Travels in the North of Europe and Spain.
Having been very hard worked, and being in bad health, owing to my
still suffering from the effects of my fall into the cofferdam of
London Bridge, I felt the necessity for some relaxation. I therefore
made my arrangements for a short continental tour, resolving to visit
the north of Europe. Adhering to my original plan, I shall only mention
those places and occurrences which, for particular reasons, I think,
may possess some little interest, and shall pass over the ordinary
descriptions of places and things which are now so well known as to be
hackneyed. My journey, principally by sea, from London to St. Petersburg
passed without incident, except that off the Island of Bornholm we met
the Russian fleet, consisting of seven sail of the line. It was a fine
sight, and the ships seemed well handled; but one line-of-battle ship in
going about missed stays, and got into what the sailors term irons, that
is to say, she would move neither way. Our sailors laughed heartily, and
we could see by the signals made from the flag-ship that the admiral was
very much annoyed.
On board the steamer I made acquaintance with Lieutenant Conolly, who
intended to take the route from St. Petersburg overland to India--a
particularly difficult and dangerous journey; but Conolly was an
intelligent, ardent, and courageous person, anxious for information,
and ambitious to explore a route which had hardly ever been undertaken
before; but he unfortunately fell a victim to his ambition. He was a
little man, determined and energetic, capable of undergoing great
fatigue, and a very agreeable and sociable companion. He and I took to
each other and became great friends, and entertained the pleasing idea of
meeting again after his return from India; but this never took place, for
he was murdered with his companions.
Conolly and I got our luggage together as soon as possible after
landing, and drove to the Grand Hotel, which was then a sort of barrack
or caravanserai, near the Newski Prospect. Before seeing the city, I
presented the various letters of introduction with which I had been
provided; amongst others were several from my old friend, Chevalier
Benkausen, the Russian Consul-General in London.
I first called upon Lord Heytesbury, our ambassador, whom I had
previously known as Mr. Abbott, at Naples, by whom I was most cordially
welcomed. I also waited upon all the authorities, and was well received
by them; but the person to whom I was most indebted was my friend,
General Wilson, a sensible Scotchman, who had entered the Civil Service
of the Government, as engineer to the cotton, gun, and general iron
manufactures, for which he had erected a large establishment at Kolpnau,
about 13 or 14 miles from St. Petersburg. This place I visited with
him; it was very complete, for the Emperor Nicholas, who was at times
very fond of Englishmen and everything English, had taken Wilson and
his establishment under his especial protection, and had given him
authority to incur any reasonable expenditure to make it perfect. Wilson,
therefore, imported the newest and most improved machines and tools of
every kind from England, and obtained also the best of English workmen.
The cotton manufactories were upon a most extensive and imposing scale;
in fine buildings, with hosts of employés, they were conducted in the
true imperial style, that is, with great show, but little profit. Still,
they were not without their advantages; they were the means of training
a set of native workmen, who, although not inventive, are excellent
imitators, consequently after a time their services must have been
valuable. The same may be said of the iron manufactories, particularly as
Russia has some of the richest iron mines, and they only require skilled
workmen to develop them to their utmost; Wilson contributed materially
towards this; and it was impossible to have selected a better man for
this purpose. He possessed a calm even temper, firm, but just, and
conciliating, with a competent knowledge of what he undertook to perform,
without possessing any considerable amount of invention. He spoke the
Russian language like a native, besides French and German. He therefore
most justly possessed a good deal of influence, and was thoroughly liked
and respected, from the humblest workman under his orders up to the
Emperor, who was very fond of him. Lastly, he was thoroughly honest,
a rare thing in Russia in those days, where peculation was rife from
the highest to the lowest; and if Wilson had followed the universal
example, which he might have done with impunity, he would have made a
large fortune; but after many years’ service he died comparatively poor.
Although anything but a military man, he was a general in the Russian
service, and was decorated with several stars and orders. All persons
officially employed like Wilson had military rank; he concealed this as
much as he could; but in St. Petersburg he was always obliged to wear
uniform, and as there were guardhouses in almost every street, whenever
he passed the guard turned out to salute him, which annoyed him much.
There was another remarkable Scotchman, of the name of Baird, with whom
I made acquaintance. He was, however, a totally different character--a
shrewd, intelligent, clever, active, indefatigable person, wholly
devoted to making money. He was in constant communication with England;
and as soon as a patent was taken out there for any new invention, if
it was applicable in Russia he at once imported and patented it, and
thus obtained a monopoly. He cultivated, with the greatest tact and
assiduity, all the officials, from the highest to the lowest, as well
as all persons of any influence, and had a thorough understanding with
them, particularly with the police and officers of customs; thus he
contrived to gain the greatest influence, and secured almost a monopoly
of everything worth having. If ever the Government was desirous of
contracting for any large work, Baird was almost sure of obtaining it,
at the best price. Whether his numerous friends were interested in the
profits resulting from these multifarious undertakings is best known
to himself; but according to the ordinary practice of human nature,
particularly in Russia at that time, everybody endeavoured to make the
most he could, and it is probable that there was no exception in this
case; but suffice to say that Baird made a very large fortune, with which
he retired to his native country; and we must not omit to mention that
Baird, whilst benefiting himself, was of the greatest service to Russia,
and tended materially to advance her prosperity by the numerous valuable
inventions he introduced, and by training the natives, and inciting them
and urging them to make all sorts of improvements, which, without such
a man, would never have been undertaken, so that nobody grudged his
wealth, and he left the country to which he had been a real benefactor
universally liked and esteemed. As to myself, personally, I feel much
indebted to him; through his kindness I had the opportunity of knowing
many persons and seeing many things which otherwise would have been out
of my power.
I frequently dined at the cafés and restaurants when not otherwise
engaged, and at some of the best of them met persons of the first class,
who were always very well bred and polite. One day I dined at one of the
best table d’hôtes, when several persons of high rank were present, and
amongst them a young naval officer of good family. Amongst other subjects
of conversation, the recent taking of Varna came forward, and the naval
officer seemed to speak rather disparagingly of it. I observed one of
the superior waiters looking at him and listening attentively for some
time, then he quietly went up to him and whispered a few words in his
ear, which my neighbour told me was an order to hold his tongue, for such
conversation would not be allowed. The fact was that all these waiters
were employed by, or in the pay of, the police, and all conversations
were reported. The young naval officer held his tongue immediately, and
the party broke up very shortly afterwards, and I was told that the
matter would not end there. I took the hint also, for nothing was more
dangerous than to talk politics, and I avoided them ever after.
