The Opelousas courier., 1896-01-18

| Spanish pickets. We had to present
our passes at the Spanish line and there
fore we're not searched by the guards at
the gates. The great majority of those
at the gates were rather ard-looking
people. Poor devils! They are search
ed for dutiable articles every time they
20 into Spain. Mr.. Patrone, our friend,
told us that a man could not even bring
bread or any food whatever from Glib
raltar into Spain. They can get cloth
ing. food, tobacco and wines very cheap
in Gibraltar, but the heavy duty is IA
great drawback. One fellow who was
being searched as we came in was made
to take off his shoes, and | saw the guard
deftly abstract therefrom Il package OF
cigarettes and put it in his W pocket.
Imagine having to go through all this
nonsense just for the honor OF being a
subject of Spain. What glory!
Everything looked so cheerful in
Gibraltar, on the English side flourish
ing looking houses, gardens, people ;
clean streets evidences OF civilization
and culture all around but, as soon as
we struck the Spanish line, what a
tra4Aabn! The soldiers on the line,
even, looked thin and hungry and mean.
AS soon as we got inside the line we
were hailed by swarms-it seemed to
me-of beggars, cripples, deformed peo-
pie, children, who wanted pennies, pen
| MES, pennies. X
Fittings became pleasanter looking
as we got out into the country in the
direction of Mr.. Patrone's farm. The
country is everywhere mountainous and
we had to climb hills and mountains,
ford little streams, follow narrow paths
where 1t was so steep sometimes that
.o N,1 ,Nf 1.,f Font a litfln ~ {.
| and then gallop a bit where the ground
was comparatively level. 1t was great
finn! II i Now we were up on top of
a mountain looking at the scenery for
miles around. Back of us stood those
great Pillars of Hercules; in front
were peasants houses to one side, way
over yonder, could be seen the town of
St. Rogue; another village in another
direction shepherds tending tle:i
t1ocks in a valley over there ; ii caravan
Of hurros,' with heaps of cork piled up
over them So high and overlapping SO
low on each side that only their little
heads and their big eals could be seen,
winding along Il mountain path going
to some town.
1--WE passed them sometimes; there
would be several families in one cara
van, probably, all going to SpanishtowD,
Gibraltar, San Rogue or Algeciras, with
their ptoduce-chickeDs, eggs, geese,
turkeys, vegetables-tO dispose OF.
There would generally be perched up
high over the bags aud things on the
little doDkeys, a fond IN with her
little cherub sitting in trout of her and
another one behind. Il
"We finally reached Mr.. PatloDe's
farm. That gentleman, when he told
us his farm was about eleven miles from
Gibraltar, must have added mentally
'in a bee-line.' 1t must have been
somewhere between %sevenly-five and
eighty. the way we came!
THE house is an old one, having beel built
more than two hundred years ago. 1t is more
like a kind OF small fort than a house, OR Is like
a large rectangle with a court in the middle.
A large wall enclOses the whole establishments
house, barn, stables and servants quarters.
"There had been a lookout KEEP for us, and
when we got there the steward and three ser
wants came up and helped us Oft our horses and
led them Off to the stables, while We went in
and partOOk of a good hot luncheon that was
waiting for us. After luncheon we visited
everything connected with the arm-the sta
bles. barns, horses, goats, cows, wheat and bar
ley fields, vineyard, water-tanks for irrigation,
orchard, olive trees andS tenants quarters.
These tenants, / am glad to say, were happy,
rosy-cheeked and he~althy-neat and perfectly
cleam-though tney were all Spanish.
THE stewards daughter was a beautiful
young girl with coalblack eyes and hair and
rosy cheelQe; but while we We're looking around
and en- cred the room where she was with her
mothe4 L noticed that neither the landlord nor
the Pal master took off his hat. I thought they
had pr} bably forgotten to do so, and took off
mine, Which seemed to appear most remarka-
Die 70 both ladies, and the signora' told me in
SpaM ish to keep on my hat. However, I pre-
ferrS 4 to keep it off, ard I did So"