The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-03-16
THERE IS ONLY ONE HONDA.

Therefore it Must be Seen ThrougI Adeus to Spain Had Already Beer Said.
 Especial Correspondence of the Journa
 and Courier)
 Ronda, Spain, Jan. 17.
 We hads actually reached the coast
 about to bid final adieu to Spain
 When-at the strong recommendation o1
 a party of Philadelphia tourists whom
 we met at Malaga-we cancelled oul
 passage on the outgoing steamer and
 retraced our steps to see the only
 Ronda." Why should we hesitate, after
 whole year in the land of the Dons
 to give one more little week to seeing
 one of the queerest places in the world ?
 The reason why so few travellers visit
 Ronda is because it lies far from the
 beaten track, and can be reached only
 by stage over difficult and dangerous
 Sierra But nobody ever made the trip without feeling richly repaid Nowa-
 days you may go by rail from Malaga
 as far as Gobantes, dirty little station
 at the base of ridge of rugged rocks,
 where the diligencia ride begins. It is
 only few miles, mostly straight up and down, but the fare is from eight to | twelve Spanish dollars, according to To-
 cation of seat and how much the guard
 can get out of you. In most countries
 where stages are run, outside seats are considered preferable and cost more than those inside. But it is the reverse
 in Spain, where people avoid fresh air
 as pestilence and wrap themselves up
 to the eyes from the lightest breeze, We learned afterwards that six peso | tas is the regular price for outside 1 seats and eight for inside; but foreign CTS are always charged more, on the supposition that they must have plenty
 of money, else why are they travelling? The Gobantes diligencia was certainly invented by some genius of a sarcastic turn of mind, It looks more like a raweed canal-boat than a coach, and it's great height gives 1t dangerously top heavy appearance. There are no springs to speak of, and in the largest of its several compartments six persons sit facing each other. Doors and win dows are invariably closed, and every body who can afford it smokes continu- ously; while those who cannot, add their quota to the bouquet of odors by exhalng garlic. Take the top by all means, though icy winds from the up- per Sierra chill you to the marrow. Even there vile smells pursue you, for only a strip of leather intervenes be- tween the luggage and freight-the lat ter including rancid oil garlic pudding, bacaloa (codfsh) and other odoriferous native delicacies. But the style of the turnout compensates for all such slight inconveniences! The mayoral, or con ductor is as pompous and dictatorial as such an important position demands in Spain. He wears wide jacket and flowing trousers, trimmed with a quantity of scarlet cloth and adorned with silver coins instead of buttons, a gorgeous silken sash and catanes, or Andalusian hat, somewhat larger than a wash-b bowl flat-topped. broad brimmed, distant relative of the Mex iean sombrero. He keeps a small mir TOT conveniently at hand, that he may ascertain the exact condition of his cherished spit-curls-"beau | believe the girls call then- which are plastered in double crescents on each side of his saddle-hued counte- nance, and are manifestly the pride of his heart. Tucked snugly behind his ears and held secure by hair greased to he stiffness of spikes, are punches of E cigarettes for the days use. He bran- fishes an enormous whip as the badge # his profession and sceptre of author ty, and his mouth continually over lows with, strange and original oaths |, if largest dimensions. His so-called \, assistant who does all the work--is
 sort of running driver known as Ei ,aeal, whose duty Is to urge on the 'oor abused mules by pelting them with rocks, ilp hill and down dale go hey never so well. There is position, i, oo, whose arduous position being 1, creed to ride both night and day, with ut rest, has gained for him the sobri- |, uet of the condemned" Most pie ! uresque of all is the team-the hair :, avlng been clipped from their sides in :, anciful designs-scrolls zig gags, ara esques, flowers. birds, lizzards-all ac- urately portrayed and intended to inn V ate embroidered housings. It is ! ipsy art. seen nowhere. else in such ex- 'avagant perfection, and it's practice as descended from vagabond father a ) vagabond son, through centuries he mules are also wonderfully bediz- ened with jingling bells, and tassels in Il the colors of the rainbow, their har- Il ess weighted with bg-headed brass ais. arranged in patterns, while the houlders of each are topped with three uge punches of wool, dyed yellow, pur7 le and green. Our fellow passengers company of young peasants, going to .onda for some fiesta, were no insigni- cant part of the show, The women T ore short subsequently, of coarse ' lack flannel, with two strips of scarlet !. 10th, cut saw-tooth fashion, above the W em red or blue bodices, laced up like ' )rsets over white chemises, and gay ued handkerchiefs on their heads. $ heir swarthy gallants looked exactly 5 if dressed for an opera chorus, in le leir knee brooches and funny little II ckets cut so short that they did not U lite meet the red sashes worn in lieu sl suspenders U The road to Ronda passes through '. agnifcent scenery sometimes skirting |. e edge of dizzy precipices, anon U inding down into dark ravines from ~ hose depths only narrow strip of sky U