2J2 Spanish Highways and Byways. QMARCH, 



however, assuming a bolder character, and the river continuing its 

 course along the valley to Villa Franca. Our road now took its direc- 

 tion across a steep mountain, at the foot of which we alighted, with the 

 intention of walking to the top. Our movements, though not particu- 

 larly rapid, had greatly the advantage of the unwieldy machine we had 

 left ; and having arrived nearly at the summit of the hill, the winding 

 of the road completely concealed it from our sight. We beguiled our 

 way by merry sallies at the expense of our conveyancer, and compli- 

 mented ourselves on our own nimble heels, little thinking there might 

 be greater occasion for them than we had at first contemplated, when 

 suddenly we were surrounded by armed men. Immediately all the 

 horrors of banditti became apparent; our numbers were too few to 

 think of successful resistance, and escape was impracticable. Before 

 our fears, however, had time sufficiently to magnify our peril, a person 

 from our group of captors advanced, and demanded our passports. 

 Knowing that robbers have but little respect for such documents, I was 

 convinced our alarm was groundless; and we soon found that these persons 

 were placed there by the local authorities for the protection of travel- 

 lers, as the roads were considered in a very dangerous state from the fre- 

 quent attack of robbers. The guard had constructed a hut of turf and 

 the branches of trees to protect themselves in their bivouac, and seemed 

 to have made themselves as comfortable as the situation would admit. 

 We were guarded by a party of them to the foot of the hill, as that was 

 considered the most dangerous part of the road. On our arrival at 

 Answuella, a small village, but with good accommodation, we met a 

 man carrying an immense wolf, slung on his back, which he had just 

 shot in the mountain ; I offered him a peseta for his brush, which he 

 declined, as he was about to take it to the Alcalde, to claim the reward 

 of eight pesetas, which the Spanish government has very wisely ordered 

 to be paid to any person who shoots one of these destructive animals. 



We shortly afterwards entered the Province of Alava, and passed 

 through a well cultivated country to the town of Vittoria, the capital of 

 the province. At the posada, to which our mayoral conducted us, we 

 met a coach on its way from Madrid to France. Among the passengers was 

 Mr. Hall, brother of Captain Basil Hall ; they were\ll in a most unfor- 

 tunate predicament, for Mr. Hall informed me, that at no great distance 

 from Madrid they had been intercepted by a party of banditti, who had 

 stripped them of nearly all they possessed. Twelve men, well armed, 

 had attacked their coach, and, having drawn it off the road, dragged 

 the passengers out. They next tied some of them together, and with 

 very little ceremony laid them down with their faces to the ground, 

 with the comfortable assurance, that on the least outcry or noise irom 

 any one, a knife would be drawn across the throats of the whole party ; 

 then in the most deliberate manner they ransacked the coach, examining 

 every thing it contained, and packing up for their own use all that was 

 valuable or of utility. This done, they regaled themselves with some 

 wine belonging to one of the passengers, and then liberating them, they 

 disappeared with their booty. Mr. Hall was deprived of his gold watch 

 and seals, which I afterwards found had been beaten up and sold in 

 Madrid. I paid my respects to General Alava, to whom I had a letter 

 of introduction, and he advised me, in pursuance of the object for 

 which I entered Spain, to leave the coach at Miranda, and visit the 

 town of Escaray, in the Rioxa, before proceeding to Madrid. 



On quitting the town of Vittoria we entered the plains, which are 



