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Etext transcriber's note: The footnotes have been located after the
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(a list follows the etext); the spellings of several words currently
spelled in a different manner have been left un-touched. (i.e.
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The accentuation of words in Spanish has not been corrected or
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[Illustration:
_On Stone by T. J. Rawlins from a Sketch by Capt C. R. Scott._
_R. Martin lithog., 26, Long Acre._
THE GENERALIFE, PALACE AND VALLEY OF THE DARRO.
FROM A WINDOW IN THE ALHAMBRA.
_Published by Henry Colburn, 13, G.t Marlborough St._]
EXCURSIONS
IN THE
MOUNTAINS
OF
RONDA AND GRANADA,
WITH CHARACTERISTIC SKETCHES
OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE SOUTH OF SPAIN.
BY
CAPTAIN C. ROCHFORT SCOTT,
AUTHOR OF "TRAVELS IN EGYPT AND CANDIA."
"_Aqui hermano Sancho, podemos meter las manos_
_hasta los codos, en esto que llaman aventuras._"
DON QUIJOTE.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.--1838.
LONDON:
F. SHOBERL, JUN. 51, RUPERT STREET, HAYMARKET.
DEDICATION.
To the Valued Friends who witnessed, and whom a congeniality of taste
led to _enjoy_ with me, the scenes herein described--whose wearied limbs
have sought repose upon the same hard floor--whose spoons have been
dipped in the same _Gazpacho_, I dedicate these pages.
In the course of our perigrinations we have often observed to each
other,
"Hæc olim meminisse juvabit."
C. ROCHFORT SCOTT.
Woolwich, 26th October.
CONTENTS
OF
THE FIRST VOLUME.
PREFATORY CHAPTER.
Containing little more than an Invocation--A Dissertation--A Choice of
Miseries--A Bill of Fare--And a Receipt for making a Favourite Spanish
Dish.....1
CHAPTER I.
Gibraltar--Forbidden Ground--Derivation of the Name--Curious
Provisions of the Treaty of Utrecht--Extraction of Saints without a
Miracle--Demoniacal Possessions--Beauty of the Scenery--Agremens of the
Garrison--Its Importance to Great Britain, but Impolicy of making it a
Free Port to all Nations--Lamentable Changes--Sketch of the Character of
the Mountaineers of Ronda--English Quixotism--Political Opinions of the
Different Classes in Spain.....21
CHAPTER II.
San Roque--Singular Title of "the City
Authorities"--Situation--Climate--The late Sir George Don, Lieutenant
Governor of Gibraltar--Anecdote Illustrative of the Character of the
Spanish Government--Society of Spain--The Tertulia--The Various Circles
of Spanish Society Tested by Smoking--Erroneous Notions of English
Liberty and Religion--Startling Lental Ceremonies.....41
CHAPTER III.
Country in the Vicinity of San Roque--Ruins of the Ancient City
of Carteia--Field of Battle of Alphonso the Eleventh--Journey to
Ronda--Forest of Almoraima--Mouth of the Lions--Fine Scenery--Town of
Gaucin--A Spanish Inn--Old Castle at Gaucin--Interior of an Andalusian
Posada--Spanish Humour--Mountain Wine.....59
CHAPTER IV.
Journey to Ronda Continued--A Word on the Passport and Bill of Health
Nuisances, and Spanish Custom-House Officers--Romantic Scenery--Splendid
View--Benadalid--Atajate--First View of the Vale of Ronda--A
Dissertation on Adventures, to make up for their absence--Ludicrous
Instance of the Effects of Putting the Cart before the Horse.....83
CHAPTER V.
The Basin of Ronda--Sources of the River Guadiara--Remarkable Chasm
through which it flows--City of Ronda--Date of its Foundation--Former
Names--General Description--Castle--Bridges--Splendid Scenery--Public
Buildings--Amphitheatre--Population--Trade--Smuggling--Wretched State of
the Commerce, Manufactures, and Internal Communications of Spain, and
Evils and Inconvenience resulting therefrom--Rare Productions of the
Basin of Ronda--Amenity of its Climate--Agremens of the City--Excellent
Society--Character of its Inhabitants.....99
CHAPTER VI.
Ronda Fair--Spanish Peasantry--Various Costumes--Jockeys and
Horses--Lovely view from the New Alameda--Bull Fights--Defence of
the Spanish Ladies--Manner of Driving the Bulls into the Town--First
Entrance of the Bull--The Frightened Waterseller--The Mina, or Excavated
Staircase--Ruins of Acinippo--The Cueva del Gato--The Bridge of the
Fairy.....121
CHAPTER VII.
Legend of the Fairy's bridge.....150
CHAPTER VIII.
Departure for Malaga--Scenery on and Dangers of the Road to El
Burgo--Fine View from Casarabonela--An Independent Innkeeper--A Spanish
Battle, attended with more Decisive Results than usual--Description of
Casarabonela--Comeliness of its Washing Nymphs--Road to Malaga--River
Guadaljorce--Sigila of the Romans--Cartama.....178
CHAPTER IX.
Unprepossessing Appearance of Malaga--Dread of Yellow Fever--The
Alameda--Derivation of the City's Name, and Sketch of its History--The
Gibralfaro and Alcazaba--Cathedral--Cigar Manufactory--Calculation
of the Supply and Consumption of Cigars in Spain--Malaga
Figures--Population--Trade--Wine Harbour--Society--Visit to El
Retiro--The Fandango and Cachuca.....199
CHAPTER X.
Choice of Routes between Malaga and Granada--Road to
Velez--Malaga--Observations on that Town--Continuation of Journey to
Granada--Fertile Valley of the River Velez--Venta of Alcaucin--Zafaraya
Mountains--Alhama--Description of that Place and of its Thermal
Baths--Cacin--Venta of Huelma--Salt-pans of La Mala--First View of
Granada and its Vega--Situation of the City--Its Salubrity--Ancient
Names--Becomes the Capital of the Last Moslem Kingdom of Spain--Fine
Approach to the Modern City--It is the most purely Moorish Town in
Spain--Cause of the Decadence of the Arts under the Moors of Granada,
and of the easy Conquest of the City--Destruction of the Moorish
Literature on the Capture of the City by the Spaniards.....217
CHAPTER XI.
