Dr. Traill oji the Salt Mines of Cardona. 409 



of the guardians of the mine. When detected, the usual punish- 

 ment for a peasant is, even on the first offence, two or three years 

 labour among malefactors in some of the public works in the 

 province. A soldier is however less severely punished when he 

 commits a similar transgression ; he is generally sentenced to a few 

 days solitary confinement in a dungeon of the castle. On asking 

 an overseer the reason of this disproportion in the punishment of 

 different offenders, he replied, that the soldier's poverty was sup- 

 posed to extenuate his crime, while the peasant of Catalonia en- 

 joyed comparative wealth, and could afford to purchase salt for the 

 consumption of his family. 



Such is the boldness of the smugglers and the jealousy of the 

 government, that it is dangerous to visit the mines without formal 

 leave from the Intendente j as the centinels have orders to fire on 

 any one seen loitering about them. 



The workmen here receive considerable wages, and are all free 

 labourers ; each man receives daily twelve reals vellon, which at the 

 rate of exchange last year equals three shillings sterling: lads are 

 paid at the rate of eight reals, or two shillings ; and boys receive 

 six reals, or one shilling and sixpence.* The hours for work are 

 from six in the morning to seven in the evening (in summer) j with 

 the intervals of half an hour, between 8 and 9 o'clock, A. M. for 

 breakfast, and two hours, from twelve to two, for dinner, and its 

 usual sequel in Spain, the siesta. 



The produce of the mines is pulverized by grinding it in mills, 

 on the exact construction of our common water mills. This ope- 



* This may be considered as liberal wages where tfie necessaries of life, with the 

 exception of bread, are cheap; at Canloua, mutlon and beef costs 1 real veil, per 12 oz. 

 Bread of the best quality costs 1 real veil, per 12 oz. Wine of the country (a very 

 good red sort) is retailed at 6 quartos per bottle, or about two pence sterling. 



Vol. III. 3 f 



