manoeuvred better than us, and in less than two hours we were within gun-shot, when she made a signal to drop a tern, which, however, on account of the violence of the wind, we could not immediately comply with. They fired therefore a second gun with ball, and our old captain was half dead with fright. Upon this the mate, as a sign of submission, hauled up the foresail, while part of the frigate's company got into her long-boat, and we having now wore the ship, saw sixteen men rowing towards us.

"At first the captain gave up all for lost. He concealed a small purse of money in his woollen wig, put a tin case containing his papers of resource, as he called them, into his large breeches, drank three glasses of gin, one immediately after another, and with an air of melancholy and despair, and in a cold sweat, waited the arrival of the enemy.

"Their leader was a little well-dressed man, who came on board with six of his people. According to custom he perused all our papers, repeating aloud, as he read over our manifest, ten barrels of beer, and asked us with a sarcastic air, "What have the French no more wine? At length, after reading our passports three times, he said in a friendly voice, " Very well, you may pursue your voyage." On hearing these woads, our captain, who had till then been rooted to the ground, and trembled like an aspen leaf, recovered his speech,: "Would like," said he with a smile, " to take any thing, some buiscuit and cheese, or a glass of double distilled gin?" The Englishman, however, refused, and quitted our ship, to the great disappointment of his men, who had been reckoning upon a good share of prize-money, "Now," said our captain, with an air of triumph, "I hope those rogues will not trouble us any more. I have plenty

to stop their mouths with."

you

This anecdote may be useful to our naval officers in another war; however plausible neutral papers may appear at first, it seems that if they go to the bottom in their examination, they may find arguments a posteriori for seizing the vessel.

Mr. Fischer travelled by land from Bourdeaux to Bayonne. Resin candles are used in this country. This fact, which has escaped M. Fischer's notice, is mentioned, because the society for the encouragement of arts and manufactures have offered a premium for such an invention. When the Spanish army were by Fontarabia, these candles were supplied to the troops, on account of the rancidness of their train oil.

From Bayonne he embarked in a chassemarie, bound for Bilboa. The weather was unfavourable, and obliged

them to put into the little port of Gue taria.

"This village resounded with tambourines; in the balconies towards the sea were women in veils; and the boats in which we crossed the bay were full of young girls singularly dressed, and whose hair floated in long brown tresses. The appearance of a crowd of monks, in large black cloaks, and covered with immense round hats, walking on the dyke, the dress of our pilots, their culottes adorned with ribbons and black velvet, their red waistcoats, and redecillas, or hair nets: in a word, a total change in every appearance, and innumerable sensations, which I cannot describe, apprised me I was in Spain.

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The captain proposed to take me to an inn, to which I consented. Having landed, we passed through an arch-way without gates into a small square, where the people were dancing the fandango, though it was now so dark I could scarcely see; and my guide recommended me to an old woman, whom we found in a smoky kitchen, whither I entered with a firm resolution to accommodate myself to whatever I should find.

"In the province of Biscay it is well know, that the ancient, Cantabrian language is preserved, and the Castillano, or Spanish, is spoken very little, or very ill; so that it was with the greatest difficulty that my landlady and myself could make ourselves understood. However, I had no sooner answered her first enquiry, whether I was a Christian, by which is meant a Catholic, in the affirmative, than she was so pleased with me, that she brought me a stone bottle of delicious wine, and a large loaf of bread, made of flour and maize in equal quantities; but of a very pleasant taste. She had nothing else to offer, except a dozen fried sardines, or sprats, with which I was obliged to be contented.

"When I retired to rest, I found no other bed than a paillasse of maize leaves, laid on vine twigs, and two blankets; and soon after four muleteers (arrieros) came in, and occupied the two other beds. One of them spoke French tolerably well, was extremely pleased to find I was a Christiano, and I could not refuse tasting his wine.

