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.
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