Chapter I: Front Matter

Etext transcriber's note: The footnotes have been located after the etext. Corrections of some obvious typographical errors have been made (a list follows the etext); the spellings of several words currently spelled in a different manner have been left un-touched. (i.e. chesnut/chestnut; sanatory/sanitary; every thing/everything; hords/hoards; visiters/visitors; her's/her;s negociation/negotiation.) The accentuation of words in Spanish has not been corrected or normalized.

_On Stone by T. J. Rawlins from a Sketch by Capt C. R. Scott._

_R. Martin lithog., 26, Long Acre._

THE GENERALIFE, PALACE AND VALLEY OF THE DARRO.

FROM A WINDOW IN THE ALHAMBRA.

_Published by Henry Colburn, 13, G.t Marlborough St._]

EXCURSIONS
IN THE
MOUNTAINS
OF
RONDA AND GRANADA,
WITH CHARACTERISTIC SKETCHES
OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE SOUTH OF SPAIN.

BY
CAPTAIN C. ROCHFORT SCOTT,
AUTHOR OF "TRAVELS IN EGYPT AND CANDIA."

"_Aqui hermano Sancho, podemos meter las manos_
_hasta los codos, en esto que llaman aventuras._"
DON QUIJOTE.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.--1838.

LONDON:

F. SHOBERL, JUN. 51, RUPERT STREET, HAYMARKET.

DEDICATION.

To the Valued Friends who witnessed, and whom a congeniality of taste led to _enjoy_ with me, the scenes herein described--whose wearied limbs have sought repose upon the same hard floor--whose spoons have been dipped in the same _Gazpacho_, I dedicate these pages.

In the course of our perigrinations we have often observed to each other,

"Hæc olim meminisse juvabit."

C. ROCHFORT SCOTT.

Woolwich, 26th October.

CONTENTS

OF

THE FIRST VOLUME.

PREFATORY CHAPTER.

Containing little more than an Invocation--A Dissertation--A Choice of Miseries--A Bill of Fare--And a Receipt for making a Favourite Spanish Dish.....1

CHAPTER I.

Gibraltar--Forbidden Ground--Derivation of the Name--Curious Provisions of the Treaty of Utrecht--Extraction of Saints without a Miracle--Demoniacal Possessions--Beauty of the Scenery--Agremens of the Garrison--Its Importance to Great Britain, but Impolicy of making it a Free Port to all Nations--Lamentable Changes--Sketch of the Character of the Mountaineers of Ronda--English Quixotism--Political Opinions of the Different Classes in Spain.....21

CHAPTER II.

San Roque--Singular Title of "the City Authorities"--Situation--Climate--The late Sir George Don, Lieutenant Governor of Gibraltar--Anecdote Illustrative of the Character of the Spanish Government--Society of Spain--The Tertulia--The Various Circles of Spanish Society Tested by Smoking--Erroneous Notions of English Liberty and Religion--Startling Lental Ceremonies.....41

CHAPTER III.

Country in the Vicinity of San Roque--Ruins of the Ancient City of Carteia--Field of Battle of Alphonso the Eleventh--Journey to Ronda--Forest of Almoraima--Mouth of the Lions--Fine Scenery--Town of Gaucin--A Spanish Inn--Old Castle at Gaucin--Interior of an Andalusian Posada--Spanish Humour--Mountain Wine.....59

CHAPTER IV.

Journey to Ronda Continued--A Word on the Passport and Bill of Health Nuisances, and Spanish Custom-House Officers--Romantic Scenery--Splendid View--Benadalid--Atajate--First View of the Vale of Ronda--A Dissertation on Adventures, to make up for their absence--Ludicrous Instance of the Effects of Putting the Cart before the Horse.....83

CHAPTER V.

The Basin of Ronda--Sources of the River Guadiara--Remarkable Chasm through which it flows--City of Ronda--Date of its Foundation--Former Names--General Description--Castle--Bridges--Splendid Scenery--Public Buildings--Amphitheatre--Population--Trade--Smuggling--Wretched State of the Commerce, Manufactures, and Internal Communications of Spain, and Evils and Inconvenience resulting therefrom--Rare Productions of the Basin of Ronda--Amenity of its Climate--Agremens of the City--Excellent Society--Character of its Inhabitants.....99

CHAPTER VI.

