Siesta al Fresco 



and elbowed by the press to the very edge of the dizzy 

 verge, and were propping themselves up, as a temporary but 

 desperate shift, with jutting heels and stanchions of timber. 



Along this deep cleft ripples the crystal Huecar, whose 

 stream we ascended till we came to an obstruction of rocks 

 near a water-mill. Managing to scramble over our difficulty, 

 we proceeded along the winding ravine, while at every angle 

 fresh views broke upon us, and at each step we were more 

 and more delighted and astonished with the ever-varying 

 wonders of this truly enchanted city. 



A little further on appeared the noble but dilapidated 

 bridge, 150 feet high, spanning the chasm of the Huecar. 

 Of course the next thing was to get upon the bridge. The 

 view of the chasm, on either hand, is very striking. The 

 time-worn edges of the precipices have fallen into curious 

 forms. Huge detached crag-heads stand out against the 

 sky-line ; the predominant type of these rocks bears some 

 resemblance to the form of an anvil, probably a Vulcanic 

 formation. Here, on the bridge, we were arrested by a 

 distant plaintive murmur of cathedral music from above, 

 and we climbed into the town. After taking a glance at 

 the Cathedral, and trying the Post-office in the faint hope 

 of a letter, we descended by the steep, narrow street to our 

 Parador. 



It was now about twelve ; but as we had begun the day 

 on arriving at six in the morning, and besides had never 

 satisfactorily finished our night, we thought something to 

 eat and a siesta mio;ht suit our case better than further 

 investigations for the present. Harry retired to his 

 mattress ; and I, thinking it would be pleasanter to sleep 

 al fresco^ resorted once more to the ravine. 



It now became a matter of speculation where to find a 

 warm sequestered place, which did not seem so easy as I 



