“aa while the other states of Europe, under the 
b domination of Rome, were sunk in the deepest 
“ mental barbarism. The Omniades in Spain, following 
the example of Almamon, the seventh caliph of the 
_ Abassides, exerted themselves so sedulously in the ad- 
vancement of knowledge, that are said to have col- 
. ace 600,000 volumes, and to have established 70 pub- 
libraries in the cities undertheir dominion. The 
Arabian writers enumerate, in 1126, 150 authors na- 
tives of Cordova, 52 of Almeria, 76 of Murcia, and 53 
of" besides those of Seville, Valencia, and Gra- 
nada, where the spirit of literature was preserved in 
. full vigour nearly four centuries, In this last mention- 
€ city, where it principally flourished; there were at 
that time'two universities, two royal colleges, and a 
ee , stored with the productions of the best 
eek and Arabic writers. The love of learning was 
so general in Granada, that, in spite of the prohibitions 
; of Mahomed, it extended to the female sex; and we 
_ find recorded the names of the poetess Naschina, the 
historian Mosada, and the mathematician Leila. Their 
physicians, though imperfectly acquainted with anato- 
my, as their religion prohibited all dissections of the hu- 
man frame, acquired celebrity. Botany was one 
of their favourite studies ; and yor sag some progress 
y 
in the operations of chemistry. chiefly excelled 
in eee branches of mathematics, namely astro- 
nomy, arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, and optics ; 
but hey were little acquainted Acith epuion ‘and 
nig they were instrumental in preserving many 
Greek authors, they were as little acquainted as the 
nations of Christendom at that period, with the classical 
-authors of Greece and Rome. Among the Arabians, in 
short, in the south of Spain, human genius is said to 
have produced more prodigies in a few centuries, than 
it has done in the history of ages in all the rest of the 
world. All the great modern discoveries, paper, print- 
ing, the mariner’s compass, glass, gunpowder, &c. are 
affeined to have been there anticipated and again for- 
; and in the exercise of fancy and invention, 
y are considered as having far surpassed all former 
id sueceeding ages, Agriculture formed the principal 
occupation of the Saracens in Granada; and, while it 
was stimulated by the demands of an extensive popula- 
tion, it was improved by the aids of science. They 
were particularly attentive to the application of manure, 
which they preserved in pits, that none of the salts 
might be lost; and they carried the practice of irriga- 
_ tion to a very great extent. But, as their bigotry for- 
_____ bade the sale of their superfluous grain to the neigh- 
___ bouring nations, they pursued its cultivation no farther 
than was requisite for their own subsistence; and di- 
rected much of their attention to the culture of fruits, 
which generally formed their principal aliment. To 
them Spain is indebted for the introduction of an infi- 
nite variety of fruits, and of its best horticultural pro- 
ductions, for the sugar-cane also, and the cotton-tree. 
Their commerce was not less extensive, and the luxu- 
ries of India were brought from Alexandria to Malaga 
at an early period. The silks of India, and the 
lainsof China, were soon imitated, and even excelled 
by the Moors. They were skilled in the manufac- 
ture of woollen, cotton, and flax, but, above all, in the 
art of dyeing of leather. They made some _pro- 
gress in working mines, especially of lead and iron ; 
_ and'their articles of steel, particularly the swords of 
Granada; were preferred to all others in Spain. In 
their architectural -plans and ornaments, they were de- 
ficient in taste ; but their joiners and inlayers of wood 
GRANADA. 
445 
worked with the uttnost nicety; and they painted and Granada, 
ilded their stucco work with singular skill, Upon the Province. 
nishment of this ingenious people, the arts and scien~ “~~ 
ces departed with them ; the magnificence, commerce, 
and manufactures of Granada rapidly decayed ; and 
the indolence, poverty, and barbarism, which succeed- 
ed in their place, continue, in no small degree, to over« 
spread the face of the most highly gifted region in 
the world. 
Granada is beautifully diversified with majestic moun- Mountains. 
tains, extensive plains, and delightful vallies. A chain ’ 
of mountains, named the Alpuxarras, extends through 
the province from west to east. The loftiest points of 
the whole range are those of the Sierra Nevada, near 
the'city of Granada, one of which, called Mulhacen, is 
12,762 feet above the level of the sea; and all above 9915 
feet are covered with tual snow. The mountains 
towards the south malad ly decline in height, till at the 
Sierra de Gador, near Almeria, where they rise to the ele~ 
vation of 7800 feet. At this extremity near Macael is 
the celebrated rock called Filabres, which is four miles 
in circumference, two thousand feet in height, and 
which consists of one entire and solid piece of white 
marble. The secondary mountains are of various kinds; 
but many are composed of marble of different colours, 
black, white, red, and flesh colour. About two leagues 
from Granada, on the banks of the Xenil, is a quarry 
of green serpentine beautifully veined, and capable 
of receiving a fine polish. ‘There are many sorts of 
alabaster in the mountains which environ the city, 
some of which are as brilliant and transparent as orien« 
tal cornelians.. There are also quarries of jasper, and 
a variety of precious stones. In the mountains of this 
province are several mines of silver, copper, and lead, 
some of which were formerly worked by the Moors. 
Gold is found in the sands of the river Darro ; but of 
late the quantity has been small. Mineral waters, both 
cold and hot springs, are very abundant in the province; 
but few of them have been analysed: They are chiefly 
chalybeates, and sulphureous. But one of the most re~ 
markable circumstances,in the mountains of Granada 
is the quantity of bones, of men and other animals, 
found on their summits, especially at Concud, where 
there is a hill entirely composed of them, lying under 
a straturn of limestone. 
The climate of Granada is cold in the mountainous ‘Climate. 
districts ; extremely hot and sultry in the vallies ; but 
it is tem in the plains by the coolness ‘of the wa- 
ters, which are conveyed in all directions, The country 
is exposed to a number of winds, icularly on the 
coast; one of which especially, called Solano, is at~ 
tended with the most pernicious effects. It is a hot 
wind, which blows from Africa, dries up the plants as 
soon as it touches them, affects the body with the feel- 
ings of strong fever, and throws the mind into a state 
little better than:madness. Murders and assassinations 
are observed to be most frequent during its prevalence. 
In this province agriculture is in a more flourishing Soikand, 
state than in any other district in the south of. Spain ; Produce. 
and the Vega of Granada, already described, is the 
finest and richest plain in the kingdom. The principal 
mode employed for aiding the oe is the irrigation of 
the soil. Streams are conveyed along the upper side 
of every field’ by means of embankments, in| which 
sluices are cut, which convey the. water into small gut- 
ters; and these are allowed to run at short intervals, 
so as.to flood the whole field with’ ease in the hot sea- 
son. Great attention sis paid.to the preservation of 
manure, which, according to the old Moorish practice, 
