3o6 Unexplored Spain 



over, picks out the best parts of the road. This enables the 

 driver to go to sleep, and the plan, we were told, is a good one. 



At L:injar6n (2284 feet) we breakfosted at the ancient /b?icZa 

 of San Rafael, where the Ijright and l)eautifully polished brass 

 and copper cooking utensils hanging on the walls were a sight 

 to make a careful housewife envious. We watched our ])reakfast 

 cooked over the charcoal-fire, and learned a good deal thereby. 

 We were delayed here a whole day by snow-storms. There is 

 stabling under the fonda for 500 pack-animals, for Lanjaron 

 in its " season " is an important place, frequented by invalids 

 from far and near. Its mineral springs are reputed efficacious ; 

 but the drainao;e arranoements are villainous in the extreme, 

 and altoo-ether it seemed a villaoe to be avoided. Sad traces of 

 the cholera were everywhere visible, many doors and lintels 

 bearino' the ominous sio-n : it was curious that in so few cases 

 had it been erased. 



We left before daybreak, and a few leagues farther on the 

 ascent became very steep and abrupt, the hill-crests whither we 

 were bound within view but wreathed in mist. Only one 

 traveller did we meet in the long climb from Orjiva to Capileira, 

 and he bringing two mule-loads of dead and dying sheep, worried 

 by wolves just outside Capileira the night before. Expecting 

 that the wolves would certainly return, we prepared to wait 

 up that night for them ; but were dissuaded, the argument being 

 " that is exactly what they will expect ! No, those wolves will 

 probably not come back this winter." But return they did, both 

 that night and several following. The night before we left 

 Capileira on the return journey (a fortnight later) they came in 

 greater numbers than ever and killed over twenty sheep. 



Capileira is the highest hamlet in the sierra and is celebrated 

 for its hams, which are cured in the snow. Here w^e put up for 

 the niglit, sleeping as best we could amidst fowls and fleas, after 

 an amusing evening spent around the fire, when one pot cooked 

 for forty people besides ourselves. The cold was intense, streams 

 of fine snow whirling in at pleasure through the crazy shutters, 

 so we were glad to go to bed — indeed I was chased thither by 

 a hungry sow on the prowl, seeking something to eat, apparently 

 in my portmanteau. 



Heavy snow-falls that night and all next day prevented our 

 advance ; but at an early hour on the following morning we were 



