Things seen in Spain

by C. Gasquoine Hartley

In one corner of the plaza, under an archway, is a stone image, beneath which burns a sacred lamp, and always, as they pass, the men and women pause, cross themselves, and make a genuflection; religion is part of business. The mules and ox-carts stand at the outskirts of the plaza. The mules are shaved on the upper part of their bodies and their tails and ears, and have a curious appearance; they are thin and badly cared for, but this is hidden by their gay trappings. The ox-waggons are exceedingly primitive, and as each one arrives a hoarse and deafening noise pierces the air. The peasants leave the wheels of the cart unoiled, and delight in the frightful music, which can be heard half a league away; they believe that the sound drives off demons. A peasant would not own a cart that did not “play.”

The Basques claim to be the oldest race in Europe; and it is now generally acknowledged that they represent the primitive Iberians of Berber stock, who form the fundamental population of all Spain. Many primitive customs survive among them, and one of the most interesting is that by which the eldest daughter in some districts takes precedence over the sons in inheritance. They are a people of the mountains, and to know the Basques you must live in their villages; even their one town, Bilbao, in spite of its industrial and commercial prosperity, is really an overgrown village more than a city. It offers a striking contrast to Barcelona, the other great Spanish seaport, and the most perfect example of a commercial city.

To see the Basques at their finest you must watch them in the fields, where the women work side by side with the men, and appear to have equal strength with them. They use a large and primitively-shaped fork on which both feet are placed to force the implement into the ground, and the work is carried out with surprising rapidity.

Great flocks of sheep are reared in Spain, especially in Estremadura; each flock belonging to one proprietor is called a cabaña, and many contain 50,000 sheep. The shepherd who guards the cabaña is one of the most constant figures in the country districts. A million arrobes of wool—an arrobe is about 25 pounds—are said to be obtained in each year, and the wool is famed throughout Europe. Although manufactures are not extensively developed, I have seen cloth made at Guadalajara that for beauty of colour and quality would compare favourably with the manufactures of England or France. It is worth noting that in some manufactories it is the custom to set aside a portion of the wool to be sold for the benefit of souls in purgatory—an instance of how in Spain religion is connected with everything.

The most important industries of Spain are wine-making and fruit-growing. The country makes all the common wines for her own consumption, and the brandies, rich wines, and fruits exported form a considerable source of wealth. Many thousands of men, women, and children, are employed in these industries. At Seville and other towns in the south, the women pick the oranges ready to be taken to the ships. Great heaps of golden fruit line the groves, which are afterwards sorted, the better fruit being wrapped in paper before it is packed.

One of the oldest industries is pottery. The jarro, or earthen pots used for water, are made of white or red clay, unglazed, and very beautiful in shape. The jarro are sold by women in the markets of the towns for a few reales—that is to say, about five or six English pence.

Spanish workers are universally poor, receiving wages so low that it is surprising how they live. But they are thrifty and sober, while their needs are simple, and their hardships are mitigated in some measure by the fact that almost all industries are carried on out of doors. In the streets of the towns you see men and women at work at the edge of pavements, making and mending boots, working sewing-machines, preparing leather goods, ironware, and other commodities. The shops and small manufactories are open to the street; you can see the occupants within making ropes and baskets, saddlebags, brushes, and a variety of wares. What impressed me was that these workers always looked happy.

Women play an important part in the life of workaday Spain, and the splendid types of these women workers make the foreigner think deeply. They are full of energy and vigour even in old age. They work as well as the men in the fields, turning the soil with forks, training the vines, and garnering the grapes and chestnuts. I have seen women carrying immense burdens, unloading boats, acting as porters, removing household furniture. I saw one woman with a chest of drawers easily poised upon her head; another, who was quite old, carried a bedstead. A beautiful woman porter in one village carried our heavy luggage, running with it on bare feet, without sign of effort. For what surprised me most was that, in spite of hard physical labour, these women are beautiful. They are always happy and contented; in their faces, and especially in their eyes, is that indescribable expression, the wonderful smile of Spanish women.