Basque Provinces 



of a deep valley, where the road begins to plunge down- 

 wards in zig-zags, from the high plateau levels of Central 

 Spain. 



We were spoken to, but not molested, by the Custom- 

 house here, on entering the Provincias Bascongadas. We 

 found we were in Biscay, too, in another way. The Basque 

 race is reported to be proud, honest, and independent ; but 

 one never acts upon the character of hearsay till it is con- 

 firmed by experience. 



Near the entrance of the town, we presented ourselves 

 before a large house, which we had been told was the posada. 

 The door was closed, and we called and knocked lustily. 

 At length a maiden appeared at a wicket. 



" Caramba ! is this a way to keep gentlemen waiting in 

 the dark ? Send the mozo de la cuadra to take our beasts, 

 carajo ! ''^ But the young lady, not liking our salutation, 

 which certainly savoured more of impatience than politeness, 

 and observing by the flaring lamp in her hand that we 

 looked more like bandits than gentlemen, told us demurely 

 to go about our business, and would listen to no appeal, but 

 shut the wicket in our faces. 



Thus left in outer darkness, where we were at liberty 

 to weep a dhcretion^ but were less likely to find materials 

 to gnash our hungry teeth upon, Harry calmly suggested 

 that, had our language been civiller, our reception might 

 have been more cordial, and that we must polish up our 

 free-and-easy Andalusian manners to suit the Provincias 

 Bascongadas. 



Turning our ponies' heads pensively down the steep 

 street, we came to an humbler roof, where we had to put up 

 our ponies in a sort of pig-sty cellar. Groping our way up 

 an exceeding crooked staircase, under the conduct of a 

 damsel of the house, we were introduced to our hostess, a 



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