The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-04-26

gof Spain. closely hctnmed in. and daily
lrarersed. by hosts nf Fnenehmen and
spanianls-plesesving ) language whirll.
from IFS difficulty and war Of resemblance
70 any olhrr knosn tongue. very iew far
eigners ever acquire. They hare ihalr
own musical instruments she -lnnsl
Harmonious IN he world; their own music. !
iof peculiar originality and vildness; fiseir
own dances and games. dtess. and nsiinnal
ienlors, an naie or less different from those |
of tie rest of SPAN. There i no doubt
NJ their being firstra,e Sighting men. hnl
/ the hsbil nf eoniending with snpsriar num-
hers has given them recni,aE noii0ns On 1
! the subject af military succesS and glory. I
They attach M shame 10 retreat oT even
10 flight; bat those antagonists who sup
pase that ,beeause ihey run away ihey are
beaten, sooner or later bad themselves
ierregiously mistaken. Flight Is = pari
OF their larIies; 10 fatigue the enemy, and
infiict heavy loss Al lille ioihemselvrs. Is
anon al occasions their aim. They
care nothing Tor The empty honor Of
sleeping on TIE bloody battlefield over
which they have all day fought. They
could hardly be made 90 understand the
merit Of sneh proceeding; they take
much greater credit when they Thin the
enemy's ranks without suffering them
selves And if they ofien run away. they
are ever ready 10 return To the fray. They
are born with q natural aptitude for tire
only species Of fighting Tor which their
lmOuntsin0ns lands adapted. We have
been greatly amused and interested. when
rambling in their country, BY watching a
lavorile game frequently PLAYED upon
Sundays and other holidays. The boys
of Two villages meet al an appointed spot
and engage in skirmish; turf and sclods
OF earth, often stones, being substituted
for bullets. The spiri, and skill with
which the lads carry on The mock encoun-
Ter, The wild yelIs called forth by each
Iflunctua,ion Of the fight, the herceness OF
their Juvenile faces, when. after we'll
directed volley, one side rushes lorwafd IN
The charge, armed with the thick bamboo
like stems of The Indian corn, their white
- teeth firmly sci, and barbarous Basque
oath upon their lips. strongly recall the
more earnest and bloody encounters IN
which their fathers have so often. disiin'
lgulshed themselves. These contests
which sometimes become rather serlou:
s ..fnapo -ila ,aaesinnaie character of The Bas.
qlles, and ollen terminate IN lew broken
heads, are encouraged by the older people.
and compose the sole military education Of
a race, who do not fight The worse because
they are unacquainted with The drill.ser
geani, and with The very rudiments o
scientific warfare. !. The tenaeity will
which these monntaineers adhere 10 The
iusages of their ancestors, even when they
are untitled 10 the century, and disadyanta.
gcous 10 themselves, isyery remarkable
!. When in the ninth century, the FIencl
Kings conquered for a short lime a par
of the Basque provinces, they prudently
!. abstained from interference with The pri
viligcs aud customs of the inhabitants. ant
!. when the whole of Spain was finally
. united into one kingdom under Ferdinand
= the. Catholic, the Basques retained thei
2 republican forms. Every Basque is mor'
g or less noble. The genealogical pride
proverbially attributed 10 Spaniarls. j:
,oni-heroded by that oflhese mountaineers
u amongst whom a charcoal burner or Z
J mueieer will hold himself as good and
ancient a gentleman as the best duke in
the land. Certainly there is no country
+ where such. equality exists amongst all
= classes; am equality, however, rather
= pleasing shan disagreeble in its results
+ The deffeafhr Of the les, fortunate Of ths
people tawsftls those whom wealth AMI
: education place above them, is remet
: from insolence and. brutality, as it is from
), cringing seryilily, The poorest peasant
ulling his patch Of maize, answers tht
question Of The rich proprietor. who drives
! his carriage past his cottage, with TN
Il same frank courtesy and manly assurance
;, with which he would acknowledge ih'
: greeting or interrogaiory Of fellow-la
4 UOtCls =ssE. ss#aasz !