CHAPTEE XXII 



AN ABANDONED PROVINCE 



(estremadura) 



Can this really be Europe — crowded Europe ? Eor four long 

 days we have traversed Estremenian wilds, and during that time 

 have scarce met a score of folk, nor seen serious evidence of 

 efiective human occupation. At first our northward way led 

 through rolling undulations, the western foothills of the long 

 Sierra Morena, clad with the everlasting gum-cistus, with 

 euonymus, a few stunted trees, and the usual aromatic brushwood 

 of the south. Only at long intervals — say a league or two apart 

 — would some tiny cot, of woodcutter perhaps, or goat-herd, 

 oieam white amidst the rolling green monotone. Here and there 

 wild-thyme [cantueso) empurpled the slopes as it were August 

 heather, but the chief beauty-spot was the rose-like flower of the 

 cistus, now (May) in fullest bloom— waxy white, with orange 

 centre and a splash like black velvet on each petal. Next, for a 

 whole day we ride through open forest of evergreen oak and wild- 

 olive, the floor carpeted with tasselled grasses, tufty broom, and 

 fennel. We encamp where we list and cut firewood, none saying 

 us nay or inquiring by what authority we do these things. 



One evening while we investigated an azure magpie's nest in 

 an ilex hard by the tents, four donkey-borne peasants appeared. 

 Though they rode close by, yet they showed no sign, passing 

 silent and incurious. The few natives we met hereabouts all 

 seemed listless, apathetic, uncommunicative, in striking contrast 

 with their sprightly southern neighbours beyond the hills in 

 Andalucia. We read that Estremadura is a " paludic " province 

 and unhealthy ; possibly the malarial microbe has sapped energy. 



To forest, next day succeeded more rolling hills with ten-foot 

 bush and scattered trees. From a crag-crowned ridge, the culminat- 



225 Q 



