Travels Through Spain

K ■
TRAVELS
THROUGH
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL,

IN
I774;
WITH A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE
SPANISH EXPEDITION
AGAINST
ALGIERS,
in
1775:
By Major WILLIAM DALRYMPLE.
-■ - "- - - - - - - ■
f -1- 1 -inn 1 n ■ ■- ■
The Characters of Nature are

legible j but it is difficult for thofe who run,
to read them. Burke.
LONDON:
Printed for J. Almon, oppofite Burlington-Houfe, Piccadilly.

M,DCC,LXXVII.
( fii )
PREFACE.
1 SHALL not pretend to my reafons for offering thefe

give
travels to the world, or make many apologies for the per
formance ; I mall only obferve, that the following meets
are
compofed from my journal, and the letters I wrote
whilft upon my journey, which, in their homely garb, are
here prefented to the public.
Since I have taken upon me to publilh this work, it may

be expected I make known, what were my inducements for
undertaking fuch an expedition.
Ingarrifon at Gibraltar, I fet out, without any other mo

tive than curiofity, to vifit Madrid ; when there, I enlarged
my views, refolved to extend my original plan, and purfuea
trad:, little beaten by former travellers. O' Reilly's newly
formed military academy, at Avila, became my firft ob
ject ; my next was the university of Salamanca, on my way
to Ferrol, great marine arfenal of the ftate : I then deter
the
mined to return by Oporto and Ljfbon ; and was thus drawn
from one
objecl: to another, untiil I completed my tour*
which was made in five months *
The narrative on the journey, I am afraid, will prove

dry and tedious, as the road was dull and dreary ; but it
2 will
( ir )
will fcrve to mew, how very far behind the reft of Europe,
is this nation in improvements, and convenience for tra
velling. remarks may appear trite : the

Many of my
character often rendered confpicuous by mi-
,of a people is
nutice. I have dwelt little upon buildings or pictures : de-
fcriptions give but faint ideas ; Ciceroni and catalogues are
to be had wherever fuch
objects are to be found. I have
endeavoured to dip a little into the ftate of government ; to
obferve, in particular, on the military eftablifhments ; to
notice the cuftoms and manners of the people ; and to re
mark upon other tranfient particulars : how far I may have

fucceeded, I muft leave tb my more judicious and candid
readers to determine,
ERRATA.
"Page 4, line 18, read, Iwasfilent. Page 57, line 9, read 0' Reilly,
8, read, hadjltten down.
4, 58, 9, read 0' Reilly.
12, 26, read, the inn being very, 108, 24, after way to it, inftead of ; put .
22, 9, read, Seguidillas. 109, 12, read, "Jacinto.

34, 2, dele, for an injlant. 129, 2, after confiderably, inftead of: put;
53> 7, read,y#s//. 131, 27, dele at, before Redinhe.
54, 30, read, walls. 169, 1, dele if.
T R A-
TRAVELS
THROUGH
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL.
S^SSSSSSSSSSSsSti
LETTER I.
My Dear Sir, Cordova, June 29th, 1774.
I Take the earlieft opportunity to give you an account of

Various are the fcenes I have paifed fmce I
my arrival here.
had the pleafure of feeing you ; by recounting them at large,
how neceifary is perfeverance to get through this
you will find
world of difficulties. I fhall tranfcribe my journal for you,
which, though not fo agreeable to the reader, is much more1
to the writerand I flatter myfelf, you will readily par**

eafy ;
don this incorrect method, when I inform you, I have very

little time to fpare.
B Having
2 TRAVELS THROUGH
Having got the proper paffports from the Spanifh general

at SanRoque, I fet out on the 20th of June, at two o'clock
in the morning, accompanied by the courier, with--whom -I tra
velled the fiift day. At feven o'clock, by the fide of the Gua-
diaro, refrefhed ourfelves for a few minutes, and then pur-
we
fued our journey. The verdant banks of the river, with the
Indian corn in the vallies ; the little hills, riling here and there,
fome cultivated with wheat and barley, others covered with frees
and (hrubs ; and the prodigious mountains towering behind, con
curred to render our travelling agreeable, until the fun became
troublefome, and made all profpects, except the Pofada,* un-
pleafant. At length, after being near eleven hours on horfe-
back, going what is called fix leagues, arrived at Gaucki.-,
We paned wooden croffes on the road : thefe

two little
croffes indicate that people have been interred on the fpots
where they are placed : in general, they are fixed where mur
dered perfons have been buried : when once erected, they are
ufually perpetuated by the inhabitants -% fo that the murders
may have happened a century back".
On arrival atTihe Pofada,

our our conductor took care to- in
form the Pofadera,f- that we Englifh, fhe, like moil
were
other women, happy to communicate her

knowledge^ fpread
the information through the village ; and,
though at fo frnall a
diftance from Gibraltar, all the inhabitants flocked to fee us.
The Pofada had not the moft favourable It was
appearance.
a
long building, with a fire-place at one end, and a ftable at
the other there fmall
; was a
intervening fpace, which ferved
the traveller to place his baggage, and repofe his wearied
*
An inn. f Landlady-
limbs ;
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. 3
limbs j two little rooms apart, one for the ufe of the family,
and the other for fuch guefts as chufe to pay for it ; the latter
fell to our lot, as no traveller of any confideration had arrived
before us ; mult have taken up our quarters in
otherwife, we
the other part of the Pofada. Our apartment, which had a

flagged floor, was furnifhed with two broken chairs ; a fmall
table j and a
picture of Our Saviour on the crofs ; there was a
fquare hole cut out of the wall, that ferved to let in the light
and air ; there were two pieces of old deal put together, and
intended for a fhutter ; but did not cover half the fpace : this
fumptuous lodging, together with the ufe of a few kitchen
utenfils, and ftraw for the cattle, were all the comforts we
had to expect in the Pofada. We had brought a ham along

with us, and the village afforded a few eggs, a light white-
wine, with barley for our cattle.
Gaucin is fituated on the top of a high hill, which we were

two hours afcendirig, on a very rough road, like fleps of flairs z
The Moors had formerly a fort there, that commanded the en
trance to the pafs of the Sierra de Ronda.* There is now a
church built amidft the ruins of the fort, called Nino de Dios,
where miracles are wrought, and recounted by the inhabitants
of the village. The fort commands an extenfive profpect to
the S. and S. E. the mountains on every other fide are moil
fublime.
The evening was fo cold, that the women wrapped them*-

felves in their mantillas^ and the men in their cloaks, as
if it had been the midft of winter. We were obliged to lay
itraw upon the floor for our beds, and cover ourfelves with our
*
Mountains of Ronda. f Mantilla is a woman's cloak.
B 2
great
4 TRAVELS THROUGH
great bedding was not to be had. The night was

coats ; for
extremely fharp, owing to the north wind, and elevated
fituation of the place. At five the next morning we purfued
our
journey, though not without reluctance, I affure you ; for
had I not been awed by ridicule, I would have certainly re
turned to the more comfortable fcenes of Gibraltar.
June 2 1 This day went over very high mountains ; faw many
.
vines, till about half way to Ronda ; fome corn here and there,:
in fuch lands as had been lately taken in ; and a few droves of
cattle :
league of the city, came to the debouchure
when within a
of the defile, which is extremely narrow ;

paffed feveral villages j
five croffes j and, having travelled eight hours, going what is
called five leagues, arrived at Ronda.
The firfl appearance of the Pofada was rather favourable ;

but when I was fhewn my apartment, I found myfelf almoft
as
badly fituated for comfort as at Gaucin : I told the Pofadera
that it was very bad, and afked for a better ; "If you don't
"
like it," fays fhe, you may feek for a better elfewhere." I
filent, and obliged to be contented.
Whilft my fervant took care of the cavalry, I went upon

the forage to get fomething to eat ; for nothing but ftraw was
to be had at the Pofada. After fome trouble, I got a fowl :
it was
immediately prepared ; but when juft ready be to
ferved, the woman of the houfe perfuaded the fervant that I
had ordered oil to be put into the fauce ; I fortunately came
in, and flopped her hand, juft as fhe was lifting up the lamp
to pour it in.*
* In thL country they ufe oil, which they do not like if it has- not a ftrong tafte, witfc
almoft all their cookery.
Ronda
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, 5
Ronda is fituated fmall plain, almoft fur-

on a hill, in a
rounded by flupendous mountains : one fide of the city is ex

ceedingly fleep. The river Guadiaro, which divides the old
from the new town, takes its courfe through a chafm formed in
the hill j and, on the weft fide, falling a confiderable height,
makes a The
moft beautiful cafcade. huertas, or
gardens*
are confiderable, and abundant in fruits.
This city has been ftrongly fortified ; but the walls are now
lying in ruins..
In this, as well as in moft other towns of Andaluffa, the

ftreets are narrow and irregular : it appears populous, though
there is no manufacture in it, and little trade : there is an
annual fair kept here in the month of May, which is much
frequented : I obferved the women in the houfes, fitting, like
the Moors, on mats upon the floor crofs legged.
Refted here till the next day at twelve o'clock, when
2 ad.
we
purfued our journey : for a couple of miles went through
a
country tolerably cultivated with vines and olives ; but after
wards wafle land. At about a league from Ronda, afte*
crofling a rivulet, we loft our way : not a houfe or a creature
near : at
length, we efpied an old fellow on a burro ;* I
greeted him with cavalier0 ; as foon as he had replied, *\Va U.
M. con Dios, to my falute ;\\ I afked him, if we were on the
road to Alcala del Valle ? he eyed us with concern, and told
us, that muft crofs the country to
we the left, till we came to
a white houfe, and then take the left hand road to Alcala :•
*
A jack afii. f God go with you.
]| Through all Spain, I am told, it is the cuftom, when perfons meet upon the road,
to ialute each other. Various are the terms rsadeufe of on this occafion.
V,'t
6 TRAVELS THROUGH
we followed his advice, with many .thanks, arrived at the di

rected fpot, and purfued our journey in the fineft afternoon
that can be imagined .
It often happens, that thofe who think themfelves moft

fecure, are the neareft deftruction. At feven o'clock, I began:
to fufpect we had again loft our road : eight o'clock, a large,
hill before us: : the place of our deftination
is called Alcala
del Valle, and there is no appearance here but mountains :
we muft
certainly be out of the way : I think it were better
to halt here all night : accordingly, we ported ourfelves under
a few trees, at a little diftance from the road ;
difpofed of our
baggage ; tethered our cattle ; took out of the alforjas^ a
fmall remains of ham, with a little bread ; finifhed a drop
of wine that was in the hot a ;\ and, after this flender repaft,
covered ourfelves with our cloaks, and laid down to reft : our
flumbers were not the moft tranquil ; not the ruftling of a
bufh, nor the falling of a leaf, but alarmed us : never was
female more agreeable to the eyes of the moft ardent lover,
than Aurora to at the firft dawn of
was us :
day we pre
pared to
depart, and
refolved to go back : in an hour, we.
defcried a
boy with a
herd of goats, who directed us to the
very white houfe whence we had departed, by our old good
friend's advice, the day before ; with all poffible expedition we
returned ; and being fhewn our road, arrived at Alcala with
out
meeting with any more difficulties.
From the time loft

we
way, we travelled through a.
our
country little improved ; fcarcely any inhabitants ; fome corn

in fpots of land lately taken in ; and a great deal of wood,
*
Havrefack, % A leathern bottle, or bag.
chiefly
-
chiefly cork trees ; faw fome few droves of cattle ; fome

flocks of fheep ; and paffed three croffes.
The^ of the town, after our misfortunes, gave us

fight
great joy ; but it was foon damped by the appearance of the
Pofada : there were only ftables for the cattle ; a fire-place for
the guefts ; and a very fractious uncivil hoftefs. We got a few
eggs, fome bread, cherries, and white wine ; all the food we
could procure.
There was a travelling pedlar lately come from Seville,

who had taken up his refidence, with his fmall wares, in the
Pofada; we found him the very contrail of the landlady ; he
was allurbanity and good humour; in him, the advantages
of having feen the world were confpicuous. In the evening
a carrier with three mules came in and
joined us : my friend,
the merchant, was more entertaining with a third perfon ; he
cracked his jokes with fome humour on the Muleteer ; and
every now and then, told us fome facetious ftory, well larded
with proverbs, which were poured forth on every occafion.
When my companions found me preparing to reft, they

began to make ready alfo : they fpread their blankets upon the
floor, laid themfelves down, and covered themfelves with
others : I thought it more comfortable to fleep in a chair :
Thus, after putting a
log of wood on the fire, we all went
to reft.
At twelve o'clock, we were much alarmed with a violent

knocking at the door— §£uein es f fays the landlord- —IJahel
de San yuan, replied a voice : he got up, lighted the lamp,
and opened the door, when five or fix fturdy fellows, armed
with fuzils, and as many women came in : one of the
men, feated himfelf directly oppofite to me : awaked out of
2 my
8 TRAVELS THROUGH
my fleep abruptly, I was fomewhat alarmed, and afked my

man for the
piftols ; he, not in the leaft behind hand in fear,
replied, he had them in his hand. From the inftant the
Spaniard had fate down, my fervant had prepared for the
attack, and was now confirmed it would immediately begin ;
concluding, from the converfation I had heard, that they
were come to murder they foon relieved us from our
us ; but
fears ; after eating a little bread, and drinking fome aqua
ardente,* they took their leave ; and we found, that it being
the eve of Saint John, they were a fet of merry
girls, with
their cortejos,\ going round the village to congratulate their
friends on the approaching feftival. On their departure, we
turned ourfelves to reft again ; finifhed the remainder of the
night in peace ; and left this inhofpitable fpot, the 24th, at
five o'clock in the morning.
Alcala is a
village fituated in a beautiful little vale, fur-*
rounded with trees, and much corn.
We took fomewhat more pains to-day to enquire our road

before left the inn, which would have been of little
we
confequence, had we not fortunately overtaken an old man,

who had fet out from the village earlier than ourfelves ; and
who directed us the way to a convent, where we got further
information. The length of this day's journey, together with
my horfe tiring, concurred to fatigue me exceedingly. We
had no
conveniency to carry water, and both
and cattle men
were
expiring for want of fomething to
drink. As we de-
fcended into the flat country, we came to a rivulet ; and in
the moment we expected to be relieved from our diftrefs, we
*
Brandy. f Lovers.
found
found the water both bitter and fait. Thus deceived, we

were obliged to wait with patience till we got to our journey's
end. being on the road, without flopping, for twelve
After
hours, going, what is called, five leagues, arrived at Offuna.
Paffed this day two villages ; a great deal of wood ; wafle

land ; fome corn ; and many vines. We obferved five crofles ;
and, in this whole day's journey, except in the villages, we
faw only three perfons.

On our arrival, we found the inhabitants employed in tor
turing poor unfortunate bull.
a The paflion of the people
in this province for bull-fighting, is furprifing place it
: at this
was a
very irregular thing. A bull was tied by a long rope,
and led about the town : the men, many hundreds, hooting
and hollowing, with their cloaks on their arms, teaming the poor
animal to attack them, and then wounding it with a dart, a
fork, or a lance, which enraged him to madnefs. Though
no accident
happened on this occafion, this fpoit often proves
fatal. to. fome of the tormentors.
The cleanly afpect of the Pofada furprifed me exceedingly,

and I concluded I mould be well ferved; but, alas! it was the
fame tale ; nothing but water and ftraw was to be had in the
houfe : we got a few eggs in the town, with which we were
obliged to be contented. At night we were provided with
clean beds and platforms ; more than we had met with hitherto.
Offuna isfitjuared in an extenfive plain.

G There
10 TRAVELS THROUGH
There are many hidalgos? who live here ; and the Duke of
Offuna has a palace, but never refides. Here the fountains
and public buildings are handfome ; the carniceria, or fham-
bles, a new flone edifice, is a great curiofity : it is divided
into a number of flails, about fix feet high, on which the
butchers are mounted, with the meat placed behind them, and
the fcales before; prevent impofition, the price of each
to
viand is regulated by the magiftrate, and put up in the front
of each flail :
weigh out their meat with as much
the venders
exactnefs as if it were gold ; and it becomes neceffary, for
they difpofe of it by pounds and half pounds.
There fome remains of a Moorifh caftle here,

are on a
rifing
ground, juft above the town.
The fuperior cultivation about this place, feems to have
an effect on the
appearance of the houfes and people : the
town is neater ; the habitations better ; and the drefs of the
inhabitants, in general, more decent than I have feen before.

The men wear the large white hat. I had hitherto obferved
only the montera.^
The landlord endeavoured, in the bill, to.impofe upon me
for a few reals ; but having read the arancel, or price of things
eftablifhed by the magiftrate, and hung over the door, I dif-
puted the point, threatened to take my paffport and com-
* is aperfon noble, whofe origin and

Hidalgo, family is known, and as fuch is exempted
from thetribute, duties, &c. which are exatted from, and paid by the peafantry.
t A kind of cap worn by the peafantry.
2
plain,
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. n
plain, when we compounded the affair. In every Pofada,

there are eftablifhed rates, which the Pofadero is obliged to
produce, if required ; though often concealed, to impofe up
on the unwary traveller. It is the cuftom, in general, for
the guefts to provide every thing, except ftraw for their cat
tle : the inn-keeper will caufe their meat to be dreffed, or
furnifh utenfils for that purpofe, and for which a ftipulated
fum is to be paid. In all the inns I have hitherto been, the
landlords think that you are obliged to them for even allow
ing you to fpend your money in their houfes ; they will
fcarcely ftir to get any thing for you ; yet, if they find you
ignorant, they will produce a
heavy charge on your depar
ture, and make you believe it is your duty to pay it.
I find the fame mode of getting the harveft home prevails

through this province : though you cannot be unacquainted
with it, in general, fome particulars may have efcaped your
notice I fhall therefore defcribe it to you.
; After cutting
down the corn, it is brought in carts, drawn by oxen, yoked
by the head, to different fpots of ground, each fpot being
called la era : every proprietor brings his corn to one of
thefe places, where it is trod outby mares, fix or eight tied
together to a longe, a man working them in a circle : the
mares, on this occafion, are fhod with circular rough fhoes :
this method breaks the ftraw to pieces ; but that is no dif-
advantage, as the cattle are fed with it : the grain is then
lodged in bulk, in granaries. The crops are very plentiful
this year. I have been told, that the beft lands, in a good
feafon, will produce, in wheat, from fifteen to twenty for
one.
C2 26th,
12 TRAVELS THROUGH
26th. Left Offuna, and travelled to Ezija, five leagues r

The country, an entire flat, was covered, on each fide the road,
with wheat and far the eye could reach : I ne
barley, as as
ver faw fuch an exuberance of grain.

young We overtook a
fellow, who intreated me to allow him to put his havrefack

he entertained1 me
my horfe, to which I confented
on :
with the various robberies and murders committed m Arid a

-
lufia. And of what country are you, friend ?"

"
Soi de "
they are quite another fort of people

"
Cajtilla," repliedhe,
of what nation "
in that province. And pray," fays he,
are
you ?" I thought I was far enough from the diftrict of
Gibraltar to pafs for an Englifhman ; hitherto I had called
Soi Ingles." I " "
myfelf an officer of the Irifh brigade,

hear," fays he, that the Englifh are very good feamen,
"
but bad foldiers." I immediately fpufred My liorfe, telling

him, I would leave his havrefack at the Pofada, and' on we
went, arriving at Ezija in five hours.
Ezija city fituated on the Xenel, over which there is a

is a
flone bridge : It is fariious for having the fineft breed of

horfes in Andaltifia. Here we got into the great high road
to Madrid. I only flopped to dine, and then purfued my
journey to the Garlotta, three leagues, which we travelled iii
three hours, through a country abundant in corn, vines, and
olives ; paffed a great many farm and country houfes, and faw1
four croffes. Here we fpent an agreeable evening, the
inn very commodious.
The Carlotta is a
colony of Germans, eftablifhed about
eight years ago, of which I mail endeavour to give you a
farther account hereafter. The town is fmall, but prettily
defigned, and feated in the midfl of the colony ; there is a
3 church
church for the emigrants, and a German Francifcan friar for
their pallor.
27th, We fet out from the Ctarlotta. On leaving the fet-^

tlement went for a few miles through a country little culti
vated ; afterwards fome corn and pafture ; faw feveral droves
of horfes and other cattle; croffed a rivulet, called Guadal-
horce, over which there is bridge. When within a cou
a flone
ple of miles of this place, we had, from a height, the moft
beautiful profpect imaginable of the city, the river Guadal
quivir, and the plain through which it takes its courfe. We
were five hours
travelling five leagues, when we -arrived
here, and put up at a Fonda, oppofite the cathedral, where
we are
dirtily lodged, but well ferved.
Having brought you thus far, I fhall now take my leave,,

until a future occafion, being, with great truth,
Yours, &c.
LETTER
14 TRAVELS THROUGH
LETTER II.
Cordova, July 2, 1774.

My dear Friend,
I HAVE now to give you the obfervations I have made on

this renowned place, during my fhort refidence here ; with
fome traits of the cuftoms and manners of this moft fingular
people.
Cordova is a very ancient city, fituated in a moft beauti
ful and fpacious plain, extending itfelf, on the right of the
Guadalquivir, over which there is a flone bridge of fixteen.
arches, faidtohave been built about the year 720. On the
north fide of the town runs the Sierra Morena, a noted
chain of mountains, that ftretch themfelves from the fea,
above 200 miles inland. This place was celebrated in the
time of the Romans ; and when the Moorifh monarchs ru
led this land, was a capital, according to Mariana, of the
greateft confideration. The walls of the town are, in many
places, very intire, partly Roman, partly Moorifh. It is at
prefent a confiderable city, but badly built : narrow and ir
regular ftreets ; in many of them are to be feen Roman ruins,
capitals and fhafts of columns, milliaries with infcriptions,
&c. The houfes are
chiefly flone, conftructed in the Moorifh
tafle, each fide of a fquare court -yard.
on
People of con
dition inhabit the lower rooms in fummer, and the upper
ones in winter : in the hot feafon they keep the fun and air
out of their apartments in the day-time, which render them
cool
cool and agreeable ; though to an Englifhman
very it has a
odd effect, to make adark room, where he muft

vifit in a
be fometime before he can difcover the perfon whom he vifits.

Some of the Titulos de Cajlilla, an order of nobility, of whom
there may be about ten or twelve families, from one to three
thoufand pounds a year, that conftantly refide here, have
very good houfes, in which there are handfome fuites of apart
ments ; but their furniture is by no means adequate : we
find elegant mirrours, rich filk hangings, and matted bottom
chairs, in their principal rooms. Moft of thefe families have
tortullas or affemblies : I was at that of the Gondeffa de
Villa Novas, who had lately loft a near relation : the com
pany appeared in mourning ; every female, on entering the
affembly, after paying her refpects to the miftrefs of the
houfe, went round the whole circle, took each lady by the
hand, muttered fome compliments, of which they have great
abundance, and then fat down. When all the company
was affembled, fervants came in, dreffed alfo in
mourning,
with glaffes of iced water and afterwards with
fugar bifcuits ;
chocolate, cakes, fweetmeats, and, to conclude, more iced

water. Thefe refrefcos are the chief entertainment of the
natives, for the pleafures of the table are fcarcely known
amongft them : they feldom dine or fup together, except on
a marriage, the birth of a firft fon, or fome other feftive oc-
cafion : the company fat and converfed together, for on

thefe melancholy occafions, there is no
card-playing, mak
ing little focieties of converfation till towards eleven o'clock,
when they all retired ; the ladies going through the fame ce
remony on
leaving as
coming into the room. The etiquette
of thefe affemblies, and indeed of all others through counthe
try, are
extremely tirefome ; though they are polite enough
to make allowances for ftrangers.
Thefe
16 TRAVELS THROUGH
Thefe nobles have very coftly equipages, gaudy, and over

loaded with ornaments ; but they make their appearance
obferved here,
only on gala or flate days, which are ftrictly
as at court. Their carriages are drawn by mules, which
come from La Mancha.
I was miles out of town, in the Marqui?

carried about two
of Gabrignani's carriage, to the bifhop's alameda* which is
fhewn as a great effort of human fkill. The late bifhop im
proved this of ground, which may be about a mile in
fpot
extent, by planting and inelofing it. It might have been
made very beautiful, as it is on the banks of the Guadalqui
vir, where there is a gentle declivity to the river ; but he has
fhewn his tafte, in making long alleys of trees, clofed by
high hedges.; and fhutting out the water entirely, by plant
ing and hedging clofer on that fide than any where* elfe-- : at
the extremities of the alleys, there is a fmall houfe, and near
it there are a few ponds, with jets d'eau, though the river is
within fifty yards of them ; a labyrinth, and fome little par
terres with myrtle trees cut out in various forms and fhapes.
On our found the Bifhop there, to whom I was
arrival, we
prefented, when he defired I might make the houfe my own,

as both it and the gardens were at my fervice : and here I
muft obferve to you, that this is a common Spanifh compli
ment ; for if a Spaniard's fword, watch,ring, or any thing
elfe belonging to him be praifed, he immediately offers it with
warmth, though nothing would difappoint him more than
to accept of it.
*
Alameda is a walk planted with trees :
though this place goes by the fame name, it is-
more properly a villa.
Whilft
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. i7
Whilft we were walking in the gardens, the Marquis took
out of his pocket a little bit of tobacco, rolled it up in a piece
of paper, making a
cegar of it ; and gave it to one of his
footmen to light : the fervant took out his flint, fteel and
match, which every man carries about him, ftruck a light,
took two or three whiffs, and then returned it to his mailer :
it was afterwards offered to me, and the reft of the com
pany ; I declined the favour, but the others fmoaked about.
This is a common practice with every perfon, in almoft every
place.
On return, before we got within the gates, the pofti-

our
lion took off two of the mules, as we could not drive in town
with fix ; no one but the Bifhop having that privilege.
The theatre here was but very indifferent, and the actors
bad : the piece I faw was wretchedly performed. The ladies
go to the boxes in the French drefs ; but the men oftener
appear in the capa and Jhmbrero,* as they feem to be under a
great reftraint in the other ; and only wear it at tertullas,
and the like formal occafions. Since the infurrection at
Madrid in 1766, government has endeavoured to prevent
the men from wearing flapped hat and cloak ; but it will
the
be long before it can be accomplifhed in the provinces, as it
is a convenient drefs for gallantry, and people will not readily
give up what contributes to their favourite amufement. The
women who are in the Spanifh drefs, are
lodged by themfelves
in a gallery over the boxes, which is called the cazuela, where
the men, during the reprefentation, are not allowed to go ;
but they have various figns, by which they communicate with
*
Cloak and large hat,
D each
18 TRAVELS THROUGH
each other at diftance, for intrigue is one of the great pur-

a
fuits of both fexes. At church, in the ftreets, and at all pub

lic the fair carry the appearance of faints ; but no
meetings,
fooner has the fun rolled down the beamy light, than all re-
flraint is thrown afide, and every bird feeks its mate : no
fingle woman can appear abroad without her duena, who is
an old woman, that generally affifts her in carrying on her
amours.
We have had two bull-feafts here, but they were very iri-
different : the people are fo pafTionately fond of this diver-
lion, that they will even difpofe of their wearing apparel to
get money to go to it : all the young men of fafhion were
dreffed in the Maxo * drefs, which is the fombrero, capa, and
\redecilla en petit maitre, with long fwords under their cloaks.
Agitana, or
ffgnalized herfelf by attacking
gipfey woman,
one of the bulls'; but fhe was thrown
by him, and fomewhat
bruifed, when the wole amphitheatre rang with applaufe :
it is ever the cuftom to applaud the victor : however, to re
ward her refolution, the Marquis of Cabrignani called out,
Viva la Louifa ! and threw her a handful of hard dollars.
All the fellows who are employed in fighting the bulls, attend
the levees of the young men of fafhion, where the modes of
attack and defence are very learnedly difcuffed.
There fome few gaudy arid rich churches here, but

are
without tafte. The cathedral is a great curiofiry ; it was an

ciently a mofque, faid by Mariana to be built by Abderrah-
man king of Cordova in
786 ; it is imagined the columns-
that are in it were originally taken from the of temple Janus x
*
In Englifh, pronounce Maho. f Net for the hair.
and
and other Roman Roman fculpture is as vifible

buildings :
in their capitals, as Moorifh in the fuperftructure ; they are

of Jafper, and various other fine marbles, placed, as I was told,
for I was not at the trouble to count them, in forty-fix
ranks, croffed by twenty-four. The Moors had fo much
veneration for Cecd, which was the name it bore; whence
that fpeecfi of Sancho's in Don Quixote, Dexadnos de andar
de Ceca en Meca ; that they wfed to come on pilgrimage to it
from Barbary, and the other parts of Spain they inhabited,
as the Turks now go to Meca. There are twenty canons
belonging to this cathedral, who have confiderable revenues,
This famous for fine horfes : the king keeps ftal-

town is
lions, and breeds for his own ufe ; there were between thirty
and forty colts in his flables, wlych were to fet out for Ma
drid in a few days. The Barbary breed, which is peculiar
to this province is ftill
preferved by focieties of gentlemen,
called Maeftranza, formed into communities at Seville, Gra
nada, Ronda, and Valencia ; each fociety having a different
uniform, which is worn on ftate days, &c.
Every man of fortune has a

riding -houfe, where he
amufes himfelf an hour or two every day ; for the Spaniard
delights much in horfes.
The Alcazar, or Moorifh palace, is ftill extant : it is now
made ufe of for the inquifition.
This town has been famous for its leather, whence the
Englifh word cordwain from Cardovan : there is alfo a con
fiderable filk manufacture carried on here.
D2 The
20 TRAVELS THROUGH
The people complain much of the impofts : they fay, by

going two or three leagues out of the town, to any of the vil
lages, bread, the chief aliment of the Spaniards, is to be had
three or four quarts a pound cheaper. In Caftille, and all
the provinces that are united to it, there is a heavy tax, called
alcavala, Mariana fays, that the flates of Burgos, in the
year 1342, granted to Alonzo XII. a twentieth part on the
fale of every thing, to enable him to carry on the war againft
the Moors ; and that this was the firft time the term was ufed
in the Spanifh language : it is now called a tenth, but the
officers charged with the collection compound for lefs. I
fold a horfe here for fix hundred reals,* and they obliged me
to pay but twenty-five reals alcavala.
Satisfied with the eurfory view I have taken of this city ;
and fatiated with the numberlefs civilities I have met with, I
propofe fetting out to-morrow morning on my way to Ma
drid, where I fhall take the liberty to give you fome farther
account of my proceedings. I fhall now conclude, with af-
furances of my regard ; being, with great truth, &c.
* A real is the twentieth. part of a hard dollar, which may "be reckoned worth about 45. 6d_
LETTER
LETTER III.
Amigo mio, Carolina, July 7, 1774.

