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SPAIN IN 1830.
SPAIN IN 1830.
BY
HENRY D. INGLIS,
AUTHOR OF “SOLITARY WALKS THROUGH MANY LANDS;” “A JOURNEY
THROUGH NORWAY,” &c. &c.
IN TWO VOLS.
VOL. II.
LONDON:
WHITTAKER, TREACHER, AND CO., AVE-MARIA LANE.
1831.
LONDON:
PRINTED BY S. MANNING AND CO.,
London-house-yard, St. Paul’s.
CONTENTS OF VOL. II.
CHAPTER XII.
JOURNEY FROM MADRID THROUGH LA MANCHA,
ACROSS THE SIERRA MORENA, AND BY
CORDOVA TO SEVILLE.
PAGE
Different Modes of Travelling to Seville; Journey to Aranjuez; the
Gardens of Aranjuez; Ocana; a Spanish Supper; Polinario, the ci-devant
Robber; History of his Change of Life; La Mancha, and Journey to
Manzanarez; Madridlejos and its Population; Husbandry of La Mancha;
Puerto Lapiche, and References to Don Quixotte; Manzanarez; Journey to
the foot of the Sierra Morena; Consolacion, and its miserable People;
Val de Peñas and its Wine, and Details; Explanation of a Passage in Don
Quixotte; the Venta de Cardenas, and the Sierra Morena; Mountain Images;
Journey on muleback across the Sierra Morena; the New Settlements, and
their Condition; Descent into Andalusia; Novel Prospects; Baylen; a
Defence against Mosquitos; Picturesque Views; Anduxar; Journey from
Anduxar to Cordova; the Plain of the Guadalquivir; extraordinary Aloes,
and Uses of the Aloe; charming Situation of Cordova; its former
Splendour and present Wretchedness; Lead Mines; the Mosque; Journey to
Seville; Striking Views; Political Sentiments of a Barber of Ecija;
Carmona; View of Seville, and Arrival 1
CHAPTER XIII.
SEVILLE.
Madrid not the sole Capital of Spain; Peculiarities of Seville; Moorish
Customs; the Streets; the Population; Manner of Living in Andalusia;
Society; Morals; the Archbishop; the Dean; the Convents; frequency of
Murder in Andalusia, and its Causes; Serenading; Superstition in
Seville, and examples of it; extraordinary Facts; the Paseo; Andalusian
Women; _Oracion_; _Las Delicias;_ Orange-Groves; Details respecting the
Orange Trade of Seville; the Cathedral; the Capuchin Convent; _La
Caridad_, and Murillo’s Pictures; Private Collections; the Alcazar and
its Gardens; the Tobacco Manufactory; Roman Remains; Seville as a
Residence; Prices of Provisions; Descent of the Guadalquivir, and its
Banks; Optic Deception; St. Lucar; Night Journey; Port St. Mary; the Bay
of Cadiz, and the City 46
CHAPTER XIV.
XERES, AND ITS WINES.
Journey to Xeres; the Vineyards, and their Produce; Amount of Export,
and Official Tables for Ten Years; average Export and Price; Increase in
the Trade; the Xeres Grape; Details respecting the Manufacture of
Sherry; Pale Sherry and Brown Sherry; a curious Sherry; Amontillado;
Adulterated Sherries, Inferior Sherries, and Low-priced Sherries; the
Xeres Cellars; Varieties in Taste of Sherries; Knowledge of the
Merchants; Management of the Vineyards; Wine Houses in Xeres and in Port
St. Mary; Price of Sherry in Cadiz; Port St. Mary; the Theatre, and
Liberal Opinions; Strength of the Liberal Party in this Neighbourhood;
Return to Cadiz by Land; Isla; the Tongue of Cadiz....98
CHAPTER XV.
CADIZ, AND JOURNEY OVERLAND TO GIBRALTAR.
Peculiarities of Cadiz; a Fête; the Ladies of Cadiz; curious Whims and
Usages; Morals; the Religious Bodies; Murillo’s last Picture; Mr.
Brackenbury’s Pictures; Remarks upon Consular Remuneration; the two
Cathedrals; effects upon the Commercial Prosperity of Cadiz, from its
having been created a Free Port; State of the Road between Cadiz and
Gibraltar; Departure from Cadiz; Chiclana; Morning Scenes; a Venta; the
African Coast; Wild Scenery; Dangers of the Road; Suspicious
Circumstance; Tariffa; another Venta; Journey through the Mountains to
Algesiras; View of Gibraltar; Arrival 119
CHAPTER XVI.
GIBRALTAR. MALAGA.
Picture of the Street Population of Gibraltar; the Construction of
Houses favourable to Epidemic; Scenery, union of Nature and Art; the
_Agremens_ of Gibraltar as a Military Station; high Prices in Gibraltar;
the Alameda; the Excavations; Walk to the Summit; the Monkeys;
Magnificent View; Sunday in Gibraltar; Trade; the Epidemic; Extortion at
the Passport Office; Voyage to Malaga; View of the City from the Sea; a
strange Usage; Pictures of Idleness; facility of Living in Malaga; Bad
Character of the Population; an Anecdote; Public Edifices; Society;
Morals; Italian Opera; curious Scenes; a perilous Situation; the Wines
of Malaga; Produce, and Export of Wines; Malaga Sherry; Export of
Fruits; the Raisins of Malaga; Trade with England; Excursions in the
Neighbourhood; Water-Coolers; Prices of Provisions....156
CHAPTER XVII.
JOURNEY FROM MALAGA TO GRANADA.--GRANADA.
Different Routes to Granada; Ascent of the Malaga Mountains; an Anecdote
illustrative of Spanish Morals; Picture of a Venta and its Inmates;
Night Arrangements, beautiful situation of Loxa; the Venta de Casin;
first View of Granada; Reflections; the Situation of Granada and its
Vega; the Alhambra; St. Michael’s Mount, and its Singularities;
excavated Dwellings; View from the Mount; extraordinary Changes in
Temperature; a Fire in Granada, and the curious means resorted to for
extinguishing it; Superstition; the Cathedral; the Convents; the
Archbishop; Husbandry in the Vega of Granada; State of Agriculture; the
Duke of Wellington’s Estates; Effects of the Loss of the Colonies; the
Paseos of Granada; the Population; the Market; Usages; the Italian
Opera 201
CHAPTER XVIII.
JOURNEY FROM GRANADA TO MURCIA.--MURCIA.
