68 tiMEHRI. 



where; from many points the'most exquisite sketches 

 might be obtained. The stillness of this strange city and 

 the appearance of ruins everywhere suggests the idea of 

 the living chained to the dead *' the prostrate form of 

 old Spain with a degenerate facing of modern life." 

 The place should be earthed over and left alone ; it is 

 demoralising! My companion " GULIELMo" told me 

 that it would not do to pass the Sierras at night, 

 and then the dreaded Laguna Salada, so we must 

 fain put up with the hospitality of a Posada or 

 tavern. If the town reminded me of old Spain, the land 

 of Don Quixote, surely the Posada quickened the 

 idea— a huge apartment, dim hanging lamps, a group 

 of women cooking at one end and groups of men seated or 

 standing at the other, with the back open to the Court-yard. 

 Our host, a pleasant kindly fellow, soon set before us 

 some excellent home-made sausages, wheaten bread, 

 fresh butter, cheese, sardines, &c., and excellent coffee. 

 After dinner every one played dominoes, chatted and 

 told conundrums, but I observed no one called for liquor- 

 a strange inn truly. — At lo or ii, hammocks were 

 slung up and we turned in, but to be in the hammocks 

 was one thing, to sleep quite another. When the moon 

 rose it was quite impossible not to pi6lure to oneself the 

 dear old figure of DoN Quixote, who had taken the inn 

 for a castle and the Inn-keeper for a Castellan waiting 

 to be dubbed a knight, passing up and down watching 

 his arms lying on the water but (in place of an altar) 

 with lance and shield in hand (following the text.) 



" At this time, it happened that one of the carriers wanted to give his 

 mules some water ; for which purpose it was necessary to remove DoN 

 Quixote's armour from the cistern ; who seeing him advance, exclaimed 