The Alhambra and Generalife--Other Reliques of the Moors contained
within the City--The Cathedral of Granada--Chapel of the Catholic
Kings--Antiquity of the Church of Eliberi--Tomb of Gonzalvo de
Cordoba--Churches of San Juan De Dios and San Domingo--Carthusian
Convent--Hermita De San Anton.....239
CHAPTER XII.
Granada continued--The Zacatin--Market Place--Bazaar--Population--The
Granadinos-Their Predilection for the French Costume--Love of Masked
Balls--Madame Martinez de la Rosa's Tertulia--An English Country
Dance metamorphosed--Specimen of Spanish Taste in fitting up Country
Houses--The Marques de Montijo--Anecdote of the Late King and
the Conde de Teba--Constitutional Enthusiasm of Granada--Ends in
Smoke--Military Schools--Observations on the Spanish Army--Departure
for Cordoba--Pinos de la Puente--Puerto de Lope--Moclin--Alcala la
Real--Spanish Peasants--Manner of computing Distance--Baena--Not
the Roman Town of Ulia--Castro el Rio--Occupied by a Cavalry
Regiment--Valuable Friend--Curiosity of the Spanish Officers--Ditto
of our New Acquaintance--Influence of "Sherris Sack"--He relates his
History--Continuation of our Journey to Cordoba--First View of that
City.....265
CHAPTER XIII.
Blas el Guerrillero.--A Bandit's Story.....300
CHAPTER XIV.
Blas el Guerrillero--_continued_.....333
CHAPTER XV.
Blas el Guerrillero--_continued_.....364
CHAPTER XVI.
Blas el Guerrillero--_continued_.....396
CHAPTER XVII.
Cordoba--Bridge over the Guadalquivir--Mills--Quay--Spanish
Projects--Foundation of the City--Establishment of the Western
Caliphat--Capture of Cordoba by San Fernando--The Mezquita--Bishop's
Palace--Market Place--Grand Religious Procession--Anecdote of the late
Bishop of Malaga and the Tragala.....410
APPENDIX.....431
ILLUSTRATIONS.
VOL. 1.
The Generalife, Palace, and Valley of the Darro. From a window
in the Alhambra _Frontispiece._
VOL. II.
The Castle of Ximena, and distant view of Gibraltar _Frontispiece._
ERRATA.
VOLUME I.
(corrected by the etext transcriber. On page 433, line 1 emboyó [not
emboyo] was changed to embozó)
Page 27, line 20, for _far more_, read _few_.
Page 151, line 18, for _lightly_, read _slightly_.
Page 161, line 30, for _Aguagils_, read _Aguazils_.
Page 190, line 28, for _Higa_, read _Hija_.
Page 213, line 2, for _nuevos_, read _huevos_.
Page 216, line 14, for _Cachuca_, read _Cachucha_.
Page 370, line 14, for _Higo_, read _Hijo_.
Page 402, line 14, for _Valga mi_, read _Valgame_.
Page 433, line 1, for _emboyo_, read _embozo_.
VOLUME II.
Page 171, line 26, for _surveyors_, read _purveyors_.
Page 271, line 8, for _suda_, read _sua_.
Page 288, line 28, for _provechosos_, read _provechosas_.
Page 432, line 16, for _hagged_, read _haggard_.
EXCURSIONS
IN THE
MOUNTAINS
OF
RONDA AND GRANADA.
PREFATORY CHAPTER.
CONTAINING LITTLE MORE THAN AN INVOCATION--A DISSERTATION--A CHOICE
OF MISERIES--A BILL OF FARE--AND A RECEIPT FOR MAKING A FAVOURITE
SPANISH DISH.
Spain! region of romance! of snow-capped mountains, dark forests, and
crystal streams!--Land of the olive and the vine--the perfumed orange
and bright pomegranate!--Country of portly priests, fierce bandits, and
dark-eyed donzellas--the lively castañet and gay Fandango! And thou,
fair Boetica! favoured province of a favoured clime, whose purple
grape tempted Hercules to arrest his course--whose waving corn-fields
and embowelled treasures have ever since excited the cupidity of the
various ambitious nations that have in turn disputed the empire of the
world! Is it indeed true that ye are "now chiefly interesting to the
traveller for the monuments which a foreign and odious race of
conquerors have left behind them?"[1] Yes, you might proudly answer, we
admit such is the case. Spain is chiefly interesting to the stranger on
account of the monuments left by her turbaned conquerors; but she is so
simply, because, in no other country, are they to be seen in so perfect
a state; because, in no other part of the world subjected to Moslem
sway, did the arts ever reach to such perfection.
But, whilst Spain lays especial claim to the attention of the stranger
on account of the relics of the Moors that are strewed over her surface,
she possesses, in common with other countries of Southern Europe, the
usual attractions that excite the interest of travellers. Can she not
boast of owning monuments of the demi-god Hercules,[2] and other
conquerors of the most remote antiquity? Are not her shores studded
with ruins of the Phoenicians, Carthagenians, and Romans? Has she not
noble works of art of yet more recent times than her Moorish palaces to
boast of? May she not proudly point to the splendid gothic edifices
raised since her release from the Mussulman yoke? to the incomparable
paintings of the divine Murillo? to the statuary of a Cano? Is not the
Spanish peninsula one of the most beautiful as well as richest countries
in the world?
Such is the answer that Spain and her beauteous daughter, Boetica,
might make to the accusation which the words of the accomplished Author
I have quoted may be construed to bear. I will venture to add further,
that Spain, in her present fallen state, excites, perhaps, yet more
intensely, the curiosity and interest of the Traveller, than she could
have done even in the days of her greatest glory: for, the contemplation
of the wreck of such an Empire--an Empire "on whose wide dominions the
sun never set;" whose resources were deemed inexhaustible--cannot but be
highly interesting and instructive.
At every step the stranger takes whilst wandering over Spain's
neglected though still fertile plains, some trace is observable of her
former wealth and power, some proof is manifest of her present poverty
and impotence. Let him cast a glance at the ruins of the magnificent
arsenals of Cadiz, Vigo, and Barcelona[3]--let him mark the closed door
of the Tower of Gold,[4] at Seville--let him observe the use to which
the sumptuous _Lonja_[5] has been converted--the dilapidated condition
of the gorgeous palace of Charles the Fifth. Let him notice the
crumbling state of all the public buildings throughout the kingdom, even
to the actual residences of its monarch--track the remains of once
magnificent roads--explore the deep recesses of abandoned mines. Let
him, in fine, observe the commerce of the country destroyed, its
manufactures ruined, its Army disorganized, and its Treasury penniless;
and, whilst he learns what Spain _has been_, he will see to what a
lamentable state she is reduced.