In considering the position of St. Petersburg, it is, perhaps, difficult
to find a more inconvenient and unhealthy spot for a great seaport town
than that chosen for the Russian capital, at the mouth of the Neva, at
the head of the Gulf of Finland, where there is no tide, and where the
greatest depth over the bar is only seven feet, so that none but vessels
of a small class can ascend the river. Hence, though within the bar
there is ample depth of water at all times, large mercantile vessels are
obliged to stop at Cronstadt, seven miles distant, and there discharge
their cargoes, which are transferred to St. Petersburg in lighters;
in like manner they receive their cargoes from the capital; this, of
course, is attended with great delay and considerable expense. Moreover,
during the prevalence of strong westerly winds, the waters of the Gulf
of Finland are heaped up at the upper end, and those of the Neva are
driven back, so that it frequently happens that a large portion of the
city is inundated; and in November, in the year 1827, a terrible example
of this occurred. In many parts of the city the waters rose more than
fourteen feet, many thousand persons were drowned, and a vast amount of
valuable property was destroyed. These inundations might be avoided, and
the port improved to a considerable extent, although it would necessarily
require a very great expenditure. Still the object to be gained is of
such importance that every reasonable means should be adopted to effect
it, and compared with the enormous sums which have been expended in
establishing this capital, the cost of improving the port would appear
trifling.
Cronstadt is, properly speaking, the port of St. Petersburg. Here all
vessels, whether of war or merchandise, must stop; and the southern
side of the island, where there is the deepest water, from 24 to 27
feet, has been chosen as the site for the naval arsenal, as well as
the port for merchant vessels, where docks had been made when I was
there by enclosing a portion of the water space from the gulf; the two
basins or harbours were close together, separated only by a partition
wall. The accommodation for the mercantile vessels, although not small,
nevertheless was in a rude state, devoid of the usual mechanical
appliances which we have for many years been so accustomed to in England.
The naval arsenal, which was made in the time of Peter the Great, and
was considered perfect at the time it was made, consists of a long canal
leading from the outer to a small circular basin. Connected with this
there were four dry docks for the line-of-battle ships of that period.
From this the circular basin on the east side was connected with two
other dry docks; and around these canals, basin and docks, there were
several storehouses and magazines; but upon the whole they were badly
arranged.
I may here as well mention that my brother and myself afterwards, at the
request of the Emperor, designed a complete naval establishment for this
place, utilizing as much as we could of the old construction, and this
design, I believe, was to some extent adopted.
We afterwards built four iron steamboats, with their engines, for the
Caspian Sea, which were the first ever afloat there. These vessels were
built in England, then taken to pieces, and sent with the requisite
number of workmen to Odessa. Thence by land they were transported to the
Caspian, where they were again put together, with their engines, and
answered their purpose well. We afterwards made the iron gates for the
docks of Sebastopol, a pair of which were subsequently brought to England
and France as war trophies. We also constructed several vessels of war,
worked by the screw, for the Baltic and Black Seas; amongst others a
yacht for the Emperor, to review his fleets in the Gulf of Finland, as
well as for pleasure excursions. This was a small vessel, about 260 tons,
with a pair of oscillating engines of the nominal power of 120 horses,
although capable of working up to three times that power, and making
fully 14 knots an hour. She was fitted up plainly but very neatly. From
circumstances over which we had no control, the completion was prolonged
to a later period of the year than we anticipated; and it was not before
the middle of October, 1850, that we were ready to leave England, when
my brother and his son George determined to go with her and deliver
her in person. She was well insured, and was navigated by an English
captain--who, I observed at the time, was not a very sharp fellow--and an
English crew. As she was a small vessel she had to take a considerable
quantity of coals on deck, which brought her down beyond her usual line
of floatation. I went with her as far as Gravesend, and saw them fairly
on their voyage, but before she reached the Baltic she encountered a
severe storm, when she behaved admirably. At Copenhagen she took in more
coals, and started again, and in the Baltic encountered another severe
storm, which she got through equally as well as before. The weather then
became fine, and they thought that all their troubles were over. The last
storm had driven her considerably out of her course, which the captain
had not taken a correct account of; and one fine starlight night, about
ten o’clock, they were steaming away with a smooth sea, at the rate of
about 10 to 12 knots an hour, when the engineer, putting his head out
of the engine-house to enjoy the fine evening, suddenly called out, “I
think I see land,” and went at once to the captain. The captain said,
“It is impossible. We cannot be nearer land than 30 or 40 miles.” The
captain and the Russian officer and my brother were at the time in the
cabin taking their grog comfortably before going to bed. But he quickly
went upon deck and soon discovered his error, and ordered the vessel to
be put about; but before this could be done she struck upon a rock, and
in spite of all their endeavours she could not be got off. The Russian
officer declined taking any of the responsibility, saying it lay with
the captain, and he would have nothing to do with it. At daylight they
found themselves hard and fast upon the Island of Dago. My brother,
finding that nothing could be done to get the vessel off, resolved with
his son to make his way at once to St. Petersburg, and report the loss
of the vessel. As the winter had begun, the journey was attended with
considerable difficulty. However, they reached St. Petersburg, and had an
audience of the Emperor Nicholas, who, when he heard the story, laughed
heartily, and said, “Now, if this had occurred under the command of
Russian officers and sailors, what would the English have said? why,
that no wonder an accident had occurred, when the vessel was confided to
those stupid fellows, the Russians. Now, you see, it has happened with
the English; and they, with all their pretended knowledge, don’t know
the Baltic yet, and are more stupid than the Russians.” Again he laughed
heartily, and said, “I am delighted to find that my sailors are, after
all, as clever as the English, and under the circumstances I am not sorry
that the yacht is lost. It will teach the English in future not to be so
proud of their knowledge, and to give the Russians credit for knowing the
Baltic as well as they do.”
