The Republican journal., 1900-12-20

station, guided by the friendly lantern
OF policeman. You will probably
put up at the Fonda Espana-a house
interesting enough in itself to paw for
the long journey. 1t stands near the
cathedral, which is always the central
point, and its beautiful ajimez win
dows, Moorish OF Gothic) are divided
| by numerous round slender pillars of
white marble. The Arabic meaning of
aJlmeZ is ''apertures by which the sun
enters In all Spanish towns you take
your choice between ventas. which are
the poorest form of public house: po-
| sadas, which represent an inn, but of
very inferior quality: fondas, which
answer to our swellest hotels: and
casas de huespedes, or boarding
houses. where food and lodging are sup
plled always cheap and tolerably com
Portable. The latter are first cousins to
the pensions Of the F1ench-only in
Spain they advertise differently. Those
that have furnished rooms to let, hang
out piece of blank white paper from
the middle of the front balcony; and
those whose rooms are unfurnished,
shift the paper to one corner of the
balcony. The rooms are unwarmed,
whatever the weather, and decidedly
bare OF furnishings, except for beds
extremely narrow, prison-like affairs of
hcaSS
though there be dozen in your family.
A cup of coffee, with unbuttered bread,
is served gratis in the morning to every
guest whether he takes his meals in the
house or elsewhere.
Corona, the capital of its province
and a bishops see, is beautifully situa-
ted on the rapid river Omar, just above
its junction with the Ter Well-built
and massive, it snuggles close under the
fortified hill, Montiuich,-ha of it,
the ancient Geranada being of the
remotest antiquity. Throughout the
early evening, its narrow streets are
Illuminated by electricity, for which
the river supplies the motive power:
but strange to say they are left in cim-
merian darkness during the hours when
most needed. Perhaps the city Fathers
do not think it wise to interfere with
the time-honored profession of brigan-
dage: for this is the region in which
the sophisticated QuiXote remarked
that he knew he must be near BARGE
| Iona because the cork-trees We're full
of robbers who were passing the night
among the branches. Highwaymen are
so numerous hereabouts that it is un-
safe to stray outside the city walls.
even in broad daylight, unless we'll
attended: and we We're warned against
climbing the hill. memorable for the
exploit of Lord Peterborough during
swarms with banditti, though in full
view of the city below and soldiers are
constantly passing to and fro from the
town to the citadel on the summit.
With all due respect to her Majestys S
poorly paid army. it may be that the
hungry soldiers themselves occasional
ly turn bandits when particularly
| tempting foreigner comes along, who is
sure to have mucho dinero much money!
in his pockets. Yet the laws against
robbery are severe. When a highway
man is caught, red-handed in the act,
he is rarely tried by a tribunal. Span
ish Justice is too uncertain in it's re.
suits, and too expensive luxury to be
rashly indulged in. The culprit is shut
up in the nearest Jail: and in few
days an order arrives to transfer him
to some other prison. The robber well
knows what that means and sends at
once for confessoT, with whose assist
ance he makes arrangements for the
next world. Then he sets out tranquil
ly for his pretended destination, under
first convenient place allow him to get
few PAGES in advance, and then shoot
him down, under the pretext that he is
trying to get away. Report is made
accordingly, and everybody understands
it-outlaWs included
You need not stay loLg in Corona,
for there is little to see besides it's enor-
nous cathedral, which was founded by
Charlemagne in 49, pulled down and
rebuilt three centuries later, and con-
secrated for the third time about the
year 1896. Far better spend the days
in run across the border, through
some pass in the near by Pyrenees. 1t
is only little journey to Perpignan,
upon the great French system of rail
ways, where it is short work to Biar-
ritz, beloved of Eugene, Bayonne, and
even to Pau. Besides its picturesque
situation, upon its mountain torrent,
the Gave, and its genial climate, W hich
calls thither every winter large Eng
lish colony,-Pau is place of extraordi-
nary historical interest. 1t contains
the grandest castle in France, five cen
turies old, in which Henry ". was
born and where you may yet see his
cradle 1t is hard to think of a King,
|