40 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



work entitled " Libro de las Grandezas de Tarragona," by Micer Lnys 

 Pons de Tcart, printed at Lerida, 1572, p. 80. cap. x. : — 



"Concerning the great drongbt of Spain and also of the first ruin of 

 Tan'agona, and of the peoples that thereafter penetrated into Spain. 

 The first (destruction of Tarragona) happened at the time of this 

 great di'ought, which lasted for a period of twenty-sis years, dun'ng 

 which no rain fell. In consequence the coimtiy became depopulated, 

 since not only did the springs dry up but also the riyers, the wells, 

 the trees, and the vegetation of the earth. This opened and became 

 crevassed to an extreme degree ; at the same time great winds reigned, 

 so that the trees, ali'eady become dry, were, some broken, the others 

 torn from the ground. And such was the extent of this great drought 

 that in all Spain there was not to be found a green tree except on the 

 borders of the Ebro and Guadalquiyer, where were to be found some 

 oUve trees and pomegranates, since, as a matter of fact, these two 

 rivers did not entirely diy up, having their soui'ces in very cold 

 mountain, according to the remark of Pedi'o Beuter in the first part 

 of his ' Chronicle of Valencia,' cap. vii., ' ConceiTdng the drought 

 which happened in Spain.' This author says that the event took 

 place in the year 1250 (irccL.) after the deluge (b.c, 1152)." 



Pedro Medina, in his book on " The Greatness of Spain," cap. vni., 

 says that "it happened 1332 (mccc. yxvrr.) years after the great deluge, 

 and B.C. 1 070. Ploiian de Campo, in the second book of his ChronicleSj 

 cap. IV., says that it happened B.C. 1030. Although the historians 

 differ as to the date of this event they are agreed on the fact of the 

 occuiTence of this great di'ought, of which also Diego de Valeca makes 

 mention in the second part of his work, cap. v. It happened, there- 

 fore, in consequence of this great drought, that Spain became de- 

 jDopulated to such an extent that the inhabitants went away to inhabit 

 the bordering or neighbotuing provinces, where they remained until 

 the bad time had passed. And according to some the poor people were 

 saved and the rich perished, because the poor, not having wherewithal! 

 to live, emigrated the fii'st and were thus saved, whilst the rich, having 

 goods in store, lived on fi'om day to clay in the expectation that the 

 times would become better, and so long did they tarry before leaving 

 that when finally they wished to go also they were unable to do so 

 for want of means of living, so that they perished on the highways for 

 want of water, as also by reason of the difiiculties presented by the 

 ground, all crevassed and gasping as it was, in consecjuence of the 

 great drought, and in this way the gi'eater part of the rich and of the 

 nobles of Spain perished, whilst the common people were saved, 



