"It Is A Factious Mare," Said He,
"And I Believe An Alavese.
When the Carlists came here it fell
lame, and they left it behind, and I purchased it for a dollar.
It
is not lame now, however, as you shall soon see."
We had now reached the firth which divides Galicia from the
Asturias. A kind of barge was lying about two yards from the side
of the quay, waiting to take us over. Towards this Martin led his
mare, and giving an encouraging shout, the creature without any
hesitation sprang over the intervening space into the barge. "I
told you she was a facciosa," said Martin; "none but a factious
animal would have taken such a leap."
We all embarked in the barge and crossed over the firth, which is
in this place nearly a mile broad, to Castro Pol, the first town in
the Asturias. I now mounted the factious mare, whilst Antonio
followed on my own horse. Martin led the way, exchanging jests
with every person whom he met on the road, and occasionally
enlivening the way with an extemporaneous song.
We were now in the Asturias, and about noon we reached Navias, a
small fishing town, situate on a ria or firth; in the neighbourhood
are ragged mountains, called the Sierra de Buron, which stand in
the shape of a semi-circle. We saw a small vessel in the harbour,
which we subsequently learned was from the Basque provinces, come
for a cargo of cider or sagadua, the beverage so dearly loved by
the Basques. As we passed along the narrow street, Antonio was
hailed with an "Ola" from a species of shop in which three men,
apparently shoemakers, were seated. He stopped for some time to
converse with them, and when he joined us at the posada where we
halted, I asked him who they were: "Mon maitre," said he, "ce sont
des messieurs de ma connoissance. I have been fellow servant at
different times with all three; and I tell you beforehand, that we
shall scarcely pass through a village in this country where I shall
not find an acquaintance. All the Asturians, at some period of
their lives, make a journey to Madrid, where, if they can obtain a
situation, they remain until they have scraped up sufficient to
turn to advantage in their own country; and as I have served in all
the great houses in Madrid, I am acquainted with the greatest part
of them. I have nothing to say against the Asturians, save that
they are close and penurious whilst at service; but they are not
thieves, neither at home nor abroad, and though we must have our
wits about us in their country, I have heard we may travel from one
end of it to the other without the slightest fear of being either
robbed or ill treated, which is not the case in Galicia, where we
were always in danger of having our throats cut."
Leaving Navias, we proceeded through a wild desolate country, till
we reached the pass of Baralla, which lies up the side of a huge
wall of rocks, which at a distance appear of a light green colour,
though perfectly bare of herbage or plants of any description.
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