ablutions required by the Mahomedan religion, constituted the most important part of the royal palace, and no pains have been spared to render them magnificent. The queen's dressing room is decorated like the other apartments, but is much more profusely ornamented with gilding and porcelain. In one part of the floor a perforated marble slab is in. serted, through which it is said perfumes were conveyed. But Argote, an author who has paid great attention to Arabian antiquities, thinks that this chamber was an oratory, and not a dressing room, The number of apartments in this palace of enchantment is very consider able, and I should be fearful of fatiguing you if I attempted to describe them. The character of the whole is so remote from all the objects to which we are accustomed, that the impressions of wonder and delight which it has excited, will afford me the most pleasing recollections during the remainder of my life. This noble palace, however, is hastening to decay, and, without repairs, to which the finances of Spain are inadequate, it will in a few years be a pile of ruins; its voluptuous apartments, its stately columns, and its lofty walls, will be mingled together, and no memorial be left in Spain of a people who once governed the Peninsula. 3 The Alhambra was the general residence of the Moorish kings; but during the intense heat of summer they usually removed to another palace in a bigher situation, on an opposite hill called the ieneraliffe, which I have visited. The floors of the rooms are of marble, and have streams of the clearest water rushing through them. A garden adjoining is enriched with orange, lemon, and cyprus, trees, and abounds in crystal fountains, transparent pools, and shady groves. Of late years it has been inhabited by a nobleman, who has added some modern comforts to the ancient luxuries; and though he no longer resides there, it is much frequented by the inhabitants of the city, who repair to it with their provisions, and hold their convivial meetings ein halls which rival in coolness and beauty * the most voluptuous palaces of Asia. THE BRIDGE OF RONDA. Among the various things which have attracted my attention, in Spain, none have excited so much admiration as the -singular situation of this city, the river Goadiaro which encircles it, and the bridges which connect it with its su burbs. It is placed on a rock, with cliffs, either perpendicular and abrupt towards the river, or with broken crages, whose jutting prominences, having a lile seil, have been planted with orange and fig trees. A sure in this rock, of great depth, surrounds the city on three sides, and at the bottom of the fissure the river rushes along with impetuous rapidity. Two bridges are constructed over the fissure; the first is a single arch, resting on the rocks on the two sides, the height of which from the water is one hundred and twenty feet. The river descends from this to the second bridge, whilst the rocks on each side as rapidly increase in height; so that from this second bridge to the water, there is the astonishing height of two hundred and eighty feet. The highest tower in Spain, the Giralda in Seville, or the Monument near London Bridge, if they were placed on the water, might stand under this stuə pendous arch, without their tops reaching to it. The mode of constructing this bridge is no less surprising than the situation in which it is placed, and its extraordinary elevation; it is a single arch of one hun dred and ten feet in diameter; it is sup. ported by solid pillars of masonry, built from the bottom of the river, about fif teen feet in thickness, which are fixed into the solid rock on both sides, and on which the ends of the arch rest; other pillars are built to support these principal ones, which are connected with them by other small arches. It is impossible to convey an adequate idea of it: from below it appears suspended in the air; and when upon the bridge, the river beneath appears no longer a mighty torrent, but resembles a rippling brook. When standing on the bridge, the optical delusion is very sin gular: the torrent of water appears to run up a hill towards the bridge, and the same phenomenon takes place when viewed in either direction. SPANISH PEASANTRY, Having observed much of the manners and character of the Spanish peasantry, more especially within the last fourteen days, I feel I should not be doing them justice were I to abstain from speaking of them according to my impressions. I have given some account of their figures and countenances, and though both are good, I do not think them equal to their dispositions. There is a civility to strangers, and an easy style of behaviour, famillar to this class of Spanish society, which is very remote from the churlish and awkward manners of the English and German peasantry. Their sobriety and endurance of fatigue are very remarkable; and there is a constant cheerfulness in their demeanour, which strongly prepos sesses a stranger in their favour, This cheerfulness is displayed in singing either antient ballads, or songs which they compose as they sing, with all the facility of the Italian improvisatori. One of their Songs varying in words, according to the skill of the singer, has a termination to certain verses, which says, that, as Ferdinand has no wife, he shall marry the King of England's daughter." Some of these songs relate to war or chivalry, and many to gallantry and love: the latter not always expressed in the most decorous language, according to our ideas. The agility of the Spaniards in leaping, climbing, and walking, has been a constant subject