Nor to the Traveller alone is the contemplation of Spain, in her fallen
greatness, a source of interest and instruction. The Philosopher, the
Statesman, the Philanthropist, and the _Patriot_, may all draw from it
serious matter for reflection. Who amongst them could have foreseen, but
half a century back, that Spain would, in the course of a few years, be
reduced to her present abject condition? Who can _now_ foresee the day
that, phoenix-like, she may arise from her ashes? Who can fully answer
the yet more simple questions--What _led_ to the downfall of Spain? What
keeps her--gifted as she is by nature with all the germs of
prosperity--in her present state of degradation? Did the extraordinary
influx of the precious ores, consequent on the discovery of America,
occasion her gradual downfall? Did the impolitic expulsion of the Jews
and Moors from her territory lead to it? Does the blighting influence of
Popery reply to the two-fold query? Does the vacillating rule of
Despotism solve the problem?
All, probably, have had a share in effecting this lamentable change. The
great influx of money led to the neglect of the resources of Spain
herself, and induced habits of indolence in all classes of society. The
expulsion of the Jews deprived the country of its principal
capitalists--that of the Moors, of its most industrious inhabitants. The
bigotry and intolerance of its Church have kept its population in
ignorance, whilst most other nations of Europe have become enlightened.
The numerous religious houses, endowed with the richest lands in the
country, and swarming with unprofitable inmates, have preyed upon its
resources. The rule of a weak and bigoted race of sovereigns--themselves
governed in turn by profligate favourites and ambitious priests--has
sapped the monarchy to its foundation; finally, the crude and hasty
innovations of wild theorists are undermining its remaining strength,
and preparing to effect its utter downfall.
But, whilst many of these causes still operate most fatally in keeping
the country in its present state of degradation, the last named is that
which is likely to inflict upon it the greatest amount of _misery_.
Catholicism--such as it is in Spain at least--is incompatible with free
institutions; and Catholicism has too firm a hold of the _mass_ of the
Spanish people to be easily eradicated.
_Atheism_, it is true, has made great progress in some quarters; and
between it and Popery lies the contest now carrying on.
Many persons are apt to think that the struggle is between
_Superstition_ and "_liberal Catholicism_"--between a Despotism and a
limited Monarchy. But those who know Spain intimately, are aware that
such is far from being the case; they know, on the contrary, that the
contest must end (_when_ it would be difficult to say) either in the
restoration of an absolute throne, or the establishment of a Democratic
Republic.
The limited Monarchy Party--or _Moderados_--though the most respectable
in talents, consists but of a few educated Nobles, and a small portion
of the Mercantile and learned Professions--some few even of the clergy;
but amongst the mass of the people it has no supporters whatever; for
amongst the lower orders the term is not understood.
The leaders of this party--like the _Gironde_ in France--were carried
away by the breakers of reform, as they swept onwards with increasing
volume; and the unprincipled men who have since usurped the direction of
affairs,--with all the vanity of a Mirabeau, but without one spark of
his talents,--imagine they shall be listened to, when they bid the
flowing tide to advance no further:--but, though they would not object
to, nay, though they _desire_, the establishment of a Republic, yet they
too will find Spanish Robespierres and Talliens to dispute their power.
To others, however, I abandon the wide field of inquiry these questions
open; the following pages, whatever glimmerings of light they may throw
upon the subject, being devoted to the description of but a small
portion of this ill used, ill governed, but most interesting country.
The part I have selected--namely, Andalusia--whilst it differs very
materially from the rest of the Spanish peninsula, claims in many
respects the first place in the estimation of the traveller, whatever
may be his _taste_ or the direction of his inquiries.
If the Moorish monuments be the object of his research, he will find
they have been scattered with a more profuse hand throughout Andalusia
than in any other part of the peninsula; the lofty mountain chain which
forms the northern boundary of the province[6] having for some
considerable time arrested the Christian arms, after the rest of Spain
had been recovered from the Mohammedans; whilst the yet more rugged belt
that encircles Granada presented an obstacle which retarded the entire
reconquest of the kingdom, for upwards of two centuries and a half.
During that long period, therefore, the Moslems, driven within the
limits of so diminished a circle, were necessarily obliged to enlarge
and multiply their towns, to cultivate with greater care their fields
and orchards, and to strengthen, in every possible way, the natural
defences of their territory; and thus, their remains, besides being more
numerous _there_ than in other parts of Spain, furnish specimens, of the
latest as well as of the earliest date, of their peculiar style of
architecture.
Should matters of more general interest have drawn the Traveller to
Spain, he will still find Andalusia laying especial claim to his
attention; History ascribing to each mountain pass and every crumbling
ruin the fame of having been the scene of some desperate conflict
between the various ambitious nations that, before the Saracenic
invasion, successively sought the possession of this fertile region.
The peculiar manners and character of its dark inhabitants afford yet
another source of interest to the Stranger; although the swarthy race
may almost claim to be classed amongst its _Arabic remains_; for so
deep-rooted was the attachment of the Moors of Granada to the country of
their adoption, that neither the oppressive tyranny of their masters,
nor the sacrifice of their religion, nay, not even the establishment of
the "_holy_" inquisition, (which extirpated them by thousands) could
induce them to abandon it. Broken in spirit, replunged in ignorance,
their industry unavailing, their language corrupted, they bent the knee
to the blood-stained cross presented to them, and assumed the name of
Spaniards: but as a Spanish nobleman once observed to me in speaking of
these wild mountaineers, his dependants, "They are to this day but Moors
who go to Mass."
Again, should the beauties of nature have attracted the Traveller's
footsteps to Spain, he will find the scenery of Andalusia of the most
magnificent and varied kind; presenting alternately ranges of lofty
mountains and broad fertile plains--boundless tracts of forest and
richly cultivated valleys--picturesque towns and mountain
fortresses--winding rivers and impetuous torrents. It may indeed be said
to combine the wild beauties of the Tyrol with the luxuriant vegetation
and delightful climate of Southern Italy.
