The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-25

| VIC if-fN''f VI Ofl VI fI'l Ih-1'' -Nf' 40
reached their destinations. We two, a
| Freedman, and several other persons
were left 10 60 10 the end OF the route.
So far we had often been oblicedto :ravs
during the night. and. therefore, much OF
the country escaped our observation.
But we had already seen enough TO ex-
perience great disappointment in its gen.
cral appearance. The eye, fatigued with
gazing over desola'ed expanses of ur-
cultivated lands eruded Of forests
looked In vain for relief The mountain
ranges we're aim 81 entirely bare Of veg
citation. their rugged monotonv being
only relieved by an occasional field OF
ice or snow which 81, AIMED brightly In
the sunlight on their solitary SUBMITS.
The dismal gorges through which We
occasionally passed were made the more
!orhidding by the total absence OF life
animate and insnimate. As We reached a
lower latitude, broad valleys began to ap
pear spreading out between the hills
These we're watered BY streams OF con
siderable size, be ny the head waters OF
the rivers flowing westward 10 The At
,aliic. Crows Of cork-oshs and orchards
Uf olive Trees began 10 appear, and now
and then a hamlet with its lowly Lou sts
and taller church tower stood sentinel
over the landscape. In the distance the
latter looked inviting. but upon nearer
approach, presented a picture Of dilspi-
dation, squallor and fil,h. Here and there
tall teises Of cactus and the aloe, or
century plant, stretched away across the
country, scanning the land and marking
The course OF some public highway.
Amid al this WEAKNESS il was relief 10
find the inhabitants for The mos; part,
bright, cheerful and polite, although
thTliiless. ignorant AND lalg.
We had now passed through several
large provinces. Toledo, laen. IOrdoya
aud la Mancha; had heard nothing OF
Don QliXOie In the latter, nor had we
seen "A single win'm'll We noticed,
however. that al along the highways,
we had met At certain interval mounted
men in he national u form, aud armed
with lance. carbine and pistols We
had passed every few miles small vel
low building, from the top OF which
iioated The national flag. Upon inquiry
we were informed that banditti had for
wears past became so troublesome that
Marshal O'DOnnell. then commander
in-Chief Of the army, had been ordered
to police the country with the cavalry,
while details OF infantry were kept in re-
serve at stated PLACES. We also noticed
that " henever the diligence was TO cross
a mountain or pass detle during the
night, an extra guard was mounted on
top of the vehicle. Happily we heard
nothing OF baudlti, but sfierwsrd
learned to our sorrow that the most des-
peraie thieves were TO be found at the
ticket Offices Of both the railways and the
lines of Diligence This information
was not made useful to Us until we had
reachcd~Seyillc There We became ac-
quainted with polite, educated Cuban
who opened our eyes 10 the fact that We
tad been numerically plgndered by the
officials connected with these lines
Having at last reached the ancient city
OF COrd0ya, We for the time, took leave
Of the diligence and had the good for
tune % connect with a line OF railway
leading to Seville, the trains OF which
arrived and departed enthusiastically,
or as seemed convenient to their maa-
u
even this Uncertain travel on "A dilapi-
dated railroad was preferable to the
tedium Of a Spanish diligence. Sixty
miles by rail brought Us 10 Seville. l.
was now early in December, The change
from The fierce aud calling winds OF
Madrid 10 the balmy air OF this charm
ing place cannot well he described it is
only 10 be felt We fingered at Seville
longer than at any other place IN Spain,
and it would be agreeable TO dwell upon
its attractions, its cathedral, its orange
groves, lis wonderful GiTalds, female
figure Of bronze, weighing neatly three
thousand pounds, at the top OF toSer
$50 feet high, and which turns with
every wind. lis exquisite picture gallery
/ entirely by MurillO, and other wonders.
/ But these the reader can find described
| in books of travel and histories We are
obliged 10 hurry on our journey TO other
/ places foI certain reasons.
From seville we went to CadiZ, the
oldest town in Europe, having been
! founded more than three hundred years
before Rome. but which at this date is an
insignificant sea port, noted only for lis
mounds OF salt made from The sca water;
It's traiic in sherry wine, and the profit
gacy OF It's inhabitants II was once the
cleanest place in the world. hat when
seen by Us it was probably Tie fOu.est.
one morning at breakfast we heard a
Turkish Admiral speaking English, and
an hour afterwards saw for the first time
a Moslem steam man.Oi-w war at anchor in
the harbOr
We could not leave this part Of Spain
without visiting Xerez, the center and
chief town Of the district where grows
the grape from which sherry wine is
made, aud where are situated the great
depots or B0degas in which the product
OF the different yintages Is kept, These
are not wine cellars. but extensive estab-
lishments built of stone or brick succeed
above ground and generally covered wi h
yellow tiles They r minded me very
much OF SnOckOc or the old public ware
house in RichmOnd-thr casks and butts
Of vine representing the hOgsheads OF
tobacco. The fruit from which this his
toric wine Is made grows In district The
area OF which could be enclosed within n
circle whose radius would be about forty
miles But the best wine is from that
nearest The town Of Kerr or leres. We
saw vines. said TO be- more than humid