''Our Lady of the Dew" 



83 



the way and fell asleep. On awakening he found the Virgin had 

 gone — she had returned to her hollow tree. Having^ ascertained 

 this, and being now filled with fear, he proceeded alone to 

 Almonte, where he reported his discovery. At once the Alcalde 

 and clergy accompanied him to the spot, and finding the image 

 as related, a vow was then and there solemnised that a shrine, 

 dedicated to N. S. del Rocio, should be erected at the very spot. 



On its being discovered that this Virgin was able to perform 

 miracles and to grant petitions, her fame soon spread afar, and 

 religious fervour waxed strong. Thus during the plague of 

 1649-50, the Virgin having been removed to Almonte as a 

 safeguard, the inhabitants of that place were immune from the 

 pestilence, though every other hamlet was decimated. A second 

 miracle was attributed to the Virgin. Hard by the shrine at 

 Rocio was a spring of water, but of such poor supply that 

 ordinarily a single man could empty it within two hours : yet 

 during the three days of the pilgrimage thousands of men and 

 their horses could all assuage their thirst. 



Owing to these manifestations devout persons endowed the 

 Virgin of Rocio with considerable sums of money, with which 

 a larger shrine was built, while sumptuous garments, laces, and 

 embroidery, with jewelry and precious stones, were provided for 

 her adornment. In addition to this. Replicas of the original 

 effigy were made and distributed around the villages of the 

 neighbourhood, particularly the following : — 



At each of these and other places, " Brotherhoods " (Her- 

 mandades), afl&liated to the original at Rocio, were established 

 to guard these eftigies ; and it is from these points that every 

 Whitsuntide the various pilgrim-fraternities journey forth across 

 the wastes towards Rocio, each Brotherhood bringing its own 

 carved replica to pay its annual homage to its carved prototype. 



In the spring of 1910 the authors attended the Fiesta. 

 Already, the night before, premonitory symptoms — the tuuing-up 