a "Next morning I found, in the kitchen, woman younger than the former, but scarcely at all handsome. This was the old woman's daughter, and mistress of the house. She spoke Castillano with tolerable purity, and knew so well how to ask me questions, that my monosyllabic answers sufficed to inform her of the object of my journey. "Senor," said she, "la grazia de Dios

acompanarà a om. Espana es el mejor pays del mundo. Las almas Christianas se alegraran de ver a un hermano, y le ayudaràn a om, en todas sus empresas." The grace of God, sir, will accompany you. Spain is

the best country in the world. The souls of Christians will rejoice in seeing a brother, and will aid you in all your undertakings. "She then led me into the sala, or great room, which was tolerably neat. Meanwhile her husband returned, and addressed me in bad French. Besides being an innkeeper, he was the surgeon of this small place; and, in the last war with France, had learned a little French of the soldiers who had been quartered in his house. I looked over his books, among which I found transtions of Dr. Buchan's Domestic Medicine, and of Tissot's Avis au Peuple, a Complete Treatise on Surgery, a Treatise on the Materia Medica, and a Dissertation on Midwifery. All this convinced me of the gress of knowledge in Spain, which I observed with pleasure."

pro

Guetaria contains near 300 inhabitants only, and of these ten are ecclesiastics! The only well built house there belongs to an Indiano; that is, a man who has made a fortune in America: he is worth about a thousand dollars per annum; but his countrymen believe him possessed of millions. His house is the only one that has glass windows, iron balconies, drinking glasses, arm chairs, or pewter plates. Two girls carry him in a sedan when he goes out; and his only enjoy. ment seems to consist in smoking the best Havannah segars, of which he has above 200 weight in his house. M. Fischer was detained here six days, and his bill amounted only to two dollars.

When the wind changed, our traveller soon reached the flourishing town of

Bilboa.

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Every object around me here has something very singular in its appearance, and their forms are quite original and foreign. The rooms are covered with floor-cloth representing bull-fights; the seats mean, old fashioned, and extremely low; the floors are brick, and the walls full of saints and crucifixes.

"In the old town the houses are built mostly of wood; in the new, of brick. The former are destitute of art or convenience; but in the latter we find a prodigious improvement of taste: in lieu of the heavy balconies of wood, they are of iron, and very neatly manufactured; and in lieu of the wooden shutters, and small round panes of glass used in the old houses, we find large panes, and Venetian blinds. The only thing that astonishes and disgusts foreigners, is the finding certain conveniencies placed in the kitchen, and close to the chimney."

If Bilboa had been the last place in Spain which M. Fischer visited, instead of the first, he would have been asto

nished to find such conveniences anywhere.

The

Bilboa is beautifully situated in a valley, close to the river Ibeyzabal, about three hours distance from the sea. surrounding scenery has a Swiss character, and the mountains every where bear testimony to the mildness of the climate, and the industry of the pecple. The town contains about 13,000 inhabitants, crowded in high houses. A very small apartment, with an alcove, lets for fifty dollars a year. New houses were building every day, because the war compelled the rich capitalists so to employ their money.

The great festival of the Corpus Domini was celebrated when M. Fischer was here.

some festivals that were celebrated soon after "I am now to give you a description of my arrival here.

"The first was the Corpus Domini, or Holy Thursday, one of the principal Roman Catholic festivals, built on one of the most important dogmas of that religion, and at the same time the most lucrative for the clergy. It is this popular religious fete, that gives date to the most important civil transIt also gives occasion, or affords a pretext, actions, and the principal domestic events. for a multitude of public and private amusements; and for that reason, as well as for many others, is in high veneration with the peculiar protégées of Saint Anthony, I mean

the taylors.

"On the eve of this day, all the church towers were illuminated, large fires were

lighted on all the mountains, and, from two in the morning, all the bells were in motion. At six the streets were full of people, crowding round the altars, which were richly decorated, and the balconies were loaded with spectators; but the procession did not begin till near ten o'clock.

"Four gigantic figures, two men and two women, dressed up in a ridiculous manner, began the march. They had long periwigs made of flax, and coëffures of red oiled cloth, ancient dresses, such as copes, and other strange and grotesque habiliments. They had snuff-boxes as large as a plate, and fans an ell long. They pretended to be about to embrace the spectators in the balconies, which they almost reached, and, at the corner of every street, danced a very pretty fandango. "But how," you will ask, could all is be contrived?" Nothing more easy. The figures, except the head and arms, are mere machines dressed up, beneath which are men who give them motion.

"After these came a band of music, and a multitude of angelos, or little boys and girls, mostly in re dresses, with long pasteboard wings, covered with satin. It is

a fashion for good families thus to dress up their children for this procession.