of admiration to our party. We have frequently known a man on foot start from a town with us, who were well mounted, and continue his journey with such rapidity as to reach the end of the stage before us, and announce our arrival with officious civility. A servant likewise, whom we hired at Malaga, has kept pace with us on foot ever since; and though not more than seventeen years of age, he seems incapable of being fatigued by walking. I have heard the agility of the Spanish peasants, and their power of enduring fatigue, attributed to a custom, which, though it may proba bly have nothing to do with the cause, deserves noticing from its singularity. A young peasant never sleeps on a bed till be is married; before that event he rests on the floor in his cloaths, which he never takes off but for purposes of cleanliness: and during the greater part of the year it is a matter of indifference whether he sleep under a roof or in the open air. I have remarked that though the Spamards rise very early, they generally keep fate hours, and seem most lively and alert at midnight: this may be attributed to the heat of the weather during the day, and to the custom of sleeping after their meal at noon, which is so general, that the towns and villages appear quite deserted from one till four o'clock. The labours of the artificer, and the attention of the shopkeeper, are suspended during those hours; and the doors and windows of the latter are as closely shut as at night. or on a holiday. Though the Spanish peasantry treat every man they meet with politeness, they expect an equal return of civility; and to pass them without the usual.ex. pression, "Vaja usted con Dios," or sas luting them without bestowing on them the title of Cabaleros, would be risking an insult from people who, though civil and even polite, are not a little jealous of their claims to reciprocal attentions. I have been informed, that most of the domestic virtues are strongly felt, and practised, by the peasantry; and that a degree of parental, filial, and fraternal, affection is observed among them, which is exceeded in no other country- I have already said sufficient of their religion; it is a subject on which they feel the greatest pride. To suspect them of he resy, or of being descended from a Moor or a Jew, would be the most unpardon able of all offences; but their laxity with respet to matrimonial fidelity, it must he acknowledged, is a stain upon their character; which, though common, appears wholly irreconcileable with the ge neral morality of the Spanish character. They are usually fair and honourable in their dealings; and a foreigner is less subject to imposition in Spain than in any other country. I have visited. GENERAL CASTANOS. The celebrity of this officer entitles him to more than a casual notice, and the conduct of the Junta towards him would stamp indelible disgrace on that body, even if their other follies, and I fear, in some instances, their treachery, could be forgotten. Castanos was com mander of the Spanish army before Gib raltar during the last war. His polite. ness, his respect for the English nation, and his friendship for many individuals within this garrison, created a degree of civility between the two hostile armies, which, though formerly common, gave such umbrage to the French ambassador, who at that time ruled the cabinet of Madrid, that repeated orders were sent to Castanos, to suffer no kind of intercourse between the garrison and the cou tinent. These orders Castanos treated with as much attention as was necessary to screen him from disgrace, but still adhered to that line of conduct which had been customary between civilized nations, as far as his power, and the Jea. lous feelings of those who ruled his go vernment, would allow. When the conduct of Buonaparte roused the Spanish nation to oppose his mandates, Castanos was among the first more than fifty miles in length, and to resist the army of France, increased by newly arrived reinforcements to 120,000 men, with one hundred and seventy pieces of cannon, led by the most experienced generals, and commapded by Buonaparte in person. The calamities which followed were such as might natu rally have been expected, and were not the fault of the general, but of those who equipped so insufficient an army, and weakly conceived that they had prepared a force equal to the defence of the kingdom. SPANISH COLONIES. to foster the rising spirit of the people. Castanos collected the few regular troops in the district, organized the citizens, who, at the sacred call of their country, crowded to his standard, and, with a rapidity and vigour which has not since been displayed, fought and captured the first invading army of this for midable enemy. So long as heroism and patriotism shall continue to attract the praises of mankind, so long as history shall transmit to futurity the brightest triumphs of liberty, so long will the field of Baylen and the fame of Castanos be admired by posterity. This is the brightest spot in the records of Spanish contests, and may be dwelt upon with pleasure, amid the dreary scenes that surround it. O si sic omnia! But the success, though not the merit, of Casta sos, had here its termination. The Central Junta, induced by his popularity, conferred on the hero of Baylen the command of the army of the centre, hut basely deceived him with assurances of placing 75,000 men under his command; when he reached the army he found scarcely 26,000 collected, and those were without stores or provisions, and badly clothed. With this insufficient, force, he had to defend a line extending from