iSO Spanish Highvays and Byways. [^August, 



bouring mountains, to whom our horses might possibly present an at- 

 traction. To provide against this mischance, I determined that one of us 

 should sleep, while the other, with his arms loaded, kept watch, and 

 giving my servant the first turn, desired him to awaken me at the ex- 

 piration of two hours. It so happened, however, that before the time 

 was expired I awoke, and distinctly heard the howling of the wolves in 

 the mountains, and the dogs set to guard the flocks baying in angry 

 response. This was by no means a pleasing reveille, and on looking 

 round, for it was not too dark to distinguish objects, I beheld my centinel 

 vei-y composedly enjoying the comforts of his pillow, trusting, I suppose, 

 to his snoring to frighten the enemy. Rather incensed at such a breach., 

 of discipline when we were really in so dangerous a situation, I went up: 

 to him, and with no gentle touch roused him from his slumbers. The* 

 poor fellow whose mind was intent on his duty, although his eyes had 

 refused their watchfulness, fancied, from the nature of my assault, that the 

 fangs of the monsters were actually tearing him, — " The wolf! the wolf! 

 help ! help !" — he cried, or rather shrieked, and seized me with such a 

 firm convulsive grasp, that it became my turn to cry out. The affair 

 became thus so ludicrous, that my anger was converted into merriment, 

 and he was soon convinced by my laughter of his own safety. I believe 

 the fright he experienced rendered him trust-worthy for the rest of the 

 night. At day-break we found our horses grazing within a very short 

 distance of us, taught by instinct of their danger, and, like all domes- 

 ticated animals, trusting to man for protection. The wolf in this country 

 is the dread of the shepherd and the husbandman. All cattle are care- 

 fully enclosed in strong outhouses for the night, and so well are the 

 animals aware of the danger, that regularly at nightfal when they hear 

 a horn, which is sounded for the purpose, they scamper from the moun- 

 tains whither they are sent to pasture during the day, and gladly seek 

 the asylum prepared for them. The cavanas, or flocks of merinos, are 

 so large that it would be impossible to give them shelter of a similar de- 

 scription ; the shepherds are therefore obliged to trust to their own ex- 

 ertions, and the watchfulness and courage of their dogs, which are so 

 remarkably intelligent and faithful to their charge, that the wolf can 

 seldom take advantage of their vigilance. About two miles from the 

 spot of our bivouac we found the village of Rivera, where they directed 

 us to Villa Franca. On our I'oad I observed numbers of storks in the 

 marshes adjoining the town, many bustards, and doves in flocks. Some 

 of the latter I shot ; but the bustard was too shy to be approached. The 

 land we passed was well cultivated, yielding abundant crops of wheat ; 

 and the olive trees appeai-ed to thrive luxuriantly. The country during 

 the whole way to ^'^illa Franca wore a cheerful and animated appearance. 

 Many thousands of merinos are kept in its immediate vicinity, from 

 which a good quality of wool is obtained, though it is badly washed, 

 according to the method practised throughout Estremadura. The evil 

 of this system might be easily remedied, although the water is certainly 

 inferior to that of Castile and Soi'ia. My further progress towards 

 Madrid, and my arrival at that city at an unusually excited period, would 

 extern! this paper to a greater length than I intended at its commence- 

 ment. I shall therefore reserve it fis the subject of another communi- 

 cation. 



