My journeyings and sojournings were necessarily affected by the state of the country at the time; and it fell to my lot to witness several remarkable events. Skipping from one point to another, as I may recollect incidents offering materials for amusement or information, I will endeavour to depict some of the scenes which were spread out before me during my perambulations among the highways and by-ways of Spain.

Having resolved on crossing the Pyrenees by the frontier of Aragon, I traversed the beautiful valley of Aspe, in France, and reached the small town of Urdoz at the close of a fine evening in May, 1835.

I had made an arrangement at the town of Oloron to be conveyed thence to Zaragoza; and the journey as far as Urdoz was performed over an excellent road, in a light open carriage. We were to continue our route on horseback, as I understood, on the following morning.

The inn at Urdoz was a curious place. The lower part of the extensive building was entirely devoted to stabling for the mules passing to and from Spain, and to stores for the merchandise with which they were laden. A broad ladder conducted to the floor above; on reaching which, as one does the deck of a ship by the companion ladder, I found myself in a large room, at the opposite extremity of which was an immense hearth with a blazing fire, composed of large logs of wood and roots of trees. By

this fireside, on benches ensconced in the cavernous chimney-place, sat several swarthy figures, smoking paper cigars; and in front was a remarkably fine, but rather masculine young woman holding over the fire a large frying-pan with a handle a yard long. Just as I arrived, a stout boy was beginning to cast into the hissing fat a quantity of eggs which he had been breaking and emptying into a brown earthen basin: a savoury smell arose, too, from some pipkins that were simmering around the fire, which I approached, quietly taking my place by the side of the other guests, who I found were arrieros, or Spanish carriers, to whom the mules in the stables underneath belonged.

Presently the eggs were fried up into a large omelet, and tossed into a dish: rough plates were brought, into which the contents of the pipkins were soused; and following my Spanish companions, who had been joined by their chief-the person with whom I had agreed to take me to Zaragoza-I went into an adjoining room where was a long rough table covered with a coarse and not very clean cloth, and a bench on each side. Ranged along the walls were six queer-looking beds. Well! I sat down with a good appetite, and although I could not pretend to analyze the different dishes, I made a good supper, and afterwards retired to the drawing-room-that is to say, the chimney-corner-and tried to recollect my Spanish.

The arrieros seeing that I was inclined to be chatty, and had an affection for Spain, seemed to take a liking to me. I smoked a paper cigar or two with them, and did not mind the other sort of smoke from the green fire-wood, though it made me wink my eyes. I suppose the young woman, who I found was the landlord's daughter, thought I was sleepy, so she told me my bed was ready. As we were to start at daybreak, I thought it better to retire at once, and following the young lady, who carried in her hand an iron lamp called a velon, in the form of a butterboat, and suspended from an iron handle with a hook at the upper end, I was ushered by her into the room where we had supped, and was directed to one of the beds in a corner. Having hung the lamp on a nail close to the bedside, she was going away, when I called her back and asked for a room to myself; at which request the damsel stared, and burst into a loud fit of laughter, saying, in a sort of patois, that this was the only bed-room for travellers in the house.

Seeing that it would be of no use to remonstrate, I put the best face on the matter, joined in her hearty laugh, and wished her good night. I looked at the sheets; found them coarse, but perfectly clean; and partly undressing, jumped into bed, and soon fell fast asleep, lulled by the gently tinkling bells of the mules in the stables below, and the monotonous sounds produced by the munching of

TRAVELLING ON MULES.

17

their corn. cupied.

I know not by whom the other beds were oc

At a little before daybreak I was awakened by my guide, who, hooking on the nail another lighted lamp in exchange for that I had left burning the night before, told me it was time to be stirring. Up I rose at once; and having performed my ablutions as well as circumstances would permit, went into the outer room, where I found the tall damsel diligently making chocolate for breakfast; and very good it was. By this time the sun had risen, and I was snmmoned to mount. Descending the ladder aforesaid, I went to the gateway where a string of laden mules was assembled; fine beasts they were. I looked about for the horse on which I was to ride, but nothing of the kind appeared. The string of mules moved on, excepting one animal, upwards of sixteen hands high, with my luggage swung on each side of him, and a heap of blankets and cloaks to fill up the hollow.

"Now, Señor," said my guide, "mount, if you please." "Mount?" I asked; "where's the horse?"

"Oh! every body rides mules in this country."

Well, I have no objection to do so too; so bring out my mule, and let us see if the stirrups be of the right length."

At this the guide laughed outright; and at the same moment the gigantic mule, seeing that his companions

were leaving him behind, tossed his head into the air, and began to bray in a most extraordinary manner.

"Come, Señor," said the guide, still laughing, "we can't wait any longer. Please to get up.”

And without much ado, he caught hold of my left leg, and pitched me upon the cloaks on the mule's back; he then untied the halter from the ring to which it was attached at the door-side, and placing the rope in my right hand, ran on by the side of the mule who started off at a full trot. There was no remedy. I held on by the halterrope, looking queerly down on the tips of the long ears of the animal on which I had been thus unceremoniously deposited like any other merchandise. Right glad was I when we got up to the other mules; for then the pace was easier, and I had an opportunity of looking about me.

From Urdoz the road, or rather path, ascends gradually until you arrive at a point where there is a small guard. house occupied by a French custom-house officer and a guard, consisting of a corporal and two or three gend'armes. This is the extreme frontier; a solitary pine tree and a rude wooden cross mark the boundary between France and Spain. I managed to slide down from my mule; and rushing past the tree, I stood still, took off my hat, and saluted the Spanish territory. My early travels had been in the south: I had never seen the Pyrenees be