Although the yacht was wrecked, we lost nothing, neither did the Emperor,
for he was insured to the full, and we received an order to make another
of precisely the same size. The underwriters, as soon as they heard
of the accident, sent out a clever fellow, Captain Farr, who, upon
arriving at the spot where the vessel was stranded, found that she had
not received much damage; he, therefore, finding that the season was too
far advanced to take her back to England, or even to get her into any
Baltic port, at once weighed her and then sank her in deeper water in
order that she might be protected during the winter. In the spring he
returned, weighed her again, and took her to Revel, where he repaired
the trifling damage she had received, then returned with her to England,
calling at Hamburg on his way, and from thence she made a quicker voyage
that had ever been made before. I saw her in the East India Dock, and she
looked quite new; and unless I had known I should never have supposed
that she had been stranded, and been a whole winter under water in the
Baltic. She afterwards sold, I think, for 9000_l._, having originally
cost 14,000_l._; and as the insurers had been paid nearly 4000_l._ for
the original insurance, the underwriters scarcely lost anything. Thus we
gained considerably by the accident, having to make two yachts instead
of one, and neither the Emperor nor the underwriters lost anything.
Leaving St. Petersburg I started for Moscow, traversing 400 miles of most
uninteresting country in an open droschky, drawn at the rate of 10 miles
an hour--as I paid liberally--by four horses abreast. The only noticeable
place I passed through was Novogorod, a considerable town, with a good
deal of activity, and apparently an extensive trade. Here the two great
water-carriage systems met, connecting the Baltic with the Black Sea, and
also with the Caspian. The canals were crowded with vessels laden with
the products of the East and West; natives from the East clad in their
flowing garments, Tartars, with their bows and arrows, Cossacks from the
Don, Armenian, Greek, and Turkish merchants, and the never-failing Jew,
English, French, and Germans, all mixed together, and carrying on their
particular business, formed a very amusing and busy scene. I contrived to
get a tolerable dinner there, the only one deserving of the name since
I left Petersburg; I devoted two or three hours to looking over the
canal-works, which, for that time, were not badly executed, but the town
contained nothing remarkable.
On reaching Moscow, what struck me most was the Eastern appearance of the
inhabitants, particularly when compared with the extremely modern look of
the town itself. The Kremlin, of course, I need not describe. I visited
the celebrated Riding House, which is 1200 feet long, covered by a wooden
roof, of the single span of 240 feet; it is without doubt the finest and
largest shed in the world, and a splendid piece of carpentry, well worth
going some distance to see. It is frequently used for reviewing troops in
unfavourable weather, and it is said that ten thousand men can go through
their exercises under its shelter.
On my way from Moscow to Warsaw I had no idea that this great road--one
of the principal in Russia, and, upon the whole, not through an
unproductive country--I should find so totally unprovided with anything
for the accommodation of travellers. In those days I certainly did not
expect much, and having travelled in more barbarous countries, I could
submit cheerfully to a good deal; but I certainly did not expect that it
would be so bad as I found it, and therefore I carried little with me,
contrary to my usual practice. This I certainly repented of, for our fare
was most miserable; if we got eggs, butter, cheese, and bread, we thought
ourselves lucky, though sometimes we got better provisions; however,
perhaps it was well, for although ill when I started, I began to get
better, and slept soundly. My man Weiss consoled himself with plenty of
vodki, and considering the rough fare we got I could not altogether blame
him. We passed Smolenski, and a very poor place it was; there was nothing
like an hotel, nor any accommodation for travellers. Although seventeen
years had elapsed since the invasion of the French in 1812, the remains
of the fire and battle which took place when the French captured it were
still very visible. When we entered Poland cultivation appeared to be
carried on more extensively and with greater skill, and the people seemed
more intelligent; we passed several large proprietors’ houses.
At Warsaw I attended a review of the garrison, in the Great Square,
in honour of the recent victories of the Russians over the Turks. It
consisted of about twelve thousand men of all arms, commanded by the
Grand Duke Constantine, the Viceroy. I never saw finer troops in my life,
nor any that manœuvred better. Before the review mass was said in their
midst, and when _Te Deum_ was sung by the whole of the men--and they sang
it with great skill--the effect was very fine, and was rendered still
more so by a salvo of one hundred and one guns, fired from the forts.
I returned rapidly through Germany, and reached home after an absence of
sixty-five days, during which period I had travelled nearly thirty nights.
I immediately visited London Bridge, and found everything going on well.
In fact, during my absence my brother George had diligently looked after
my business as well as his own.
My brother George married the only daughter of Sir John Jackson, Bart.,
in June 1828. I had then taken a house for myself, No. 15, Whitehall
Place, where my two younger brothers, Matthew and James, lived with me
for about a couple of years.
At this time, as a bachelor, I saw a good deal of society, and made
acquaintance with most of the celebrated scientific men of the day,
also the leading literati, artists, painters, and sculptors. In fact,
when I could tear myself away from my business I passed my time most
agreeably and profitably in that distinguished society. I numbered
amongst my acquaintance Sir H. Davy, Dr. Young, Wollaston, Dawes,
Gilbert, Sir A. Cooper, Sir D. Home, Laurence, Greene, Playfair, Leslie,
Whewell, Peacock, Hopkins, Liston, Barlow, Irving, Bailey, Colby,
Parley, Sedgwick, Greenough, Delabeche, Meecham, Lyell, Brande, Faraday,
Christie, Allen, Pepys, Sir James M’Intosh, W. W. Scott, J. W. Croker,
J. Barrow, Sir S. Raffles, Marsden, Sir F. Chantrey, Sir T. Lawrence,
Turner, Calcott, Stansfield, Behnes, Chalon, Sir A. M. Shee, Eastlake,
Varley, Martin, Philips, Theodore Hook, Samuel Rogers, Southey, Robert
Brown, Hallam, Sir A. Alison, Sir J. Parry, Sir J. Franklin, Sir John
Ross, the late Sir J. Lubbock, the late Admiral Fitzroy, Professor
Owen, and many others, and last, not least, Mrs. Somerville. Amongst
foreigners--Humboldt, Laplace, Cuvier, Arago, Pring, Gerard, Cardinal
Mezzofauité, Mailenette, Wree-Viking, and Von Breek.
