snow above, the gullies and breaches made by
water-torrents during great rains, the rivulets in the vale below, the
verdure on their banks, the herds of goats, the humble, but picturesque
habitations of the goat-herds, the hot sun shining upon the _snow-capt_
hills above, and the steep precipices below, all crowd together so
strongly upon the imagination, that they intoxicate the passenger with
delight.

The French nation in no instance shew their greatness more than in the
durable and noble manner they build and make their high-roads; here,
the expence was not only cutting the hard mountain, and raising a fine
road on their sides, but building arches of an immense height from
mountain to mountain, and over breaks and water-falls, with great
solidity, and excellent workmanship.

The invalide guard at this fortress take upon themselves, very
improperly, and I am sure very unwarrantably, to examine strangers who
pass, with an impertinent curiosity; for they must admit all who come
with a proper _passa-porte_ into _Spain_, and durst not admit any
without it. On my arrival at the Guard-house, they seized my horse's
head, and called for my _passa-porte_, in terms very unlike the usual
politeness of French guards; and while my pass was carried into a little
office, hard by, to be registered, those who remained on the side of my
chaise took occasion to ask me of what country I was: I desired to
refer them to my _passa-porte_, (where I knew no information of that
kind was given,) as it was a question I could not very well answer; but
upon being further urged, I at length told them, I was an
_Hottentot_.--"_Otentot_--_Otentot_--pray what king governs that
country?" said one of them. No king governs the _Hottentots_ replied I.
"What then, is your country without a king?" said another, with
astonishment! No; not absolutely so, neither; for the _Hottentots_ have
a king; but he always keeps a number of ambitious and crafty men about
his Court, who govern him; and those men, who are generally knaves, feed
the people with guts, and entrails of beasts, give the king now and then
a little bit of the main body, and divide the rest among themselves,
their friends, their favourites, and sycophants. But I soon found, these
were questions leading to a more important one; and that was, what
_countryman_ my horse was;--for, suspecting him to be an _Englishman_,
they would perhaps, if I had been weak enough to have owned it, have
made me pay