see him belabouring most manfully with the but-end of his gun, a huge wild boar, which, bleeding and prostrate on the ground, was fiercely struggling with four of the "perros" who were trying to pin him down. It was impossible, without the risk of shooting Sandy, to give the bristly monster the contents of my piece; I therefore endeavoured to reach the scene of action as soon as possible. At this moment a large and fierce white dog, which tackled the "puerco" by the head, fell over with a wailing cry, and displayed on his silvery coat, a crimson stream issuing from a fearful gash in the neck, inflicted by the sharp tusk of his fallen foe. The boar, having thus freed himself of his most troublesome adversary, regained his feet, and plunged into the underwood, where, as he "Beat down the trees, before him shook the ground; whilst with a whole host of men and dogs at his back, and leaving bloody tokens of his wounds on the boughs and grass, he gallantly broke away from his pursuers. We long tracked him by the "gouts o' blood" with which he had at intervals bedewed the thirsty ground; but the approaching shades of evening at last compelled us to give up the pursuit, nor was it till a late hour that we reached the friendly roof of our hostess of Castellar, and after a hearty supper, were this night more successful in courting Somnus, the god of slumber. Warned by the events of the preceding evening, we had given directions for the expulsion of both trucklebed and chopped straw from our dormitory, which were replaced by an abundant supply of fresh heather, amongst whose bright and odoriferous blossoms, sleep, "gentle sleep," soon weighed our eyelids down, and we arose next morning with fresh vigour for a second day's sport, during which I was rather more fortunate; killing a splendid buck,* and alarming not a little, a fine young grunter, who, however, managed to "save his bacon." We had to hire a donkey to carry back to the garrison the produce of our sport; and in company with the "bourro," its load and driver, gaily jogged over the Landport Drawbridge, followed by the wondering looks of the natives, and highly pleased with the result of our "Batida in the Sierras of Castellar." *It is but justice to my friend Sandy to say that the credit of this shot ought, strictly speaking, to be divided between us, as we both fired. The deer carried away a bullet and several slugs, and was at last, after a long chase, pulled down by the dogs, of whose good qualities too much cannot be said. 5 CHAPTER VI. AN EXCURSION TO TARIFA. "Foil'd, bleeding, breathless, furious to the last 'Mid wounds, and clinging darts, and lances brast, And now the Matedores around him play, Shake the red cloak, and poise the ready brand; Once more through all he bursts his thundering way- Wraps his fierce eye-'tis past-he sinks upon the sand." WHO has ever approached our rocky fortress of Gibraltar, the "Peñon" of Spain, the Rock "par excellence," without allowing it at once to be the most imposing object he ever beheld? This conviction is the more forcibly impressed on the mind as advancing from the land side, when-on passing the Spanish lines the traveller beholds at the extremity of the extensive plain stretching out before him, this vast and perpendicular mass of rock, abruptly rising to the height of fifteen hundred feet above the level of the adjoining seas, of which it is one of the noble boundaries;-"Mons Calpe" and its African brother of Abila being eternal evidences to the termination of the gigantic labours of Hercules, and thence denominated the "Pillars" of the demi-god. Such was the sight disclosed to the view of a brother officer and myself on our return from an expedition to Grenada; and as we urged our jaded steeds past the Bayside barrier, and wending_our way along the Causeway known by the appellation of the "Boca de fuego," or mouth of fire, as we peered upwards at the numerous embrasures of the galleries excavated out of the solid cloud-capped rock above us, we could not deny the appropriateness of the term, repress a feeling of exultation at Britain having such a strong hold in her power, nor refrain from a sentiment of wonder and admiration at the labour she had bestowed to ensure its future possession. As we proceeded along the abovementioned Causeway we were met by a large party from the Garrison, who received us with loud shouts of merriment, caused no doubt by our peculiar appearance and appointments, but to which time and habit had so completely reconciled us as to divest them in our eyes of anything very ludicrous. However, we must have been rather extraordinary looking objects. My companero, on a tall raw-boned brute of a mule, his swarthy countenance surmounted with a broad-brimmed "sombrero," tortured by wind, rain, and ill-usage into any shape but the right one; a mouldy-looking old shooting jacket on his back, most wofully rent and soiled, from the side pocket of which peeped out the curly head of a little poodle dog, whilst from his saddle-bow depended a formidable cavalry sabre in a most rusty scabbardwas unanimously dubbed Sancho Panza, and voted the worthy Squire of the Knight of La Mancha, represented by the reader's most obedient servant, who, in an old military surtout coat-one scale of which had that morning been left in the depths of a quicksand, into which we had floundered-and girded round the loins with a broad leathern belt, from whence protruded a large horsepistol and depended a brass scabbard, sadly deformed by the aforesaid roll in the mud-bestrode a sorry Rosinante of a steed rejoicing in the appellation of "El Pintao" or the Piebald. And verily more "toil-stain❜d weary wights forlorn" ne'er passed the gates of Landport; nor could we refrain from joining in the laugh with which the Captain on duty hailed our approach, or from being amused at the wondering looks of the natives, and the suppressed tittering female sounds which issued from behind the halfopened Venetian blinds, as, attended by a still increasing cavalcade, we slowly proceeded up the "Caille Real," the High Street of Gibraltar. Sancho had already had for some time to come, his fill of adventures, but the "Knight of La Mancha" was soon again on the move-in a rather more decent trim, it is true, than as we have last described him; and mounted on a sturdy little pony yclep'd the "Pig," duly provided with alforjas (saddle-bags,) and his fowling-piece slung over his shoulders, was one fine morning, soon after the above triumphal entry, to be seen solitarily jogging along the winding shore, en route to Tarifa, the most southerly point on the opposite extremity of the Bay, and where, as reported, some tolerable shooting was to be had. Leaving on the right, the ancient amphitheatre of Carteia and the old grey watch tower near the beach, he ferried successively over the first and second rivers-the Guadranque and the Palmoni -when on traversing a plain celebrated in Spanish and Moorish annals as the battle ground between many a Christian Knight and ❝turban'd Paynim" warrior; our friend of the Sorrowful Countenance, after a ride of a couple of hours, found himself snugly seated before a cup of chocolate at the "Fonda de las Cuatro Naciones," thereby recruiting his strength and laying in a fresh stock of vigour for the toilsome march before him, on which he again started about 9 A. M. At this early hour the streets of Algeciras were nearly deserted : the still slumbering Señoritas had not yet opened their bright eyes; not an "abaneco" was seen waving at the balconies, not a single "mantilla'd" countenance peered through the grated windows; nor was the sound of the silken "basquiña" then heard rustling along the causeway. Nothing therefore delayed our hero in his progress through this city, seemingly of the dead; and leaving behind him its white walls, he was soon entering the mountains, * The "abaneco" is the fan, the "mantilla" the veil, and the "basquiña” the black silk gown worn by the Andalusian ladies. and after toiling over rugged paths, along dry and rock-bestrewn "barancos," or watercourses, fording brooks, and toiling up steep hills, he at last found himself at the small "Ventorillo" den Muchao, about eight miles from Algeciras, where he got a feed of barley for his steed, and fished out some refreshment for himself from the bottom of his spacious "alforjas." Whilst thus engaged, a young man in the "majo" costume entered for the purpose of getting "un vaso de vino," and the usual salutations having passed between them, and being further backed on the part of our hero by the offer of a "purito" (a cigar,) he and Manuel Guerra-for so the last comer announced his appellation to be-were soon sworn allies, more particularly as the latter professed to understand the management of a horse, and proffered his services in that way during their common stay at Tarifa. After having duly fortified the inward man, they again started; Señor Manuel travelling on foot; and as the nature of the road did not admit of any other pace than a walk, he had no difficulty in keeping up with his equestrian companion, to whom he proved most agreeable company. He described himself as a "Hijo de Cadiz," (a son or native of that place,) for the time resident at San Roque, where, as a sort of jack-of all-trades, he applied his hand to anything that offered, and appeared willing to make himself useful in any way. After traversing a venerable old cork word-where localities presented themselves worthy of Gil Blasic