Southern planter., 1832-05-19

SPANISH SCENERY.
IN The spring Of 1929, the author ofthi work
Ghom curiosity had brought into Spain, made q
rambling expedition from Seville to Gfenadn, II
company With friend member Of the Russian
embassy Al Mednd. Accident had thrown Us to
aether from distant regions Of the globe, and sim
ianty Of taste led US to wander together among The
romuntc mountains Of Andalusia Should these
pages meet bis eye, wherever thrown BY tho duties
ofhis station, whether mnglnq in The pageanlry Of
courts meditating on the truer gories Of nature,
may the recall the scenes Of our adventurous com
panionship, end with them The remembrance ofone,
In whom neither time nor distance will obiterate
the recollection of his genlleness and worth.
And here, before setting forth, lot me indulge a
Few previous remarks on Spinisb scenery and Span
ish travelling any are apt 10 picture Spain TO
their imaginations as q soft southern region, deck
cd out with al the luxuiant charms Of youpiuous
Jiaiy On the contrary, though there are excep
tions in some Of the maritime provinces, yet, for
ghe grealer part. II is stern, melancholy country,
with rugged mounisins, aud long, mixed, sweeping
plains destitute Of trees, and Invariably silent and
lonesome, paHakinQ Of ,he savage and solitary char
Acier Of Africa. What adds 10 this silence and
loneliness, IL the absence ofsingnq BIRDS natural
consequence Of the want Of groves and hedges
The vulure and the eagle are seen wheeling about
Abe mountain cliff, and soaring over The plains, and
groups Of shy busiards stalk about the heaihs, but
4he myrads Of smaller birds, which animate tho
whole face at other countries, are met with in but
few provinces Of Spain, and in them chiefly among
the orchards and gardens which surround the hab-
1aiions ofman
In the exterior provinces, the traveller occasion
ally traverhes great tracts cultivated with grain as
Ar AZ tho eye can reach, wavirg Al times with YER
duTe, at other times naked and nn.buut; but he
docks round IN vain for the hand that has titled the
Soi; al length he perceives aomp village perched
on a steep hill, or rugged crag, with moul Ierng
baitlemenis and ruined watch.iower; strong hold,
IN old times, against civil war OF Moorish nroad !,
rfor the custom among tho peasantry Of conqreQa.
ting together for mutual protection, is shll kept up
an most part Of Spain, 10 consequence Of the ma
sFaudings Of rowing ffeebooier
ButtlonRh great part Of Spain Is deficient IN
'sho RarnuTe Of groves and forests, and the
-ootier charms Of ornamental cultivation, vet its
scenery has something of high and lofty charac.
Ter 10 compensate the want Il pariakos something
of the attributes Of its people, and ! think that
better understand the proud, hardy, frugal and alb
-Slemious Spaniard, bis manly defiance ofhardships
and coniemp, Of eaeminate indulgence, since
'bave seeu ihe country he iDhabiis
There is something, too, in the aiernly simple
FEATURES ofthe Spanish landscape, that mpresses on
N.O rS"l ttcbnk oi buDnmlty. Ino immense
plains OF the CASTLES and La Mancha, extending
81 far as the eye veaeh, doyivs interest Com
theirvery nukctiucas and immensely and have some
thing Of the solemn grandeur Of the oceah.--In
anginRoyer these boundless wastes tho eve catches
eight here and there, Of struggling herd Of cattle.
attended bysa lonely herdsnan, motionlesa as a
Sisue, with his long slender pike tapering up like
lance into tho air;or beodsa long train Of mules
slowly moving along the waste like train Of cam
els IN the desert, or a single herdsman armed with
. blunderbuss and snlieiio, and Prowling over the
plain. Thus tho county, the habits the very looks
OF the people, have something of the Arabian char
acier. The general insecurity Of the country is
eyinced in the universal use Of weapons. The
herdsman IN the field, the shepherd 10 the plain,
has he muskef and his knife, The wealthy villa
ger rarely ventures 10 tho market-town without his
tabucbo; and, perhaps servant on foot with a
blunderbpss on his shoulder; and the most petty
Journey is undertaken with the preparations Of a
warke enterprise.