with little fields of barley, and we saw a hamlet and their giant and umbrageous boughs. Beneath many church down in the prairie below, whilst merry stood cars, the tired oxen prostrate on the ground, songs ascended to our ears from where the mowers the crossbar of the pole which they support pressing were toiling with their scythes, cutting the luxu- heavily on their heads, whilst their drivers were riant and abundant grass. I could scarcely believe either employed in cooking, or were enjoying a dethat I was in Spain, in general so brown, so arid licious siesta in the grass and shade. I went up to and cheerless, and I almost fancied myself in one of the largest of these groups, and demanded Greece, in that land of ancient glory, whose moun of the individuals whether they were in need of tain and forest scenery Theocritus has so well de- the Testament of Jesus Christ. They stared at scribed. one another, and then at me, till at last a young "At the bottom of the valley we entered a small man, who was dandling a long gun in his hands as village, washed by the brook, which had now swelled he reclined, demanded of me what it was, at the almost to a stream. A more romantic situation I same time inquiring whether I was a Catalan,' for had never witnessed. It was surrounded, and al- you speak hoarse,' said he,' and are tall and fair most overhung, by mountains, and embowered in like that family.' I sat down amongst them and trees of various kinds; waters sounded, nightin- said that I was no Catalan, but that I came from a gales sang, and the cuckoo's full note boomed from spot in the Western Sea, many leagues distant, to the distant branches, but the village was miserable. sell that book at half the price it cost; and that The huts were built of slate stones, of which the their souls' welfare depended on their being acneighboring hills seemed to be principally composed, quainted with it. I then explained to them the and roofed with the same, but not in the neat tidy nature of the New Testament, and read to them the manner of English houses, for the slates were of parable of the Sower. They stared at each other all sizes, and seemed to be flung on in confusion. again, but said that they were poor and could not We were spent with heat and thirst, and sitting buy books. I rose, mounted, and was going away, down on a stone bench, I entreated a woman to saying to them: Peace bide with you.' Wheregive me a little water. The woman said she would, upon the young man with the gun rose, and saybut added that she expected to be paid for it. An- ing, Caspita! this is odd,' snatched the book from tonio, on hearing this, became highly incensed, and my hand, and gave me the price I had demanded. speaking Greek, Turkish, and Spanish, invoked the 'Perhaps the whole world might be searched in vengeance of the Panhagia on the heartless woman, vain for a spot, whose natural charms could rival saying, 'If I were to offer a Mahometan gold for a those of this plain or valley of Bembibre, as it is draught of water, he would dash it in my face; and called, with its wall of mighty mountains, its spreadyou are a Catholic, with the stream running at ing chesnut trees, and its groves of oaks and wilyour door.' I told him to be silent, and giving the lows, which clothe the banks of its stream, a tribuwoman two cuartos, repeated my request, where-tary to the Minho. True it is, that when I passed upon she took a pitcher, and going to the stream through it, the candle of heaven was blazing in full filled it with water. It tasted muddy and disagree- splendor, and every thing lighted by its rays looked able, but it drowned the fever which was devour-gay, glad, and blessed. Whether it would have ing me.

would wish to quit them. At the time, I would have desired no better fate, than that of a shepherd on the prairies, or a hunter on the hills of Bembibre.

