742 



M U R C I A. 



Murcla. and rheumatic disorders, especially one at Archena, 

 s< " "V * four miles from Murcia, which was much celebrated 

 under the Arabs, and where ruins of Roman edifices 

 have been discovered. 



There are only two rivers in the province, the Se- 

 gura and the Guadalentin ; and the last of these is little 

 more than a brook. The climate is remarkably tem- 

 perate, except in the neighbourhood of Murcia and 

 Carthagena, where the heat is almost insupportable in 

 summer. The sky is uncommonly serene and clear ; 

 and rain falls very rarely in any part of the province. 



The soil is generally dry, but a little, rain has great 

 efficacy in the more parched plains. In the watered 

 plains, along the banks of the Segura, it is uncommon- 

 ly fertile; but, except a few olives and mulberries, 

 there is nothing but corn raised upon them. The soil, 

 in general, requires little cultivation, and wherever ir- 

 rigation can be practised, yields the most abundant re- 

 turns j but the inhabitants have no skill in agriculture, 

 and are too indolent to avail themselves of the advan- 

 tages within their reach. Except around the principal 

 towns, where the grape is cultivated, and wine made, 

 little else is raised in the province but corn, chiefly 

 wheat, rye, and barley. A considerable quantity of 

 Spart, or Spanish broom, is still cultivated near Car- 

 thagena, for making shoes ; but in the time of the Ro- 

 mans, the country was so covered with it, that Pliny 

 says it furnished the common people with materials 

 for making bedding, clothes, shoes, and fire. Hemp 

 is cultivated in the watered plains ; saffron is raised in 

 some places ; and olive oil, though of an inferior qua- 

 lity, is made in considerable quantity. But next to 

 wheat, the most valuable produce of the province is^silk, 

 for which the white mulberry trees are every where 

 cultivated, and of which about the value of 260,000 

 is annually prepared. The whole produce of the pro- 

 vince is estimated at 1,43(5,875. There are few ma- 

 nufactures in the province ; and even the greater part 

 of the raw silk prepared in the country is sold to the 

 neighbouring provinces, while manufactured silk is 

 imported from other places. It is only in the town of 

 Murcia that a manufactory of silk and ribbons is car- 

 ried on to any extent. Soap is made at Villena and 

 Murcia ; hardware at Albacete ; brandy at Sar and 

 Villena ; salt-petre and gunpowder at Murcia ; and 

 spart is made in private houses into shoes, mats, bas- 

 kets, cordage, and package coverings. 



There is little inland commerce in the province, as 

 the roads are generally in a very bad state ; and there 

 are few commodities to support a foreign trade. The 

 exports are cutlery, ribbons, worked spart, wine, silk, 

 grain, kali, saffron, to the amount of 493,038 an- 

 nually ; and the imports are fruits, beef and mutton, 

 wines, spices, linens, cloths, silk stuffs, hardware, and 

 a few articles of luxury. But the balance is in favour 

 of the exports, which brings some wealth into the 

 country every year. 



There are no inns in the province, except in the 

 towns of Murcia and Carthagena ; and the posades are 

 very bad. Coaches, calashes, and volantes, are used 

 in travelling ; and there are various little carts and wag- 

 gons, drawn by mules or oxen ; but asses are princi- 

 pally used in carrying burdens. No attention is paid 

 to the arts and sciences in the province. There are no 

 artists, nor even a tolerable workman in the whole of 

 it. Except at Carthagena, where the institutions for 

 education are confined to the pupils for the royal navy, 

 there are only a few miserable schools kept by monks. 

 There are two public libraries in the town of Murcia; 



but few persons make any use of them. The princi- Mureia. 

 pal towns of this province are Murcia, Carthagena, 

 Lorca, Jumilla, Albacete, Almanza. The country is 

 thinly inhabited, except in the more fertile plains, 

 where the villages are closely crowded. The popula- 

 tion is not above one-half of what it might contain ; 

 and in 1788, didjiot exceed 338,000. 



The natives of this province are remarkable for their 

 apathy and indolence. They seldom remove from 

 their native spot, to enter the army, the navy, or the 

 universities. The more wealthy individuals spend 

 their whole time in eating, sleeping, or smoaking ci- 

 gars. The shop-keepers, the mechanics, and even the 

 peasantry, are constantly ^retiring to their meals, or 

 their repose, and do not employ a quarter of the day 

 at their work. Even the domestic servants, in the 

 summer season, when it is easy to procure subsistence, 

 leave their 1 places, and refuse to labour when they can 

 live without it. They are indifferent even about walk- 

 ing abroad for recreation ; and either spend their days 

 within doors, or sit down if they come into the open 

 air. They seldom visit one another's houses, nor take 

 any part in amusements, nor bestow any attention on 

 dress and furniture. It is only in Carthagena that the 

 inhabitants shew any activity, affability, or. enjoyment ; 

 but these are chiefly foreigners, collected in the place 

 for the purposes of trade. See Laborde's View of Spain, 

 vol. ii. (g) 



MURCIA, the capital of the above mentioned pro- 

 vince, is situated on a level spot in a large and beauti- 

 ful valley, watered by the Segura, and ornamented by 

 extensive plantations of mulberry trees. It does not 

 appear to have existed in the time of the Carthaginians 

 or Romans ; and is first mentioned about the end of 

 the Gothic dynasty in Spain. It is frequently noticed 

 in history after the beginning of the eighth century, as 

 alternately subject to the Caliphs of Cordova and the 

 kingdom of Granada; and it was not till 1265 that it 

 was taken possession of by Alphonso X. King of Cas- 

 tile. The most ancient families in the place are of 

 French origin ; and still bear names which indicate 

 their descent from that nation. Murcia was formerly 

 a fortified city; and some remains of its walls and 

 towers are still to be seen. The streets are very nar- 

 row, irregular, winding, and badly paved. The houses 

 are ill built, and very few of them are worthy of no- 

 tice. Many of them are of ancient architecture, and 

 loaded with ornaments of sculpture, in a bad taste, and 

 of poor execution. There are no public edifices, ex- 

 cept the churches ; some of which have a good appear- 

 ance, and the cathedral particularly, though ill propor- 

 tioned, and awkwardly designed, exhibits many archi- 

 tectural ornaments, and contains a number of paintings. 

 There are several promenades, and a botanic garden, 

 capable of much improvement; but the citizens seldom 

 frequent any of these places of exercise and recreation. 



There are manufactories of saltpetre and gunpow. 

 der in the town, on the king's account ; and others of 

 earthen-ware, silk twist, silk stuffs, spart, and ribbons ; 

 and the principal commerce of the place consists in 

 exporting the two last mentioned articles to Madrid. 



It is the see of a bishop, whose diocese includes al- 

 most the whole present kingdom of Murcia, and who 

 enjoys a revenue equal to 22,916, 14s. 4d. The town 

 contains eleven parishes, and a population of 60,000 

 inhabitants ; which includes, however, the inhabitants 

 of the adjoining plain, who may amount to one-third 

 of the whole number. 



Many noble Spanish families reside in the place; 