Well might the last of the Alhamares[7] weep, on taking his final leave
of the lovely Vega,[8] over which it had been his fortune to be born the
ruler, whence it was his "luckless" fate to be driven forth, a wanderer!
Even to this day, the Moors of Barbary preserve the title-deeds and
charters by which their ancestors held their estates in Spain, and
offer up daily prayers to _Allah_, to restore to them their lost
Granada; and one might almost suppose, from the nomadic life still led
by many of their tribes, and the unsettled habits which distinguish them
all, that they consider their actual country as but a temporary abode,
and live in the hope and expectation that their oft-repeated prayer will
eventually be heard.
Nor is the present inhabitant of this fair region less sensible than his
Moorish ancestor of the value of his inheritance. It is not in his
nature to express himself in the passionate language of the
Neapolitan,--whose well known exclamation, _Vedi Napoli e poi mori!_
might be applied with better reason to a hundred other places;--but,
with an equal degree of hyperbole though a somewhat less suicidical
feeling, the _Granadino_ declares with calm dignity, that
"_Quien no ha visto à Granada_
_No ha visto nada._"[9]
But, apart from all other considerations, there is a charm in travelling
in Spain, which renders it peculiarly attractive to most persons
possessing the locomotive mania, namely, the charm of _novelty_. Every
thing in that country is different from what is met with in any other;
every thing is proverbially _uncertain_;[10] and the traveller is thus
kept in a constant state of excitement, from his fancy being ever busy
guessing what is to come next.
There can be little doubt but that the uncertainty attendant on all
mundane affairs greatly enhances our enjoyment of life. Take the
duration of our existence itself as an instance: did we know the precise
moment at which it was to terminate, we should be miserable during the
whole period of its continuance. So, in like manner, does the
uncertainty attendant on such trifling matters as getting a bed or a
supper give a peculiar zest to _touring_ in Spain. You have there no
"_Itineraire des Voyageurs_," to mark the spot to a _millimetre_, where
a relay of post-horses is to be found; no "Hand-book for Travellers,"
with a list of the best inns on the road, to spoil your appetite by
anticipation; no dear pains-taking Mrs. Starke,[11] to beat up quarters
and sights for you, and determine beforehand the sum you have (or
rather ought) to pay for bed and "_pasto_." No--you travel with a bad
map of the country in your pocket over a stony track that is _not_
marked upon it--and which you are at times disposed to believe is rather
the bed of a torrent than a road. Before you is the prospect of passing
the night on this villanous king's highway; or, should you be fortunate
enough to reach the shelter of a roof, the doubt, whether a comfortable
bed, a truss of straw, or a hard floor, will receive your wearied limbs;
and whether you will have to go supperless to bed, or find a savoury
_olla_, perfuming the whole establishment.
It must, I think, be admitted, that there is a certain charm in this
independent mode of travelling--this precarious manner of existence. It
carries the wanderer back to the days of chivalry and romance--of the
_Cid Campeador_ and _Bernardo del Carpio_; dropping him at least half a
dozen centuries behind the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad.
Nevertheless,--as the Spaniards say--_Hay gustos que merecen palos_;[12]
and many will perchance think that _mine_ is in that predicament, a
settled order of things being more to their fancy:--_par exemple_, the
five mile an hour clattering _en poste_ over a French _pavé_--all
conversation drowned in the horrible noise made by the heavy horses'
heavy tramp, or the yet more abominable clacking of their monkey
jacketed driver's whips.--Then the certain comforts of a _grand Hotel
meublé_!--the spacious whitewashed room, adorned with prints of Arcola,
Jena, and Friedland! (which I have always thought would look much better
if worked in the pattern of a carpet): the classically canopied
bed!--that certainly would not be less comfortable, if a foot or two
longer.--Others again may be found who would give up the charm of
uncertainty, for the fixed pleasure of sitting behind the pipes and
"_sacraments_" of German postboys, listening to the discordant notes of
their bugles, and looking forward to the sudorific enjoyments (stoves
and duvets) of the _Gasthof_, and the dyspeptic delights (grease and
_sauerkraut_) of its _Speisesaal_!--Some even--but these I trust are
few--may like to listen to the melodiously rounded oaths of an Italian
_vetturino_, addressed to his attenuated horses in all the purity of the
_Lingua Toscana_; by dint of which, and an unceasing accompaniment of
merciless _sferzatone_, he provokes the wretched animals into a
jog-trot, that, with _rinfresco_ and _rinforzo_, kills the whole day and
them by inches, to get over a distance of forty or fifty miles.
For my own part, I freely confess, that not even our English modes of
"getting over the ground" have such charms for me, as the tripping and
stumbling of one's horse over a Spanish _trocha_[13]--I take no delight
in being dragged through the country at the rate of a mile a minute,
powdered with soot, (pardon the bull) suffocated with steam, and
sickened with grease. Neither does our steady ten mile an hour
stage-coach travelling find much favour in mine eyes; though I grant it
is now most admirably conducted, the _comforts_ of the old "slow
coaches" being so happily blended with the accelerated _speed_ called
for in this progressive age, that a change of horses is effected in less
than one minute, and a feed of passengers in something under ten!--But I
always pity the victims of this unwholesome alliance of comfort and
celerity.--Observe that fidgety old gentleman, muzzled in a red worsted
_comforter_, and crowned with a Welsh wig. Having started without
breakfast, or at most with but half of one, he counts impatiently the
minutes and milestones that intervene between him and the dining-place;
arrived there, if five minutes before the appointed time, every thing is
underdone; if five minutes after, a deduction of equal amount is made in
the time allowed for despatching the viands. Swallowing, therefore, in
all haste the indigestible roast pork and parboiled potatoes that are
placed before him, he resumes his seat in or upon the vehicle,
declaring--whilst the unwholesome food sticking in his throat nearly
chokes him--that he "_feels all the better_" for his _dinner!_ soon
after which, with a flushed face and quickened pulse, he drops into a
feverish slumber, dreaming of mad bulls and carniverous swine, sloe
juice and patent brandy.
