Our Nations and Callings 



down the front, with a broad embroidered border of yellow 

 and scarlet, clasped with the filigree broche I had got in 

 Valladolid — my loins girt with a crimson faja^ striped with 

 white, green, and purple — my lower extremities in tight- 

 fitting white drawers, continued below the knee by embroi- 

 dered bottines of yellow leather. My sombrero^ too, was very 

 high-peaked, and adorned with two huge tufts of black silk 

 on the rim and crown. Each particular item of attire I have 

 had occasion to purchase, has always been selected with an 

 arrive pensee to my arriero costume having some day to 

 figure on the boards of the Hovingham theatre. We intend 

 to write a Piece with Brigands in it on purpose ; and 

 between our wardrobes, I think we could turn out a gang 

 of eight or nine very respectable ruffians in the digagie 

 demi-toilette of the robbers' cave. 



We have passed as belonging to sundry nations on our 

 way : Italians, Portuguese, French, Germans, Andalusians, 

 Madrilenians, Biscayans ; and sundry professions — pottery- 

 men, equestrian performers, railway-engineers, pedlars, bull- 

 fighters, miners, and play-actors. 



The country, as we approached Burgos, had been im- 

 proving, the hills getting rounder at the top, and the soil 

 less sandy. From a windy height we saw the twin-spires of 

 Burgos's beautiful cathedral. 



As we were entering beneath the dark-arched gateway, 

 the doganero^ who was loitering some little way off outside, 

 came running up, and calling out, — " Hallo, stop, you Man- 

 chegos ! I must see what you have in the alforjas ! " We 

 stopped and told him who we were, and he let us pass 

 without examination. We have really, on the whole, been 

 very little troubled with custom-house regulations. But 

 these abuses (I mean custom-houses), being the relic of 

 barbarous times, to which they were greatly better adapted 



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