In 1833, having now completed London, Hyde Park, Staines, and Crammond
bridges, the great naval works at Sheerness, Woolwich, and Chatham, the
Victualling Department, or Royal William Yard, and a large portion of
the breakwater at Plymouth, Sunderland, Port Patrick, Donaghadee, Port
Rush, and a large portion of Kingstown Harbours, the Eau Brink Cut, the
Nene Outfall, the Witham Outfall, the Ancholme Drainage, and several
other minor works, I was almost knocked up, and was recommended to take
another continental journey for recreation. As I had never seen Spain I
determined to go there, and accordingly started in the mail for Falmouth,
and reached Cadiz on the fifth day.
Whilst at Gibraltar there was a grand military and civil fête, given by
the governor of the fort Algesiras on the opposite side of the bay, to
celebrate the establishment of the constitution, when he invited the
governor of Gibraltar, Sir W. Houston, one of King William IV.’s most
attached followers, and who had received me most kindly, and all the
officers of the garrison. The governor of course could not go, nor all
the officers; but a considerable number did, and I went in a boat in
company with a number of the officers of the Rifles, while a great many
rode round by land. We were received in the most courteous manner by the
governor and the Spanish officers, and were most hospitably entertained.
On leaving Gibraltar I bargained with a respectable Spanish muleteer
named Manuel, well known and recommended by my landlord, for the hire
of four good mules, one each for myself and servant, and two for the
baggage--which Manuel and his man occasionally mounted also. My idea
was to go by Ronda to Malaga, but I was advised not to do it, as it was
reported to be greatly infested by brigands; moreover, Spain at the time
of my visit was in a very disturbed state on account of the Carlist
war, and to add to this the cholera spread dismay and terror in most
quarters, so that the time was very unfavourable for travel; still I
determined to go on, and trusted to Providence for a happy deliverance,
only instead of going by Ronda I determined to take the coast road. We
proceeded through a wild, uncultivated country, and after two days’
travelling reached Malaga about sunset, and took up our quarters at a
comfortable little hotel situated in a narrow street near the Alameda.
Here our consul, Mr. March, warned me against going any farther without
waiting for some companions; but as my time was valuable, I thanked
him for his advice, and determined to proceed, and after two days’
stay started again, sleeping the first night at Velez, or Old Malaga.
After supper Manuel came in and said that there were several suspicious
characters about the village, and that, moreover, our arrival had caused
some commotion; he had therefore told the landlord that we should
start at daybreak, but strongly recommended our setting out two hours
earlier. This we accordingly did, and at midday reached the old Moorish
town of Alhama, perched upon the summit of the pass which separates
Malaga from the vale of Granada; from here we descended into another
rich vale, which, well irrigated and cultivated, teemed with wine,
oil, corn, and fruits, and was filled with villages and chateaux, all
indicating wealth and prosperity; yet withal there was a certain degree
of wildness intermixed with it, which made it appear as if they were
only half-civilized. It was long after dark before we reached Granada,
then we had to go to the custom-house, where the officers were very much
inclined to be troublesome; but I made friends in the usual comfortable
manner, and got to a posada near the centre of the town--not a bad place,
and which I was very glad to get into. Manuel came in whilst I was at
supper and congratulated me upon our safe arrival; he said that for the
last two hours he expected that we should be attacked every minute, and
he therefore had urged us on as fast as possible; in fact, we came
latterly at the rate of about eight miles an hour, which, he said, had
saved us. The city of Granada, although extensive, appeared to be, like
most of the towns I there saw, in a state of decadence, little trade,
and consequently no prosperity. The lords of the soil seldom visited
their estates, but left the whole to their factors or managers; and when
the proprietor did come, he seemed to take no interest in his tenants
or labourers, but lived in a half-ruined château in a miserable manner,
reserving all for show and extravagance. Manuel said, that as our route
lay through the mountains, and as it was very unsafe, it was absolutely
necessary to take one or two escopoteros or armed police, to escort us at
least as far as Andujar: this I at once consented to do, and we were now
no contemptible party, consisting as we did of six well-armed men.
After halting at midday at Jaen, we proceeded through an open country,
which presented anything but a thriving and prosperous appearance; the
peasants were returning from their labour armed with guns, and they had
a savage and discontented look. Manuel, who did not like the look of
things, went up and spoke to one of them. When he came back to me he said
that we must not go to Andujar that night, as the peasant had told him
that there was a strong band of brigands in the neighbourhood, who had
plundered the country right and left, so that all the country people were
obliged to go armed and keep together. On hearing this news I resolved
to stop for the night at a small village about two miles in front of
us, which Manuel said was decidedly the best plan. We halted there a
little before sunset, and a wretched place it was, without even a venta
or public inn of any kind; I therefore hired one of the most respectable
of the cottages, which was more like a stable or cowhouse than anything
else, although it had a kitchen, and one or two rooms abovestairs; the
floors were of broken brick, there were no windows, and only some planks
on tressels for beds, with one or two broken chairs. However, we were
able to purchase materials for supper, and with cloaks, saddles, and
bags very soon made beds. I confess I did not like the place at all. As
we might be attacked during the night, we barricaded the house as well
as we could, and slept in our clothes, with our arms ready, and one
man keeping watch. Having done this we went to sleep, but were awoke
soon after midnight by loud cries and screams, and a man began knocking
violently at our door asking admittance, crying out that the robbers
were come. We were up in an instant, prepared to give the rascals a
warm reception. We had scarcely made our dispositions for defence when
the robbers, to the number of at least a dozen, made their appearance,
well armed, and demanded our money, horses, and baggage, on pain of
death. These I determined not to yield, and defied them. They, seeing
that we were well armed and prepared for a stout resistance, hesitated
for a minute; and I, not wishing to push matters to extremities, called
to Manuel to tell them, that as for yielding to their demands it was
ridiculous, and if they did not go away at once, I should be joined by
some troops, and then every rascal of them would be shot; but if they
chose to send four or five of their men to escort me towards Andujar
I would pay them liberally. They then consulted, and agreed to the
proposal, when I told them that I should be ready to start at five in the
morning. Accordingly, at the appointed time, our friends, armed to the
teeth and well mounted--as rascally-looking a set as ever one saw--made
their appearance. I gave them a cigar and glass of brandy each, which put
them in good humour. I could get on tolerably with Spanish, and entered
into conversation with them; they were very agreeable, and told some
curious stories. Manuel came riding up to me and told me to be upon my
guard, for that one never could be sure of them for a moment; however, I
thought the best plan was to show no fear. At nine o’clock we got to our
destination, at a miserable village between Andujar and Cordova, where
we went to a wretched venta; I gave them a breakfast of such as we could
get, with cigars. I paid them handsomely, and so we parted, apparently
the best of friends. My guide and worthy friend Manuel, as we left, said,
“You seem to be very well pleased, but you don’t know these ratteros. I
hope that we have done with them, but I very much doubt it; you have paid
them too well not to make them wish for further acquaintance with you,
and depend upon it we shall meet them again, when we shall perhaps not
be so well prepared.” “Well,” I said, “we have got rid of them for the
present, and if we happen to make their acquaintance again, depend upon
it we shall have the best of it.” We jogged on all the day through a wild
but not uncultivated country; the land was rich--plenty of vines, olives,
corn, maize, and fruits, and everything, if properly cultivated, well
calculated to make the people comfortable and prosperous; yet everything
around denoted misery, poverty, and wretchedness. When I talked to the
people they seemed reasonable enough; they said that they toiled from
morning to night, but never got paid, or at least so little that they
could not live upon it; and then, what with the government taxes and the
priests, it was impossible to live, so that there was no use in working.
