The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-18
1ndsvs, sua we were thus at liberty to walk along
side the coach instead OF being tortured on top Of


San Sebastian AND yittoria. A luncheon OF the
same description the dinner OF the previous day.
another charge OF eighty reals our seats and OF
as much for our luggage, were what awaited
here. The mules were changed once more, but the
diligence was to remain the same, and every at
tempt to improve our position on IL was to be given
up. At distance OF about ten miles we were to
meet Carsts we were told, but had to apprehend
no danger, so long We had no escort and car
ried no Official mail, and the Information
turned out TO By quite correct. or the
six villages situated between Zumarraga and
vttoria three were In the hands ofthe Carlsts
and three in those OF the republicans Somehow
or other they were, however, so distributed among
the rival forces that the first village nom lunar
raga was Carlist, the second republican, the third
Carlist again, the fourth republican again, ana so
on alternately. No attempt to dslodge each other
seems ever to have been made on either side.
PALISADES AND FORTIFIED BALCONIES
and windows were to be seen in every one Of the
towns and villages but no occasion for using these
Notifications seemed yet to have presented ITSELF
There was also no perceptlbe change OF the pas.
times Of the respective garrisons. Part was inva-
riably to be found playing BAN In the square in
front OF the town hail. while others were chatter
ing at the doors OF the posad0 unn). Carlists had
at least sentres posted outside the boroughs, but
republicans did not deem It necessary TO take even
that trouble. tried to inquire In every village
what was the reason OF this ,nexplcable peaceful
OF the rival forces and OF the apparent want Of
any desire either to give up warfare at all or to
carry 1t on little more seriously, and the answers
were invariably the same. The Carlsts told me
they could not attack the enemy because they were
not strong enough and had no artillery, while the
republicans said there was no use attempting
to attack the Carlists, for they wouldn't fight. and
occupying as they always do, the hills, they saw
every movement OF the troops, and new to some
new and unexpected spot as soon as the troops
started. In fact, they could never be caught
though 1t was always wen known where and how
many OF them were on hand at given moment.
or course we expected the worst when leaving
Zumarraga; and though but week ago great
friend among the Carllsts and bearer Of all sorts
OF safe-conducts had absolutely nothing OF the
sort in my possession now. 1t was not safe to
carry proofs OF Carlist acquaintance when going
to the republicans. So left every document OF
this description at Bayonne, and was now fully
prepared to be treated on footing Of perfect
equality with the rest OF the travellers. But
great was our astonshment when we actually
reached the first village occupied by the Carl
ists and saw that, except stopping us to see
whether we were not armed and did not carry the
governments mail bag, they seemed in no way In
clined to interfere with The coachman paid
quite, as n matter OF course, 100 reals 1857 toll to
the Carlist of1cer, and gave him some newspapers
he had previously read himself on the way from
San Sebastian, where oxen were tuggng US up
hill and when he was thus of his whipping duty.
The cure, my neighbor on the bench, assured me
he had seen how the coachman distracted several
newspapers from the mall bag we had carried from
San Sebastian to Zumarraga, and said tina. this
was the usual way OF newspaper supply to the
ry..~ a. tnoA
yelled through Aava ana Guipazcoa,
ALL TIE sYMPArnIEs SEEMED TO BE WITH THE
CARLIsTS, e 4E
and the c0achnan though paying the toll, to
which the travellers had OF course to contribute,
was most intimate terms with every man in the
bands we met. In all the three villages occupied
by the Cariiss we had the same quiet sort OF test
to go through. Pay your one hundred reals, show
that you have no official dispatches and no arms
and you pass quite freely. SO that, from what
have, seen, must conclude the
reports about pillagng and numbering the travel
iers to be very much exaggerated. The whole
thing is q mere stupid comedy, the performance Of
which one sees from a most uncomfortable scat,
and which one Is compelled to witness for sixteen
hours without interruption. As to danger. there
is none beyond that OF being at tho mercy of very
good-natured mountain ruffians, wrapped In rags
and armed with all sorts OF arms, including even
old tr'Gbuc0s. The consciousness OF the fact that
one is at such peoples mercy has, probably In
duced people to compose all sorts OF dreadful
stories OF events which seem never to have taken
place. Our lives were much more jeopardized by
the thieving proprietor OF the diligence, and our
luggage much more damaged by the endless ran
sacking OF the Custom House ofclals than by any OF
the .brigands, we met on that occasion at least.
APRIL 23.-We reached vittoria last night at
about six O'Clock. On approaching the town we
met republican column, composed OF infantry,
cavalry and couple OF cannons. The column was
about eight hundred strong, and went out in pur-
suit OF Carlists. The way In which 1t marched was
something quite Spanish, indeed. There was
neither a rear nor vanguard. The detachment
looked like mob dressed In uniforms and headed
by colonel doing on horseback Yet the soldiers
were all hne-looking men, brilliantly dressed and
armed, and the horses all excellent. few
dozen men ambuscaded on the road could very
easily dispense column like this, and it Is impos-
sibe that the Spanish officers should not know It,
But it that they utterly unable to enforce
anything like discipline or even mere soldier like
manners in their troops. The column assumed q
little more warlike aspect on this afternoon when
it returned to town with something like sixty Car
list prisoners they had caught The Military Gov
erner and Commander Chief OF vittoria, Briga-
der General Gonzalez, rode out with a numerous
suite OF
GLITTERING OFFICERS
of all ranks to meet the conquerors at the out
skirt OF the town. and presented a most curious
sight, dressed as he was In q light gray overcoat
and chimney-pot hat. He dido got seem to think IL
worth while to put on a uniform, even In per-
forming a military ceremony to which. from
the appearance OF his stan, considerable impor-
lance was attached. Yet at Madrid the General Is
supposed to be good disciplinarian.
The prisoners were OF course disarmed and
locked up in the town jail, where couple OF dozen
Carists were lodged already, and where they were
received with tremendous cheering by their old
companions In arms. And scarcely had the troops
retired to the barracks than local sympathizers
with Carlism began to congregate around the walls
OF the prison to salute the new comers leaning on
the ratings OF the prison windows.
OF course, there was again no tram from Wit
tora. Carlists were close to Miranda, 1t was said,
and we must see what sort OF news would come to-