Chapter VI

  Par.  You give me most egregious indignity.
  Laf.  Ay, with all my heart; and thou art worthy of it.

  “All’s Well that Ends Well.”

Naturally anxious to behold a country from which we had hitherto been excluded for so many years, we all applied for leave to go on shore, and obtained it.  Even the seamen were allowed the same indulgence, and went in parties of twenty and thirty at a time.  We were followed and gaped at by the people; but shunned at the same time as “hereticos.”  The inns of the town, like all the rest of them in Spain, have not improved since the days of the immortal Santillana—­they were all more or less filled with the lowest of the rabble, and a set of bravos, whose calling was robbery, and who cared little if murder were its accompaniment.  The cookery was execrable.  Garlic and oil were its principal ingredients.  The olla podrida, and its constant attendant, the tomato sauce, were intolerable, but the wine was very well for a midshipman.  Whenever we had a repast in any of these houses, the bravos endeavoured to pick a quarrel with us; and these fellows being always armed with stilettos, we found it necessary to be equally well prepared; and whenever we seated ourselves at a table, we never failed to display the butts of our pistols, which kept them in decent order, for they are as cowardly as they are thievish.  Our seamen, not being so cautious or so well provided with arms, were frequently robbed and assassinated by these rascals.

I was, on one occasion, near falling a victim to them.  Walking in the evening with the second master, and having a pretty little Spanish girl under my arm, for, to my shame be it spoken, I had already formed an acquaintance with the frail sisterhood, four of these villains accosted us.  We soon perceived, by their manner of holding their cloaks, that they had their stilettos ready.  I desired my companion to draw his dirk, to keep close to me, and not to let them get between us and the wall.  Seeing that we were prepared, they wished us “buenos noches” (good night); and, endeavouring to put us off our guard by entering into conversation, asked us to give them a cigar, which my companion would have done, had I not cautioned him not to quit his dirk with his right hand, for this was all they wanted.

In this defensive posture we continued until we had nearly reached the plaza or great square, where many people were walking and enjoying themselves by moonlight, the usual custom of the country.  “Now,” said I to my friend, “let us make a start from these fellows.  When I run, do you follow me, and don’t stop till we are in the middle of the square.”

The manoeuvre was successful; we out-ran the thieves, who were not aware of our plan, and were encumbered with their heavy cloaks.  Finding we had escaped, they turned upon the girl, and robbed her of her miserable earnings.  This we saw, but could not prevent; such was the police of Spain then, nor has it improved since.