I certainly could not help sympathizing with them, for they are really
a fine generous people, and if they were properly treated, there is not
a finer race anywhere. Unfortunately there is no middle class, and the
nobility are completely worn out, so that the unfortunate peasants are
ground down to the lowest misery; yet with all this there is a nobleness,
independence, and enduring fortitude about a Spanish peasant which causes
you to admire them the more you know of them. I soon recognized their
character, and appreciated it accordingly. Whenever I entered a venta
or posada I always made it a point to treat the host and hostess with
frankness and courtesy as if we were equals, also to show myself ready to
oblige and to assist in any preparations that might be going on. Thus I
secured the utmost attention, and they readily produced their best at the
cheapest rate, a result which no amount of money would have obtained.
But to return to my story. When within seven miles of Cordova, while
passing near the small fortress of Ercaloro, at about half-past five in
the evening, i.e. not long before sunset, I met a priest, who told me
that it would be impossible to proceed, as he had observed five mounted
robbers prowling in the olive woods between the fortress and Cordova,
who would be certain to fall upon us; and that, moreover, they were in
all probability only the scouts of a much larger body. Manuel exclaimed,
“Did I not tell you that we should meet these rascals again?” I, however,
replied that I was determined to reach Cordova that night, and asked the
priest to introduce me to the governor of the fort. To this he willingly
consented, and the governor having heard my story, was so obliging as to
say that he intended sending fifty men to Cordova next day, but that they
might accompany me now. We accordingly started and soon came in sight of
the five mounted men, who sure enough proved to be our five old friends,
who very soon turned and galloped off as hard as they could. We fired one
or two shots at them; but as night was coming on we thought it best not
to pursue, and continued on our way to Cordova, which we reached at eight
o’clock, very glad to get off so well.
From Cordova we reached Seville, where Mr. Wetherall, the Consul,
strongly advocated the introduction into England of Manzanilla, a wine
then scarcely known. I requested him to send me a hogshead, which was
universally approved of, and henceforth the taste for pale dry sherry
has entirely superseded that for the old golden and brown, and there is
no doubt that as a tonic it is far superior.
The road across the Sierra Morena was kept clear by the singular
expedient of intrusting its defence to a body of German colonists, who
held considerable lands and dues on condition of keeping the roads
free from brigands. This plan answered admirably; in a very short time
the brigands were exterminated, and after that, though no patrols were
ever seen, yet if any fresh bands ventured to appear, the Germans were
instantly under arms and never relaxed their pursuit until the brigands
were either destroyed or driven out of the country.
We proceeded by diligence from Seville to Madrid; and when we reached
Ocãna, after having travelled three days and nights, our majoral or
conductor had compassion on us, and said we should halt for the night;
that is, we arrived about nine o’clock and he said we must be off again
at five in the morning; this, however, was a great release, and we all
thanked him; but I believe we had no great reason for being so very
grateful for his kindness, as it was rumoured that if we had proceeded
we might have been attacked by the Carlists. However, be that as it may,
we got a comfortable bed, to my great surprise. The cholera had been
flying about the neighbourhood, and I felt a slight attack of it, which
I got rid of by a few drops of sal volatile and camphorated spirits
in a wineglass of cold water. At five in the morning we started from
Ocãna, after getting a biscuit, a cup of chocolate, and glass of cold
water, which one finds almost everywhere in Spain; indeed, rough as
the travelling was in those days--and it could not be worse--we always
got most excellent bread, eggs, and sometimes milk and wine, although
the latter was generally new, and as thick as porridge and almost
undrinkable; still with bread, eggs, and milk one could always get on.
When I arrived at Madrid, the city was in the greatest state of
excitement; the Carlists were making war in the most vigorous and
successful manner, headed by the celebrated Zumalacarragui; and it
being dangerous to talk politics, I particularly avoided them, and went
about seeing everything I could as a stranger. I also called upon our
minister, Sir George Villiers, whom I had known in England, and was most
kindly received by him. I here met a Colonel Downie, who had served
under Wellington and afterwards settled in Spain. He spoke Spanish
perfectly, and was much respected by the natives, which was saying a
good deal for him; for the Spaniards are a most peculiar people, and
especially the upper classes, extremely reserved and exclusive towards
strangers. Personally, however, I have no reason to complain, for they
were very civil to me. I was introduced by Downie and other friends, and
had an opportunity of visiting some of the first families of the place,
amongst others the Veraguas, the descendants of Columbus, of Cortez,
Viluma, Frias, and others. I went to their tertulias or conversaziones,
which were the only kind of society to be had when I was there; in
fact, parties were so divided on account of the civil war that many of
the great houses were shut up. At the tertulia there was nothing but
conversation, so that with the exception of the lights there was no
expense of entertainment. As you were leaving the house, in the hall the
servant presented you with a glass of cold water, with a biscuit of flour
and sugar, which, when taken with the water, was not unpalatable. At one
of these tertulias the servant, in the midst of the conversation, brought
to the lady of the house her supper, which she set to work on, without
making the least remark; in fact, it was usual, and no person thought
anything of it.