filled me with the same feelings of admiration if "We again remounted and proceeded on our viewed beneath another sky, I will not pretend to way, which, for a considerable distance, lay along determine; but it certainly possesses advantages the margin of the stream, which now fell in small which at no time could fail to delight, for it exhicataracts, now brawled over stones, and at other bits all the peaceful beauties of an English landtimes ran dark and silent through deep pools over-scape blended with something wild and grand, and hung with tall willows--pools which seemed to I thought within myself, that he must be a restless abound with the finny tribe, for large trout fre- dissatisfied man, who, born among those scenes, quently sprang from the water, catching the brilliant fly which swimmed along its deceitful surface. The scene was delightful. The sun was rolling high in the firmament, casting from its orb of fire "Three hours passed away, and we were in anothe most glorious rays, so that the atmosphere was ther situation. We had halted and refreshed ourflickering with their splendor, but their fierceness selves and horses at Bembibre, a village of mud was either warded off by the shadow of the trees and slate, and which possessed little to attract ator rendered innocuous by the refreshing coolness tention we were now ascending, for the road was which rose from the waters, or by the gentle breezes over one of the extreme ledges of those frontier which murmured at intervals over the meadows, hills which I have before so often mentioned; but 'fanning the cheek or raising the hair' of the wan- the aspect of heaven had blackened, clouds were derer. The hills gradually receded, till at last we rolling rapidly from the west over the mountains, entered a plain where tall grass was waving, and and a cold wind was moaning dismally. There is mighty chesnut trees, in full blossom, spread out a storm travelling through the air,' said a peasant,

with an image over the door, which, he said, once also belonged to the canalla (rabble) above.

whom we overtook, mounted on a wretched mule; a village just below the convent, where he left me, and the Asturians had better be on the look-out, having first pointed out to me a house of stone, for it is speeding in their direction.' He had scarce spoken, when a light, so vivid and dazzling that it seemed as if the whole lustre of the fiery element were concentrated in it, broke around us, filling the whole atmosphere, and covering rock, tree and mountain with a glare not to be described. The mule of the peasant tumbled prostrate, while the horse I rode reared himself perpendicularly, and turning round, dashed down the hill at headlong speed, which for some time it was impossible to check. The lightning was followed by a peal almost as terrible, but distant, for it sounded hollow and deep; the hills, however, caught up its voice, seemingly repeating it from summit to summit, till it was lost in interminable space. Other flashes and peals succeeded, but slight in comparison, and a few drops of rain descended. The body of the tempest seemed to be over another region. A hundred families are weeping where that bolt fell,' said the peasant when I rejoined him, 'for its blaze has blinded my mule at six leagues' distance.' He was leading the animal by the bridle, as its sight was evidently affected. Were the friars still in their nest above there,' he continued, 'I should say that this was their doing, for they are the cause of all the miseries of the land.'

"The sun was setting fast, and eager to reach Villafranca, where I had determined on resting, and which was still distant three leagues and a half, I made no halt at this place. The road was now down a rapid and crooked descent, which terminated in a valley, at the bottom of which was a long and narrow bridge; beneath it rolled a river, descending from a wide pass between two mountains, for the chain was here cleft, probably by some convulsion of nature. I looked up the pass, and on the hills on both sides. Far above, on my right, but standing forth bold and clear, and catching the last rays of the sun, was the Convent of the Precipices, whilst directly over against it, on the farther side of the valley, rose the perpendicu lar side of the rival hill, which, to a considerable extent, intercepting the light, flung its black shadow over the upper end of the pass, involving it in mysterious darkness. Emerging from the centre of this gloom, with thundering sound, dashed a river, white with foam, and bearing along with it huge stones and branches of trees, for it was the wild Sil hurrying to the ocean from its cradle in the heart of the Asturian hills, and probably swollen by the recent rains."

At Finisterra he is taken for Don Carlos, the Pretender-and but for an old sailor, would have been shot.