The best mode of travelling this Road; Precautions necessary; the
Village of Huetor, and its Venta; Aspect of the Country; an Encounter;
Diezma; singular Scenery; Guadix; Journey from Guadix; excessive Cold;
Baza, and its Valley; Cullar de Baza; excavated Dwellings; a probable
intention of Robbery; Chirivel; Desolate Country on the confines of
Murcia; Puerto; the Vale of Lorca; Dress of the Murcian Peasantry; Lorca
Market; the Cathedral, and Liberality of the Archbishop of Carthagena;
Totana; a Dance; Approach to Murcia, and extraordinary beauty of its
Vale; Murcia, its Streets and Population; Magnificent View from the
summit of the Cathedral Tower; Paseos and Environs; a ridiculous
Observance; Prices of Provisions; Manufacture of Salt-Petre; Silk
Manufacture; Agriculture 248
CHAPTER XIX.
JOURNEY FROM MURCIA TO ALICANT.--ALICANT; AND JOURNEY FROM ALICANT TO
SAN FELIPE AND VALENCIA.
Winter in England and in Spain; Journey from Murcia; Orihuela and its
Huerta; Inhabitants, and Superstition; a Muleteer’s Story; La Granja,
and effects of the Earthquake of 1829; Elche, and its Forest of Palms;
Commerce; the Date; arrival at Alicant; magnificent Houses; Situation of
Alicant; the Feast of the Patron Saint; peculiarity in Alicant Society;
Political Restrictions on Society; the Trade and Exports of Alicant;
Barilla, the Huerta; an extraordinary Law-suit; Dangerous Road to San
Felipe; Montforte, Novilda, and Elda; the Feast of the Concepcion
Purissima; Sax, and Villena; Recontre with Moorish Physicians; Fuente de
Higuera; Soldiers’ Opinions; charming Scenes; the Algarrobo; arrival at
San Felipe; magnificent Moorish Remains; Relics of Moorish Customs;
Journey to Valencia; Conversation with a Dominican Friar; the Plain of
Valencia; Spring and Autumn in Spain; arrival at Valencia 283
CHAPTER XX.
VALENCIA.--JOURNEY TO BARCELLONA.
Bridges, River, Convents; prevalence of Religious Bigotry; Moorish
Remains; Beggars, and the cause of their abundance in Valencia; the
Archbishop; the University; Academy of Fine Arts; the Cathedral and its
Tower; the plain of Valencia and its productions; Rice Grounds and their
produce; produce of Silk, and Silk Trade; export of Fruit; prices of
Provisions; Pictures; Valencia Society; the Ladies of Valencia; the port
of Valencia; Paseos; Valencia Tiles; Journey to Murviedro, (the ancient
Saguntum); Convento de los Reyes; Murviedro, its Fortress, and Ruins of
Saguntum; an Arrest; a visit from the Alcalde; Journey to Tarragona;
pleasing Scenes; Catalunia; Catalunian industry and its causes;
Tarragona, its Antiquities and Cathedral; Provincial Dialects; sorting
of Nuts, and the Nut trade; Journey to Barcellona, and arrival 327
CHAPTER XXI.
BARCELLONA--JOURNEY TO THE FRONTIER.
General Character of Barcellona, and its Population; Paseos, Ramparts,
and Fortifications; the Conde de España; his Policy; Interview with the
Conde; his Character and Government; Anecdotes of his Government;
Political Feeling in Barcellona; Churches and Convents; the Opera;
Monjuich; Barcellonetta; Decrease of Trade with England, and its Causes;
General Trade of Barcellona; an Execution; the Priesthood and the
People; a Miracle in 1827; Prices of Provisions; Visit to Monserrat;
Journey from Barcellona to the Frontier; Delightful Scenery; Proofs of
Catalunian Industry; Gerona Figueras; the Pyrennees;
Reflexions 365
SPAIN IN 1830.
CHAPTER XII.
JOURNEY FROM MADRID THROUGH LA MANCHA, ACROSS THE SIERRA MORENA, AND BY
CORDOVA TO SEVILLE.
Different Modes of Travelling to Seville; Journey to Aranjuez; the
Gardens of Aranjuez; Ocana; a Spanish Supper; Polinario, the
ci-devant Robber; History of his Change of Life; La Mancha, and
Journey to Manzanarez; Madridlejos and its Population; Husbandry of
La Mancha; Puerto Lapiche, and References to Don Quixotte;
Manzanarez; Journey to the foot of the Sierra Morena; Consolacion,
and its miserable People; Val de Peñas and its Wine, and Details;
Explanation of a Passage in Don Quixotte; the Venta de Cardenas,
and the Sierra Morena; Mountain Images; Journey on muleback across
the Sierra Morena; the New Settlements, and their Condition;
Descent into Andalusia; Novel Prospects; Baylen; a Defence against
Mosquitos; Picturesque Views; Anduxar; Journey from Anduxar to
Cordova; the Plain of the Guadalquivir; extraordinary Aloes, and
Uses of the Aloe; charming Situation of Cordova; its former
Splendour and present Wretchedness; Lead Mines; the Mosque; Journey
to Seville; Striking Views; Political Sentiments of a Barber of
Ecija; Carmona; View of Seville, and Arrival.
The heats of summer had now so far subsided, as to justify a change from
the elevated plain of Castile, to the warm shores of Andalusia.
Accordingly, being provided by the kindness of my friends in Madrid,
with letters for the captains-general of the southern provinces, and for
numerous private individuals, all which, together with the letters to
his majesty’s consuls, and to mercantile houses, brought with me from
England, formed a budget of no contemptible size or value, I prepared
for my long and fatiguing journey.
But although, in leaving Madrid to traverse the southern and
south-eastern provinces of Spain, the traveller naturally anticipates in
this journey of not less than sixteen hundred miles, many privations,
and some dangers; there are also a thousand delightful and novel
associations to excite his expectation. La Mancha, and the memory of its
courteous knight; and the thousand reminiscences with which the genius
of Cervantes has hallowed it,--the Sierra Morena, and its wild histories
and lawless banditti,--Seville, which, with its orange groves and
Guadalquivir, its masks and serenades, holds in the mind a sort of
fabled existence,--Granada, its Alhambra, and snowy Sierras, and the
host of historic and romantic recollections with which it is
peopled,--Murcia, and its groves of date trees, its earthquakes, and
ruined villages, and benighted inhabitants. Valencia, and its rich
plains and eternal summer, its gorgeous city and majestic antiquities.
