Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-06-13
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
From Washington humg's ".Alhambra."
"THE JOURNEY"

| In the spring of 1899, the author OF this work,
whom curiosity had brought into Spain, made a
rambling expedition from Seville to Granada, in
company with friend, member OF the Russian
embassy at Madrid. Accident had thrown US to-:
getber from distant regions OF the globe and ST.
mi larity of taste led Us to wander together among
the romantic mountains of Andalusia. Should
these pages meet his eye. wherever thrown by the
duties Of his station, whether minglng in the pa
peantry of courts or meditating on the truer go
ries of nature, may they recall the scenes of our
adventurous companionship, and with them the re-
membrance of one, in whom neither time nor dis
lance will obliterate the recollection OF his gen.
tleness and worth.
And here, before setting forth, letme indulge
| in few previous remarks on Spanish scenery and
Spanish travelling. Many are apt to picture Spain
| to their masInations as soft southern region,
decked out with all the luxurious charms OF vo.
luptuous Italy. On the contrary, though there
are exceptions in some of the maritime provinces,
vet, for the greater part. it is stern, melancho
" country with rugged mountains, and long, ma
ied, sweeping plains, destitute OF trees, and in.
varably silent and lonesome, partaking OF the sa
| wage and solitary character OF Africa. What
adds to this silence and loneliness, - the absence
of singing birds, natural consequence OF the
want of groves and hedges. The vulture and the
eagle are seen wheeling about the mountain cliffs
| and soaring over the plains, and groups OF shy
bustards stalk about the heaths, but the myriads
of smaller birds, which animate the whole lace OF
other countries, are met with IN but lew pro'lnc-
es of Spain, and in them chiefly among the ORCH
ards and gardens which surround the ha6ttallOns
| Of man.
| In the interior provinces, the traveller occa-
| sionally traverses great tracts cultivated with
grain as far as the eye can reach waving at times
| with yerdure al other times naked and un-burnt
but he looks round in vain for the hand that
has titled the soil; at length he perc.ives some
! village perched on a steep hill! Or rugged cras,
with Wondering battements and ruined watch
tower; strong hold, in old times, against civil
war or Moorish inr0ad: for the custom among the
peasantry of congrega!ing together Tor mutual pro-
lection, is still kept up in most parts Of Spain, in
consequence OF the maraudngs OF rowing Tree
buUters
But though great part of Spain is dcficie mt
| in the garniture of groves and forests, and the
softer charms Of ornamental cultivation, yet its
scenery has something of high and lofty charac-
ter to compensate the want. 1t partakes some
thing of the attributes of its people, and | think
that better understand the proud, hardy, frugal
and abstemious Spaniard, his manly defiance Of
hardships, aud contempt of effeminate ,ndulgen-
ces, since have seen the country he inhabts.
There is something, too, in the sternly simple
features Of the Spanish landscape, that impresses
| on the soul feeling Of sublimty. The immense
| plains OF CASTLE and La Mancba, extending as
far as the eve can reach. derive an interest from
their very nakedness and immensely. and have
something of the solemn grandeur Of the ocean.
! In ranging over these boundless wastes, the eye
catches sight, here and there Of struggling herd of
| cattle attended bv lonely herdsman, notionlcss
as a statue, with his long slender pike tapering
up like lance into the air; or beholds long
train of mules slowly moving along the waste
like train of camels in the desert, or single
herdsman, armed with blunderbuss and stiletto,
and prowling over the plain. Thus, the country,
the habits, the very looks of the people, have
thin. of the Arabian character The gene
raj insecurity Of the country is evnced in the
universal use Of weapons. The herdsman in the
field, the shepherd in the plain has his musket and
his knife. The wealthy vilager rarely ventures
| to the market.town without his trabucho; and,
perhaps, servant on foot with blundebus on
his shoulder; and the most petty journey is un-
| dertaken with the preparations Vi warlike en-
tefprise
The dangers Of the road produce, also, mode
of travelling, resembling, ON d'minutive scale,
| the caravans of the East. The arrieros, or car
riefSs uUVpSS anu SSe W. 80 'n'
and we'll armed trains on appointed days, while
individual travellers swell their number and con-
tribute to their strength In this primitive way
IL the commerce Of the country carried on. The
muIeteer is the general medium Of traffic, and
| the legitimate wanderer of the land. traversing
the Peninsula from hePyrenees and the Austuras,
to the Alpuxarias, the Serrania de Ronda. and
even TO the gates Of Gibraltar. He lives frugal
ly and hardly; his aforjas Tor saddle-bags) of
coarse cloth, hold his scanty stock Of provisions;
a leathern bottle hanging at his saddle.bow, con-
| tains wine or water for a supply ACROSS barren
mountains and thirsty plains; mule cloth spread
upon the ground is his bed at night, and his pack.
saddle is his pillow. His low but clear,iimbed
and sinewy form betokens strength; his COM
| plexiou is dark and sun.burnt; his eye resolute,
but quiet IN its expression, except when kindled
by sudden emotion; his demeanor is frank, man
| ~ and courteous, and he never passes you with.
out grave salutation-" Dios guarda listed ~
..yav listed con Dios cabellero!"-" God guard
you -" God be with you! cavaiier!"
As these men have often their whole fortune at