Towards midnight, the announcement of "a quarter of an hour, gentlemen"
(meaning something less than half that time), relieves him from these
painful reminiscences, affording an opportunity of washing them down
with some scalding liquid, which, though bearing the name of tea or
coffee, is a decoction of some deleterious plant or berry, that
certainly never basked under the sun of China or Arabia Felix.
At last, however, he arrives at the end of his long journey--he has got
over a distance of a hundred and ninety-five miles in nineteen hours and
thirty-five minutes! The hour of arrival is inconveniently early it is
true, but, even at 3 o'clock A.M., he finds a comfortable hotel open to
receive him; an officious "boots" sufficiently master of his drowsy
senses to present the well or rather the ill-used slippers--a smirking
chambermaid sufficiently _awake_ to make him believe that the
_warming_-pan, with which she precedes him up three pair of stairs,
contains _hot_ coals; and impudent enough, whilst presenting him with a
damp, once white, cotton nightcap, to ask at what o'clock he would
_like_ to be awakened--she well knowing, all the time, that the stir of
passengers about to depart by an early coach will to a certainty effect
that object for him in the course of an hour, whether he _likes_ it or
not.
These rapid proceedings have, as I before confessed, no charms for me,
and such as cannot dispense with the comforts I have slightly sketched,
must abstain from travelling in Spain, for very different is the
entertainment they are likely to meet with at an Andalusian
_posada_.[14] _There_, in the matters of "Boots," Hostler, and
Chambermaid, no uncertainty whatever exists, and the traveller must
therefore be prepared to divide with his attendant the several duties of
those useful personages. Nor should he, amidst his multifarious
occupations, neglect the cooking department; for, if he have not an
_arriero_[15] power of consuming oil and garlic, he must watch with
vigilant eye, and restrain with persuasive words, the too bountiful hand
of Our Lady of the _Olla_.[16]
It is to be understood that I speak here of the South of Spain only, and
more especially of the mountainous country encircling the fortress of
Gibraltar,--from whence, in due time, I purpose taking my departure.
I ought here perhaps to give notice, that it is not my intention, in the
following pages, to conduct my reader, town by town, kingdom by kingdom,
through every part of Andalusia; giving him a detailed account of its
statistics, productions, resources, &c.; in fact, spreading before him a
regular three course banquet of travels; but rather to present him with
a light and simple dish of the country, seasoning it with such tales and
anecdotes as were picked up in the course of many excursions, made
during a period of many years; a _Gazpacho_, as it may be called,
whereof the country furnishes the principal part, or bread and water;
and to which the tales--so at least I hope it may be found--give the
_gusto_, imparted to this favourite Andalusian dish, by the addition of
oil, vinegar, and pepper.
I may as well premise, also, that I do not intend to mark with precise
date the time at which any of the incidents about to be narrated
occurred, excepting when the correctness due to matters of history
renders such specification necessary, but to transcribe the notes of my
various rambles as they come most conveniently to hand; stating
generally, however, that they were written during the period comprised
between the years 1822 and 1830, (the greater portion of which I
belonged to the Garrison of Gibraltar) and have been "revised and
corrected, with additions and improvements" from the journal of an
extended tour made several years subsequently.
Considering the small number of my countrymen to whom the Spanish
language is familiar, I may possibly be accused of having unnecessarily
retained many of the proverbs and idioms of the country in their
original garb, referring my readers to an English version of them at the
foot of each page. But as the caustic, and, in general, quaintly rhymed
sayings for which the _Andaluz_ is celebrated cannot but lose much of
their _Bætic salt_ on being translated, I am led to hope that such of my
readers as do _not_ understand Spanish will pardon the trouble I have
thus imposed on them, for the sake of those who do.
In conclusion, I have but to express a hope that the Spanish dish I now
offer to the public may not be displeasing to the English taste, though
I can hardly expect it should be _devoured_ with the relish of the
unsophisticated Sancho; who assigned as one of his principal reasons for
resigning his government of _Barateria_, that he preferred to "_hartarse
de Gazpachos_"[17] than be subjected to a regimen more befitting his
exalted situation.
CHAPTER I.
GIBRALTAR--FORBIDDEN GROUND--DERIVATION OF THE NAME--CURIOUS
PROVISIONS OF THE TREATY OF UTRECHT--EXTRACTION OF SAINTS WITHOUT A
MIRACLE--DEMONIACAL POSSESSIONS--BEAUTY OF THE SCENERY--AGREMENS OF
THE GARRISON--ITS IMPORTANCE TO GREAT BRITAIN, BUT IMPOLICY OF
MAKING IT A FREE PORT TO ALL NATIONS--LAMENTABLE CHANGES--SKETCH OF
THE CHARACTER OF THE MOUNTAINEERS OF RONDA--ENGLISH
QUIXOTISM--POLITICAL OPINIONS OF THE DIFFERENT CLASSES IN SPAIN.
Before mounting my impatient steed--not Pegasus, but my faithful Barb
"_Almanzor_,"--the companion of most of my wanderings; the partaker of
many of my fastings and perils; and whom--such is the mutability of
horse dealing affairs--I saw for the last time curvetting under a
monstrous weight of whisker and mustaches in Hyde Park;--I will detain
my readers a brief space, to cast a glance at the celebrated place on
which we are about to turn our backs.
Let him not take fright, however, at this announcement. It is not my
purpose to lead him the round of all the _sights_ contained within the
walls of this remarkable fortress; albeit they are well worthy of his
notice. Nor shall I, with professional prolixity, point out to his
wondering eyes its crested batteries where 700 cannon bid defiance to
the enemies of Great Britain; still less expose the _arcana_ of its
famed excavated citadel, its interminable galleries, spacious chambers,
&c. which must be as cautiously approached by the pen and ink of the
discreet traveller, as by the pickaxe and shovel of the wary sapper: a
mysterious veil being drawn over them, which it would ill become any of
her Majesty's loyal subjects to remove.
The attempt at concealment is, to be sure, rather absurd; and, as the
late Earl of Chatham drily observed, (on being informed that the plans
of the Fortress could only be sent to him from the Engineer's Office,
under an escort,) reminded him of the delusion of the ostrich, which,
concealing his head in a bush, fancies his whole body is hid from the
sight of his pursuers--since, though we carefully lock up _our_ plans of
the works in a strong box, others, equally good, may be procured for a
shilling any where.
