335 CHAPTER XVIII. CLIMATE OF GRANADA. ROUTE TO MALAGA VIA LOJA. SPANISH CRUELTIES. No inducements are offered to the foreigner, by the climate, for either summer or winter residence in Granada. Although its height above the sea-about two thousand five hundred feet-and its proximity to snow mountains, make it desirable to the inhabitants of some other, and hotter parts of Spain, the sea-shores of France and England, and the highlands and lake regions, of Scotland, the Tyrol, and Switzerland, are more accessible to the people of other countries, and have greater attractions of cool and bracing breezes. The relaxed and languid, cannot expect toning up in the-not unfrequently-roasting summer suns, and stagnant night-airs, of Granada. While a temperature of frost in winter, forbids the invalid from any form of pulmonary disease, seeking a place not unfamiliar at that season with snow and ice, and without sufficient in-door comforts. The Courts of the Alhambra and the Garden of the Vega, should be sought in spring and autumn. From Granada to Malaga the way is by rail-about an hour and a half in time-to Loja; situated on a height, in the gap of a lofty Sierra-one of the gates of the Vega. Many memories of the Hispano-Moorish wars cluster about this town. Near by, on the hill of Albohacen, the Spanish army, under Ferdinand, sustained a bloody defeat, and the King himself barely escaped being made prisoner by Ali Atar, a Moorish veteran ninety years old, but still possessing a sinewy frame and indomitable spirit. And here, still later, Ferdinand returned, the favourite of fortune, to capture Loja, and the king-Boabdil-who failed to make good its defence. From Loja the route is by Diligence-at this time (1873) one hour,-to a movable station; which marks the progress of construction of the slowlyapproaching railway from Bobadilla. The interest of this part of the route is the novelty of the conveyance —that is, if one can so far master his sense of discomfort, and apprehension of an upset, as to feel interested in anything but his personal safety. Above or below, inside or out, of a lumbering Spanish Diligence, are things of choice. The Coupéas called in Spain, Banquette elsewhere-is the most desirable in good weather. Above, and open in front, it gives the best view. At the same time one is sure of air enough to qualify somewhat the smoke of tobacco, and stench of garlic and onions; of most intolerable concentration in an air-tight compartment; a realiza tion in Spain not to be wondered at, if Father Caimo the traveller's estimate, of the production and consumption of the last two articles be true-to wit"970.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.000.045!" Ladies cannot mount to the Coupé, and must make up their minds to be poisoned, unless they secure the entire Berlina-in Spanish, Coupé in French-for the Interior is a species of Spanish pest-house. Safety being assured thus far, risks have yet to be encountered on the few miles of a route, which, when washed and worn by storm and much travel, appears not to have been repaired since the time of the Moors; and over which one is heaved, and pitched, and tumbled, at the mercy of eight mules led by a wild postilion: a yelling road-side driver, running afoot most of the time, and banging the middle members of the team; and a cocher seated on the box, considering it his exalted duty to crack whip, and whoop at delinquent mules, hurling at them abusive epithets from the moment of starting to that of stopping at the railway station-which gets a new name for every furlong it advances. Thence, the train creeps, in about two hours, to Bobadilla; passing on the way Antequera; where, between three and four centuries since, old Roman remains were quarried for monastic, and other purposes; and near which, on the road to Archidona, is the romantic spot known as the "Peña de los Enamorados." This Lover's Rock is so called from a tragical incident in Hispano-Moorish history. A Christian slave, and the daughter of his Moorish master, in Granada, in love with each other, and fearing discovery of their secret passion, left the city clandestinely. But before reaching Spanish terri Ꮓ tory, their intended place of refuge, their elopement was discovered, and they were pursued to this spot. Finding escape impossible, and dreading the vengeance of their pursuers, they threw themselves from the rock; preferring certain death to separation, and the probable penalties of their passion. This spot is memorable for other incidents of later historic interest. To Peña de los Enamorados it was, that Ferdinand of Castile and Aragon, having been defeated before Loja, retreated without halting. And here it was, that he then determined on abandoning all further attempts to gain possession of that key of the Kingdom of Granada. But four years after, inspired by new hopes coming of successes in other directions, Ferdinand assembled his army in this same meadow, where rests the foot of the Lover's Rock as on a green carpet, and resolved on again trying his fortune on the heights of Albohacen, and once more seeking to possess himself of the Loja portal to the Vega and its Moorish capital. The result has been mentioned. At Bobadilla, the Granada branch railway joins the main line from Madrid through Cordova to Malaga. There, one, who has made acquaintance with the famous wine of Montilla-which gave name to the somewhat similar, and now more widely known Amontillado of Jerez-will feel tempted to run up to the vineyards. that produce it, a little more than midway between Bobadilla and Cordova. The name of the station at which passengers from Granada change trains to take that for Malaga, cannot fail to recall to memory the infamous conduct of Francisco de Bobadilla; who was empowered by Ferdinand and Isabella to supersede Columbus in the government of his New World discoveries; and who, straining authority to the utmost, sent him to Spain in chains. Sustained by a lofty self-approval, the unfailing support of the truly great, Columbus did not stoop to deprecate the violence of this base tool of power, but looked beyond to the Sovereigns who had employed him. Those Sovereigns, whose crown bears no darker stain than that affixed by their own hands, when they signed the letters entrusting authority to one of ungovernable ambition, and recklessness of right; and who felt that no indignities and injustice heaped upon Columbus, would be displeasing, at least, to the suspicious and jealous-minded Ferdinand. Those who take the route from Granada to Malaga by Bobadilla, here mentioned, instead of that by carriage or saddle, through historic Alhama and VelezMalaga, must of course lose the chance of looking at places, made memorable by some of the bloodiest encounters for the possession of the Peninsula. And those, who, coming from Gibraltar to Granada, take the sea-route to Malaga, and then the railway through Bobadilla, instead of the entire land-route by Ronda, will miss some of the most picturesque scenery in Spain; where grandeur, wildness, and beauty, combine with culture and cottage, to form effective groupings for the artistic tourist; touched too by tints of exceeding richness. Ronda is the Spanish Tivoli. What the Arno is to the old Roman relic, so long a shrine of Anglo-Saxon pilgrims, the Guadiaro is to Ronda; belting the city with a girdle of deep, dark emerald, far below in its rock-walled chasm, several hundred feet; then leaping |