"I raised my eyes in the direction in which he pointed. Half way up the mountain, over whose foot we were wending, jutted forth a black frightful crag, which at an immense altitude overhung the road, and seemed to threaten destruction. It re- "It was midday when we reached the village of sembled one of those ledges of the rocky moun- Finisterra, consisting of about one hundred houses, tains in the picture of the Deluge, up to which the and built on the southern side of the peninsula, terrified fugitives have scrambled from the eager just before it rises into the huge bluff head which pursuit of the savage and tremendous billows, and is called the Cape. We sought in vain for an inn from whence they gaze down in horror, whilst above or venta, where we might stable our beast; at one them rise still higher and giddier heights, to which moment we thought that we had found one, and they seem unable to climb. Built on the very edge had even tied the animal to the manger. Upon of this crag, stood an edifice, seemingly devoted to our going out, however, he was instantly untied the purposes of religion, as I could discern the and driven forth into the street. The few people spire of a church rearing itself high over wall and whom we saw appeared to gaze upon us in a sinroof. That is the house of the Virgin of the gular manner. We, however, took little notice of Rocks,' said the peasant, and it was lately full of these circumstances, and proceeded along the strag friars, but they have been thrust out, and the only gling street until we found shelter in the house of inmates now are owls and ravens.' I replied that, a Castilian shopkeeper, whom some chance bad their life in such a bleak exposed abode could not brought to this corner of Galicia-this end of the have been very enviable, as in winter they must world. Our first care was to feed the animal, who have incurred great risk of perishing with cold. now began to exhibit considerable symptoms of 'By no means,' said he; they had the best of fatigue. We then requested some refreshment for wood for their braseros and chimneys, and the best ourselves; and in about an hour, a tolerably savory of wine to warm them at their meals, which were not the most sparing. Moreover, they had another convent down in the vale yonder, to which they could retire at their pleasure.' On my asking him the reason of his antipathy to the friars, he replied, that he had been their vassal, and that they had deprived him every year of the flower of what he possessed. Discoursing in this manner, we reached

fish, weighing about three pounds, and fresh from the bay, was prepared for us by an old woman, who appeared to officiate as housekeeper. Having finished our meal, I and my uncouth companion went forth and prepared to ascend the mountain.

"We stopped to examine a small dismantled fort or battery, facing the bay, and whilst engaged in this examination, it more than once occurred to

me that we were ourselves the objects of scrutiny | After gazing from the summit of the cape for nearly and investigation indeed, I caught a glimpse of an hour, we descended. more than one countenance peering upon us through the holes and chasms of the walls. We now commenced ascending Finisterra; and making numerous and long detours, we wound our way up its flinty sides. The sun had reached the top of small earthen pans, which are much used in this heaven, whence he showered upon us perpendicu- part of Galicia. With a civil salutation I passed larly his brightest and fiercest rays. My boots were on, and ascended the staircase to the room in which torn, my feet cut, and the perspiration streamed we had taken our repast. Here there was a rude from my brow. To my guide, however, the ascent and dirty bed, on which I flung myself, exhausted appeared to be neither toilsome nor difficult. The with fatigue. I determined to take a little repose, heat of the day for him had no terrors, no mois- and in the evening to call the people of the place ture was wrung from his tanned countenance: he together, to read a few chapters of the Scripture, drew not one short breath; and hopped upon the and then to address them with a little Christian exstones and rocks with all the provoking agility of hortation. I was soon asleep, but my slumbers a mountain goat. Before we had accomplished were by no means tranquil. I thought I was surone half of the ascent, I felt myself quite exhausted. [rounded with difficulties of various kinds among I reeled and staggered. Cheer up, master mine, rocks and ravines, vainly endeavoring to extricate be of good cheer, and have no care,' said the myself; uncouth visages showed themselves amidst guide. Yonder I see a wall of stones; lie down the trees and in the hollows, thrusting out cloven beneath it in the shade.' He put his long and tongues and uttering angry cries. I looked around strong arm round my waist, and though his stature for my guide, but could not find him; methought, compared with mine was that of a dwarf, he sup- however, that I heard his voice down a deep dingle. ported me, as if I had been a child, to a rude wall He appeared to be talking of me. How long I which seemed to traverse the greatest part of the might have continued in these wild dreams, I know hill, and served probably as a kind of boundary. not. I was suddenly, however, seized roughly by It was difficult to find a shady spot; at last he per- the shoulder and nearly dragged from the bed. I ceived a small chasm, perhaps scooped by some looked up in amazement, and by the light of the shepherd as a couch in which to enjoy his siesta. descending sun I beheld hanging over me a wild In this he laid me gently down, and taking off his and uncouth figure; it was that of an elderly man, enormous hat, commenced fanning me with great built as strong as a giant, with much beard and assiduity. By degrees I revived, and after having whisker, and huge bushy eyebrows, dressed in the rested for a considerable time, I again attempted habiliments of a fisherman: in his hand was a rusty the ascent, which, with the assistance of my guide, musket. I at length accomplished.