IN the midft of the Sierra Morena, like another Cardenio, I
take the opportunity of a leifure hour to give you a detail of
my exploits fince I left Cordova, which was on the 3d inftant.
Travelled two leagues through a flat country, palling abun
dance of olive trees and corn, and arrived in two hours at a
venta? near an old
bridge over the Guadalquivir : here we
overtook thiity colts, belonging to the king, going to Ma
drid ; each horfe had his particular attendant, befides riding-
mafters, farriers, &c.
The ventero vf~ was

very prolix in telling every perfon who
came into the venta of the wonderful floods caufed there by
the fwelling of the river ; and of the amazing ftrength of the
bridge, which, hefaid, was built either by the Moors, or, as
fome would have it, by the Romans ; and had it not been
particularly ftrong, it never could have refilled fuch torrents
as he had feen : the flones of it were
remarkably large, and it
appeared to be of Roman architecture.
Left the venta at four o'clock : went through a country

fertile with corn and olives : paffed five croffes this afternoon
within the fpace of a league, and arrived at the venta del
Carpio : three leagues in three hours.
*
Venta is an inn, fituated generally by itfelf, on the high-road ; it is ufually placed
in fuch a manner as to divide the ftages between the towns or
villages as are at too great a
diftance from each other.
f Landlord of the venta.
The
22 TRAVELS THROUGH
The village of Carpio is fituated on a rifing ground, about

two hundred yards from the venta ; near it are fome oil mills,
but, being late, I could not fee them. We had provided our
alforjas with provifions, othe.rwife we fhould have fared in

differently ; for nothing but eggs and fallad were to be had.
In the evening, feveral of the youth from the village were.af-
fembled before the door of a fmall houfe, in which lived the
barber who attended the venta ; amongft them was a young
*
woman, who touched the guitar, and fangfeguidellas agree
ably ; feeing me attentive to their mufic, they offered me a
chair, and the nymph who fang afked me if I underftood
the couplets ; if not, fhe would explain them, which fhe did
without the mufic. The evening was mild and ferene, and
thus the company amufed themfelves till eleven o'clock, when
they broke up. I returned the fair Cecilia thanks for her
eourtefy, and fhe left me with a fmile, and an Adios, caval
ier o Ingles, killing her hand many times. After thus paflmg
two hours moft pleafantly, I prepared my bed, which was
two benches, for no bedding was to be had,
fpread my cloak,
and retired to reft.
At midnight we were difturbed

of the by the arrival
king's horfes the conductors, ufing the privilege of their
:
power, threatened to hamftring all the cattle that flood in

their way : notwithftanding there were flables enough to
contain above a hundred horfes, they turned out every beaft
that was in them. I was obliged to exert my power,
ufurp-
ing my old character of an officer in the Irifh brigade, and
menace the conductors for their infolence when my caval
;
ry were
again admitted, and taken much better care of than
they would have been otherwife. The reft of the guefts, who
*
A kind of Spanifh poetry, fet to mufic, very animated.
chofe %
chofe to be very fubmiflive, alfo got admittance ; but one ob-
flinate fellow, who pleaded and urged his right with a
manly
fpirit, was
obliged to feed his mules at the door of the venta.
After this fracas> I returned again to reft, and fet out at five
o'clock.
4th, Travelled through country rather hilly ; but the hills-

a
cultivated to the top with corn and olives, the fineft grain,.
and in the greateft abundance imaginable : faw two or three
flocks of fheep in fome few fpots that were not in corn : paff-
ed a village ; and in four hours, travelling three leagues, ar
rived at Aldea del Rio, which, on our approach, with the coun
try around it, appeared very pleafant. In this town they fa
bricate a
great deal of coarfe woollen cloth.
At five o'clock purfued our journey along the vale,

we
through which the Guadalquivir runs, covered with corn and

olives : paffed two croffes : croffed the Guadalquivir, over a
flone bridge, which has been formerly defended by a tower at
the end of it, and arrived at And ujar :. near five hours travel
ling four leagues.
This town is fituated on a

riling ground, about a
quarter of
a mile from the bridge : it has been fortified, and commands
this paffage of the Guadalquivir.
There were fome mufidans, with two violins, two guitars,
and a bafs, who came to the door of the pofada, and played
for a
couple of hours, for which we rewarded them with a
few quarts.* Here we were
fupplied with bedding, and got
*
A quart is a
copper coin, eight and a half making a real vellon..
3 fome
24 TRAVELS THROUGH
fome excellent red wine. paying the bill, we were taxed

On
with, what is called, the eflaca, a' duty of three quarts levied
on each beall that lies all night at the inn. At this place
there is alfo a fabric of coarfe cloth. Here we found the mon-
tera again in ufe.
5th, Left Andujar at eight o'clock in the morning. The

and olives for two leagues,
country much the fame ; corn
when we entered the Sierra Morena? and faw a number of

olive trees ; afterwards, poor foil, wafte land, and cork trees.
Paffed one of the German fettlements ; it did not appear to
be fo far advanced in theCarlotta. We were
improvement as
five hours travelling four leagues, when we arrived at Baylin,
a
very indifferent town : near it are lead mines.
Purfued our
journey at four, palling a
very poor, unculti
vated country, for a league, entered upon the new fettlements,
and carried them along with us for three leagues further to this
place : four leagues in four hours : here we found a tolerable
pwfada, kept by a Frenchman.
About ago thefe fettlements were eftablifhed :
eight years
emigrants from Alface, French Flanders, Lorrain, &c. were
tranfported hither to populate, cultivate, and improve this
moft inhofpitable country : for want of previous preparation,
for want of proper knowledge of colonization, many of the
firft fettlers perifned a little after their arrival ; and moft of
the remainder have been fince deftroyed by the climate : they
were crowded into barracks infufficient againft the heavy rains
that fall at certain feafons in this part of the kingdom, which
produced diforders and killed many ; moft of thofe who fur-
*
The brown mountain of Don Quixotte.
4 vived,
!vived, brought from a colder

clime, obliged to work, expofed
to the rays of this much hotter fun, in an uncleared country
and unwholefome foil ; the air fraught with vapours, and the
earth with all kinds of minerals ; bringing along with them,
and following the cuftoms of their own native land, havefince
expired ; befides, many amongft them, unaccufcomed to til
lage, manufacturers of all kinds, expecting, on" their arrival,
to find wealth inftead of hard labour,
perifhed rather than toil
at what they could not underftand : however, there has been
afecond and third emigration, befides a number of Catalans
to carry on the
project, who have been more fuccefsful, efpe-
cially the latter, as they are a people inured to the climate,
and remarkably diligent and laborious : but, to promote huf-
bandry in any great degree, other kinds of induftry muft be
encouraged, and a ready communication made throughout
the kingdom, that there may be a mutual exchange with the
produce of one part for the commodities of another ; where
by, the fuperabundance of one territory, may fupply the de
ficiency of another : government feems not to have taken
fuch an extenfive view of things : had the river Guadalqui
vir been made navigable from the fea to Andujar, previous to
the eftablifhment of thefe colonies, they would have been in
a much more
flourilhing ftate than they are at prefent, or are
likely to be.
Ihave been informed, that, at the period when thefe fettle
ments were made, ten thoufand inhabitants of Galicia, mi
grating into Portugal, were
immediately received and fent off
ro the Brafils
if this be true, it was
: a
great overfight in go
vernment, in not encouraging thofe people to have formed
thefe colonies.
E Each
26 TRAVELS THROUGH
Each colonift, on his arrival, had his of ground

portion
allotted him, when he was employed to clear it, and prepare
materials for building, &c. being allowed a real a day, with
a ration of bread for the firft three, and to be exempted
from taxes for ten years : when the houfes were built, and the
colonifts put into poffefliori of them, they were fupplied with
utenfils for hufbandry, feed for fowing, half a dozen fowls,
two cows, &c. and, from time to time, the intendant furnifhes
them with whatever may be wanting ; though they all com
plain of their rulers, as this, like every other government
work, is made a job of.
The fituated on a rifing ground, and handfomely

town is
difpofed : the road for about half a mile, leading in a ftraight

line to it, is planted with trees, on each fide of which is a
path for foot paffengers, and the ground without the path
inclofed, and laid out in gardens ; the ftreets cut each other
at
right angles, with a market place in the middle of the town ;
and the church at the
extremity of the principal ftreet. To
fhew the rage of this nation for bull-fighting,
they have built a
handfome hexagon, which is to ferve for a
plaza de toro. The
houfes are of flone, covered with lime, whitewafhed and tiled :
they told me, there might be between three or four hundred
in this colony. The foil here is not fo favourable for
cultivation as at the Carlotta, though the lands are much im
proved : this year there is a great deal of corn. There are
complaints, that the funds appropriated to the fervice of thefe
fettlements are very deficient. There is a filk manufacture
here ; and fome catalams of confideration, are about to efta-
blifh a fabric of coarfe woollen cloth, with a view to cloathe all
the troops in the province. However this project may have
been badly conducted in
or
mifmanaged its infancy, it was
3 certainly
certainly eligible in government to promote the popula

moft
tion and improvement of a wafte tract of country for fo ma
ny miles ; by which means a free road of communication has
been made between the capital and more remote parts of
the kingdom, that before was infefted with thieves and robbers ;
where murder was frequently committed ; and where it was
impoflible to travel in fafety, without a confiderable poffe or
fafeguard.
In thiscolony, I obferved, a change in the manner of threfh-
ing the corn (if I may be allowed the expreflion) inftead of
mares treading it out as before, they made ufe of a trillo, that
is, three pieces of thick wood joined together by the fide of

each other, and made full of holes, in which are placed fmall
fharp pointed ftones ; atone end a mule is put, and a perfon
fitting on the machine to prefs it on the grain, drives the mule
in a circle ;this, as in the other manner, breaks the ftraw into
pieces ; but that, as I obferved before, is of no confequence,
as the inhabitants feed their cattle with it thus broken. I have
nothing more to fay at prefent, but to let you know, that I am
going to reft, in order to purfue my journey early to-morrow
morning, and to bid you adieu.
E 2 LETTER
28 TRAVELS THROUGH
LETTER IV.
My Dear Sir, Madrid, July 14, 1

774.
1 AM juft now come to town, and lodged at the Fonda of
St. Sebaftian. As I propofe not to ftir abroad this day, I fhall
tranfcribe to you my journal from the Sierra Morena, through
Aranjuez, which I hope will afford you fome entertainment.
8. Set from the Carolina early in the morning% and
July out
carried the colony along with us for about a

league, when we
came into moft mountainous and uncultivated country. Paf-

a
fing the Venta de Miranda, we entered, what is called, el pu-

*
erto del rei : on the fummit of one of the mountains we faw
a little fhed, wherein were of faints, with
placed two images
infcriptions, which informed us, that the Archbifhop of. Toledo
granted eighty, and the Bifhop of Valencia forty days indul
gence, to thofe who faid a prayer before each of them. We
obferved two good Chriftians taking the advantage of their dif-
penfing power. There the jurisdictions of the prelates, and the
boundaries of the provinces were afcertained. About half way
through the puerto, came to the Venta del Marquis, where an
officer of the aduana or cuftoms, demanded a toll, each horfe
paying three quarts, and carriages in proportion ; but on tel
ling him I was a foldado, he granted me an exemption. Not
being able to get any thing to eat at the venta, we purfued our
journey through the mountains, which having paffed, and de-
fcending into the plains, faw fome olive trees, a little cultiva-
*
The paries in mountains are called puertas.
tion,
tion, and a great number of fheep -folds. Travelled fix leagues

in feven hours, and arrived at El Vifo, the firft town in La Man-
cha, at the foot of the Sierra Morena.
1 was
furprized to find the difference a few leagues had made-
in the appearance of the people : an old man was feated at the
.door of the pofada, who was dreffed in a dark-coloured cloth;
waiflcoat and breeches ; the breeches tied at the knee, and
hanging over the tie to the calf of his leg ; black flockings and
montera, with a cloak of the fame coloured cloth of his waifl
coat ; he had a thin face, fallow complexion, long black hair,,
and. a grizly beard of fome three weeks growth; deport his
ment was
grave and folemn, and his countenance penfive and.
Jevere ; though he was the landlord of the inn, he paid little-

attention to me, and it was with fome trouble I got him to.
enter into converfation ; however, at length, I found him very
converfant in the affairs of the village, but his ideas did not
carry him many miles beyond it. Moft of the men of the towm
were cloathed in the fame manner, with this dark coloured
doth, which is made of the undied wool of black fheep, each

family fabricating a- furhcient quantity for -its own. ufe: the
women wore
jackets and aprons of the like fluff, with a kind of
linfey woolfey petticoat ; red flockings ; beads and many trin
kets about their necks ; with their black hair tied behind ; the
fmarter girls wearing filver combs :
every one feemed to have a
more fedate appearance, and more myfterious air, than I had

feen.in Andalufia. I have been told before, and I find it true,.
that to read Don Quixote with fatisfa&ion, man-mull vifit this
a
province; for the people are almoft as romantic now as in his.

days Here we were indifferently fupplied
. with provifions : bad
bread, and no other meat but goat's flefh : wTe got a. few
eggs,,
and tolerably good wine.
This
30 TRAVELS THROUGH
Thisvillage belongs to the Marquis of Santa Cruz. The

alcalde, or magiftrate of the town, fent me word, if I would
regale him, he would fhew me the Marquis's palace ; I em-r
braced his offer and went to fee it. It is a large fquare edifice,
and has been very handfome, but is now going to ruins ; it was
originally decorated by Italian artifts, as the infide is much in
the tafte of many palaces at Genoa. The exploits of the fa
mous
predeceffor of this family againft the Moors, are painted
in frefco ; many trophies, taken from them, are ftill treafured
up here.
The houfes of this village are low and poorly built, chiefly of
clay tiled ; but in general were clean. The pojfadero inform
ed me, that numerous flocks of fine wooled fheep came hereto
feed annually ; that Don Luis, the king's brother, and prince
Maferano, have tracts of land round the town, which they
let to the pallors, who arrive here from the northern
parts of
the kingdom, with their flocks, about St. Andrew's
day ; pafs
the winter, and then fet out again on their fummer
migration
the beginning of May, returning to the mountains of Old Caf-
tile for that feafon.
Immediately around the village, a

great deal of corn, chiefly
barley.
Set out early in the morning from El Vifo : left Santa
9th,
Cruz de Mudela on the left, whence the
Marquis takes his title :
the ground lies moft agreeably : we carried little hills
along
with us, on the fummits of which there were
generally fheep-
folds ; a good deal of corn in the flat country ; the high
grounds chiefly in pafture ; not a houfe or a tree to be feen ;
fome little huts fcattered here and there, intended for the refi-
dence
dence of the different fhepherds : faw feveral droves of mules,

for which this country is famous : travelled four leagues in four
hours, and arrived at Val de Penas.
In this town there is the beft bread I have ever feen ; and
the wine is remarkably good. The people and houfes have
much the fame appearance as at El Vifo. The Marquis, who
is alfo proprietor here, has eftablifhed a fabrick of woollen cloth,
but it is of no great confideration.
country the water is bad, which, together with

In this flat
the great heat, and poverty of the inhabitants, concur to give
them a moft ghaftly appearance. We only ftopt to dine, and
in the afternoon purfued our journey through a country, fo
flat, that we had a horizon before us the fame as at fea in a
calm : paffed a great many vines and fome olives for above a
league from the town : defcried the fteeple of the church at

were to lie, above three
Manzanares, where we
leagues before
we came to it : left a
village on the right : faw feveral flocks
of fheep, and a
great deal of corn, chiefly barley, till near
Manzanares, where we
paffed fome olive trees. In four hours
went four leagues, when we finifhed this day's journey, and
found a tolerable pofada.
On hearing that three brigade of Carabi-

companies of the
niers were quartered here, I determined to reft myfelf the next
day, and fee them. This brigade is compofed of twelve
troops, of fifty men a troop ; the captains have the rank of
colonel, the lieutenants of captain, and the enfigns of lieute
nant ; the men are feledled from the other corps of cavalry ;
the horfes ufed formerly to be recruited in the fame manner,
but now they remount in Andalufia : I faw but few young
men
3a TRAVELS THROUGH
men amongft the troopers; the non-commiffioned officers

had the appearance of butchers and cheefe-mongers ; the
horfes, in general, were good," and I 'fa^v a few very fine:
as this brigade never ftirs out of La Mancha, but on parti
cular occalions ; and as there is no

great fpirit of difcipline
amongft them, it is much rufticated.
This town had nearly the fame appearance with the reft
we had paffed. I had the curiofity to count the little or
naments my landlady about her neck, when I found
wore
no lefs than the heads of twenty-fix different faints, flampt

on little bits of filver, faflened to beads, which made a
moft brilliant appearance : here we got incomparably good
bread, and the Valdepenas wine.
ioth. Left Manzanares at four o'clock in the afternoon :

travelled two leagues, when we flopt and drank at the Venta
Quefeda ; but it by no means anfwers the defcription given
by that humourous novelift, Cervantes : near the venta,
the river Guadiana makes it appearance, after
running un
der ground for near feven leagues.
Purfued our
journey through a
country fo much im
not
proved as before, and arrived at Villaharta in four hours,

five leagues : a poor
village : we were badly lodged, for the
regiment of Montefa, cavalry, on its march had taken up the
pofadas.
There is a morafs on the north fide of the town, which
renders it very unhealthy in fummer.
nth. Left this abominable hole at four o'clock : croffed

the morafs on a flone
caufeway : the wind coming from
4 the
the northward, fome mountains that were juft before
over
us, made it fo extremely cold, that we were obliged ,to wear

our
great coats : travelled two leagues, and came to the
Puerto Lapiche, mentioned in Don Quixote, as famous for
the adventure of the Bifcayner : little and indifferent culti
vation till we
paffed the Puerto ; afterwards a great deal of bar
ley and fome olives : arrived, and dined, at Camunas, a poor
village, every perfon we faw afked alms : purfued our jour
ney, after dinner, through a country abundant in barley,
fo flat, that we had a horizon as fair as at fea : did not
meet a creature, or fee but one houfe, for five leagues ;
when we arrived at Temblequer, which is fituated in a
hollow way.
The town is large ; has a kind of manufacture of filk and

thread flockings, which were
very indifferent, and very
dear.
Here the pofada was bad ; but it afforded us an adventure,

very fimilar in its nature, to that. of Don Quixote and Mari-
tornes ; our fair one was not quite fo ugly as Cervantes's ;
but fhe was fully as amoroufly inclined. We got a quarter
with a recefs, wherein two beds were placed ; as it was ex
tremely hot, and the recefs flunk of all kinds of bad fmells,
I drew the mattrafs off the platform, and placed it in the
middle of the floor ; now it happened that our quarter was
a
paffageroom, atone end of which was a little apartment,
taken up by a Calazero, going with an empty chaife to
Toledo ; he retired early to reft, and we wTere not long
after him : at what hour the devil difturbed the repofe of
the Calazero, I cannot determine ; but in the mid ft of a
moft profound deep, I was awaked, and almoft crufhed to
F death,
34 TRAVELS THROUGH
death, by an amazing weight falling acrofs me ; fo foon as

I could fpeak, I roared out luftily, for an inftant, when I was
relieved from my burthen, and faluted by a hollow and deep-
toned voice, with Perdon U. M. Cdvallero, which was re
peated feveral times : I was too much flurried to think of
Spanifh execrations ; but I curfed moft heartily in Englifh—
at laft, recollecting myfelf, I afked, £%ue quiere U- M. ?
Nada, replied the voice, Voi a mi quarto Senor. Va U.
M. al Demonio, fays I, and then turned myfelf to fleep;
when I was again difturbed by a naked foot, which gave
me a
flap in the face : ûien es, fays I, loudly ; a female
voice replied, Hu-Jh— I then, in a lower, and more gen
tle tone, afked, Quiere V. M. algo f at the fame time put
ting my hand out of bed, to feel whether it were a fubftance
or a fhade, that had thus accofted me ; I
perceived a glim
mering light coming towards me, held out by the witch of
Endor, in a yellow petticoat. The girl was fairly caught,
and all the powers of eloquence could not prove the con
trary. The picture was a good one : the old beldam, with
a thin, fhrivelled, yellow countenance, and clamorous
voice, expofing, by the dim light of a half extinguifhed
lamp, Maritorne's charms, which were concealed by the
fhift only ; with fuch a fhift, and fuch charms ! the mafter
fitting up in bed, endeavouring to vindicate his conduct;
and the fervant, awaked out of his fleep, with a blue hand
kerchief tied about his head, in amazement at the fcene.
It being now three o'clock, it was in vain to reft again, fo
we fed our cattle, the Calazero his
mules, and at four we
fet out ; the latter foiled in his intrigue, of which I had
only
the reputation. Thus we left the poor difappointed girl to
be feverely lectured by the jealous
Jezabel her miftrefs,
who was fo old, that fhe had quite forgot the time when
3 fhe
fhe ufed to play the fame pranks. Sport on, ye amorous
Caflilians ; nor let the ill-judged caution of a
gloomy Eng-
lifhman, deprive you of thofe tranfports he cannot enjoy.
1 2th. Went for about a league and a half through a very
flat country, which brought us to a hollow way ; along this
we travelled, chiefly chalky land : paffed a caufeway over
a morafs, when we came to La Guardia, a village curioufly
fituated ; it has been originally a fort, on the point of a

conical rock, to defend the entrance of this pafs ; we faw
fome remains of other forts to the right. Two fhort leagues
from La Guardia, is Dos Borrios, another village, fituated
at the extremity of this pafs, where we left La Mancha;
here we got again to the level of the plain ; a country co

vered with barley as before, and fome of the finefl olive-
trees I had feen : faw Oceana at about a league before lis,
where we arrived at ten o'clock.
There we found a tolerable

good pofada : we only flayed
to dine, and again purfued our journey : the country be
came more irregular : we defcended into a hollow
way,
which we carried with us to Aranjuez. From Oceana to
Aranjuez is a royal road, very fine, and well made ; flones
are erected at every half-league : faw fome barley, and
very indifferent olive-trees, till within a league of it, when
the country became quite uncultivated ; nothing but rabbet
burrows : after travelling two leagues, finifhed this day's
journey, and found a good fonda.
Aranjuez is a real where the court refides from a

Jitio,*
little after Eafter till the latter end of June. It is fituated
*
A royal country palace.
F 2 in
TRAVELS THROUGH
36
in an entire flat : the pala'ce is of brick, with fome flone
of the Tufcan order ; it originally intended
pillafters was
to have been a fquare, but only one fide of it has been"

finifhed : the king is now carrying on the firft defign.
In the infide of thepalace, are nlany very handfome

m'irroufs, from the king's manufacture at San fldephonfo ;
a' few good portraits, and fbrne beautiful marble flabs ; the
floor is with coarfe tiles, and covered with common
paved
matting ; the wood Work of the dOors, windows, &c. very
clumfily executed : there is a room in it decorated with por-

celaine of the king's febfick. at Madrid ; it is quite iri the
Spariifn tafte, overloaded with ofnameht. Philip II. turn
ed the channel of the Ta;gus round the gardens, and caufed
two cafcades to" be made, which render them'
very cool and
fefrefhing ; they are compofed of a number of alleys of
very fine elm trees ; the principal alley may be between fit
and feven hundred yards long, and about twelve feet broad,
ericiofed on each fide by high hedges ; every feventy or eighty
yards, there are breaks, in forms of fquares, hexagons, &c.
where deau of different fancies are placed, and from
jets
which averiues are made that lead to other walks. There
are in fome parts of the gardens, parterres, where
puerile
devices are formed in m'yrtle borders, fuch as fleurs de lis,
initial letters of names, &c. They are juft now in the
fame flare as when firft made ; a true tafte for
gardening
has hot reached this country : the cdolnefs of the
running
river, and the refrefhing made Of the umbrageous elms,
are the only beauties
recommend them ; the eye
to con-
ilantly confined within the narrow bounds of the

hedges,
gives the idea of f eftraiht ; arid the farrienefs produced by the
4 ftrait
ftrait lines of the alleys, is difagreeable, and, after a fhort.
time, tires.
In the fummer, it is a very unwholefome place, the peo

ple are all fubject to the ague : it was extremely hot the day
I was there, and the inftant I went into the gardens, their
coolnefs gave fo fudden a check to the perfpiratibn, that I
fcarcery got the better of it all day.
The town is prettily laid out ; the houfes are
particularly
built, one
ftory with garrets ; they are all painted on the
outfide : hxyufe-rent is fef extremely high, that the traveller
becomes very heavily taxed ; though indifferently ferved,
we were
exorbitantly charged.
r'3th. Left Aranjiiez at five o'clock in- the evening ; paf

fed the bridge over the Tagus, and entered the great royal
road, which is an avenue fifty feet broad, planted with four
rows of elms ; this avenue continues for above a league in
a ftrait line, when we

paffed a flone bridge, of twenty-four
or twenty-five arches, acrofs the
Jarama, where we paid
a toll of feven and ahalf quarts each liorfe : the road was
only planted for about half a league further, but was
equally good to Baldemoro, three leagues, where we arrived

at eight o'clock, and lay all night.
Set out four o'clock this morning : paffed feveral vil

at
lages on each fide of the road, fome corn, a few vines, and
arrived here at eight o'clock ; four leagues in four hours.
As the court is noW at this place, I propofe to refide here
for fome time. If you have any commands, I fhall be
happy to execute them, being, with great truth, &c.
LETTER
38 TRAVELS THROUGH
LETTER V.
My Dear Friend,
Madrid, July 29, 1774*
FROM a fhort refidence at a little material intelli

metropolis,
well as
gence can be expected ; however, I fhall venture, as
thofe who have gone before me, to give my remarks and ob-
fervations on this court and villa ; if they afford you the leaft
entertainment, your fatisfaction will more than compenfate
my labour.
Madrid is fituated on feveral little hills, at the foot of which

runs the Manzanares, a
poor rivulet, at this time almoft dry.
The town is furrounded with a kind of mud wall, with

gates at different avenues ; it is inclofed, with
view to pre a
vent the introduction of the various articles of fubfiflence, &c.

without paying the impoft.
I rode round the town, at two different times, and thence

conclude it to be about feven miles in circumference : it is what
the French call bien percee : fome of the ftreets, fuch as the
Calle de Atoche, Carrera de San Geronimo, Galle de Alcala, &c.
are
fpacious and handfome ; particularly the latter, the en
trance of which is near two hundred feet broad ;
they are kept
perfectly clean, are well
paved and lighted, lamps being placed
at every fifteen or fixteen yards,
The
The police, upon the plan of that of Paris, is well
regulated :
the town is divided into a number of diftricts, each diftrict
being
again fubdivided into many inferior ones ; there is a fupreme
magiftrate to each fuperior diftrict, who decides and punifhes
all frivolous difputes and fmaller crimes.
The new
palace muft be efteemed a
magnificent build
ing, though connoiffeurs fay it is heavy : It is a large, fquare
flone edifice, fituated riling ground, at the weft end of the
on a
town ; in the defign there are two wings, but they are not yet
begun, nor, moft probably, ever will : the approach to it is

very indifferent, as it is not feen till clofe upon it : the entrance
and flair-cafe are handfome : the great faloon of flate is a moft
fumptuous room, about ninety feet by thirty-fix ; the ceiling is

painted frefco, with figures as large as life ; the walls hung
in
with crimfon velvet, embroidered elegantly with gold, adorned
with large mirrours : in the apartments is a collection of paint
ings by the firft mafters : the famous
Mengs, who has painted
many of the ceilings, &c. is now employed by the King, with
a
great falary : the numerous noble performances here are well
worthy the attention of the curious. The chapel is a moft
complete and elegant piece of workmanfhip ; in it is fome of
the fineft marble in the country.
The Retiro is at the eaft end of the* town, but is an indiffe

rent palace : there are ftill fome good paintings remaining in it -t
but the beft have been removed. The gardens are fpacious,
a
great part of which is inclofed, and kept entirely for the
king's fport ; there is little worth notice in them, except a fine
equftrian ftatue of Philip IV. and a large piece of water, which
being on a height, has been brought there at a confiderable
expence.
The
4° T R A V E L S THROUGH
The Gafa delCampo, acrofe theManzajnares, ahout a

mile out ,o.f town, is but a hovel for a .prince ; and there .is
nothing ftriking in the park or inclofure, which is kept for
the King's fport.
King's armoury are many antient weapons of war,

In the
and fuits of armour, kept in great. order. In his library,
every perfon has free accefs, may call for what books he.
pleafes, and the moft profound filence is kept, to preferve
the attention of the readers.
Notwkhftanding the fortunes of fome of the

amazing
nobity, there are few houfes that have a fplendid external
appearance. The Duke of Medina Coeli has a moft exten-
fiye palace ; but there is neither magnificence without, or
elegance within the
apartments are low, badly decorated,
;
andGothicly furnifhed ; indeed, there are fome very hand -
fome rnirrours from the King's fabric

San Ildephonfo : he
at
has an armoury, in which are many valuable pieces of arr-
tient armour, and antique bulls : he has alfo a public li
brary, which is open for a certain number of hours every
day.
The houfes here chiefly brick ; thofe of the nobility

are
are
plaiftered and painted on the outfide : the veftiges of
jealoufy are ftill to be feen ; rejas, or large iron grates, are
placed at every window. Some of the houfes are very lofty,
five, fix, or feven flories, particularly in the plaza major,
which is a large fquare, where the royal bull-feats are held ;
at other times, the green market, &c. The middling people
live on feparate floors, as at Edinburgh, which renders the
one common entrance to
many families very dirty and difa-
greeable
greeable :
portals are the receptacles for every kind of
the
filth ; and as the Spaniard has more mauvaife honte than
Madame de Rambouillet, he performs the like offices of na
ture concealed behind the gate of the portal, that fhe openly
did in the fields : this is a ftrong remnant of Moorifh man
ners. When a houfe is built, the firft floor belongs to the
King, but for which the owner generally compounds.
The cuftom-houfe and poft-office are new and handfome
buildings.
The churches here, in every other part of the country,
as
are
tawdry, and overloaded with ornament; befides, there
are
ftrong remains of Moorifh tafle throughout ; little fpires
and diminutive domes disfigure all their temples. The
Capucins, though a
beggarly race, are
building a moft
enormous church, that has, and will, coft an immenfe fum.
The clergy by fap, and the prince by florm, pillage and
plunder the whole commonalty. The convent of the Sale-
zas has a neat little chapel ; the altars of fine marble, and
elegant fculpture. There are about thirty-fix convents of
men, and as
many of women here.
There churches in this town, that are afylums

are two
for rogues, thieves, and murderers : this was a point the
clergy carried, when the fame privileges were taken from
every other church.
Though the
muft have confiderable power in
clergy
this, as well as every other country, yet it has been
much reduced of late years. The edict to prevent the ad-
miflion of noviciates into the different convents, without
G
fpecial
42 TRAVELS THROUGH
orders.
fpecial perrnifliom, has, and will reduce the monaftic
It is computed, there are now 54,000 friars, 34,000 nuns,
and 30,000 fecular clergy in the kingdom-
The environs of Madrid are not very agreeable : there

are no villas or
country houfes; no places of recreation
around it : the Prado, a public walk, planted with trees,
atthe eaft end of the town, is the chief fummer evening's
amufenient ; a great deal of company affemble there every
afternoon, both in carriages and on foot*.
I feveral times at court, during its refidence here : all

was
the royal family dine publicly in feparate rooms ; and it is

the to vifit each apartment whilfl they are at din
etiquette
ner ; a
employ for thofe who are obliged to
moft tirefome
be there, and it would be thought particular, if the foreign
ambaffadors were not conftantly to attend : Don Luis, the
King's brother, who is the loweft in rank is firft vifited ;
he is the ftrangeft looking mortal that ever appeared,, and his
drefs is not more peculiar than his perfon -y ever fince he
was a cardinal, he has detefted
any thing that comes near
his neck, fo his taylor has been particularly careful, to bring
that part, which mould be the collar of his coat, no high
er than
halfway up his breaft ; this prince is of a moft hu
mane
difpofition, and is univerfally efteerned. The next in
turn, is the Infanta Dona Maria, who feemed to be a very in-
offenfive little woman. Then to the two Infantes, Don Ga
briel and Don Antonio : At the King's
library, I faw an
edition of Salluft, in Spanifh, faid to be tranflated
by the
former ; the type, in imitation of manufcript, and the en
gravings very fine. Thence to fhe prince and princefs of
Afturias, the latter is of the houfe of Parma, and feems to
be
be very affable : the Prince looks like an honeft, plain man ;
it is faid, averfion to every perfon and thing,

he has an utter
Italian or French ; but the Princefs having contrary fentiments,
it is moft likely, in the end, fhe will prevail on him to change
his mind : as an inflance of his diflike the French ambaf
;
fador exclaimed loudly, that the Prince always converfed
with him in Spaniih ; it coming to the Prince's knowledge,
he afked the Frenchman, in what language the Dauphin
fpoke to the Spanifh ambaffador at the court of Verfaiiles ?
On being told, in French, he continued, without taking
any further notice, to converfe with the ambaffador, as be
fore, in his own tongue. The laft vifit is to the King, who
has very odd appearance in perfon and drefs ; he is of di
a
minutive flature, with a complexion of the colour of ma

hogany ; he has not been meafured for a coat thefe thirty
years, fo that it fits upon him like a fack ; his waiftcoat and
breeches are generally leather, with a pair of cloth fpatter-
dafhes on his At dinner, pages bring in the different
legs.
dimes, and prefenting them to one of the lords in waiting,
he places them upon the table ; another nobleman ftands on
the King's fide, to hand him his wine and water, which he
taftes, and prefents on his knee ; the primate is there to
fay
grace ; the
inquifitor-general alfo attends at a diftance, on
one fide, and the captain, who has the guard, on the other ;
the ambaffadors are in a circle near him, with whom he
converfes for a fhort time, when they retire into a room be
hind his chair ; the reft of the court form in fecond circle,
a
without the ambaffadors, at the end of the room; when he

riles from table, all who are to be introduced to him are
prefented ; and the governor of Madrid, having received

the parole, he enters the room to the ambaffadors : he
G 2
goes
TRAVELS THROUGH
44
of the year, rain or blow, whilft
day
goes out a
fporting every
at Madrid, once a day, in the afternoon ; but in the country,
at the ftios, morning and evening : he often drives fix or
feven
can go ; it
leagues out, and back again, as hard as the horfes
is a moft fatiguing life for his attendants, and it is no uncom
mon thing to hear of the Guardia de Corps getting diflocated
fhoulders, broken arms, legs, &c. by falls from their horfes :

the country all around his palaces is enclofed for his fport.
I have been told, that, a little before I arrived, the King had
a fcheme abdicate his throne, and retire to Cazerta near Na
to
ples ; but demanding a fettlement of fixteen millions of crowns,

the council of Caftille put a negative, as much as they could,
could
upon his refolution ; by telling him, that the kingdom
not fupport the annual drain of fuch an immenfe fum of mo
ney, in confequence of which, he defifted ; but, it is faid, he

has the idea ftrongly impreffed on his mind.
grandees had great privileges ; but fince the acceffion

