The River. 3 



for occurred, and we soon learnt to know the meaning of 

 that much abused word mauana, which signifies any day 

 but to-morrow. It was not therefore until April 4th that, 

 with all preparations made, we boarded our boat at the 



little village of C and sailed off down the river. The 



boat, or *' sheep," as the owner called it, which was our home 

 for six or seven weeks, was a half-decked barge-like lugger, 

 by no means extravagantly fitted, but roomy and well suited 

 for our purpose. The Guadalquiver is noted, amongst 

 other things, for its thick and muddy water, its strong 

 tides, and for the wind which is nearly always blowing on 

 it. Never once did we see more than three or four inches 

 below its surface, never once was the tide favourable, and 

 as to the wind it was either not blowing at all, or, when it 

 was blowing, it was, owing to the winding nature of the 

 river, of little use. A? a consequence, instead of four hours 

 we took ten to arrive at our first camping place. But 

 when one is in Spain one must do as the Spaniard does. 

 If one cannot be moving, then, surely, it is much more 

 pleasant to sit still and smoke the delicious cif/ariUo. What 

 true Spaniard ever loses an opportunity of employing 

 himself in this way ? But there were miny things to 

 attract our attention oa this slow voyage, and consequently 

 it was not always possible to adopt the Spaniard's methods. 

 We were passing through the wonderful marismas for the 

 first time in our lives, and although there was very little 

 of the country to be seen from the river, our field glasses 

 were constantly in use. Parts of the river bank were 

 thickly grown with reeds, from which proceeded the hoarse 

 and incessant song of the great reed warbler.'^ We 

 were very anxious to see the birds, bub they clung to 



* Acroceplialus arundinaeeus. 