There is only one road from Madrid to Seville; but there are various
modes of travelling it. Diligences, which leave Madrid twice a week,
perform the journey in four days and a half; resting every evening from
about seven, till a little after midnight. Galeras, on springs, which
have no regular day of departure, but which are to be found every week,
perform the journey in ten days. A private coach and seven mules may be
hired, by which eleven or twelve days will be occupied on the road; or
this journey may, like every other in Spain, be performed by mules, and
by this mode of conveyance, fourteen days must be allowed. But none of
these modes altogether pleased me; because the road between Madrid and
Seville is so varied in the degree of interest which it possesses, that
no single conveyance could unite the advantages of rapidity and
slowness, essential to the enjoyment of the traveller who wishes to
linger in those parts where peculiar attractions are to be found, and to
pass rapidly over those uninteresting tracts that stretch between one
point of interest and another. I resolved, therefore, to travel from
Madrid to Ocaña, by Aranjuez, in a _caleche_; to take the diligence
through La Mancha, to the foot of the Sierra Morena; to cross the Sierra
to Anduxar on muleback; and there to be guided by circumstances and
information, as to the mode of journeying to Seville.
I left Madrid at half-past six in the morning; and for the last time,
passed out at the gate of Toledo, and across the magnificent bridge
which spans the insignificant brook dignified by the name of the river
_Manzanares_. If the Tagus, which flows but seven leagues distant,
filled the wide channel which is now scarcely moistened by the scanty
waters that ooze through it,--what beauty, what wealth, would it carry
to the metropolis of Spain! What a belt of verdure would girt the
capital--what delicious shades,--what charming freshness! How contrasted
in imagination with the treeless desert that now lords it on every
side. But it is possible to suppose even greater changes than this; it
is said to have been a favourite topic with Joseph Buonaparte, to speak
not merely of diverting the waters of the Tagus to Madrid, but of
connecting the capitals of Spain and Portugal by a navigable
communication. There is only one step more needed, to present us with a
vision of regenerated Spanish power, wealth, and glory--the annexation
of Portugal to Spain,--the Peninsula one empire, and wisely governed.
The country between Madrid and Aranjuez presents little to interest,--it
is cursed with dryness. In most parts the cultivation of corn is
attempted, but the crops are scanty; and here and there are seen a few
copses of degenerate olives. Vines are also grown on some of the slopes,
but they are said hardly to repay the labour of the husbandman. At
Valdemoros, a Moorish town, as the name implies, and formerly celebrated
for its stocking manufactory, I stopped to take a cup of chocolate; and
about one o’clock I crossed the magnificent bridge over the Jarama,
erected by Charles III., and entered the valley of Aranjuez, where I
arrived after about half an hour’s drive along the first perfectly
shaded road I had seen since leaving Biscay. I had only a few hours to
spend in Aranjuez, being desirous of reaching Ocaña that evening; and
therefore I immediately presented myself to the governor, Don Lorenzo
Bonaria, to whom I carried an introductory letter from the Duque de
Montemar.
The charm of Aranjuez is entirely of a different kind from that which
belongs to St. Ildefonso. The latter would be beautiful if the aid of
art had never been sought. The neighbouring Sierra, and the natural
woods that clothe its sides, and hang upon its defiles, would possess
charms--even if man had never looked upon the scene to make it his own.
Aranjuez, on the other hand, would never have been distinguished by any
peculiar attraction, if the kings of Spain had not erected a palace
there; and if the wealth which, in past ages, so copiously flowed into
the coffers of these monarchs, had not been employed to make the spot
worthy of a palace. A site however was chosen, where it was possible to
accomplish much by the united aid of money and perseverance. The Tagus,
during about three leagues of its course, before reaching, and after
passing Aranjuez, flows through a dead level, varying in breadth from
two to three miles; and the object has been to cover this level with the
richest verdure, and to assemble there all the natural productions that
are congenial to the climate. The instrument has of course been
irrigation; and the object has been completely accomplished. The most
perfect shade, and the most charming verdure, cover this delightful
retreat; every spot of ground is laid out with the utmost
care,--unassisted Nature has been allowed to do nothing; every tree,
almost every bush, has its known and allotted place; and millions of
tiny rills are directed, when required, to the root of every individual
tree, and to every cluster of flowers. The whole belt is occupied by
gardens, woods, orchards, and innumerable avenues: and here and there,
near the palace, the waters of the Tagus are trained into cataracts,
that sights of shade and coolness may be answered by the refreshing
sounds that fall upon the ear. Aranjuez was charming even when I saw it;
although then the fresh verdure of spring had long passed away; but
here spring is constantly maintained by art;--and an unceasing
succession of labour, assisted by irrigation, and aided by a warm
climate, produces a never-ending renewal of beauty and vegetation. One
charm of Aranjuez, however, the season did not permit me to taste. I am
told, that walking among the woods of Aranjuez in the months of April or
May, one would say that they had robbed the two Castiles of their
singing birds, so full and charming is even the noon-day chorus of
nightingales.
After walking over the gardens, which are kept in the most inimitable
order, and where every fruit and vegetable suited to furnish forth a
kingly banquet may be seen, I had no more time left than just permitted
me to walk hastily over the principal apartments of the palace. I found
it quite equal to the wants even of a king; and with this observation, I
shall pass it over, having so lately occupied a chapter with the
Escurial and St. Ildefonso: descriptions of houses are at no time very
interesting. I received the greatest possible attention from Don Lorenzo
Bonaria, who would scarcely excuse me from spending a day or two at
Aranjuez; a pleasure in which I would willingly have indulged myself,
but for the necessity of proceeding south, and of passing the Sierras of
Granada, before the approach of bad weather.
I left Aranjuez about five o’clock, having two leagues only to Ocaña.
The moment I emerged from the belt of level ground, I found myself again
in a wild ill-cultivated country, with as little water, and as few
trees, as on the other side of the Tagus. We continued to ascend among
low wild hills, with olives here and there scattered over them; and
about seven o’clock, I arrived at the posada at Ocaña. Here I was
obliged to wait supper until the arrival of the diligence from Madrid:
fortunately, a good luncheon at Aranjuez, especially some delicious
melon from the royal garden, had fortified me against delay; but had
this been otherwise, I should nevertheless have been obliged to be
contented, for nothing is more hopeless than an attempt to hasten the
operations of a Spanish kitchen. A traveller may indeed take the care of
his supper upon himself; and if he possesses the faintest idea of the
art of cookery, this will generally be his wisest plan. The diligence
arrived about eight o’clock, and supper was immediately served. Every
where south of Madrid, the first two dishes placed upon the supper table
are soup--so called--and boiled eggs: the soup however is not soup, the
whole of the liquid being generally absorbed by the bread: and the eggs
are always boiled as if for a salad; but when bruised, and eaten with
vinegar, and pepper, and bread, this part of the supper is not to be
rejected; because it is more than probable, that the stew, or fowl,
which follows, will be found reclining upon a bed of oil and garlic,
from which it is impossible to extricate an untainted morsel. A few
glasses of good Val de Peñas, and some delicious grapes and melons, go
far however towards supplying deficiencies; and these luxuries are never
wanting.
