608 



CASTILE. 



Old 



Castile. 



as fine as rock crystal, and forming a bed of about 

 four inches in breadth, extends nearly half a league 

 from south to north of Mata ; and, about two leagues 

 from Guadarrama, another vein of quartz mixed 

 with pyrites, intersects a mountain ot granite from 

 one side to the other. The quartz, in this vein, is 

 detached from the rock ; and grains of gold are ea- 

 sily distinguishable. Mount Arandillo, which con- 

 stitutes a part of the mountains of Burgos, is com- 

 posed entirely of calcareous rock ; and, in its centre, 

 exhibits impressions of the large horns of the cornua 

 ammonis, and that species of shells commonly called 

 St James. On the top of the mountain is a thick sa- 

 line lake, from which salt is procured by evaporation, 

 in the proportion of seven pounds of salt to one quin- 

 tal of water. 



Old Castile abounds with mineral waters. Among 

 its cold springs, are the celebrated lakes so well 

 known by the name of Fuente de Boecio, or Lagos 

 de San Vicente, and Lagos de Santa Casilda ; and 

 of its tepid springs, the principal are those of Arne- 

 dillo, whose source rises at the foot of the mountain 

 Encineta, about a mile from the town, Barco d'Avi- 

 la, Banos, which was well known to the Romans, and 

 Alcaraz. 



This province is watered by numerous rivers, 

 among which are the Xalon, the Monubles, the 

 Queiles, the Duero, the Carion, the Tormes, the 

 Cayar, the Ebro, the Alhama, the Arevadillo, the 

 Araja, the Lagtera, the Irequa, the Tiron, the Pi- 

 zuerga, the Zidacos, the Arlanzon, the Arlanza, the 

 Henarez, the Carnoca, the Valtaia, the Abion, the 

 Uzero, the Castillo, the Dueraton, the Burejo, the 

 Nazerilla, the Ora, the Pa/., the Tueva, and theOja. 

 The plains and valleys are fertilized through which 

 they pass, and though the soil is frequently rocky, 

 and scarcely susceptible of culture, yet in some places 

 it is highly favourable for the purposes of agricul- 

 ture, particularly in the district lying between Ro- 

 drigo and Burgos. There the harvests are most 

 luxuriant, and every species of grain is produced in 

 great profusion, and of excellent quality. Cultivation, 

 however, is much neglected throughout the province. 

 The ground is merely scratched with a light plough ; 

 but notwithstanding this slight preparation, the heat 

 of the climate, and the dryness of the atmosphere in 

 this country, such is the inherent humidity and rich- 

 ness of the soil, that the crops are seldom known to 

 fail ; and so plentiful is the increase, that a third part 

 of the harvest is considered as sufficient for the con- 

 sumption of the province. It is to this profusion in- 

 deed, that we must, in a great measure, attribute 

 the backwardness of the natives to agricultural im- 

 provements. The overplus of their crops, owing 

 to the difficulties of conveyance, can seldom be con- 

 verted into wealth. Their only method of exporta- 

 tion is on the backs of mules, and the roads are in ge- 

 neral so wretched, that some of them are even scarcely 

 practicable to these sure-footed animals. Part of the 

 great road which leads from Bayonne to Madrid, in- 

 tersects this province, and passes through the cities 

 of Burgos and Valladolid ; but the cross roads are no 

 better than they were four centuries ago. They are 

 narrow, ste r p, and rugged, sometimes miry, and of- 

 ten impassable to horses. The pass of Guadarrama, 

 which .is the nearest point of communication between 



Old and New Castile, was, till about the middle bf 

 the last century, so steep and difficult, that it could 

 not be attempted without danger. But by the care 

 and munificence of Ferdinand VI. a road was formed, 

 beginning at the village of Espinar, oy which the 

 ascent was rendered safe and easy. In gratitude for 

 this service, a marble monument has been erected to 

 his memory, which represents a lion resting on a co- 

 lumn, with this inscription : 



FERDINANDVS VI. 



PATER PATRICE 



VlAM UTRIQUE CASTELL^E 



SUPERATIS MONTIBUS 



FECIT 



ANNO SALUTIS MDCCXLIX. 

 REGNI sui IV. 



It stands on the summit of the mountain, which is 

 called the Puerto de Guadarrama, and from it the 

 eye can take in at once the whole extent of country 

 included in the sister provinces. The difficulties of 

 exportation, however, in this province, would be al- 

 most completely obviated by the completion of the 

 canal of Campos. This work was begun in 1753 by 

 the same prince, and was intended to reach from 

 Fontibre, two leagues from Reynosa, to the river Pi- 

 zuerga below Valladolid, and then passing by Sego- 

 via to join the Duero. But after it had been cut 

 for several miles, it was suddenly stopt, and has ne- 

 ver since been resumed, though its accomplishment 

 would require neither extraordinary labour nor ex- 

 pence. 



Old Castile produces a considerable quantity of 

 wine, but it is inferior both in strength and flavour 

 to that of the southern provinces. Fruits are in ge- 

 neral very scarce, except in the canton of Burela, 

 which is indeed covered with luxuriant orchards, and 

 well wooded with elms, poplars, and chesmits. But 

 this district is the only one in the province which can 

 boast of such plantations. In the other districts, 

 the appearance of trees is chiefly confined to the 

 banks of the rivers. Many of the extensive plains 

 are almost entirely bare of foliage ; and in some pla- 

 ces, particularly between Cabezan and Rodrigo, they 

 are not embellished with a single shrub. Madder has 

 of late years become a favourite object of cultivation 

 in this province, and is produced in great quantities 

 in the vicinity of Burgos, Segovia, and Valladolid. 

 It employs more than a hundred mills, and furnishes 

 annually about seven or even eight thousand quintals. 

 Wool, however, is the staple commodity of Old Cas- 

 tile, and constitutes an important article of foreign 

 exportation. Innumerable flocks of sheep, which 

 winter in the plains, browze during summer on the 

 mountains, where they find a rich and luxuriant pas- 

 ture. Their wool is equal in quality to any in Spain, 

 and the cloth of Segovia, into which it is sometimes 

 wrought, is famous throughout Europe. Immense 

 numbers of cows also feed upon these mountains, but 

 such is the ignorance or indolence of the inhabitants, 

 that their produce is turned to very little account ; 

 for though this province alone could almost supply- 

 excellent salt butter for the whole kingdom, yet it 

 produces little more than what is requisite for its 

 own consumption; and Spain is compelled to draw 

 that necessary article from other countries. 



While Old Castile continued to be the residence of 



Olef 



Castile. 



