ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



957 



handed me a chair, while a fourth 

 stretclied my wet gloves on his 

 hands, and held them over the fire. 

 After an hour's rest 1 set off', ac- 

 companied by many good wishes. 

 From Maimona to Fuente de los 

 Cantos the distance is four leagues, 

 and the country is in a higher state 

 of cultivation than any spot be- 

 tween this and Elvas. On both 

 sides of the high road the fields 

 were green with rising corn, thickly 

 interspersed with olive-trees, and 

 the whole presented the charming 

 prospect of a rich plain of great ex- 

 tent, bordered all round by ro- 

 mantic hills. As we approach 

 Fuente de los Cantos, we have a 

 clear view of the town of Bienve- 

 nida, at the distance of about five 

 miles to the north-east, apparently 

 a place of considerable note, and 

 situated at one extremity of the 

 great plain near the gorges of the 

 mountains, towards Llerena. On 

 this road, I, for the first time, ob- 

 served a considerable number of 

 narrow waggons, with two wheels, 

 and drawn by two mules. By 

 means even of these clumsy wag- 

 gons, two mules dragged at least 

 as much as six could carry : yet 

 such is the force of hereditary cus- 

 toms, that, together with these, I 

 saw droves of mule* and asses 

 loaded with articles of the same 

 kind, and conducted by muleteers. 

 The peasantry in general seemed 

 remarkably stout, although not 

 tall, and their dress was almost 

 uniformly of a dark brown. In 

 four hours I reached Fuente de 

 los Cantos, apparently nearly equal 

 in size to Maimona, and surrounded 

 by cultivated fields, and plantations 

 of olive. The curiosity of the in- 

 habitants of Fuente seemed even 

 stronger, if possible, than what I 



had witnessed at Maimona ; and 

 the lively and handsome appe tr- 

 ance of ihe w iiiien was particu- 

 larly striking. Here 1 found little 

 to detain me. It wanted still more 

 than an hour of sun-set, and I set 

 off for Monasterio, another post of 

 three leagues distant. A little boy 

 was my guide, and so young that 

 I felt him as if placed under my 

 protection. After proceeding about 

 a league from Fuente de los Cantos, 

 the country becomes interesting, 

 and gradually increases in interest 

 as we approach Monasterio. The 

 small, barren, and regularly round- 

 ed hills, give way to heights of 

 various forms, and to chains of 

 lofty mountains, the summits of 

 which are only at intervals percep- 

 tible through the driving clouds. 

 We begin to discern small woods 

 in the hollows, on the sheltered 

 slopes of the mountains, and on 

 both sides of the road are scattered 

 various species of the oak. the elm, 

 the corktree, and the wild olive. 

 From Abuera, or even perhaps 

 from Badajoz, and the Banks of the 

 Guadiana, we have been constantly, 

 but imperceptibly ascending until 

 now, when it is evident that we 

 are approaching towards the highest 

 ridge of the Sierra Morena, which, 

 in this direction we have to pass. 

 We make a descent to arrive at 

 Monasterio. I arrived there about 

 an hour after sunset, and for the 

 first time since leaving Badajoz, 

 was challenged by the guard of the 

 place, and asked for my passport. 

 In this, however, they were easily 

 satisfied ; and I was speeddy con- 

 ducted to the post-house, where I 

 again met in every individual the 

 same eagerness to oblige an Eng- 

 lishman which I had uniformly 

 observed from the first moment ot 



my 



