1779 December 27. Monday.
1 We travelled from Betanzos to Castillano. The roads still mountainous and rocky.
Neither the Horses nor the Mules could be trusted, in ascending or descending the
rocky Steeps of the Mountains in the Carriges without two Men on foot to hold them
by their bridles and their heads, and with all our precautions, We broke one of our
Axle Trees, early in the day which prevented Us from going more than four Leagues
in the whole. The House in Castillano where We lodged was of Stone, two Stories in
height. We entered into the Kitchen, where was no floor but the Ground and no Carpet
but Straw trodden into mire by Men, Hogs, horses and Mules. In the middle of the Kitchen
was a Mound raised a little above the Level of the Ground with Stones and Earth, on
which was a fire, with Potts, Kettles, Skillets &c. of the fashion of the Country,
over it, and round about it. There was no Chimney filled the room
2 and if any of it ascended, it found no other passage to the open Air, but through
two holes drilled through the Tyles of the roof, not perpendicularly over the fire,
but at Angles of about forty five degrees. On one Side was a flew Oven, very large,
black, smoaky and sooty. On the opposite Side of the fire was a Cabbin filled with
Straw where I suppose the Patron del Casa, that is, the Master of the House, his Wife
and four Chilldren, all lodged and slept together. On the same floor or rather on
the same level of Ground, with the Kitchen was the Stable. There was indeed a Door
which might have parted the Kitchen from the Stable: but this was always open, and
indeed it would have been impossible to see or breath with it shut: and the floor
or ground of the Stable, was covered with miry Straw like the Kitchen. I went
{ 215 } into the Stable and saw it filled on all Sides with Mules belonging to Us and several
other Travellers who were obliged to put up, by the Rain. The Smoke filled every part
of the Kitchen, Stable, and all other parts of the House, and was so thick that it
was very difficult to see or breath. There was a flight of Steps of Stone covered
with Mud and Straw, from the Kitchen floor up into a Chamber. On the left hand as
you ascended the Stairs, was a Stage, built up about half Way from the Kitchen floor
to the Chamber floor. On this Stage was a bed of Straw and on the Straw lay, a fatting
hog. Around the Kitchen fire were arranged the Man and Woman of the House, four Children,
all the Travellers, Servants, Mulateers &c. Over the Fire was a very large Kettle,
like a Pot Ash Kettle, full of Turnips and Onions, very large and very fine boiling
for the Food of all the Family of Men and Beasts inhabiting both the Kitchen and the
Stable, and the Stage.
The Chamber in which We lodged, had a large quantity, perhaps an hundred Bushells
of Indian Corn in Ears, very small however, not half so large as our Corn in America.
These Ears were hanging over head upon Poles and pieces of Joist. In one Corner was
a large Binn, full of Rape Seed, on the other Side, another full of Oats. In another
part of the Chamber lay a few Bushells of Chesnuts. There were two frames for Beds
with Straw beds upon them, and a Table in the middle. The Floor I believe had never
been washed or swept for an hundred Years. Smoke, Soot and dirt, every where, and
in every Thing. There were in the Chamber two Windows or rather Port holes without
any glass. There were wooden dors to open and shut before the Windows. If these were
shut there was no light and no Ventilator to draw off the unwholesome Air of the Chamber
or let in any pure Air from abroad; if they were open We were exposed to all the cold
and Vapours, from the external Air. My Inclination and Advice was to keep the Ports
open, choosing to encounter the worst Air from abroad rather than be suffocated or
poisoned with the Smoke and contaminated Air within.
3 In addition to all these Comforts in such a Tavern it was not to be expected that
We should escape the Bosom Companions and nocturnal Ennemies, which We had found every
where else. Nevertheless, amidst all these horrors I slept better, than I had done
before since my Arrival in Spain.