Ronda Fair--Spanish Peasantry--Various Costumes--Jockeys and Horses--Lovely view from the New Alameda--Bull Fights--Defence of the Spanish Ladies--Manner of Driving the Bulls into the Town--First Entrance of the Bull--The Frightened Waterseller--The Mina, or Excavated Staircase--Ruins of Acinippo--The Cueva del Gato--The Bridge of the Fairy.....121

CHAPTER VII.

Legend of the Fairy's bridge.....150

CHAPTER VIII.

Departure for Malaga--Scenery on and Dangers of the Road to El Burgo--Fine View from Casarabonela--An Independent Innkeeper--A Spanish Battle, attended with more Decisive Results than usual--Description of Casarabonela--Comeliness of its Washing Nymphs--Road to Malaga--River Guadaljorce--Sigila of the Romans--Cartama.....178

CHAPTER IX.

Unprepossessing Appearance of Malaga--Dread of Yellow Fever--The Alameda--Derivation of the City's Name, and Sketch of its History--The Gibralfaro and Alcazaba--Cathedral--Cigar Manufactory--Calculation of the Supply and Consumption of Cigars in Spain--Malaga Figures--Population--Trade--Wine Harbour--Society--Visit to El Retiro--The Fandango and Cachuca.....199

CHAPTER X.

Choice of Routes between Malaga and Granada--Road to Velez--Malaga--Observations on that Town--Continuation of Journey to Granada--Fertile Valley of the River Velez--Venta of Alcaucin--Zafaraya Mountains--Alhama--Description of that Place and of its Thermal Baths--Cacin--Venta of Huelma--Salt-pans of La Mala--First View of Granada and its Vega--Situation of the City--Its Salubrity--Ancient Names--Becomes the Capital of the Last Moslem Kingdom of Spain--Fine Approach to the Modern City--It is the most purely Moorish Town in Spain--Cause of the Decadence of the Arts under the Moors of Granada, and of the easy Conquest of the City--Destruction of the Moorish Literature on the Capture of the City by the Spaniards.....217

CHAPTER XI.

The Alhambra and Generalife--Other Reliques of the Moors contained within the City--The Cathedral of Granada--Chapel of the Catholic Kings--Antiquity of the Church of Eliberi--Tomb of Gonzalvo de Cordoba--Churches of San Juan De Dios and San Domingo--Carthusian Convent--Hermita De San Anton.....239

CHAPTER XII.

Granada continued--The Zacatin--Market Place--Bazaar--Population--The Granadinos-Their Predilection for the French Costume--Love of Masked Balls--Madame Martinez de la Rosa's Tertulia--An English Country Dance metamorphosed--Specimen of Spanish Taste in fitting up Country Houses--The Marques de Montijo--Anecdote of the Late King and the Conde de Teba--Constitutional Enthusiasm of Granada--Ends in Smoke--Military Schools--Observations on the Spanish Army--Departure for Cordoba--Pinos de la Puente--Puerto de Lope--Moclin--Alcala la Real--Spanish Peasants--Manner of computing Distance--Baena--Not the Roman Town of Ulia--Castro el Rio--Occupied by a Cavalry Regiment--Valuable Friend--Curiosity of the Spanish Officers--Ditto of our New Acquaintance--Influence of "Sherris Sack"--He relates his History--Continuation of our Journey to Cordoba--First View of that City.....265

CHAPTER XIII.

Blas el Guerrillero.--A Bandit's Story.....300

CHAPTER XIV.

Blas el Guerrillero--_continued_.....333

CHAPTER XV.

Blas el Guerrillero--_continued_.....364

CHAPTER XVI.

Blas el Guerrillero--_continued_.....396

CHAPTER XVII.

Cordoba--Bridge over the Guadalquivir--Mills--Quay--Spanish Projects--Foundation of the City--Establishment of the Western Caliphat--Capture of Cordoba by San Fernando--The Mezquita--Bishop's Palace--Market Place--Grand Religious Procession--Anecdote of the late Bishop of Malaga and the Tragala.....410