To return to my premised glance at the famed rock, I will say a few
words of the _unde derivatur_ of the name it now bears--Gibraltar--which
is generally supposed to be a compound of the Arabic words Gibel
(Mountain) and Tarik, the name of the Moslem general, who first landed
in Spain, and with whom originated the idea of making it a place of
arms. For though the mount, under the name of Calpe, held a
distinguished place in ancient history, as one of the pillars of
Hercules, yet it is difficult to imagine that it was ever thought of as
a site for a _town_; otherwise, the city of Carteia would hardly have
been built in its immediate vicinity.
With respect, however, to the origin of its Moorish name, it is but
natural to suppose that this remarkable promontory had some
distinguishing appellation in the Arabic dialect, _before_ it was seized
upon and fortified by _Tarik ben Zaide_; and if therefore it was called
after him, it could only have been as indicative of the spot he had
fixed upon for effecting his descent upon the Spanish shore. But this
can hardly be the case, since he did _not_ land there, but near where
the town of Tarifa now stands (which place he founded and gave his name
to); and the rocky peninsula of Gibraltar was only seized upon by
_Tarik_ on his subsequently becoming aware of its great natural
strength, and the advantages its possession consequently held out, for
keeping up the communication with Barbary, and furthering his ulterior
projects against Spain.
It seems, on the other hand, much more probable, that the victorious
Saracens, arriving at the northern extremity of Africa, and finding how
small a space there separated them from Europe, would, whilst eagerly
examining the whole line of coast presented to their longing eyes, have
naturally given names of their own to the most prominent landmarks
observable along it. Now the remarkable head-land that stretched into
the sea towards them, its bold outline rendering, to all appearance, the
limited space that divided them from their prey yet narrower than it
really is,--could not fail to attract their attention; and it may
reasonably enough be supposed that its singular form and apparent
isolation led to its being designated Gibel-thar--(Gibel--mountain, and
thar, or tar--Sp. tajar--Eng. to cut or sever[18])--the severed
mountain,--in allusion to its actual separation from the mountainous
country behind.
The Spanish historian, Lopez de Ayala, notices this derivation of the
name Gibraltar, but prefers the more improbable one of _Gibel Tarik_--or
even _Gibel Phatah_--_Phatah_ signifying both key and victory; whereas,
the key by which Spain was laid open to the Moors was Tarifa; the
victory that made them masters of the country was gained at _Xeres de la
Frontera_.
The castle of Gibraltar (or _Calahorra_) was not built until thirty
years (A.D. 742) after the mountain had been occupied by Tarik; and the
fortress remained in the undisturbed possession of the Moors for upwards
of five centuries and a half, when it was captured by Don Alonzo Perez
de Guzman; though it was afterwards recovered by the Moslems, and again
remained in their possession upwards of a century.[19]
By the treaty of Utrecht, which confirmed this valuable possession to
Great Britain, it was particularly stipulated that no Turkish vessels
should be allowed to anchor under the protection of the fortress;--so
great even at that late period was the dread the Spaniards entertained
of Mohammedan invasion. It was also stipulated that no _Jews_ should be
permitted to domiciliate themselves within the garrison;--an article of
the treaty which has been most glaringly infringed upon.
The archives, &c. were transported to San Roque, whither also most of
the Spanish inhabitants removed with their goods and chattels. The
church property does not, however, appear to have been suffered to be
carried off; and an old Spanish historian gives with pious exultation a
very amusing account of the contraband extraction of the saints from the
different churches, after the fortress had been finally ceded to
heretical England.
The passage cannot but lose in the translation; as indeed every thing in
the Spanish language must. But, even in an English garb, its ludicrous
seriousness may excite a smile.
"A statue of St. Joseph, which, from its extreme corpulence, could not
be secretly transported, was carried away by a good Catholic--by name
Joseph Martin of Medina--placed on the back of a horse as if _he_ were a
person riding. The Saint having been well balanced, enveloped in a
cloak, and his head covered with a _montera_,[20] a person mounted _en
croupe_ to aid in supporting him, and accompanied by some friends to
create confusion and distract attention, they issued forth by the main
street without being discovered."[21]
The fat Saint was lodged with other valuables at San Roque, where he may
be seen to this day. A thinner Saint Joseph supplies his place in the
"Spanish Church" at Gibraltar, and I dare say Joseph Martin has been
canonized, and may be heard further of at Medina Sidonia.
I entirely forget what Saint in particular--or if any--is now charged
with the protection of the "town and territory" of Gibraltar; but the
intervention of one seems highly necessary, for the devil has obtained a
great footing in the place, claiming as his own a Tower--a
Bowling-green--a Bellows--a Gap, and--last, not least--a tremendous
tongue of fire. Perhaps these offerings have been made to the black
gentleman by some good Catholics,--like Joseph Martin,--on the same
principle that the old Italian lady presented him with a costly pair of
horns,--observing--"_Sta bene far' amicizia, anche col' Signor Santo
Diavolo._"
Most persons who have not visited Gibraltar entertain very curious
notions respecting it; picturing to themselves a mere rock, bristling
with cannon, and crowded with Barracks, Furnaces for Red-hot shot, and
Powder-magazines. But, in reality, there are few places of the same
limited extent that can lay claim to greater and more varied natural
beauties.
The Road which leads from the picturesque old Moorish castle to the
southern extremity of the rocky peninsula (a distance of upwards of two
miles) presents a complete change of objects at every turn,--of hanging
gardens, impending rocks, and distant vistas of the Spanish and African
coasts. On gaining the flats at Europa Point, few views, finer than
that which opens upon you, are any where to be met with; none more grand
than, as inclining to the eastward, the back of the singular mountain
bursts upon your sight, its peaked summits rising precipitously near
1400 feet above the Mediterranean, which, lashing in impotent rage its
rocky base, ofttimes dashes a shower of spray over the cottage of the
Governor, situated under the lofty cliff, but at least 200 feet above
the angry ocean.