"The superstition and the vanity of parents are alike deeply concerned, and make every one rival his neighbour, and endeavour, if possible, to surpass him. The children are loaded with jewels, and their heads are shaded by a tower of hair, in order to have long tresses floating between their wings. They are covered with every possible decoration, caresses are lavished on them, their pockets filled with sweatmeats, and every one beholds them with a sort of respec', which the little creatures seem to command by their proud and magisterial

air.

"After these came the various confraternities, with their respective saints, mostly in wood, and tolerably well sculptured. They were dressed in velvet or silk, and crowned with flowers. A second band of music, and clouds of incense, announced the VENE RABILE, that is, the host, and a crowd of men and women, dressed in gala, closed the procession.

"If the morning was consecrated to devo tion, the afternoon was appropriated to the corrida, or bull-fight. This species of popular festival will be the more interesting to you, as it is but little known in Germany. The expectation excited by this amusement, the preparation of the scene of action, and the arrival of the bulls, had thrown all Bilboa into a ferment; nor was there any thing spoken of but the Corpus Domini, and the bull-fight, and the great and little children thought of nothing but the approaching combat, and amused themselves with jousting at artificial bulls. During the last three days, the bulls were led about the town in grand procession, amid the acclamations of the populace; and at night in particular the square was filled with an innumerable crowd of people.

"At each end of the square an amphitheatre was erected, and the whole inclosed with high palisades. The benches and balconies on either side bent under the weight of the spectators; the church steeples, the roofs of the houses, the neighbouring bridge, the buildings beyond the river, even the hills and Franciscan convent upon the height, were all full of people; and in the square itself was a crowd of aficionados, or amateurs, who came there to be active in striking the bulls, but so as to escape, in case of need, by leaping over the palisades.

"In speaking of this diversion, we must observe a distinction between the corridas de toros, and the corridas de no villos; the former are the great bull-fight, properly so called, in which the combatants are on horseback, and the bulls must be killed; descriptions of which every where abound. There are also engravings, published in twelve plates, of various sizes, representing the twelve printipal scenes of a bull-fight. These are taken

from nature, and express the minutest details. There is a copy of them, in small, in the last (German) edition of Bourgoanne's travels. The corridas de novillos are combats of young heifers, in which the beast only receives slight wounds, and is irritated and provoked into fury. But to return to my description,

"The square was covered with sand, and the place where the bulls were kept was by the side of one of the amphitheatres. It was open at top, and each bull had a separate stall. Here several aficionados mounted on the planks, and irritated the bulls to make them furious. At length the corregidor, or mayor, gave the signal, when a serjeant, dressed in white, opened the inclosure, and had scarcely leaped out of the way before the bull furiously rushed into the arena.

"Several men on foot expected him with banderillas, or darts, but he ran impetuously toward the four sides of the square, seeking a way out. In the middle of the crowd, who held out pikes, hay-forks, sticks, and parasols, the aficionados were distinguishable, emulating each other, and striving who first should place his hat or his cloak on the horns of the beast, or strike him. But one could scarcely avoid laughing at the agility and ridiculous postures with which they scrambled over the balustrades, as soon as the bull seemed seriously to aim at them. But the banderillas were soon infinitely multiplied, and in a short time, the bull had no retreat; he was covered with them, and flew away several times, roaring and shedding torrents of blood. The spectators, desirous of varying their amusement, now cried on all sides for the dogs (los perros! los perros!) and at length a great bull-dog was let loose at him.

"A new combat now commenced, in which the different instinct of the two animals was apparent, the one endeavouring to conquer by art, the other by force. The dog always attacked his enemy sideways, and turned off at every motion of the bull, who always kept his horns ready to toss him in the air, which he frequently did. If the dog avoided the blow, and at length succeeded in seizing the bull; the latter dragged him along in fury, and struggled to trample him under foot, or dash him in pieces against the inclosure. Another dog was then set at him, and he remained without defence. He still dragged the dogs indeed along, but the latter kept their hold, and continued to hang by his ears.

To separate them, eight very strong men advanced into the arena, seized the bull by the tail, to deprive bin of the use of his strength, then took him by the hind feet, threw him down, and pinched him in a tender part. Thus he lay quite faint and lifeless, and the dogs immediately quitted their hold. A few minutes after the bull rose again, roaring, trembling, and seeming again

to seek the enemy. At this moment some cows were sent into the area, and he followed them very readily into the stalls. Another bull was then turned out, and the same scene renewed six or seven times successively. During the fight no music was heard, except that a few beats of the drum announced, from time to time, a change of secte. During the intervals, the spectators eir refreshments (merienda). They shumed ungir impatience by shaking in concir bandkerchiefs in the air, and appla feri any masterly address (golpos excelacclamations of bien! bien!

