6S7 



SPAIN. 



SPAIN. 



638 



ridge, though some isolated mountains occur along it. Near ViUena 

 is the Sierra del Carache, which runa first south-west, and afterwards 

 north-west, to the neighbourhood of Albacete (39 N. lat, 1 55' W. 

 long.). The Sierra del Carache seems to rise only a little above the 

 table-land, but it presents a considerable ascent from the deep valley 

 of the Segura, and that of the Mundo, a tributary of the Segura. 

 Along the southern border of the table-land extends that range, or 

 rather mountain region, which is called Sierra Morena. [ANDALUCIA,] 

 Other mountain ranged occur on the table-land itself. One of them 

 constitutes a continuous range, traversing the plain in all its extent 

 from east to west. It begins on the east near the high summit of the 

 Sierra de Honcayo, and extends in a west-south-west direction through 

 Caatilla la Vieja, separates the province of Leon from Eatremadura, 

 and then panes into Portugal. [CASTILLA LA VIEJA.] 



The table-laud of Castilla la Nueva and Estremadura comprehends 

 these two provinces, with the south-western districts of Aragon and 

 the northern part of Murcia. The surface is much more diversified 

 by bills and mountains than that of the northern plain. The mountain 

 chains are of considerable extent, but they do not form continuous 

 ranges, being interrupted by several depressions, which sink nearly to 

 the level of the country. In the eastern districts of the table-land is 

 the Sierra Molina, which begins north-west of the town of Molina, and 

 south of the confluence of the Jiloca with the Jalon, in 41' N. lat and 

 1 30' W. long. It does not appear to \ connected with the Sierra 

 de Deza by a mountain ridge, but only by high ground. The Sierra 

 de Molina runs southward, and does not rise much more than 1 000 

 feet above the general level of the country in the northern parts. 

 Where the rivers Tagus ar.d Tuna originate it sends off a branch, the 

 Sierra de Albarracin, which runs south-east between the Turia on the 

 east and the Jucar on the west, and extends to the edge of the table- 

 land, near the town of Requena. From the sources of the Tagus the 

 Sierra de Molina runs south-west, but near 40 S. lat, west of the 

 town of Cuenja, it turns again to the south, and soon subsides into 

 hills, which are slightly elevated above the level of the country. The 

 Sierra de Molina is of very inconsiderable width, but it constitutes the 

 watershed between the riven which fall into the Mediterranean and 

 those that run to the Atlantic. West of Cnenca a ridge of low moun 

 tains branches off from the Sierra de Molina, and runs westward, 

 dividing the upper branches of the Tagus from those of the Guadiana. 

 It terminates probably near Tarrancon, east of Aranjuez. Thence to 

 about 4 W. long., where the Sierra de Toledo seems to take its rise, 

 the watershed between the Tagus and Ouadiana is formed by high 

 ground broken into steep hill'. The Sierra de Toledo extends to 

 5 W. long., running east and west; but we are very imperfectly 

 acquainted with this ridge. It does not appear to occupy a great 

 width, nor to rise more than 1 000 feet above the plain. It is not 

 traversed by any road. Near 5 W. long, it sinks down to the level 

 of the plain, but another range rises out of it, called the Sierra de 

 Ouadalupe, which extends westward to the boundary of Portugal, 

 and enters that kingdom, where it is called Sierra de Portalegre. The 

 Sierra del Ouadalupe resemble* the Sierra Morena more than the 

 Mountains of Toledo. It couxislo of a number of narrow steop ridges, 

 whose general direction is north-east or north-west, and they are 

 sometimes connected by other ridges running east and west, but fre- 

 quently unconnected, and separated by Bats. The width of this region 

 is considerable, as it fills nearly the whole tract between the rivers 

 Tagus and Guadiana west of 5 W. long. None of the summits attain 

 a great elevation above the level of the country. 



The eastern portion of the table-land of Castilla la Nueva ant 

 Estremadura, comprehending the province of Cuenca, the northern 

 districts of Murcia, and the adjacent countries, is the highest part o 

 the table-land, and about 3000 feet above the level of the sea. The 

 surface is very uneven, with the exception of the higher groum 

 between the river-basins, which in some places extends in plains, am 

 in others is diversified by numerous hills or low ridges. A very smal 

 portion of this region, which lies in the valleys along the rivers, am 

 in some depressions of the plain, is under cultivation ; the remainder 

 has rather a sterile and very dry soil, and is either quite useless or 

 only used as sheep-walks. 



The central region of the table-land is between 3" and 5 W. long 

 It consist* of two plains, the Plain of Madrid and Toledo, which lies 

 north of the Mountains of Toledo, and the high broken ground which 

 form* the watershed between the rivers Tagus and Ouadiana ; ant 

 the Plain of La Maneba, which lies to the south. These two plaiuj 

 are about 2000 feet above the sea-level. The productive powers am 

 the surface of these two plains are nearly the same. The countr 

 consists of extensive levels, intersected by short ridges of low hills 

 and rocks. It is destitute of trees, except some groves of evergreen 

 oak, which are found near the hills, and plantations of olive-trees an< 

 vines near the villages. The level tract* produce wheat, but as part 

 of these tracts are at a great distance from the villages, in which 

 alone the farms are situated, a large portion of them is badly culti 

 Tated, and some tracts are pertly overgrown with broom and tin 

 flax leaved daphne (Daphne ffnidium). 



western portion of the table-land of Castilla la Nueva am 

 Eatremailura comprehends the country from 5 W. long, to the 

 boundary of Portugal, or the province of Estremadura. This countr 

 has a very mountainous surface. The ridges of the Sierra de Uuada- 



upe cover nearly all the country between the Tagus and the Guadiana. 