Towards the conclusion of supper, a guest of no small importance took
his place at the table: this was no other than the celebrated Polinario,
during eleven years, the dread of half Spain, and now following the
honest calling of guard of the Seville diligence. I never saw a finer
man, or one whose appearance more clearly indicated the profession
which he had abandoned. I could not help fancying, that his countenance
expressed a certain lawlessness of mind, and contempt of peaceable
persons like myself, which an assumed suavity of manner was unable
altogether to conceal: this suavity of manner is, however, very
remarkable; and I believe is in perfect accordance with his conduct when
a robber; for Polinario was never guilty of any act of wanton cruelty or
barbarity, but along with the most fearless courage, he always evinced a
certain forbearance, not uncommon among Spanish banditti,--but in him,
having a deeper seat than the mock civility of a Spanish thief, arising
rather from a softness at heart, which afterwards led to a change in his
mode of life. The history of this change is curious, and I pledge myself
for its authenticity. The usual range of Polinario was the northern part
of the Sierra Morena and the southern parts of La Mancha; and here he
remained during eleven years. A few years ago, understanding that the
archbishop of Gaen would pass the Sierra Morena in his carriage without
other attendants than his servants, he lay in wait for the prelate, and
stopped his carriage. The archbishop of course delivered his money; and
Polinario having received it, asked his blessing: upon this, the
archbishop began to remonstrate with the robber, setting forth the
heinousness of his offences, and the wickedness of his life: but
Polinario interrupted the archbishop, by telling him it was of no use
remonstrating upon his manner of life, unless his Grace could obtain a
pardon for the past; because without this, it was impossible he could
change his mode of living. The archbishop of Gaen is a good man; and
feeling a real desire to assist Polinario in his half-expressed desire
of seeking a better way of life, he passed his word that he would obtain
for him his majesty’s pardon; and Polinario came under a solemn promise
to the archbishop, that he would rob no more. In this way the matter
stood for eleven months; for it was eleven months before the archbishop
could obtain the pardon he had promised; and during all this time,
Polinario was obliged to conceal himself from the pursuit which the
offer of a considerable reward had long before instigated. At length,
however, the pardon was obtained; and Polinario was free to lead an
honest life. He admits, however, that he is not contented with the
change; and makes no hesitation in saying, that the promise made to the
archbishop alone prevents him from returning to his former profession;
but, he says the archbishop kept his word to him, and he will keep his
word to the archbishop.
I had resolved to take advantage of the diligence from this place,
through La Mancha to the foot of the Sierra Morena; because,
notwithstanding the interest that attaches to La Mancha, from its
connexion with Don Quixotte, it is not a country to linger in. There are
few romantic beauties in La Mancha; it is chiefly a wine country; and
producing, in other parts, corn, oil, and saffron: but it has few charms
for the traveller who loves the picturesque and the beautiful; and,
although the road touches upon two or three points where Cervantes has
laid the scene of certain exploits of the valorous knight, the chief
field of these lies more to the left. Besides, the interest which the
history of Don Quixotte has thrown over La Mancha, is of so visionary a
kind, that the mere consciousness of passing through La Mancha, gives
to it all the force and reality of which it is susceptible.
It wanted more than three hours to the time when the diligence should
set out, and all the passengers retired to bed; but I saw no advantage
in going to a bad bed, to be roused from it, just when one might begin
to be insensible to its badness; accordingly, I sat up until one
o’clock, when I took my seat in the diligence. Before day-light, we
passed through two poor towns, La Guardia, and Templeque, and arrived to
breakfast at Madridlejos. Breakfast not being ready, I strolled through
the street and market-place; and this being Sunday morning, all the
peasantry were sauntering about, and making purchases: it seemed almost
a population of beggars; for even the best of the peasantry, with their
old brown cloaks, and little black caps fitting close to the head,
conveyed a wretched idea of holiday respectability in Castile: how
opposite from the population of the village at which I stopped one
Sunday morning, in Biscay! The innkeeper in the posada where we
breakfasted, was formerly Alcalde of the town, and was well known to
have been at that time connected with the banditti who infested this
part of the country. He may still be said to be a robber, in one sense;
for I was obliged to pay twelve reals for one cup of chocolate and two
eggs.
From Madridlegos to Puerto Lapiche, there is nothing to interest. The
nakedness of the country is in some degree relieved by olive
plantations; but the soil is generally sterile and unproductive.
Agriculture, throughout all these districts, including those parts of La
Mancha which are not dedicated to the best wines, is in the lowest
state: the natural indolence of the inhabitants is aided by old
prejudices and ridiculous usages in husbandry, which they are by no
means willing to relinquish; among these, one of the most injurious to
the land, is the supposed necessity for allowing animal manure to rot
before it be applied to the soil; the valuable gases fly off, and the
vegetable fibre alone remains. The inhabitants of this part of Spain
ought to be particularly careful that their manure be applied in the
most effectual way, because they possess so little of it. The greater
part of the husbandry of La Mancha, and of the southern parts of
Toledo, is performed by hand labour; all the animal labour required, is
performed by mules; and throughout the whole of La Mancha, horned cattle
are scarcely to be seen. Another cause of the depressed state of these
districts is, that in La Mancha and the neighbouring provinces, but
especially in La Mancha, there are immense tracts of crown lands, the
revenues of which are appropriated in grants for military and other
service; these lands are managed by stewards of the crown, who rob the
people, cheat the treasury, and, in fact, turn all the revenues to their
own aggrandizement.
At Puerto Lapiche we are in La Mancha, and it is at this place, or at
least in its neighbourhood, that the famous adventure with the windmills
is placed by Cervantes; for it was immediately after its unlucky
termination, that Don Quixotte and his squire approached Puerto Lapiche.
It was impossible to cast the eye towards the left, and see some
windmills standing upon a small elevation, without calling to mind the
chivalrous tone and heroic bearing of the knight of La Mancha. “Fly not,
ye base and cowardly miscreants! for he is but a single knight who now
attacks you.” A little farther on, a flock of sheep grazing at the foot
of a hillock, naturally reminded me of another adventure of Cervantes’
hero. “This, oh Sancho! is the day that shall manifest the great things
which fortune hath in store for me,--seest thou that cloud of dust
before us? the whole of it is raised by a vast army, composed of various
and innumerable nations that are marching that way.”