Having now viewed everything worth seeing in the city, I determined to
see something of the environs, and accordingly asked Downie to accompany
me to Toledo; and as politics were very uncertain, I thought it better
to be doubly armed with passports. I therefore got our minister, Sir
G. Villiers, to verify mine, and also the minister of police, a very
gentlemanly man, the Marquis of Viluma, who was unusually civil, and gave
me a capital dinner and a special passport for Toledo.
The next morning at daybreak we started, with four horses, and were just
leaving the town when we were stopped by a messenger running after us,
who proved to be the servant of a lady whom I had met the day before
at the Marquis de Viluma’s, and who was a niece of the Archbishop of
Toledo. She had sent her servant with a letter of introduction for us to
her uncle the Archbishop, for which we were thankful, as it is rather
difficult to obtain permission to see all the different objects, such
as the treasury. Accordingly we started off afresh over a very wild
country, with a very indifferent road, or rather none, and reached
Toledo about noon. We immediately went to the cathedral, which is a
very rich and imposing Gothic edifice, and although we did not see
the archbishop, who was not there, yet the dean most kindly showed us
everything, particularly the treasury, which was replete with a most
gorgeous collection of vestments, mitres adorned with precious stones,
silver croziers, gold and silver chalices, cups and basins and priestly
utensils without number. We then went and paid our respects to civil and
military governors, and got an order to see the Royal Sword Manufactory,
which formerly was celebrated throughout Europe for its excellent blades,
which were said to be equal to those of Damascus, but had for some time
past been rapidly on the decline; there were some two or three hundred
men employed where I was, but they were making only ordinary blades for
the army. Having seen everything, and perambulated this curious old city,
which was in anything but a thriving state, we returned to the fonda
or hotel, miserable as it was, to our dinner, previous to starting for
Aranjuez.
We had just done dinner when an officer of police made his appearance,
and said very politely that the civil governor wished to see me. I
said that I had already seen him, and paid my respects, and shown my
passport; I asked if anything was wrong with it. He said no, then went
away, and again returned, saying the civil governor must see me. I
again asked if the passport was right. He said perfectly. Then I said
that I thought the governor’s conduct was extraordinary, and I declined
going. Two more police officers then came, and said that the gates of
the city were closed to me, and that I should not leave without first
going to the civil governor. My friend Downie then got alarmed, and said
that he would go with the officers, see the civil governor and explain
matters. He accordingly went, and asked the civil governor what he
meant. The governor replied that he was surrounded by Carlists, and he
was obliged to be constantly on his guard, for fear of an insurrection;
but he had been informed that I had brought a private letter to the
archbishop, who was the greatest Carlist in the place, and he must know
what that letter contained. Fortunately it was open, and both Downie
and I had read it before delivering it, and it was nothing more than a
request that we might be shown everything in the cathedral. With this
explanation the governor was perfectly satisfied, and dispensed with my
personal attendance, which I was glad of, and determined to carry no more
introductory letters, for at that time it was most dangerous to both
parties. Off we started, but were stopped at the city gates, at which we
were both much annoyed, and being determined that we would stand this
annoyance no longer, were just going to force our way through, when a
messenger from the governor told them to let us go, and off we galloped
as hard as possible.
Before leaving Madrid I visited some of the convents, though with great
difficulty, for a short time before my arrival the mob, in a fit of
revolutionary excitement, had attacked several of them, and murdered
many of the unfortunate inmates, whilst the rest were obliged to fly for
their lives. When I applied for admission it was refused, until learning
that I was an Englishman, they opened the outer gates, which had been
well secured, and admitted me, and a melancholy spectacle I beheld. Very
few of the monks remained, and those that I saw had their heads and arms
bandaged up on account of the wounds they had received. A great deal
of property had been destroyed, and a still greater quantity had been
stolen; in fact everything had a most wretched and desolate appearance.
Shortly afterwards the whole of the convents and religious establishments
for monks and nuns were shut up by order of the government, and all the
property was seized for the benefit (?) of the nation.
Leaving Madrid with several others, we proceeded to France _viâ_
Saragossa and Barcelona, as the direct route through Bayonne was of
course quite impracticable. Barcelona was then, and is now, taking it
altogether, the finest and most thriving town in the peninsula, and
may be called the Manchester of Spain. It is situated on the shore of
the Mediterranean, in a rich fertile plain, backed by a lofty range of
mountains about three or four miles distant. The central streets are very
narrow, but the Marina and artificial harbour, with the fine spacious
quays by which they are surrounded, have a noble effect, although the
mole, a fine work as it undoubtedly is, has been badly designed with
respect to the currents and the great quantity of alluvial matter held
in suspension by the waters, and carried along the shore from the deltas
and mouths of the Hobugal and Ebro. The consequence is, that the space
covered by the mole is constantly filling up, and requires incessant
dredging at great expense; notwithstanding which, the trade is so great
that the harbour is always more or less full of shipping, and besides
its manufactures of cotton and silk, it exports largely wine, oil, bark,
fruits, and timber.
I made an excursion with my servant to the celebrated convent of Monte
Serrata, situated upon the mountain of that name, about 30 miles to the
west of Barcelona; starting early in the morning, and stopping at the
bridge of Mastoul across the Hobugal, about 15 miles from Barcelona.