Surely nothing but early habit and eduration can attach the Spaniards to this cruel version; nothing but a mistaken ambition, a want of cultivation, and the ignorance of n's true pleasures, can nourish this barbarous and inhuman passion; and we ought to blush for mankind, when we behold our brethren making a festival of such atrocity.

"At night I was witness to a very comic sceae. The square was illuminated with faggots of fir, and some barrels, covered with whale oil, in the middle, and the place was crowded with people, when all on a sudden, a young bull was let loose among them, with his horns tipped with leather (embolado); and the fires, the crowd, and the music, so terrified him, that he rushed among the spectators, and threw them down by dozens. At length a cloak was thrown over him, rockets and squibs were fastened on him, and this pleasantry, which at first appeared likely to prove serious, contributed to the diversion of the people."

The political constitution of Biscay is slightly touched upon. That province is not properly subject to, but only under the protection of the Spanish crown. The king of Castile, Leon, Arragon, &c. is only lord of Biscay. It has neither garrisons, custom-houses, stamps, nor excise; nor can any order of the Spanish government be executed there, till it has been ratified by the provincial government. Our traveller however remarks, that the privileges of the provinces, and the pretensions of the crown, are very ften in opposition, and that the former are not always victorious. Every Biscayan is an Hidalgo: the ancient Cantabrian nobility, they say, has been preserved there uncontaminated by any Moorish or foreign mixture. We wish Mr. Fischer had passed a longer time in this province. An accurate account of a people who, though Spaniards, are free, and cleanly and industrious, would be exceedingly interesting. Their language too should be studied; it is one of the oldest languages in Europe, and is

certainly neither Celtic nor Teutonic in its origin.

The account of Mr. Fischer's journey to Madrid is minute, and animated; and bears every mark of accuracy. The magnificent mountain scenery, the slow travelling, the misery of the fosadas, the motley guests, the superstition, and the liveliness of the peasantry, are all admirably, and we know enough of the country to add, faithfully painted. Madrid has been often described, but never.so painted to the life as by this German, who possesses all the vivacity of a Frenchman. He and Bourgoanne, indeed, seem to have exchanged their national characters, and we find in the French writer that patient and laborious research which is the honourable characteristic of the Germans. Let us look

at this camera-obscura picture, this pa noramic description of the Spanish metropolis.

"Let us now take a view of one of the

most animated streets; as for instance, the Red de San Luis. What a varied crowd! What a confusion of sounds! Women in black, and veiled; men in long cloaks; water-carriers, fruit-sellers, magnificent equipages, dusty diligences, light calesas, waggons drawn by mules, and groaning under an enormous weight; a multitude of asses, with their pack-saddles and bells, and herds of goats, with peasants going from door to door to milk them. Further on, blind musicians, singing their tornadillas, or popular songs, and alguazils crying the orders of police; a crowd of gallegos, or porters, processions of chaplets, guards following the drum, or confraternities escorting a funeral, and singing psalms; the tinkling of bells at all the neighbouring churches; and lastly, the solemn procession of the venerabile, or host, when the bells of the children of the choir being heard, every one kneels down; all tongues are silent, and all hats off; all the carriages stop, and the tumultuous mass seems instantaneously petrified; but two customed clangor is renewed. minutes are scarcely elapsed before the ac

"It has struck eleven, and a troop of officers of the guard with brilliant accoutrements, monks in black cloaks, charming women, in veils embroidered with gold, holding the arms of the cortejos, and a partycoloured crowd of all kinds wrapped up in their cloaks, pour from every street to read the advertisements and posting bills) noticias sueltas): "To-day there will be a sermon and music at the Franciscans; there will be an opera, and such and such plays: to-morrow there will be a bull-fight, or the novena of San Felipo commences: lost yesterday, at the Prado, a little girl; and this morning, a

chaplet stolen, three days ago, such and such a jewel; if it has been taken through want, and if the thief will restore it by his confessor, he shall receive a handsome reward: the day after to-morrow will be sold, by auction, a large crucifix, an image of the Madona, and a nacimiento (or case containing the infant Jesus, with the two other persons of the Trinity, in wood, plaster, &c.) this evening the procession of the rosary will set out about eight o'clock."

