BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 457 
time to time, I observed fields of rye, ill enough cultivated 
and surrounded with walls of dry stones; in short, this 
district has so little picturesque beauty, that it rather resem- 
bles a mountainous part of central France, than Andalusia. 
We came to Atayate, a wretched village, much like the gene- 
rality in this neighbourhood ; and as soon as we descended 
the southern face of the hills, the plants of the warm region 
instantly re appeared. The Chamerops, Teucrium fruticans, 
and several conspicuous Umbellifere and thorny Geniste 
abounded. : 
The route we now followed was that by which Gomez, 
the Carlist chief, had made his incursion into Andalusia the 
previous year. He so unexpectedly entered Ronda that the 
other party had only a few hours in which to flee to Tarifà. 
During the two days he spent in the town, he committed no 
excesses: his motive, however, was less generosity than 
prudence, for apprehending that his retreat might be cut off, 
he shunned giving cause for vengeance, if he were captured. 
To discomfit the plans of his pursuers, he took the track by 
Which I was now travelling, marched boldly past Tarifà and 
after a skirmish with General Narvaez, made his escape in 
. the direction of Arcos. "We passed in suecession three or 
four villages, situated in barren and rocky spots, where cul- - 
tivation is hardly attempted, because the smuggling trade | 
; has absorbed all the energies of the inhabitants. We over- 
took a peasant and accompanied him some way: he travelled 
] alone and drove before him an ass, laden with a small chest. 
E He came from the frontiers of Murcia and had been selling, 
_ al along, his stock of saffron, of which very little was now 
E left ; and he was going to Gibraltar, there to invest his cash 
lh articles of merchandize, which he would then smuggle 
. back into his own country. We arrived together at Gancin, — — 
E. the common halting place between Ronda and Gibr * 
_ large village, commanded by a castle, now picti 
Tuns; but which was of note during the w 
Christians and the Arabs. Hence there is a fine view of the — 
level country and the course of the River Guadiaro. The —— 
MWe : a 
