6J2 Spanish High-ways and By-ways. [\TuNE, 



viously to which, however, he threw the sword he held, which was once 

 wielded by the conqueror of Peru, across the river, to prevent it falling 

 into the hands of the enemy. The weapon was afterwards restored to 

 the gallant soldier by the English, and, as I had the honour of the general's 

 acquaintance, I had an opportunity of seeing this interesting relic of the 

 great Pizarro. The manufacture of snuff and tobacco is a royal monopoly 

 in Spain; and, considering the immense consumption of cigars, must 

 yield a very large revenue. I was conducted over the manufactory, and 

 was much gratified with the order which seemed to prevail throughout. 

 A pungent red snuff, known in England by the name of Spanish, is^made 

 here ; I saw many thousand bags, containing from one to two hundred 

 pounds weight each, ready for exportation. But the cigar is the great 

 source of profit. Every individual in Spain, from the nobleman to the 

 peasant, appreciates its value. The very beggar will buy a cigar in pre- 

 ference to bread, and the child, ere he can well speak, will luxuriate on 

 its fumes. It will not, therefore, be deemed surprising that there are 

 fifteen hundred people employed in cigar-making in this manufactory. I 

 always found the good effects of keeping my case well stocked during 

 my cross-country excursions, for a cigar will secure the good offices of 

 the lower orders where a more valuable offering might fail. Seville is 

 an agreeable winter residence, though the summer months are rather too 

 warm. The society is good; the women lively and agreeable. They 

 have slender and graceful figures ; their complexion of a clear olive, with 

 dark and piercing eyes, and remarkable pretty feet. A Spanish pro- 

 verb says, " Quien no ha visto a Sevilla no ha visto maravilla" he 

 who has not seen Seville hath a wonder to see. 



I was now prepared to start for the Rio Tinto mines in Estremadura ; 

 but as my route laid through an unfrequented country, I engaged a 

 Portuguese as guide. Our horses were in excellent condition after a 

 week's rest, and loading them as usual with necessaries for the journey, 

 I left Seville by the south-west bridge across the Guadalquiver. About 

 six miles from Seville are seen the ruins of the ancient city of Italica, the 

 birth-place of Trajan. The country around is diversified, and well culti- 

 vated, promising heavy crops of corn, and continues so the whole way to 

 the village of San Lucar; where I discovered, by sundry suspicious appear- 

 ances on the road, that my Portuguese guide was no other than a robber 

 and an assassin ; it was with some difficulty that I got rid of him, but 

 was obliged, though sorely against my will, to pay him the whole of his 

 hire. I lodged that night at the miserable village of Ascacolus, where 

 the posada contained no second room, so that I preferred passing the 

 night in an out-house, covered with my horse-clothing, to sharing with 

 mine host and his family their scanty accommodation. Early next morn- 

 ing I pursued my way to the Rio Tinto, and very fortunately at a short 

 distance from the village, overtook two lads, who said they were proceed- 

 ing to the mines in search of work, having been formerly employed 

 there ; they were well acquainted with the intricate road, and I therefore 

 engaged them as guides for the remaining distance. We now entered 

 into an almost trackless wood, and our road continued over mountains 

 and wastes; our path being so beset with impediments, as to render our 

 progress slow and toilsome. For many miles we forced our way through 

 a thick jungle of underwood, where nothing could be discovered in 

 prospect, but a succession of sterile mountains rising one above the other, 

 a most dreary perspective, only affording cover to the wild animals which 