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pass.

:

Meanwhile the square is constantly filling, so that it becomes very difficult to Here are criers of journals, stunning the passengers with their noise; people reading the gazette for a quarto (a farthing); Walloon and Swiss guards offering goods for sale; hackney-coaches plying for fares; old clothesmen, cobblers, sharpers, sellers of images and segars, and hucksters of all kinds tormenting the passengers; there a numerous circle crowd round an ingenious memorialista, or notary, a very profitable occupation, and abounding in every street, for nothing is to be obtained by verbal applications, even to a passport, for which a memorialito must pass through an infinity of offices; and there a loto, with a dial to be pulled; next him a juggler, with dancing monkeys; and farther on goods selling by auction: women ogling the passengers also mingle in the crowd, while capuchins, with long beards, parade with gravity and solemnity. Here you are attacked by a couple of ballad-singers, and there annoyed by an importunate beggar; to all which is added the noise of carriages and calesas, and of the neighbouring fountain, re-echoing with the loud hallooing voices of the water-carriers.

"But it strikes one, and the crowd disappears; the porters range themselves near the houses to sleep the siesta, or cat their dinner; all the shops are shut; at the corners of the streets the hucksters cover their stalls, and stretch themselves beside them on the pavement: the place is cleared, the most noisy streets are quite deserted and dead, and a solitary passenger is rarely seen. But no sooner do the bells ring for vespers, than all is life again, and at four o'clock the place is crowded anew.

"At this time come the venders of cool

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water (aguadores) crying, Agua fresca! agua fresquita! quien beve? quien quiere? Aora viene de la feunte!" Cool water,

nice cool water! who drinks? who wants any water, just fresh from the fountain?" These men carry on their shoulders a large stone pitcher, fastened on with leather thongs, and keep goblets in tin vessels to drink out of; it is sold at a farthing the glass. Also orange-girls (naranjeras) crying, “Naranjas, naranjas! dos por tres quartos! por tres quarios dos!" Oranges, oranges! two for ree farthings, for three farthings two!"

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"and lastly, the beggars; "Senor, una limosina! por Maria santissima! una limo

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sina a este pobrecito, que no puede ganar! una limosina por los dolores de Maria santissima!" Sir, your charity, for the love of the holy virgin! your charity to a poor man that cannot work! your charity, by the pains of the holy virgin!" Then by degrees the various equipages go to the theatres, or the Prado, and on all sides company in chariots, on mules, and on borricos. At length it is twilight; the bells ring for the angelus, the lamps are lighted before the madonas, and in the houses, while the wine-sellers and lemonade-sellers light up their shops, and every where are seen little tables, with French rolls, and paper lanterns, "Que ricos! que tiernecitos! que blanditos!" How rich! how fresh! how soft!" The noise of the passengers, the rumbling of carriages, increases every moment, and the whole square is full of people. Here guitars and voleros are heard, there a ballad-singer singing the last new ballad, and stories of men hanged; then a vigorous copper-coloured missionary preaching to a penitent populace, while his audience are appointing assignations."

The moral picture of this capital is sketched with the same freedom, and the same lively likeness. Of the present state of literature in Spain a favourable account is given. Mr. Fischer has added a list of all the journals and periodical works published in the kingdom. The Memorial Literario, a monthly publication, Miscellanies, instructive and curious, or Annals of Literature, Science, and Art; two monthly journals, printed at Salamanca and at Murcia; these are the chief works of this kind. A list of the most important publications of the last eight years is annexed. These form a very respectable catalogue, though necessarily an imperfect one. It will not be long before Spain will resume her rank in literature among the enlightened nations of Europe. There are no less than twenty-one public institutions in Madrid for the purpose of instruction and improvement; and sixtyone patriotic economical societies in the kingdom. The advancement of knowledge has been very rapid during the present and preceding reigns: arts, science, manufactures, have been uniformly encouraged by the government. Spain has been long diseased, but not with a mortal sickness. Her territory is yet. whole; and the recollection which she cherishes of the great men whom she once could boast of, will produce others worthy to be their descendants. Her fortunes have long been ebbing, we be lieve the flow is at hand.