The
of Philip V. who brought them to the capital, they have in-
fenfibly fallen under the tyranny of an abfolute monarch. There
are
many who are poffeffed of very confiderable fortunes : the
predeceffor of the prefent Duke of Medina Cceli had, on the
death of his father, an income of 84,0001. a year, with fix mil
lions of hard dollars in ready money ; in the courfe of twenty
five years he fpent the cafh, and mortgaged as much as he
could of the eftate : there is a flory told of him, that a co
medy girl he kept, complaining to him, in the winter, of the
cold, he fent her a filver brafero? filled with gold crowns.
The prefent Duke purfues a different fyftem, yet the eflablifh-
*
A round veflel of metal, containing fire, ufually placed, by the in the mid
Spaniards,
dle of their rooms in winter.
ment
ment of his is very confiderable.
family All thefe great fa
milies have pages, who are gentlemen, for whom they provide,
fometimes in the army, &c. The cuftom of keeping buffoons
prevails ftill in this I often faw the Duke of
part of the world :
Alba's, covered with ribbons of various orders, a fatire on fuch

baubles ! He attends his mafter in the morning, and the inflant
he awakes, is obliged to relate fome facetious flory, to put his
Grace in good-humour : the Duke requires fo much wit from
him, that he is eternally upon the fcamper in fearch of it. It
is hardly poflible to people can fpend fuch
divine how thefe
amazing fortunes as fome of them poffefs ;. but refiding with
the court, never vifiting their eftates ; and, in general, think
ing it beneath them to examine, or even enquire into their af
fairs, their fie wards enrich themfelves to their ruin : befides,
they are confifcated by horfes, mules, fervants, and dependants.
I was told, that the Duke of Infantado's expencefor attendants
and penfioners, amounts to i2,oool. a
year. When once a
fervant is admitted into a family, it is certain maintenance
for him during life, if he commit not fome glaring crime ; and
even his defcendants are taken care of. Women are another
confiderable expence : the conjugal bed is not held very facred
by the men of fafhion ; and fmce the Bourbon family has been
feated on this throne, jealoufy has loft its fling The ladies are
.
not behind-hand with their hufbands : every dame has one cor-
tejo at leaft, and often more ; the cadets of the guards are em
ployed in this agreeable office, they are generally neceffitous,
and are fupplied by the fair with means for their extravagance :
amongft the people of rank, gratification is their object, and
they flop at nothing to accomplifh it : gallantry or intrigue
are terms too refined for this
people ; it is the glaring vice of
venery, uncontrouled, unreftrained, which brings difeafes into a
family, that are handed down from generation to generation.
3 The
46 TRAVELS THROUGH
The Gallico is very common, and from the want of fkill, in

purfuing a proper method of cure, it often proves deftructive
where it once takes root. I was prefented to a titulo, who
was almoft rotten with the diforder, having lingered under
it for a confiderable time ; and his wife, a moft agreeable

woman, was dying by inches ; thus we fee half the nobi
lity a
degenerated race. The nobility are
difordered and
very expenfive in their carriages, though they are yet in a
Gothic tafle ; they are loaded with a profufion of ornament,
and dazzle the eye with gilding : on gala, or Hate days,
equipages appear, which coft amazing fums.
The people, in general, here, have adoped the French

drefs ; none but the lower fort wear the cloak ; the women
wear the mantilla, or manta, when they walk the ftreet,

or
go to church. Since the infurrection in 1766, no man
•can wear a
flapped Madrid : to fhew the difpofi-
hat in
tion of thefe people,
and as a very particular circumftance,
I mult infojm you, that at the time of that commotion,
the mob regularly took their fejia, and then returned to
their different places of rendezvous ; alfo
government was
fo very fleepy, that it did the fame ; fo that there feemed to

be a convention between adminiftration and the
people for
a few hours
every day : the latter, for the laft time, I be
lieve, carried their point, for guards are placed now at every
corner of the town ;
patroles of horfe and foot go regularly
through the ftreets every night ; and the famous O' Reilly is
governor of Madrid : the former conduct of this general at
New Orleans, is fufficient to fhew how
propeir a perfon he
is, to execute the mandates of a tyrannic prince ; when I
went to wait upon him, I found his addrefs moft arrogant
and imperious ; the hauteur with which he treated the few
officers
officers who vifited him, correfpond with Englifh
did not
ideas of fubordination. As this gentleman has made a confi
derable figure in this part of Europe, I fhall, in a few words,
give you his hiftory.
At the battle of Carnpo Santo, in Italy, he was wounded,

and left in the field ; an Auftrian foldier was juft going to give
him the coup de grace, before he ftripped and plundered him,
when he prevented it, by telling the foldier, he did not know
Ins prize, for that he was the fon of the Duke of Arcos, a
grandee of Spain ; this declaration held the plunderer's hand,
and he conducted his imaginary treafure to Marfhal
Brown,
to whom
captive made himfelf known ; the marfhal,
the artful
pleafed with the deceit, ordered phyficians to attend him, and
fenthim back with eclat to the Spanifh camp : the Duchefs
of Arcos hearing the flory, ever after patronized him, and
hurried him on to a company and majority : in the laft Ger
man war, he went a volunteer to the Auftrian
army, but fpeak-
ing too freely, obliged to quit it; when he joined the
was
French, and ferved under Broglio : on the breaking out of

the Spanifh war, he returned to Spain, when he affumed a-
good deal on his knowledge acquired in the German cam
paigns ; was made a colonel and brigadier : after the peace,
was fent to take
poffeflion of New Orleans, where his feats of
bafenefs and cruelty are recorded ; however, they only ferved
to
ingratiate him with the fovereign ; for his promotion has
been, from that time, moft rapid ; though amongft the youngeft
of the major-generals, he was made a lieutenant-general, and
infpector-general of the infantry, over the heads of many of
the firft people in the kingdom. Here we may fay, with Poly-
bius,
"
that in an arbitrary ftate, the zeal and courage of
"
mercenaries are rewarded with new advantages ; for a
ty-
"
3 rant,
48 TRAVELS THROUGH
"
rant, in proportion as his fucceffes are increafed, has ftill
greater need of fuch afliftance ; for by accumulating inju-
"
"
ries, he adds to the number of thofe whom he has reafon to
"
fear. The very fafety, therefore, of every tyrant, depends
upon the ftrength and the attachment of his foreign
"
wholly
"
foldiers." As he has the ear of the King, he does juft what
he pleafes in his line ; the number of things he has to give,
caufe many to pay him fulfome adulation ; but his imperious
behaviour muft make him hated and defpifed ; and fhould he
once lofe the fmiles of the prince, he would foon be hurried
from this pinnacle of honour, and precipitated into ruin, with-
a friend to confole him.
The civil and criminal jurifdiction extends itfelf for five

leagues round the town, with an appeal to the royal council
of Caftile ; but the diftribution of juftice here, is very dilatory,
and fubject to great venal ty.
This flate is
governed by the Marquis of Grimaldi, a refu
gee Genoefe, who, by his intrigues at the court of Verfailles,
routed the Conde de Aranda, and got the whole
power into
his own hands : through this medium, France rules the coun
cils of this kingdom. Many of the principal departments, and
firft employments, are filled by foreigners, French, Italians,
and Irifh, whom the and very juftly, for
Spaniards deteft,
they have no intereft, but to feed the follies, and indulge the
vices and extravagancies of the
prince ; to enrich and provide
for their itinerant and neceflitous ; and
compatriots aggrandize
themfelves to the oppreflion of the natives : but dans lespais
des aveugles, les borgnes font rois.
This
SPAIN AND, PORTUGAL. 49
This town fwarms with French and Italian manufacturers

and fhop-keepers. If one hears of an artift, one is fure to find
him a foreigner; for the arts have made but little progrefs
among the natives. There is a manufacture of tapeftry, that
was eftablifhed here
by Ferdinand VI. where there are about
twenty looms going. There is alfo a porcelaine manufac
tory, but no one is admitted to fee it. Thefe fabricks have
been imitatively eftablifhed, through, a puerile vanity ; whilft
thofe of more real utility are never thought of: they are kept up
at a confiderable expence by royal munificence ; for their
pro
duce cannot be purchafed but by the opulent ; indeed,
they
ferve to. draw fome of the wealth from, the clutches of the
prince, which is diftributed among thofe, who would other-'
wife, moft probably, be in want of employment.
Religious bigotry and fuperftition ftill prevail here. The

Prince of Afturias' fon being extremely ill, and given over by
the phyficians, the bones, of a faint were fent for from Alcala,
and brought in proceffion-to the. palace, to work his cure ; but
unfortunately, the faint was not in humour to perform the
miracle, and the poor infant died. Npfc a woman
gets into a
coach to go a hundred : yards, nor a poftillion on his horfe,

without crofting themfelves ; even the tops of tavern- bills, and
the directions of letters, are marked with croffes^ There are
eternal procefhons in theftceets, which the pepple are very fond
of,, and the clergy, take care to
encourage;
There is afbciety of'people-iQthis town, fctoe of whom go

about the ftreets in the- evening* knock with their flicks upon
the pavement," toainfomC thole who-' have- any -lick in their
houfes, to bring them forth, ■> when they are conveyed to an
hofpital ; and. if any poor, or diftrefted perfons are
lying in the
H ftreets,
TRAVELS THROUGH
5o
ftreets, they are alfo taken care of. The hofpitals are, in ge
neral, very clean, and well attended ;. and this mult ever be
the cafe where the attendance is given from a religious mo
tive.
There were two bull-feafls during my flay here ; the amphi

theatre may contain, as near as I could compute, about 10,000
people : at one of them, there was a man and five horfes killed.
The rage for this amufement is very great ; though, I am told,
the keen edge is much off here.
worn The firft attack of the.
bull is fine, and the refiftance of the man on horfeback, gives
moft manly ideas ; but the conclufion, or butchering part, is
very difagreeable.
I feveral times at the theatres, which have nothing re
was
markable in their conftruclion. Refined comedy has no place

upon this ftage ; neither is the tragic mufe fupported by the
performers ; diftrefs and joy, in long and tedious fpeeches, are
alike repeated, with a compofed countenance, and a dull mo
notony, that lulls the audience to fleep. Buffoonery, indeed,
has its full force ; it is equally mixed with the ferious and co
mic The graciofo and graciofa are conftantly introduced, to
draw the attention of the audience; by endeavouring to make
them laugh grimace, jokes, and quaint expreflions. The
with
farces, that are reprefented between the acts of the principal
piece, are fometimes humourous, though often low ; they are
generally fcenes of gallantry at an inn, on the public walks, at
an ice-houfe, &c. and as the
great purfuit of thefe people is
intrigue, the artful fchemes of both fexes to accomplifh their
ends, are ludicroufly introduced. The fafhionable vice of
cortejos, to married women, is conftantly lafhed. The to-
nadillas, or mufical dialogues, of 3 compofition peculiar to
this
S PA I N A NT) FOR TUGAL. 51
this country, fung between the acts, are
lively and agreeable.
The fandango', alfo introduced after the farces, is a lafcivious
dance, brought from the Weft Indies, of which the natives are
as fond as the
Englifh ufed to be of the hornpipe : I imagine
this dance originally came from the coaft of Guinea : I have
obferved at Tetuan, the Emperor of Morocco's black foldiers
dance, withcafnets in their hands, in a manner very fimilar.
There is a kind of comic opera, reprefented in fummer, called
the Zarzuela ; I was at one of them ; a tranflation of the
French Roi & le Fermier, from the Englifh Miller of Manf-
field ; the voices and mufic, in general, were but indifferent.
I have been told that there are above 10,000 plays in the
Spanifh language ; the perfon who informed me faid, he had
feen a lift of 8,000, amongft which, Lopez de Vega, and Cal-
deron, are moft refpectable figures ; and I make no doubt, but
in a more refined age, the 'beauties, in the compofitions of the
former, the celebrated cotemporary and correfpondent of
Shakefpeare, will be cleared from the pile of rubbifh that now
conceals them, and by another Montague, held forth to im
mortalize his name.
On the 26th, the court fet out for San Ildephonfo :

the troops under arms, lining the road
were from the palace,
as far as
they could reach ; exclufive of the horfe and foot
guards, there were three regiments of infantry, and one of
cavalry. The coaches were attended by the guardia de corps,
and drove as hard as they could go. The court refides from
the middle of January, till a little before the holy week, at the
Pardo ; then at Madrid till after Eafter, affifting at the reli
gious ceremonies of the holy week ; at Aranjuez till the mid
dle of June ; again at Madrid, for three weeks or a month ;
at San Ildephonfo till October ; at the Efcorial till December ;
once more at Madrid till January, and fo on
annually.
H 2 There
TRAVELS THROUGH
5s
There is a weekly Gazette publifhed here, in which Lthe
news of other countries is well related ; but for the trarifac-
tions of this kingdom, except it be the church and army pro

motions, and the movement of the court, it is filent.
I was told, that there are

300,000 inhabitants in this town j
but I fhould imagine this:numberi much exaggerated.
It is that in the time of Augiiftus, there

computed, were
fifty millions of inhabitants in this peninfula ; in the reign of

Fernando el Catholico, nineteen millions, and at
prefent, not
mOre than between nine and ten.
I am afraid I fhall- be detained here, as I have made myfelf

exceedingly ill, by drinking quantity of iced water,
an extra
which beverage at this feafon, and in this climate, is remark

ably agreeable; however, ifpoflible, I fhall fet Out to-morrow
morning, on my way to that extraordinary pile of building,
the Efcorial ; fo conclude with affutfances that I am, &c."&e.
LETTER
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, 5$
LETTER VL
My Dear Sir, Avila, Auguft 4, 1774.

/\S you are fo exceedingly anxious to have the plan of the
new-formed academy at this place, I fhall endeavour to give
you an account of it, together with the general flate of the
military eftablifhment, difcipline of the army, &c. As I took
the Efcorial en route, it will probably afford you fome enter
tainment to have my curfory remarks on that furprifing edi
fice. I fhal therefore give you my journal from Madrid,
which I left the 30th, at five o'clock in the morning. The
royal road, which is planted for about two leagues, conti
nues all the way to the Efcorial ; but we ftruck out of it, to
go to Colmenarejo, a
poor village, where we
flopped, and
dined at a wretched pofada.
Purfued our
journey in the evening, and arrived at the
Efcorial : not quite feven leagues from Madrid.
Great part of the country, through which we paffed, in-

clofed for the King's fport ; the reft indifferently cultivated,
and thinly inhabited.
The convent of the Efcorial is fituated on the mountains

called Guadarrama, which being very rocky and unculti
vated, renders its fite more wild than agreeable. We paffed
the poor little village of the Efcorial, and then afcended the
hill to the convent. From the fituation of this building, its
2 appear-
54 T R A V ELS TRRO U;G Hi c
appearance, at a diftance, leffened my ideas of it ; but when

I came near, I was
furprifed to find it fuch a
ftupendous
work : where it is placed, there is no more
plain thanbarely
fufficient to contain the edifice ; fo that the principal front,
which is to the weft, and faces the hill, is much confined : ex
cepting the portal, where there are columns of the Doric pr-
der, it is fimple and free from ornament : there are fome

fpires on the top of it, at each angle, that, according tp my
opinion, do not fuit with the dignity of fuch a ftructure : the
ftones, of which it is built, are of a fize wonderfully large.
Philip II. founded this edifice, from an injunction laid on

him by his father Charles V. to raife a maufoleum for his
bones, and thofe of his wife, the Emprefs Ifabeila, mother to
Philip ; and from a religious motive, on his victory at the
battle of St. Quintin in 1557 which being fought on St.
'
Laurence's day, was the caufe of his dedicating it to that

faint. It is remarkable, that this prince
having begun fo im-
menfe a work, when turned of thirty-three
years of age,
mould live to fee it finifhed, refide and end his
days in it,
nine years after it was
compleated, which was in 1589.
The profpect from it is Very
extenfive, though not pleafant :
there is no wood of any coniideration, or water, in
view, nor
any thing to bound it agreeably : there is not any garden
in the leaf! fuitable to fuch a
building ; there is a terrafs on
the fouth fide, with a
fifh-pond, and fome fmall of parterres
flowers ; on the north, at a little diftance, are houfes for
thofe who attend the court when it refides here and on the
;
eaft, a declivity from the plain on which it ftands : the church
and cloifter are the moft
magnificent ; the royal apartments
are
nothing extraordinary ; the walks of them are covered
with the tapeftry of the Madrid manufacture. In the con
vent
vent, which is inhabited by the Jeronymites, are fome of the
fineft paintings in Europe ; a collection from the beft ma
tters : it is alfo rich in treafure ; images of gold and filver ;
lamps, &c. Poms Viage de Efpana, a late publication at
Madrid, gives a moft particular account of the pictures, &c.
and a minute defcription of the convent. The Pantheon, as
it is called, under the great altar of the church, begun in
16 17, and finifhed in 1654, is a moft beautiful work : it is
compofedof jafper, and other fine marble, adorned with gilt
brafs, around it, in receffes, are placed fepulchral urns,
&c.
in fome of which the bodies of the deceafed kings and queens
of Spain are repofited : it was fo very cold, that I was obliged
to hurry out of it as foon as
poflible. The principal library is
a
very fine room, in which is a numerous collection of books,
and fome good portraits, particularly one of Philip II. The
ceiling and walls are
painted in frefco : in the upper library,
is very valuable collection of Hebrew, Greek, Roman and
a
Arabic manufcripts, many of which I was fhewn. The

King confiderable expence to get catalogues
has been at a
made of them, which will prove of great ufe to the learned :

they are not yet compleated.
To fee the works of magnificence arife, the liberal dona

tives of an induftrious, free, and flourifhing people, affect the
generous breaft ; but when the extorfive power of tyranny,
racks a whole nation, to gratify the folly or vanity of one
man alone ; fuch piles of fplendour bear heavy on the mind,
and load it with indignation againft the Hydra I
Auguft ift. Left the Efcorial in the evening, and palling

the mountains, came to La Cerezada, a poor village, where
we obferved the women with long queues ; thence through a
moun-
-6 TRAVELS THROUGH
"
mountainous country, little inhabited or cultivated ; travelled

five leagues in four hours, and arrived at Navas del. Marques,
an indifferent village, belonging to the Duke de San Eftevan,
who has an old caftle there, lying in ruins. The people told me,
they carried on a manufacture of woollen cloth, but it could
not be very confiderable.
The pofada was moft wretched ; however, it ferved to fhel-

ter us fromvery violent fhower of hail : paffed the night
a
there, and fet out the next morning at four o'clock : the wea
ther cold ; Reaumure's thermometer at nine o'clock, was at
Q
1 1 which, whilft I was at Madrid, was generally in the
courfe of the day, from 15 to 20 : paffed the village of Na
val Peral, and travelling four leagues and a half in fix hours,
arrived at Avila, which we faw three hours before we came
to it.
Went through a
great deal of wild country, with very high
mountains to the fouthward : faw but little corn till near the
town; fome droves of white cattle, and very few people.
Avila is fituated rifing ground, inclofed by an antient

on a
wall with towers, forming a kind of oblong fquare ; I was

about three quarters of an_ hour walking round the outfide of
the walls, which are kept intjre : it is. a
very antient city, and
formerly had many privileges.
The ftreets narrow, and the houfes indifferent ; there

are
are
many old palaces going to ruins, the woeful memorials of
antient fplendour : there is only ©ne titulo de 'ilia now. rea cafi
ding, the reft of the drawn
nobility are to the court.
The
The cathedral church is very old, many monuments in it of
the year 1 1 00 and 1 200.
Here I obferved a
change in the drefs of the women ;
they
wear a handkerchief round the head, a fcarlet fhort cloak to
cover the neck, and the mcnttr a.
I found the mornings and evenings cold ; one morning, at

fix o'clock, the thermometer was at
j°, at noon
generally
from 13 to 15.
The military academy by O' Riely is in its

eftablifhed here
infancy ; two or three officers from every regiment of infantry,
with fome from the regiments of cavalry, and three or four
engineers, are now affembled ; on feeing an Englifh officer

amongft them, they were much furprized : the colonel of the
regiment of Navarre, who commanded, and to whom I paid
my refpects, examined my paffport fcrupuloufly. I had taken
the precaution, whilft at Madrid, to apply to Lord Grantham,
who procured me a pafs from the Marquis of Grimaldi, the
minifter, which I found very neceffary here, and on many
other occafions. The officers affeiled to be very myfterious ;
they told me, that they were enjoined, in the ftricteft manner,
not to communicate what the King's intentions were for this
affembly ; and they were fo very cautious, that they would

not even fhew me the room intended for their fludy ; but there
was no occalion for fo much

enigma, as they had little to con
ceal, and, of courfe, the veil was eafily penetrated. I found,
that military books had been bought up in all languages, for
the ufe of this tactical fchool ; mathematical and language
mailers were to be eftablifhed ; the regiment of Navarre was
quartered there, to affift the fludents in the practical part of

I the
58 TRAVELS THROUGH
the fcience ; and it was to encamp the latter end of the

month, when they were to be exercifed in the art of caftra-
metation, field fortification, &c.
The officers in this kingdom, from a long peace, have

been totally out of the line of experience in their profeflion ;
befides, there is a native indolence in the inhabitants of this
country, that nothing can overcome, but a fpur, by fome in
centive means, to action, and the fuperior abilities of a lea
der. O'
Riely, having made a reform in the inferior bran
ches of the military fyftem, thought it elegible, I imagine,
that the officers might, at leaft, have the means of acquiring
knowledge; and, moft probably, on that principle, plan-.
ned this eftablifhment : he has felected officers for his firft
academicians, hoping thereby, I fuppofe, to fpread a
fpirit of
emulation through the fervice ;how far he may fucceed,
time alone will difcover : the prefent members of his acade
my, I believe, will not become great proficients ; for the
moft part of them are men from thirty to
forty years of age,
and it muft not only be unpleafan't, but even arduous, for
them to learn languages or raife perpendiculars.
The of knowledge, in this country, muft be
progrefs very
flow ; there are many reftrictions to retard its courfe : in
the land of Liberty, the way to fcience is fmooth and unre-
flrained ; but here, 'tis rugged and confined ; the horrid im
plements of arbitrary power, and abfurd religion interpofe
at each and thofe who dare encounter fuch difficulties
flep ;
and dangers,will moft likely fink under them : a man with
the abilities of Caefar, durfl not
openly avow them, they
would only retard his advancement ; the
way to preferment,
here, is by approving of the prefent meafures, though never
fo
fo abfurd ; and adulating fuperior, who probably is a
fome
defpicable character ; fuch inglorious terms, fuch bafe means,
to honour, are not to be fubmitted to by any one, in whom
fpirit and capacity unite.
The infantry of Spain is compofed of

1
regiment of Spanifh guards, of 6 battalions. -
1
regiment of Walon guards, of 6 battalions. -
2 regiments. 12 battalions.
Making a
body of about 8,400 men.
31 regiments of national infantry, of 2 battalions each, 62

1 fixed regiment at Ceuta -------
2
1 fixed regiment at Oran --------

3
Irifh regiments --
6
3
Walon regiments ----------
6
3
2 Italian regiments ---------
4,
foreign volunteers ------- -r- 2
_
4 Swifs regiments ----------

8
46 regiments. battalions 92
Each regiment is compofed of two battalions, each batta

lion having one company of grenadiers, confifting of
. « ■•? G B s o o
3
£«
«
g ■-
5§-OT
3 <S
«
T3
g^^
A <a -o "s
>
Ui-lW3™«(-t»-"C>JpL(
i 1 1 i 1 1
3.3 54 in all 66 66
- -
and of eight bittilioo compiniii

each confifting of
} 1 1 1 1 2 2 4 4 64 in all 80
640 -
640
706
2
I 2 Carried over 1 413

60 TRAVELS THROUGH
Brought over
141 2
The firft battalion of every regiment has for
field officers, ftaff, &c.
. . (-,
U J 2 <5 \A U c/j Up;. PM <3 fa
101 121 1 16 12 in all 17

2d battalion o 1 o 1 2 1 1 1 6 1 2 in all 16
—-
33
Total of one regiment 1445

Number of regiments 46
Total of infantry,* exclufive of guards 66470
The cavalry of Spain is compofed of three troops of guar-
dias de corps, One Spanifh, one Italian, and one Flemifh,
each troop confifting of 200 men, who are all men of family ;
in the Flemifh troop, gentlemen of every nation ferve.
The Duke of Arcos, a grandee of Spain, and Captain Ge

neral, is Captain of the Spanifh troop ; Prince Mafferano,
another Captain General, of the Italian troop; is Captain
and Lieutenant General Conde de Bournonville, is
Captain
of the Flemifh troop.
Of a
brigade of carabineers, confifting of four fquadrons
of three troops each fquadron, making a body of 600 men.
Of 14 regiments of horfe, of 4 fquadrons each,

making
56 fquadrons. Each fquadron is compofed of three ; troops
each troop confifting of
*
Each regiment of infantry has omitted in the above detail.
a
drum-major,
1
captain
i
captain, lieutenant, i enfign, 2 ferjeants 4 corporals,
i
4 carabineers, 1 trumpeter, 30 troopers mounted, and

10
troopers on foot - - - -----
in all 54
3
Total fquadron 162

4
648
The firft and fecond fquadrons are commanded by the
Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel, who have both
troops; the third and fourth, by Commandants, who
have the rank of Lieutenant Colonel", have alfo troops,
and command in the regiment, according to feniori-
ty, next to the Lieutenant Colonel. There is a flaff,
&c. to each regiment, confifting of
1
major, 2 adjutants, 4 ftandard -bearers, 1
chaplain,
1
furgeon, 1 mafter farrier, 1 kettle-drummer. In all 1 1
Total regiment 659
Total of horfe 9226
Of 8 regiments of
dragoons, of 4 fquadrons each, making
32 fquadrons. Each fquadron of dragoons is compofed of
three troops, each troop confifting of
1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 1 enfign, 2 ferjeants, 1 drummer,

4 corporals, 4 grenadiers, 30 men mounted, and 10
men on foot - - - -
In all 54
Brought
62 TRAVELS THROUGH
^Brought over >

54
- - -
Total fquadron - -
162
4
648
The fquadrons commanded,
are &c. as in the horfe.
Each regiment has a ftaff, &c. confifting of
1 major, adjutants, 4 colour-bearers, 1 chaplain, 1

2
fiirgeon, 1 drum-major, 4 hautbois mounted, 1 ma

tter farrier. -
In all 15
. Total regiment 66^

8
Total dragoons - -
5304
The of the carabineers are recruited by draughts

men
from the regiments of horfe.

The regiments of horfe and dragoons are recruited by vo
lunteers, who ferve five, fix, or eight years-; and they are re
mounted in Andalufia.
The houfhold troops, with the carabineers, are excluded
from the general military regulations, and are governed by
particular ordinances.
Exclufive of the above troops, there' are provincial regi
ments of militia, making a
body of about 30,000 men.*
*
There has been an
augmentation in the infantry, fince the above account ; the com
panies were, I believe, augmented to feventy-nVe men each, prior to the'ATgerine expedi
tion.
The
The national infantry of recruited by, what is
the line is
called, the quint a, an antient law but newly modelled. The
kingdom is divided into different diftricls, and all the unmarried
men, of certain claffes, between the ages of feventeen and
thirty -fix, are felecled : in the edi6l of 1770, the particular
employments of people, who are to be exempted from ferving,
arefpecified and in 1773, in confequence of fome difturban-
;
ces in Catalonia, a frefh edicl: was iffued, with further exemp
tions and amendments : the proportion of men, from each dif-

tridl, to compleat the army, being allotted, the whole ballot
who are to ferve :
notwithstanding, by the king's edicts, every
precaution has been taken, to prevent fraud, partialiy, or cor
ruption^ yet they all take place ; for in every diftricl:, the ma
gistrates having, with their power, a

fuperior intereft at
court, which precludes controul, they become as arbitrary in

their little fpheres, as the monarch in the greater ; and as in
this flate, venality reigns in every department, gold of courfe,
preponderates every other confideration : that the time of fer-
vice, of the quintasm. 1770, might not expire at the fame pe
riod, it was decreed, that, thofe from the age of feventeen to
twenty-four, were to ferve eight years ; from twenty-four to

thirty, feven years ; and from thirty to thirty-fix, fix years ;
but that on all future occafions, the time of fervice is to be
eight years.
Many inveigh againft this general mode of recruiting ; they

fay, it gives a check to induftry, by obliging the laborious pea-
fant to ferve againft his inclinations ; that it is a detriment to
agriculture, as it reduces the number of labourers ; and that
it is the means of tranfplanting the vices of the army into
thofe parts, where induftry and fimple manners mutually con-
fpired to render the inhabitants happy. I fhall not pretend to.
4 enter
TRAVELS THROUGH
64
enter into the merits or demerits of fuch opinions ; I fhall only
obferve, that, by this method, as tradefmen and manufacturers
of huf-
are in
part exempted, the infantry is compofed, chiefly
bandmen,men of and property ; and not like the ar
probity
mies of other countries, filled with drunken mechanics and
diffolute vagrants.
The Spanifh guards are recruited by volunteers. The Wa-

lons, like the other foreign regiments, are compofed of defer
-
ters ; they are almoft as good troops as the regiments of guards

in other countries : there feemed to be a little attention paid
to the external cleanlinefs of the Walons ; but they were dirty
and filthy in their barracks ; whereas, the Spanifh guards were
cleanlier in their quarters, and dirtier abroad : I have feen a
fentry at the king's gate, with a fhirt that had been worn a
week at leaft, and the reft of his drefs in proportion.

The captains have the rank of colonel ; the
of the guards
lieutenants of lieutenant colonel ; and the fub -lieutenants of
captain ; but this rank is not of the leaft
difadvantage to the
line ; for as no perquifite is attached to a regiment, the offi
cers continue to ferve in their
corps till age or infirmities oblige
them to retire, when they have a very honourable and adequate
retreat.
And here I muft flop a obferve how very mor

moment to
tifying a circumftance it is amongft us, that the warriors of St.

James's, fhould fpring, from the downy duty of a king's guard,
into command, over the head of the hardy veteran ;
thereby
reaping, without toil, thofe advantages that fhould accrue to
his mo'reufeful, dangerous and laborious fervice.
The
The governments, both in this country and America, are
very confiderable ; but efpecially abroad ; and what is ftill
more
advantageous, there is a
gradation of governments, that
are calculated for the different ranks. The corrigimientos in
America, often given to thofe of the rank of captain, enable
them, in three or four years, to return to their native country,
and fpend their latter days in eafe and comfort. And here I
muft again take notice, how very diftreffmg a circumftance it
is, in our fervice, for the man who ferves to be obliged to buy
cornmiflions of advancement ; yet, as the military conftitution
flands at prefent, many difficulties are to be encountered, to
adopt any other plan ; for when the time of active life is no
more, and men are worn out, or other wife rendered incapable,
as there are but few
military retreats, and thofe feldom difpo-
fed of to the neceffitous officer ; the privilege of felling his
commiffion, the only reward for his former toils, is a moft
pleafant circumftance, as he thereby fecures to himfelf a fmall
but independent income.for the remainder of his days.
The Swifs regiments very good troops ; but the Wa-
are
lons, Irifh, Italians, and Volunteers are compofed of deferters

and vagabonds from every country in Europe, a moft wretched
crew.
The pay of the foldiers of the line, is nine fhilJings a month,

and twenty-four ounces of bread a day ; they are tolerably
well cloathed for the country in which they live, having a full
uniform every thirty months, and
fmall one, confifting of
a
waiftcoat, breeches, &c. every eighteen "rnonths : one half of

each regiment is allowed to be abfent for four months every
year, in the time of harveft ; each man getting, with his fur
lough, two months provifions and pay in advance \ and on his
K return
66 TRAVELS THROUGH
return, the remainder that is due : I am told, that defertion

is fcarcely known amongft their national troops^ At the
expiration of their time of fervice, they are difcharged, with

the value in money of two months bread, and pay for the like
time, with twenty-feven millings gratification ; if they conti
nue,through choice, to ferve longer than their term, they are
rewarded with gratuities ; and at different periods of fervice,
have particular advantages, with an increafe of pay.
Regulations for duty, difcipline, and fubordination, have

been eftablifhed by authority, and delivered to the whole army
for its conduct:. I fhall not take upon me to difcufs whether
their ordinances, or modes of
difcipline, may be the moft eli
gible that might be ;but thus much is certain, that there is a
fyftem eftablifhed, with which every one is obliged to con
form : caprice has not its reign amongft the commanders of
corps, or more fubaltern officers ; inftead of a whole army of
whimfical characters, in this, there can be but one for each
department ; the Infpector General. Subordination is carried
fo far in this army, that it is ordered, if any officer be in
pri
vate
company, he is to offer his feat to a fuperior officer,, when
ever he appears. The fon of a grandee, colonel of a regiment,
having neglected pay this
to deference to O' Reily, a difpute
enfued, when the King decided in favour of his Infpector Ge
neral.
The
regiment of Navarre, quartered here, is called a
pattern
regiment. I fhall give you a flight fketch of the appearance
of the men in their quarters, and under arms,
They came not
out of their barracks in the
morning till their hair was queued,
and their locks put on and powdered ; they wore, in common,
their waiftcoat with fleeves, and a kind of
forraging cap j their
3 bar-
barracks very clean, which, as cleanlinefs is not the cha-
were
racteriftic of the nation, though the climate requires it, appear

ed the more extraordinary ; each man had a bed to himfelf,*
which was rolled up, and gave an air of decency to the room ;
they were
only the offi
very fubordinate, for they faluted not
cers, but the non-commiffioned officers, as they paffed them in
the ftreet. Under arms there appeared exactnefs in fome points
and negligence in others : the buttons were bright, but the coat
was
dirty ; the hair was powdered, but the fhirt was not very
clean ; uniformity appeared in every part of their drefe ; but
then there was a want of neatnefs ; their arms feemed to be in
tolerably good order ; and they were
very attentive, fleady and
obedient; concomitant qualities with thofe of a good foldier.
There was not above half the regiment prefent, the reft had re
ceived their annual furlough ; thofe that remained were young

and well-looking ; there did not appear twenty men above
thirty years of age : their performance might not have pleafed
fome of our holiday warriors, but I believe it fufficient to ren
der them as ejfentially good foldiers, as many that make a
more brilliant
appearance : a handfullof fuch troops as thefe,
who have a character of their own to fupport, under the gui
dance of able chief, are refpectable to their country, and
an
would be formidable againft their enemy.
I afraid my fentiments upon the military, contained in this

am
letter, are very different from what you have ever met with be
fore ; however, I flatter myfelf, nay I am convinced, whenever
we meet, and have an
opportunity to converfe a little more up
on the fubject, your
opinion will coincide with mine. I fhall
fet out to-morrow, on my way to Salamanca, fo take my leave
with affurances, &c. &c.
K2
* This was eftablifhed in the prefent reign, on the report of Amar, the king's phyficiait,
of the bad confequences attendant on men
llceping together, thereby communicating dis
orders one to another.
68 TRAVELS THROUGH
LETTER VII.,
Amigo mio, Salamanca, Aug. 9, 1774.
XiAVING taken up my refidence for a few days in this

antient univerfity, I fhall purfue my journal from- Avila hi
ther, and endeavour to give you a flight fketch of Spanifh
academic education, which will enable you, in fome mea-
fure, to judge of the refined ftate of literature in this king
dom.
5th. Left Avila, and went through a country very flony,

and poorly cultivated for between two and three leagues,
when we faw a good deal of corn : paffed one village, and
fometimes more, every league. The people, in general,
had an indigent appearance, were prodigioufly fun-burnt,
with dried-up, and fhriveled countenance : travelled five
a
fhort leagues, and halted at a taver no* in the poor

village
of St. Thomas : we had well provided our
alforjas, other-
wife we fhould have fared but indifferently ; nothing but a
■
little wine, and, with great difficulty, four

eggs, were to be
had in all the hamlet : there was more cleanlinefs in the
hut, and more
civility in the people, without a defire to im-
pofe, than I had met with before.
We were accofted at the door lad of about nineteen,

by a
who faid he was a

poor fcholar ; his appearance, indeed,
*
A houfe licenced to fell wine.
favoured
favoured much of poverty, for his covering was a ragged
black waiftcoat and breeches, concealed by a more tattered
cloak : by way of recommending himfelf, and proving his
learning, he pulled out of his filthy pocket, a torn and
greafy Horace, prefenting it to me. and repeating off hand
one of the odes : he told me, he had been
bafely treated at
Madrid, by perfon with
a lived, and who pre
whom he
tended that he had left him, and was
friendfhip for him ;
thus far on his return to the place where he had fludied,
Salamanca i, the feat ofthe mufes, with whom-, he fa id, he
was fur.e. to find
joy and happinefs in every hour : he rattled
on with a
profufion of bombaft, and feemed as if he wifhed
to attach himfelf to me : but though he produced a
regular
paffport from Madrid, I took him for a
grand tour man,
and begged be excufed : to get rid of him, I offered him

to
a few
quarts, which he rejected ; however, I prevailed on
him to accept of a glafs of wine, that I left him drinking,
and pur fuing my journey through a confiderable wood, came
into very flat country, covered with corn : faw feveral
a
villages, the houfes chiefly of clay, with red tiles : travelled

five leagues, and arrived at Penaranda, where we met with
a .tolerable pofada, but nothing to eat except eggs.
6th. We fet out at five o'clock in the morning, carrying

a flat
country, abundant in corn, &c. along with us for
about half a league, when we entered a wood of cork trees,
which continuing for near a league, came to an open and
flat country, about Ventofa ; afterwards, with corn, and
fome flocks of fheep, to Huerta, a neat village, fituated on
the Tormes, four leagues : here we found a
very decent po
fada, and a moft civillandlady, who, with great willingnefs,
procured us every thing we required. I have noticed, that
the
7o TRAVELS THROUGH
the peopleof this country are more obliging, and lefs im-
pofing, than the inhabitants of Andalufia : got fome frefh
trout for dinner ; after which we purfued our journey.
Defcried Salamanca fo foon as we left the

village : jour
neyed by the fide of the river Tormes, palling Aldea Lengua,
and arrived here in four hours, four leagues : faw feveral
flocks of fheep this afternoon, with which this country fup-
plies the Madrid market ; fome vines ; and a great deal of
corn, particularly near the town, where the people were
employed in cutting it down.
Salamanca is a large city, in the kingdom of Leon,
fituated on the Tormes, over which there is a flone bridge ;
this river empties itfelf into the Duero, on the frontiers of
Portugal.
This famous for its univerfity, which was founded

town is
by Don Alonzo, count of Caftille, in Plafencia, in the year

1209, and thence tranflated to this city, in the year 1239,
by Don Fernando el Santo.
This is the firft
univerfity in the kingdom ; but it has not
a moft
flourifhing afpect ; moft of the colleges appear as if
they had been lately wafted and ruined by a ravaging army ;
in fome, I found only the head of the houfe, with one or
two ftudents; and in many, not above fix or feven.
The colleges of Santa Cruz, at Villadolid ; San

