CADIZ. 



mcrly swallowed up by the ocean, was in some dc- 

 r confirmed ; and it is still said, that in very calm 



..thrr, when the tide is low, the ruins of the old 

 houses, and the remains of the temple of Hercules.f 

 may sometimes be discerned under the water. Our 

 belief in this tradition is also considerably strengthen- 

 ed by the opinion of some accurate observers, who 

 assert, that while the sea without the straits of Gib- 

 raltar has encroached upon the land, it has receded 

 proportionally on the coast of Spain within the straits, 

 especially at Malaga and Carthagena. 



The present city stands upon a tongue of land, 

 projecting into the sea, and is strongly fortified both 

 by art and nature. A steep and almost inaccessible 

 shore defends it on the south ; sand- banks and sunk 

 rocks prevent every approach on the north ; and 

 on the south-east, where it communicates with the 

 continent, it is protected by strong and regular bas- 

 tions and out-works. Of its five gates, only one opens 

 towards the land ; which from the connecting cause- 

 way leads through the isle of Leon, and crosses the 

 river Santi Petri by the bridge of Suazo. The streets 

 of this city are regularly built, but rather crowded 

 and narrow. They are, however, well paved, kept 

 remarkably clean, and well lighted at night. The 

 houses are neat, simple, and agreeable, with project- 

 ing roofs, made of Genoa slate, which gives rather a 

 sombre appearance to the streets, but which affords 

 a kind of shade in summer. On the north-east side< 

 which looks towards port St Mary, and which con- 

 stitutes the most beautiful part of the city, the hou- 

 ses are lofty, and ornamented with painted balco- 

 nies ; and in front is a wide parade, well gravelled, 

 and planted with trees, which communicates with 

 the sea road. The principal square, which is that 

 of St Antonio, is very handsome. It has stone 

 posts placed all round the centre, connected by an 

 iron chain, to keep off the carriages. The ramparts 

 form the Prado of Cadiz ; and here, indeed, the walk 

 is delightful, commanding on one side a prospect of 

 the bay and the opposite shores, with various small 

 towns, villages, and forts ; and on the other, the un- 

 bounded view of the Atlantic, on which numerous 

 vessels are daily seen making for other ports, and 

 bound either from or up the Mediterranean. Besides 

 the ramparts, they have another promenade, called 

 the Alameda, which runs by the sea, on the side of 

 the bay, towards the west. It has three large hand- 

 some walks, planted with elms arid poplars, and adorn- 

 ed with elegant marble seats. It is also furnished with 

 coffeehouses, is well lighted at night, and very much 

 frequented. Among the public buildings, the new ca- 

 thedral, when finished, will be far the most conspicu- 

 ous ; and if executed according to the plan which it 

 now displays, will be one of the most magnificent struc- 

 tures in Spain. But there is no appearance, at present, 

 of its being soon brought to such a conclusion. It is, 

 however, defective bot'i in <. i :; <in oe and simplicity, and 

 will never be a handsome building. The domes are lof- 

 ty, and the pillars are, in general, well proportioned, 



and of the Corinthian order ; but it is encumbered with Cadiz, 

 a multiplicity of useless decorations, and though yet 

 unlinished and full of rubbish, the niches in the walls 

 are already filled with marble statues of saints and an- 

 gels, which have been placed there with a childish ea- 

 gerness. The foundation was laid about thirty years 

 ago, and it is computed that the whole will cost 

 1, $00,000 crowns. The old cathedral is chiefly re- 

 markable for its pictures, most of which are copies ; 

 and its treasures, which consist of gems, many large 

 silver candlesticks and lamps, and three custodias, 

 one of which is constructed of the finest silver, weigh- 

 ing 51 arobas, and another of solid gold. The church 

 of the capuchins, I the church of the oratory, and also 

 some of the convents, contain some fine paintings 

 by Murillo and other masters. The best collec- 

 tions of pictures, however, are to be found in the 

 possession of private individuals. The house of Don 

 Alphonso Ocruley contains about two hundred, al- 

 most all originals, by Paul Vermere, Rubens, Van- 

 dyke, Piombo, Murillo, Velasquez Cano, Ribalta, 

 and the school of Breughel, &c. ; and in the house of 

 Don Josef Martinez, is to be found a superb collec- 

 tion of the works of Titian, Leonarda da Vinci, Ve- 

 lasquez, Murillo, Jules, Ribera, Herrera, Zurbaran, 

 Jordan, Trevisani, Rosa, Vaccaro, and many other 

 painters of the Spanish school. The asylum, or ge- 

 neral work-house, is a handsome building, with Doric 

 columns, and presents a front of 260 feet. It has se- 

 veral courts ; and round the principal one is a gallery 

 with sixteen columns of the Doric order. This asy- 

 lum maintains above 800 paupers of every nation, age, 

 or sex, who are instructed and employed in useful 

 arts. The boys are employed in manufacturing silk, 

 linen, cotton, and printed calicoes ; the girls in spin- 

 ning, in needle-work, and in household business; and 

 the aged and infirm work according to their abilities 

 and strength. This establishment was greatly improved 

 by Count O'Reilly in 1785, but it again degenerated 

 after his resignation. The other charitable institutions 

 are ; the royal military hospital, which, accommodates 

 80 students, who are maintained and educated at the 

 king's expence ; two hospitals for the sick, one set 

 apart for each sex ; and an asylum for 47 widows, . 

 founded by a Turkish merchant. 



The wealth of Cadiz arises entirely from foreign 

 commerce. The advantageous situation of its har- 

 bour ; its easy communication, by the Atlantic and 

 the Mediterranean, with the different countries of 

 Europe ; and its extensive trade with the American 

 continent, have rendered Cadiz one of the first com- 

 mercial ports in the world. The trade with the Spa- 

 nish colonies, which is by far the most useful and lu- 

 crative, and which was formerly confined entirely to 

 Seville, was removed to this city in the year 1720, 

 exclusive of all the other ports of Spain ; and from 

 its thus being the only channel through which the 

 immense wealth of America flowed into the kingdom, 

 it was soon raised to be one of the most opulent ci- 

 ties of Europe. This exclusive privilege it enjoyed 



f- This position of the temple of Hercules, liowevcr, has been disputed; some authors maintain that its site is at the mouth 

 f the river Santi Petri, while otlur- pl.u'c it ;( Couil. a small town on the coast between Cadiz and Gibraltar. 



i In the garden of the r..n\ ;.;.- M this order, there is a tree which yields the resinous gum called dragou'i 



and which Mr Jacob supposes to be the only one in Europe. 