Tudela to Logrono, of The American dominions of Spain contain a population of twelve million souls; of these, two thirds are the abo after the conquest of the country, became subjects of Spain, converts to its religion, and obedient to its laws; and the present race is so familiarized to the manners and language of the conquerors, as only to be distinguished by their complexion and features; there are indeed some parts where the Indian race is more insulated, and in others totally unmixed with Spaniards; these, however, are only excep tions to the general description. The negro slaves are a small body, in many parts not one tenth, in others, as in the kingdom of New Granada and in Chili, not a twentieth part of the inhabitants but in the islands, and in Venezuela, the proportion is much greater. The sexual intercourse betwixt the Spaniards and the Indian and Negro race, has beca always more considerable than in the.co lonies founded by Eng and; and hence has arisen a much greater proportion of those mixed races denominated Mustees and Mulattoes, who, after mixing with the descendants of Europeans for three generations, acquire the name, and he come entitled to the privileges of Spa niards. Hence, though in the tables of Spanish American population, the Span niards an estimated as one sixth of the whole people, in the estimation are included those of the mixed race who enjoy the rights of Europeans. The Spaniards are divided into the Creoles and the natives of Europe; and the latter are understood to amount to one twentieth of the former, or one hun dred and twentieth part of the whole po pulation. Yet to this small body was entrusted the sole power of the govern ment. The most lucrative offices in the state, and the best benefices in the church, were filled by them, whilst the Creoles, natives 1 natives of the soil, and possessed of the largest property, were kept in a state of comparative degradation. The policy of the court of Spain had prevented the intercourse of all foreigners with their colonies, a prohibition which, having been adopted by the other European nations, was not a subject of complaint, till the independence of British America excited the cager desire for privileges similar to those which their neighbours enjoyed: this desire was increased by the situation in which they were placed by the long-protracted war with England, during the continuance of which, the difficulty of maintaining an intercourse with the mother country was so great, as to separate them from all but casual connec tion. -The same policy which forbade inter. course with foreigners, was extended to their agriculture and their mines. To sastain the vineyards and olive-gardens of Spain, the inhabitants of America to the eastward of the Andes, were prohibited from making wine or oil, and to promote the manufactures of the parent state, the mines of iron and lead with which the country abounds, were for bidden to be explored; and so far were these restrictions carried, that in some instances they were forbidden to navigate their finest rivers. The numerous tribes of Indians complained bitterly of the capitation tax, not so much from its amount, as from the great power it gave to the individuals who collected it, and who ruled each district, to remove them from their native towns to distant places, as well as to practise various other oppressions. The embers of insurrection, which had been smothered in Santa Fee de Bogota and in Caraccas, were not extinguished, and an unshapen mass of discontent was ⚫gradually, but silently, increasing in every part of Spanish America, at the period when Buonaparte, by his attempt to sc cure the throne of Spain to his family, created the revolution, and excited feelings in the breast of every man who spoke the language of Spain, which have hi therto frustrated his expectations. The flame of Irberty which had spread through the peninsula, was quickly extended to America, where the whole continent, as if animated by a common soul, reiterated vows of attachment to Spain, de nounced threats of vengeance to the agents of France; and opened an intercourse with the colonies of England, without waiting for the formalities of peace. Their internal complaints were silenced, and Creoles, Spaniards, and Indians, forgetting every former animo sity, vied only with each other in the strongest demonstrations of hatred to France, and the firmest resolutions to support the cause of the monarch whonk Buonaparte had insulted and deposed. When the revolution broke out in Spain, and that kingdom was ruled by Provi cist Juntas, none of those bodies claimed the right of legislating for America; none of them affected to exercise sovereignty over that country, or deemed themselves more entitled to such power than to authority over their brethren in the ad joining provinces. They were bodies formed by the will of the people of Spain, the emergency of whose affairs justified such a choice; but in no legitimate sense were they, or did they affect to be, the sovereigns of Spain and of the Indies. When the necessities of the country led to the formation of the Central Junta, that body, composed of and delegated by these provincial assemblies, was certainly entitled to no power be yond that which its constituents them. selves possessed, and therefore had no right to consider the Americans in any other light than as fellow citizens, and not subjects. When the Central Junta assumed the name, and affected to ex ercise the rights, of the captive Ferdinand, the language used towards America was flattering and soothing; promises were made, that their