rie TS ee “4 
- ale 
its qualifications for the manufacture of 
sword-blades ; but. none are now made 
on its banks; those used in Spain being 
chiefly made at Toledo, where the an- 
tient establishment for that purpose has 
of late years been revived. 
Masdeu, in his Critical History of Spain, 
has the following observations respecting 
the swords of this country :-—| 
“The natives of Celtiberia, that part 
of Arragon lying on the south side of the 
Ebro, with some portions ofthe Castilles, 
were excellent warriors, and their swords 
were in high estimation. _ It was their 
practice to bury the iron in the ground, 
according to Diodorus Siculus, leaving it 
there until the coarsest and most impure 
parts were corroded and, consumed.” By 
this operation, the swords made out. of 
the remainder of the iron became sus- 
ceptible of such a temper and an edge 
that they would cut common iron itself 
without turning. Not only the iron 
swords were possessed of this property, 
but even such as were made of harden- 
ed copper were in this district brought 
to great peifection. The royal transla- 
tor of Sallust (the late Infant Don Ga- 
briel, uncle of the present Ferdinand the 
Vilth.) had in his cabinet two of these 
swords, discovered not many years ago 
between Calatayud and Siguenza, which 
he says were of such temper, and had 
still an edge so fine, that they could not 
be touched without the risk of cutting 
the hand.” 
About four leagues up the Xalon from 
Calatayud is a. place called Alhama, 
noted for its mineral springs, agreeably 
to the proper name given by the Moors, 
composed of the two words, a/, the, and 
ham, ov hamam, which in the Arabic, He- 
brew, and other sister dialects of the 
East, expresses heat or warmth. ‘This 
term.is common in Malta, where it has 
remained from the time of the occupa- 
tion of the Pheeniciaus, and not been in- 
troduced by the late incursions of the 
Saracens. .The appellation, Awnmums, 
applied in London to certain houses, of 
accommodation for strangers, is only an 
attempt. to express to English ears the 
original 6riental name. hamams, for, a 
house where warm baths were provided. 
The warm, springs, of Alhama were 
known to the Romans, and mentioned 
by their.writers under the designation of 
Ague Bilbilitanorum, 
. Leaving Calatayud earlyion the 3ist, 
we travelled about three leagues along 
»the foot of the.high grounds ue preci- 
‘ x 
Account of recent Travels in Spaine. 
~ re ee eee 
[Beta .} 
pices, which bound: the plain. or vega of — 
the Xalon on the west; the opposite — 
side being terminated by a range of lofty 
hills, at the, general distance of about a 
league. This plain, or level valley, pre-- 
sents a scene of rich fertility and culture, 
producing abundantly grain, fruit, wine, 
hemp, &c. and watered by means of 
channels drawn off from the river, main- 
taining a. perpetual frondosity and ver- 
dure. . 
At the end of three leagues the plain 
suddenly contracts, leaving just room for 
the Xulon ranning rapidly in the bottom, 
and the road which is scooped out of the 
western precipices broad enough to al- » 
low one catriage to.go along ; but having, 
where the ground. wiil permit, small’ 
spaces from time to ume cut to a greater 
breadth, where one carnage may draw 
up, while the other meeting it may pass. 
The slopes of these precipices are very 
steep, but vineyards have been formed 
on them by the inhabitants, who have a 
pleasing air of activity and.comfort. 
Proceeding another league beyond this 
narrow gorge, we dined at Alhama, al- 
ready mentioned, where the vale of the 
Xalon opens up into several branches, 
The village stands at the foot of a cluster 
of craggy hills, presenting ranges of hon 
zontal strata of rock, between whicly the 
softer materials of the interstices having 
either by time or by labour been re- 
moved, are seen a number of cavities, 
which the inhabitants, by walling up 
the entrance, have converted into: dwel- 
lings, granaries, &c. presenting a singular 
appearance to the traveller, who from 
the view of the doors and windows, con- 
clades he isapproaching a village, but on 
his arrival, discovers that what. he took 
to be houses, or barns, is only a collec- 
tion of inhabited grottos. 
At Alhama. the nature of the soil 
‘changes from calcareous to clay, and 
_ heavy rains coming on, which rendered: 
the new made road nearly impracticable, 
‘we were forced to stop for the night at 
Cetina, a village only two leagues off, 
seated on an eminence having an ex- 
tensive plain on the north, | M 
On the morning of the ist of Novem- 
ber leaving Cetina we travelled for what 
were called four good leagues to a little 
place called Truetcha, in general up till 
and through a thick forest, on a soil ei- 
cther deep clay, or loose earth; so that 
with the rains the males had great ‘dif 
ficulty ine making their way.) Se much 
stime -bad been, employed in these’ four 
Ja 
ra Teagnes, 
