644 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
were becoming more and more calm, reminded me that I 
should do well to return to the ship. 
I found that the sailors were waiting for me to start again, 
the weather seeming propitious; but a foul wind got up 
during the night, and after struggling against it the whole 
of next day and evening, we came to anchor but a few miles 
south of Hifac early on the following morning. This time 
we were opposite Altea, a fine town in our sailors’ opinion, 
and which they promised us a great treat in seeing. I gazed 
at the coast, and could desery nothing: when approaching 
nearer, Í contrived to distinguish some houses, built in an 
amphitheatre on the brink of the water, and whose flat 
roofs and grey hue caused them to be absolutely lost against 
the hill. It was Sunday ; on landing we found that the pre- 
sence of the Titeras, or rope-dancers, who were about to 
exhibit, caused much commotion ; the peasants mounted guard 
with muskets at the entrance of a court where la funcion was 
to take place, and which was literally overflowing with 
children, who clambered up the neighbouring walls and trees 
to gaze. We were gravely presented with gratuitous tickets, 
and invited to be present; but the whole affair was so muc 
like a village frolic at home, and presented so little of national 
peculiarity, that I was heartily weary, and enjoyed much more 
the spectacle which the people from our felucca occasioned 
that evening. A glimpse at their guitars, which the sailors 
never forget to carry about with them, created quite a stir in 
Altea, and all the young folks soon mustered on the Esplanade 
in front of a wretched Posada where we had dined. There, 
on a lovely evening, while smoking our cigaritos, and gazing 
occasionally at the charming prospect, we had the pleasure of 
seeing the national dances of Spain. First came the jota 
Valenciana, performed by four couples; then the grave Fan- 
dango, accompanied with castanets, and in which one man 
and one woman only figured, with charming ease, grace, and 
dignity. As soon as one dancer felt tired, he was replaced 
by another without interrupting the air. The musicians sang 
stanzas in the Valencian language, highly varied, and gene- 