Again, ascending to the northernmost peak of the rocky ridge, what can
exceed the beauty of the panoramic view?--a wide expanse of sea, studded
with countless vessels of all kinds and nations, but so penned in by
distant mountains as to assume the appearance of a vast lake, is spread
out beneath you:--its glassy surface reflecting the richly wooded or
vine-clad hills of Spain, on one side, the savage and sterile mountains
of Barbary on the other. Casting the eye beyond the sandy isthmus which
to the north separates the isolated rock from the mountains of Spain, it
rests upon successive ranges of sierras, (marked by a most pleasing
variety of tints,) that seem to convey you into the very heart of the
country; and indeed the view is closed only by the Alpujarra range,
which is upwards of a hundred miles distant from the point of view.
Within the Fortress, the hand of man has not neglected to deck out
nature, where art could effect improvement. The Red Sands, formerly an
unsightly burying ground, have been converted--without disturbing the
dust of the tenants of the soil--into public walks and gardens. The
rugged tracks, which not long since were dangerous for a horse to
travel, have been rendered practicable for carriages, and sheltered from
the sun by avenues of trees. The western side of the Rock, which
formerly presented a bare and rugged limestone surface, is now clothed
with a variety of trees and shrubs, that afford cover to numerous
partridges and rabbits, as well as to the aboriginal apes, which have
obtained, and not undeservedly, no small share of celebrity; and this
belt of verdure, besides being refreshing to the sight, tends probably
to lessen the heat of the place and increase its salubrity.
As a place of residence, I know of no town--being a garrison--that
possesses so many agrémens. The society is composed of persons of all
nations and pursuits, and is varied by the passing visits of numerous
strangers, who willingly devote a few days to the examination of the
wonders of the celebrated "rock," and of the beauties of the
neighbourhood. The resident English merchants were, in my day, a most
hospitable body, whose society afforded a grateful variation to the but
too prevalent "our's" and "your's" conversation of a mess table. The
_table_, by the way, possesses great attractions to the _Bon vivant_;
offering him the enjoyment of most of the gastronomic luxuries of the
world at a very cheap rate, and champagne and claret well iced and free
of duty. Finally, to the Sportsman, the neighbourhood affords the
pleasures of hunting, fishing, shooting, and horse-racing; and to the
studious is presented the resource of an excellent library.
I regret to say, however, that I remained at Gibraltar long enough to
witness lamentable changes in many things;--to see the commerce of the
place gradually decline, first from the jealousy of the Spanish
government at its being made a rendezvous for a worthless and ungrateful
gang of refugees; secondly, from various impolitic acts emanating from
the Colonial office; and lastly, from an awful visitation of the yellow
fever, which swept off a third of its dense population, and, for a time,
(Cadiz having about this epoch been also declared a Free port) directed
the smuggling trade into another channel.
The value of Gibraltar to Great Britain has been questioned by a recent
writer on Spain,[22] who doubts whether it be worth preserving at the
cost of a garrison of 4,000 (3,000 at most) troops, and the stones and
mortar required for keeping its defences in repair.
"The command of the Mediterranean," he observes, "belongs to the
strongest fleet." This--albeit a debateable proposition--I will not stop
to dispute; since what Gibraltar claims is simply the command of the
_entrance_ to the Mediterranean; and that clearly belongs to the power
which can most readily keep a force near at hand to prevent all ingress
and egress. Now, Gibraltar is so situated as to enable Great Britain to
do this, with very small naval means; whereas it would require a fleet
of any other nation to watch the Straits, because that power would have
also to blockade the port of Gibraltar. This any one at all acquainted
with the localities,--the prevailing winds, &c.--will readily admit to
be at times an impossibility; and on every occasion that the blockading
squadron might be driven from its cruising ground, the command of the
Straits would again be possessed by Gibraltar, should its batteries
shelter but a few gunboats.
The importance of Gibraltar will increase tenfold in the event of a
_steam war_, as every thing will then depend upon the vicinity of the
contending parties to their _coal depôts_.
But, besides the advantage Gibraltar gives Great Britain, by the
command of the entrance of the Mediterranean, it affords a secure port
at which her ships can refit, reprovision, &c. without incurring the
expense and loss of time attendant on a long voyage to England. And,
with respect to the expense of its maintenance, the benefit accruing to
the nation at large by the disposal of her manufactured and other
produce to an immense amount, far more than counterbalances the cost of
the few thousand troops required for its defence, and which troops may
also be looked upon as a kind of support to our advanced posts, Malta,
Corfu, &c.
To furnish a proof of the value of Gibraltar to Great Britain, as a
market, it will be only necessary to state, that of British manufactured
_cotton_ goods alone the "barren little rock" takes annually to the
value of nearly half a million sterling;--an amount very nearly equal to
that which is exported from the mother country to _all_ her North
American colonies--whilst the kingdom of Portugal (_favouring_ us in
return for benefits conferred) takes of the same articles to the amount
only of £800,000; and all the other ports of Spain together, but to the
value of £13,000.
Now though the government gains but a trifling increase of revenue by
the vast amount of goods exported to Gibraltar, yet the _good_ that is
effected by thus keeping our manufacturers at work may certainly be put
down as benefiting the country at a cheap rate, when the cost is but of
a few thousand troops;--the civil servants, &c., being paid out of the
crown revenues of the place itself.
On one point, I admit our government appears to be in error; namely, in
making Gibraltar "a free port to _every_ flag;" by which "other nations
enjoy the benefit of the establishment, without paying any portion of
the expense:"[23] and it is more particularly to be blamed, for opening
it to the produce of the _United States of America_, which, unlike
France, Tuscany, Sardinia, and Austria, give our commerce no
reciprocating advantage, and whose _tobacco_, imported in immense
quantities, pays as aforesaid no portion of the expense of the
establishment, but is the article of all others that occasions Spain to
watch the transit trade of Gibraltar with such excessive jealousy.
The Spanish government knows full well, that salt fish, manufactured
goods of all sorts, and indeed most of the productions of Great Britain,
_must_ be introduced into the country, and would take but little trouble
to check the contraband trade of Gibraltar, if it were confined to such
articles; but the introduction of Tobacco, Cocoa, Sugar, Spices, and
other productions of Spain's own colonies, which the British Free port
affords other nations the means of pouring into the country, to the
detriment of her transatlantic possessions, naturally occasions a
greater degree of watchfulness to be adopted, and excites much jealousy
and ill will.