"On reaching the house where we had taken up our temporary habitation, we perceived that the portal was occupied by several men, some of whom were reclining on the floor drinking wine out of

"Myself. "Figure.

Who are you, and what do you want? Who I am matters but little. Get up and follow me; it is you I want. "Myself. By what authority do you thus presume to interfere with me?

"We were now standing at a great altitude between two bays; the wilderness of waters before Bs. Of all the ten thousand barks which annually plough those seas in sight of that old cape, not one was to be descried. It was a blue shiny waste, Figure. By the authority of the justicia of broken by no object save the black head of a sper- Finisterra. Follow me peaceably, Calros, or it maceti whale, which would occasionally show itself will be the worse for you. at the top, casting up thin jets of brine. The prin

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"Calros,' said I, what does the person mean?'

cipal bay, that of Finisterra, as far as the entrance, I thought it, however, most prudent to obey his was beautifully variegated by an immense shoal of command, and followed him down the staircase. sardinhas, on whose extreme skirts the monster The shop and the portal were now thronged with was probably feasting. From the northern side of the cape we looked down upon a smaller bay, the shore of which was overhung by rocks of various and grotesque shapes; this is called the outer bay, or, in the language of the country, Praia do mar de fora; a fearful place in seasons of wind and tempest, when the long swell of the Atlantic pouring in, is broken into surf and foam by the sunken rocks with which it abounds. Even in the calmest day there is a rumbling and a hollow roar in that bay, which fill the heart with uneasy sen

the inhabitants of Finisterra, men, women, and children; the latter for the most part in a state of nudity, and with bodies wet and dripping, having been probably summoned in haste from their gambols in the brine. Through this crowd the figure whom I have attempted to describe pushed his way with an air of authority.

sations.

“On all sides there was grandeur and sublimity.

"On arriving in the street, he laid his heavy hand upon my arm, not roughly however. 'It is Calros! it is Calros!' said a hundred voices; he has come to Finisterra at last, and the justicia has now got hold of him.' Wondering what all this 'could mean, I attended my strange conductor down

the street.

As we proceeded, the crowd increased backs. But how can I be like Don Carlos I every moment, following and vociferating. Even have nothing the appearance of a Spaniard, and the sick were brought to the doors to obtain a view am nearly a foot taller than the pretender. of what was going forward and a glance at the re- "Alcalde. That makes no difference; you of doubtable Calros. I was particularly struck by the course carry many waistcoats about you, by means eagerness displayed by one man, a cripple, who, in of which you disguise yourself and appear tall or spite of the entreaties of his wife, mixed with the low according to your pleasure. crowd, and having lost his crutch hopped forward on one leg, exclaiming, Carracho! tambien voy yo!

"This last was so conclusive an argument, that I had of course nothing to reply to it. The alcalde looked around him in triumph, as if he had made some notable discovery. Yes it is Calros; it is Calros,' said the crowd at the door. It will be as well to have these men shot instantly,' continued the alcalde; if they are not the two pretenders, they are at any rate two of the factious.'

"I am by no means certain that they are either one or the other,' said a gruff voice.

"The justicia of Finisterra turned their eyes in the direction from which these words proceeded, and so did I. Our glances rested upon the figure who held the watch at the door. He had planted the barrel of his musket on the floor, and was leaning his chin against the butt.

