As I have troubled you with none of my sea journals, so I shall trouble you now with none of my land journals; but some adventures that happened to us in this tedious and difficult journey I must not omit.
When we came to Madrid, we, being all of us strangers to Spain, were willing to stay some time to see the court of Spain, and to see what was worth observing; but it being the latter part of the summer we hastened away, and set out from Madrid about the middle of October; but, when we came to the edge of Navarre [Navarre〈n.〉納瓦拉，中世紀時期位於西班牙東北部和法國西南部的王國，1515年上納瓦拉與西班牙合並。1589年，下納瓦拉與法國合並。], we were alarmed at several towns on the way, with an account that so much snow was fallen on the French side of the mountains, that several travellers were obliged to come back to Pampeluna [Pampeluna〈n.〉潘普洛納，是西班牙東北部城市，10世紀到16世紀初期的納瓦拉王國的首都，現為納瓦拉省首府。每年7月6日至14日會在潘普洛納慶祝奔牛節。], after having attempted, at an extreme hazard, to pass on.
When we came to Pampeluna itself, we found it so indeed; and to me, that had been always used to a hot climate, and indeed to countries where we could scarce bear any clothes on, the cold was insufferable; nor indeed was it more painful than it was surprising to come but ten days before out of Old Castile, where the weather was not only warm, but very hot, and immediately to feel a wind from the Pyrenean Mountains [Pyrenean Mountains 比利牛斯山，法國與西班牙的天然國界。西起大西洋比斯開灣畔，東止地中海岸。] so very keen, so severely cold, as to be intolerable and to endanger benumbing and perishing of our fingers and toes.
Poor Friday was really frighted when he saw the mountains all covered with snow, and felt cold weather, which he had never seen or felt before in his life.
To mend the matter, when we came to Pampeluna it continued snowing with so much violence, and so long, that the people said winter was come before its time; and the roads, which were difficult before, were now quite impassable; for, in a word, the snow lay in some places too thick for us to travel, and being not hard frozen, as is the case in the northern countries, there was no going without being in danger of being buried alive every step. We stayed no less than twenty days at Pampeluna; when seeing the winter coming on, and no likelihood of its being better, for it was the severest winter all over Europe that had been known in the memory of man, I proposed that we should go away to Fontarabia [Fontarabia〈n.〉封塔拉比亞，是瀕比斯開灣的一個西班牙城市。], and there take shipping for Bordeaux [Bordeaux〈n.〉波爾多，法國西南部港市。波爾多地區旅遊資源豐富，有許多風景優美保存完好的中世紀城堡，也被稱為世界葡萄酒中心。], which was a very little voyage.
But while I was considering this, there came in four French gentlemen, who having been stopped on the French side of the passes, as we were on the Spanish, had found out a guide, who, traversing the country near the head of Languedoc [Languedoc〈n.〉朗格多克，是法國葡萄酒的十大產區之一，位於法國南部地中海沿岸，是全世界麵積最大的葡萄種植園。], had brought them over the mountains by such ways, that they were not much incommoded [incommode〈v.〉妨礙，阻礙] with the snow; for where they met with snow in any quantity, they said it was frozen hard enough to bear them and their horses.
We sent for this guide, who told us he would undertake to carry us the same way with no hazard from the snow, provided we were armed sufficiently to protect ourselves from wild beasts; for he said, upon these great snows it was frequent for some wolves to show themselves at the foot of the mountains, being made ravenous for want of food, the ground being covered with snow. We told him we were well enough prepared for such creatures as they were, if he would ensure us from a kind of two-legged wolves, which, we were told, we were in most danger from, especially on the French side of the mountains.
He satisfied us that there was no danger of that kind in the way that we were to go; so we readily agreed to follow him, as did also twelve other gentlemen, with their servants, some French, some Spanish, who, as I said, had attempted to go, and were obliged to come back again.
Accordingly we set out from Pampeluna, with our guide on the 15th of November; and, indeed, I was surprised when, instead of going forward, he came directly back with us on the same road that we came from Madrid, about twenty miles; when being passed two rivers, and come into the plain country, we found ourselves in a warm climate again, where the country was pleasant, and no snow to be seen; but on a sudden, turning to his left, he approached the mountains another way; and though it is true the hills and precipices looked dreadful, yet he made so many tours, such meanders [meander〈n.〉迂回曲折的進程], and led us by such winding ways, that we were insensibly passed the height of the mountains without being much encumbered [encumber〈v.〉阻礙] with the snow; and all on a sudden he showed us the pleasant and fruitful provinces of Languedoc and Gascony [Gascony〈n.〉加斯科涅，法國西南部地區名，該地區西瀕比斯開灣，南界比利牛斯山。], all green and flourishing, though, indeed, it was at a great distance, and we had some rough way to pass yet.