In this post I examine a historical novel - Around the World in Numancia - written by someone contemporary to the war, although composed and published many years after the events: 1906, forty years later, when possibly I was forgotten in the collective mentality of the English, if they came to be present in an effective manner. Literature is a very important source to the historian, is an approach to the mentality of some characters of the period analyzed. The edition I use is that of Carlos García Barrón, publisher Castalia. The introduction is excellent.
National Episodes Galdós.
The great writer Canary (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1843 / 1920, Madrid), while publishing his great novels ( Gloria , Miau, Fortunata and Jacinta , Mercy, etc) quite rightly fictionalized ( National Episodes) the turbulent nineteenth century between the naval battle of Trafalgar (1805) and Cánovas government (1880). He summarized his massive work in five series, subdivided each in ten novels or "episodes", except the fifth, which was left unfinished with just six titles, which deal respectively with: (1 st series) War of Independence; (2 ª series) the reign of Fernando VII, (3 rd series) the time of rulership, (4 th series) the effective reign of Elizabeth II, and (5 th series), the Democratic and Restoration Sexenio alfonsina. Around the World in Numancia is inserted into the fourth set.
Don Benito Perez Galdos was one of the great novelists of Spain in the last quarter of the nineteenth century English, with Leopoldo Alas "Clarín" or Emilia Pardo Bazán. His political philosophy has always been progressive and evolved to republicanism. In his latest work is also changing gradually to experimentalism. It is a good testimony to tell this war.
Around the World in Numancia
was written in the winter of 1906. In those years the relations with America and were normal, even was already forgetting the war in Cuba against the United States , and thousands and thousands of English migrants to these, almost the first century old republic. Galdós, globetrotter, had sixty-three years old at 1906. It was almost an old man and was in poor health, so it could no longer travel to the New World. However, as in all his works, was documented significantly. Neither more nor less than was based on letters he sent the great writer and Lima native Ricardo Palma, the author of the famous Peruvian Traditions , after a trip he made to Spain in 1892. García Barrón
also consulted believe that three works: Pearl of Lima , 1869, English Fernando Fulgosio , and the book of the Peruvian Manuel Fuentes : Lima: Historical notes, descriptions , statistical and customs , 1867. Also based on detailed testimonies of the English players: History Pacific War, 1882, Lieutenant Navy Novo and Pedro Colson, Travel Impressions circumnavigation frigate Numancia, the Commander Eduardo Iriondo. Another entry
do the detailed summary of the novel, a sort of guide for someone who decides to read or at least have a broad idea of \u200b\u200bit.
Editing Editorial Castalia Castalia its Classics collection,
with the excellent foreword by Carlos García Barrón.
frigate Numancia
It is the main protagonist of the novel. It was the flagship of that English Armada, a Navy acceptable in those years, though well behind those of Britain and France or the U.S.. Was entrusted to a French company, which was built in the shipyards of Toulon from 1862 to 1863. It was launched on 19 November of that year, but until the end of 1864 finally ended. It was an armored ship, well armed, and high tonnage. In war the crew amounted to 590 sailors under the command of Captain Casto Méndez Núñez. In December 1864 came to Cartagena and continued to Cádiz. Andalusian city set sail on February 4, 1865 to join Pacific Fleet.
frigate Numancia.
had the honor of being the first ironclad frigate to circumnavigate the world in two years, seven months and two days, nearly three hundred fifty years after the exploits of Elcano. After the battles of the Pacific (1866) and circunnvegación, his life was hectic.
In December 1870 moved to the new king of Spain, Amadeo I of Savoy, to Cartagena, to begin his reign in the country that had elected him. At the same time the Democratic Sexenio Spain, participated in Canton events Cartagena (1873). Fled in the hands of the stationed in Oran. Surrendered and the ship returned to English soil.
in 1896 had to be reformed and modernized in Toulon for his construction company. Thanks to this circumstance was saved from being sent to Cuba or the Philippines to the unequal struggle against the very United States and now lie at the bottom of the ocean, sunk by torpedo fleet of Uncle Sam. Admiral Cervera was not Méndez Núñez, or the Yankee fleet was the Peruvian or Chilean thirty years ago.
In the first decade of the twentieth century made it his mission to be the training ship of the Navy until, in 1912, was discharged. In 1916, half a century after his birth and the struggle in El Callao, was towed to Bilbao for scrapping when the Portuguese coast, between Lisbon and Oporto, in Sesimbal, it was half buried, in view of the locals Luso. It was like a denial of its common destiny after life adventures of the nineteenth century.
Numancia's trip
The February 4, 1864 begins the journey of our armor. Feb. 13 arrived in San Vicente in the Portuguese islands of Cape Verde . A month later (13-m), arrived in Montevideo . After the rugged and perilous journey the Strait of Magellan , comes to the Pacific and is situated opposite Valparaiso on April 28. On May 5, came to El Callao. That year he developed the events leading to war.
In May 1866, finishing the bombing and made repairs to the island of San Lorenzo , Méndez Núñez return to Spain across the Atlantic but the Numancia and Berengaria, again in the Pacific.
Provisions were scarce and watery and scurvy made his presence, so the conditions were probably very similar to those of times Elcano English in the sixteenth century. In the French islands Meeting was given the first leg. Thence to Manila , in the then English Philippines. The trip came after Good Hope and the passage of the Atlantic. However
route was not for the African coast but veered Brazil. From there to Cadiz again, in which saturate port on September 20, 1867, after two years, seven months and two days since zaparon the same dock. In the next post will study the narrative fiction.