"We at last reached a house of rather larger size than the rest. My guide having led into a long low room, placed me in the middle of the floor, and then hurrying to the door, he endeavored to repulse the crowd who strove to enter with us. This he effected, though not without considerable difficulty, being once or twice compelled to have recourse to the butt of his musket, to drive back unauthorized intruders. I now looked round the room. It was rather scantily furnished; I could see nothing but some tubs and barrels, the mast of a boat, and a sail or two. Seated upon the tubs were three or four men coarsely dressed, like fishermen or shipwrights. The principal personage was a surly illtempered looking fellow of about thirty-five, whom eventually I discovered to be the alcalde of Finis-'I have been examining this man,' pointing to myterra, and lord of the house in which we now were. In a corner I caught a glimpse of my guide, who was evidently in durance, two stout fishermen standing before him, one with a musket and the other with a boat-hook. After I had looked about me for a minute, the alcalde, giving his whiskers a twist, thus addressed me:

“Who are you, where is your passport, and what brings you to Finisterra?'

"I am by no means certain that they are either one or the other,' repeated he, advancing forward.

self, and listening whilst he spoke, and it appears to me that after all he may prove an Englishman; he has their very look and voice. Who knows the English better than Antonio de la Trava, and who has a better right? Has he not sailed in their ships; has he not eaten their biscuit; and did he not stand by Nelson when he was shot dead!'

"Here the alcalde became violently incensed. He is no more an Englishman than yourself," he

Myself. I am an Englishman. Here is my exclaimed; if he were an Englishman would he passport, and I came to see Finisterra.

"This reply seemed to discomfit them for a moment. They looked at each other, then at my passport. At length the alcalde, striking it with his finger, bellowed forth:

"This is no Spanish passport; it appears to be written in French.'

"Myself. I have already told you that I am a foreigner. I of course carry a foreign passport. "Alcalde. Then you mean to assert that you are not Calros Rey?

"Myself. I never heard before of such a king, nor indeed of such a name.

"Alcalde. Hark to the fellow he has the audacity to say that he has never heard of Calros, the pretender, who calls himself king.

have come in this manner, skulking across the land! Not so, I trow. He would have come in a ship, recommended to some of us, or to the Catalans. He would have come to trade, to buy; but nobody knows him in Finisterra, nor does he know any body: and the first thing, moreover, that he does when he reaches this place is to inspect the fort, and to ascend the mountain, where, no doubt, he has been marking out a camp. What brings him to Finisterra, if he is neither Calros nor a bribon of a faccioso?'

"I felt that there was a good deal of justice in some of these remarks, and I was aware, for the first time, that I had, indeed committed a great imprudence in coming to this wild place, and among these barbarous people, without being able to as"Myself. If you mean by Calros, the pretender sign any motive which could appear at all valid in Don Carlos, all I can reply is that you can scarcely their eyes. I endeavored to convince the alcalde, be serious. You might as well assert that yonder that I had come across the country for the purpose poor fellow, my guide, whom I see you have made of making myself acquainted with the many reprisoner, is his nephew, the infante Don Sebastian.markable objects which it contained, and of obtain"Alcalde. See, you have betrayed yourself; ing information respecting the character and condithis is the very person we suppose him to be. "Myself. It is true that they are both hunch

tion of the inhabitants. He could understand no such motives. 'What did you ascend the moun

tain for ? . To see prospects.' ' Disparate ! I have | same time on the cruelty and barbarity of taking lived at Finisterra forty years, and never ascended away the life of a poor unfortunate fellow who, as that mountain. I would not do it in a day like this might be seen at the first glance, was only half for two ounces of gold. You went to take alti-witted; adding, moreover, that if any person was tudes, and to mark out a camp.' I had, however, guilty in this case it was myself, as the other could a staunch friend in old Antonio, who insisted, from only be considered in the light of a servant acting his knowledge of the English, that all I had said under my orders. might very possibly be true. 'The English,' said he, 'have more money than they know what to do with, and on that account they wander all over the world, paying dearly for what no other people care a groat for.' He then proceeded, notwithstanding the frowns of the alcalde, to examine me in the English language. His own entire knowledge of this tongue was confined to two words-knife and fork, which words I rendered into Spanish by their equivalents, and was forthwith pronounced an Englishman by the old fellow, who, brandishing his musket, exclaimed:

