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count of t!>c tiigh and fttep Ihon- ; on the north fide alfo 

 thir acctfs is dangtrous, by rcafoii of many fand-banks and 

 rocks which lie under the water; and though the foiith-well 

 iide admits of landim', it is dtfendtd by fort Santa Catalina, 

 or St.Catliarine. Oil tlie S.S.W. point isaiidge of rocks, 

 part of which, at full fta, is covered with water; the onter- 

 muft of theft is a fmall ifland, on which arc a guard and 

 light-houfe, with v.vo chapels, and alfo fort San Seballiun. 

 The cily, therefore, is fufceptible of attack only at the 

 narrowell port of the neck of land lying betwixt it and the 

 S.E. part cf the iiland of Leon ; and on this fide it is alio 

 fortilitd. 



The bed view of C^diz and its environs is that which may 

 be had from the fignal tower ; and hence you look immedi- 

 ately dnwn upon the houfes, whofe flat roofs, covered with a 

 white cement, exhibit a fingnlarbut very pleafing appearance. 

 Toward,; the well, you command the ccean, witli numerous 

 v'.nils, leaviu.j or entering the harbour; and on the land 

 fide, you difcover the four interelling fca-port towns of 

 Rota, Santa Maria, Puerto Real, and Caraca, with the illc of 

 Jxon, and the conneding cauftway ; whilll a rich country, 

 veri^ing towards the fetting fun, bounds the diibmt profptd. 

 The (beets of Cadiz are narrow, and yet vvcll-paved and 

 clean. The moll beautiful part of the city looks towards 

 the Puerto dc Santa Maria, where the houfes are lofty, built 

 of white frcellone, brought from thence acrofs the bay, and 

 ornamented with pai::ted balconies. In front they have a 

 wide parade, well gravelled, planted with trees, and commu- 

 nicating witli the fea-road, where the merchantmen and (hips 

 of war tind flielter. Two confiderable fqiares, one for the 

 market, the other called Plaza de San Antonio, with the 

 Calle-ancha, or Broad-llrect, joining to it by way of mall, 

 contribute both to ornament and health ; and as the whole 

 city is nearly encympatTid by a rampart, this forms an ele- 

 vated, airy, and delightful promenade, much frequented in 

 the evenings. A fmall part towards t!ie weft is bordered by 

 five rows of elms, forming four avenues, adorned with elegant 

 feats, and conftituting the Alameda. Along the ramparts 

 is alfo a row of houfes; and the fliaded parts towards the 

 fouth ferve for the lower clalTes to take their fitfta, and enjoy 

 the luxury of the fea-breeze. The inhabitants of Cadiz 

 fupply the want of other promenades by parties of plcafure 

 in the environs of the city. With this view they go out in 

 carriages eiti.tr to Puerto de Santa Maria, where are fine 

 avenues and gardens, or to Chielana, near the ide de Leon, 

 which is almoft entirely covered with country houfes, and 

 eommnnds a very fine view of the bay, the tov/n, and the 

 fea. Although the extent of Cadiz is very limited, yet its 

 houfes are crowded together and are vtry lofty, fo that the 

 population is ellimated at between 75 and So,oco. (Fifeher's 

 Travels in Spain.) Townfend (Journey th.rough Spain, in 

 1786 and 17B7), reckons them at no more than 65987 ; but 

 he fays, that about 10 years fince, they were compuied at 

 ^5,000, bcfides about 20,000 people who entered daily from 

 the fea and from the adjacent country. The mod diftin- 

 guifhed buildings are the two cathedrals, the ancient and the 

 new ; the former is chiefly remarkable for fome good piftures, 

 and for its treafures, confifting of gems, filver candlefticks, 

 and lamps, numerous and bulky ; three cuftodias, one of 

 ■which, conftrufted of the fineft filver, weighs 51 arrobas, or 

 more than half a ton ; and another confifts moftly of folid 

 gold. The new cathedral is a huge pile, with large and 

 Jofty domes, and many well-proportioned j-.illars ; but upon 

 the whole heavy and difgufting. Near the cathedral is the 

 Plaza de Toros, appropriated to thebuU-fealls, built entirely 

 cf wood. At a fmall diftance are the obfervatory, ill pro- 

 tided with inltruments, and the academy for painting, fculp- 



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ture, and archite£lure. In the convents are fome few good 



piftures. Of ttie three hofpitals, one, called the Royal or 

 Military Hoipital, is defigncd for foldiers, and accommodates 

 80 iludents, who are maintained and educated at the king's 

 cxpence. It has a good botanical garden, and a theatre for 

 dilTeviions, furnifhed with lubjrCls from among the patients. 

