The old father, reposing under a stone close by, dated 1686, might have told us if he could have risen.

But he didn't.
As we came down through the town we encountered a squad of little donkeys ready saddled for use.

The saddles were peculiar, to say the least.
They consisted of a sort of saw-buck with a small mattress on it, and this furniture covered about half the donkey.

There were no stirrups, but really such supports were not needed--to use such a saddle was the next thing to riding a dinner table--there was ample support clear out to one's knee joints.

A pack of ragged Portuguese muleteers crowded around us, offering their beasts at half a dollar an hour--more rascality to the stranger, for the market price is sixteen cents.