The servants will each in their line look after their own affairs; the
groom will take with him the things of the stable, and a small provision
of corn, in order that a feed may never be wanting, on an unexpected
emergency; he will always ascertain beforehand through what sort of a
country each day’s journey is to be made, and make preparations
accordingly. The valet will view his masters in the same light as the
groom does his beasts; and he will purvey and keep in readiness all that
appertains to their comfort, always remembering a moskito net--we shall
presently say a word on the fly-plague of the Peninsula--with nails to
knock into the walls to hang it up by, not forgetting a hammer and
gimlet; common articles enough, but which are never to be got at the
moment and place where they are the most wanted. He will also carry a
small canteen, the smaller and more ordinary the better, as anything out
of the common way attracts attention, and suggests, first, the coveting
other men’s goods, and so on to assaults, batteries, robberies, and
other inconveniences, which have been exploded on our roads; although F.
Moryson took care to caution our ancestors “to be warie on this head,
since theeves have their spies commonly in all innes, to enquire into
the condition of travellers.” The manufactures of Spain are so rude and
valueless that what appears to us to be the most ordinary appears to
them to be the most excellent, as they have never seen anything so good.
The lower orders, who eat with their fingers, think everything is gold
which glitters, _todo es oro lo que reluce_; as, after all, it is what
is _on_ the plate that is the rub, let no wise man have such smart forks
and knives as to tempt cut-throats to turn them to unnatural purposes.
However, avoid all superfluous luggage, especially prejudices and
foregone conclusions, for “_en largo camino paja pesa_,” a straw is
heavy on a long journey, and the last feather breaks the horse’s back. A
store of cigars, however, must always be excepted; take plenty and give
them freely; it always opens a conversation well with a Spaniard, to
offer him one of these little delicate marks of attention. Good snuff is
acceptable to the curates and to monks (though there are none just now).
English needles, thread, and pairs of scissars take no room, and are all
keys to the good graces of the fair sex. There is a charm about a
present, _bachshish_, in most European as well as Oriental countries,
and still more if it is given with tact, and at the proper time;
Spaniards, if unable to make any equivalent return, will always try to
repay by civilities and attentions.
[Sidenote: COOKING UTENSILS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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