PREFACE. 



Spain, that of bacalao* in particular, which 

 is known to be fo confiderable a part of 

 the food of all its provinces in general. 

 In order to calculate the confumption, it 

 is to obferved, that in the provinces of the 

 crown of Caftile, the faft days, amount to 

 one hundred and twenty in a year, and 

 that they exceed one hundred and fixty in 

 thofe of Arragon, and in Navarre, where 

 flefh is prohibited on Saturdays, which is 

 not the cafe in Caftile. The computation 

 may be a little over or under, on account 

 of fome variation there is in the devotional 

 fafts. But, if we rate the number to be 

 one hundred and thirty in the year, one 

 kingdom with another throughout Spain, 

 upon a moderate fuppofition that every fa- 

 mily, one with another, fhall expend only 

 four ounces of bacalao every faft -day, 

 (which is not an ounce to each perfon) 

 there will be confumed, in a million and a 

 half of families, fix millions of ounces, 



which 



* Bacalao, a Spanifh word, which the French pronounce 

 bacala, or bacaliau. By this laft name the Bafques moft 

 commonly call the fifh we ftile cod : and thofe people call 

 the ifle of Newfoundland, the ifle of Bacaliau, becaufe of 

 the great plenty of cod, that is catched there. 