complaints should be attended to, their grievances redressed, and their privileges extended; that the Cortes should be assembled, in which America, no longer as a colony, but as an integral part of Spain, should be represented by deputies chosen from itself, These promises, though perhaps made with sincere intentions, were not realised; and, when the imbecile bɔdy which made them was dispersed, America was left without one effort having been made in its favour, or any attention having been paid to its situation. The patriotism of America never res laxed; the difficulties of Spain, instead of damping the ardour of that country, only stimulated it to still further efforts, and millions of dollars from Mexico and Peru were poured into the treasury- of the parent state. During the course of the past year, in every change of circumstances in Europe, the Junta has constantly directed its views to the retention of the dependence and of the monopoly of America, the system system has been shewn in the appoint ment of such men to the different offices of authority, both civil and military, as were most servilely devoted to their interest. Venegas, who first ingratiated himself with this corporation, by sub mitting to their authority whilst it was yet in embryo, has been rewarded by the highest appointment to which a subject, in any country, ever was promoted, The viceroy of Mexico is almost an abso. lute sovereign over five millions of people, and enjoys a revenue commensurate to his power; and this has been the rich reward of his subserviency to the views of the Junta of Cadiz, Alava has been appointed to command in Cuba; and the officers of the navy, for the different stations in America, have been selected from among those who have entered most cordially into the feelings of Cadiz. Attempts to enforce authority, by those who are destitute of power, always terminate in their own disgrace; and the futile endeavours to obstruct all internurse with Caraccas and with Buenos Ayres have only served to render the European government more contemptible in the eyes of the Americans, and to unite those people more firmly together, Nothing can be more absurd, or more unjust, than the expectation, that the extensive territories, peopled by Spa, piards, in the western hemisphere, should submit to the Cortes; who, whilst they are assembled within the defences of Cadiz, can never be supposed to act but in consequences of impulses given to them by the Junta of that city. The people of America are not represented in the Cortes, for the suppleans, purporting to be representatives of that country, were not chosen by them; nor have they in general any common feelings with them; and if they could, by any strained conception, be considered as their representatives, it is scarcely to be expected that, whilst the whole assembly is notoriously under the influence of Cadiz, the Americans will obey the orders which may emanate from such a source. It is impossible to look across the Atlantic without feeling the keenest anxiety, and entertaining the most painful apprehensions, that a civil war, of no ordinary degree of ferocity, may spread itself over that interesting country, and long continue to desolate its fairest provinces; that, in the contest between the Europeaus and the Creoles, the wild bands of Indians may be called in as auxiliaries by the weaker party, and scenes of horror and desolation be produced, at the pros, pect of which humanity shudders. In viewing, however, the present situation of affairs in Spanish America, it is some consolation to know, that, among none of the parties which agitate that country, is there any tendency to con ciliation with France; that the detestation of her politics, and the animosity to her name, pervades al ranks and classes of society; and if any of the officers, who have been placed in authority by the Junta, should hereafter, in the event of Cadiz being captured, wish to retain a connection with that city, when under French dominion, the universal voice of the people would frustrate their views, and probably visit them with all the sc verity of popular vengeance. The part which Great Britain should act in this critical situation is, of ait others, the most difficult to point out.. The Creoles are the avowed friends of British intercourse, and, look to this country for support and protection: the, Europeans, without any hostile feelings, are probably more solicitous to preserve their superior privileges than to cultivate an intercourse with us, and, perhaps, the anxiety discovered by the Creoles for British connection, may make their opponents more averse to it. If we interfere prematurely, we may produce incalculable mischief to the cause of the Peninsula; and if we delay too long, we shall be the means of increasing and prolonging the sufferings of America. It requires the utmost consideration, and the coolest judgment, to give a right impulse to the affairs of Spanish America; and I trust those whose duty it is to direct the impulse, will act in such a manner as to lead to the tranquillity of that country, to healing its divisions, and to n lasting and beneficial connection with Great Britain. .DESCRIPTIVE TRAVELS IN THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PARTS OF SPAIN, And the Balearic Islands, In 1809, BY SIR JOHN CARR, K. C. SIR JOHN CARR's merits as a writer of travels are already known and valued by those who are susceptible of gratifi cation in the pursuits of literature. Since the similar productions of Dr. Moore, we have had no works to vie with these of Sir John Carr; and every man who is not |