Idelphonfo,
at Alcala ; with
Oviedo, Guenca, Viejo, and Obifpo here,
having had fome difputes amongft themfelves about their in
ternal government; the and iffued
King interfered, an
edict,
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. jt
edict, that fludents fhould not be admitted into any of
them, till their fundamental inftitutions were examined r
and new regulations made : this produced warm, and re

peated, remonftrances to the court, on the part of the col
leges ; when, at length, about a twelvemonth ago, the
heads of houfes were admitted audience with his Ma-
to an
]eRy, at Aranjuez ; where, reprefenting their cafe rather toe*

freely, they were ordered into banifhment, and a frefh edict
was iffued, confirming the former. Thefe colleges were
appropriated chiefly to the fludy of the law, and were ufually

filled by people of fortune, who, born to independance, and
poffeifed of liberal minds ; who finding by their fludies, that the
ufurpation of the Sovereign is contrary to the antient confti-
tution of the kingdom ; when they came to act, would not
at all times fay Amen to the Prince's creed ; the minifter,
therefore, to crufh fuch independent fpirits, has fallen upon

this method, by tyrannic mandates, to difcourage, or rather
prevent, the progrefs of learning, thereby to eradicate every
germe of liberty ; fo that, in the courfe of time, it will be
forgotten, that there ever was a flandard of juftice, but the
will of the Prince ; and none but the ignorant and fervile
will be found to act under him, when he will govern his
flaves without controul.
corruption in this country, that, fhould"

Such is the flare of
any gentleman propofe to have a fchool on hiseftate, for the
inftruction of his tenants' children, it could not be eftablifh
ed without paying for the privilege ; though it were to be
^founded and fupported at his ownexpence.
Amongft the monaftic orders, there .are lchools where

education is carried no farther than to write, read, and to
fay
TRAVELS THROUGH
y3
fay mafs though not to underftand Latin. The pupils are

;
inftructed to ftudy the lives of the -faints, and fuch other
and illiterate
trumpery ; and thus, though a moft ignorant
fet, they become the heavenly pallors of mankind.
The nobility educate their fons at home, under the tui

tion of fome pedantic or artful prieft, who, wifhing rather
than inftruct, employs his pupil's time in agreeable
to pleafe
trifles.
The women have no other education but what they re
ceive from their parents. Whilft the nobility have the ho

nour of their families fo much at heart, and the clergy retain
-their power, public education cannot take place in this coun

try ; for every marriage, after thirteen years of age, becoming
valid, both boys and girls are kept clofe under their parents'
eyes, for fear they fhould degrade themfelves by an impro
per alliance ; and private education of men, without the
attention of fagacious parents, does not fit them to act in
life confpicuoufly. But of what advantage is learning here?
It can
only tend to amufement ; it can never fhine forth to
the advantage of any one in fubordinate
a
fphere : titles and
honours are fufficient
to render the nobles
confpicuous ; and
as for the inferior claffes, have
they no
hopes or expectations,
from having more knowledge than their fuperiors : public
employments are acquired, either by the finifter means of
artful knaves, or by the caprice of the great. Don Jorge
Juan, an officer of the navy, and moft able mathematician,
had his heart broken by the minifter ; becaufe his
fuperior
abilities led him to point out abfurdities which were
approved
of by the other ; he therefore took every
opportunity to create
a
difguft in the King againft him. Not long ago, an officer
came
came from America, with plans of fortification againft the

incurfions of the natives, ftrongly recommended to the mi-
nifter for his capacity, and the utility of his fcheme ; after
having prefented them, he was no further noticed ; but,
confcious of his own abilities, and not brooking the flight
he met with, he became importunate, when he was dif-
miffed with this remarkable expreffion, ûiere U. M, com
moner el mundo ? Do you wifh to reform the world ? The
only fatisfaction for his merit and expence*
Jog on in the path of ignorance, ye unfortunate Gaftil-

lians ; the road to learning leads only to the knowledge of
thofe misfortunes, for which you dare not even think of a
remedy !
The courfe of philofophy taught in this univerfrty, is that
of Gaudin, a French Dominican Friar ; and they have three
profeffors of the faculty : they have a chair of moral philofo
phy, and are now
eftablifhing a chair of experimental phi
lofophy.
In divinity, they fttidy Melchor

Cano's Sum of Gontro-
verfy the firft year, and for the four following years, they
ftudy St. Thomas's Coui-fe of Divinity, commonly called,
Summa Divi Thomte Aquinafis ; for this purpofe there are
eight pi'O-feffors to give 'lectures, morning and evening : there
is profeffor
a to
explain the Scripture, and another of moral
divinity.
There are leveral pro'feffbrs of thelaw, who ex

canon
plain Corpus Juris Canonici, -Ghmeniinas, Dzcretahs, £§rV.

L There
TRAVELS THROUGH
74
There are likewife many eminent profeffors of the civil
law: they explain the laws of jfuftinianus and the laws of
the nation : the chairs are called Inflituta codicis, Digefii
veteris, Voluminis inflitutionum imperialium, &c.
There profeffors of medicine, that have chairs called

are
Prognojlicorum, Methodi, Simplkium, Anatomice, Chirur-

gice, &c.
There are
profeffors of Greek, Hebrew, Latin, rhetoric,
algebra and mufic.
At prefent, mathematical fcience it at a low ftate.
Everyftudent of divinity, is obliged to read Hebrew, and

every ftudent of the law, Greek, a twelvemonth before he
attends the lectures. This fhould be the regular courfe,
.but the difcipline of this univerfity is very relaxed ; nay,
it were of little ufe that it fhould be other wife ; for amongft:
the learned faculties, the lawyers need only fludy cor
ruption and the edicts of their king ; for here, the will
of the prince has attained the place of law ; the clergy hy-
pocrify, and how toretain their power. Indeed it would
be advantageous, that the fludy of phyfic had made a great
er
progrefs ; for if one may judge by the wretched ftate of
-thofe people, who are afflicted with one diforder, in particu
lar, that is very prevalent in this country, and who linger
out a miferable life, expiring under it at laft, for want of
proper aid (not to mention the abfurd manner with which

almoft every other complaint is treated) we
may venture to
pronounce the profeffors an ignorant body.
The
The royal academy dictionary, grammar and orthogra

phy, are mafterly performances ; but literature, in general,
is at a fland. In the preface to the academy dictionary, it
is faid, the language is fo copious, that there are found in it,
amongft many others of great ingenuity, five novels, of fuf-
ficient merit, compofed with fuch art, that all the words con
tained in each of them are collected fo as to leave out one of
the vowels.
This town, like moft of other Spanifh towns, has a

gloomy appearance ; narrow and irregular ftreets, with very
antique houfes. The Plaza Mayor is a handfome fquare,:
though built much in the Moorifh tafte.
The college, that did

belong to the Jefuits, Is a moftex-
tenfive ; it is fo large, that 6000 French were lodg
building
ed in it on their march to Portugal the laft war ; at prefent,
the Irifh fludents, tranflated from the colleges of Seville and
St. Jago, poffefs a part of it ; there are about twenty-feven
of them, poorly endowed, and little noticed : a miferable
eompany ! They were extremely civil to me,, and I moft
fincerely commifferated their unhappy fituation.
The cathedral is magnificent old building : there

a are
twenty-fix canons belonging to it, who, like the reft of the
clergy, are well provided for.
The chapel in the college of Oviedo, is neat and elegant.
I was introduced into the convent of Efpiritu Santo : the

jnuns are women of family, and none but thofe who can
L 2 prove
76 TRAVELS THROUGH
are fubject
prove their nobility are admitted ; they
to no
other vifitation, than what is appointed by the king ; and,

on that occafion, he fhould appoint a
knight of the order of
St. Jago ; they receive company in their apartments, and
are allowed to keep as many fervants as they pleafe, but
men muft not be known to fleep in the convent all night ;
they go out once a year only, and then it is in proceffion.
I found fquadrons of the regiment of Bourbon, ca

two
valry, quartered here : the commandant, with whom I di

ned, was extremely civil : the troopers had a moft Bourgeois
appearance-
One day, walking along the ftreet, I met with an old

cathedratico, or profeffor, who contended for the wall with
me ; I gave it up to him immediately, when he paffed on
triumphantly : on mentioning this circumftance, I found r
that difputes had been fo frequent here, between the

ftudents and military on the like occafion, that the king,
,,
was obliged to iffue an edict, wherein he

approves of the po-
litenefs of thofe who give the wall ; this has had the defired ef
fect with fome ; but the old and reitive, like my friend Jol-
lux, preferring their own to the king's approbation, chufe
to
preferve what they think their due : I imagine he took
me not for a
ftranger, other wife he would have been more
polite fuch little punctilios are held very facred amongft
:
the people of this country : whether walking with a

fupe-
rior or inferior the right hand was ; but
always given to me
the fuperior ever claims it when, with his
compatriots.
The thermometer rofe as
high here as at Madrid, it was
generally from 15 to 20in the courfe of the I

day. was.
told there are

1500a families in this town..
2 The
The articles of fubfiftencel found extremely cheap ; bar
ley fold for eight real afanegue, which is in proportion to the
bufhel, as 8 is to 13; wheat at eighteen reals; chickens at
*
thirteen quarts a
couple, &c»
From what I have recounted, you will be enabled, to form

fome ideas of the ftate of fcience amongft this people : let
them enjoy their apathy : do you live happily, and triumph
in the felicity of being formed a native of that country,
where literature is encouraged and improved by liberty:
"
liberty that is formed to nurfe the fentiments of great
It is
"
geniufes ; to infpire them with hope ; to pufh forward
"
the propenfity of conteft one with another, and the ge-
At
nerous emulation of being the firft in rank." I fet out
to-morrow on
my way to Zamora, where you fhall hear
further from me, being with great regard, &c
*
Nearly four-pence.
LETTER
TRAVELS THROUGH
78
LETTER VIII.
.My Dear Sir, Zamora,Aug. ri, 1774.
FROM the ancient feat of the kings of Leon, when poffeffed

of very little territory, I take the opportunity of giving you my
further proceedings from Salamanca, with a fhort defcription
of this venerable city.
1 cth, Left Salamanca, and travelled through a flat country,

abundant in corn, palling many villages, when we arrived at
Cubo, four leagues ; the country indifferently cultivated, and

the villages poor afpect ; here we faw many herds of
had a
goats : if there be a better fpot than ordinary, one is fure to

find it inhabited by friars : paffed a convent fituated in a beau
tiful vale, through which ran a moft refrefhing ftream : went
on to Corrales, a miferable hamlet,
though much corn and ma
ny vines around it : found a wretched hut by way of pofada ;
we relied ourfelves for a few hours, and then
purfued our jour
ney, great many vines, till we got to Mirales, two
palling a
leagues, and then corn and vines, till we came to the Duero,
which we croffed over a flone bridge of eleven Gothic arches,
and put up at the pofada de los Momos : ten leagues in eleven
hours.
This is a very ancient city : it was called Sentica

by the
Romans, but was deftroyed in the courfe of the conftant wars
that were carried on in this
country after the incurfions of the
Goths : in the latter end of the ninth century, it was rebuilt
by Don Alonzo III. and changed its name to Zamora, on ac
count, according to Mariana, of the number of bluifh kind of

ftones found there, which bore that appellation in the Moorifh
language : its fituation on the Duero, being placed on a height
above the river, renders it ftrong : the old walls are
kept com-
pleat.
I obferved, on walking round the town, the figure of a wo
man cut in flone, with the following infcription placed over
one of the gates.
DONA VRAGA
[The Figure.]
AF^RA AF\£RA
RODRIGO ELSOR
I find in Mariana, that Don Fernando, king of Leon, &c.

on his death, in the year 1066, left his kingdoms amongft his
children, and that Doha Uraca, his daughter, received Zamora

for her inheritance, to which, fometime afterwards, her brother,
Don Sancho king of Caftille, laid claim and befieged ; when he
was drawn into a fnare, and killed under the walls by one of the
citizens, who went out of the town with that intent ; his vaf-
fals, much enraged at the lofs of their prince, refolved to take
revenge on the inhabitants for this ftroke of perfidy ; amongft
them Don Diego Ordonez, a young man of family, was moft
confpicuous ; armed and on horfeback, he prefented himfelf be
fore the walls, charged the citizens with bafenefs, and difloy-
alty, and threatened vengeance on every living creature within
the city : now it was the cuftom in Caftille, that if any one
ihould accufe a people of treafon, &c. he was obliged to prove
it, by fubduing, in fingle combat, five perfons one after the
other :
8o TRAVELS THROUGH
other there was, in Zamora, a man of great repute, called

:
Arias Gonzalo, who though of a very advanced age, offered,

for the honour of his compatriots, to go with his three fons,
and encounter this hardy knight : accordingly, his fbns, Pedro,
Diego, and Rodrigo went out of the city to the combat, when
each of them fell under the fword of Ordonez, who fignalized
himfelf, withgreat fkill and bravery ; but Rodrigo, in the in-
Jiant he received the ftroke of death, having previoufly raifed his
fword, wounded his adverfary's horfe, and cut the reins of the
bridle ; the horfe, frightened by the wound, and finding him
felf at liberty, ran directly out of the courfe, without it being in
the power of his rider to flop him. In thefe combats it
was held, that he who fled vanquifhed : to determine the
was
caufe, the judges were appealed to : the people of Zamora

pleaded the eftablifhed cuftomj the champion urged, that he
was carried off contrary to his inclination : the judges were fi-
lent, which was interpreted as deciding in favour of the Zamo-
rians; and thus ended the conteft. I therefore conclude, that
on this event the iftatue was erected, and the infcription placed.
How far my conjecture may be juft, I ffialll leave to the more
curious to determine. The oddity of the infcription led me to
take a copy of it, and the
peculiarity oftheftory induced me to
relate it to you.
The town is gloomy ; narrow ftreets, with a

great many large
old houfes : it is now a place of arms, as a frontier to
Portugal.
There were
fquadrons #f dragoons, with three batta
two
lions of infantry,
quartered here. I law the dragoons on horie-
back ; a great many
very indifferent horfes amongft them, and
badly dreffed ; the men were very flovenly, and had no ma
nagement of their horfes. The regiment of Cantabria, a .good
body
body of men ; the barracks very clean, and the foldiers or
derly.
Provifions were
very cheap here.
I fet out to-morrow, on

my way to Aftorga, where, if I
have time, you may expect to hear from me. I fhall now con
clude with a Spanifh compliment :
"
May you live many

years," and that you may enjoy them, is the fincereft wifh of
My Dear Sir,
Yours, &c.
M LETTER
8* TRAVELS THROUGH
LETTER IX
Amigo mio, Aftorga, Aug, 1.5,, 1774*

JhlAVING met with fomething here worthy your notice/ lif-
ten, Ibefeech you with attention; but that pleafure may not
rife too fuddenly upon you, I fliall trouble you, in the begin
ning, with the dull narrative of my journal, from Zamora hi
ther.
1 2th. Left very open and flat

Zamora, travelling through a
country, with fome corn here and there, paffed feveral villa
ges, and arrived at Driego del Gamino ; a poor hamlet, with a
moft miferable hovel by way of pofada, not a feat in the houfe
but the floor ; with a great deal of trouble we got a pipkin to
heat our victuals, with which we had fortunately provided our
felves, for nothing but four wine and very bad bread, was to
be got here : meeting with fo little comfort, we flayed but a
fhort time to reft ourfelves, and then purfued our
journey in
a
very hot afternoon.
In travelling throughthis flat country, ever finee we left Avi

la, we have found the heat very intenfe.
Little corn this

afternoon, excepting about, the villages ?
paffed the river Efla, within half a league of Benavente, where
we arrived,
being eleven hours going ten leagues.
This was but a

dreary day's journey, as we faw very few-
people till we came to the. river,, when we overtook a great
num-
number of Galliegos, or men of Gallicia, returning to their own
country from the harveft.
In this town are the old caftle of the

remains of an
Marquis
of Benavente, to whom the town alfo belongs.
palaces of the nobility, in different parts of

All the fine old
the kingdom, are lying in ruins, whilft their owners, refiding
flaves at a capital, adding to the brilliancy of a court, render
themfelves dependent on the prince, by fquandering their
wealth, which fhould be fpent on their eftates, to encourage
the induftry of their vaffals.
This town being in the road to Gallicia, the Galliegos,

high
many hundreds, on their way home, lay here all night ; they
all flept in the church-yard, expofed to the
open air, which is
very common amongft the hotter parts of the
people in the
kingdom. There are no dews of any great confequence in the
fummer months ; and it is much more pleafant than being
cooped up in a flinking room. I have often feen the carriers,
muleteers, &c. in Andalufia and La Mancha, fleep in the yard
of the pofada, in preference to the houfe.
Halted here a
day, to reft my cattle.
Purfued my journey: paffed feveral villages, where

14th.
we faw great abundance of turkies : got into a low country,
well watered with little ftreams : noticed a great deal of flax,

and many trees, chiefly poplars : carried a mountainous coun
try along with us, on the left hand : obferved feveral old
towers ; fuppofe they have been originally polls to defend dif
ferent paffes into the kingdom of Gallicia : croffed the river
Orbigp, and arrived at Baheza, fix leagues.
*
Ms Found
84 TRAVELS THROUGH
their way home :

Found a
great many Galliegos here, on
there appeared much buftle in the town, like bufinefs ; and

the pcjada was good a one. On enquiry, I found there were
linen cloth.
150 looms conftantly at work, making coarfe
Here we flayed to dine, and then journeyed on, through a plea-
fant flat, well watered, inclofed and planted ; cultivated with
corn and flax, for about a league, when we came into a flony
and unimproved country : drew nearer the mountains, and
paffed, at a little diftance, on the left hand, a confiderable

old fortrefs, called Los Palacios deValduerno : we overtook a
lad, with whom we entered. into converfation ; he fhewed us a
hill, where, he told us, the hermitage of Neuftra Senora del
Caftro ftands, to whom the people of this country, it feems,
pay great devotion : this Sehora refides about two leagues-frem
Aftorga, and, on particular occafions, he informed us, fuch as
the want of rain, &c. there were proceffions to her habitation,
to intreat the Lady's mediation, and that fhe was feldom fued
in vain he faid, he had been told, that when fhe gave her pe
:
titioners audience, and affented to their requeft, fhe changed

colour; but as he had not feen
it, he could not believe the report;
he readily gave credit to what he faw, and no more ; he feem-
en to be a
good-humoured fellow, with very few religious pre
judices, fo we
jogged on
very pleafantly together, through a
country rather hilly and. little cultivated, till we came near to
thisplace, where we arrived, being eleven hours travelling ten
leagues.
This town is fituated on a
rifing ground it
; was
originally a
place of ftrength ; it is now inclofed by its antient walls, which ■
may take up, in their whole extent, about a mile and a half,
forming an
oblong fquare.
The
The old palace, or rather caftle, of the Marquis of Aftorga,
is lying in ruins.
This being the eve of the Affumption, I was told there was,
what is called, a Funcion^ at the cathedral ; thither I repaired,
where I found the fleeple and outfide of it lighted with many
hundreds of various coloured lamps, fuch as at the Pantheon,
&c. which had a very good effect. There were bonfires all
about ; band of mufic, which was very indifferent ; and
a
a
prodigious number of. people affembled from all the coun
try around. obferved, amongft the peafantry, that the
I
women formed themfelves into different fets, and had a
peculiar, dance : they -were paired with each other, from

twenty to thirty couple in each fet, and flood up in the
fame manner that we do for country dances, every woman
with caftnets, in her hand ; there was an old woman at
the head of each fet, who began a fong, ftriking and beat
ing time with her hand upon a kind of mufical inftrument,
like a tabor, only it is fquare,;and has -the addition of little
bells hung to each fide of it ; each girl immediately taking
up the air with her caftnets, danced to the tune, which be
gan flowly, and then quickened : gradually to a certain
pitch, when it was, at once, brought back to its primitive
time ; the old woman's voice, the inftrument and caftnets
were in perfect concord, and the girls kept an exact time to
them with their feet ; they only footed to each other, turn
ing round, and ufing lafciyious motions at certain parts of
thestune ; during;the dance, the men flood behind making
love to them : this amufement continued the bell part of
the night ;> but being fatigued, I left them at twelve, and re
tired to reft.
In
86 TRAVELS THROUGH
In the morning, I obferved number of women in a

a
peculiar kind of drefs ; on enquiry, I found that they were

called Mauregatas. Their habit is very particular ; they
wear large ear-rings and a kind of white hat, which, at a lit
tle diftance, both as to fize and fhape, refemble what is
worn, in like manner, by the Moorifh women ; their hair
is divided in the front and fails down on each fide of their
face; they have a number of little pictures of faints, &c.
fet in filver, and other trinkets pendant to large beads of
coral, tied round their neck and fpreading all over their
breafts ; their fhift is flitched at the breaft, and buttoned at
the collar ; they brown wo-llen cloth bodice and pet
wear a
ticoat ; the fleeves of the bodice very large and open be

hind. The Mauregatos or men, wear
very large bree
ches, which tie at the knee, and the loofe part hangs over
the tie as far as the calf of the leg ; the reft of their drefs
is a fhort kind of coat, with a belt round their middle.
I enquired of every decent looking perfon I met, to en
deavour to get forne account of thefe people, but I was
not very fuccefsful all I

learn was, that there
; could
are a
great many villages of them about this town ; that
they have bound themfelves by compact to certain regula
tions, from which they never deviate ; that they intermarry
amongft each other; and if any of them fhould change
their drefs, or violate their eftablifhed cu'ftoms,
they are dri
ven from the
fociety ; as their garb is different from the
inhabitants of every other part of the kingdom, fo are
their cuftoms, manners, &C. when a young wonian is affi

anced, fhe is not allowed to fpeak to any man,!,: but he who
is intended for her hufband till the
marriage is celebrated,
on the
penalty of paying a certain fine, which is a quantity
4 of
of wine ; the young fellows follow and torment her on this oc
cafion, to induce her to fpeak ; after marriage the females never
comb their hair, which is a moft filthy cuftom : the women
work in the fields at all the labours of agriculture, whilft the
men are
employed as carriers from this country acrofs the
mountains into Gallicia, keeping many hundreds of horfes
fipr that purpofe ; for here the carriage road from Madrid
ceafes. Thefe people are in affluent circumftances, being
very induftrious, yet they think it neceffary to live in indi
gence : they are fuppofed to. be the Yanguefian Carriers
mentioned in Don Quixotte.
Flores, in his Efpana Sagrada, writing of the country

about Aftorga, fays, "
that it is what is called the territory
"
of the Mauregatos, a
people given to commerce, in which
"
they are noted for their integrity ; that the women retain
"
adrefs fo antient that its origin is not known, being the
"
moft uncommon in all Spain ; and that the particular
"
genius, cuftoms, manners ,.&c. of. thofe people, would
"
require a volume, at. leaft, to. defcribe them."
I find, by Mariana, that Don Alonzo, king of Leon,Ovi~

edo, &c. who reigned about the middle cf the eighth century,
had, by a of obfcure birth, aJbaftard'tfon,- called
woman
Mauregato ; fome years after the death of Alonzo, his grand -
fan Don Alonzo II. in the year 78:3, being placed on

the throne, Mauregato,, although illegitimate, pretended to
be aggrieved in not fucceeding to the crown, in preference
to nephew, as all his brothers had been fucceffively kings ;
his
he was fupported in his claim, by a few of thofe turbulent
fpirits, who fond of novelty, are eêr ready for fedition ;.
by the perfuafion of thefe.people, as he. could not find fuf-
ficient
88 TRAVELS THROUGH
licient fupportfrom the Chriftians, he had recourfe to the

Moors, engaging for their affiftance, to fupply them annu
ally with fifty virgins of noble birth, and fifty of low ex
traction ; by means of which reward, and the orders of
Abderrahman their king, many of thofe people flocked to
his ftandard ; Don Alonzo, not being furhciently powerful
to refift the force that was brought againft him, retired into
Gantabria or Bifcay : thus Mauregato was feated on the

throne of Leon, where he reigned five years and fix months,
and died in the year 781. During his reign he granted
lands to encourage the Moors to. fettle in his kingdom.
I fhall not take upon me to affirm, that the prefent inha

bitants of this dictrict, are the defcendants of thofe who
followed the fortune of Mauregato, who might have received
this territory as a reward for their fervices to him ; retaining
in the midft of another people, the drefs, which amongft
the women is very like the Moorifh, cuftoms, manners, &c.
I fhall only offer it as a conjecture, till a more fatisfactory
account be of them, which would be
given worthy the la
bours of the curious.
I obferved two ftorks Handing on their nefts the night of

my arrival, but the next day they had taken their flight.
I found great change here in the

a
language, I could
fcarcely underfland the lower fort of people their dialect
was fo corrupt.
I make doubt but the I have

account
you of
no
given •
this lingular people, will afford you fome fatisfaction ; there

is no traveller, I have met with, who has noticed them before
2 with
with a
fpeculative eye, which makes my obfervations the
more curious.
I have, from report, a moft difmal journey in view ; but

I am determined to perfevere : the pleafure in recounting
one's dangers, more than compenfates for the toil in palling
them. Good night, and believe me to be, &c.
N LETTER
TRAVELS THROUGH
9-®
LETTER X.
My Dear Sir, La
Corxfifc, Septr 7, 1774.
1 Arrived here fome time fince, exceedingly fatigued with a
dreary journey, a lame horfe, and a fick fervant. Thefe dif-
afters have detained me longer than I intended ; but as fome
good may be always derivecl from evil, they have given me an
opportunity of making my obfervations at large, upon the
principal marine department of this kingdom, atFerrol ; a flight
iketch of which, with the detail of my travels from Aftorga,
will become the fubject of this letter.
Auguft 1 6th,in the afternoon, left Aftorga, in company

with a muleteer, who was going into Gallicia with tobacco ;
but finding his mules moved flowly, I went on before him :
paffed feveral Mauregato villages, which, as well as the inha
bitants, had a very poor and dirty appearance. The houfes
were of flone, and thatched. I obferved, in this diftrict, that
the people threfhed out the corn with a flail, as in
England ;
and I noticed alfo, that it was flacked here. In one of the vil
lages, I obferved a number of women, decked out with all their
ornaments, fitting under whilft the young fellows were
a tree ;
dancing before them to the pleafant and melodious notes of a

bagpipe, accompanied by caftnets, which they held in their
hands, and little bells that were fattened to their legs ; their
hats were covered with variegated filk, and their cloaths
ftrung
with different coloured ribbons: no more the and capa fom-
brero no
longer the guittar and
:
feguidilla : there remained
3 not
not the leaft trace of the Andalufian, La Manchan, Caftil-

or
lian Spaniard, except the language, and that much vitiated:

I was induced to flop and obferve them, when they gathered
around me and frightened my horfe, with their barbarous mu
,
fic, which obliged me to retire.
Travelled on, in a -very bad road, with little or no cultiva

tion, except about the towns, and put up at a Mauregato village
called Fuen Cevadon, which gives the name to this pafs into
Gallicia. The houfe that was called the pofada, was moft mi-
ferabie ; however, we
prepared to pafs the night in it ; got
fome hay for
cattle,
our the firft
with, and put the
we had met
fupper on the fire, when our friend the mVuleteer arrived, and
told us, that we had halted too loon : with all hafle we pre
pared to accompany him ; the only misfortune was to leave
the fupper behind : the people finding they were to get little
•by us, though we had all our eyes about us, took an opportu
nity to pilfer fome few things. We went on, pairing one more of
the villages of thefe people, afcending the mountain, and en
tering the pafs, where we found it fo extremely cold, that I
was obliged to get off my horfe, and walk on the fummit ; tak
ing notice of a prodigious pile of loofe ftones, with a wooden

crofs on the top of them, my fellow traveller told me, that each
Gallego, returning to his own country, makes it a rule to
throw a flone on this pile ; thus, by accumulation, it had
formed a confiderable mount. The mountains, on each fide
of us, were moft ftupendous, with fnow on the tops of fome bf
them. By the light of the moon,
we obferved a
poor Gallego
on one fide of the road, and almoft fliff with cold ;
lying afleep,
my companion, with great humanity, obliged him to get upv
though very much againft: his indirration, and put him upon
one of his mules, telling me, that every year fome of thefe peo
ple perifh in this pafs.

