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were hardly any turnpike ​road​s in the kingdom, excepting the “Caminos reales (royal ​road​s) from Madrid to the provincial capitals. From one province to another the ​road​s were of the most ordinary description, traversed by enormous waggons called galeras. The consequence was that the inhabitants of the different provinces had hardly any intercourse or interchange of feelings, so necessary in the promotion of civilisation. No native ever traveled except on matters of business and wherever there was but little business and no ​road​s – the position of nine tenths of the Peninsula – the difficulties of travel were much increased. Mr. North’s party tried (and happily succeeded in) the experiment of riding a journey of some length on mules and horses over the mountains from Granada to Malaga, and also from the latter place viâ Rouda to Seville, an expedition of nine days altogether on the saddle. [See also “Recollections of a Happy Life”, selected from the journals of Marianne North, Vol. lll, page 21]. People talked of robbers, but he had satisfied himself in the first instance that his muleteer was a safe guide. Since returning he had read in a french account that the man was notoriously in league with the brigands, and that he had paid them black-mail to secure their good offices. In the second instance his party ventured without knowing much of their guide beyond the fact that the Consul of Malaga (one of the most agreeable of English officials) was aware that they were departed under his care; so that the man’s character was to some extent involved in their security. This Arab sort of travel in fine weather produced a might joyous and independent feeling in passing over a wild country, if one only resolved to take things easy and make the best of miserable accommodation. They carried a raw ham, some cold roast turkey, a Dutch cheese, and an hermetically sealed tin of butter of which he would only say, as Mr. Gladstone said of the rhubarb champagne, that it was dangerous to the stomach. It was, he regretted to say, of English preparation, and possibly had been returned from the Crimea amongst the unused stores. Some stone jars of good Malaga wine and an earthen jar of water, which was carried with a brandy flask, completed the stores. An iron kettle, a spirit lamp, and a due provision of tea and sugar, they also found indispensable creature-comforts; for, except bread, no amount of money would procure the other stores at a Spanish venta. The scenery passed through would, alone, have repaid one for any amount of fatigue. The track, except a small portion on the first and last days, was only a mule path, over which no carriage could have passed. Indeed, one moonlight journey they ventured upon was without track at all, and they proceeded across the open country with no certainty beyond knowing that their destination lay due -