and what had passed at the town of _Cette_, relative to the musical
instruments, as one of the largest was still with us.--He seemed
astonished, that I preferred the long and dangerous journey by land, as
he thought it, to _Barcelona_, when I might, he said, have run down to
it over a smooth sea, in the same bark I had put my baggage on board.




LETTER XVI.

GIRONE.


From _Jonquere_ to _Figuere_ (about four hours journey, so they reckon
in Spain) the road is intolerable, and the country beautiful; over which
the traveller may, as nature has done, repose himself upon a flowery
bed, indeed; for nature surely could not do more for the pleasure and
profit of man, than she has done from _Jonquere_ to _Girone_. The town
of _Figuere_ is, properly speaking, the first town in Spain; for
_Jonquere_ is rather a hamlet; but _Figuere_ has a decent, comfortable
appearance, abounds with merchants and tradesmen, and at a little
distance from it stands the strongest citadel in Spain; indeed it is the
frontier town of the kingdom. The quietness of the people, and seeming
tranquility of all ranks and orders of men in Spain, is very remarkable
to a person who has just left a kingdom in every respect so different.
Strangers as we were, and as we must be known to be, we passed
unnoticed; and when we stopped near a cottage to eat our hedge dinner,
neither man, woman, or child came near us, till I asked for water, and
then they brought with it, unasked, dried grapes, and chesnuts, but