Between Puerto Lapiche and Manzanarez, we passed through Villaharta, a
place, attesting in its ruins, and wretchedness, the desolating effects
of war; and we also stopped a little while at the venta de Quesada,
under which the river Guadiana is supposed to flow. It is certain that
the Guadiana looses itself about two leagues to the left, and again
emerges at a short distance to the right of this venta. In approaching
Manzanarez, the appearance of the country improves: a brilliant sunset
blazed across the landscape, giving great richness to the fields, which
were covered with the blue flower of the saffron; and touching with
gaiety and lightness, even the unrefreshing green of the olives, which,
in long straight avenues, intersected the wide plain.
Manzanarez is a place of some size, and of proportionate poverty. Almost
all the surrounding land belongs to the knights of Calatrava, and to the
Duke of San Carlos, who has extensive cellars of Val de Peñas, in the
neighbourhood. The landlord of the posada, a fine old man of seventy,
used to be entrusted with a commission to send prime wine of the country
to his late Majesty, when Prince Regent: he made me taste a choice
glass, which I found not at all inferior to that which I drank from the
king’s cellar, at St. Ildefonso. At Manzanarez, I vacated my seat in the
diligence,--securing for my next day’s journey, a small caleche, and two
strong mules, by which I hoped to be carried to the foot of the Sierra
Morena. If I had proceeded by the diligence, I must have passed through
all the intervening country, and Val de Peñas, during the night. We
supped well at this posada; and when I retired to bed, it was with the
agreeable knowledge that I should not, like my travelling companions, be
roused at midnight, to continue my journey. In taking leave of
Polinario, I asked him if I might consider myself safe in sleeping the
ensuing night in the venta, at the foot of the Sierra Morena; he
replied, that he would desire them to prepare a bed for me, and that I
might sleep in security. I slipped a dollar into his hand, and felt that
I was secure in his promise.
I left Manzanarez before sunrise, and found my muleteer obliging and
intelligent, and my mules active. Soon after leaving Manzanarez, the
small town of Argamasilla de Alba is seen on the right: here it is, that
Cervantes is said to have been imprisoned, and that the first part of
Don Quixotte is said to have been written. Betwixt this point and Val de
Peñas, I passed through a small village called Consolacion,--almost a
ruin, from the effects of war; the inhabitants had in few instances
rebuilt their houses, but had scooped out hovels and habitations in the
rubbish. My vehicle attracted many to the outlets of these miserable
abodes; and the inmates looked more like wild animals peeping from their
dens, than civilized beings, looking from human habitations. In
approaching Val de Peñas, the country improves, the land is evidently
tilled with greater care, and the more anxious culture of the vine shews
that the grape is here worth cultivating. Before entering Val de Peñas,
I passed through an extensive olive plantation, in which I noticed
several monumental crosses,--two of them, broken by the weight of stones
with which the devout had burdened them.
Val de Peñas--“Valley of Stones”--is alike the name of the town, the
district, and the wine: the latter makes the riches of both the others;
and Val de Peñas is accordingly said to be the richest town in the
Castiles. The wine of Val de Peñas, is the wine universally drank by the
better classes all over the Castiles--indeed, it may almost be said,
every where north of the Sierra Morena. But unlike most other wines, it
is drunk most in perfection in the district where it grows; not because
it is incapable of exportation; on the contrary, it has body enough to
bear exportation to any climate: but because it is not tasted once in a
hundred times free from the taint of the skins in which it is carried.
When found in perfection, it is a wine deserving of being held in the
highest estimation; there is a raciness about it, which would certainly
recommend it to the English palate; and if a communication should ever
be opened between La Mancha and the southern provinces, there is little
doubt that the wine of Val de Peñas will find its way into the English
ports. I visited one of the repositories of the richest growers, who
told me he had there upwards of six thousand skins,--the average
contents of the skin being about ten arrobas; and that the price of the
wine bought upon the spot, would amount to about (in English currency
and measure) 3_l._ 10_s._ per pipe. I saw no beggars in Val de Peñas;
but neither is there any appearance of general comfort. The culture, and
preparation of the wine, employ all the inhabitants; but wages are low,
and the enjoyments which they purchase few. The wages of labour are
about three reals (less than 7_d._) per day. Mutton here sells at eight
quartos; bread at six and a half quartos, per lb. Beef is not to be
found in almost any part of La Mancha, and it is not esteemed.
Here, and in most other parts of La Mancha, it is the custom for women
of the inferior orders, to throw over their heads the skirt of their
petticoats; the veil and mantilla being only used by the upper ranks.
This fact explains the passage in Don Quixotte, where, when Sancho tells
his wife how great a lady she is destined to be when he is governor of
an island, Theresa replies, “Neither will I put it in the power of those
who see me dressed like a countess, or governor’s lady, to say, ‘Mind
Mrs. Porkfeeder--how proud she looks! It was but yesterday she toiled
hard at the distaff, and went to mass with the tail of her gown about
her head, instead of a veil.’” In a hundred other instances, light is
thrown upon the page of Cervantes, by travelling through La Mancha.
I left Val de Peñas, after a tolerable breakfast in one of the largest
posadas I had seen in Spain; and immediately upon getting clear of the
town, the Sierra Morena rose before me, apparently at no great distance.
I passed through several small villages in approaching nearer to the
Sierra, among others, St. Cruz, and La Concepcion de Almuradiel: between
these two villages, the plain of La Mancha is lost among the outer
ridges of the Sierra; and, excepting in the vicinity of the latter
village, the country is scarcely cultivated. Between La Concepcion de
Almuradiel, and the foot of the Sierra, the road constantly rises,
though gradually; and about four in the afternoon, I arrived at the
“Venta de Cardeñas,” where I purposed passing the night. I found a room
and a bed,--such as they were,--prepared for me, as I had reason to
expect from Polinario’s promise; and the host told me, that Polinario
had enjoined him to take care of me; to give me a good supper, and to
provide me with a steady mule to pass the Sierra.
The Venta de Cardenas, is a solitary house standing just under the
mountain, upon a small elevation on the left side of the road. It is
here where the famous adventure of the galley-slaves is placed by
Cervantes, where, after Don Quixotte had delivered Gines de Passamonte
and his companions from bondage, and after Sancho had his ass stolen,
the knight and his squire entered the Brown Mountain, and met Cardenio;
upon whose story the Drama of the Mountaineers has been constructed.
This neighbourhood is still famous for the frequency of the robberies
that take place in it; and it was in the identical Venta de Cardenas,
that the greater number of Polinario’s robberies were committed; the
landlord of the venta,--the same who inhabits it now,--had an
understanding with Polinario; and in most instances, travellers were
taken into this venta and stripped; this being considered safer and more
convenient than stripping them on the highway.
