610 



CASTILE. 



New 

 Castile. 



supposed to be the most elevated land io Spain. It 

 is of considerable extent, reaching eastward to Arra- 

 gon and Valencia, and is diversified with many fer- 

 tile valleys. The Sierra de Molina occupies the 

 north-east point of the province ; and the Sierra 

 D'Albarazin, which runs a little north of it, stretch- 

 es towards the south-east, when it forms a junction 

 with the Sierra de Cuer.ca. The Sierra de Guada- 

 rama, which constitutes the northern boundary of 

 the province, is derived from the Pyrenees. 



All of these mountains contain treasures of intel- 

 ligence, which would amply reward the researches 

 of the mineralogist and botanist. Their recesses are 

 as yet unexplored ; and the traveller tramples at eve- 

 ry step upon tribes of plants, which, however beau- 

 tiful and useful, are scarcely known to the natives of 

 Spain. On the mountain of Barbaxeda are a copper 

 mine and a bed^of coal ; andon a lofty part of the 

 same mountain are the lakes of Tobar and Beteta, 

 which are both above four hundred fathoms in depth. 

 They abound with tench, and are frequented by 

 flocks of teals, wild-ducks, and other aquatic birds. 

 Hyacinthine stones are found in their vicinity ; and 

 near Maranchon are fragments of pisolites, belem- 

 nites, and other bivalved fossil shells, resting on a 

 bed of calcareous earth. At Bonaco de Sierra, a- 

 bout two leagues north of Cuenca, are several kinds 

 of variegated marble, among which are a yellow mar- 

 ble veined with violet, a yellow marble striped with 

 pink, and a marble of a variety of colours ; and at 

 the foot of the Guadarama mountains was found a 

 large emerald, which is now employed in polishing 

 mirrora in the glass-house of St Ildefoneo. The 

 mountain of Las Contreras contains a salt mine, which 

 is said to have been wrought from the time of the 

 Romans. It is called the salt pit of Minglanilla, and 

 consists of a series of deep caverns, into which the 

 descent is by 200 steps cut in the rock. It gives 

 employment to thirty men, and its produce belongs 

 exclusively to the king. 



In the mountains of this province are several cu- 

 rious caves, some of which are evidently the remains 

 of mines long ago forsaken. Those most worthy of 

 notice are in the Sierra de Cuenca, viz. the cave of 

 the Greeks, the iron cave, and the cave of Peter Co- 

 tillas. " This last," says Laborde, " is remarkable 

 for the variety and beauty of its congelations, which 

 compose stalactites of every description ; to the eye 

 they present striking similitudes of the human figure, 

 of dogs, adders, pyramids, and columns ; by the light 

 of torches they are resplendent ; some of them, by 

 their transparence, resemble crystal ; water is con- 

 stantly dripping from every part of this cavern, 

 which, in all probability, is the relic of an ancient 

 mine." 



Among the abundance of mineral waters in New 

 Castile, the principal cold springs are those of Ala- 

 meda-Sagra, Vacia-Madrid, Cevica, and Anover, 

 which are all saline, and the two first are highly ca- 

 thartic. The thermal waters are those of Sacedon, 

 Corcoles, Trillo, and Buendia. Of the principal ri- 

 vers which run through this province, three are na- 

 vigable, the Tagus, the laco, and the Guadiana ; 

 and the smaller ones are, the Henarez, the Gaya, the 

 Gabriel, the Oliana, the Guecaro, the Cauda, the 

 Zuia, the Bedija, the Xiqueta, the Lozoya, the Gua- 

 darrama, the Albercho, the Xarama, the Molina, 



the Manzarana, the Cabrilla, the Tietar, the Tacu- 

 na, the Tortoles, the Guazaon, the Guadiera, and 

 the Moscas. This last, which rises in the mountains 

 of Cuenca, and flows from thence to Valera, has its 

 waters impregnated with salt. 



These rivers are well adapted for the purposes of 

 irrigation, and might be converted into valuable 

 sources of fertility. The soil, though rich and fer- 

 tile, is much parched, and requires nothing but mois- 

 ture to adapt it for every species of agriculture. But 

 the indolence of the inhabitants is a complete bar to 

 all improvement. The rivers are allowed to flow un- 

 disturbed in their native channels ; and though the 

 beneficial consequences of irrigation in this province 

 were long ago ascertained by Michael Alvarez O/o- 

 rio, and it was demonstrated by his son, in 1687, that 

 even the little river of Narez was adequate to the fer- 

 tilization of 80,000 fanegas of land, yet agriculture 

 still remains in the same state, without any attempt 

 at profiting by such proofs. Many of the cantons, 

 however, are under tolerable cultivation ; but others 

 are completely neglected, though capable of great 

 fecundity. Among the former are, the country ly- 

 ing between Guadalaxara and Alcala de Henarez, 

 the district of Torrelaguno, the rich plain of Re- 

 quena, and the vale of Aranjues ; and among the 

 latter are, the lands commencing on the frontiers of 

 Arragon, and extending for twenty leagues to Torri- 

 ja ; also those between the Bravo and the river Al- 

 bercho, and the country near Alcorcon, on the road 

 leading from Madrid to Talavera de la Reyna. 

 Wheat is the staple produce of the province, and in- 

 deed, except a little barley, it is the only grain which 

 is cultivated. It yields most abundant crops, where- 

 ever its culture is made an object of attention. In 

 the vallies lying beneath the Sierra de Cuenca, and 

 in the environs of Madrid and some other towns, as 

 well as in the plain of Talavera de la Reyna, &c. the 

 harvests are most luxuriant, yet the quantity produ- 

 ced by the whole province is scarcely sufficient for 

 the consumption of the inhabitants. Very little flax 

 is raised here, though the soil is well adapted to its 

 cultivation. Hemp, however, is more plentiful, par- 

 ticularly in Alcaria; and the country of Huete alone 

 produces yearly the average quantity of five or six 

 thousand arobas. Saffron is planted in various parts 

 of New Castile, particularly between Madrid and 

 Cuenca. It is in great demand over all Spain, espe- 

 cially in the Castilian provinces ; and consequently it 

 is considered as a profitable object of cultivation. 

 Its consumption, however, in some places, is rather 

 diminished ; and the 40 quintals which were former- 

 ly produced in Huete are now reduced to five. 



The greatest part of the province is equally des- 

 titute of foliage with Old Castile. Woods are very 

 rare ; and even for several leagues round the capital 

 a tree is scarcely to be seen. An extensive tract of 

 40 leagues, from Aranjuez to the confines of Valen- 

 cia, is almost completely bare, without a shrub or 

 leaf to break the naked uniformity. The fertile plain 

 between Guadalaxara and Alcala de Henarez is also 

 devoid of trees ; and the country through which the 

 great road leading from Portugal lies is equally na- 

 ked. " There is not a tree to be seen," says Mr 

 Swinburne, " from the Sierra Morena to Toledo, 

 nor from the banks of the Tagus to Madrid : a few 

 dwarfish evergreen oaks, huddled together in nooks 



