The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-05-26
MADRID.

Our route is from Barcelona to Madrid,
Toledo, Grenada, Cordova, Seville, Cadiz,
Gibraltar, Tangiers in Africa, Malaga;
thence back to Madrid, Valladolid, Bur
gos, and Irun; thence into France to Bay
onne, and from thence along the northern
base of the Pyrenees through the lands of
the Albigenses to Marseilles. Nearly all
of this can be done by railway, but it is
desirable, for the purpose of seeing the
rural districts and population, to do some
travelling by diligence, or on horseback
The distance from Barcelona to Madrid,
by way of Saragossa, is about 440 miles
The journey in the express train is per-
formed in about twenty-six hours
The best time made on the Spanish rail-
ways is about sixteen or seventeen miles
per hour. The first class carriages are
comfortable, and there are respectable
bullets on the long routes, so that no one
need suffer from want of food. These
Bullets will serve you FIVE courses in TWEEN
ty minutes, and give you wine and des-
sert of nuts, raisins and fruit, for 81 or 4
reals or francs. The railroads of Spain
are ordinarily complained of as badly
managed and poorly built 1t is ensy to
find fault. We should remember that
Spain is rude, mountainous country,
crossed and quilted in every direction by
rapid mountain torrents. This necessi.
tates tunnels and masonry bridges, so that
their roads are difficult Of construction
and very expensive. The lines are long
and only single track. We should rather
say Spanish railroads are well built and
safely managed. They oil belong to pri.
vate corporations, aud they have generally
been conceded by government, with sub
ventions or guarantees attached, as an in-
ducement to build them. The plan of
giving the subtention is worthy, viz
When line is to be built the government
receives bids, and the party who will build
the road for the lowest subvention, and
put up caution money as guarantee for
performance, receives the concession. II
the line should be considered q valuable
one of itself, the party who would give the
highest price for it would have it.
The roads are generally built by French
capital. In 1S48 there were only eighteen
miles of railroad in Spain, and now there
are about 5000 miles in operation.
From Barcelona to Manresa our way
lies through Catalonia, the most enter
prising of all the Spanish provinces. We
begin to rise gradually from the coast to
the great central plateau. By carrying .
pocket aneroid barometer, the traveller
can tell at any time his altitude. We
wend our way along the bed of winter
torrents, which are dry in summer, and
through tunnels without number. We
pass the serrated top and lofty pinnacles of
Montserrat, on the left. Manufactures of
cotton, silk aud wool are built on all the
waterfalls. The cork trees, stone pines
and olives abound on every hand in the
ravines aud on the mountain sides.
At Saragossa we cross the Ebro on
sine iron bridge. The city was in former
times considered impregnable, being sur
rounded even now by high, massive walls,
and almost encircled by the Ebro. 1t has
two metropolitans aud two eathedrals.
An alLnight journey brings us to Mad
rid in the morning. All Spaniards are
exceedingly polite to strangers. When
enteringa carriage he or she will address
you, "Good day, senior, on leaving the
car he will raise his hat and say, "May
God bless you, senor." He win never
smoke without Offering you cigarette,
and it Is politeness in a stranger to do the
! same in return. Even when you do not