adventure-they forded a mountain torrent, dashing its clear waters through a glen beautifully shaded with the ilex, the laurestine, and rhododendron, under which the white narcissus and golden crocus, mingling with the delicate blossoms of the lesser gum cistus, brightly enamelled the smooth green sward on its romantic banks. Here they lost all traces of a road, and toiled painfully along over a dry and rocky water-course, where their progress was naturally very slow, but which may be somewhat expedited, if, in the narration, we drop the conceit of the third person, and say, that, tardy as was our pace, we nevertheless managed to overtake an old peasant, his wife and daughter, who, with one little "bourro" (donkey) between the three, were travelling along this lonely region of rock and mountain. In the desert man passes not his fellow man without some signs of recognition; in Spain a courteous salutation between travellerswhatever be their respective ranks-is always expected and politely returned; and with a "buenos dias, compañero," to the old peasant, and a "para servir a ustedes Señoras" to the ladies, we were soon all trudging along in friendly confab. The old lady had appropriated to her own peculiar use the ser *In Spain, at least in the southern part of it, the houses for the accommodation of the traveller are of three kinds-the "fonda" answers to our inns; the "venta" to a public house; whilst a "ventorillo" is a peculiarity in itself, being merely a shed where the passing wayfarer may perchance get a little fried fish, some "small" wine, or potent "aguardiente," an alcohol strongly seasoned with aniseed. vices of the bourro, and as her daughter-a charming brunettewas pacing it on foot, I could not do less than offer her a seat on the "Pig;" and whilst thus acting in the double capacity of squire and page to the dark-eyed Catalina Bianca, the rugged path appeared both short and smooth till we entered the gates of Tarifa, when, taking an affectionate farewell of my pretty charge, I proceeded with Manuel to put up our nag at the best posada the place afforded, and then went to pay my respects to an old acquaintance, Colonel Abreu, the Governor of the "Plaza," from whom I met with every civility, and who kindly sent an orderly to accompany me in my visit through the town. What first fixes the attention of the stranger on a visit to Tarifa is the peculiar appearance of the women, who-so far retaining the remains of their old Moorish customs-are completely shrouded in black garments, not excepting the face,* in displaying the charms of which they are even more niggardly than the fair Osmanlis. These latter do permit two embrazures for the artillery of the eyes; whereas the dusky Tarifanas, imagining, no doubt, that one bright orb is sufficient to enable them to do a vast deal of mischief with, only allow one loop-hole for the purpose-and that, if I remember correctly, is on the left-hand side-at the bottom of which, a bright object may be seen glimmering like a red hot coal in the midst of surrounding darkness. The name of Tarifa has, through its noble defence against the French-directed by Captain, now Major-General Sir Charles Felix Smith-become emblazoned on the bright shield of British achievements in the Peninsula, and we first visited the part of the walls which had been breached on that occasion, and from whence the enemy were so gallantly driven with great loss by the 87th regiment under Colonel Gough: we next went over the Moorish Castle, or Guzman's Tower, at present the prison of some hundred and twenty "presidios," or convicts; and after going round the "Isla de Paloma," returned to dinner at the fonda, where I had left Mr. Manuel in the charge of the "Pig," and with directions to make the necessary inquiries about the next day's shooting. He had most satisfactorily acquitted himself of all his commissions-fed the pony, bespoke a dinner, and secured the services for next day of a famous "caçador," who was well provided with "perros," and promised all manner of "caceria.”† Whilst Manuel was eloquently descanting on the splendid sport we might expect, in bagging hundreds of quail, partridges, "conejos" (rabbits), and maybe, "quien sabe"-who knows, said he, perhaps even a "corso" (roebuck)-I was not idle with the edibles before me, which consisted of a "pollio"-i. e., a boiled fowl smothered in rice with a strong dash of garlic, and otherwise the exact counterpart of an Eastern pilau. This was diluted with a *This singular dress is, I believe, confined to Tarifa and to the neighbouring town of Vehez; but I was never able to learn the reason for adherence to a costume so long superseded by the far more graceful mantilla. † Literally, "a huntsman," "dogs," and "sport," |