I D u s l r a t io n t

1 hiity Coloofed Plate*, rcyal 41a, fancy covers, 5*Spanish and Frtnch A tiis is . B y G fiR A £D S m i t h . (P o y i i te r ’s

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Spry { W . J. , R .N ^ C ru iit e f IL M -S . ChtU ltnger'' 'V i th m any Tliostraiiuns. 6<>i K<iUion, ¿x*«, elocl), t&f. Clieap Rdltiou, cpowii S'.'u, 7 a 6Z

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--------— H eidP i F u rtliirE xp irkn c ts. I l l u s t , s tn , p o s t 8v o , 4 f . 6 d.Stanley { II. C^m ^, and F sandin^ ils Free SlaU . I l lu s t r a te d ,

% Vol«., StO, t f i S .

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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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