N Z Paffed
93 TRAVELS THROUGH
Paffed the- mountain, and at one o'clock arrived at Azevo,

about feven leagues : a poor village ; we put up at the ta-
vemo, the moft wretched hole I ever met with : the horrid
dirty ftate of the hut, with the beaftly appearance of the land
lady, is not to be defcribed : the cow-houfe, for there were no
ftables, was fo deep with muck, that our cattle were badly
lodged ; and the houfe, exclufive of its filthy afpect, was fo
fmall that there was fcarcely fpace for ourfelves and luggage ;
but, bad it was, we were very glad to be admitted.
as I got
a bundle of ftraw for my own bed ; my fervant prepared him
felf fome hay, which, being damp, gave him fuch a cold, that
he has not recovered it yet : thus we
repofed ourfelves, until the
morn, with which came forrow : after making ourfelves from
our nefts, we difcovered that we were well flored with the mofl
horrid kind of vermin, and I found that I had loft a book, which
was of fome confequence to me. I immediately refolved to re
turn in fearch of it : I difcharged the bill, which was not
very
exorbitant; to be fure, we were neither elegantly ferved, or
fumptuoufly lodged. I paid, for as much hay as the cattle
could eat, fome trouts for fupper, wine, lodging, &c. about
thirteen pence ; and having given my landlady a few
quarts
more than her demand, we in
parted great friendfhip.
1
7th,, Repaffed the mountain, offering rewards at
every vil
lage to recover
my book, and arrived at in
Aftorga feven hours.
I told, that my only chance of getting it, was by
was
putting up advertifements at the doors of the churches, and

waiting for the firft holiday, when the
people might come in
from the country. As this would have detained me
longer
than I inclined, I fet out without my errand .
Paffed
Paffed the mountain once more ; drank with my landlady at

Azevo, and purfued my journey, defcending the mountain, till
we came to Molina Seca, where we crofted a rivulet : faw
many vines, fome hay, and arrived at Pon Ferrada : four

leagues, from Azevo, in four hours.
This has been of confiderable ftrength it is fituated

place ;
on the confluence of two rivers, and commands the entrance
of the pafs of Fuen Gevadon, on the Gallician fide : there are
ftill the remains of a large caftle.
I found great number of the Gallegos here on their re

a .
turn : I entered into converfation with one of them, who told
me, that there were not lefs than 60,000, a number fcarce-
ly credible, had it not been confirmed to me by other autho

rity, went annually from Gallicia to the harveft, fpreading
eveninto Andalufia ; that they fet out about the beginning of
May, and return the latter end of Auguft and September ; that
he had paffed for years fucceffively into Caftille ;
twenty-four
that he took home with him this year twenty hard dollars ;
but that the generality feldom carried more than ten or twelve.
I noticed, that the people of all the villages they paffed, laid
themfelves out, by expofing gaudy trifles for fale, to draw fome
of their money from therti ; but what is got by toil, is fpent
with reluctance ; yet they could not, at all times, refill temp
tation. Let us not fay, that the Spaniards are an indolent race,
when we fee fuch numbers wandering fo far from home, en
during exceflive fatigue, and labouring like Haves to Obtain
fo poor a pittance. Notwithftanding the inhabitants of Ca
ftille are dependent on thefe people for their annual labour,
>
yet they treat them as vagrants, and hold them ihtheutmoft

contempt.
4 20th,
94 TRAVELS THROUGH
20th. Left Pon Ferrada, and travelled .through a plain,

covered with pebble flones, which extended for above a
league : faw fome corn here and there ; afterwards a wood
of oak trees : paffed the village of Campode Narraya, wfeeft
we came into a
hilly country : the lands inclofed ; many
vines ; fome corn
grafs the road very bad : the houfes
and :
in the villages were thatched : the people had ibre eyes, I

fuppofe from the .-filth and the fmoake of their teats : the
women wore handkerchiefs about their heads as in Ireland ;
the men hats or monteras :
paffed Cacabalas., when the
country became pleafant till we arrived at Villa Franca :
four leagues in -four hours.
This town is fituated in a little vale, with fome high

mountains on the Gallicia fide; at the foot of which, be
tween them and the town, runs the river Valearfe. There
is an old caftle here belonging to the marquis of Villa Fran
ca, which commands the pafs between the mountains into
Gallicia. There is fome wine made here : I obferved the
fex were fair and handfome.
ft. Set out early in the morning, and towelled om a

2 1
new road for about two miles, which is i&teoded too be

carried to the fea. And here I muft obferve, that
•ewept
at the Carolina in the Sierra Morena, and for a few
itagiures
about Madrid, I have never feen any piade roads. Thearfe
are no
heavy carriages in the country I have Ipaffed, other-
wife it would be impoffible, particularly in winter, lor them
totravel. Left the Ganiino Real, and came into an abo
minable road, but extremely pleafant o<n the baaks of a
moft refrefhing ftream, the mountains
rifing on each, fide
of us : paffed a great
many villages, wherein I noticed,
that
SPATN AND PORTUGAL. 95
that the fasxufes we*e very fubftaatialfy buift of ftone and
ftroaaigl!y tHsEtetoed, which becomes neceffary, as the rain, I
fuppafe, in winter muft fvour down in great torrents : faw
abundance of hogs, and a great many chefnut trees : ob-
fecvedi anold caftle on the left hand, which commands en
vkjikade, the river fo? a confiderable way : came ta Herre-
rias ; five leagues : began* toafcend the mountain, the road
Eke fteps. of flairs : paffed the Puerto and village of Cebre-
ro an the fummit of the mountain, where it was
very bleak
and cald : here we entered Gallicia' : went through two
more villages, and arrived at Fonfria, being ten hours tra
velling nine leagues.
This is poor and bleak village : the pofada is called

a
^mefonreal, and to fhew that it belongs to the king, large

iron chains are placed at the door ; it is very bad ; no acco-
dation but one moft wretched room ; we were obliged to
change the diet for our cattle ; no barley to be had, and
we
fcarcely got rye enough to feed them : we found the
thermometer at fix o'clock in the morning at io°. there
was fo thick a
fog that we could hardly fee each other. From
the time we left Aftorga, I had obferved a change in the cli
mate.
22d. Left this place, and defcending the mountain, paf

fed a great many villages on each fide ; faw a good deal of
rye not yet ripe ; met a numerous body of pilgrims from St.
Jago, and arrived at Gallegos : five leagues in five hours.
Here we halted at another mefon real to dine, and then pur-
fued our journey.
In
06 TRAVELS THROUGH
In the of Andalufia, La Mancha,, and the part

provinces .
of Caftille I paffed, there appeared' a' more general fyftemof

agriculture than I found here. In the former, the territo
ries of individuals being very extenfive, are ufually culti
vated by their ftewards, employing hands for that purpofe ;
or if any part of them be let, the farmer is fo much racked,
that he cannot afford to improve his farm ; he is obliged to
draw from it the moft valuable produce, :to' fubfift himfelf
and family, and fatisfy the exorbitant demands of the owner;
who enervated at a
capital, having no connection or intefeft
with his tenants, cares not how mUch' thdy are oppreffed,
he grind them to the utmoft farthing' to fup-
provided can
port his luxury or effeminacy. The convents and large

towns having alfo very confiderable lands purfue the like me
thods : but in this country, the property being more divided,

and the poffeffor cultivating his own little fpot, finds it ne-
ceffary and advantageous to preferve as well as meliorate his
lands ; befides, a perfon who gets a little before hand with
the world, is often whimfical, and induced to practife vari
ous fchemes for
improvement ; fo that here the difpofition-of
the individual often appeared, and each farm we paffed af
forded a new fcene : the lands were inclofed and planted :
faw much grafs, Indian corn, rye, chefnut trees, pigs in
abundance, and fome cattle, which were rather fmall : ob
ferved change of drefs amongft the women ; a moft ex
a
traordinary kind of cap, which reached half way down the

back ; and the language fo much corrupted, that I could
fcarcely underftand a word of it : arrived, at
Lugo ; four
leagues in fix hours.
This is a
large and antient city, fituated on a
riling ground,
furrounded, at a little diftance, for the moft part with a ri
ver
ver and hollow way. The walls are in many places entire,
near two miles round : the town feemed to be much
depo
pulated : here we found it very fharp and cold : the ther
mometer, at noon, was 120. It is an epifcopate, but there-
venue is fmall. The cathederal is an old Gothic building,
to which
they are adding a new front ; the ornaments in
the frizes are very ill chofen, in true Spanifh tafle, angels
with wings, &c.
24th. Left Lugo, and palling aqueduct, which con

an
veys water to the town, found the country tolerably culti

vated, afterwards wafle land in general to Baamonte : five
leagues in five hours : relied at a miferable hut for a fhort
time, and then purfued our
journey through a mountainous
country : faw
little corn, a few goats and fome fheep :
a
travelled four leagues in five hours, and arrived at the Caftil-

lano, where we were indifferently accommodated ; but the
people were
very civil, and gave us all the afflftance in their
power.
25th. Set out early, and went through a country little

cultivated : faw many vines and Indian corn when we came
near Betanzos, where we arrived in four hours and a half,
three leagues : it was market-day, and many people were

affembled from the country. The women had much better
countenances than in the other parts of the kingdom ; frefh
complexions, with fine black eyes and hair; they wore not
fhoes or flockings : a moft excellent meat market ; good
beef and fweet mutton : dined, and then purfued our
jour
ney, crofling, bridge,
on a an arm of the fea that comes up
to the town, entered on a
royal road lately made: faw a
great deal of Indian corn, and many vines : obferved the
oxen for draught yoked by the neck : paffed feveral villages,
O and
98 TRAVELS THROUGH
and arrived here : three leaguesin four hours and a half.

We wereflopt at the Barrier by the officer of the guard, who
ordered us with afentry to the Commandant ; on palling to
his quarters, we were detained by the officers of the cuf-
toms, who fearched my baggage moft minutely : on our
arrival at the Commandant's, as he was not at home, we
were difmiffed by his fecretary, on fhewing my pafs :

put up
for
at a very bad pofada ; but changed it the next morning
private lodgings.
26th. Went with the Englifh conful, and paid my re-

fpects to the Commandant, who was
very inquifitive to
know my motives for vifiting this remote part, and examin
ed my pafs moft particularly.
This place is a fea-port, fituated on the weftern oceail,

and is what we call, improperly, the Groine : it is divided
into the Old and New Town ; the former is the citadel, in
which the captain general, intendant, and other public of
ficers refide ; in the latter, which is populous, the mer
chants, tradefmen, fhop-keepers, &c.
At this place is held the tribunal of juftice (called Audi-

encia) for this province, with art appeal to the council of
Caftille.
There great many foreigners refldent here*, particu

are a
larly French, who, as the intendant is their compatriot,, are

encouraged and protected.
I have been affured, that this province contains two mil
lions of inhabitants ; a proportion
very unequal to the reft.
of the kingdom..
Exclufive
SPAIN AND* PORTUGAL. 99
Exclufiyeof the number ofGallegos who emigrate annu

ally from Gallicia into Caftille, there are
thirty thoufand
that go every year into Portugal to the harvefl and vintage.
*
I went to fee the practice of a battalion of artillery
quartered here ; the fcheme of which was a
good one, but
it was executed in moft indolent manner, and the men
a
were dirty and flovenly. T,he two regiments of foot, Leon

and Afturias, were fine fellows, and had a very military ap
pearance.
A pacquet boat lails hence, every month, to the riavan-

nali ; and another, every two months, for Buenos Ayres.
The
importation of fugar from the Havannah, fince the
peace, has been increafing annually. The intendant, told
me, that 120,000 quintals had been imported laft year.
The trade from England to thefe parts, for tanned leather,
coarfe cloth, &c. is much dwindled. The Newfoundland
fifh trade is confiderable. The Americans import here In
dian corn, rice, &c. for which they receive fpecie in return.
Government, it is faid, wifhes to transfer a portion of the

trade of Cadiz to this country ; and, for that reafon, cauf-
ed the Weft India packets to fail from this part of the king
dom ; but the advantageous fituation of the former, for the
commerce of the Weft Indies and South America, is fuch,
that it will be difficult to change the channel.
*
The artillery of this, kingdom canfifts of one
regiment of four battalions and three
Invalid companies.
02 Fort
ioo TRAVELS THROUGH
illand in the is a, ftate pri-

Fort St. Anthony, a little bay,
fon for fuperior criminals.
The light-houfe here, is an antient and flupendous tower,
faid to have been built in the time of the Romans.
31ft,Left my horfes, and embarked in a paffage-boat for

Ferrol : there were in company, a prieft, a doctor, a cadet, a
foldier, a drummer, a Maxo, and two females. The doctor and
the prieft took care to fecure to themfelves the fnuggeft places
in the bark. The firft falutations being paffed, moft of the
company, after having endeavoured to difcover the profeflions
and bufinefs of each other, became free and jocofe ; but fet-
ting out with a contrary wind, and a great fwell rolling in
from the weftward, we had not got a mile before every one,
the doctor and drummer excepted, became very fick. It were
needlefs to defcribe the fcene that enfued ; if you have been in
a
ferry-boat, you muft have experienced it ; if not, you need
not long rack your imagination to difcover it. Now in the
bay of Betanzos, which we were to pafs, there flands a rock,
about a mile from the fhore, that we could not weather ; th@
boatmen refolved to go between it and the land : the company,
hearing their determination, it being efteemed a dangerous paf-
fage, began to exclaim againft the meafure ; the prieft in-
treated they would return ; but finding that he fued in vain,
took out his breviary, and began to mutter the fervice of the
day, with the utmoft energy and expedition ; the women ap
plied to their rofaries, and uttered aves and pater-nofhrs with
all diligence the cadet, though he did
; not
carry the appear
ance of affluence, offered to pay the whole freight, if they would
go back ; but finding his generofity did not avail, he threaten
ed to throw the patron overboard ; the doctor interfered, and
endeavoured
endeavoured to moderate the paffions of the hero, but feemed

inclinable to return ; the Maxo had been fo fick, that it was
immaterial to him whether he lived or died ; the military flept
in the bottom of the boat ; the man at the helm often appealed
to me, affuring me, there was no
danger, as he knew the chan
nel, and had often paffed it ; and he was determined, at all
events, to purfue his voyage : juft as we came abreaft the rock,
which had a moft unpleafant afpect, from the waves dafhing
againft it,the wind ceafed, and laid us at the mercy of the
fwell, which rolled in directly upon it : the whole company
was in a confternation ! The women cried and
prayed alter
nately ; thefhut his eyes, but ftill kept his lips
prieft going ;
the boatmen threfhed the fides of the bark with ropes, calling
upon St. Anthony to fend them wind ; who not
heeding their
requefts,the reverend father propofed that every body in the boat
fhould go to prayers : I immediately complied with the humour
of the times, left they fhould have taken me for a heretick, and
thrown me overboard ; but our petitions did not avail, we were
toffed and tumbled about to the horror of us all ; at length, an
arch boy, taking advantage of our diflrefs, came round with his
greafy cap, and collected money for las animas ; that is, for the
fouls in purgatory ; every one bellowed liberally, except the
cadet and prieft ; the former, pretending ftill to be in a paflion,
difmiffed the fupplicant with a box on the ear ; and the latter,
keeping his eyes fhut, alfo clofed his ears to the vociferous boy,
who repeatedly dinned them, though to little purpofe, with las
animas, Senor Padre I Immediately nfter the collection, we
got a little breeze, that carried us paft our danger, which was
fuppofed to have been granted in confequence of our offerings
and fupplications. We once more went to prayers, returning
thanks for our delivery ; when the whole company affumed a
different countenance : the prieft, who was the moft alarmed,
was
TRAVELS THROUGH
was feverely rallied ; but he bore the fneers that were thrown out
againft him with all imaginable fang froid, recruiting his fpirits,
at the fame time, with fome wine and cold ham, and then went
quietly to fleep : thus, without any more dangers or fears, we
purfued our voyage, till ten o'clock at night, when we arrived
at Ferrol.
This place is now the firft marine arfenal in the kingdom :

it eftablifhed in the reign of Ferdinand VI.
was
by the Marquis
of Enfanada, who, it is reported, by thofe who wifh to depre
ciate his character, was induced by a favourite miftrefs, who
had a confiderable eftate in this part of the country, to fix it
here ; but as his judgment feems to have been confulted in the
firft inftance, by having made choice, of a moft excellent fitua-
tion, whatever may have been the fecondary motive, he is much
to be commended. The lite of this port renders it extremely
ftrong, approach it by fea, it is neceffary to pafs a river,
as to
no where above five hundred
yards broad, defended by feveral
forts, and where a boom may be placed occafionally ; on the
land fide, it may be eafily fecured againft any hoftile
attempts,
as an
enemy muft difembark at, and march from a very diftant
point to attack it. The bafon wherein the fhips are laid up,
which may be about fifteen hundred
yards long, and between
five and fix broad, fo far as I could
guefs, is a magnificent
work ; it is notyet compleated ; there are only two docks
finifhedj two more are to be made, with ftore-houfes, rope-
walks, &c. Great fums of money have been
expended on
thisplace, and it is ftill a favourite object of government. The
nation appeared more alert here than in any other part of the
kingdom I had been in : there were not lefs than 6000 men
employed, befides 600 prefidarios, or convicts, condemned to

labour for certain number of
years. There were laid up
a
thirty fail of the line, with feven

frigates and floops, and fix
ureas
SPAIN .AND PORTUGAL. 103
areas, which veffels built for war and burthen ; they often
are
bring timber, &c. from the Havannah ; but a great part of

what is ufed here comes from the Afturias : each fhip has its
particular ftorehoufe, wherein the boatfwain's, carpenter's and
gunner's ftores are marked and laid up in feparate places. I
Was on board the Santiffima Trinidad of 112 guns, built at
the Havannah, all of cedar ; and feveral other fhips, which
are
kept in the greateft order both within and without : a cap
tain is appointed to each fhip, who refides here, and is anfwer-
able for it.
There have been prodigious complaints made againft a

French builder, who has built fifteen fail of the line fince the
peace, which, the officer, who fhewed me the Arfenal, told me,
were conftructed on a
very bad principle ; as to ufe the fea-
man'sphrafe, they are all crank, and the lower deck batteries
are made too low. The complaints that have been made
againft this Mr. Gautier from time to time, though at firft in
terpreted the accufations of envy and jealoufy, have at length
been attended to ; and he received premptory orders, very late
ly, to build a
gun fhip on any other
feventy-four model, ex
cept that on which the others were conftructed. There are

two Englifh builders here ; but fince this man has been in fa
vour, they have been neglected.
The officers of the navy and marines, are employed by ro

tation in the different departments of the Arfenal, without any
falary.
The marine barrack here is a moft handfome and commodi
ous building. There is an eftablifhment of 5712 marines in
the kingdom.
io4 TRAVELS -TJiROUGE
The number of matriculated feamen for this diftrict, hiclu-

ding Bifcay, are above 17,000 ; not that a third of that num
ber could be raifed emergency ; for as there are fome
on an
advantages accrue to thofe who enroll themfelves, many are

matriculated, who are very unfit for the fervice: every
great and opulent nation may build fhips ; but it is for a
commercial one alone, to man them.
Befor-e the year 1752, this was only a, little dirty fifhing
town, that is ftill recent : the new town, which is regularly
laid out, has been, fince that period, moft rapid in its pro-
grefs ; it is fortified with nothing more than redoubts, with
four, and fometimes five guns on each face, and three or
four on each flank, joined together- by a wall with loop
holes, defencible only by mufquetry ; there is no ditch or
other works ; and, as it flands at prefent, is only calculated.
as a defence againft a coup de main.^ I was told there were
at leaft 30,000 inhabitants here.
The regiment of Milan quartered here, is one of the fo

reign corps, compofed of deferters and out-cafts from every
other country : a moft vagabond crew !
One
morning, I faw fifteen proftitutes drummed out of
town for their
mal-practices ; they were placed on the fleps
of ladders, carried
horizontally upon men's moulders, w'ith
the hair of their heads and
eye brows fhaved off.
6th. Returned to theCoruna and took

Sept. my leave of
the commandant, who feemed
furprifed to find I was not
gone.
Here
Here I encreafed my fuite, by adding a horfe to it : this
province is famous for a fmall, but ftrong breed of horfes,
which are
very cheap.
The thermometer rofe, during my refidence here and at
Ferrql, frona, 1% to 13 at feven in the morning ; from I J to

1 4 at noon ; and eight at night from 1 2 to 13: there was
at
drizzling rain and heavy fogs feveral days whi'lftT was here.
Reft contented, my dear Sir, with this eurfory- view; when

we meet
may extend our profpect
we I fet out to-morrow
.
for the famous St. J ago de Compoftella, where you will cer
tainly hear further from me ; in the mean time, I fhall con
clude, like the Spaniard, with fincereft wifhes, " that God
may protect you many years," &c.
P LETTER
oS TRAVELS THROUGH
LETTER XL
St. Jago, Sept.

My Dear Sir, 10,1774.
I Left the Coruna the 8th in the afternoon, and travel

on
led on a new made road to Carral ; three leagues in four

hours : faw many vines, fome Indian corn, and paffed much
wafle land : here we found a moft indifferent pofada : ever
fince we left Aftorga, when we met not with hay or grafs
for our cattle, we got long wheaten ftraw, which we were
obliged to ciit for them with a machine which is fixed in
every flable.
9th. Purfued our journey on a road lately made, carry

ing a mountainous country with us to Segueyro, where we
dined ; and thence hither ; feven leagues in eight hours :
paffed feveral villages and fome wood : the country highly
cultivated with Indian corn, rye and vines : near the town
a
very bad road.
place has been rendered famous from the pretend

As this
ed difcovery of the body of St. James the apoftle, I fhall
give you Mariana's account of that moft miraculous event.
He relates, in the time of Don Alonzo the Chafle, who
reigned the latter end of the eighth, and beginning of the
ninth century, that the body of St. James the
apoftle was
found near Compoftella, by the diligence of Theodomiro,
Bifhop of Iria*, in the following manner: "
feveral per-
*
Now Padron,
"
fons
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. 107-
ft
fons of credit having given out, that they had frequently
"
feen, in a wood, near that place, many lights fhine forth
"
through the obfcurity of the night, the report reached

"
the ears of the Bifhop ; when he, to afcertain the truth,
"
went to the wood, which he obferved refplendent in eve-
"
ry part ; he immediately caufed the trees to be cut

"
down, and employed people to dig the earth, who difco-
"
vered, under a little hill, a fmall marble houfe, wherein
"
"
was found the facred
fepulchre. The reafon they per-
fuaded themfelves it was the tomb and body of the apof-
"
tie, is not recounted ; but there can be no manner of
"
doubt of it, only fuch great events, are not readily re-
"
cognized without fufficient proofs. The angels, it is faid,.

"
that appeared every inftant, witneffes that muft be
"
credited, gave teftimony of the truth. The Bifhop went
"
immediately to court, and acquainted the King of his
"
difcovery : Alonzo, who was very pious, haftened with

"
all fpeed to the place where the treasure had been fonud ;
"
and, feeing that, which had been told him, immediately
"
ordered a temple to be erected on. the fpot- where the mau-
"
foleum was difcovered, called it St Jago, and richly en-
"
do wed it.
"
Fame fpread an account of this difcovery throughout
"
Europe ; and pilgrims, from all parts, flocked hither to
"
pay their devotion, at the Ihrine of the facred apoftle.

*•«
The reputation, of the place daily encreafed, from the
"
wonderful and numerous miracles that were conftantly
wrought at his tomb, which were fufficient teftimoni-
"
ais,. that what had been believed and promulgated, was

"
"
not without reafon." He alfo recounts, that the "
"
Bifhop's fee was tranflated from Iria to Compoftella,
*
"
P 2 with.
10B TRAVELS THROUGH
«<
with additional advantages and privileges." And fays, "it
"
were needlefs combat the various opinions that have
to
"
been fpread abroad, about the impoffibily of St. James's
coming into Spain ; and the fictitious difcovery of the
*'
"
to difcufs fuch points were ufelefs." And then
body;
concludes with obferving
"
that there are few fanctuaries
"
in Europe, afcertained with more certitude, or better at-
"
tefted, than that of Compoflella." In the year 1129,
it made an
was archbifhop's fee, with twelve fuffragans,
which remains as fuch to this day. Avila, Salamanca, Za
mora, Ciudad Rodrigo, Coria, Badajoz, Lugo, Aftorga,
Orenfe, Mondonedo, Tuy and Plafencia.
The order of St. jago having originated from this difco

very, I fhall alfo tranfcribe to you, from Mariana, thecaufe
of its inftitution ; with the original of three other military
orders of this country ; Calatrava, Alcantara and Montefa ;
and the order of Chrift in Portugal.
"
After thefepulchre of St. James was difcovered, the
religious reputation of the place where it was found,
"
"'
fpread its influence, not only throughout all Spain, but

"
to diftant nations.
Many people, from all parts,, came
*'
to vifit the tomb; others were deterred from
'"
taking, the
journey, by the dirficulties they had to encounter on the
"
way to it; the fterility of the cou'ntry ; the want of ac-
*c
commodations ; and the incurfions of the Moors, who laid
"
wait, a!nd carried many of the pilgrims into captivity,
*'
induced the clergy of San Elby (it is not known
•'
exactly
at what time) with view of thefe evils, to
a
obviating
"
build
"
build many parts of the road that leads to
hofpitals* on
"
France, for the reception of the pilgrims; amongft
which, that erected in the fuburbs of Leon, with the
"
appellation of San Marcos, was of the greateft confide-

"
'*
ration. This act of piety was fo univerfaliy fatisfactory,
"
that great riches, with lands for ever, were bellowed up-
'*
on thofe
clergy. Forthwith, from their example, perfons
"
of fortune in Caftille, trained in war, refolv-
family and
"
ed, with a view to the protection of the faithful, thereby
"
to extend the dominion of Chrift, to join their wealth in
"
one common flock, like the religious orders ; and, by the
"
Cardinal Tacinto, determined to affociate
perfuafionof
*'
themfelves, and unite their force with the benevolence of
"
the friars of San Eloy, who had their convent near St.
Jag°- With this intent, they fent embaffadors to Rome,
"
"to procure
Pope Alexander's fanction to their inftitution,
"
and manner of life, which they propofed fhould be con-
"
formahly with that of St. Auguflin, the fame which the
"
friars had embraced. Pedro Fernandez de Puente, who
"
was the chief of
thisembaffy, obtained, by the means of
"
Cerebruno, archbifhop of Toledo, a bull from the Pon-
"
tif, dated the 6th of July, 1 175, in which, were rules
"
for their conduct : women were alfo received amongft
•'
them ; but under the reftriction of riot marrying with-
"
.
out the confent of the chief.Fernandez was then elected
"
head of this militia, and mafter of the order. The en-
figns of which, were a white mantle, with a, red crofs in
"
"
thefhapeof a fword. They fixed upon the hofpital of
"
San Marcos, at Leon, for their convent ; and they held,
w
at this time, great poffeffions in Gaftille.
* of -them, and another

I, paffed two one at
Fonfrk, at Lugo.
"
The
ito TRAVELS THROUGH
fi
The order of Calatrava, takes it name and origin from
"
the town of Calatrava, fituated on the Guadiana. In the
"
reign of DonSancho, king of Caftille, the Knights Templars,
"
and other Chriftians, on hearing that the Moors were af-
"
fembling a very confiderable force, with an intent to afc-
"
tack the town, defpairing of being able to refill their ef-
"
forts, retreated to Toledo, where the King then refided.
"
There happened at that period to be at court two friars,
Raymond, abbot of Cifter, and Diego Valafquez, who had
"
formerly been a foldier ; they offered his Majefty to take

"
"
upon them the defence of the place, who accepted with

joy of their propofal. The archbifhop of Toledo, as Cala-
"
"
trava was in his diocefe, affifted them with
money ; and,
*'
from the pulpit, animated both the nobility and people to
"
enlift themfelves under their banners ; accordingly,
many
"
flocked to their flandard, uniting themfelves by a vow, and
"
affuming a peculiar habit, like the monaftic orders^ which,
"
by Pope Benedict XIII. in 1397 was changed to* a white
"
mantle with a red crofs, adorned with Jleurs de lis : his
«<
happened in the year 1158, when the King granted the
"
fovereignity and territory of Calatrava, to Santa Maria of

"
the order of Cifter, and in her name to the abbot
"
Ray-
mond and his affociates for ever : the
news of thisaffocia*-
"
tion reachingthe ears of the Moors, they gave up their de-
"
fign : thus this order of knighthood had its
"
origin, and
Pope Alexander III. confirmed it, by a bull in the year
"
1 164, when Don Garcia was elected firft mafter
of the
"
order.
li
The order of Alcantara, was inftituted a filiation of
"
Calatrava. Don Alonzo, king of Leon, who
««
having, about
the year 12 13, taken the town of Alcantara from the
"
Moors,
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. in
gave it to the knights of the order of Calatrava to

*'
Moors,
"
defend it, and make incurfions into their territories : thus
"
this new order was fubject to that of Calatrava ; but af-
ter wards, they got a bull from Pope Julius II. exempting
"
"
them from the fuperiority : the enfigns of this order is a
"
green crofs, adorned with feurs de lis.
"
Thefe being originally religious orders, the former of St.
"
Auguftin, and the later of St, Bernard, the knights
two
"
lived in celibacy ; but the military life to which they were
expofed, and the great wealth of which they were poffef-
"
fed, induced many nobles to enter into their focieties, who

"
"
obtained, from time to time, difpenfations to marry; and
neceffary, for every knight who chufes to enter
"
even now it is
"
into the matrimonial ftate, to get a difpenfe for his vow.
"
In the year 131 7, The Roman pontif, at the interceffion
"
of the king of Arragon, granted the poffeffions of the
"
Knights Templars in Valencia, to a new order of knight-
"
hood, Under the regulations of the order of Cifter, and fub-
ject: to Calatrava, though with a diftinct mafter : for their
*'
"
habit, they had a white mantle with a red crofs : they fixed
"
their principal habitation in Montefa, from which the order
"
takes, its name : in their incurfions againft the Moors, they
"
fignalized themfelves equally with the other three orders.
"
The mailers of thefemilitary orders, being exempted, from
royal jurifdictibn, and having fo much authority from their
"
*'
immenfe wealth, even caufed the King, fometimes, to dread
*'
their power ; in foimuch that when Don Garcia de Pedilla,
"
mafter of the order of Calatrava, died, in 1487, Pope Inno-
"
cent VIII. granted, by a bull, the adminiftration of thefe
5 '
3 orders
uta TRAVELS THROUGH
v carders to Ferdinand ; and on the death of Don,M>n2©-*de

V Cardena, a little aftetf, he took psoieffion of the cwderctf&t.
de Zuriga, to'e*-
Jago; he alfo negotiated with Don Juan
<-<
change the fuperiority of Alcantara for the arehbifhoprie

"
ie
of Seville : and Adrian afterwards confirmed them alt
Pope
"
to Charles.
;
"
A little after the and under the fame pontif that
period,
?' the order of Montefa was inftituted, the ordei? of Chrift
was eftablifhed in Portugal, and the property of the Tem-
«
«-'
affigned them : they .wore a red crofs with a
plars were
themfelves in Caftro
ftripe in the middle, and. fixed
"
white
"
Marin."
afraid this hiftorical account will prove rather dry

I am
and prolix ; but, Iamfure, you will give a proper credit for
that I cannot think of ac
my labours; when, I inform you,
quiring knowledge without your participation.
This town is fituated amidft uncultivated hills, is large, and

fwarms with priefls, who, enjoying great incomes, live in lux
ury and every kind of diffipation ; ftill preying upon the weak-
knefs, folly, and even rafcality of their fellow creatures, who
come on
pilgrimage to the* fhrine of the facred apoftle. Here
Hypocrify has railed a moft ftupendous temple, wherein Delu-
fion officiates as high prieft, and Ignorance daily crowds in
fuperftitious multitudes its votaries ; the credulous and virtu
ous obtain and further merit heaven, and the vicious to ex
to
piate their crimes, are alike received ; and equally made to

contribute to the eafe and pleafures of the facerdotal tribe :
the Bifhop, fupreme empiric, heals the minds, and cures the
confciences of all by the fame prefcription.
2 The
The cathedral is nothing
extraordinay ; there are fome re-
licks, and other baubles fhewn to ftrangers ; but the furly
keeper would not fatisfy my curiofity till the next morning ;
and I thought it hardly worth while to poftpone my journey
to fee them.
The cloyfler in the convent of San Martin, is a neat and

elegant piece of architecture of the Doric order .
This place is an univerfity; hut there are few fludents, and

it is not in great repute.
Here I found provifions very good, and tolerably cheap.

I obferved the fex here rather handfonae.
After this long and tedious epiftle, you muft be equally fa

tigued with myfelf, fb I bid you adieu, being, &c.
O LETTER
ii4 TRAVELS THROUGH
LETTER XII.
My Dear Sir, Oporto, Sept. so, 1774.

