970 MR. C. R. MARKHAM ON THE WHALE-FISHERY OF [DeC. 13, 



In some places the chestnut-groves come down almost to the water's 

 edge. 



Along this coast there are many small fishing-towns. Fuenter- 

 rabia, on its picturesque hill, overlooks the French frontier. Fol- 

 lowing the coast to the westward the next port is Pasajes ; and then 

 comes the city of San Sebastian, which was the centre of the old 

 whale-fishery. Zarauz is a town stretching along the shores of a 

 sandy bay. Guetaria is built in a cleft of rocks which are shel- 

 tered behind the island of San Anton. Zumaya and Deva are at 

 the mouths of rivers ; and Motrico is a picturesque little town built 

 on steep slopes like Clovelly, overlooking a rocky bay. These are 

 the ports of Guipuzcoa. 



Ondarroa, at the mouth of its river, where small schooners are 

 still built, is the first port of Vizcaya, coming from the east. Le- 

 queitio is a large and more important place, sending out about a 

 hundred fishing-boats. Next come Mundaca, at the mouth of the 

 river Guernica, Bermeo, another populous fishing- town with as 

 many boats as Lequeitio, Plencia, and Portugalete and Santurce in 

 the bay of Bilbao. These are the principal Vizcayan ports. 



The province of Santander has Castro-Urdiales, Laredo and San- 

 tona on the shores of a large harbour, Santander itself, and San 

 Vicente de la Barquera. 



In the Asturias are the ancient ports of Llanes, Rivadesella, 

 Villaviciosa, the important town of Gijon, Candas, and Luanco, 

 From the little village of Luanco to the end of the Cabo de las Penas 

 is a walk of eight miles ; and this was the most western point I 

 reached. 



The Basque fishermen are a handsome race. They go away on 

 their fishing-voyages for many days, and are brave, honest, and 

 industrious ; while both men and women are always cheerful and light- 

 hearted. They belong to a people who, for centuries, have repelled 

 foreign invasion, have enjoyed free institutions, and made their own 

 laws. The Basque fishermen are the descendants of the old whalers, 

 and retain their traditions. They have, from time to time, produced 

 naval worthies whose names are historical. Among them are Se- 

 bastian del Cano, a native of the little fishing-town of Guetaria, who 

 was the first circumnavigator of the globe ; Legaspi, the conqueror 

 of the Philippine Islands ; Machin de Munguia, the Spanish Gren- 

 ville ; and Churruca, whose gallantry at the battle of Trafalgar won 

 for him the admiration of his English foes. 



Such men were the product of the whale-fishery, which was for 

 the Basques, as it has since been for the British, an admirable nursery 

 for seamen. 



My first inquiries had reference to the antiquity of the Basque 

 whale-fishery. The following facts show that it was a well estab- 

 lished trade in the 12 th century ; so that it probably existed at 

 least two centuries earlier. King Sancho (the Wise) of Navarre 

 granted privileges to the city of San Sebastian in the year 1150. In 

 this grant there is a list of articles of merchandise, with the duties that 

 must be paid for warehousing them ; and whalebone has a prominent 



