THE HOME OF THE LAMMEKGEYER. 313 



wine-skin was replenished, and Manuel struck up some 

 snatches of "Don Eodrigo de Bivar " and songs of the 

 ancient chivalry. Maiden figures soon flitted in the dark- 

 ness outside, and coyly accepting an invitation to enter, 

 our barn resounded with the music of castanet and 

 guitar, while lissom forms and light fandango graced its 

 ere whiles unlovely floor. 



Next morning our guide, Manolo Osorio Garcia, was 

 drunk — a most unusual thing in Spain ! We left him to 

 sleep off his horachcra, and were glad to get rid of him, 

 for — again, most unusual — he was constantly pestering 

 not only for wine, but for boots, gunpowder, and other 

 things — requests that, when luggage is reduced to a 

 minimum, cannot be conveniently complied with. 



Despite their industry there is, nevertheless, woful 

 poverty amid the peasants of Nevada. Whole tribes live 

 in caves and excavations in the mountain-sides — filthy 

 holes, shared, of course, by the beasts, and devoid of the 

 remotest approach to comfort or decency. Even in the 

 larger villages the ordinar}- sanitary- precautions are 

 utterly neglected, disease is frequent, and death sweeps 

 in broad swathes. Early one morning Manuel came 

 in to tell us that in the hamlet, at which we had arrived 

 the previous night, " the people were dying by dozens each 

 day of small-pox, that ten children had already succumbed 

 that morning, and that he was very ill himself." We 

 accordingly left at once, meeting in the pass above the 

 village a drove of several hundred black pigs. Our horses 

 planted their feet firmly on the rocks, and for some 

 minutes we stood encompassed in a torrent of swine, 

 which raced and jostled beneath us. 



In Spain the Gypaetus is yearly decreasing in numbers. 

 A decade ago they were fairl}- numerous in the vast area 

 of rock mountains which stretches between Granada and 

 Jaen, To-day a week may be spent in that district with- 

 out so much as even a distant view of this grand bird. 

 The reason is unquestionably the use of poison {veneno), 

 which is laid out broadcast by the goatherds for the 

 special benefit of wolves, Init which is equally fatal to the 

 Lammeroever. 



