we again fet out, and foon arrived at the foot of that range of hills that
gives bounds to the plain on which Cafa Blanco is fituated. Thefe hills
appeared to rife with a quicker afcent, and to a greater height above the
plain we were then quitting, than the full ridge had feemingly done from
the fea fide at Almandrel. The new road here led acrofs the lefs elevated
part of the ridge, notwithftanding which, it was fo fleep that it was ne-
ceffary to cut the road in the fame zigzag diagonal way as before, and
in its courfe from the bafe to the fummit of the hills, it made twenty-five
returns or angles.
On this intermediate part of the new road the labourers were at work;
and we underftood from our guides, that as a fufficient number of people
could not be procured to carry the whole of the defign into execution at
once, his Excellency the Prefident (having the comfort, convenience;
and'intereft Of the inhabitants much at heart) had, in order to facilitate the
intercourfe between thefe.two great towns, ordered the moll difficult and
dangerous parts of the new line of road to be, firfl made paflable and
commodious. The road here was of the fame width, and equally well
made, with the part before defcribed; but as the foil confifled of the fame
loofe fandy materials, it mull necelfarily be liable in the winter feafon to
the fame difadvantage I have before Hated, from the defcending torrents
of rain.
We had here for the firll time an opportunity of feeing the peafantry
of the country in a labouring capacity, and we could not help remarking,
that their inaflivity in the performance of their work could only be
equalled by the humble means they polfelfed for carrying it into execution.
There were about fifty men at work with common pick axes and
Ihovels; andtofupply the place o f wheel-barrows for the removal of the
earth from the higher to the lower fide of the road, the hide of an ox
was fpread on the ground, and when as much earth was thrown upon it
as would require the llrength of two men to remove, the comers of the
hide were drawn together by each o f them, and in that Hate dragged to
thedeprefled fide of the road, and emptied where requifite, to preferve a
gentle Hope in the breadth; or elfe difcharged over the brink, and fent
down the fide of the hill. The rocky parts, which were frequently met
with,
with, were blown up with gunpowder; and the fragments, which fome- ^735-
times were very large, inftead of being beaten into frnall pieces for the v---- -----<
purpofe of making a more folid foundation for the paffing of carriages,
Were all moved to the lower fide of the road, and, like the earth, thrown
from thence down the hill. By this injudicious praftice the earth from
the higher fide, which in moll places might have been contrived to have
made a parapet along the brink, was not only carried down by thefe
maffy fabrics , of rock, but in many places the- ground Was torn tip by
them in their paffage down; and as it appeared to us that the brink was
to be left in this open ragged Hate, the defcending rains mull foon caufe
gullies that will injure the road, and do it confiderable damage. The
fuperintendents, however, feemed to have been aware that the torrents of
water, defcending from the upper fide of the hill above where the line
of-road paffes, might have the effeft in rainy weather of walhmg away
the loofe materials of which the road is compofed; for a channel was cut
along the fide of the road neareft the. mountain to receive fuch water, and
to carry it down its inclined plane; but it appeared to us to be too final!,
and too much like a gutter to anfwer the purpofe for which it was intended.
The lower fide, or brink, had neither bank of earth, nor rail'of
wood, as a fence; nor did we underftand that any fort of proteftion was
defigned to be made, the want of which gave it a very unfimfhed naked
appearance, and in Tome places, where the lower fide paffed over a fteep
part of the hill,'or over perpendicular precipices formed by the rock, it
appeared to be dangerous in a high degree; for in the night, or in the
event of a horfe .taking fright, or falling near this outer unproteaed fide,
there can be little chanCe of the animal or its rider efcaping unhurt. Indeed
it did not appear to us to be prudent to'venture too near to this
fide in the day-time, as the road had already crumbled down the hill,
and had fallen into deep holes in many places.
. The labourers, I was informed, received their provifions, and a rial
and an half per day, which according to the rate at which we received
the dollar, (viz.^ at three ffiillings and" nine-pence each, makes the
amount of their daily wages about feven-pence fterling, and the value of
their food cannot exceed a groat. Thefe circumftances made it appear to
3 H 2 ■ us