Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-02-01

ignorant folk believed in me because had
already fed them. The camphor did tbs
rest. For two hours such coughing, sneez
ing and retching never were elsewhere heard
published advice few weeks before, annihi
lated la grippe in the Glands end" of Spain
and on this night, the second of my deten.
tion in this desolate village, there were some
thing like life and hope among the people
Good Pierre Floquet was wild with delight
and pride; the weakened alcalde was stupe.
lied by what some of his people believed to
be miracle; and If Finisterre could have
compassed that much, my march through
Spain would have resulted in endless ova.
tion. But l did not stop at camEhor,
Pierre Floquet had brought in his schooner
from Concarneau four Breton calves for the
little TERRA arrendada or farm he hoped to
purchase at Miera. I bought one of these.
Together we killed it, cut it up into small
portions, and, having recourse again to the
old fish-oil cauldron, boiled the meat, Gov.
cred, and gave the broth, of the consistency
OF honest beef tea, to every one in the ham
let. Such feast never had been known
among them. It seemed to operate like an in
fusion of blood. The starved wretches were
truly intoxicated with the, to them, elixir of
one ite-giving meal. They sang and almost
|
ones heart aches to realize in the presence of
just one such scene the imitless insufficient
| cy, the wretched want and the awful dispar-
ity with such as these, when the happier
conditions of you and I, and even those
who are merely spared cold and hunger, are
| considered in honest comparison
When the next morning had come I was
free man and almost demigod In Finis-
terre. Pierre decided to set out with me on
| my way to Santiago, that he might engage
several jacas or stout Spanish pack-ponies to
remove his goods to Meira, and was glad
that our pilgrimage was to be for at least a
little distance together. As We departed the
| alcalde embraced US, and nearly all the peo-
| pie of Finisterre were out to shout after us
heartfelt parting goodwill, and "Dios le q
| comprne!' "Dios le compane!" came fer.
vently from every grateful tongue. Oircling
the noble bay, we passed through the hamlet
of Corcuvion, its people also in a sad plight
from the mysterious epidemic; crossed the
little torrent of Jallas; and then with peas.
ant as guide climbed to considerable alti-
| tltude, from which the Atlantic could be
plainly seen. Thence descending by q
mountain path into the valley of the Tam
bre, we reached Noya and its single inn,
where we refreshed ourselves soon after
noon. Here we procured another guide, a
typical Gallegan, from whom, on our. way to
Santiago dc Campostelo, which we reached
shortly before midnight, I drew much inter-
esting information regarding the people of
Galicia, the oldest, and once the most ia.
NOUS, province Of Spain.
The old sovereignty of Galicia comprises
the present four northwesternmost provinces
OF Spain named Lugo, Ceruna, Orense and
Ponteveda, with q population of two mil
lion souls. The Inhabitants are descended
from the ancient Boetians and preserve their
fine physique and facial pecuilarities to a re-.
markable degree. The cities and towns are
far apart and strikingly interesting in very
ancient, though unartistic architecture; but
the region, outside the towns, is more dense
~ populors, considering it's sterile noun
tains and tempest-swept moors, than any
other portion of Spain. Outside of the
cities and the more pretentious hamlets there
is no habitation deserving better name
than hovel in all Galicia. Their owners call
them cnozas, and they are perched in all
manner of romantic and out of the way
places, usually sheltered and half hidden by
luxuriant chestnut groves. In these chozas
whether the peasant occupant is a sitiero or
tenant at will, at rental not exceeding three
American dollars per year, or whether he
has become the proud possessor of a few
acres. which is every Gallegan's highest
dream, the peasant of Galicis who remains
at home idly sits and dozes his life away in
sodden Incidence. Four bare walls, the out
side always whitewashed, the inside black
with smoke and filth, and matched roof,
are enough for shelter. He needs little fire,
and the dead branches of the forests provide
for this. patch for potatoes, a quarter
OF an acre for milo or miilet, a half acre for
horono or corn, are all he sullenly pecks at
in the summer; and for winter his perro or
dog 1s the same excellent company as is his
wife's Iueca OF distaM to hor. Two or three
goats furnish enough milk, and queso or
cheese whose horrible odor no compound
can surpass. He may possess skinny jacas
on whose patient back burdens inconceivable
are packed. He knows no spade nor plow,
nor other toll provoking implement; and as
his choza always stands beside bubbling
spring or songful rivulet, no labor is expend-
ed in his only other need. This Gallegan is
sort of animal, never exactly harmful,
never, wholly helpful, and always wholly
contented with sombrero, a pair of leather
breeches, shirt worn outside these, a cook
ade or tassel, and any red or yellow stuff
for sash. He is not vicious. When he
was young he did some labor. But altoReth-
er he il only unit of calculation IN sum-
ming up population. IT he be married he
lives peacefully anywhere in the mountains.
his wife Is prolific of children and rude ex-
pedients. He rears children, like goats, be-
cause they come. They are welcome to
come, to stay, or to go. He is likely to
know few airs on the gaita, the Spanish
highland bagpipe, and he will sing through
his nose to this and the moon, with the same
fervor at eighty as eighteen; while one could
hardly lose his way in the Galician noun.
tains for the lugubrious notes that reach
from one choza to another, as these old bag
roar against the afrighted air.
Upon the face of things one feels that all
is squalor, poverty and permeated with .
dumb sort of wretched content. But that
Judgment would be wholly wrong. They
have this saying in Spain to describe q
hoarder Of money: "He is as heavy with
onzas ian onza is about sixteen dollars in
gold) as is Gallegan's breeches;" and there
is said to be greater wealth, in coin, per cap-
ita, in Galicia than is possessed by any other
equal rural population of Europe. This
comes of certain fixed and ineradicable
characteristics of the Gallegans, old, stub
born and htnty as Spain itself. For more
than thousand years the mozos and criadas
or men and maid servants of Spain have
been supplied from these wild and desolate
mountain regions. All the city cocheros OK
coachmen, aguadores or water-carriers. cam
tineros or buffers and lunch-carriers, porte
ros or patio porters, csrreteros or cartmen,
zapateros or cobblers, you may come upon in
any city OF Spain are from among the peas
ants of Galicia. Besides, the best soldiers
OF Spain, her best marines, sailors and fish
ermen, are Gallegans. Go where you will
every human beast of burden, every f1unkey,
every slave in any form of servitude under
the prouder, lazier Castellanos, came from
one of these white chozas, somewhere be-
tween the Pyrenees and the Atlantic. "Pa-
DIRE bodaguero, hijo ,caballero, nieto pordio
sero!" tThe father a grocer, the son a gen.
tleman, the grandson a beggarl'D D-tersely
expresses the easy shifting of fortunes
among the Spanish people,. The Gallegans
are the only ones in Spain who never change.
They are content as servants. They univer-
sally despise and contemn restlessness and
ambition. Carlyle said of Emerson, HE
has learned the art of sitting STILL" The
Gallegans ever possessed it, pride in It,
nourish it, and send it down through poster
ity as the one desirable achievement of life.
But that they may ''sit still" they calmly
accept their period of toll unflinchingly.
When the Gallegan youth has arrived at the
age of eighteen he goes to his drudgery, at
sea, in the army or ass the city menisl. He
suffers every indignity without resentment.
"Gallegan dog!" Is the mildest universal ep-
tibet applied to him. Kick him and he will
not even cringe. No power can tempt him
to resent insult or break law but to deprive
him Of his earnings. He will not squander
a copper ochavo in an entire year. He will
starve himself to q skeleton to save. He
will do anything but rob or murder while at
service to increase his hoard; and though his
for his mountain dulcipeR. per.