At one time, indeed, the combination of untoward circumstances before
alluded to, added to the loss of our extensive trade with Oran and
Algiers--(occasioned by the imposition of prohibitory duties since the
North of Africa became a French Colony)--and the vigilance of the
_farmer_ who _rented_ the preventive cordon--himself an old
smuggler--threatened annihilation to the trade of Gibraltar. But, at the
present day, it once more "looks up:" smuggling, thanks to the lawless
state of Spain, having again furnished occupation to the hardy
mountaineers of Ronda and Granada, who, careless what may be the _form_
of Government at Madrid provided its authority does not extend to
Andalusia, so as to prevent their having free access to the Calicoes and
Tobacco of "_La Plaza_",[24]--have been alternately crying _Viva la
Constitucion_ and _Viva el Rey absoluto_, for the last eighteen years.
Having now, for the present, concluded my remarks upon Gibraltar, I
will embrace the opportunity,--though "Almanzor" has already been kept
an unconscionable time ready saddled--of saying a few words of these
rude _Serranos_,[25] ere I take my reader amongst them.
Smugglers by birth, education, and inclination, it could hardly be
expected that they should be distinguished by the possession of any very
resplendent virtues. Nevertheless, they are characterized by temperance,
honesty, (apart their profession) hospitality, and noble-mindedness.
Hardy and enduring, though generally averse to the occupation of
husbandry, they can scarcely be termed indolent, since their favourite
pursuit is one which exposes them to great fatigue. Proverbially vain,
and supremely ignorant, they look upon their country as the first in the
world, themselves as its bravest inhabitants: in the latter supposition,
being perhaps nearly as far from the truth as in the former; their
courage, such as it is, being rather of the tiger kind. Superstitious
beyond all belief, and priest-ridden to the last degree, still their
naturally caustic and witty temperament cannot be so bridled as to deter
them from indulging in jokes and pleasantries, even at the expense of
the ceremonies of their church, or the peccadilloes of their ghostly
fathers.
As I have stated before, they concern themselves but little with
politics; but, having a most radical distaste for every species of
taxation, the government that troubles them least in this
particular--that is, which has the _least power_ of levying its dues--is
naturally the most popular.
In the eventful period in Spanish History, during which I mixed
constantly with the natives of all classes, I found the _Serranos_ by
turns _Realistas_,--_Constitucionalistas_,--_Serviles_,--_Liberales_,
--_Moderados_,--and _Exaltados_: their opinions invariably changing for
or against the existing [dis]order of things, according to the strength
of the preventive cordon drawn round Gibraltar, and the support given to
the local authorities in exacting the payment of taxes.
The only change that I ever perceived Liberalism to work in their habits
was, that it induced a freer circulation of the pig-skin; thus leading
to inebriety and its concomitants, brawling, insubordination, and
depravity; and though this departure from the sober dignity that
characterizes the Spaniard was most observable in the troops, yet the
pernicious example set by these lawless bands could not but be of bad
omen.
Of the _Serranos_ I may in conclusion say, that, considering their
ignorance and superstition, and above all the demoralizing nature of
their occupation; considering also the wild impracticable country they
inhabit; the distracted state of the kingdom; the lamentably
ill-enforced condition of the laws, and the sad venality of all Spanish
Authorities; they are a wonderfully moral and well-behaved race.
Assassinations,--when the country is not, as at present, disturbed by
political dissensions--are of very rare occurrence; and the same unhappy
state of things has naturally led to the perpetration of numerous
personal outrages and increased the number of highway robberies: but
larceny and housebreaking are even now rarely heard of; and
Incendiarism, Infanticide, and some other heinous crimes that disgrace
more civilized communities, are unknown.
The condition of this singular race presents, therefore, the anomalous
spectacle of the co-existence of rare moral qualities with ignorance,
lawlessness, and superstition; and, by instituting a comparison between
the condition of the inhabitants of Spain and those of better governed
and more enlightened nations, the Philanthropist cannot but entertain a
doubt whether a very high degree of education is, in all cases,
conducive to the happiness of Mankind.
The experiment now in progress of sending Liberty, armed Cap-a-pee, to
take Spain by storm, ere Truth and Wisdom have battered Bigotry and
Ignorance in breach, is one that cannot fail to entail the utmost misery
upon that unhappy country for a long space of years.
No _class_ of Spaniards is, at the present moment, prepared for the
great organic changes in the government and institutions of their
country that _we_ are pressing upon them. There are doubtless some
enlightened men in the upper ranks, who, with the welfare of their
country at heart, wish for a change; but their previous life has
unfitted them from taking the lead in effecting it. There are also many
learned men with heads full of metaphysicks and moral and political
theories, who fancy they have but to lecture on forms of government to
have their views adopted; and in the mass of the people there is a great
deal of intelligence sparkling through a dense cloud of ignorance and
bigotry; but vanity is the besetting sin of all Spaniards; they cannot
bring themselves to think they are behind the rest of Europe; and
consequently they do not see that the more liberal institutions of other
countries have followed, and not preceded, the "_march of intellect_."
The various Constitution builders, who, set after set, have succeeded to
the direction of affairs, in this luckless country, have invariably
found themselves in the situation of a man who, having pulled down his
old house to erect another on the spot, after the model of one he had
_read_ of, discovered, that though slate, bricks, and mortar, were all
at hand, he could not meet with workmen who understood his plan, so as
to put his projected structure together; and thus he was driven to seek
shelter in an outhouse.
But, besides the absolute want of knowledge of the world that all the
ministers of Spain have evinced, from Manuel Godoy to the present day,
there is yet another want that has been almost equally conspicuous
during the same period--namely, the want of _honesty_. One of the best
patriots that the country has produced, since the light of liberalism
first broke upon it, declared that this want was the source of all
Spain's misfortunes.--"_Somos todos corrompidos_"[26] was his painful
confession; and without going to the _full_ extent of that assertion, it
seems more than probable this rottenness at the core will not be cured,
until Spain produces some great tyrant like Napoleon.
A Despot, though not over-scrupulous himself, generally makes his
subordinates honest;[27] but I doubt the possibility of any _set_ of
men, who have been brought up on plunder, divesting themselves of the
habit of _self-appropriation_ when possessed of the distribution of the
loaves and fishes.
I must no longer, however, delay taking my departure from Gibraltar, or
the gates of the fortress will be closed upon me for the night, and
frustrate my intention of sleeping at San Roque.