132 GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE-MAKING. 



Our seats were pretty comfortable, they Laving placed us into 

 the Berline, as they call it here. We tried in Madrid to get the 

 same seats which we had in coming from Bayonne, but they had 

 already been taken. 



I could not judge of the appearance of the country, as it was 

 dark and cloudy. When daybreak came we were on high mount- 

 ains, planted from the valleys to their very tops with grape-vines. 

 The soil is red and rocky. The appearance of the country was 

 very picturesque, as on the tops of the mountains, on their sides 

 and in the ravines, houses were built. This was the first time I 

 witnessed in Spain an idea of practical life. This is certainly far 

 better than huddling themselves together in dirty little villages. 

 Not only is it more healthy, more comfortable, but it is also more 

 profitable. 



The mountains are very steep, so the cultivation must be done 

 by hoes ; the work, however, is not overdone. It does not rain 

 for seven or eight months during the year, consequently but little 

 grass grows. Even if it did rain, the weeds would not come up 

 very fast in such poor ground. 



The wine of the mountains has the taste and look of dark 

 sherry, and, if care was taken in making it, it would become an 

 excellent wine. The people here seem to make no improvement 

 whatever; their wine is still made in the same manner that the 

 Eomans employed when masters of the country. 



Our road still wound up the hill for some time, and vineyards 

 were planted from the foot to the top of the mountains. Arriving 

 at last on the top of the mountain, we had a magnificent view of 

 Malaga and its fertile valley. The prospect was beautiful, and 

 for a moment I forgot all my road troubles in looking on the 

 scene which lay before me. All was smiling to me ; the large 

 plantations of olive-trees, vines, oranges, and lemons; Malaga 

 with its manufactories; the old Moorish citadel and its cathe- 

 dral — all present a most pleasing view, which called out admira- 

 tion when from the town you turned your eyes toward the sea, 

 sprinkled here and there with white sails. My pleasure in be- 

 holding this scene was not a little enhanced by the thought that 

 at last my traveling by diligence would end. 



Descending the mountain, we passed several raisin-making es- 

 tablishments. They are very numerous around Malaga. 



We soon reached the city, and proceeded to the Alameda Ho- 

 tel, which proved to be an excellent one. After having well 



