CHARLES WATERTON, ESQ. XXXI 



My uncles had a pleasant country-house at the foot 

 of the adjacent mountains, and many were the days 

 of rural amusement which I passed at it. The red- 

 legged partridges abounded in the environs, and the 

 vultures were remarkably large ; whilst goldfinches 

 appeared to be much more common than sparrows 

 in this country. During the spring, the quails and 

 bee-eaters arrived in vast numbers, from the opposite 

 coast of Africa. Once when I was rambling on the 

 sea shore, a flock of a dozen red flamingoes passed 

 nearly within gun-shot of me. 



At my uncles' house, I made the acquaintance of 

 an English gentleman who had been staying with 

 them for some time. He was travelling in Spain to 

 obtain commercial orders, in favour of his Firm in 

 England ; which was most respectable. He was a 

 pleasant, laughing, well-made, dapper, little man ; 

 and, as he was full of information, which he had col- 

 lected in the different places through which he 

 had passed, I found his conversation very agreeable ; 

 and we made arrangements to go to Cadiz by land, 

 taking Gibraltar in our way. 



It is a well-known fact, that apes are found 

 in no part of Europe except in Gibraltar. They 

 inhabit the steepest parts of the mountain, and 

 always prefer to be sheltered from the wind, when 

 it blows hard. I had letters of introduction to the 

 Danish consul, Mr. Glynn. As good luck would 

 have it, the wind changed to the eastward on the 

 very morning on which the consul had arranged 

 to show us over the rock of Gibraltar. He said that 

 the apes were sure to be on the move, as the change 