As myfelf here for fome days, I fhall trouble you
I have fixed
with my further proceedings from St. Jago, which I left on
the 1 1 th, and journeyed on a very bad road, with hills and
mountains to the right and left of it : faw a great deal of fine
Indian corn ; all the cultivable fpots in verdure ; paffed many
little and farm hotifes. The vale of Padron* beautiful :
villages
the town, through which we paffed, it being Sunday, was
crowded with people, vending their different commodities :
a river by it, over which is a flone bridge. Went on to
runs
Caldes, where we ftoped for a fhort time : a poor town : the

Englifh failors, in the year 17 1 9, ftrofted in bodies from Vigo
to this
place, committing depredations all along the road;
but as they were very lincentious, and fubject to no order, ma
ny were deftroyed by the peafantry : thence travelled through ,
a
country as before; great deal of Indian corn, with which
a
the people not

only feed their cattle, but make it into bread
for their own ufe :
paffed a flone bridge over a river that runs
clofe by the town, and arrived at Pontevedra : thirteen hours
ten leagues.
Here found moft wretched the town is

we a
pofada :
large,
with the regiment of Savoy quartered in it it was taken
:
by
the Englifh in the year 1 7 1 9.
* The antient Iria Flavia.
1 2th. Set
1 2th. Set out and travelled very bad
on a road, through
a
mountainouscountry, with fome Indian corn and vines'
in the vallies, Ridondella ; in the bafon of which, Sir
to
George Rook, with the confederate fleet, deftroyed the gal

leons, &c. in 1702 : I was told, that the maftsof fome of the
mips ftill appear at low water : it is a moft noble harbour :
thence coafting along the ftreight, that leads from the bafon
to the
bay of Vigo, where the boom was laid, and broke
by Admiral Hopfon,arrived at Vigo : eight hours travel
ling what is called five leagues. Paffed three little wooden
croffes this day. From St. Jago to this place, the people
were dirtier ; the roads were crouded with little faints and
altars ; and I met more beggars than in any other part of the
country.
13th. Appearing market-place early, the Alcalde

in the
fentoneof his officers to bring me before him, when he
afked me a multiplicity of queftions ; happening not to
have my pafs about me, he treated me moft cavalierly, and
ordered me to go and fetch it immediately, fending a fol
dier along with me, left I fhould run away : on produ
cing it, he changed his tone, and was very civil. I found
afterwards, that thofe who are guilty of crimes in Portu
gal, which oblige them to flee their country, make this
place their afylum ; when they are under the neceffity to
fee the magiftrate to obtain his protection.
I waited General O' Neal, who is commander in chief,

on
and adminiftrador, or head of the revenues of this diftrict :

he was extremely obliging to me. He is an Irifhman ; was
unhappily engaged in the Rebellion in 1745, was taken
prifoner, and confined for a confiderable time in Edinburgh
Q^ 2 caftle ;
fi6 TRAVELS THROUGH
caftle; when he was exchanged for Lord Moreton, who had

been put into the Baftille in France. He wrote to the cuf-
tom-houfe at Tuy, to get me a pafs for my horfes into
Portugal ; at the fame time, for form fake, I was obliged to
procure a fecurity, on a penalty, that they fhould repafs in
to this kingdom.
This islarge fifhing town.t Fife are in great abun

a
dance, and fo extremely cheap,, that I could buy a hundred

fardinas, which are as large as fprats, for a quart.* The de
valuation committed by the Englifh in^the year 17 19, is ftill
recent ; and the inhabitants have not yet recovered, their
loffes. I was afhamed to hear of the licentious acts of my
countrymen, ftill mentioned with horror, who pillaged the
people, and
wantonly plundered and fet fire to their houfes:
fuch feats of cruelty are unworthy of their character : in
deed fuch a method of carrying on a war is paltry ; to de-t
ftroy the property, and take away the little fcrapings of a
few individuals, tend not either to the glory of the nation,
or Conduce towards
drawing matters to a conclufion ; it is
only becoming the diffolute manners of pirates and buc-»
caneers.
This is moft excellent

a
port ; it is defended at the en
trance, where it may be between three and four miles

broad, from the violence of the Atlantic,,
by the iflands of
Bayona ; to the northward and fouthward of which, there
are
paffages for large fhips, and fmaller veffels can go be
tween them ; on
every other fide it is furrounded with high
hills : from the iflands to the town, where it is about two
miles broad, it may be near fix miles ; and thenee
pafling
the ftreight, which is three of mile at the
quarters a over
narrow-
*
About a farthing.
narroweft part, toRidondella, may be about eight miles more.
Veffels may ride at anchor, under the iflands of Bayona, in
great fafety ; and there is no fort or any thing to annoy
them. There is a kind of fortification at the town, but be
ing found of little import, is allowed to go to ruin. The
caftle in the ftreight is alfo in a demolifhed ftate.
I was told, by the General, that the revenues of the cuf-

toms of the Comma had rifen, fince the year 1750, from
1 to- 16,000 dollars ; and at this place, within four years,
from 800 to 3,000
Here I found one battalion of the regiment of Toledo

quartered ; very good looking men, like all the reft of the
national troops.
From Lugo I have fed my cattle with rye, but here it

was not to be had, and I was. obliged to have recourfe to
Indian corn.
15th. Left Vigo, and very bad road over

journeyed on a
a mountain, when we came to the banks of the Minho :

palling fome Indian corn and vines, arrived at Tuy : five
leagues in five hours.
This town, which Is a fortrefs, is feated on a

rifing
ground, menacing Valenca in Portugal on the oppofite fide
of the river, which is alfo fituated on a height. The other
battalion of the regiment of Toledo was quartered here. I
only flopped to be difpatched at the euftom-houfe, where
they ordered me to regifter my money, a part of which I
fhewed, as they allowed me to carry only, what they judg-
2 ed,
n8 TRAVELS THROUGH
ed, fufficient tobear my expences to Oporto. I concealed

fome gold, but I need not have given myfelf the trouble,
for no one was at the
pains to fearch me.
Crofted the river Minho, which is not above a quarter of
a mile broad, and
put up at a moft miferable eftallagem* in
Valenca. Captain Muller, an officer of the artillery quar
tered here, who had been formerly in our fervice, infilled
upon my lodging at his houfe, which I accepted ; a moft
excellent exchange.
This town, which is the moft northern frontier of Portu

gal, is beautifully fituated on the banks of the river Minho ;
the profpects from it very fine ; all without is pleafant, but
within is wretched ; every perfon, every thing in the town,
carried the appearance of poverty. The flares on the
tops of the houfes, inftead of being fattened by cement,
were
only fecured by ftones laid upon them : I had ob
ferved, this method of roofing in Gallicia :• it is forti
fied j but the works have never been finifhed, and even
thofe that have been compleated, are now going to ruin.
The guns are honey-combed, and difmounted ; indeed all
appeared as if lately difmantled by an enemy. By an of
ficer, juft returned from Almeyda, I was told, that the ftate
of that garrifon was fully as bad ; that the breach made
by the Spaniards, during the iaft war, had never been tho
roughly repaired ; and that there was not a military flore
in it, fit for fervice.
*
An Inn.
I wait-
I waited on the governor, who was very civil to me, and
received my vifit as a great favour. He is a brigadier-gene
ral, and whofe income, as I was informed, is about 120I.
a
year*
There was a
regiment of artillery,and another of infan
try quartered here ; but fuch a band, in general, I never
faw ; though the former, which is commanded by an
Eng
lifh officer, had the beft appearance.
During the courfe of the laft war, many foreign officers

entered into this fervice. There are feveral here of all
nations ; they are moft heartily tired of it ; and if they knew
how to better their fortunes, would not be. long ere they re
treated : they have all double pay, and even with that, it
is but a
paltry trade ; a colonel, with this advantage, has not
above 230I. a year. It is not furprizing that they fhould
be difgufted, as there has not been a promotion, except for a
few favourites, thefe feven years. In the regiment of artillery
there are feveral companies vacant, and they will not fill them
up : the major of the regiment has been confined in his room
for two years, for mal-practices, and it is not yet deter
mined what is to be his fate. If an officer fhould be tried
for a crime, even though acquitted with honour, he may be
kept in confinement for years, nay, all his life, without he has in
fluence enough with the minifter to prevail on him to perufehis
court martial, which is generally thrown afide and forgotten,
whilft the poor captive is lingering in fufpence ; and, added to
this cruelty, fromthe inftant an officer is put under arreft, or a
foldier confined, his pay is flopped. Thefe circumftances
ajone are fufficient to deter any man of liberal principles
from entering into fuch a fervice. At Viana, not far from
4 this
i26 TRAVELS THROUGH
this place, there is regiment quartered,

a in which, except
the lieutenant colonel, an Irifh gentleman, all the commilffiotis
above the lieutenants are vacant. There did not appear to
be much order or regularity amongft the troops ; their eloatha
were ragged, their arms were rufty, and their accoutrements
torn and dirty. I was told that there were not a dozen -fire
locks in the two regiments fit The regiments are im
for ufe.
mutably fixed in their quarters, are recruited from the ■vicinage,

and the foldiers diet with their friends and relations. There
was a kind of laboratory,, and a trifling artillery apparatus
here, which would, from the abilities of fome of the officers,

have been extended, had government given affiftance ; but
neglect reigns m the capital', and has fpread its influence to?
the extremities of the kingdom.
I obferved, at the market-place a milliare, with the fol

lowing infcription :
TL CLAVDIVS. CAESAR
AVG GERMANICVS
PONTIFEX MAXIMVS
CONS. I.I.I- TRIB. POT
III. PP. BRAGA
XLIL
This ftone is faid to have been taken up at the river fide,

juft below the town.
I noticed the drefs of the people much
changed; the
women wore handkerchiefs about their
heads,, and a feort
blue cloak? the men, brown cloaks, and fmart cocked hats.
Here
Here I got a frefh paffport.

The mornings and evenings were very fharp* The ther
mometer at feven o'cl ock, when I left Valenca, was at 8P.
1 8th. Travelled on a
very bad road, through a pleafant
country in general, which appeared populous, cultivated as
high as the hills would permit with Indian corn and vines : met
many people, they had a neat appearance, but the women
were without fhoes ,or flockings: faw fome oaks and firs,
with a few fcattered olive trees I had not noticed any of

;
the latter fince I leift Madrid :
paffed an extenfive ftone
bridge of fixteen. Gothic and eight circular arches, which
gives the name to the town of Puente de Lima, where
we arrived ; Joeing feven hours going what is called {five
leagues.
This town originally defended this paffage of the river 5

it has been fortified, but the wdrks are now in ruins.
The friars, in all countries, have chofen beautiful fitua-

tions for their houfes. There is .a convent of San Benito,
delightfully placed on a height that overlooks the river, and
is very confpicuous from the town.
I was accofted
by the imagiftrate, as I was walking, who,
very fupercilioufly, demanded my paffport, and treated me
Wtith mudi' contempt. We met with a tolerable good efial-
Mgemfoere, better .than' I lhad been accu;ftomed .to for a long
while, but we fouand it difficult to -get any thing ; and
wtbeu we iucceeded, it-appeared to be given as if we were
the obliged.
R 19th. From
122 TRAVELS THROUGH
19th. From Puente de Lima, to Braga, through a moft

populous, pleafant and inclofed country, rather hilly, but
full of houfes and villages at every flep'; fertile with Indi
an corn, fomeiflax and vines ; the latter twining round
the oaks, and other trees in the hedges, formed moft beau
tiful feftoons : fix hours, five leagues.
Flores traces the name of this town from the province

of Gallia Narbonenfis, which was antiently called Bracara ;
and fays, *' as the Celticks came into Gallicia, it is probable
"
fome of them might have fettled in that part of the
"
country near the river Cebado, retaining their antient
**
name, and
communicating it to the principal town, which
"
is now called Braga." In the time of Pliny, it was a place
of great importance, having under its jurifdiction 24 cities
and 575,000 inhabitants: the numberlefs Roman anti
quities that are ftill recent, are veftiges of its antient- gran
deur : it is famous for the councils held in the fifth and
fixth centuries ; and it is ftill a Metropolitan fee, the king's
natural brother being archbifhop.
Near the church of St. Sebaftian, I faw a

great many
milliaries, that had been brought here from different parts.
I was conducted by a friar, and fhewn feveral antient in-

fcriptions, &c. which are ftill recent.
This city is pleafantly fituated

height above the ri
on a .
ver Cebado ; is large and well built ; the ftreets

fpacious,
clean and well paved, with many fountains. There is a
manufacture of beaver hats carried on near this and place,
an
appearance of much trade in it.
Ths
This day there fair here, at which there was a great
was a
deal of coarfe linen cloth, fome fmall cattle, crockery ware,

wooden fhoes, called galloches, fowls, Indian corn, millet,
wheat, rye, fait, and moft excellent fruit ; melons, peaches, &c.
in great abundance : the peafantry had a neat appearance,
but the women wore not fhoes or
flockings ; they had all
Englifh baize petticoats and cloaks, of various colours and dif
ferent fancies. The women of the city wore black cloth or
baize mantles and petticoats, which
gave them a moft fombre
appearance.
There are fomegaudy churches and large houfes here ; but

they are loaded with fuperabundant ornaments, which gives
them a moft Gothic appearance.,
20th. Left Braga, and travelled through a moft fertile*

pleafant and populous country for five hours : the villages,
farms and inclofures all look well at a diftance, but, on ap
proaching them, there appears a want of neatnefs : for an
hour and a half more, mountains and wafte land, when we
halted and dined at a little

village : purfued our journey, and
croffing a ferry, went through an indifferent country, and poor
foil, notfo much cultivated as before; paffed a few fcattered
olive trees, and being twelve hours travelling, what is called
eight leagues, arrived here, where being lodged in a very com
fortable Englifh houfe, if I may be allowed the expreffion, I
fhall take my leave, &c
Ra LETTER
TR&VELS THROUGH
124
LETTER XIII.
My Dear Shv Lifbon, Oct. r$, 1 774.

BEFORE I ftir abroad, I fhall fend you my journal during
my refidence at Oporto, and thence hither.
In the latter end of the 1 j,th century, in the reign of Don

Alonzo Vl. a number of foreigners Came into Spain, to affift the
Chriftians in their wars againn: the Moors; amongft them was
prince Henry, of the houfe of Lorrain, faid to be bom atfiefan-
con in Burgundy, with many followers ; for his feryices, the King
gave him his natural daughter, Dona Terefa, in marriage ;

and for her dowry, granted him the city of Pofto o& the Due-
rO, and many Other places in that country, "which had been
taken from the Infldefe, under the conditions, that he mould
be a vaftal to the kings of Caftille i that he fhouW: attend the
Cortes Of that kingdom ; and, required, he and his fab-
when
jects in arms inauld accompany the king to war; ^whence
from Porto and Gallia (his native land) many derive the prefent
name of this kingdom ; certain it is, this
country changed its
appellation about that period : frpm this prince, the antient
kings Of Portugal defended ; and to him, and his followers,
the Portuguefe are indebted, for the many French words in
troduced into their language : others derive its name from
Porto, and the name of a place in that diftrict, called Gale,
now Caye3j whence originally Porto Gale, now
Portugal.
This,
This town is agreeably fituated near the embouchure of
the river Duero, where there is a bar that is often very out
rageous, and very difadvantageous to trade, as it prevents vef
fels from entering the port, and detains others within it ; at the
fame time, it is thereby fecured from any hoftile attempts by
fea. This has been, originally, a place of confiderable
•
flrength ;the antient fortifications ftill environ great part of

the town : many of the ftreets are wide, handfome and clean,.
others narrow anddirty : the quay, to which fhips of bur
then come clofe, is fpacious and pleafant : the depth of the
river, with the rapid torrents that occafionally pour down and
fwell it confiderably, prevent a bridge from being built acrofs
it here, and was antientiy its great fecurity.
Here I tranfported to the environs of the Royal

was at once
Exchange, from the olla,gafpachio, and boiled rice, to rounds*

of beef and fat turkies. I feafted moft voluptuoufly with
the conful and factory, who were remarkably ciyil and atten
tive ; the only thing that I difliked amongst them was, their
fupercilious treatment of the Portuguefe, from whom they
derive their wealth and opulence : they complained heavily of
the exelufive privilege of the wine tyade, granted to the
Portuguefe company, which, from all I could fiad, appeared
rather a difadvantage to the factory, than to Great Britain -,,
for, from the principle, that a rivaiffoip in commerce is of ad
vantage to the confumer, the London market has bees jup-
plied with better wine fince the eftabJifhmeat of this compa
be
ny, and the commodities of England are ftill exported as
fore. The ffeiops are filled with .baizes and coarfe cloths,
and every perfon I met,, was clad with fome of the manu
factures of Britain. This wine .monopoly affects the people
of the -country very feverely : a man poffeffed of a vine-
126 TRAVELS THROUGH
if required, to fell its

yard, in the wine country, is obliged,
from the
produce to the company, and repurchafe it
mono
polizers at an advanced price.
It is that any nation that has the leaft pretence

furprifing,
to refinement, fhould fo long perfift in drinking fuch an
infer
nal liquor as the wine fent from this place to the Englifh
market : in its genuine ftate it is agreeable ; but to pleafe the
is in
palates of my boreal friends, fuch a quantity of fpirits
corporated with it, that it is rendered poifonous and deftructive
to thofe who ufe it.
I waited upon the Commandant, in company with the Con-

ful, and drank tea with his lady. From the great intercourfe
with the Englifh, the people of this kingdom have adopted
many of their cuftoms.
I am told that almoft all the livery-fervahts through this

kingdom, come from Gallicia ; it being fcarcely poffible to
perfuade the Portuguefe to wear that badge of dependence.
Sedans, carried by mules, ufed here for conveyance

are
from one part of the town to the other ; and fuch is the pre
judice of cuftom, that, it has been with the utmoft difficulty,
fome of the ladies of the factory, have prevailed upon a few
of the Gallegos to carry their chairs ; they chufe not to do the
work of beafts they fay.
The regiment quartered here is ftill worfe than that at Va

lenca. Returning from the play one night, in company with
the Conful, the centry at the door of the theatre flopped
him, to afk alms ; and this more from wantonnefs than necef-
fity,
for each foldier receives a ration of two
fity, pounds of bread,
with about three-pence and has liberty to
fterling a
day,
employ himfelf in any occupation he pleafes. This regiment
was commanded by a German lieutenant colonel, who was
aggregate to ft; every field officer's commifiion being va
cant.
An hofpital is begun on a moft magnificent and extenfive

plan ; it is computed it will coft two hundred thoufand
pounds : the work is fo great, that it never can be compleated,
and it is moft abfurd to think of fuch a building here ; for
the wealth of this place is not equal to it ; it would be wor
thy of the firft city in Europe.

There are fome very gaudy churches, but none
very corv-
fpicuous for the beauty of their architecture.
Here is held the fupreme court of judicature for the nor
thern provinces, with an

appeal to the fuperior court at
Lifbon.
I obferved many perfons, particularly fome young fellows,

wore
fpectacles in the ftreets. This cuftom is ridiculed on the
Spanifh flage, but it is laid afide in that country : it is a
"ftrange affectation ; for fludy will never deftroy the eyes of
the people of this kingdom, they give themfelves little trouble
about literature.
I was told that there are

36,000 inhabitants in this city : it
is verypopulous, and the whole people appeared bufily em
ployed.
It
ia8 TRAVELS THROUGH
It rained conftantly during my refidence here, which re
tarded me longer than I intended.
28. Left and Villa eroding the river to

Sept. Oporto,
Nova, where the merchants have their wine vaults, which.
travel
very fpacious, entered the antient Lufitania
are :
led through a country little cultivated for three leagues,

when we came to a fmali village, where we were obliged to
put up at a moft filthy eftallagem, on account- of the very
heavy rain that fell.
S 9th* Purfued our journey through a populous country,

palling feveral villages : faw many vines, much Indian
corn, and fome fir trees : arrived, wet to the fkin, at St.
Antonio, a
village : two and a- half leagues in three hours :
here we met with an abominable efallagem.

30th. Set out and travelled in -a narrow inclofed and
bad road :
paffed fome vines and wafle land, with .fcattered
olive trees and many droves 6f cattle to Pineyro ; whence
by Alvergueria, crofting the river Vouga in a boat, arrived
at Sardaon : fix in hours.
leagues eight
Oct. 1 ft. Travelled on a road,: .paffed a

tolerably good
great many olive trees, fome vines, and Indian corn, with
a few
villages. Obferved the country rbecame Jefs popu
lous ; not fo many houfes and towns, and fome wafie
fpots
of ground. All through this country, from Valenca, there
is,
a kind of
carriage, like the Iri^h Gar, drawn % axenyoaked
by the neck ; -the wheels are never greafed,,on .putpofe, as
they told me, that they fhould give notice to each other in
the narrow roads, which prevail all through the northern
4 parts
parts of the country ; moft barbarous cuftom, as it encrea-

a
fes the draught confiderably : and they make a moft difagree-

able fcreetching : arrived at Mehallada : four leagues in five
hours. At this
place we got again wheaten ftraw for our
cattle ; the grain trod out as in Andalufia. Here I met,
for the firft time fince I left Aftorga, a travelling carriage :
a horfe-litter put up at the fame eflallagem. The roads
hitherto have been fo rugged, that it is impoffible for other
vehicles to travel : we got very clean beds.
2d. From Mehallada, went, for two leagues, through a

country little cultivated ; fome vines and olive trees ; af
terwards more improved: paffed feveral quint as or country
houfes, and arrived at Coymbra : three leagues in three
hours.
This town is pleafantly fituated on the fide of a hill,

near the river Mondego, over which there is a Hone bridge:
the profpects from the town, both up and down the river,
are fine and extenfive. The convent of Santa Clara, where
the unfortunate Agnes de Caftro was murdered and interred,
but afterwards removed with great funeral pomp to Alco-
baza, is an extenfive building, feated on the oppofite fide
of the river, and prefents itfelf moft beautifully. This has
been a ftrong poft in the time of the Moors ; there are the
ruins of a Moorifh caftle ftill extant.
Here is the famous univerfity of this kingdom. New re

gulations of fome merit, as I am told, have been lately
made by the Marquis of Chairs are
Pombal, the minifter.
eftablifhed here for the different fciences ; but the falaries
of the profeffors are fmall. The old book of Thomas
S of
130 TRAVELS THROUGH
of Aquinas,and the fchool divinity is explqded.. Here is
an excellent collection of inftruments for experimental phi-
lofophy, new and lately arrived from England.
Knowledge extend its influence here ; it were

cannot
inconfiftent with the policy of this government to admit
of free fcientific fpeculation, as people would thereby ac
quire more liberal ideas, than are confiftcnt with the defpo-
tifm eftablifhed in this country. It may pleafe the vanity
of an oftentatious old man, to have his name blazoned
throughout Europe, for his fkill in newly regulating a femi-
nary of learning ; but whilft he holds the tyranny, it will
be his intereft, rather to promote ignorance, than cultivate
literature.
It is faid, that the flu dents here, undergo a ftrict exa

mination before they obtain their degrees ; but I doubt
much of the affertion ; for, at the fame time, I was told,
that the rudiments of learning are
univerfally neglected.
From the great power of the clergy, in this, as well as
every other Catholic country, they have by degrees, intruded
themfelves into all the houfes which were
originally inftitut-
ed for colleges ; fo that the ftudents are now
lodged in a
a moft wretched manner : formerly it was the cuftom for
almoft every perfon round the country, to matriculate him
felf in this univerfity, as he was
exempted from ma
thereby
ny public fervices ; but now, as the ftudents are obliged to
refide, the numbers are much reduced ; from between three
and four thoufand, to about fix hundred.
There
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. i3r
There are no lefs than feven convents of Francifcans in
this town, and above twenty of one fort or another, which
poffefs all the territory around : in order to get a little fpot of
ground, in a proper fituation for a phyfic garden, a portion
of land was obliged to be taken from three different con
vents.
The gardens of the monaftery of Santa Cruz, founded

by Alfonfo I. who reigned in the twelfth century, and lies
buried in the church, are very extenfive, with a few jets
d'eau, which render them cool and refrefhing, and a pro-
fufion of orange and lemon trees. This monaftery is rich
ly endowed.
There is mufeum and obfervatory building here, under

a
the' infpection of Lieutenant Colonel Elfden, an Englifh

gentleman, who is fecond in command in the corps of
engineers : thefe works were going on with great fpirit,
and planned with fuperior tafte : to this gentleman I was
extremely obliged for his politenefs and attention. Expen-
five public buildings, which fhould only arife from the fu-
perabundant wealth of an affluent ftate, feem to be much
the paffi'on in this country, when things more folid and ef-
fential to its welfare, are not thought of.
This town is famous for horn-work and pdllitos , or the lit

tle wooden tooth-picks.
4th. Left Coymbra, and travelled onâ ftone caufeway

for above a league, when palling Condeyza, and dining at
at Redinhe, two villages, arrived at Pombal : feven leagues
in fix hours :
paffed this day many olives, fome vines, and
S 2 Indian
i32 TRAVELS THROUGH
Indian corn ; feveral firs, fome oaks, cyprefs trees, and wafte
land : I faw the Aloe, but it appeared to be of a degenerate
kind: the country not fo populous as hitherto: I found this
day very warm ; the thermometer at noon was at i6°, and at
eight at night at 13I.
At this place, which belongs, and gives title to the Marquis

of Pombal, there is an old caftle feated on a
height ; I was
informed, it was
worthy notice, but I was too tired to vi-
fit it.
Theingenuity of the inhabitants ftill continues, in not ufing

cement for the tiling of their houfes.
There is confiderable hat manufacture carried

a on here,
unjpler the guidance of a Frenchman.
5 th. Set out and travelled flat country for two

through a
leagues, fertile with Indian corn, afterwards vines and olives

in great abundance to Leyria : five leagues in five hours :
though a bifhop's fee, this city is fmall and had a fombfe and
poor appearance. I was told there are feven convents here.
We dined, and purfued our journey through a pleafant and
improved country for a
league, when entered upon a
we
heath, and carried it along with us to Marinha : three leagues

in five hours.
This is a
village, where one Stevens, an
Englifhman, has got
a
grant from the crown, and eftablifhed a
glafs manufacture,
to the prejudice of foreign commerce.
6th. Pur-
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. l33
6 th. Purfued my journey through an uncultivated country
for two leagues, when we came to extenfive olive groves,
fome vines and Indian corn : arrived at Batalha : four leagues
in four hours.
At this place, very handfome church belonging

there is a
to the convent of Dominicans, in the Gothic flile, built and

endowed by Don John I. king of Portugal, who conquered
John I. of Caftille in the famous battle of Aljubarrota in 1385 ;
John lies interred here, with Dona Phillipa his confort, who
was
daughter of John of Lancafter of England: feveral other
kings of Portugal are alfo buried here. The Chapter-houfe
is a handfome building under a roof of fixty feet fquare.
Near the church are fome works in the Moorifh tafte,

remarkably rich in ornament and beautiful, but were never
finifhed.
This day twelve the thermometer was at 160.

at Left Ba
talha, and went through a country for two leagues fertile with
olive trees ; fome very barren hills to the left of us ; after
wards Indian corn, and many vines to Alcobaza : three hours
three leagues : paffed very few people, houfes or villages this
day.
Alphonfo Henriquez made a vow, when palling by this

place to the fiege of Santarem, that, if fuccefsful, he would
eftablifh a monaftery of monks on the fpot ; accordingly, ha
ving taken it by efcalade, he founded, with the fpoils gained
in his wars with the Moors, about the middle of
this convent
the twelfth century, and richly endowed it : it derives its
name from Handing between the two rivers Alcoa and Baca :
it
i34 TRAVELS THROUGH
it is moft extenfive and large pile of building, in the Gothic

a
tafle, with fome modern additions, that disfigure it exceed

ingly.
The church is rich in chalices, plate, &c. the convent is
inhabited by 130 friars of the order of St. Bernard, who
have an amazing income, they told me, 180,000 cruzades
a
year, about 2o,oool. flerling, and live moft fumptuoufly.
I dined with the prior, who entertained me with great ci
vility. What a fhame it is that thofe celeftial pallors
fhould poffefs fo much worldly wealth, thereby wallowing
in floth and idlenefs, a nuifance to fociety !
There is a cambric manufacture eftablifhed at this place,

under the guidance of fome Scotch and Irifh manufactu
rers ; it is in its
infancy.
There is an old Moorifh tower here, but of no great
import. The country, hence to Lifhon, narrow and con- .
fined between the Tagus and the fea, is filled with Moor
ifh pofta.
7th. From Alcobaza to Galdes : four

leagues in five hours :
travelled through an uncultivated
country in general ; paf
fed a few villages
thinly diftributed ; and faw many wind
mills.
This place is famous for its falubrious waters, which

are hot, and being of a
fulphureous quality, is much fre
quented.
3 8th. From
8th. From Caldes, through a
pleafant country for about
a
league, to Obidos, which is fituated on a
height, fur-
rounded by antient fortification : paffed a confiderable
an
aqueduct, that extends itfelf to the town, from a neigh

bouring hill: went through a mountainous and rather uncul
tivated country to Torres, a
village feated on the fide of a
hill, which rifes abruptly, commanding a paffage between
two other hills, and on which there is a Moorifh fort :
thence to Mafra : twelve hours nine leagues. The ama
zing length of the leagues deceived us, and we were be

nighted. Travelled this afternoon through a
hilly coun
try : paffed fome villages, feveral windmills,

and a number
of little wooden croffes ; faw
many vines, a few olives,
with corn lands about the towns : here we found a moft ex
cellent efallagem, but prodigioufly dear.
At this place amazing flructure ,- a palace and

is an
convent, founded by the late king, in confequence of a

vow made
by him to St. Anthony ; emulating through va
nity, and a defire of religious fame, the orientation of Phil
lip II. who built the Efcorial. It it a moft flupendous
work, but bears not fo noble an appearance as the Efcorial,
though it is much more decorated, and richer in marble :
the veftry, confiftory, and refectory, are handfome ; in the
church, the altars are coftly, and there are many very fine
marble columns, each of one block. The convent was ori
ginally intended for the Francifcans.
In the palace are

prodigious fuites of apartments, as its
extent is the external fquare, which, as I was told, is above
700 feet each fide ; the convent and church forming the
internal : the room, intended for the library, is very fpa-
cious
TRAVELS THROUGH
136
cious and handfome. Here and poverty,
centers pride
folly and arrogance ; a flately palace with bare walls, a
fumptuous convent for fupercilious priefts !
There is a large fpace of ground, inclofed for the king

and queen's fport ; for it feems the confort is equally fa
mous for her dexterity and perfeverance at the chace, with
her Catholic brother.
ioth. From Mafra to Cintra : three leagues in four

hours travelled through an open country, which,
: though
now dried up, fhews there had been much corn.
Here is fmall royal palace, built by John I. fituated on

a
the north fide of a hill, near that promontory ^ which, by

our failors, is called the rock of Lifbon. There was origi
nally here a caftle of the Moors, taken from them by the
Chriftians, in the reign of Don Alphonfo Henriquez.
This place, from its fituation, draws a number of the in
habitants from the fuffocating heat of Lifbon, to recreate
themfelves, by the enjoyment of the cool and refrefhing
fea air, at their umbrageous quintas or country houfes,
which are difperfed over the furface of the hill. The peo
ple of every large city, particularly thofe who are confined
to it for fix days in feven, find a beauty in
every fhady and
verdant fpot ; hence the inhabitants of Lifbon fing of the
delights of Cintra, as if it were the terreftrial Paradife :
taking it at one
general view, it is romantic and agree
able ; but there is* nothing great or confpicuous in either
the houfes or
gardens of individuals.
1 2th. From
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. I37
2th. From Cintra hither ; fix leagues in fix hours ; where
1
I am lodged in the Calzada de Eflrella : for near three leagues

an
open country, when we came to villages, which extend to
the city :
paffed by Calous, a
palace belonging to the king's
brother ; it is fituated in
hollow, environed with hills, which
a
were at
prefent parched with the heat, but had been in corn :
I have been told fince, that there are fome magnificent apart
ments in it worthy obfervation : on all the hills to the town,
there are an
amazing number of windmills.
I expect much matter for contemplation in this place,

which I will take the liberty to communicate to you ere I
leave it ; in the mean time I fhall fubfcribe myfelf, &c.
T LETTER
TRAVELS THROUGH
*38
LETT E R XIV.
My Dear Sir, Lifbon, Oct. 2£, 1774.

I Am now to give you the beft account I could obtain of.
this unfortunate metropolis.
Lifbon is fituated on feveral little hills, near the embou

chure of the Tagus, extending itfelf beautifully for about
three miles on the northern banks of the river ; the broadeft
part of the town may be rather more than a mile.
The devaluation of the earthquake in 1755 is ftill recent;

whole ftreets lying in a demolifhed ftate ; however, fome
good will be derived from that misfortune, for ahandfome ci
ty is riling out of the ruins of one that was moft deformed ;
a
fample of which is ftill to be feen in many parts that
efcaped demolition. Mariana defcribes the ftreets of Lifbon
to be nearly the fame at the time the town was taken- from
the Moors, by Alphonfo Henriquez in the twelfth century, as
they are at prefent in that quarter of the town called the
Mororia: they are very irregular, and fo narrow, that the
projections of the upper flories of the houfes, on the oppofite
fides, almoft meet ; thereby excluding both fun and air.
The habitations of every country depend upon a variety

of circumftances to render them more or lefs magnificent.
In
In the feudal flares, the caftles Of the Barons, difperfed
throughout the country, were the courts of thofe little princes,
as well as their fortreffes ; and were conftructed according to
the wealth and confideration of the thus find
poffeffor : we
in all thefe old palaces, a fuite of

apartments for the ftate of
the chief, and handfome accommodations for his fervants
and followers. In the capital flood the caftle or palace of
the monarch ; habitations for his dependants, and the officers
of juftice ; likewife, for merchants, tradefmen, mechanics,
&c. who exifting by their induftry, and obliged to have a
fixed abode, fearched more for convenience than fplendour ;

the nobility made it only their temporary place of refidence,
when their bufinefs or
duty in government called them it ;
to
but in thofe countries, where the independent power of the
nobles hath ceafed ; and they have been obliged, from the def-
potifm of a prince, or induced from the progrefs of luxury,
to quit the ruder
pleafures of the country, for the more gay
and brilliant amufements of the capital ; magnificent and ele
gant buildings have arifen in it, proportionably to the degree
of fplendour in the court, wealth and refinement in the ftate.
Here the court is little elegant ; the king and royal family
live in a barrack, where there is not much tafle or magnifi
cence ; and as few of the firft rank are
wealthy, there cannqt
be any private buildings of great confideration. I was told,
.that the Duke de Cadaval has an eftate of about 80,000 cru-
fades a
year, equal to about 9000I. flerling ; and one or two
more of the nobility have from fifty to fixty thoufand cru-
fades when the reft dwindle into inconfiderable fortunes.

