414 
thousand, besides ten times that number 
of other persons in the suryounding dis- 
tricts, employed in spinning the wool, 
and other preparatory operations. ‘This 
vast establishment was formed in 1720, 
when a number of Dutch manufacturers 
were employed: some Englishmen have 
of late years likewise been engaged in 
the business: but as similar undertakings 
carried on at the expence of the sove- 
reign lave never been found to succeed, 
the real utility of the royal manufactory 
of Guadalajara still remains, problema- 
tical, The presence of this. establish- 
ment has, however, diffused in and 
around this town a pleasing air of acti- 
vity and industry. 
On. the 5th of November we left Gua- 
dalajara, and crossing over to the west 
side of the Henares by a bridge, near 
which are a number of buildings belong- 
ing to. the manufactory, left the river on 
the left hand, its banks ornamented with 
yows of poplars, and proceeded for four 
leagues over an uninteresting flat to Al- 
cala de [Tenares, so named to distinguish 
this town from many other Alcalas scat- 
tered over Spain. The plain is in. general 
converted into corn-land, with some vine- 
yards; and the borders of the river pre- 
sent from time to time, tufts of trees, not 
a little refreshing to the eye fatigued with 
the prospect of open plains and arid hills 
destitute of wood or verdure, 
Alcala is situated on the west bank of 
the Henares, which separates the. great 
plain from a long range of moderate hills, 
supporting bebind agains extensive ele- 
vated plain. The town is large, but thinly 
inhabited: the streets are wide and 
straight, and the houses are in general 
raised on porticoes aflurding convenient 
walking, sheltered both from the heat 
and the rain. 
_ At Alcala, is one of the most renowned 
universities of Spain, which with those of 
Salamanca, Bologna, Paris, Oxford, and 
Cambridge, makes up the number of the 
six principal séminaries, formerly cele- 
brated in Europe. But this university, 
and of course the town itself, are mach 
decayed. ,One of the colleges was ap- 
propriated to the use of students from 
treland ; but upwards of twenty years 
ago it was suppressed, and its revenues 
and scholars were transferred to the Irish 
sollege in Salamanca. 
The number of churches, colleges, 
convents, the archbishop of Toledo’s 
palace, and other public buildings, 
amongst which the former residence of 
the Jesuits holds, as usual, a° distin- 
Observations on Teas 
(Dec. 1, 
guished place; all. these edifices give to 
Alcala an. air of inagnificence, but it is 
now of magnificence in decay. 
This town owes many of its establish. 
ments 'to the liberality and public spirit 
of the celebrated minister of Ferdinand 
and Isabella, the Cardinal Nimenes, 
commonly known in Spain by his other 
name Cisneros: and here was produced 
by his orders and protection, the ad- 
mirable edition of the Scriptures usually 
called the Complutensian Bible, or Po« 
lyglot. ; 
Alcala is in Latin named Complutum, 
as having owed its rise to the fall of the 
antient city of that name, of which ves- 
Lt 4 
tiges are still to be traced un the slope- 
and summit of the high grounds on the 
east side of the Henares, at the distance 
of a mile froin Alcala. 
Having taken a’ general view of the 
Curiosities in this very interesting town, 
we proceeded on the 6th to Madrid, dis-, 
tant about six leagues, where he arrived 
at noon, and at last procured relief from 
our fatigues in the hotel, known by the 
sign of La Fontana de Ovo, or the Golden, 
Fountain, 
( To be continued. ) 
———E 
To the Editor of the Manthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
S the subject of tea seems of late to 
have excited the curiosity of some 
of your correspondents, perbaps the fol- 
lowing translation of a paper on the sub- 
ject, published in the fourth volume of the 
Annals of the National Museum of 
Natural History, in Paris, may not be 
thought uninteresting. Itis chiefly taken 
from Kampfer, and not always accu- 
rately; but as 1 haye compared, it with 
the account in the Ameenitates Exotica, 
I have corrected it where it appeared 
necessary; and have made such additions | 
in the notes as oecurred to me, for the 
further illustration of the subject. I do 
not know that this paper has appeared 
before in an English dress. It is pros 
bable that some of your readers, may be 
able to give a better account ofthe kinds 
of teathat are imported into this country, 
than the one here offered, which was 
furnished to the author by M. Bouche 
rant, an eminent tea-dealer at Vivienne. 
If ido not mistake, the appearance of 
the tea has of late undergone a material 
change, from which I suspect the custom 
of rolling tea in the operose manner, de- 
scribed by Kwmpfer, of whose accuracy 
there can be no doubt, ig now much 
* disused 
