CHILfAN DIKNEK. 



145 



lands where Spanish is spoken. It consists of 

 boiled beef, piled round with all sorts of vege- 

 tables, and well covered with a large yellow pea, 

 called a Garbanza ; and so inseparable is this 

 union, that our " beans and bacon'' is not better 

 known in English, even in a proverbial sense, 

 than " OUa con Garbanza'' is in Spanish. Be- 

 sides these dishes, we had various rich stews, and 

 last of all, a dish of roast beef This did not in 

 the smallest degree resemble " the glorious roast 

 beef of Old England but was a long thin, black 

 strip of dry, burnt-up meat, without a single bone 

 to give it a shape, and with every bit of fat cut 

 away. Meanwhile we finished our dinner, and 

 then partook of a capital dessert of cool bursting 

 figs, fresh from trees within sight of the table ; as 

 were also the luscious sweet grapes, the pride of 

 our host's heart ; and lastly, the enormous purple 

 water melon, the staff of life amongst the poorer 

 classes in this country : to all which was added a 

 pleasant small wine, manufactured, as our host 

 triumphantly imparted to us, by our absent 

 hostess. 



The whole scene was highly characteristic of 



VOL. I. K 