About an hour after I arrived, the supper which had been bespoken, was
placed before me; and having myself superintended the cookery, I had the
satisfaction of sitting down to fowl and bacon, without either oil or
garlic. The host told me, that upon the La Mancha side of the Sierra
Morena, there was little danger of robbery; but that the moment I set
foot in Andalusia, I might consider myself in constant jeopardy. The
band of Don José, he said, was then scouring every part of Andalusia;
and on some roads, scarcely any traveller escaped robbery. I afterwards
found, that in this information he was correct; but just about the same
time, the band of Don José was dispersed; upwards of twenty were made
prisoners, and the leader, and about fifteen followers escaped to
Portugal.
After dinner, it still wanted an hour of sunset; and this interval, and
nearly another hour added to it, I spent in a ramble among the outposts
of the Sierra. All the lower part of the mountain on this side is
covered with a thick carpet of shrubs, and with millions of aromatic
plants. Wild olives grow profusely over the lower acclivities; but
higher up, and in the defiles, ilex and pine throw their deeper and
broader shadows upon the mountain side. The silence of the hills is felt
in its fullest extent on the Sierra Morena, because it is not broken by
the music of mountain rills, whose playful gush, and varying tone, often
go far towards neutralizing the character of solemnity which naturally
belongs to mountain scenes. Almost all the waters of the Sierra Morena
descend on the southern side, and flow towards the Mediterranean. I
caught some fine mountain images before darkness forced me back to the
venta. Sunny slopes, strewed with pale olives; and dark hill sides
scattered with crooked ilex; golden peaks, and dusky ravines; milk-white
goats descending the steeps, and the goatherd, such as he whose whistle
startled Don Quixotte and his squire; small trains of mules, with their
bells, and their muleteer, winding down the road towards the venta; and
the broader shadows, and the fading light, and the dusky mountain, and
the dark outline, piled against the unclouded heaven of Andalusian
skies.
Leaving injunctions to call me before sunrise, I took a draught of Val
de Peñas, and retired to my _quarto_, a small square apartment, with no
furniture in it excepting one chair and my bed, which consisted of a
mattress laid upon three boards, supported by two logs. The window was
open, and not more than six or seven feet from the ground; but the
assurance of Polinario was enough, and I slept well till awoke by the
muleteer calling to me that my mule was ready. I swallowed a cup of
chocolate while dressing, and was seated upon my mule, just as the
highest peaks of the Sierra received the earliest message of day. It was
as charming a morning as ever broke upon the mountain tops; the sky was
one field of azure, with that pale green tinge peculiar to morning skies
in the south of Spain; and the air felt so light and invigorating, that
every draught was like the gush of a mountain spring. My mule trod
sturdily up the steep winding road: and the muleteer, an Andalusian of
Andujár, walked or ran as was necessary. Although early, we were not the
earliest upon the road; for several trains of mules were seen winding
round the brow of the opposite acclivities: these, though close at hand,
were not speedily gained by the road, which was obliged frequently to
ascend one side of a gorge, cross it at the extremity, and return by the
other side to the point opposite to that by which we entered it. After
about half a league of steep ascent, the first pass is obtained: here
the scenery is wild and striking; the road passes beneath a succession
of lofty rocky peaks, while on the other side, a deep and narrow gulf
runs parallel with the road: if twelve or fourteen feet of rock were
here blown up, this pass would be no longer a pass.
From the first summit, I descended into a deep valley, and then ascended
again, during at least two leagues. The sides of the mountain are
scattered with evergreen oak, and a few ash trees, and are thickly
covered with an underwood of shrubs; occasional glimpses are caught
below, of openings into the deep and uninhabited lateral valleys of the
Sierra; but as the road climbs towards the south, nature puts on a more
cultivated aspect, and houses, and villages at a little distance, are
seen scattered around. These are the new colonies, as they are still
called, of the Sierra Morena, and the first of the villages we reach, is
Santa Elena. Nothing can be more striking or agreeable than the contrast
between the villages of the new settlements, and those we meet in other
parts of the interior of Spain. Industry and activity were evidently at
work every where around; the soil was forced to yield whatever crop was
suited to it; and corn and pasture, and little patches of potato and
cabbage land, smiled fresh and green around the cottages: these were of
a better construction than the cabins of Spanish peasantry; and upon
looking into some of them, I noticed all the necessary articles of
common household furniture. The people too, were not seen looking from
their doors in rags, or sitting under the walls wrapped up in their
cloaks; they all seemed to have something to do, and went about their
avocations with the air of persons who had no hankering after idleness.
The secret is, that these people have an interest in what they do, for
they labour upon their own property. The history of these settlements is
probably known to every one; and yet; I can scarcely altogether pass it
over.
Previous to the reign of Charles III., the Sierra Morena was entirely
abandoned to banditti; but Don Pablo de Olavido, who then enjoyed a high
office in the government of the province of Seville, conceived the
design of colonizing the Sierra, and of supporting the colonists by
their agricultural labour. One attempt failed, after a great outlay; but
a second was, to a certain degree, successful. Settlers came from
different parts of Germany, tempted by the liberal offers of the Spanish
government; and it is their descendants who still people these colonies.
Every settler received fifty pieces of land, every piece being ten
thousand square feet--free of rent, for ten years; and afterwards,
subject only to tithes. And if these pieces were brought under
cultivation, another equally large portion was assigned to the
cultivator. Along with his land, the colonist received the necessary
articles of agricultural labour:--ten cows, an ass, two pigs, a cock and
hen, and seed for his land; a house, and a bake-house: and the only
incumbrance upon the property, was, a restriction in the power of
disposing of it, which no settler had the liberty of doing in favour of
any person already in the enjoyment of a lot; so that the possessions of
the colonists could neither become less nor greater; excepting by their
own industry.
But, notwithstanding the many advantages and privileges which these
colonies enjoy; and although, in comparison with the ordinary run of
Spanish villages, the villages of the new settlements present an aspect
of comfort and industry; the colonies have never been entirely
successful, and are said to be less flourishing every year. At present,
there is no increase of riches among them; all they are able to do, is
merely to support themselves in tolerable comfort: the only cause that
can be assigned for this negative prosperity, must be referred to a
deficient outlet for the produce of their labour. It is evident, that
without a market, the labour of the agriculturist is useless, and will
soon be restricted to that point which is fixed by the wants of himself
and his family.
