- 



BAUOELLOS. 



BARfKLONA. 



mouoUin torrent* lose themselves iu the desert Among the 

 antiquities of the country tare many rock-well*, with the remains of 

 channel* for irrigation. With a jiulicioiu system of irrigation there 

 U no doubt thU country might be made one of the most productive 

 in the world. The Arabs of the country are described by Captain 

 Beechey u a healthy, good-looking race, superior in appearance to 

 thoM who inhabit the miserable towns of Beugazi and Derna, which 

 are the only two places deserving the name of towns in the whole 

 country. Teucheira, afterwards under the Ptolemies called Arsinoa, 

 was a town of Barca, and its walls, which were repaired by Justinian 

 (Procopius, lib. VL), still remain in a good state of preservation. It 

 has resumed its original name, slightly altered to Tocra, and its 

 ruins are occupied part of the year by wandering Arabs. Ptolemais or 

 Tolometa u likewise in ruins and deserted ; as well as Berenice and 

 Apollonia, the former port of Cyrene. Descriptions of this interesting 

 country and of the extensive remains of ita cities have been given in 

 Beechey' 8 ' Narrative of an Expedition to the Northern Coast of 

 Africa'"; Delia Cella's ' Viaggio da Tripoli alle Frontiero d'Egitto'; 

 Pacho's ' Voyage dans la CyrenaSque.' 



Benya'ri, the ancient Berenice, situated on the eastern shore of the 

 Qulf of Sidra, the ancient Syrtis Major, in 32 7' N. lat, 20 3' E. long., 

 has about 2500 inhabitants ; most of the houses are built of mud, 

 and are liable to be washed away by the heavy winter rains. Tin- 

 town is defended by a castle, the residence of the beg. The port is 

 shallow ; but some trade is carried on with the Barbary State* and 

 Malta in wool, bollocks, sheep, salt butter, and corn. Derna, the 

 ancient Darn it, is a more considerable town than Bengazi, and has 

 a somewhat better appearance. It is 140 miles N.E. from Bengazi, 

 near the eastern extremity of Cyrenaica. Darnis gave title to a 

 bishop in early Christian times. The rest of the country is occupied 

 by nomadic tribes as in the time of Herodotus. The limits between 

 Tripoli and Kgypt along the sea-coast are not very definite ; they are 

 nominally stated to be at Akaba-el-Soloon, the Catabathmiu Magma 

 of the ancients, about 26 E. long. ; but the fact is that the country 

 in that neighbourhood is occupied by independent Arabs, who acknow- 

 ledge neither the pasha of Tripoli nor the viceroy of Egypt. Tho 

 whole of the Libyan Desert to the westward of Egypt, and as far a i 

 Fezzan, is often called the Desert of Barca by European travellers and 

 geographers. [BgnoAzI ; CTUKNAI'CA.] 

 BARCELLOS. [EXTBI DUERO E MINHO.] 



BARCELO'NA, a town in South America, in the republic of 

 Venezuela. It is the capital of the province of Barcelona, and lies 

 in 10 10' N. lat., nnd G4 J 47' \V. long., on a small river, the Neveri, 

 about three miles from the shores of the Caribbean Sea. The town 

 Ktands on the left bank of the river, and its houses have mostly mini 

 walls. IU unpaved street* are extremely mindly in r.iiny weather ; 

 and in the dry season they are covered with a dust so light that the 

 least breath of wind raises it into the air. Nearly opposite the 

 town on the right bank of the Neveri stands a small fortress called 

 El Morro da Barcelona, on a hill which rises to about 360 or 400 feet 

 above the sea ; but it is commanded on the south by a more lofty 

 eminence. This fortress protects the harbour and the shipping in 

 it ; but the owtuary of the Neveri is so shallow as not to admit 

 vessels of any considerable size, and is besides exposed to the winds 

 from north-east, north, and north-west. At the distance of about 

 three miles from the shore U a small rocky island called Borracha, 

 inhabited by fishermen, which on its south side affords safe anchorage 

 for ships of the largest size. 



Barcelona U one of the most unhealthy places in South America, 

 the air being very hot and moist at the same time. But the exces- 

 sive moisture is extremely favourable to vegetation ; and there are 

 few tract* in South America which con compare with the country 

 about Barcelona in fertility. Yet agriculture is not much advanced, and 

 it* commercial product* are only cacao, indigo, and a little cotton. 



The trade of this town before the Spanish colonies obtained their 

 independence was considerable. The article* of export were chiefly 

 the produce of the extensive pasture* on the bank* of the Lower 

 Orinoco, and extending northward toward the sources of the Quara- 

 pichc; they consist of cattle, horse*, mule*, jerked beef, and hi>l. -. 

 all which article* were carried to the West India*. These products 

 are now exported from Angostura. 



This town had in 1807 a population of 15,000: the inhabitants do 

 not now exceed 6000. [VmCPI 



ISA I. province of. [('ATALPNA.] 



liAl . a city and seaport of Spain, capital of the ancient 



province of Catalu&a, and of the modern province of Barcelona, is 

 situated on the eastern coast of Spain facing the Mediterranean Sea, 

 in 41* 23' N. lat, 2 10' E. long., 310 miles E.N.K. from Madrid in 

 a straight line : the population is estimated at 140,000. It U the 

 ee of a bishop, the residence of the capitan-gcneral of Catalans, 

 and the seat of a court of first instance with four judge*. 



The city stands on a gentle slope, and occupies the lower part ol 

 a fertile pUin girdled by hills which have an average elevation of 

 700 feet The n*ll river Besos enters the sea on the north side of 

 the city, and the Llobregat on the south. 



