A SPANISH ROAD-SIDE INN.
.1 bad thought that the preceding day's halfway-house could not be outdone, and that it filled up the measure of all I had ever heard of Spanish yentas and
their unbounded wretchedness : but that establishment was the Star and Garter at Richmond compared with this day's hostelry; and, as I set my foot within the doorway, I actually shrunk back in dismay at the interior view disclosed to me; but, there being no other choice left me but to advance if I did not retreat back to the diligence, which was left standing in the burning sun, I was forced to proceed. The house was composed of 'but one room, adjoining the stable, and, like it, paved with sharp pebbles ; and the smoke of the fire, which our arrival had been the signal for lighting, instead of ascending the chimney, revolved in dusky clouds through the room, and then, Irish-cabin fashion, escaped through the open door and the single small casement that ad - miffed a very dubious light into the gloomy interior. In this room were assembled all the passengers of the diligence, the two drivers included, the master and mistress of the inn and their dirty Maritornes, two pigs, four gaunt dogs the genuine representatives of famine, two cats curtailed of their fair proportions of tails and ears, a tame partridge in a cage, and a ragged
little beggar-boy of eight or nine years old, a real descamisado, having on no garment save a soldier's old coat "a world too wide " for his young limbs, and an old foraging-cap stuck knowingly upon one ear, who had accompanied the diligence on foot from Lora, apparently for no other object than the question- able pleasure of trotting alongside of it; for he never asked for alms, and was the merriest roguish-eyed little urchin I ever saw. Our hopes of finding the larder of this lone vents productive of something that might furnish forth a breakfast for us, were somewhat damped by seeing our coachman pull out of his pocket a dirty newspaper parcel, containing something that looked very much like a roasted crow, but turned out to be a cold duck, and a piece of beef so long cooked, and apparently so often recooked, that it might have passed for petrified horse•fiesh. These he began to cut up with an old rusty knife as long as a couteau de cheese, while the maid broke up some eggs (the only provision which the house afforded besides bread) for the eternal omelet; and, while she was occupied in beating them up, pre- paratory to their being fried, one of the dogs performed his part of the house- hold business, and saved her the trouble of cleaning the frying-pan, by licking it with all his might. At the same time, the scene was agreeably diversified by the mules, which the supplementary coachman had just unharnessed, being unceremoniously walked through the middle of the group on th.-ir way to their stable ; and the driver of the calesa, who had sprained his ankle im the course of the morning, set himself down just within the door, and was operated upon by an old crone, who, holding his naked leg in her lap and planting her foot against his stomach, tried to reduce the sprain by pulling the limb with all her strength ; which novel mode of treatment extorted screams of pain from the luckless patient. We had brought with us tea, bread, and oranges, which rendered us independent of the delicate repast in preparation : but the Spanish portion of the diligence party were not so nice as we were, and did ample justice to the above-mentioned viands ; to which was added a preparation of eggs, which, I am very sure, is not included in the two hundred methods of cooking them already cited in the Almanach des Gourmands, and is therefore worthy of being particularized as the two hundred and first. It consisted in breaking a number of eggs into a large earthen vessel filled with boiling water, to which were added a quantity of bread crumbled by the dirty fingers of the hostess, and a seasoning of salt, pepper, and garlic ; the whole mess being stirred up, until it assumed the appearance of a curdled soup. It was then placed upon the table, in the identical vessel in which it had been concocted ; and the assembled party partook of it, without the addition of plates being deemed necessary; each individual in turn dipping in his spoon and carrying it brimful to his month, just as I have seen Turks fraternize (minus the spoon) round a smoking bowl of pilaf; or precisely as French soldiers partake of their meals, mangeant a la gamelle.
STREET CIVILIZATION AT MALAGA.
Having seen by the play-bills in the morning that there is an Italian com- pany here, and that Ricci's opera of the Prigione d'Edimbourgo was to be given by them in the evening, we desired the head-waiter of the Ladanza Hotel (who is a Gallego, but speaks English fluently, and is the best and most intel- ligent servant 1 ever saw) to secure a box for us. The observation with which he accompanied his assurance that our order should be obeyed, somewhat sur- prised us—" Very well," said be, "I shall get you a box; as there will be moonlight, you can very well go to the opera to-night." We could not con- ceive what the moon had to do with our going or not going to the theatre : but when the time arrived for us to repair thither, his remark became half intelli- gible to us, as we found that we must go on foot ; and when the performance was over, and we set forth to return to the hotel, we completely comprehended the good sense of his observation, for there is not a single lamp in the city of Malaga; and the narrow, tortuous description of its streets, (not to mention the crooked pavements, which threaten to sprain one's ankles at every second step,) is such as to render it difficult for persons even who are familiar with the localities to find their way through them without the assistance of the moon. Even brightly as that beautiful luminary shone, we found that our French laquais-de.place, who was in waiting for us, had provided himself with a lantern; which was absolutely necessary to guide our footsteps through some of the narrowest streets, where the height of the houses shut out the moonbeams. Besides, he assured us that it is highly dangerous to be out late at night with- out a light in the streets of Malaga, from the lawless and violent character of the lower orders, which renders the recurrence of midnight outrages very fre- quent ; and the impunity with which the perpetrators of them escape is such as to render the evil an increasing one : in the month of March alone, no less than thirty-six assassinations were committed within the town of Malaga, and not one of the murderers suffered for his crime.
SHOPKEEPERS AT SEVILLE.
Aproposto shopping here : the tradespeople of Seville appear to have no idea of conscience in their dealings with foreigners, and always make a point of asking them rather more than double the usual price of the commodity they are seeking for: they will, however, come down to more reasonable terma if the imposition be firmly resisted, as I found to be invariably the case whenever I had a purchase to make. For instance, I went to order a mantilla at the best shop in Seville for that article of dress; and having selected the materials of which it was to he composed, I inquired how much it would cost : the man named fifty douros as the price ; but the person who accompanied me, and who was perfectly conversant in such matters, having whispered to me that the shopman had demanded exactly double the real price of the mantilla, I declined ordering it upon those terms. The mercer then inquired how much I would give, and I named twenty- five douros ; whereupon he looked fell of honest indignation, and declared it to he quite impossible that I could be serious, and equally impossible that he should accept my terms. But I was so serious that I walked stoutly out of the shop : ttie man followed me into the street, and stipulated for forty douros. " No I" Then thirty-five. " No!" Where did I live? I told him at Prescott's. He was sure 1 would agree to give him thwty-five. I was equally sure that I would not. How much would I give ? "Twenty-five douros." u Impossible ! " was his last word, as he turned into his shop. Nevertheless, the identical mantilla was brought to me at five in the afternoon, with the bill pinned upon it,—price twenty-five douros!
Previous page