Soon after leaving Santa Elena, the prospect opens towards the south;
the highest ridges of the Sierra lie behind, and Andalusia stretches
below. About three leagues beyond Santa Elena, lies La Carolina, the
capital of the new settlements; where I arrived early in the afternoon.
This is really a neat, clean town; and the apparent excellence of the
posada almost tempted me to yield to the instances of the muleteer, who
wished me to make my night’s quarters at this place; but I had resolved
to sleep at Baylen, that I might have a short day’s journey on the
morrow, to Anduxar.
Nature exhibits a new appearance when we leave Carolina, and descend
into the plain of Andalusia: the olive grounds are no longer groves, but
forests; the ilex does not dot, but clothes the sides of the mountains;
innumerable new shrubs, and varieties of aromatic plants, unseen before,
cover every spot of waste land; and the hedges by the way-side, are
composed of gigantic aloes. All the way from La Carolina to Baylen, I
passed through a country rich in corn and oil;--a wide, undulating
plain, bounded on the south by the mountains of Granada; and here and
there, upon the southern ridges of the Sierra Morena, which forms the
northern boundary of the plain, were seen the ruins of Moorish castles.
At nightfall I reached Baylen, celebrated as the field of battle where
Castanos gained the decided victory which subsequently led to the
evacuation of Madrid.
I almost regretted that I had not yielded to the temptation of a good
posada at Carolina, as the guide led my mule into the yard of a very
wretched posada at Baylen. I found a bed, however, not worse than usual;
and for supper, I was forced to be contented with fried eggs, and
excellent wine, and a delicious melon. My journey had been long and
fatiguing; and defying the mosquitos, by throwing a handkerchief over my
face, I slept soundly till morning. It may be charity to the traveller,
to mention a contrivance which I afterwards adopted as a defence against
the assaults of mosquitos. Mosquito curtains are nowhere to be found in
Spain, not even in the very best hotels, and every one is not able to
sleep with a handkerchief thrown over the face. I purchased a piece of
thin muslin about a yard square, and loaded the sides of it with small
leaden weights, the muslin having been previously much starched: this,
thrown over the head, leaves ample breathing room; and the weights
keeping it down on all sides, it rarely happens that a mosquito gains
admittance within.
I left Baylen, as usual, about sun rise; and immediately entered a wild,
but highly picturesque valley. A turbulent stream, called Rio de las
Piedras--“river of stones,” dashed through it,--its banks, wherever the
rocks admitted a tuft of green, covered with the bright pink flower of a
shrub unknown to me: ilex, here and there diversified by a tall
round-headed pine, clustered in the hollows, and strewed the sides of
the acclivities; and a party of muleteers, and their mules, resting
under the shade of a clump of trees, added greatly to the
picturesqueness of the landscape. Several of these figures forcibly
reminded me that I was now in the country of Murillo. The short brown
hair, the ragged and patched brown coat and trowsers, the bare feet, and
the occupation--breaking bread, and eating fruit, all carried me to
those admirable portraitures of Spanish life, which have so often and so
successfully engaged the pencil of this illustrious master.
There is little to interest between leaving this valley, and arriving at
Andujar. I passed through extensive woods, both of olives and ilex,
where I counted three crosses; and the muleteer assured me it was not at
all unlikely that we might be robbed before reaching Andujar; though he
admitted that our probabilities of escape were greater, owing to its
being morning. This is considered one of the most dangerous spots
between Madrid and Seville: about a week after my arrival at the latter
place, the mail was robbed within about two leagues of Andujar. This
robbery was attended with one circumstance, rather inconsistent with the
usual civility of Spanish banditti. After every package had been rifled,
the four passengers,--three gentlemen and one lady,--were stripped, all
excepting the _camisa_, and in this plight were put into the carriage:
the postilion also made his entry into Andujar in his shirt, I reached
the Venta de Lequaca, however, without interruption; and after resting
there an hour, taking chocolate, and refreshing my mule, I continued my
journey, and arrived at Andujar early in the afternoon.
Here I dismissed my mule and muleteer; though yet unresolved in what
manner to proceed to Cordova and Seville: but soon after, learning that
a light waggon and seven mules would leave Andujar at four next morning,
I engaged a place in it to Cordova.
The situation of Andujar is fine: it stands at the head of a wide plain,
watered throughout its whole extent by the Guadalquivir, which I saw
here for the first time; and the advanced slopes of the Sierra Morena
rise close to the north of the town. Every where round, the country is
under cultivation; a fine soil, and a delightful climate, insuring an
abundant return: and the banks of the river, and the slopes of the
Sierra are covered with vines and olives. The city itself is of
considerable size, containing nearly twenty thousand inhabitants, six
churches, and nine convents. I remarked an evident improvement in the
appearance of the people: they were better clothed and better looking
than the Castilians; but notwithstanding this, the population of
Andujar, as well as of Cordova, is said to be a bad
population,--thievish, deceitful, and violent. It is certain that, with
the exception of the coast between Cadiz and Malaga, more robberies are
committed in the neighbourhood of Andujar than in any other part of
Spain.
I took my seat in the waggon at four in the morning, and the day dawned
about half an hour after leaving Audujar. The whole way to Cordova, the
road lies through the extensive plain that borders the
Guadalquivir:--this plain is chiefly divided between wheat and olives;
the latter forming a complete forest a few leagues from Andujar:--they
are the property of the Duke of Medina Cœli, who is said to be the only
man in Spain who waters his olives. The river flows at about a mile
distant, and the whole of the olive land is subjected to irrigation by
means of machinery, which raises the water into channels and wooden
troughs laid for it. I learned that the Duke finds his advantage in this
system, having frequently fine olive crops when other proprietors have
none. The wheat crops raised upon this plain are of the finest quality,
but only one crop is expected. There can be no doubt, however, that if
the wheat land were also subjected to the process of irrigation, as in
Valencia and Murcia, more than one crop might be obtained from the soil.
The road, in approaching Cordova, is bordered on either side by
magnificent hedges of aloe. I had the curiosity to measure some of
these, and found several leaves eleven and twelve feet long, and the
stalks of the flower from twenty-four to thirty feet high. The aloe is a
useful plant to the natives. Ropes are made from the fibres of the
leaves; and the stalks of the flowers are cut into light beams for
constructing cottages. The wild olive, which grows in great abundance in
this district, is also a useful tree, although its fruit be worthless;
the wood is among the hardest known, and is much used in agricultural
implements, particularly in the construction of cart wheels.
