. Spanish life in town and country . eft by theMoors, which has made their province the mostdensely populated and the most prosperous in ap-pearance of all Spain. A curious survival exists in Valencia in theTribunal de las Aguas, which is presided over bythree of the oldest men in the city; it is a directinheritance from the Moors, and from its verdictthere is no appeal. Every Thursday the old men take their seats ona bench outside one of the doors of the cathedral,and to them come all those who have disputesabout irrigation, marshalled by two beadles instrange, Old-World uniforms. When both s
. Spanish life in town and country . eft by theMoors, which has made their province the mostdensely populated and the most prosperous in ap-pearance of all Spain. A curious survival exists in Valencia in theTribunal de las Aguas, which is presided over bythree of the oldest men in the city; it is a directinheritance from the Moors, and from its verdictthere is no appeal. Every Thursday the old men take their seats ona bench outside one of the doors of the cathedral,and to them come all those who have disputesabout irrigation, marshalled by two beadles instrange, Old-World uniforms. When both sideshave been heard, the old men put their heads to-gether under a cloak or mania, and agree upontheir judgment. The covering is then with-drawn, and the decision is announced. On oneoccasion they decreed that a certain man whomthey considered in fault was to pay a fine. Theunwary litigant, thinking that his case had notbeen properly heard, began to try to address thejudges in mitigation of the sentence. 11 But, Senores— he Types and Traits 35 1 Pay another peseta for speaking! solemnlysaid the spokesman of the elders. ilPero, Senores 1 Una peseta mas ! solemnly returned thejudge; and at last, finding that each time heopened his lips cost him one more peseta, he soongave up and retired. The Valencian costume for men consists of widewhite cotton drawers to the knees, looking almostlike petticoats, sandals of hemp, with gaiters leftopen between the knee and the ankle, a red sash,or faja, a short velvet jacket, and a handkerchieftwisted turban-fashion round the head. Thehidalgos wear the long cloak and wide sombrerocommon to all the country districts of Spain. In speaking of Spaniards and their character-istics, as I have already said, we have to take intoaccount the presence of all these widely differingraces under one crown, and to remember that to-day there is no hard-and-fast line among thecultivated classes: intermarriage has fused theconflicting elements, very much
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