Entring into _Biscay_, soon after I left _Victoria_, I was at a Loss almost to imagine, what Country I was got into. By my long Stay in _Spain_, I thought my self a tolerable Master of the Tongue; yet here I found my self at the utmost Loss to understand Landlord, Landlady, or any of the Family. I was told by my Muletier, that they pretend their Language, as they call it, has continued uncorrupted from the very Confusion of _Babel_; though if I might freely give my Opinion in the Matter, I should rather take it to be the very Corruption of all that Confusion. Another _Rhodomontado_ they have, (for in this they are perfect _Spaniards_) that neither _Romans, Carthaginians, Vandals, Goths_, or _Moors_, ever totally subdued them. And yet any Man that has ever seen their Country, might cut this Knot without a Hatchet, by saying truly, that neither _Roman, Carthaginian_, nor any victorious People, thought it worth while to make a Conquest of a Country, so mountainous and so barren.
However, _Bilboa_ must be allowed, tho' not very large, to be a pretty, clean and neat Town. Here, as in _Amsterdam_, they allow neither Cart, nor Coach, to enter; but every Thing of Merchandize is drawn, and carried upon Sledges: And yet it is a Place of no small Account, as to Trade; and especially for Iron and Wooll. Here I hop'd to have met with an opportunity of Embarking for _England_; but to my Sorrow I found my self disappointed, and under that Disappointment, obliged to make the best of my Way to _Bayonne_.
Setting out for which Place, the first Town of Note that I came to, was _Saint Sebastian_. A very clean Town, and neatly pay'd; which is no little Rarity in _Spain_. It has a very good Wall about it, and a pretty Citadel. At this Place I met with two _English_ Officers, who were under the same state with my self; one of them being a Prisoner of War with me at _Denia_. They were going to _Bayonne_ to embark for _England_ as well as my self; so we agreed to set out together for _Port Passage_. The Road from St. _Sebastian_ is all over a well pav'd Stone Causeway; almost at the end whereof, there accosted us a great number of young Lasses. They were all prettily dress'd, their long Hair flowing in a decent manner over their Shoulders, and here and there decorated with Ribbons of various Colours, which wantonly play'd on their Backs with the Wind. The Sight surpriz'd my Fellow Travellers no less than me; and the more, as they advanced directly up to us, and seiz'd our Hands. But a little time undeceiv'd us, and we found what they came for; and that their Contest, tho' not so robust as our Oars on the _Thames_, was much of the same Nature; each contending who should have us for their Fare. For 'tis here a Custom of Time out of mind, that none but young Women should have the management and profit of that Ferry. And tho' the Ferry is over an Arm of the Sea, very broad, and sometimes very rough, those fair Ferriers manage themselves with that Dexterity, that the Passage is very little dangerous, and in calm Weather, very pleasant. In short, we made choice of those that best pleased us; who in a grateful Return, led us down to their Boat under a sort of Music, which they, walking along, made with their Oars, and which we all thought far from being disagreeable. Thus were we transported over to _Port Passage_; not undeservedly accounted the best Harbour in all the Bay of _Biscay_.