I approached Cordova under all the advantages of a most glorious sunset,
which bathed in gold the numerous towers and minarets of this ancient
Moorish capital, long the nursery and favourite shelter of the arts and
sciences, and the birth-place of Seneca and Lucan. The situation of
Cordova is truly delightful. East and west flows the Guadalquivir,--the
level stripe that lies along its banks, rich in every production that is
congenial to the climate of Andalusia; a range of low hills wooded to
the summit, and diversified by gardens, orange groves, and country
houses, stretch, parallel with the river, bounding the prospect to the
south; while the elevated chain of the Sierra Morena, pushes forward its
picturesque outposts almost to the walls of the city. But situation is
the only glory of Cordova that remains. Science has found other
sanctuaries, and riches new channels; and modern Cordova is one of the
most decayed, most deserted, and most miserable cities of Spain.
Cordova, when metropolis of the kingdom of Abdoulraman, in 759, is said
to have contained three hundred thousand persons; forty years ago it
contained thirty-four thousand; and since then, twelve thousand more
must be deducted from the number of its inhabitants; and of the
twenty-two thousand yet remaining, upwards of three thousand are shut in
by convent walls. The inhabitants live entirely by agriculture,--for,
with the exception of a very trifling manufactory of linen, there is no
trade of any description. At a moderate distance from the city are some
lead mines, said to be well worth the notice of the capitalist. I met an
English gentleman resident at Cordova, who has lately begun to work one
of these mines under a sufficiently advantageous contract: he told me
that the only thing he had to contend with, was the expense of carriage
as far as Seville; the wages of labour were only four reals, about
9_d._; and if there was water conveyance from Cordova to Seville, he
could secure a highly profitable return. The Guadalquivir, however, is
not navigable; and without this facility of transit, I believe the
speculation is doubtful. Every thing is remarkably cheap in Cordova.
Beef is fourteen quartos the pound of thirty-two ounces. Mutton,
sixteen quartos. Fine bread, six quartos. The ordinary wages of
agricultural labour do not exceed three reals.
The great attraction of Cordova is its mosque,--once, second only to
that of Mecca. It is curious, but not beautiful or striking; the
interest arises chiefly from the knowledge we obtain from it of the
structure and interior of a mosque. Divested of this interest, it is a
labyrinth of small pillars, without order or elegance: the area is
indeed immensely large, being no less than five hundred and twelve feet
long, by four hundred and twenty-three broad; but the multitude of
pillars injures the general effect; and the erection of an altar in the
centre, where nothing was ever intended to be, destroys its unity as a
mosque, without substituting any of the grandeur of a Christian temple.
There is one beautiful Moorish relic however, which, of itself, well
repays a visit to this curious remain of other and brighter days. This
is the chapel of Mahomet, which was accidentally laid open in the year
1815, by the removal of some old brick-work. It is in the most perfect
state of preservation. The Arabic characters upon the cornices, and the
colours in which these are inscribed, are as perfect and as vivid as if
it were all the work of yesterday. The gilding too, and the mosaic, have
lost nothing of their freshness. Close by the mosque, upon a stone
platform above the river, there is a monument to the angel Raphael, the
guardian angel of the city. A certain devout archbishop, who held the
see of Cordova many years ago, dreamt that the angel Raphael appeared to
him, and declared himself guardian of the city; and the archbishop
commemorated his dream by the erection of a handsome monument. Such
expensive dreams have gone out of fashion now-a-days.
From Cordova, I resolved to travel to Seville by the diligence; and
finding a vacant place in the _coupé_, I left Cordova at one o’clock
next day. The views are very charming in leaving Cordova; fine vistas
are caught among the neighbouring mountains, from which, embowered in
wood, several convents look down upon the plain. I saw here, for the
first time, the date tree, which in the kingdoms of Valencia and
Murcia, adds so great a charm to the landscape: two of them were seen
towering far above all the surrounding trees, in a convent
garden,--their tall stems, and fan-like branches, carrying me in fancy,
to the tent of the wandering Arab, and the fountains of the desert. All
the way from Cordova to Carlotta, the country is well cultivated and
well wooded; and to a great distance on every side of this newest of the
new settlements, neat white cottages are scattered over the plain.
Carlotta, itself, is a remarkably pretty town; and the inhabitants
looked clean and well fed. We arrived at Ecija about seven o’clock,
after crossing the Xenil by a fine bridge, and found an excellent
posada, and a supper that would have done honour to a French table. We
were also regaled by the most delicious perfume; for the walls of the
_patio_ were entirely covered with jasmine, of a luxuriance and
fragrance beyond any thing that I had ever seen elsewhere; every blossom
was larger than the largest periwinkle. I had sufficient time and light,
before supper, to stroll through the town, which is more flourishing,
and even more populous than Cordova. Returning to the posada by the
Plaza Mayor, a fine spacious square, with a double row of balconies the
whole way round, I stepped into a barber’s shop, and while he was
preparing his implements, I ventured to ask him if he had heard the
news? “What news?” said he. “Why,” replied I, “that with the assistance
of God, the king’s troops have defeated and taken prisoners the whole
army of refugees.” I was not aware of any such news, but I wished to
hear the sentiments of an Andalusian. “Thank God! thank God!” said he,
“and so we shall be allowed to live in our own way after all.”
I left Ecija at an early hour next morning, with the pleasant assurance
that I should dine in Seville. A remarkably wild country stretches
between Ecija and Carmona--most of it is crown land--and I believe few
serious attempts have been made to people and fertilize it. Robberies
had lately been very frequently committed upon the extensive heath that
stretches almost to the foot of the hill upon which Carmona stands; and
I noticed several crosses, two of them evidently of recent erection.
The situation of Carmona is particularly striking, looking down from its
isolated hill over the plains of Andalusia; a very winding road leads up
to the city; but I left the carriage and walked straight up the hill to
the gate, which I had sufficient time to examine and admire as a fine
Moorish remain;--because the sentinel would not allow me to enter until
the diligence arrived. At Carmona I found the luxury of _café au lait_,
for the first time since leaving France; and we were soon again on the
road to Seville.
Between Carmona and Seville, there is little to interest, excepting the
increasing excitement in approaching nearer and nearer to famous
Seville, the capital of the south of Spain. At Alcala, the nearest town
to Seville, and which may be called its bake-house--since almost all the
bread generally used there is made at Alcala--we stopped to change
horses; and, not long after leaving this town, upon reaching the brow of
a ridge, Seville, queen of Andalusia, was seen amidst her orange groves,
swaying her sceptre over a dominion of luxuriance and beauty, and
circled by the broad glittering waters of the Guadalquivir.
I reached the city soon after mid-day, and immediately established
myself in the house of a private family, in the neighbourhood of the
alcazar and the cathedral.