SPAIN. 



631 



When a Spaniard gives a dinner, which is a rare occurrence, it is cooked at the inn, and 

 knives, forks, and dishes, are sent with it, for there is no large supply of these in Spanish houses. 

 It is not proper for a guest to accept, at once, so important an invitation. He rephes, by giv- 

 ing " a thousand thanks," which is declining respectfully. On the second asking, he says to 

 his inviter, " do not engage in such a concern ;" and it is only the third invitation, which he 

 feels at liberty to accept. 



The wines of Spain are hardly inferior to those of France ; and if the best of them are un- 

 known to commerce, it is only because they are raised in the inteiior of a country, that is with- 

 out roads or canals. The wine most esteemed is the Valdepenas, raised in La Mancha ; but 

 the Sherry, the Malaga, and the wines of Catalonia, are more known out of Spain. The 

 Sherry is a costly, but excellent wine. The wine is often kept in bags of skins, and these are 

 invariably the bottles. The manner of drinking, is to throw back the head, and pout the liquor 

 into the mouth from a distance. One leg of the skin is prepared to be the mouth of the bottle 



12. Diseases. Fevers are not uncommon, but there are few peculiar diseases. In the hu- 

 mid province of the Asturias, leprosy is common, under various forms. Some of the lepers 

 seem covered with white dust, like millers ; others are black. In some, one leg swells to an 

 enormous size ; in others, the hand or face. In the Asturias, there are 20 hospitals for lepers. 

 The remedy of Sangrado survives, in spite of the satire of Le Sage, and bleeding is resorted 

 to as a general remedy, and with little better success, than under the administration of Gil Bias. 

 The surgeons and physicians have little skill ; they are appointed by the municipality of towns, 

 so that there is no competition. The municipality is appointed by the king, so that physicians 

 may be established against the will of the people. They have a fixed salary, which is generally 

 paid by a tax on brandy. 



13. Traveling. Spain is little visited by those who travel for health, or pleasme ; and 

 Townsend makes it one of the requisites of a traveler here to have a good constitution. The 

 Spaniards have no favors to foreigners, especially those of the Protestant religion ; and the 

 roads are of the kind generally found in the infancy of civilization. There are but about 12 

 good roads in Spain, but these are made upon the principle of McAdarn, which has been fol- 

 lowed there from time immemorial. The principal of these roads, are from Madrid to Bayonne, 

 to Barcelona, and to Seville. From Madrid to Toledo, a large city distant but about 100 

 miles, there is no road, and the route lies through fields, woods, and rocks. This want of 

 internal communication is the bane of agriculture and industry, and the foe to all improvement. 

 It however preserves the natural and local character unmixed and unaltered. On the prin- 

 cipal roads the traveling by post is not disagreeable, nor is there anything in it worse than in 

 other European countries, except greater danger from robbers. The diligences are found 

 only on the principal roads ; and they are as good as the same vehicles in France. They are 

 drawn by seven, eight, or nine mules, at the rate of seven miles an hour, and the muleteers 

 are punctual and accommodating. Every mule has a name by which the muleteer addresses 

 it, as Coronela, Arragonesa, &c. The chief muleteer is called Mayoral., and the postilion 

 Zagal. The mules are obstinate to a proverb, and the Zagal has often full employment in 

 beating them. He seats himself on one in the rear to belabor the other next before it. The 

 mules are generally in good case and well used. The galera or galley, as it is not unaptly 

 called, is a long, covered wagon, for passengers and merchandise. The bottom is a net- 

 work of ropes, which in some degree supplies the place of springs. On many routes there 

 are no other modes of traveling, but on horseback, on mules, or the more humble animals 

 called borricos. 



In the Spanish language there are no less than six sounding words, to express the distinc- 

 tions of public houses of several grades of accommodations. There is, however, little differ- 

 ence between the best and worst, or rather, all are bad, and there are, not even in cities, any 

 tolerable hotels. On many of the roads the inns are so unfurnished, that the regular answer 

 to the question for dinner is, we can give you " what you have brought with you." At no 

 inn is the traveler welcomed by either host or servant ; no one asks his wants, or shows him 

 into the house. He is left to grope his way into the kitchen, where, if he is cold, he may 

 join the circle of muleteers, standing around the fire, and if hungry, he will not be served so 

 well, or so soon, as these regular customers of the host. The hall is chiefly used as the 

 sleeping-room, and the beds are arranged around it. In some provinces there is a tariff of 

 prices fixed by law, together with an allowance for the ruido delia casa, " noise of the house," 

 or attendance The orice of a slight breakfast of chocolate and bread is thus fixed at two reals. 



