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THE FORTUNATE ISLES

       *       *       *       *       *

  BY THE SAME AUTHOR


      _Travel_

  OUR STOLEN SUMMER

  A VERSAILLES CHRISTMAS-TIDE


      _Novels_

  THE GLEN

  THE FIRST STONE

  WITH CLIPPED WINGS

  THE MAN IN THE WOOD

  BACKWATERS

  HER BESETTING VIRTUE

  THE MISSES MAKE-BELIEVE

       *       *       *       *       *


[Illustration: Calle Del Calvario, Pollensa]


THE FORTUNATE ISLES

Life and Travel in Majorca, Minorca and Iviza

by

MARY STUART BOYD

With Eight Illustrations in Colour and Fifty-Two Pen Drawings
by A. S. Boyd, R.S.W.







Methuen & Co. Ltd.
36 Essex Street W.C.
London

First Published in 1911




FOREWARNING


"I hear you think of spending the winter in the Balearic Islands?"
said the only Briton we met who had been there. "Well, I warn you,
you won't enjoy them. They are quite out of the world. There are no
tourists. Not a soul understands a word of English, and there's
nothing whatever to do. If you take my advice you won't go."

So we went. And what follows is a faithful account of what befell us
in these fortunate isles.

                                                        M. S. B.




CONTENTS


                                                PAGE

       I. SOUTHWARDS                               1

      II. OUR CASA IN SPAIN                       14

     III. PALMA, THE PEARL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN   26

      IV. HOUSEKEEPING                            39

       V. TWO HISTORIC BUILDINGS                  51

      VI. THE FAIR AT INCA                        60

     VII. VALLDEMOSA                              66

    VIII. MIRAMAR                                 79

      IX. SOLLER                                  94

       X. ANDRAITX                               107

      XI. UP AMONG THE WINDMILLS                 117

     XII. NAVIDAD                                128

    XIII. THE FEAST OF THE CONQUISTADOR          143

     XIV. POLLENSA                               152

      XV. THE PORT OF ALCUDIA                    168

     XVI. MINORCA                                179

    XVII. STORM-BOUND                            193

   XVIII. ALARO                                  203

     XIX. THE DRAGON CAVES AND MANACOR           215

      XX. ARTA AND ITS CAVES                     225

     XXI. AMONG THE HILLS                        242

    XXII. DEYA, AND A PALMA PROCESSION           252

   XXIII. OF FAIR WOMEN AND FINE WEATHER         264

    XXIV. OF ODDS AND ENDS                       274

     XXV. IVIZA--A FORGOTTEN ISLE                289

    XXVI. AN IVIZAN SABBATH                      301

   XXVII. AT SAN ANTONIO                         311

  XXVIII. WELCOME AND FAREWELL                   320

    XXIX. LAST DAYS                              328

          INDEX                                  335




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


                                IN COLOUR

  CALLE DEL CALVARIO, POLLENSA                _Frontispiece_

                                                FACING PAGE

  PALMA DE MALLORCA, FROM THE TERRENO                    26

  VALLDEMOSA                                             70

  SOLLER                                                 94

  AFTER THE FEAST OF THE CONQUISTADOR, PALMA CATHEDRAL  143

  THE ROMAN GATEWAY, ALCUDIA                            168

  MAHON, MINORCA                                        193

  SUNDAY MORNING AT IVIZA                               289




                              PEN DRAWINGS
                                                       PAGE

  THE CATHEDRAL AND THE LONJA, PALMA                      1

  A PALMA _PATIO_                                         9

  THE SER