SPAIN COINCIDENCES.

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LETTER XXXI.

VOYAGE TO BARCELONA-ENTRANCE TO THAT CITY-TROU BLES IN SPAIN-PUBLIC PROMENADE-THE QUEEN MO.

THER-SHOPS-DEPARTURE.

It will not surprise you, my dear coz, to find this dated from the southern coast of Spain, if you have received our last letter advising you of our intentions, as doubtless will be the case ere you are in receipt of this. But for myself, though we have been for some time talking and thinking of pushing our adventures thus far, I can scarcely realize that the truth is as it is, and that we should, in the present disordered state of the country, have ventured into Spain. Yet, though there is danger, there is also excitement and novelty in travelling through a country under martial law, and where one may at any moment be in the midst of an insurrection or an 66 émeute."

You will remember, a few years since, during the rebellion in Canada, we had a steamer burnt in the month of December; we chose the following summer to make a tour of the Canadas, notwithstanding we were thought to run much risk. We had a delightful tour, we were treated with much politeness by the British officers, and encountered nothing unpleasant or in the least dangerous.

When in England, last spring, they said to us: " are you not afraid to enter into Ireland, where there is so much disorder and discontent ?" We were nothing daunted, and passed through the whole eastern portion, seeing a deal of poverty, misery, and degradation, but meeting with no disaster or impediment; on the contrary, much that was agree

able, and more interesting, perhaps, from the state of the times.

At Venice, last fall, just as we were on the point of embarking for the east, news came that there was a revolution in Greece; that the people had risen in a body, demanding of the king a constitution. We hesitated, and had doubts of the wisdom of proceeding; but ere other tidings had been received, we had decided, and were on our way; and perhaps could not have visited Greece at a more interesting period.

When in the south of Italy, we first heard of the insurrection at Barcelona, of which place the insurgents had possession two months, from September to November. We were not altogether discouraged, though we had some fear, from the general disorder throughout the whole country. Before reaching Marseilles, where we expected to take the steamer for Spain, we had intelligence of the insurrection at Terragona, an old and interesting town south of Barcelona, that we hoped to have seen; this being one of the places the steamer advertised to stop at. Arrived at Marseilles, we heard that the last boat that came in was detained twenty days at Carthagena, by order of the insurgents, who were in possession of that place. Passengers, cargo, &c., all were obliged to stay, for no other boat came to take them on.

It so happened that the person who received the order to detain the boat was one of the consignees, and he at last took an opportunity to get the boat off. No boat had left Marseilles for Spain for three weeks, not daring to venture until they had received certain intelligence. One was now to sail the morning after our arrival. We took passage and went aboard, but did not leave till the following morning, owing to the weather. The captain was obliged, by the laws of Spain, to go a day's sail out of his way, to the little port of Centa, east of Toulon, to obtain his papers of clear

66

AN INFANT PRODIGY."

291

ance; and here bad weather and strong head winds detained us another twenty-four hours. This was somewhat disheartening, but at last the sun shone out brightly, which was cheering, though the wind was too strong to admit of remaining long upon deck. The passengers were a mixture of French, English, Spanish, Arabs, and Moors, we being the only Americans. Many spoke English, and all French, and were pleasant and polite.

We had a little Spanish boy, of six years, quite a musical prodigy. He played upon the violin exquisitely, so that it was really delightful, as well as marvellous, to listen. He was a pretty, sprightly lad, held his instrument well, and handled his bow admirably. He has played before the queen mother, and receives from her an annuity of forty dollars, to be expended upon his musical education. We had also a large basket of carrier-pigeons from Antwerp, destined for Valencia, and a company of actors, on their way to Havana. These last enlivened our moonlight evenings upon deck, with singing and playing on the guitar. At times the passengers (Spaniards) would gather round, and while the musician played some national or familiar air, they would successively improvise a stanza, sometimes calling forth rapturous applause.

We reached Barcelona at eleven, P. M. the following day, the weather rainy, and the wind blowing from the same adverse quarter; and though at anchor, there was a deal of unpleasant motion all night. The next morning, as soon as we had obtained "free pratique," we prepared to land. While C. was upon deck, a faquino, or porter, came aft, and asked if he had anything to take ashore. He replied "no," and turned away to be rid of his importunities; when hearing a noise, he turned again, and saw the soldier who was there as a guard, pushing and driving the man from the quarter-deck; the porter, going backwards, fell; when the

292

EFFECTS OF A SIEGE.

soldier struck him a blow with his sword across the upper part of his arm, cutting a terrible gash, from which the blood gushed in a torrent. He then hustled him off, and

got rid of him; no one interfering. What a state must a country be in, when one of these ignorant common soldiers can thus take the law in his own hands!

The steamer lay at some distance from the landing, and our passage was made over a rough sea. The landing-place, too, was some distance from the hotel; but the walk was along the ramparts, (the wall of the sea,) and afforded a fine view of both town and harbor. The first thing that struck us on going ashore, was the marks of the balls on the outside of the wall, and the gate through which you enter from the port. We passed through the grand square just within the gate, where is the palace of the governor; formerly that of the kings of Arragon; the Hotel de Ville, the exchange, and custom-house, with many palaces of the nobility; all large and splendid edifices, beautifully ornamented with rich carvings and pretty balconies, forming altogether a noble square, with one side open to the sea.

Here the workmen were busy repairing the injuries these handsome buildings received during the siege; large blocks of stone were being replaced, as well as marble columns and panes of glass. A beautiful walk on the top of the wall that defends the city on the sea-side, following the bend of its fine port, led to the "Fonda de Quatres Naciones," where we intended to breakfast and remain till the boat sailed. On the inner side of this wall were large and handsome dwellings, but very many of them, for a long distance, bore evidence of the warfare of which they had been the scene. Some of them were entirely battered down, with only a mass of ruined wall and rubbish remaining; in some, the cannon balls had made their passage quite through, and the windows were all, even now, void of glass. It was a novel

sight to me to witness these marks of actual bombardment ; and I could scarcely convince myself that I was looking on in propria personæ.

The city of Barcelona is situated on a plain and on a high promontory, overlooking and commanding it, stands the fortress of Mont Jouy now in possession of the royalists. At the time of the last siege, the royalists held the fort by the sea-side, near the gate by which we entered, and it was the balls from thence that so battered the houses on the square and quay. It was the captain's intention to leave in the evening, if possible; so we resolved to be very busy, and see all in the course of the day. We had a number of our fellow-passengers breakfasting with us, forming so singular a collection that I cannot forbear mentioning them. party consisted of two English, one Frenchman, one Prussian, one Swede, one Spaniard, ourselves American, and the waiter Italian. Each of the party spoke more or less French and English; and it was amusing enough to hear the broken English, and quite as disabled French with which the conversation was carried on, interspersed with here and there a jet of Spanish and Italian.

The

The hotel was situated on the public promenade, called here the "Rambla." This has a wide gravel walk in the centre, shaded on either hand by fine large trees. On each side is a paved road for vehicles, the whole lined by handsome buildings; dwellings, churches, theatres, and palaces. There is always a balcony to every window, where you may stand, shaded by an awning of matting, and look down upon the multitude constantly passing up and down. Spanish dons with their ample cloaks, that none know how to wear so gracefully. Donnas with their silk mantillas, trimmed with lace, always black, as well as the dress, with the universal accompaniment-a fan—that they are continually opening, shutting, and flirting about