 The other two, one let apart for women, and the other for 

 men, are dillinguiflied for their neatnefs. Befides thefe 

 hofpitals for the fick, Cadiz has a retreat for 47 v\idows, 

 founded by a Turkey merchant, who died in IJ^6.. But 

 the moll interelling ellablillunent in this city, and the bell 

 condutted of its kind in Spain, is the hotpicio, or general . 

 workhoufe. It accommodates (at an average of the year 

 1787) 855 paupers of every nation, age, and fex ; who are 

 cither pall labour, or iullruiled and employed in ufeful 

 arts; and encouraged in proportion to the amount of their 

 labour. 



The heat of the climate at Cadiz is moderated by the fea- 

 breeze ; fo that even in fummer it enjoys a happy tempera- 

 ture, and few places are more healthy ; but it becomes more 

 iiittnfe whenever the folano or fouth-eall wind prevails. 

 Tiiis pafTes to them over the fcorching plains of Africa j 

 and fuch is its cffecl, that all the paffions are inflamed, and 

 during its prevalence, the inhabitants, who are moll irritable, 

 commit every fpecies of excefs. 



This city abounds with almoll all theneceffaries and luxuries 

 of life. Its fruits are cheap, and its moll remarkable wines are 

 flierry and pacaretti, both of which are procured from Xeres 

 and its vicinity. But they are much dillreflld for want of frelh 

 water, which they are obliged to fetch fiom Puerto de Santa 

 Maria ; and their ice, which is ufed for cooling it, is brought 

 from Sierra, at the dillance of 13 leagues. For domellic pur- 

 poles, fuch as vv-alliing, &c. they collect their water in I'ubterra- 

 neoui cillerns, but being fnbjecl to walle by evaporation, it is 

 procured with difficulty, and confumcd with great economy. 

 For preventing a fcarcity of corn, and in ordtr to enfure a 

 profit by the I'ale of it, the city has eilabl-dicd a public 

 granary, from which the bakers are fupplicd at a given price; 

 and, according to that, the magillrates regulate the allize of 

 bread. The theatre at Cadiz is large, elegant, and commo- 

 dious ; the principal aftors are Italians; and the inhabitants 

 are chiefly attr^tted to it by the comiedies called Saynctes, 

 and the whimfical dances denominated Voleros. In Lent, 

 wliilll the moll pohlhed orators confine themfelves to 

 churches, other preachers harangue the multitude in the 

 niarktt-place, with a vehemence of voice and gcfture luited 

 to their congregations. Among the Francilcans, when the 

 penitential lermon is finiflicd, the lights are cxtinguilhcd, 

 and inllantly fcourges are applied. When the market- 

 place is not occupied by orators, the fcribts take pofFelfion 

 of it with their benches, at which they fit with pen, mk, and 

 paper, to write and read letters of all forts, and to execute 

 every kind of deed. In the year 1720, the commerce, 

 which lor two centuries had proved a fource of wealth to 

 Seville, was tranllated to Cadiz ; and from that period its 

 merchants have carried on a very confiderable itrade, which, 

 however, has ebbed and flowed, according to incidental cir- 

 cumftances. Indeed, this port has been the emporium of 

 conmerce to the Well Indies and America. Townfend 

 informs us, that its whole trade employs about one thoufand 

 velFels, of which nearly one-tenth is Spanilli. In 1784 the 

 value of exports to America amounted, in Spanilh and 

 foreign produce, to 3,6^1,443 pounds ilerling ; and the 

 value of imports in money and jewels was 8,->97,i64!. and 

 in merchandife 2,990,7571. The articles of merchandife are 

 cochineal, indigo, cacao, fugar, hides, Vicuna wool, cotton, 

 copper, tin, tobacco, diifereiit kinds of wood, &c. which are 



diilributed 