;
The Marquis of Pombal, the minifter, has accumulated much
.
wealth from a very fmall beginning ; but, except by himfelf, it
is not known to what it amounts.
T2 The
i4o TRAVELS THROUGH
The Arfenal here is a large and handfome building ; but its

contents do not pronounce a very formidable ftate.
The famous aqueduct of Alcantara is a moft noble work ;

as it is
compofed of two different kind of arches, the beauty
of uniformity, which fhould prevail, is deftroyed ; the Gothic
arches fhould have been Roman, or the Roman Gothic ; at
prefent itappears a building of different artifts, or as if

con
ftructed at different -periods. I could not afcertain the height

of the principal arch, which is Gothic ; but the width of it,
as near as I could
judge from pacing it, may be about ninety
feet.
After the
earthquake, a
fluporenfued for feveral years,
when, at length, the New Town was begun, which has made
a
great progrefs ; though it was againft the inclination of the
inhabitants, either to build, or refide on that part where its
mocking effects were moft apparent. In the New City, there
is great attention to uniformity ; and the houfes, being built
X)f white flone, have a beautiful appearance ; though they
are
certainly too lofty for a place where earthquakes are ftill
frequent, being four or five flories. The ftreets are flagged
for foot paffengers, and raifed above the carriage way ; but
are
unneceffarily loaded with flones, placed perpendicularly,
like the polls formerly in London. The great fquare in the
center of the town, where the India-houfe,
Exchange, &c.
are
building ; and where a moft remarkable bronze ftatue of
the king is to be placed, will be magnificent. The ftreets
are not
lighted, and thofe of the Old Town are remarkably
dirty ; every kind of filth being thrown into them.
The*
The fifh and corn markets are worth notice ; in the latter,
to prevent impofition, price of every kind of
the grain is re
gulated, and fixed up at each ftand.
There is a kind of public walk lately made, by no

paltry
means in flile with the town, where,
by particular edict, no
one is allowed to go in a cloak : the fame rule of exemption
extends to fome of the coffee-houfes : the policy of this go

vernment, is to have the French drefs uniyerfally introduced.
I muft take notice to you of a prejudice both In this coun^-

try and Spain, which is fomewhat fingular : having had the
fineft moon-light evenings imaginable, I have Conftantly noticed
the women hold theirfans, in fuch a. manner, as to prevent the
moon from fhining upon their faces, as they conceive it will
fpoil their complexions. At Madrid the fame prejudice not only
prevailed amongft the women, but extended even to the men :
I was walking one evening with the great O' Reilly in his gar
den ; having my hat under my arm, he defired, I might be co
vered, as the moon in that climate, he faid, was more dange
rous than the fun. Such feminine ideas, I think, are only wor
thy of the fex ; I did not imagine they could influence a great
monarch's favourite..
The harbour is a
good one, but not fheltered from eafterly
winds, though they feldom prevail very ftrongly : it is by no
means defended from the hoftile attempts of a naval force ; for,
from Fort St. Julian to the fort on the oppofite fhore, it is at

leaft two miles ; and there is no other defence of any confe-
quence, after paffing thofe forts.
The
i.4« TRAVELS THROUGH
The military knowledge of the Moors is obvious here,

in the ruins of the fortifications of thofe people ; there are
the remains of flupendous fortrefs, judicioufly placed on the
a
moft confpicuous eminence, near an elbow of the river,

whence other works extended, encompaffing the" whole city.
In the church of St. RoccO, is a chapel very rich in mar

ble, jafper, verd antique, Egyptian granate, lapis lazuli, &c.
•in Mofaic; in it are three pictures brought from Rome, of
the Annunciation, Penticoft, and Jefus baptized by John ,- co
pies, in Mofaic, from Raphael, and Guido Reni ; one of them
is for the reflection of the fun from its furface, daz
fpoiled,
zling the eyes of fome of the beholders, gave offence, and the
polifla was immediately removed.
The city is divided into a certain number of diftricts, each

divifion being under the particular guidance of a magiftrate,
called an emburgador .
There may be reckoned two kinds of flates ; one which

gives greatnefs to the monarch, the other, which the monarch
muft make great.
This kingdom under the latter denomination ; but,

comes
whatever may be the eaufe, it makes a figure, at prefent,

but little refpectable in itfelf, or formidable to others.
I was told, that the re-venues of the kingdom,
annually pro
duce near three millions flerling, which arifefrom taxes on the
confumption ; on all lands and property bought and fold ; on
the profits of tradefmen ; on the wages of fervants and la
bourers ; from the duties on exports and imports, which are
enormous ; and from the gold, &c. annually received from
2 the
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. *43
the Brazils which immenfe fum "is fquandered, in general,
;
without judgment, upon objects of little real utility to the
ftate ; upon a prodigious royal houfhold, without the leaft oe-
conomy ; the king, who is in debt to ail his fervants,
has, as I have been informed, fome thoufand horfes and
mules '; the Marquis of Marialva, mafter of the horfe,
has 400 at his command ; upon an
opera, which cofts ma
ny thoufands annually ; upon expehfive fortifications, to

pleafe the whim of Vain projectors ; upon a large and ill
regulated army, which had better be reduced, than conti
nue in prefent unmilitary ftate ;
its upon expenfive public
buildings, and coftly decorations to the capital, that pro
nounce falfe
pride and vain glory.
This kingdom is governed,under the defpot, by the Mar
quis of Pombal, who has rendered his name famous
throughout Europe, for his affiduity in promoting the* ex -
pulfion of the
Jefuits ; and infamous for the bloody fcenes,
in which, conjointly with the monarch, he imbrued his
hands after the confpiracy in 1758 ; thereby reducing the
power of the nobility, which before, in fome meafure,
counterpoifed the weight of the crown. The great cha
racter given of this minifter, feems to me, to be not juft j
to retain his power, which has been eftablifhed by deftruc-
tive and oppreffive means ; to enrich himfelf, and gratify his
vanity, are his fprings of action ; the welfare of the ftate, or
happinefs of the people, are only fecondary confiderations : he
has rendered the tyranny compleat, and deftruction awaits
him who dares oppofe it. The fate of Scabria, is one in-
ftance to verify the affertion : raifed to a great degree of
power, he thought, by attaching himfelf to a party in
fecret
144 TRAVELS THROUGH
fecret oppofition to the minifter, he might thereby, in time;

become more confiderable ; but the too artful Marquis,
difcovering his intrigues, he was immediately difgraced,
confined prifoner to the caftle of St. John at Oporto ; and,
a few days after I left that city, was fent to Angola, on
the coaft of Guinea, there to end his days ; the climate

alone being fufficient to deftroy every European after a
fhort refidence : fuch is the power of this minifter, but
fuch his wretchednefs, that he is only the firft flave in the
kingdom ; he is obliged to tranfact every thing himfelf, for
he cannot confide in any one.
It has been long the object of government for the king

dom to raife corn for its inhabitants : amongft the various
projects formed for that purpofe, the minifter gave orders
for fome vines, which grew in a part of Alehtejo, to be
grubbed up ; and that the inhabitants fhould cultivate corn
on the lands inftead of them,- without
compenfating the
proprietors for the lofs they muft neceffarily fuftain :
"
it
"
is the higheft refinement of a defpotical government, to
"
rule by fimple commands, and to exclude every art, but
"
that of compulfion :" perfons were employed to carry
this fcheme into execution, and who were to be the judges
of fuch plants as were to be deftroy ed
opened the; this
door to and thofe who bribed the higheft, faved
venality,
their vines ; but the obftinate and indigent, were obliged
to fubmit ; and lofing the labour of
many years, were ne-
ceffita ted to undertake a frefh cultivation: "complaints
"
were vain, the extortioners would have been
"
obliged to
have purchafed impunity by imparting a fhare of their
"
bribes ; but no reparation would have been made to the
"
injured :" fuch are the bleffings of defpotifm ; but the
3 time
•
time may come, when the tyrant, in turn, fhall feel the
weight of his own oppreffion. He has eftablifhed many
manufactures in the kingdom, but they are formed into
fo many exclufive companies : the minifter, in the name of
the king, firft fabricant, who obliges the nation
pur- to
chafe his commodities at his own price : he makes a great

deal of wine, which always fells better than any other in
the country ; and to keep up the price, the fuperabundant
produce of one
part of the kingdom, is not permitted,
without fpecial licence, to be tranfported to another : to
thofe who hire his houfes, and either decorate them, or pay
an advanced rent, which he generally exacts, he grants
monopolies, and other exclufive privileges, tothe great pre
judiceof commerce, which, to flourifh, fhould know, no

reftraint. He has a
guard to attend his perfon, but fear,
in this inftance, is blended with oftentation. In the pub
lic monuments to be erected, his bull is to be placed con-
fpicuoufly ; a tribute of gratitude, offered by himfelf, to
perpetuate his glorious name to pofterity.

"
If fame engage your views,
"
Forbear thofe acts which infamy purfues ;
Wrongs and oppreffion no renown can raife ;
*i
"
Know, friend, that virtue is the path to praife."
caprice and paffion are the rules of

"
In ftates like this,
"
government with the prince ; every delegate of power
"
is left to act by the fame direction, to ftrike when he is
"
provoked, and favour when he is pleafed." The terms,
law and juftice, mentioned here, as well as in every
are
other country ; but the former muft ever fluctuate, and the
latter is little known. The canon law, owing to the
U great
146 TR-AVELS THROUGH
great influence of the Roman pontif, has been much blend

ed with the civil code, which, mixed with the regulations
for commerce, as trade has been the object of government
for many years, and the royal edicts, form the laws of this
kingdom.
I am told, there are twenty-fix regiments of foot in the
kingdom, of battalion each ;
one four battalions in Ame
rica ; four Brazil battalions ; four regiments of artillery
and twelve regiments of cavalry.
Each regiment of foot is compofed of fix battalion com
panies, and one company of grenadiers ; each regiment

of cavalry of four fquadrons of two troops each.
The regiments, as I have obferved before, are

immutably
fixed in the different garrifon towns : the ferve for
men
life, and are draughted recruits from the vicinage, to fill up.
the vacancies that happen in the regiments. If a man be
maimed or difabled in the fervice, he is difmiffed without
the leaft provifion.
The Portuguefe are born fubordinate from the
nature of
their government ; and being very temperate, are well cal
culated for good foldiers : exclufive of their natural
quali
ties for military their deteftation of the
men, Spaniards,
their common
enemy, is ftrong incentive to action, in
a
the liands of an able leader, when called upon to war

againft them.
The Count la Lippe had the Pruffian regulations tranf-

lated for the army, and given to each regiment for its con-
dud ;
duct : but what doth inftitutions avail, if they be not obferved ?
The prefent commander in chief is a lieutenant colonel in
our fervice, who is fupported at the court in ftate and
pomp, bearing the infgnia of power, without having the
leaft authority.
There is no made of the army, fo that the

infpection
regiments are left to act at the difcretion of the different
commanding officers at quarters, who, expecting little
from affiduity, allow every kind of relaxation to take
place.
In my opinion, the world has been much deceived in

the accounts that have been fpread abroad of the great
perfection to which the military eftablifhment of this king
dom brought after the laft war : it has
was been nothing
more than a
patched up bufinefs, to deceive, by a little ex
ternal fhew, fome few ignorant obfervers.
After the peace, the Count la Lippe had fome regi

ments encamped together, when he haftily taught them a
few military parade motions, with, what are called man
oeuvres ; and having got them new clothes, and their old
Englifh accoutrements wafhed and whitened ; affembled

them to be reviewed by the king, who having never feen
his troops make fo brilliant a figure, poured forth praifes
on the Count for their appearance, and the excellence to
which, in fo fhort a time, he had brought them. Thefe
encomiums flattered all concerned, and each hero, thereby
he had attained the greateft degree of martial
^concluding
"perfection, gave up all further purfuit in the fcience mili-
taire. The Count fatisfied with his exploits, and happy
U2 to
148 TRAVELS THROUGH
to be free from command, which he held dependent on ano

a
ther, left them to enjoy, at leifure, their martial knowledge ;

and to compleat the ilructure on the foundation he had laid,
which has been moft noWy executed.
There are four regiments of foot, and a regiment of ca

Belem * where the. king refides :
valry quartered here and at
they are moft wretchedly lodged ; and, excepting one, badly
governed.
I informed by the colonel of one of the regiments,
was
that many of the officers of his corps had been employed in

ob
pilfering and robteingin the ftreets ; but, that fince he had
tained the command, moft of them had been removed.
In converfatkm with day, at the Ian

a
gentleman one
where I lodged, an -officer of the regiment of marines, quai>

tered at Oeyras, drefted in his regimentals, with a fword on,
came into the houfe, and afking for the very gentleman with
whom I was difcowfrag, pulled a pair of ftoekingsout of his
pocket, and gave them to him ; on enquiry, I was informed,

he lieutenant, and hufband to a washerwoman, who
was a
often, whilft fhe was employed in her neceffary avocation,

fent him on her errands : and what muft a man do with a
family, laid the

gentleman, when he has only forty millings
a month? I moft heartily concurred with him, that; it is
feut a poor pittance ; at the fame time, I could not readily
blend the ideas of a washerwoman's hufband and an officer.
*
Bethkhem or-Belem, as it is called, is a town between four and five -miles from Lif
bon, which owes its name to a monaftery founded by Emanuel the Fortiinate in 1501, arid.
given to the*senks of -the order of St. Jerome : the church is :a Hupendous "ftru&ure.
In truth it is
paltry fervice, and it concerns me exceed
a
ingly, that Englifhmen can fubmit to be flaves in fuch a

ftate.
The naval force of this kingdom, is inconfiderable ; there

are, as I am told, about feventeen fhips of war, including
fixfrigates : many of the captains employed in this fervice are
Englifhmen.
What a change In this country fince the laft reign ! when
the clergy governed the realm ; when a
bigotted prince, and
fuperftjtious people, indulged their enthufiaftic rage, at horrid
Autos de Fea, in watching the torments, and liflening to the
dying groans of fufferiiag martyrs. The parade of religion
ftill remains ; but the force of bigotry, from the great refort
of foreigners, particularly Englifh, is much broken, at leaft,
in the capital. Now, the inquifition only profecutes, it can
neither condemn or punifh without the royal fanction. A
prieft guilty of a crime againft fociety, is purfued by the ci->
vil law, which exerts rtfeif over the ecclefiaftic. An edict
has been publifhed, to prevent any one after fixty years of
age, from making his will to the
prejudice of his heirs; or
leaving to convents, churches or hofpitals, above a flipulated
fum : this prevents-artful priefts from duping enthufiaftic do
tards of their wealth, under a pretence of expiating their
fins, and obtaining for them a heavenly abode. The mo-
naftic orders will be considerably reduced in the courfe of
time, as noviciates are not admitted without particular licence.
I am informed, there are
50 convents in this cky, and 300 in.
the kingdom.
Since
TRAVELS THROUGH
,5o
Since the eftablifhment of gold and filver lace manufac

tures, laced cloathes are worn, notwithftanding fumptuary
laws ftill exift.
The carriages chiefly in ufe here, are two-horfe chaifes,

which have not a moft elegant appearance : the principal peo
ple have other carriages, but not being a very numerous bo

dy, they are not the moft confpicuous : many perfons ride on
horfeback from one
part of the town to the other.
The Portuguefe ftage has made but little progrefs towards

refinement. I was informed that plays in the language had
not been allowed till about feventeen years ago ; the tranf-
lation of an Englifh comedy being one of the firft. I was
at the
reprefentation of the tragedy of Beverly, a tranflation
from the Gamefter : the performers had no great tragic powers;
were cool and languid. In a little farce, the manners of the
inhabitants of Brazil were ridiculed with fome humour ; they
reprefented them as a very formal and pedantic people, and
brought them in with a fuite of negroes, monkeys, parrots,
&c. there was a kind of low wit introduced in it, which
feemed to give greater Jatisfacf ion to the audience, than any
other part : an old woman frequently breaking wind in her
mailer's face, produced infinite applaufe, even from the boxes.
The foja, a dance peculiar to this country, as the fandango
is to Spain, was exhibited in the farce, between a black man
and woman ; it was the moft indecent thing I ever beheld,
and only calculated for the flews, yet* no one feemed
difpleafed ; on the contrary, the women beheld it with calm-
nefs, and the men applauded the performance. The national
mufic refembles the Spanifh, but is by no means fo much im
proved. There is a kind of Brazil mufic that I heard a young
Brazilian
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. i$i
Brazilian play upon the guitar, accompanying it with his
voice, which though folemn, is foothing and agreeable. There
is generally an Italian opera here ; and the king has a com
pany of Italians, who perform at the palace : I was told
that his theatre was well conducted, but there was no
repre-
fentation during my refidence.
I made an excurfion to Oeyres, about five leagues from

town, where I had an opportunity to fee the Marquis of Pom-
bal's gardens and improvements ; there are fome cafcades, and
extenfive alleys of orange and lemon trees, but without tafte :
his cellar is a work worthy obfervation ; there are thirty tuns in
it, which contain thirty pipes of wine each : the aparatus for
fqueezing the grape and, making the wine, is admirably con
trived.
In this country, the fex have fparkllng black eyes, white

teeth, and fine hair, to which they add powder and pomatum,
in fuch quantities, that they encreafe their heads to a moft
enormous fize :
they wear
rouge, but with delicacy, and patch
a
great deal.
The Portuguefe muft be an

ignorant people, from the def-
potifm eftablifhed in the country : they are obliged to be in-
duftrious, from the prodigious taxes laid on every article of
confumption ; but as the tyranny of government renders pro
perty infecure, induftry has only got the length of necef-
fity. The lower fort of people, in general, are
revengeful ;
but flabbing is not fo much in ufe as
formerly . Love is the
darling paflion of both fexes, and it is wonderful their perfe-
verance, to obtain their object. Jealoufy prevails, yet the
Argus do prevent intrigue, which, when difcover-
eyes of not
4 ed>
152 TRAVELS THROUGH
ed, is often feverely avenged. Sapphic love rifes predominant

here the flories I have heard of the females,
; who indulge
themfelves in this paffion, are almoft incredible. The people,
in general, are
temperate in their diet : in the large towns,
from their intercourfe with my countrymen, we find fome
drunkards : beef and boiled rice is their favourite food. I had
an opportunity of dining twice with fome people of rank, but
elegance did not prevail at their tables : they are as familiar
with their fervants as if ^fcheir equals, nay, they even go fo fat-
as to take a principal fervant into their party at cards, if one
be wanting to make up the fet ; yet the' people of family

picque themfelves much on their birth, and would not keep
company with a Bourgeois.
Adieu, my dear friend, live happily, in that country, where

the hard hand of tyranny cannot exert its iron rule.
LETTER
LETTER XV.
My Dear Sir, Seville, Nov. 9, 1774.

1 Have now to give you an of a moft difagreeable
account
and difmal journey from Lifbon hither, and a curfory fketeh
of this celebrated city.
Oct. 26. Left Lifbon, and embarking in the ferry to crofs

the Tagus, had very near loft one of my horfes, from the
very bad contrivance to get cattle into the boat. The prof-
pect of the city from the river is very fine. We were five
hours on our paffage to Aldea Gallieja : three leagues. The
tide out, which obliged me to leave my cavalry and fer-
was
vants in the boat all

night : they difembarked early in the
morning, when we purfued our journey to La Venta de los
Pregones : three leagues in four hours and thence to Ventas
:
Novas: three leagues in three hours. Around Aldea Gallieja

a
poor foil, but many vines ; afterwards fome fir wood ; then
wafte land, with the fhrub oak all the reft of the road, which
was an entire flat : here we
lay all night at a tolerably good
inn.
28th. Left Ventas Novas, and palling a royal palace, of

no great confideration,
going to ruin, purfued our journey,
and arrived, wet to the fkin, at Montemor : four leagues in
five hours : we faw the town two leagues before we came to
it : the firft part of our journey was a dead flat ; afterwards
X rather
154 TRAVELS THROUGH
rather hilly country, and wafle land : when within half
an
a
league of the town, enclofures with vines and olives : this
place was originally a Moorifh poll : on the fummit of the hill,
on which the town flands, are the ruins of a fortrefs. In the
evening an officer of thepolice came to the
eflallagem, and
examined my paffport moft minutely.
29th. Purfued journey, and

our
paffing fome vines and
olives the town, entered into a
near
hilly country, which had
been cultivated with corn : little venta on the
flopped at a
road to refrefh, and thence to Evora : five leagues in five
hours.
This is moft antient city.

a A Portuguefe, who writes a
volume on its antiquities, affirms, that it
gave birth both to
Cicero and Virgil : It is well known to have been the
of refidence of the famous
place
Sertorius, who environed the
town with walls, and fortified them who built an
;
aque
duct, on the ruins of which, John III. raifed that which
nowfupplies the town with water from a confiderable diftance.
It is pretended, that the afhes of the Roman
were remov
ed from Ofca, now Heufca, where he was
flabbed, and where
he had founded an and
univerfity, repofited in this city : his
palace has been pulled down, of which ftables have been
made. There is an old building here, now called the
tower
of Sertorius.
I faw the remains" of a

temple of Diana, of which there
are ftill feven entire
pillars Handing of the Corinthian order
In the wild wafle of
all-devouring time, this edifice has gone
through various revolutions : from a
Pagan place of worfhip
it was firft into
changed a Moorifh mofque,
and now con
verted
verted into butchers fhabmles. There are many other Roman
veftiges, infcriptions, &c. feveral of which are placedin the
great fquare.
This place was taken

the Moors, in the year 7 15, when
by
they over-ran all this country ; but was retaken by the Chrif-
tians, under the command of Giraldo, a man who had raif-
ed himfelf by his fuperior merit, ill of December 1 166, and
thereby reduced under the dominion of Alphonfo Henriquez.
It is at prefent an archbifhop's fee ; and there are no lefs
than twenty-five convents in it. The town is large, but it
is nearly depopulated, and going to ruin : neither trade or
manufactures prevail ; nothing appears, but the gloom of bi
gotry. There has been modern fortification begun here;
a
but never
compleated. We had very heavy rains in the
night ; the next morning at feven o'clock the thermometer
was at 90.
30th. Left Evora, and paffing many olives and vines

near the town, entered into a country where there had been
corn : went on to Venta de Cergones ; a moft wretched hole :
here flopped to refrefh, and

we then purfued our
journey,
through a hilly country, paffing at the foot of Evora al Mon
te, old fortrefs, fituated on
an the top of a high mountain ;
amongft the hills, cork trees and indifferent country ; when
we
paffed them, corn and fcattered olive trees to Eftremos,
which is fituated at two leagues from Evora al Monte, on
another rifing ground : fix leagues in feven hours.
This town is furrounded with a modern fortification ; but

going to ruin. We had a tolerable eflallagem ; but at this
feafon of the year, efpecially whilft the rains laft, which fall
X 2 verv
156 TRAVELS THROUGH
there is little comfort to be expected in a Por

very heavily,
and
tuguefe inn ; there isfire-place in the houfe,
only one
that is well crowded with dripping travellers. Near the

town, is the place rendered famous, for a victory gained over
the Caftillians by the Portuguefe in 1663.
31ft. Purfued our

journey through a country abundant in
olives; afterwards fome but much wafle land : faw a
corn,
few flocks of fheep, and herds of goats : when within a
league of Elvas, many vines and olives ; near the town paf
fed an aqueduct of four tiers of arches ; and arrived there :
fix hours travelling fix leagues : we were conveyed by a fen-
try to the governor, who examined my paffport, and then dif-
mifled me.
This is frontier townf irregularly fortified.

a The go
vernor permitted me to fee the works, which are kept remark
ably clean, and in good order ; but would not allow me to

vifit Fort la Lippe ; a new fortification, fituated on the top
of very high hill, commanding the town, and the whole
a
country around. There is a ciftern here, which contains

1 1,000 pipes of water ; it is annually cleaned, and filled again.
There are fome cafemettes lately built, remarkably good and

well contrived. Three regiments of foot and one of cavalry
are quartered here ; the foldiery were cleaner in^ this fortrefs,
and had a more military appearance than I had obferved

before ; cavalry were very bad. The fo
the horfes of the
reign officers here complained of their fituation, as they did

elfewhere : an officer in this fervice, is obliged to immure
himfelf at quarters ; for from the inftant he gets leave of
abfence, his pay is flopped ; and it requires, not only fuperior
intereft, but is looked upon as a great indulgence, to have it
2 reftored
reftored I faw the returns of the infan
to him on his return.
try, wherein I found that above. 1 300 men had deferted from
the three regiments of foot fince the peace : not a Spanifh de-
ferter has come in thefe three years, fince the new
regulations
of the quintas. This place was befieged by the Spaniards
in 1658, but without fuccefs. I dined with the Governor,
Don Manuel Bernardo de Melo, who was remarkably civil
to me in every thing, but in
permitting me to fee Fort la
Lippe, my only view for taking this route. From the bell
accounts I could get of this fortrefs, it is a moft lingular
work it has coft government an immenfe fum of money ;
;
the whole genius of the projector has been exerted to raife
this monument to his fame ; it is compofed of four baf-
tions, with many other works ; the parapets are contrived
for a fecond defence ; the upper part of them is of tapia,
the lower of brick ; the batteries are covered and bomb
proof, with magazines to
every two guns ; upon the top of
thefe bomb proofs, are
lodging-houfes for the officers in time
of peace ; but whenever war commences, are immediately
to be thrown down, and their materials are to erect an
upper parapet for wall pieces, &c. in cafe of a breach made

in one of the baftions, the decombres are to be immediate
ly placed on an angle of the internal redoubt, fo as to
form, at the fame time a retrenchment, and flank for that
work: the mechanifm of the draw-bridges, &c. are equally
curious and well contrived. I imagine, if ever the Spa
niards mould think of attacking Portugal at this point,
their efforts would certainly prove ineffectual againft Fort
la Lippe.
Nov. 2.
158 TRAVELS THROUGH
Nov. From Elvas to Badajoz : three leagues in three

2.
hours : about the town of Elvas, many olives, and after

wards an open corn country : I faw fome fheep and cat
tle crofted the Guadiana on a flone bridge of twenty-
:
feven arches, and entered the town. The Spaniards pof-

fefs both fides of the river.
This is frontier, and very antient city ; it is intended

a
to be regularly fortified, with eight baftions and other

works they are not compleated. This place was be-
; but
fieged by the Portuguefe in the year 1658 ; but the fiege
was raifed on the
approach of Don Lewis de Haro, with
the whole army of Spain. During the courfe of the laft war,
I was told, that there were never 500 men quartered here.
The regiment of Eftromadura, in garrifon, was newly
cloathed, and looked well.
In the eftallagems in Portugal, there is always fomething

to be got to eat ; but here we found a
very indifferent
pofada, and nothing to be had but ftraw : there was a pro-
cefHon in the afternoon of all the young women in the
town, the reft of the inhabitants feemed to be afleep. It
is bifhop's fee, under the metropolitan of St. Jago. I
a
was
obliged to regifter the entry of my cattle again
into this kingdom, and fend to Tuy, in Gallicia, the cuf-
tom-houfe acknowledgment, to indemnify
my fecurity
there. The difference in the price of things was remark
able ; at Elvas, barley was near double the it
very price
was here.
3d. Set out at feven o'clock. The officers of the adua-

na, or cuftoms, flopped me at the barrier, and were ex
tremely
tremely infolent ; in fearching my baggage, they found

fome letters, which they infilled upon taking and putting
into the poll-office ; a conteft
enfuing, I fhe wed my paff
port, when they were all fubmiffion, and allowed me to
purfue my journey : about the town a few olives, and there

had been fome corn ; afterwards wafle ground, with few
inhabitants to Albuera : four leagues three and a half
hours : a poor village : thence to Santa Marta ; a good
road, but the country lying wafle ; three leagues in three
and a half hours : here we found very decent pofada, and
a
very obliging landlord, by much the cleaner! I had feen

fince I left Ofuna ; we got very comfortable matraffes ;
and we found not the leaft fpirit of impofition ; for the
treatment I received, I paid a trifle more than was de
manded, and carried the prayers of the family along with

me : who would not enjoy fuch bleffings for fo fmall a
tribute !
4th. Went through uncultivated country in general,

an
with mountains to the right hand ; paffed a large tower,

fituated amongft them, on the pinnacle of a rock ; and
arrived at Zafra : five leagues in five hours : this is a
large town, famous for lamb-fkin gloves, fome of which
are dreffed, fo as to be contained in the fpace of a
walnut-fhell : thence to Fuente de Cantos, a
long ftrag-
gling village in a bleak plain : four leagues four hours :
about Zafra fome corn, afterwards, in general, wafle land:
paffed two villages, and faw feveral flocks of fheep: here
we met with a bad pofada.
5th. Left
160 TRAVELS THROUGH
for about
5 th. Left Fuente de Cantos league, an open
: a
corn
country ; afterwards fome few fpots lately taken in,
with fcattered cork-trees, to Monafterio : three leagues in
three hours : a poor village ; but we got fome excellent pork,
for which this country is famous : dined, and purfued our
t
journey : entered into the Sierra^Morena : nothing but moun

tains and cork-trees, w7ith very indifferent road, to Santa Olalla :
four leagues in four hours : here is an old fortrefs, now conver
ted into a
monaftery ; defended this pafs in the
it has originally
mountains : in the village there are few houfes but what are
pofadas : in the one where I took up my quarters, there were
feveral carriers from Seville, who entertained us, with an ac-
count of fome robberies that had been committed, two days
before, in the mountams through which we were to pafs.

At Almaden del Azogue, near this town, are quick-filver
mines, of which I got not intelligence till my arrival at
Seville. All the people from Badajoz hither,- appeared as if
they had the jaundice : they are much fubject to the fever
and ague, all through this province of- Eflramadura, which
gives them this unhealthy afpect.
6th. Left Santa Olalla, and travelling through the moft

wild and defolate country I ever faw, halted at the fide of
a brook, where we fed our cattle, and regaled ourfelves ;
then, purfuing our journey through a continuance of the fame
kind of country, following a chaife track, our only guide,
arrived at Caftel Blanco : ten hours going feven leagues. We
faw no living creature in all our route, but two flocks of
fheep, and two
iufpicious-looking fellows ; not a village, a
houfe, or a bit of culture; nothing but mountains, brufh-

wood, and cork-trees. Here we found a very bad pofada ;
but got fome excellent pork for fupper. We were
again
entertained
entertained with an account of the robberies that had been

committed ; and of a man who had been murdered between
this place and Seville. Two inhabitants of the village ap
plied to me, to be allowed to accompany us the next day-;
to which I readily confented.
7th. Set out early in the morning, with my fellow-tra

vellers, who, to my great mortification, were mounted on
burros, without any defence, but what I could give them :
this perplexed me exceedingly, as it retarded my journey for
them to keep up ; but as I had promifed my protection, I
thought myfelf bound to give it. On eonverfing with
one of
my companions, I found him a fellow of fome hu
mour, which compenfated for the drudgery of going his
pace; he was a Seville man, and, like the reft of the world,
had great partiality for his own country ; he declared there
could be no fuch city as Seville, and then quoted the Spanifh
proverb, ûien no ha vifta Sevilla, no ha vifla Maravil-
"
laT He admitted the inhabitants had many vices : he faid,

even drunkennefs
prevailed amongft them : he told me that
they were very fond of drefs : that, in general, they were
much addi&ed to women ; and were great ma;xoS.% He con
cluded his narration with an humourous Seviliatt feguidilla ;
which brought the foot of the mountain, adout two
us to
leagues from Caftel Blanco ; and having /paffed our danger, I

took my leave, and pufhed oh, over that extenfive plain,
which reaches from the fea beyond Cordova. Paffed a great
deal of fine corn lands, olives, and the white mulberry trees
for filk- worms ; croffed the Guadalquivir in a ferry-boat, and
arrived at Seville : fix leagues in eight hours.
*
Maxo, a man who affe&s peculiarity in words, a£tiorrs, and drefs :
originally a kind
of bravado ; at prefent, a
petit rnnitre.
Y Flores
162 TRAVELS THROUGH
.
Flores obferves, that Hifpalis or Sphalis, is a Phenician
term, derived from Sephela or Spela, which fignifies a
plain, and anfwers well for Sevilla, on account of its be
ing fituated in a flat country ; and, whenever, fays he,
we can find the
origin of any antient term in the lan
guage of the Phenicians, we may adopt it, on account
of the number of towns that inhabited in Boetica,
people
to which
they gave their idiomatic names. This muft
have been a very antient city, for it is ftill environed with
Roman walls, which are kept entire at the royal expence.
In the faqade of the gate of Xeres, which was rebuilt
_
in 1
56 1, the following Caftilian verfes are cut in white
marble :
Hercules me edifico,
Julio Cefar me cerco
De Muros y Torres altos ;
El fanto Rey me Gano
Con Garci Perez de Vargas.
It was
poffeffed by the Moors at the time
they inhabited
this country ; was the place of refidence of the Moorifh
kings, and capital of the kingdom of Sevilla.
Fer Don
nando el Santo took it
by capitulation in the
month of
November 1248, from the Moorifh monarch Axatafe, after
a
fiege of fixteen months : no lefs than 100,000 Moors,
men, women and children left the
city on this occafion.
Fernando made it his place of refidence, and
gave encou
ragement to people, who flocked in crowds from many parts
of Spain, to re-people it. This prince employed
the moft
learnedlawyers of the realm, to compile the antient laws
of the kingdom in one volume, de
.
vulgarly called, Leys

1
las
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. i63
las Partidas, which was afterwards compleated in the reign
of his fon Don Alonzo.
This city, including the fuburbs, is three and a half

leagues in circumference ; but round the walls is not more
than fix miles : it is fituated on the Guadalquivir, over
which there is aof boats, that communicates with

bridge
the large Barrio de Triana, faid to be the place -where the
Emperor Trajan was born. The ftreets of the city are,
in very narrow and irregular ; but there are ma
general,
ny houfes of confideration, though their external appea
rance is not very confpicuous : including the different
fuburbs, I am told, there are 14,000 private houfes,
which are
computed to contain 300,000 inhabitants : in
the city and vicinage, there are no lefs than forty-fix con
vents of friars, and twenty-nine of nuns.
The famous cathederal church,* is a very fine building

of Gothic architecture: it was begun in the year 140 1,
and finifhed in 1520; it is immenfely rich in treafure ;
the filver altar, which is exhibited on particular feftivals,
is moft magnificent : the Giralda, built by the Moors in
the year 1000, is a fquare tower, which ferves as belfry to
the church ; from the top of it, is an extenfive and beauti
ful profpect.
This is an
archbifhop's fee, with a moft enormous
annual revenue, faid to be 300,000 dollars, equal to
50,625!. flerling ; there are

forty canons
belonging to it,
with great incomes.
Y2 This
j64 TRAVELS THROUGH
This city abounds in hofpitals, wherein the poor fiek ace-

received, and of whom great care is taken.
The royal palace, called the Aleazar, built by the Moors,

is not a very magnificent edifice ; -the gardens belonging
to it are laid very antient tafte, and the walks
out in a
are ornamented with gigantic figures, in different fhapes

and attitudes' : there are fome pieces of water in them,
which ferved the Moors for baths.
There are
many public edifices, that are vifited by ftran-
gers, but are of no very great or lingular merit; fuch as
the Lonja or Exchange, the Foundery, &c.
The Toro de Oro, or Golden Tower, is worthy notice,

on account of its pretended antiquity : it is faid to have
been built by the Phenicians, but I fhould imagine it of la
ter date.
The tobacco manufacture, is a

large handfome fabric,
in the Moorifh tafte, which is the cafe with almoft every
building in this city ; there are from 1500 to 2000 people,
and 200 horfes conftantly employed in it ; for from this
center, the whole kingdom is fupplied with tobacco, which
brings in an amazing revenue to the crown.
The Plaza de Toro,* is large and built of flone, but not

yet compleated. The Alameda, or public walk, is hand
fome ; there are two Roman columns of the Corinthian
order placed at one end of it, with two.
antique flatues of
Hercules and Julius Caefar, one on the top of each.
*
Amphitheatre where the bull-feafts are held.
This
SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. 16$
This is an
univerfity ; but it is not in very flouriih-
a
irag ftate : There are few ftudents of any other fcience but
theology.
There is a mint here, and royal treafury. Some very

fine paintings of Murillo are to be found in the chapel of
the hofpital of La Charidad, and the Capucins.
Many families of confideration make this their place of

refidence.
A filk manufacture is carried on here ; but not fo con
fiderable as formerly : Valencia has become its rival ; the

filk-worms thrive much better in that province.
A great deal of fruit, lemons and oranges for the London

market, are exported hence. 'The trade of this place is much
dwindled ; it is tranfported to St. Lucar, at the embouchure
of the river, and to Cadiz :
fhips of great burthen cannot
come up to the town.
<fcr
This city is privileged with a tribunal of juftice, called

real audiencia*', which extends its jurifdiction five leagues
round the city ; and from which there is no appeal, but
to the council of Caftille : it is exempted from
having
in it, on account of its
troops quartered loyalty to Phi
lip V.
Andiencia is a fuperior tribunal of juftice, where, befides the caufes that

*
originate in
it, there is an appeal to it from the civil and criminal jurifdiftion of all the arregidnres,
alcaldes mayores, and other juftices within its territory.
3 I fhall
166 TRAVELS THROUGH
I fhall now conclude this with four Caftilian

long epiftle
lines, to fhew how noted is the fame of this city in the
opinion of the Spaniards.
De quantas Ciudades goza

El orbe en fu redondez,
La noble Sevilla es
La mas iluftre, y hermofa.
I am in hafte to finifh my journey, as the winter feafon

approaches.
I have only to allure you, that I am, &c.
LETTER
LETTER XVL
My Dear Sir, Gibraltar, Nov. 26, 1774.

