CHAPTER I
I had always suspected the geographical authorities did not know what
they were talking about when they located the battlefield of Munda in the
county of the Bastuli-Poeni, close to the modern Monda, some two
leagues north of Marbella.
According to my own surmise, founded on the text of the anonymous
author of the /Bellum Hispaniense/, and on certain information culled
from the excellent library owned by the Duke of Ossuna, I believed the
site of the memorable struggle in which Caesar played double or quits,
once and for all, with the champions of the Republic, should be sought in
the neighbourhood of Montilla.
Happening to be in Andalusia during the autumn of 1830, I made a
somewhat lengthy excursion, with the object of clearing up certain doubts
which still oppressed me. A paper which I shall shortly publish will, I trust,
remove any hesitation that may still exist in the minds of all honest
archaeologists. But before that dissertation of mine finally settles the
geographical problem on the solution of which the whole of learned
Europe hangs, I desire to relate a little tale. It will do no prejudice to the
interesting question of the correct locality of Monda.