374 TRAVELS THROUGH 

 thought himfelf very well off, if he made* 

 for himfelf and family, from more than 

 three hundred acres, all in culture, 30!. 

 nett profit, after his rent is paid, which 

 does not amount to. more than 35. 6d. per ' 

 acre for the fine watered lands, that yield 

 fuch a fucceflion of crops, and all of them, 

 great. 



Underftanding that he came from near 

 Signenca, in Caftile, I enquired of him con- 

 cerning the ftate of their cultivation in that 

 part of the country -, he told me, that eleven 

 parts in twelve of the whole were wafte y 

 that (he farmers fupported themfelves by a 

 few little fields uninclofed, in which they 

 raifed a fufficiency of corn for their owr\ 

 confumption, and the payment of the taxes, 

 and for the reft had nothing more than fome 

 miferable fheep, and a few goats on the 

 hills -, that you rode for many miles before 

 you met with even fuch a farm as that. The 

 foil, he faid, was too dry and fandy, and 

 they had no lands that were watered. Upon 

 my alking him if he did not think thofe dry 

 fandy tracts might be cultivated for fome 

 purpofe or other, no, he faid ; that they ia 

 Valencia could get more from one acre than 



many 