"The safest plan after all,' said the alcalde, appears to be, to send you both prisoners to Corcuvion, where the head alcalde can dispose of you as he thinks proper. You must, however, pay for your escort; for it is not to be supposed that the housekeepers of Finisterra have nothing else to do than to ramble about the country with every chance fellow who finds his way to this town.' 'As for that matter,' said Antonio, 'I will take charge of them both. I am the valiente of Finisterra, and fear no two men living. Moreover, I am sure that the captain here will make it worth my while, else he is no Englishman. Therefore let us be quick, and set out for Corcuvion at once, as it is getting First of all, however, captain, I must search your baggage. You have no arms, of But it is best to make all sure.'

66

"This man is not Calros; he is what he declares himself to be, an Englishman, and whoever seeks to injure him, shall have to do with Antonio late. de la Trava el valiente de Finisterra.' No person you and sought to impugn this verdict, and it was at length course? determined that I should be sent to Corcuvion, to be examined by the alcalde mayor of the district. 'But,' said the alcalde of Finisterra, 'what is to be done with the other fellow? He at least is no Englishman. Bring him forward, and let us hear what he has to say for himself. Now, fellow, who are you, and what is your master?'

"Guide. I am Sebastianillo, a poor broken mariner of Padron, and my master for the present is this gentleman whom you see, the most valiant and wealthy of all the English. He has two ships at Vigo laden with riches. I told you so when you first seized me up there in our posada.

"Alcalde. Where is your passport? "Guide. I have no passport. Who would think of bringing a passport to such a place as this, where I don't suppose there are two individuals who can read? I have no passport; my master's passport of course includes me.

Long ere it was dark I found myself again on the pony, in company with my guide, wending our way along the beach in the direction of Corcuvion. Antonio de la Trava tramped heavily on before, his musket on his shoulder.

"Myself. Are you not afraid, Antonio, to be thus alone with two prisoners, one of whom is on horseback? If we were to try, I think we could

overpower you.

"Antonio de la Trava. I am the valiente de Finisterra, and I fear no odds.

16

'Myself. Why do you call yourself the valiente of Finisterra?

"Antonio de la Trava. The whole district call me so. When the French came to Finisterra, and demolished the fort, three perished by my hand. I stood on the mountain, up where I saw you scrambling to-day. I continued firing at the enemy, until "Alcalde. It does not. And since you have no three detached themselves in pursuit of me. The passport, and have confessed that your name is Se-fools! two perished amongst the rocks by the fire of bastian, you shall be shot. Antonio de la Trava, this musket, and as for the third, I beat his head to do you and the musketeer lead this Sebastianillo pieces with the stock. It is on that account that forth, and shoot him before the door. they call me the valiente of Finisterra.

،،

"Antonio de la Trava. With much pleasure, ·Myself. How came you to serve with the EnSeñor Alcalde, since you order it. With respect glish fleet? I think I heard you say that you were to this fellow, I shall not trouble myself to inter-present when Nelson fell.

fere. He at least is no Englishman. He has more "Antonio de la Trava. I was captured by your the look of a wizard, or nuveiro; one of those de- countrymen, captain, and as I had been a sailor vils who raise storms and sink launches. More- from my childhood, they were glad of my services. over, he says he is from Padron, and those from I was nine months with them, and assisted at TraYou have that place are all thieves and drunkards. They falgar. I saw the English admiral die. once played me a trick, and I would gladly be at something of his face, and your voice, when you the shooting of the whole pueblo.

"I now interfered, and said that if they shot the guide, they must shoot me too; expatiating at the

spoke, sounded in my ears like his own. I love the English, and on that account I saved you. Think not that I would toil along these sands with