Here I enjoyed, from below the bridge, one of the most interesting and
beautiful views, I think, that I ever beheld. Facing me was the bridge,
consisting of two Gothic arches; the south one was the largest I ever
saw, being about 140 feet span. On the north side of the bridge was a
Roman arch, in tolerable preservation, except the cornice; and on the
south side of the bridge were the remains of a Moorish fort. Thus I
had before me, at one _coup d’œil_, the ruined works of three great
nations; in the distance was the convent of Montserrat, perched upon the
mountain side, with its numerous pinnacles rising above it, and these
overtopped by the numerous lofty peaks of the Pyrenees behind. Whilst
examining the bridge, I perceived on a sudden a large body of troops,
with several mounted officers, rapidly approaching; upon inquiring the
cause, I was told by an officer that I had better get out of the way as
soon as possible, as there were a great many Carlists about, and they
expected to be attacked every minute, as they had to defend the pass to
prevent the Carlists from getting to Barcelona. I therefore went off at
once to the convent. I left the carriage at the bottom of the mountain,
at a small inn, and got a man to carry up our things; and having a
letter to the worthy superior, was most hospitably received. They
gave us a comfortable dinner. We then set out to examine the numerous
hermitages which were perched upon different peaks of the mountain,
which resembled the teeth of a saw, from which the hill takes its name.
These hermitages consisted of a small hut, just large enough for the
hermit’s bed, and table, and chair; here they remained winter and summer,
and only occasionally descended to the convent. All the hermitages were
empty, the hermits had fled, and there were scarcely a dozen monks in the
convent. Whilst climbing about the mountain I observed several Carlist
scouts, well armed, lurking about, and I saw others at a distance--no
doubt they were part of the attacking force expected at Barcelona; they,
however, did not molest me, and I was too happy to leave them alone. The
view from the mountain all round is very fine; all the leading valleys
are filled with manufacturing towns and villages, amongst the principal
of which was Manresa, in the valley immediately below us. We got back
to the convent soon after dark, where the prior had ordered us a good
supper, and afterwards invited me to his apartments, where he gave an
excellent concert, which was very well executed by the choristers and
monks attached to the convent. I soon found out that the prior and all
around him were most devoted partisans of Don Carlos, and wished the
Christinos and all revolutionists to perdition, to which place they said
they would be most assuredly consigned. Knowing that I was an Englishman,
and being recommended to him, he felt himself perfectly at home with
me, and seemed to be tolerably well informed about English politics:
he understood perfectly well the difference between Whigs, Tories, and
Radicals, and had not a doubt but that the good sense and talent of the
Tories would soon upset the Whigs and Radicals; and so far he proved
right; but he went on to say that they would assist the Spanish Carlists,
and send all the Christinos and their wicked associates to the devil,
where they ought to go; for the Catholic religion could never thrive and
Spain never could prosper so long as the Christinos were triumphant. By
this time I could get on tolerably well with Spanish. We conversed on
various topics, and passed the evening very agreeably, as the prior was
a very superior person, and really, considering that he was a Spanish
priest, he was an enlightened man, and by no means bigoted. He said that
no nation could prosper without religion; and according to his belief
he considered that the Roman Catholic was the true faith; at the same
time he did not mean to say that a person professing any other religion
could not be saved, but that God in His great mercy would pardon their
ignorance. We bade the prior good-night, thanking him much for his
kindness, and retired to our dormitory, which was very cold and solitary,
near the chapel: we had plenty of cloaks, which were indispensable; and
I told my man to make a stiff glass of hot punch, not only for myself,
but also for the worthy monks who attended us, and I took care that they
should be offered supper; but although they had a glass of punch and a
cigar, they would take no more. The night was very cold, the moon shone
bright, and the stillness was remarkable. I awoke long before light, and
heard the monks saying their matins; feeling it was cold, I got more
covering, and again fell asleep. Awaking soon after eight o’clock, we got
up, and had chocolate; then, making a handsome present to the poor-box,
I retraced my steps downwards, and I must say that I never passed a more
agreeable day. The scenery was magnificent; that alone was sufficient
to recompense anyone for the journey; and in addition to this there was
the visit to this great convent, at one time one of the most powerful in
Spain, but now in its decadence, and its once powerful inmates degraded
so far as to hope for deliverance from the formerly hated and persecuted
heretics of England! It was a most singular sight; and it is still more
extraordinary, that after a lapse of thirty-four years, these very
Christinos, with the queen at their head, should now be persecuting
all liberal Catholics, and again threatening the establishment of the
Inquisition.
Leaving Barcelona, I traversed France, passing through Toulouse,
Bordeaux, and Paris, and reached London in the beginning of 1834.
Although not strictly in chronological order, I will here mention one or
two incidents which occurred to me shortly before, and which may be of
interest. In the early part of 1831 the cholera visited England for the
first time. Everybody was alarmed at its approach: it was a mysterious
disease, nobody seemed to know much about it. They knew that it came from
India, and that it was most fatal and capricious, sometimes attacking
those on the mountains, and sometimes those on the plains; sometimes,
in passing through towns and villages, carrying off in its strange and
deadly course all those on one side of a street, leaving the other side
untouched. It was making its way regularly from the East to the West,
deviating rather northwards in its course, and hence it approached Europe
by Russia, thence to the north of Germany. Its regular and gradual
approach struck everyone with awe: we saw the enemy coming, but how to
avoid or how to attack him nobody knew. The medical profession were
completely at fault, all suggesting different remedies, each proposing
what he considered his own specific, yet doubtful of the result. At
last the dreaded mystery leaped across the German Ocean, and made its
appearance in Sunderland, where it spread alarm and dismay far and wide.