IN comfort feated at my own fire-fide, I am now to give
you the remainder of my journey from Seville hither.
Nov. 10th. Left Seville, and after travelling about a

league, we were overtaken by two fellows, who entering
into converfation with us, pretended they were going to _
Cadiz ; but not liking their appearance and behaviour, I

obliged them, in fhort time,
a to decamp ;when I found
we had been conducted much out of our road. Went on
to Los Pallacios, antiently a country feat of the Moorifh
kings : paffed many olives,, fome corn and wafle land :
here we halted to refrefh, and then purfued our journey
through an entire flat
country, which had been in corn :
obferved, in different parts, from thirty to forty ploughs go
ing together, drawn by oxen : faw fome fheep and cattle :
drank at the Venta de Alcanterilla, where there are two

old towers on each end of a flone bridge, to defend that
paffage marfhy part of the plain : arrived at Las

over a
Cabezas de San Juan, being eleven hours on horfeback

going what is called eight leagues : here we met with a
good pofada.
nth. Purfued our journey through a country little
cultivated, till we drew near Xeres, when paffing many
very
S68 .
TRAVELS. THROUGH!
fome vines and inclofed lands well
very fine olive walks,
laid down for corn, finifhed this day's journey : five leagues
in five hours.
This town is called Xeres de la Frontera, is large, well

built and populous. There are many hidalgos, who refide
here : it is famous for horfes, and, what we call, iherries
wine.
Near this place, in the year 714, l)on Rodrigo, King of

Spain, was beaten by the Moors ; and this defeat, the Spa
niards call, la perdida d' Efpana.
About three miles hence is a Carthufian convent of ve

who entertained me
ry great note : I dined with the prior,
elegantly with eight difhes of different fifh. The thermo
meter this day at 1 6°.
1 2th. Left Xeres, and paffing a ferry over the river Guada-
lete*, went uncultivated country, taking the
through an
circuit of the bay of Cadiz: faw the town of Puerto

Real on our right, when we entered upon a fine made road,
which is carried all the way to Cadiz : paffed the Ifla de
Leon, where there is a marine academy, and where the
commandant of this marine department refides : {hence to
Cadiz feven .leagued in nine hours : we were flopped at
:
the barrier; but on fhewiilg my paffport, and giving the

officers of the aduana a trifle, I was permitted to pafs on :
here I put up at a
good Fonda.
*
This, it is faid, is the famous river Lethe of the antients ; for it was the Moors, who
added the Guada to it, in the fame manner as to many others; Guadalquivir, Guadiana, &c.
This
r
This is fituated in a peninfula, riling as if it were out
city
of the ocean ; it is very antient, and a noted fea-port : hence
almcft all the trade of the kingdom is carried on to the Weft
Indies and America.
The town is
large, fuppofed to contain between 70
and 80,000 inhabitants, who confume 54,000 lb. of bread
.
every day.
The ftreets are narrow and confined ; but, as a great

number of perfons refide here, who have made confidera
ble fortunes by trade, there are
many large and handfome
houfes.
The fortification is ftrong on the land fide, which is of

fmall extent ; towards the fea, there is a line wall, and other
works difperfed around : there is generally a large garrifon here,
at this time,
compofed of five regiments of foot and one bat
talion of artillery : the troops are well quartered ; the cafemet-
tes, on the land fide, being remarkably good.
There are few fhips of war laid up in this port j tiiey

are
chiefly at Ferrol and Carthagena.
The police city is well regulated ; it is amply
of this
fupplied with all kinds of provifions, and the markets are put
up to fale by auction weekly : it is furnifhed with water
from Port St. Marys, on the other fide of the bay ; and, I
believe, it is the only place in Europe, where' the venders of
that beverage, think it worth their while to adulterate it ;
which is done, by mixing with it rain water, that is catched
at evere houfe in the Algibe, or refervoir in the middle of the
court-yard.
Z This
176' TRAVELS THROUGH
This place fwarms with French, who are' greatly protected,

alfo a fiUmbeV
and carry on a corifiderafely trade : there are
of Irifh Catholics here, arid itinerants from all countries. The
Englifh factory confifts of the cqnful and three members,

who are
remarkably civil and attentive to ftrangers.
Frdm the difficulty of placing money at intereft on good

fecurity, I am informed, that there are not lefs than- twenty-
five millions of hard dollars here locked up in chefts unem
ployed/
There is a moil elegant little French theatre here, fup-
ported at very confiderable expence by the French ; there is
a
alfo an Italian Opera, at prefent badly mounted ; and a Spa

nifh comedy : in the former there are
performances four or
five times a week ; at the latter every day. At the Spanifh
comedy, I faw a curious play of Lazarus and Dives, where
in the whole flory was carried on in the performance; and
concluding with the
reprefentatioh of Heaven and hell; it
ended with the expreflion ." If they hear not Ivlofes and the
*'
prophets, &c." Though not prone to change, a conftant
connection with the Italian arid French performers, have cau-
fed a degree of refinement to take place upon this ftage,
though the alteration has not been much relifhed by the
mofijueteros, as they are called, the critics of the pit. I faw
the tranflation of a French play repreferited here with fome
degree of performance. Exclufive of thefe amufements,
there is a bull feaft at the
proper feafon : the amphitheatre
contains about 1 1 ,000 people.
In the church of the Capucins, is an unfinifhed

painting of
Murillo, which in executing, it is faid, he fell from the fcaffold,
and thereby loft his life.
19th. On
19th. On leaving Cadiz, we were again flopped at the

barrier by the cuftom-houfe officers, whoexamined if I
had any money ; no one being allowed to carry out above
a certain fum, without
paying duty ; and as that is very
high, it encourages fmuggling to a great degree :
purfued
our
journey near three leagues along the Ifthmus, arriving
at the river St. Pedro, where we croffed a ferry : this river,
communicating with the bay of Cadiz, forms the town
and neck of land into an ifland. Here, it is faid, was
placed the famous temple of the Egyptian Hercules, which
gave the name of Heraclium to this ifle : thence through
an uncultivated country in general for two leagues ; after
wards fome corn lands and olives ; faw fome droves of cat
tle, and arrived at Veger :
eight leagues in eight hours.
Here we
night ât the worft pofada in the world :
lay all
this place was originally a Moorifh poft ; there are fome
Moorifh veftiges ftill to be feen in the town, which is fitu
ated on the top of a hill that rifes abruptly from the plain :
there is a river runs at the foot of it, near the inn, over
which there is an old Roman bridge of three arches.
20th. Purfued our

journey through an uncultivated
country for about league, when we came to the Campo
a
de Tariffa ; extenfive plains, bounded by prodigious high

mountains ; thefe plains had been all Cultivated in corn :
faw feveral droves of cattle :
paffed many cortijos, or farm-
houfes, at one of which refrefh five leagues
we halted to :
in five hours. As every thing was to be had here by cour-

tefy, we could hardly get any thing for ourfelves or cattle.
The mafter of this farm, told me, that he rented it from
the Duke of Medina Sidonia, from ten to ten years; and
Z 2 that
TRAVELS THROUGH
i72
that he annually paid him the rent of three thoufand dol
lars, equal to five hundred pounds fterling ; yet this man
eatgazpacho* with his fervants, all out of the famedirty
bowl : after paying very dearly for the ufe of the fire-place,
and ftraw for our cattle, we purfued our journey for about a
conti
league, when we entered into the mountains, which
nued all the way to Algeciras ; a moft wretched and drea
four feven hours.
ry road :: leagues
Algeciras is fituated on the bay of Gibraltar, directly op-

pofite to the town, and diftant from it five miles. It is fa
mous for being the place where the Moors, under their lea
der Muza, landed in 715; there are the ruins of the Moor
ifh fortification ftill extant : part:of a regiment of foot, and
fome cavalry is quartered here.
2 ill. Purfued journey, crofting

our the fmall rivers Palo-
mos and Guadaranque, and paffing the ruins of the fa
mous and antient city of Carteia, which is fituated at the
bottom of the bay of Gibraltar, arrived at San Rocque ;
two leagues in two hours.
This is village, where a Spanifh general refides, and

a
where there is at prefent a regiment of foot and fome pi
quets of cavalry quartered, detatchments from which are

lent to the Spanifh lines for their ptotection, and difperfed
along the coaft to prevent fmuggling, &c. The vicinage
of our garrifon, and the number of Spanifh troops quar1
tered here, have caufed the counrry round this place, which
is very pleafant, to be much cultivated and improved.
* A kind of foup made of bread foaked in water, with pepper, and

fait, oil, vinegar
garlic mixed together.,; a common food of the labouring people.
Having
H aving got my paffport from the commandant, went on to
the Spanifh lines, and paffing the barrier, where a fmall fee
prevented the cuftom-houfe officers from fearchkig my bag
gage, arrived here : two leagues in two hours.
And now I fhall conclude with fome few obfervations on.
the Spanifh character.
The Caftillian, Andalufian and Gallician are

ftrongly mark
ed, each feparate people ; but fince the fame govern
as a
ment, one religion, and the like education prevail, a fimilari-

ty of character is confpicuous : the gravity of the natives, is
carried to a proverb, and their deportment would convince a
ftranger that it were true : they have no idea of walking for
exercife, or ever ftirring abroad in the heat of the day, but
when obliged to it, and then they move with a folemn gait,
which becomes habitual ; till lately, and that only now at the
capital, and amongft people of rank in the provinces, they
had little communication with ftrangers, or with each other,
confequently a referved behaviour took place when
ever
they met in company ; and their turn for gallantry,
obliged them to keep a guard upon their countenances, left
they fhould betray their intrigues to their affociates : as this
has been long the feat of bigotry, the gloom of religion hangs
upon their brow ; and

the inquifition, employing its familiars
in every corner of the realm, urged them to have a curb upon
their tongue, for fear they fhould utter what might be. inter
to their ruin : all thefe caufes combined, naturally
preted
produce thofe effects of external fedatenefs we fee prevalent
amongft them ; but, children of the fun, though not volatile,
they have as acute and lively imaginations as any people of
Europe :
fanguine in their difpofitions, and warm in their af-
3 fections ;
174 TRAVELS" THROUGH 2
lectins, -if thwarted in their purfuits, they often foecqme en

raged tq a degree of paffion, with w(iich we are in general
unacquainted : they are revengeful, and flashing ftill prevails ;
the loweft peaf^nt will not brook a blow ; ,and that the honour
of the foldiers may not be hurt, there is an article in the or
dinances fpr the ajmy, that they are to be beaten, only with the
.fword. They have the higheft notions of the dignity of their
birth : the Caftillian, but more the Bifcayan, though poor
and beggarly, holds the AndaJuflan in the utmoft contempt,
as heing in immediate defeent from the Moors : the latter is
crafty and deftgning, but a nobler fpirit runs through the veins
of the former. Marriages are generally made between per
sons of equal diftinction : the old nobility feldom contract
themfelves with the new ; and the fuperior rarely connects
himfelf with his inferior. They are
temperate, or rather ab-
ftemious in their living to a
great degreeborracho is the high
:
eft term of reproach ; and it is rare to fee a drunken man,
except it b,e among the carriers or muleteers : both men and

women are fertile in refources to the attainment of their fa
vourite purfuits ; the latter, in particular, limited in. their edu

cation, confined with bars at home, and attendeq1 by fpies
abiro,ad, ftill find means to elude the vigilance of their duenas,
and pervade the grates made to reftrain them. It is particular,
that the people throughout, are free from diffidence;
they
have a manly character, and fpeak to their prince with the
fame fangfroid.and confidence that they would to their fellow ;
they never
any thing at which they feem to be the leaft
utter
abafhed ; each man appears to have a confcious dignity, which
is not fo confpicuous in other parts of the world :
they treat
one another with the
greater!: civility and refpect ; if even a
beggar afk alms, and it be not granted, the is re-
{applicant
fufed in moft eompaffionate terms ; another time, they tell him,
2 and
and God go with him, God conduct him, &c. infult is never
added to misfortune. Such are my curfory remarks upon the
prefent prevalent character of this people. There was a time,
when the ardent flame of liberty fired each Spaniard's breaft ;
but it has been extinguifhed
by the malignant blafts of de-
fpotifin, never to be kindled more.
May God guide you
through the remainder of your days, is the fervent prayer of*
My Dear Sir,
Yours, &c
I' i ■ ■ » " ■ i Ml ll
A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE
SPANISH EXPEDITION
AGAINST
A L G I E R S,
I N
I775.
My dear Sir, Gibraltar, Oct. 1, 1775.

I AM arrived from Cadiz, where I went on purpofe to
juft
fee the troops return from their late unfortunate defcent
near Algiers.
As this ftrange and romantic expedition has been matter

of to all Europe, both in its preparation and
fpeculation
execution, I fhall endeavour to give you fome account of
it, from authentic intelligence.
On the 22d of June was affembled, "in the port of Car-

thagena, very confiderable armament, commanded by
a
Don Pedro de Caftijon, admiral in chief, on board of which

were embarked a large body of troops, under the command
of Lieutenant general Conde de O' Reilly, together with

A a a
great
ACCOUNT OF THE
178
a
great quantity of military ftores, &c.* deftmed againft
Algiers.
On the fame day, at the church of St. Francifco, in Car-
thagena, there was a folemn ceremonial of the princi

pal officers to La Purijfima Concepcion, patronefs of all
Spain, imploring her protection, andfuccefs to his Majefty's
arms ; after which, Conde de O' Reilly, commander in
chief, made a moft pompous oration.
On the23d, the fleet failed, and anchored in the bay of

Algiers on the 3othof June and ift of July.
July Behind a battery, eaft of the river Xarach, which

1.
lies to the eaftward of the town of Algiers, a large encamp

ment was feen, and feveral Moors on harfeback about the
*
General ftate of the armament, &c
6 Ships of the line. 19,284 Infantry.

12 Frigates. 714 Cavalry..
9 Xebeques. 120 Dragoons.
7 Galeots. 900 Artillery men-

4 Ureas. 2,326 Marines.
2 Armed veffels of the
King's, 503 Gunners or marine, artillery.
4 Bombs. 600 Deferters, toierve as workmen.
7 Armed veffels hired.
S1 24447 Men..
344 Tranfports.
ARTILLERY, &c..
3© Twenty-four pounders. 25,400 Balls of 241b.

'
448 Grape.
1 2 Twelve
pounders. 12,200 12 200
1 8
Eighteen pounders. 15,020 18 650
80 Battalion guns of four-pounders. 40,000 4 3,000
12 Mortars of twelve inches. 5,069 Shells of 12 inches
16 Mortars of nine inches. 6,748 9
8 Howitzers of fix inches. 2,400 1 6
8,000 Hand granades.
beach.
EXPEDITION AGAINST ALGIERS. 179
beach. At fun-fet, the Moors fired three difcharges of fmall
arms, in the manner of a. feu de joye.
ad. The principal officers were affembled, and orders

were
given for the troops hold themfelves in readinefs to
to
difembark the next morning at day-break ; but before eight
o'clock they were countermanded ; becaufe the night was
windy, with a fwell fetting in upon fhore : from this day,

until the fixth, inactivity prevailed ; but frequent councils
were held, where violent contefts arofe ; particularly, be
tween the Conde de O' Reilly, and Major General Romana,
a
Spaniard of a warm and impetuous temper, who appearing
to thwart the meafures of the commander, received from
him fome very fevere reproofs.
6th. All the principal officers were
again affembled, to re
ceive their ultimate inftrudlions, when the orders of the

25th of May, at Carthagena, and 2d July, in the bay of
Algiers, were ftrongly recommended. Thofe orders are
pointed and clear ; but offended the officers, in general, by
allotting fevere punifhments for crimes and negle6ls, that
ought not to have been fuppofed. In them, the commander
in chief intimates the deftination of the expedition, by telling
the army, that the Moors conftantly feign a moft violent
attack ; but upon the fmalleft refiftance, immediately fly
precipitately, with anintent to draw their enemy into an
ambufcade : he particularly cautions the troops to break
not their order, as
nothing but united force could poflibly
enfure fuccefs againft an
enemy, fkilful in the art of a de-
fultory war : he warns them againft the error

they after
wards committed, and points out to them the very fnarein
which they were afterwards intrapped : he orders, that each
A a 2 bat-
i8o ACCOUNT OF THE
battalion have 200 pioneer's tools, and

fand bags ; that
200
each brigade, on landing, form a column of a company in

front, fix deep ; and the guards of half a company in front.
The army, on landing, was to endeavour to poffefs .fome
heights,, which, when gained, were fuppofed to give fuffi
cient advantage,, to enfure fuccefs againft the city of Al
giers. The difpofition of march was to be in four columns,
with the light infantry advanced, and on the flanks ; each
column to have four field pieces in front, to be increafed as
the exigency require: two redoubts were to be formed, at
the place of difembarkation, and a communication to be
kept up between the army, thofe fortifications, and the
fleet.
In the afternoon, fome fhips of war were ordered to fire

againft three batteries to the eaftward of Algiers ,- but their
efforts were fruitlefs, there was not a
gun of any of the bat
teries difmounted ; for all the Spanifh men of war,
except
the St. Jofeph, of 74 guns, which received fome damage
from the enemy, were at fo great a diftance, that their fhot
did not reach the fhore. At fun-fetting the firing ceafed.
7th. Between eight and nine thoufand men were on

board the launches^ &c. at day-break, and advanced
very
near the fhore, about a mile to the weftward of the little ri
ver Xarach, covered by feven gallies, and two long-boats,

with a twelve pounder each : not a Moor appeared to
oppofe
their landing. At feven o'clock, the boats returned on board
the tranfports : not a fhot fired on either fide the whole
day. It was reported, the landing was not made, becaufe
there were not boats enough to hold a fufficient number
of troops at once ; but this was given out to conceal
2 a mif-
a mifunder Handing that prevailed amongft the principal offi

cers. Orders were given for the tranfport long-boats to be
manned with Spanifh feamen, and to be in readinefs at day
break the next morning. And here I muft obferve, that there
appears a
capital error, in marking out to the enemy the real
point of attack, fo long before the troops entered upon adlion.
lam now to
proceed,
Spaniard as a calls it, to the Dia de
perdida, y fentimiento para Efpana.
8th. At day-break, the fhips having been polled to batter

the different forts to the right and left of the place of difem-
barkation ; and the troops, to the number of about 8,000,
being embarked in the launches, &c. formed in fix columns,.
at the head of which were the grenadiers, preceded by the
armed xebeques, galliots, &c. that were to cover their landing ;
the firing from the fhips began, and the troops moved on, in
order, to the place of difembarkation, about a league and a half
to the eaftward of the
city of Algiers, with their right towards
the town, and the left towards the embouchure of the afore
mentioned river ; when near the beach, the covering veffels
began their fire, and
the troops landed in the intervals between
them :
notwithftanding there were above 80,000 Moors
drawn to this point, two thirds of which were
cavalry, under
the Bey of Conftantina, for the Turks remained to defend the
city, not one of them appeared to difpute the ground : it is.
faid, there were
150,000 Moors upon the coafl, 100,000 of
which were
cavalry : as foon as this body of men had made
good its landing, it formed fix
deep, according to orders ; the
armed veffels divided to the right and left, to cover their
flanks ; and the boats returned to bring the reft of the army on
fhore, with all expedition. The troops of the firft difem
barkation
182 ACCOUNT OF THE
barkation were when a fmall body of the

fcarcely fdrmed,
enemy appeared in their fronts but upon feeing a movement of
the Spaniards towards them, they flew in diforder : from this
inftant may be dated the misfortunes of this inglorious day.
The troops then marched forward, by beat of drum, having the
Voluntarios de Aragon, and Cataluna, a kind of irregulars,
in front. I fhall now give you the journal of an officer, who
was
engaged in this part of the army, and which correfponds
nearly with all the accounts I have been able to obtain. He
"
we moved on until we were
fays, engaged in a clofe coun-
*'
try, which the enemy had occupied in fmall parties ; but
"
fo advantageoufly polled in ditches, &c. that they fired very
"
fmartly upon us, without prefenting our men an
object to
"
return it : our grenadiers, and light
"
infantry, which had
been detached in advance, were repulfed ; at this juncture,
"
fome of the troops of the fecond difembarkation, were, in
"
fmall bodies, incorporating with us ; and fome
"
can- large
non
coming up, their brifk fire protected our march, which
"
was diredled to
occupy fome inclofures, where we made a
"
heavy fire, but without being able to diflodge the enemy.

"
Our foldiers, who till then had given the
"
greateft proofs
of exemplary valour, and of death, began
to be
contempt
"
alarmed at feeing fo many fall, without gaining the leaft
"
advantage this fome diforder in the
produced
"
; firing; but
did not prevent thofe of the 4th, and 6th ranks- from
"
5th,
it
keeping up, to the great prejudice of the other three : the
"
confufion incident to fuch cafes enfued : the zeal and endea-
"
vours of the officers were infyfficient to contain
the men,
"
fome retiring, others
"
advancing, juft
as
they judged
it ex-
pedient, without any regard to the orders or perfuafions of
"
their fuperiors. In this unfavourable fituation we found
"
ourfelves, when, onafudden, a drove of camels appeared,
"
3 extending
"
extending on the left, conducted by fome Moors, with a

"
defign, no doubt, of drawing our fire upon them ; the cry

"
was alfo heard, that we were cut off
"
by the horfe ; this was
followed by the retreat, and without waiting for more or-
*£
ders, fome brigades forming in column, and others march -
<e
ing in battalion, the whole retired" with precipitation.
"
We left on the infinite number of killed and wound-
field, an
"■
ed, though the laft begged not to be abandoned ; a favour
"
that a few only obtained, whofe lives were faved,
(e
by being
brought into the intrenchments, which were
carrying on by
"
the workmen and troops of the third difembarkation ; this
"
worLhad been already fortified with three eight-pounders,
"
to the well-dire&ed fire of which, and the good conduct of
"
the Tufcan commanders, who drew their
"
frigates clofe into
the and fired with great execution upon the enemy,
fliore,
"
We owed the
"
fecurity of our retreat. Of the feventeen en-
gineers, who went with the army to reconnoitre, thirteen
*«
had the misfortune be wounded, and the four who were
to
"
left, not being fufficient to direct the works, occafioned the
"
intrenchments be
fcarcely large enough to contain thej
to,
"
army : in this confined pofitionj we were much annoyed by
thirty-fix pounder, which the enemy brought out of one
"
a
li
of their batteries, upon our right, and firing alfo with an
"
elevation from the fort of Xarach, their fhot did us fo
e<
much mifchief, that though epaulemens were ordered be to
"
made, they did not effectually fecure us. The Moors made
"
conftant excurfions, and braved us clofe to our trenches, to
"
their great flaughter. Thus we remained till it was dark,
"
when the regiments were ordered to embark, beginning with
"
the youngeft, to fave time." He adds, that the diforder,"
tumult, and confufion, with which the re-imbarkation was

"
"
executed, is not worth relating ; and ought only to be com-
"
municated.
1
84 ACCOUNT OF THE
"
municated, fhew the ignorance of the enemy, who
to
"
knew not how to take the advantage of fo favourable an
opportunity, to obtain the compleateft victory." The lofs
*{
fuftained by this occafion, according to the

the' Spaniards on
Gazette, amounted to 27 officers killed, 191 wounded ; 50 1

men killed, 24o88 wounded ; and as this account
nearly corre-
fponds with Algiers, I judge it to be not wide of
a letter from
the truth ; though private computations eftimate the lofs at
above 5000. The Marquis of Romana was killed at the head
of his brigade, the commencement of the adion. The enemy
had between five and fix thoufand
many "killed, and as
wounded : the Moors did leave

wounded Spaniard
not one
alive ; the government of Algiers had offered a premium of

ten zequins for each
Spaniard's head, to which this barbarity
may be, in fome meafure, imputed. The Spaniards left be
hind them, on their retreat, 1 5 pieces of cannon,
3 howitzers,
a
great number of fmall ammunition, chevaux
arms, defrize,
&c, &c.
On the 1 2th, the troops, and great part of the fleet, failed,
on their return to
Spain.
The length of time taken up in the
preparation, and the de
lay in the execution of this expedition, gave the enemy an op
portunity to be ready for its reception. The Spanifh court
might have had better intelligence of the force the Algerines
could bring into action*, and the fite of their coaft but the
;
generals feem to have been
totally unacquainted with thefe par
ticulars after their arrival, the
:
place of landing was for a long
time matter of difpute ; how far at laft it was well
judged, is
not yet determined; even that
admitting the point of attack
-were
proper, a
great miftake was committed in the march of
the
it
the firft body of troops, immediately after difembarkation ;
mould have certainly retained its pofition, until the whole
army fhould have been difembarked, and then have made its
progrefs by degrees. It was, I may venture to fay, ignorant
in the commanders, to think they were at once to penetrate
an inclofed country, where the enemy was moft advan-
tageoufly polled in force, to oppofe them : who it was, di
rected the troops of the firft difembarkation to march, is not
decided; it is attributed, on one fide, to the unfortunate
Marquis of Romana" :: again,, it is faid, that the Conde de O'
Reilly fhore before the army had marched an hundred
was on
paces; and if he chofe not, that it fhould move forward, he,

as commander in chief,
might have ordered it to act other-
wife ; nay, it is alledged, and I am afraid with fome degree
of certainty, that on finding nothing to oppofe his landing,,
thereby infuring to himfelf fuocefs, he hurried the troops into
action. A Spaniard obferves, that " the commander in
"
chief waited upon the .)each, and urged the fecond dif-
"
embarkation on with precipitation ; this/' he continues,
"
was rather the duty of a fubaltern
general, to whom fuch
"
"
employments more
properly belonged In fhort, from
error,confufion enfued ; and there appears not the leaft refource
to rectify the firft miftake, or abilities to re-eftablifh order.
After the retreat into the intrenchment, there were warm de
bates amongft the principal officers, what further meafures
were to be purfued, when the re-imbarkation was judged ex
pedient : I muft, however, do honour to the courage of a com

patriot, General Vaughan, who, I am informed, was averfe
from retreating on board the tranfports ; but, as the lofs fuf-
tained, was not fo confiderable as to prevent the army from
B b acting,
186 ACCOUNT OF TH&
acting, gave it as his opinion, that it fhould remain on fhore

to renew the attack the enfuingday.
large fums of money had been expended on this expedi

As
tion, the people had formed great expectations from it; you
may therefore judge of the national feelings, on the arrival
of the melancholy news. The court endeavoured to palliate
the difgrace, but it was exagerated by the people. O' Reilly,
univerfally detefted by the natives, was denounced a victim to
their wrath ; and fuch was the general outcry, that mobs
affembled upon the road to Alicant, and ftopt many carriages,
with an intent to reek their vengeance on the commander ;
even went fo far, as to make
they people get out of their ve
hicles, and walk before them, O' Reilly being lame, that he
might not be Had
concealed. the liberty of the pirefs
prevail
ed, all Europe would have known the fentiments of the nation
upon this occafion : invective fpread its influence through the
realm, and did not flop at the palace gate ; the prince was
libelled and threatened, if his favourite fhould ever appeal" at

court : the rage was fo great againft him, that the
King was
remove him from
obliged to being governor of Madrid, and
appoint a in his room, when he was made a
Spaniard captain
generalof Andalufia. To fhew you how far the
Spaniards
extend their deteftation againft the Count and his I party,
muft inform Ricardos,that lieutenant
you, general of
horfe on the
expedition, friend of O'a
Reilly's, having landed
whilft I was at Cadiz, and walking near the
coffee-houfe,
where the officers of feveral regiments were
affembled, they
to a man
quitted the place, and left him to ruminate alone.
A Spanifh
A Spanifh ferjeant, giving an account of thisexpedition to
his wife, fays, Nos Mandaron a tierra, como Ji ibemos a
beber Cafe con los Moros.
I have only to wifh the Chriftians better fuccefs in their

crufades; more honour under abler commanders 5 and to
affure you that
I am, &c.
FINIS.
NARfc

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K ■

SPAIN AND PORTUGAL,

WITH A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE

By Major WILLIAM DALRYMPLE.

The Characters of Nature are

Printed for J. Almon, oppofite Burlington-Houfe, Piccadilly.

1 SHALL not pretend to my reafons for offering thefe

Since I have taken upon me to publilh this work, it may

Ingarrifon at Gibraltar, I fet out, without any other mo

The narrative on the journey, I am afraid, will prove

velling. remarks may appear trite : the

mark upon other tranfient particulars : how far I may have

22, 9, read, Seguidillas. 109, 12, read, "Jacinto.

SPAIN AND PORTUGAL.

My Dear Sir, Cordova, June 29th, 1774.

I Take the earlieft opportunity to give you an account of

to the writerand I flatter myfelf, you will readily par**

don this incorrect method, when I inform you, I have very

Having got the proper paffports from the Spanifh general

We paned wooden croffes on the road : thefe

On arrival atTihe Pofada,

other women, happy to communicate her

the other part of the Pofada. Our apartment, which had a

had to expect in the Pofada. We had brought a ham along

Gaucin is fituated on the top of a high hill, which we were

The evening was fo cold, that the women wrapped them*-

great bedding was not to be had. The night was

of the defile, which is extremely narrow ;

The firfl appearance of the Pofada was rather favourable ;

Whilft my fervant took care of the cavalry, I went upon

Ronda is fituated fmall plain, almoft fur-

rounded by flupendous mountains : one fide of the city is ex

In this, as well as in moft other towns of Andaluffa, the

we followed his advice, with many .thanks, arrived at the di

It often happens, that thofe who think themfelves moft

From the time loft

country little improved ; fcarcely any inhabitants ; fome corn

chiefly cork trees ; faw fome few droves of cattle ; fome

The^ of the town, after our misfortunes, gave us

There was a travelling pedlar lately come from Seville,

When my companions found me preparing to reft, they

At twelve o'clock, we were much alarmed with a violent

my fleep abruptly, I was fomewhat alarmed, and afked my

We took fomewhat more pains to-day to enquire our road

confequence, had we not fortunately overtaken an old man,

found the water both bitter and fait. Thus deceived, we

Paffed this day two villages ; a great deal of wood ; wafle

faw only three perfons.

The cleanly afpect of the Pofada furprifed me exceedingly,

Offuna isfitjuared in an extenfive plain.

There fome remains of a Moorifh caftle here,

inhabitants, in general, more decent than I have feen before.

* is aperfon noble, whofe origin and

plain, when we compounded the affair. In every Pofada,

I find the fame mode of getting the harveft home prevails

26th. Left Offuna, and travelled to Ezija, five leagues r

ver faw fuch an exuberance of grain.

fellow, who intreated me to allow him to put his havrefack

with the various robberies and murders committed m Arid a

lufia. And of what country are you, friend ?"

they are quite another fort of people

myfelf an officer of the Irifh brigade,

but bad foldiers." I immediately fpufred My liorfe, telling

went, arriving at Ezija in five hours.