 North of the Tagus several offsets of the Sierra de Gata traverse the 

 ountry in a south-western direction. South of the Guadiana several 

 >ranches of the Sierra Morena advance within a short distance of the 

 iver. Plains of some extent occur only along the banks of the prin- 

 ipal rivers. They are small on the banks of the Tagus, but rather 

 ixtensive on those of the Guadiana. The general level of the country 

 s lower than in the plains farther east, as we may infer from the 

 circumstance that snow and frost are not common iu the Sierra de 

 luadalupe, in which the merino sheep pass the winter without the 

 east injury in the open air. The productive powers of this region 

 liffer greatly in different parts. In the districts north of the Tagus 

 here are wide valleys, containing much level ground, between the 

 ridges of the Sierra de Gata ; they have a rich soil, are well cultivated, 

 in 1 yield good crops. The hilly tract between the Tagus and Gua- 

 diana is nearly a desert The summits of the ridges are bare ; their 

 slopes are clothed with forests of the evergreen oak, but the lower 

 iaru are destitute even of bushes. They are never cultivated, but 

 ^reserved as the pasture-grounds of the merino sheep in winter. The 

 cultivated spots are only found in the narrower valleys, and they are 

 ew and of small extent, even in the level country on the banks of the 

 Ouadiana, between Merida and Badajoz. To the south of the Gua- 

 diana the country improves. At no great distance from the river are 

 plantations of olive-trees, which increase in number as we proceed up 

 ;ho valleys of the Sierra Morena. [CASTILLA LA NUEVA; ESTBE- 



M A DURA.] 



Rain is comparatively scarce on the table-land of Spain. It is stated 

 that the annual quantity on an average does nut amount to more thau 

 10 inches, which is partly to be ascribed to the elevation of the more 

 level part of the table-land, and partly to the circumstance that it is 

 in most parts bounded by mountains which rise considerably above 

 the general level of the plain, and prevent the moisture from reaching 

 the flat country. The rain generally falls in the winter, and only a 

 few showers occur in other seasons. The least quantity of rain falls 

 in the mountain region of the Sierra de Guadalupe, and on the high 

 plains of Cuenca and Murcia, where sometimes eight or nine mouths 

 pass without a drop of rain falling. To this scarcity of rain the want 

 of cultivation is chiefly to be attributed which is observed in the two 

 last-mentioned regions. In summer excessive heat, and in winter a 

 great degree of cold, are experienced. 



The maritime region of the Atlantic and Bay of Biscay incloses 

 the table- land on the north-west and north, and contains the western 

 districts of Galicia, the province of Asturias, and the northern portion 

 of Castilla la Vieja. That portion which lies south of Cape Ortega! 

 is hardly more than 40 miles in width, and is traversed by numerous 

 ridges, which have usually gentle slopes, so as to admit of cultivation 

 to a considerable distance from their base. Their summits are 

 crowned with forest*. The lower country, which about Santiago de 

 Compostella stretches out in extensive plains, is tolerably fertile and 

 well cultivated. The climate is wet. The heat of the summer is 

 moderate, and the winters far from being severe, except when the 

 north winds blow, but they are not of long duration. [GALICIA.] 



The country east of Cape Ortegol is of a somewhat different 

 character. The Asturian Mountains, which descend southward to the 

 plains of Leon and Castillu la Vieja with a very rapid slope, decline 

 towards the north in long ridges, which grow lower as they approach 

 the Bay of Biscay. In the vicinity of the principal rauge thoso 

 lateral ridges are too steep and too high to be cultivated, and are only 

 used as pasture-ground for cattle and goats : a considerable part of 

 them is covered with forests. Towards the sea the ridges are lower 

 and their declivities less steep, and here cultivation has ascended to 

 some distance from their base. The valleys which lie between these 

 ridges are narrow and elevated near the great chain, but they grow 

 wider towards the sea. They have a tolerably fertile soil, and arc 

 well cultivated. Wheat, barley, and maize are grown. Great 

 quantities of cider are annually made and exported. Chestnut-trees 

 are so common that the chestnut* not only supply the lower classes 

 with food, but also are exported to a great extent. The climate doe* 

 not differ much from that of the western maritime tract, being also 

 very wet, but the cold is greater, though the northern winds are not 

 experienced in the same degree as in Galicia. [AsiUBiAs; BASQUE 

 PROVISOES.] 



The basin of the river Ebro occupies a part of Castilla la Vieja, of 

 the provinces of Vitoria and Navarra, the greater part of the province 

 of Aragon, and a considerable portion of C'ataluna. The northern 

 boundary, from the sources of the river Segre on the east to those of 

 the Arga on the west, is formed by the high chain of the Pyrenees. 

 West of the sources of the river Arga a chain of mountains begins, 

 which runs westward until it meet*, near the sources of the Ebro, the 

 Sierra de Sejos, or the eastern portion of the Asturian Mountains. 

 This range, which is called Sierra de Aralar, is about 120 miles in 

 length. It is much less elevated than the two great mountain 

 systems which it connects. The mean elevation probably does not 

 exceed 3000 feet above the sea-level. 



The higher portion of the basin of the Ebro is considerably lower than 

 the plain of Castilla la Vieja, which joins it on the south. This part of 

 the basin of the Ebro forms a considerable depression between Castilla 

 and Bizoaya. The interior of the basin in this part is nearly a plain, 



