146 Spanish Highvays and Byways. ^August, 



now a little indistinct with haze ; the same dull, monotonous prospect 

 continually met my view ; and the thoughts of passing the night in 

 those wild wastes, with the mountain- wolves for my companions, abso- 

 lutely terrified me. Our course became now impeded by a small river, 

 •which, though inconsiderable, was too deep to ford. On the opposite 

 side I observed a conical hill of considerable height ; and it occurred to 

 me that our only chance was to ascend to its summit, and, if human 

 habitation were near, we might, by that means, discover it. Accord- 

 ingly, we pursued the river's course for some distance, until a place pre- 

 sented itself by which it might be forded in safety, which, having effected 

 with some little difficulty, we arrived at length at the mountain, from 

 whose summit we, with delight, descried a small hamlet in the distance. 

 Our fears being thus providentially allayed, and hope proportionately 

 excited, we marked carefully the bearings, and had the good fortune to 

 gain the track, which brought us at nightfal to the village of Ranquileo, 

 where we passed the night, if not luxuriously, at least safely. 



Of course I took care to run no further risk of losing myself, and 

 proceeded the next morning to St. OUala, where I had been originally 

 directed. On my road thither, and proceeding very leisurely along, my 

 ears were regaled with the tinkling of mule-bells, and occasionally the 

 twanging of a guitar. These sounds proceeded from a party in the rear, 

 and, as they travelled at a gayer rate than myself, they soon overtook 

 me ; and I discovered my light-hearted travellers to be no other than 

 a party of gitanos, or gipsies, on their way to a fair. They were sin- 

 gularly and fantastically attired. The women, particularly, seemed 

 desirous to exhibit their wealth, which consisted in extravagantly large 

 golden ear-rings and necklaces, besides an abundance of other gold and 

 silver trinkets with which they were bedizened. The men seemed, by 

 a happy coincidence of taste, to have joined with their natural predatory 

 profession the equally profitable one of horse-dealing, or stealing, I 

 hardly know which to call it ; and had, amongst other temptations to 

 beguile the unwary, two of the most beautiful white asses I ever beheld. 

 These animals were at least fourteen hands high, of perfect symmetry ; 

 and through their ears, which were perforated for the purpose, hung a 

 streamer of pink ribbons. They were also expensively caparisoned ; 

 their furniture was decorated with silken tassels, and about sixty small 

 bells were attached thereto, the effect of which was by no means un- 

 pleasing. We arrived together at St. Ollala, and took possession of the 

 only posada the town afforded. I passed a much more pleasant evening 

 in their society than I had spent for some time ; their lively and agree- 

 able manners forming a pleasing contrast to the dull detail of my last 

 few days' adventures. The females sung several native airs to the guitar, 

 in which they were joined by the men : a tolerable proficiency on the 

 guitai' seemed the acquirement of the whole party. When the time for 

 rest arrived, we were shewn into a spacious chamber, sufficiently large 

 to contain us all. The females retired to the alcoves, and I stretched 

 myself on the floor, side by side, with my gipsy friends, with my accus- 

 tomed pillow and coverlid, my saddle, and horse-clothing. The next 

 day I passed on, through the same description of country, to the little 

 wretched village of Monasterio, where I found the posada occupied by 

 a gang of muleteers — about as sinister-looking and unpleasant a set of 

 gentry a? I have ever had the ill-fortune to pass an evening with. 

 Immediately on our arrival they greeted us with an oath, and demanded 