It then turned southward, and made its appearance in London, in the
month of March, and numbers left the city, flying in all directions. The
French, dreading its invasion, closed their ports, and placed England in
quarantine, but in vain attempted to shut out the terrible malady, for,
in two or three months apparently glutted with death, it jumped over the
Channel into France, and became more virulent than ever. The French
physicians, who had visited England during its prevalence, and thought
they had acquired good knowledge of the disease and its treatment, were,
if anything, more at fault than our own medical men; for the disease held
them as it were in derision, and in Paris seven thousand fell victims in
one day. I was attacked with it one morning in June, about four o’clock,
with a sudden shock, and felt as if death had clutched me in his jaws. I
had been some time previously thinking what I should do in the event of
an attack, and consulted my medical advisers, but could elicit nothing
satisfactory. I then made up my mind that, as the attacks of the disease
were sudden and violent, the remedy must be something of the kind; and
the most likely remedy, if any, appeared to me some strong stimulant,
such as camphor, sal volatile, and opium, which, having previously been
subject to diarrhœa, I had frequently tried with effect. I therefore
always kept a mixture of this kind ready. Feeling the attack, I jumped
out of bed and staggered to the table, took a strong dose, rang the bell
violently, sent for my doctor directly, and went back to bed, and for an
hour suffered terribly. I then became calmer, but excessively exhausted,
and lay almost motionless. The doctor came about seven, when I was much
better: he asked me what I had taken, and I told him: he then said, “I do
not know that I should have prescribed exactly what you have taken, but
the principle is correct,” and he gave me something of the same kind, but
in a milder form. In a couple of days I was quite well, and I have ever
since carried camphor, sal volatile, and opium with me; and subsequently,
when travelling in Spain, Portugal, and Sweden during the prevalence of
cholera, I frequently took these remedies myself, and administered them
with success to others.
The same year I took a trip to Austria and the south of Germany, and
attended the meetings of the scientific society, the Natur Geforsches,
then being held at Vienna. I was well received, and made a member
of the society; and there I made acquaintance with some of the most
distinguished professors of Germany, and a most sociable set of gentlemen
they were. The assemblage consisted of about three hundred; we dined
every day together, and received much gratification and instruction. I
attended the sections regularly, and there I saw the Austrian archdukes,
distinguished for their scientific acquirements, who took part, and no
mean one, in the discussions, without the least pretension, precisely
upon the same footing as the other members; foremost amongst the rest
was the celebrated Prince Metternich, then in the height of his power
and consequence, as Prime Minister of Austria. He certainly was a
very remarkable man; of the middle size, extremely good-looking, with
an aquiline nose, sharp, intelligent eyes, a firmly compressed lip,
a thoroughly gentlemanlike manner, a dignified appearance, complete
self-command, and altogether impressing you with the idea that he was the
great grandee and sovereign minister of the ancient and then all-powerful
empire of Austria. Notwithstanding his high position, he attended
sections in the most unassuming manner, like the most insignificant
member present. He attended the different sections daily, and always sat
amongst the crowd, not on the bench near the president, and took his
share in the discussions as if he was a simple citizen, and any point
that he happened to take up he well maintained. Having heard so much
of the all-powerful Prince Metternich, I was rather astonished to see
him act so amiable and distinguished a part in such a society. I was
introduced to him, and was very kindly received. He opened his palace,
and he and his distinguished and handsome consort, the Princess, received
the whole of the members and their ladies with the greatest cordiality.
I also was invited amongst the rest, and remarked that, although princes
of the imperial family and the most distinguished nobles were present, I
did not observe many of their ladies; and I was told by a friend, that
as the ladies of the German professors could not afford to dress in the
splendid style of the great Austrian ladies, these latter were excluded
for fear of their eclipsing in dress the German professors’ wives. The
Emperor Francis gave the Association a most magnificent entertainment
at one of his palaces, Laxembourg, about 12 miles from Vienna. His
Imperial Majesty sent sixty-five royal carriages, with outriders in
uniform, to conduct the association to Laxembourg; and when we arrived
there, we found sixty-five other imperial carriages, with servants in
the imperial livery, to take us to the palace, and drive us about the
park and environs to show us everything worth seeing. At three o’clock
dinner was announced in the palace, and a most imperial dinner it was.
Several of the archdukes, and Prince and Princess Metternich were there,
with all the members and their ladies; and before sitting down to dinner
the Prince said that His Imperial Majesty the Emperor Francis intended
to have been present to receive the Association, but unfortunately His
Majesty was very unwell, and was unable to attend; he therefore requested
the Prince to apologise to them for his absence; His Majesty hoped
that we would excuse his absence, and make ourselves as comfortable as
if we were at home, which we certainly did, and a splendid affair it
was. A magnificent band played during dinner, Tokay champagne flowed
in abundance, and at five o’clock we started on our return to Vienna,
conveyed in the same royal carriages and accompanied by the same escort
of imperial servants that brought us to Laxembourg in the morning; in
fact, it was impossible that anything could have been better done, or
that royalty could have shown more respect or deference to science than
was done to us.
On the following Sunday, the municipality of Baden, a place some miles
from Vienna, invited us to another banquet, and sent comfortable
carriages to take us there and back. The burgomaster and councillors
received us on our arrival, and gave us a most excellent entertainment,
accompanied by the greatest cordiality and kindness. When we arrived it
wanted about two hours to dinner; and a friend of mine, high in office,
asked me if I should like to be introduced to the celebrated Archduke
Charles, the Commander-in-Chief of the Austrian armies, and who was
the first general who defeated the great Emperor Buonaparte, viz. at
Aspern. The proposition was quite unexpected, and I eagerly accepted
it. We accordingly went to the Archduke’s palace, where, on account of
ill-health, His Imperial Highness was living very quietly, taking the
baths. Upon arriving, we were shown into an ante-room furnished in the
most simple manner. After waiting a few minutes, a chamberlain made his
appearance, and ushered us into the Archduke’s presence, when we were
formally introduced to His Imperial Highness--a most simple, unaffected,
dignified gentleman, characterized strongly by the features of the
imperial family, at the same time possessing all the dignity and command
of a great soldier. He received us with great courtesy, and after bidding
us be seated, entered into conversation with us in the most easy and
familiar manner. He addressed me very kindly in French, asked after the
Duke of Wellington in particular (whom fortunately I had the honour of
knowing), and expressed in the highest terms his admiration of him as a
soldier and statesman, and said that England owed much to him. He then
entered into a general conversation about England, her great importance
and power, saying that she was the saviour of Europe, and expressed an
ardent wish that she might long retain her present influence. He said
that he should have been most happy to have dined with the municipality,
to meet us there, but unfortunately his health would not permit. After an
excellent dinner the Association returned in the evening to Vienna, much
gratified with their entertainment.