438 
will get very little food, if any, on the 
road, It is requisite also to take wine, 
and this is carried in a leathern bottle, 
having a wooden stopper, which forms 
likewise the cup to drink from, the liquor 
being brought to the lips in a sort of 
Stream by raising and pressing the bag. 
The convenience of a glass for each per- 
son in these cases is not thought of, and 
you have only to ‘‘ wipe the cup and 
pass it to the rest.” We tied our males 
to the branches of some cork trees, and 
sat on the green turf by the side of a pur- 
ling stream, enjoying our fare in the true 
Quixotic style. 
’ We re-mounted our mules as soon as 
possible, and continued to ford rivers, 
ride through vallies, swamps, and woody 
uneven country, for three leagues, no 
part of which appeared to be cultivated. 
It was now about noon, and we’rested at 
a wretched hovel, called a “ Venta,” for 
the purpose of feeding our mules and 
again refreshing ourselves. We had 
passed what was termed an inn, but it 
tooked more like an English barn than a 
lace for the accommodation of travellers. 
Went it was a wooden crucifix of uncouth 
workmanship, intended to mark the spot 
where a murder had been perpetrated; 
around it were a number of stones, 
thrown there by pious passengers who 
had offered up their prayers for the soul 
of the deceased :'this is always the custom 
en such occasions. 
The solitary dwelling where we now 
rested, was even worse, in outward ap- 
pearance, than the former, It was built 
entirely with mad, covered with branches 
of trees and straw; at one end was a di- 
vision for the mules, at the other, closetoa 
door, an inclosure with rails about six feet 
square, which appeared to be the sleeping 
apartment, as we saw something like amat- 
tress laying there. In the centre was a 
fire-piace, formed by a circle of stones, 
the smoke from which issued either at 
the door or through a small aperture in 
the wall, which served, with the door- 
way, to admit the only light into this 
habitation.. The hardened earth was the 
floor, a block of wood served for a seat, 
and our table was like a stool which flax 
spinners sit on, not quite so high as the 
knees. A knife, fork, or plate, were 
things out of the question, but we had one 
glass tumbler to drink from, and a pitcher 
in one corner of the place contained 
water, the only liquid’ refreshment they 
could give us. There was no second 
floor to the house, atid we saw no one 
belonging to the inn but a mizerable-look. 
Journal of a recent Voyage to Cadiz. 
[July 4, 
ing man, and a woman, whom we had a 
difficulty to prevail on to receive any ~ 
money for our accommodation, because 
we were “ Capitans Ingleses,” ** Euglish- 
men.” 
We were joined here by a Spanish 
messenger with dispatches from Malaga, 
to the governor ofthe Isla. Herode up in 
a gold lace blue uniform, with a huge fel- 
low behind hun on the same mule, and 
presently began to have some sausages 
fried; and here we were obliged to sub- 
mit to the fumes of this delicacy, par- ~ 
taking of garlick and oil in its flavor, amid 
the smoke of chaff and the suffocation of 
charcoal. It would have been a breach 
of good manners to have quitted him, ‘or 
refused his solicitation to drink with 
him out of his cup, which, as-is cus- 
tomary, he pressed on us, requesting our 
company the remaining part of our 
journey. 
We had now about four leagues far- 
ther to Vegel, where we were to rest at 
night, and on our way thither we met 
some English travellers, with their guide, 
who were as bespattered with dirt as 
aurselves, and complained sadly of the 
country they had passed, which was not 
a very consoling intimation to us. Our 
route was, however, considerably im- 
proved, as we had no mountains to as- 
cend, and the plains exhibited some 
signs of cultivation. We saw large herds 
of cattle and some tillage-land. ‘The 
corn was just springing up; but as there 
was no division for a road, we could 
not avoid trampling on it. The cattle 
graze in herds, and are constantly at- 
tended by a certain number of men to 
prevent their straying into the thickets ; 
to each bullock is attached a bell, whose 
sound is intended to denote where he is, 
in case he should be missing. We saw 
large flocks of wild-ducks and turkeys, 
and for the last league were saluted by 
the hoarse croaking of innumerable, 
quantities of frogs which inhabit the 
marshes. We saw also a number of 
mares, in droves, which are kept solely 
for the purpose of breeding mules, as 
they are never put into the harness in 
Spain. They now and: then occasioned 
a display of horsemanship, by one of our 
companions, who was weil mounted on a 
gay Andalusian horse. The frequent 
restive disposition of the animal caused 
him much inconvenience, which was 
increased by the form of the Spanish 
saddle, which is not at all adapted for 
ease, but only for use; the pommel not 
‘being low and rounded off like our’s, but 
“Hsing, 
