326 HERMANN VON HELMHOLTZ 



upon one, how this highly developed civilization came to 

 an end. The Moors took none of it back to Africa, and 

 what the Spaniards may have learned from them disappeared 

 within the next hundred years, save for the great system of 

 irrigation, which made the land fertile so far as it extended. . . . 

 Next day we took a walk to the slopes of the Sierra Morena 

 north of the city, whence we had a good view of the fertility of 

 the country. Little runlets of water come down from the hills, 

 and are carefully distributed. The orange-trees are like forest 

 trees in their growth. I never saw any like them in Italy, and 

 they were more covered with fruit than any apple-tree I ever 

 saw, while among the fruit were fresh buds and wreaths of 

 blossom ; wild roses, irises, spireas, violets, all in full bloom, as 

 one sees them in Germany on the sunniest days of June. Among 

 them are solitary date palms, shooting gracefully heavenwards/ 

 ' Granada, Friday, April 2. And now we have really seen 

 the Alhambra, which is as marvellous in reality as it has been 

 described in books and pictures. Marble in the most elegant 

 carved work, with a superfluity of wondrous patterns. . . . After 

 luncheon there was a bull-fight, the first in a new arena, 

 a great festival for the people. As regards the spectators it was 

 extremely interesting. The arena is constructed exactly after 

 the old pattern (it is true that the upper part is of wood) ; the 

 public behaves exactly as was described by the Roman authors. 

 The crowd is seized with a raging intoxication ; the shouting is 

 uninterrupted, now applause, and now hisses. It is necessary 

 to get there an hour before the time, otherwise one has no 

 chance of a seat. During this time we were entertained by 

 a feeble jet of water that was supposed to sprinkle the Square, 

 and by the orange-sellers who flung their fruits up to the 

 purchasers in the top rows of seats, and were paid in the same 

 way, to the entertainment of the public. Each good throw was 

 applauded, each bad one hissed. The elegant ladies for the 

 most part, unfortunately, were above us; those we could see 

 were in picturesque national costumes, pretty to look at, but 

 very bold in colouring : one was dressed like a toreador. These 

 last are fine fellows, slim, agile, dexterous and reckless, so that 

 it is a pleasure to see them moving about in their splendid and 

 elegant costumes. The banderilleros especially, who let the bull 

 charge them without cloak or weapon, and then leap aside at 



