"What Mountains Are Those?" I Inquired Of A Barber-Surgeon, Who,
Mounted Like Myself On A Grey Burra, Joined Me About Noon, And
Proceeded In My Company For Several Leagues.
"They have many
names, Caballero," replied the barber; "according to the names of
the neighbouring places so they are called.
Yon portion of them is
styled the Serrania of Plasencia; and opposite to Madrid they are
termed the Mountains of Guadarama, from a river of that name, which
descends from them; they run a vast way, Caballero, and separate
the two kingdoms, for on the other side is Old Castile. They are
mighty mountains, and though they generate much cold, I take
pleasure in looking at them, which is not to be wondered at, seeing
that I was born amongst them, though at present, for my sins, I
live in a village of the plain. Caballero, there is not another
such range in Spain; they have their secrets too - their mysteries -
strange tales are told of those hills, and of what they contain in
their deep recesses, for they are a broad chain, and you may wander
days and days amongst them without coming to any termino. Many
have lost themselves on those hills, and have never again been
heard of. Strange things are told of them: it is said that in
certain places there are deep pools and lakes, in which dwell
monsters, huge serpents as long as a pine tree, and horses of the
flood, which sometimes come out and commit mighty damage.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 161 of 809
Words from 45230 to 45484
of 222596
