The Fisherman's Hut 



They were sitting round a smouldering wood fire, which 

 burnt upon a circular mud hearth, sunk in the floor like 

 the mouth of a well, and about a foot and a half deep, so 

 that the edges of the floor served to sit upon, while the feet 

 of the family rested upon the sunken hearth. They made me 

 welcome, and the fisherman asked what he could do for me. 

 I said I was waiting for a boat to take me up to Alcala, and 

 should be happy to avail myself of the shelter of his roof, 

 and should be much obliged to him if he would stop the 

 next boat for me, whether up or down stream, for I was 

 indifferent whether I went to Alcala or Seville. 



I got a drink of water, and lay down on a great heap of 

 nets, which would have been a more comfortable couch, but 

 for the cork floats. The fisherman went out to watch for 

 sails. His wife was stitching away at a very ragged pair of 

 trousers belonging to the little boy. It appeared, neverthe- 

 less, that they were his best ; for, during the operation, he 

 sat shivering without any, and encouraging his mother to 

 make haste. 



I asked her whether her husband caught many fish, and 

 what sort, and whether he made a good living. She said 

 " that they were very poor and wretched now, because el 

 buen Dios had sent no rain." I did not see precisely how 

 dry weather could make them poor ; but she continued : 

 " When the rains fall, and there is a fresh in the river, then 

 the savalo (shad) comes up from the sea in great plenty ; but 

 now the river is so low, he can catch nothing at all." 



Having answered my questions, she began to interrogate 

 me, in return, as to my nation, and what I was. She 

 admired the good condition of my clothes, saying they were 

 muy decentesy so that I was evidently not shabby enough for 

 a real vagabond. I rested in the hut about two hours, when, 

 as no boat appeared, I took my leave of the picturesque 



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