The port is formed partly by a natural indentation of the coast, 

 but chiefly by a mole solidly constructed of stone, which extends 

 500 van* (4634 yar.1*) in a southern direction, and is terminated by 



a lighthouse. The mole is 111 feet wide, and 24 feet above the 

 level of the sea. The lighthouse is 36 feet high (60 feet above the 

 sea level), and ha* a fixed light which may be seen at a distance of 

 nine miles. The entrance to the harbour is between the extremity 

 of the mole and the foot of the hill of Monjuich ; it is obstructed in 

 its whole extent by a sand-bar which has only 12 feet of water above 

 it, though the depth inside the harbour is from 18 to 20 feet Large 

 vessels are consequently obliged to anchor outside the mole. 

 MT is occasionally lowered by a dredging-mochine worked by steam. 

 There are no quays or docks, but vessels are commodiously moored near 

 the pier. The harbour is tolerably well sheltered by the mole, but 

 storms from the east and south sometimes do damage to the shipping. 



Barcelona is a fortified city. It is surrounded by walls, with 

 uastions, towers, covered ways, a ditch, and five gates. There is also 

 a citadel, which is a pentagon regularly constructed, on the north- 

 east side of the city, a fort called the Atarazanas connected with it, 

 and another fort on the mole. But by far the most important of 

 the defences of Barcelona is the Castle of Monjuich, soni. 

 written Monjui, a fortress which occupies the summit of the hi!l 

 called Monjuich, which is 680 feet high, and jut* out abruptly into 

 the sea about two-thirds of a mile from the south-eastern gate of i h.- 

 city. The fortifications on this hill completely command the city and 

 port. It has about 200 brass cannon mounted, and a great number 

 of guns unmounted. It is supposed to have received its name fr>m 

 its having been in early times a burying-place of the Jews (Mon- 

 Juich). On the Bide of the sea the city is protected by a massive 

 stone wall called the Muralla del Mar, which is 400 feet long, ." 

 wide, and about 50 feet high. The top of this sea-wall is a favourite 

 promenade. 



The city is divided into two parts by the Rambla, which runs 

 nearly north and south, and separates the old city from th. 

 The word 'rarnbla' in Spanish means the bed of a river left dry in 

 summer, and used as a road. The Rambla of Barcelona was originally 

 a channel of this kind, which on the extension of the city was 

 in, and formed into a public walk as well as a central street. It is 

 nearly 1000 yards long, very wide, planted with rows of trees in the 

 centre, and with some of the best residences, hotels, cafes, and shops 

 on each side. It is the fashionable promenade, and in the afb-i 

 is crowded with company. Most of the streets in the old city and 

 many in the new are very narrow and very tortuous. In the new 

 city several new streets have been built which are wide an, I well 

 paved, with commodious houses and good shops, most of the fronts 

 being painted white or in colours. The old narrow streets in both 

 parts of the city are widened occasionally as restorations I > 

 necessary. 



The Plaza del Palacio is the only large square in the city. In it 

 are situate I tin 1'nlocio de la Reina, occupied by the capitan-p 

 built in 1444 of a reddish-coloured stone, with a balcony 

 cornice; the Aduana (custom-house) a huge building, and the 

 (exchange) a very fine structure. Public schools are establish 

 the exchange for teaching the sciences and arts, especially those of 

 navigation, architecture, sculpture, and painting. These institution* 

 are maintained at the expense of the city, and the instruct' 

 gratuitous. A handsome street leads from th" I'li/.a by the I' 

 del Mar (Sea-date) to the Muralla del Mar. The Plaza de la C. 

 is small, but contains two handsome buildings, the Palacio do la 

 Diputacion, now the seat of the Audiencia Territorial of Catalans, 

 and the town-hall. The opera-house called the Licco Filannoi 

 capable of containing 4000 persons. It is stated to be as large as the 

 La Scala at Milan. Tho Italian Opera in Barcelona is equal to that 

 of Madrid, and the inhabitants are much attached to musical enter- 

 tainments. The Teatro de Santa Cruz is in the Rambla; the 'I 

 Nuevo de Capuchinos, built in 1843, is in the Calle San Fenian. I" \ 1 1. 

 There are other smaller theatre*. The chief prison, commenced in 

 1838 and completed in 1840, is a massy and hondsom. 

 There are also a house of correction, a penitentiary forworn" 

 other smaller places of confinement Some of tin- elmnlie- HI 

 but the interior* are generally dark, and they contain few 

 paintings. The cathedral occupies the highest part of the ol.: 

 It was commenced in 1298, but is not yet completed. It is of 

 handsome gothic architecture with two noble towers. The in 

 is lofty, and the roof is supported by slender and elegant pillars. 

 The painted glass of the windows is splendid. The cloisters are 

 exceedingly beautiful, with light pointed arches, and the central space 

 ornamented with t" fountains and plant..! u it h orange-trees. Tho 

 church of Santa Maria del Mar is next in importance to the cathedral. 

 The priiieipal entrance is of handsome pointed architecture, and the 

 interior is imposing, with a wide nave and lofty roof supported by 

 light pentagonal columns with pointed arches. There are altogether 

 about twenty churches. The convents, since the suppression of the 

 monastic orders in Spain, have in some instances been converted to 

 secular uses, and in others been token down to allow the wi' 

 of the street* or forming small plazas. There are several educational 

 and literary establishment*, among which are the Real Academia de 

 Ciencia* Naturales y Artes, the Academia de Buenas Lctros, the 

 Liceo de Isabel IL, the L'nivcrsidod Literaria de Barcelona, nnd 

 others. There are several hospitals and other charitable institutions. 

 The market called the Borne is well supplied with fowls, fruit, nnd 



