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or dollar of exchange ; it is, fherefore, worth 8 reals of 

 old plate, lo reals of new plate, or 15 reals 2 maravedis 

 Tellon. The real of Plata Valenciana, 1 3 j of which make 

 a libra, is worth li fueldo, or 18 dineros, that is, fths of a 

 real of new plate. The hbra is worth 39^^/. fterhng nearly ; 

 or, more accurately, lA fterling = 6 libras, i fueldo, 5 di- 

 neros of Valencia. A carga or carica weighs 3 quintals, 

 or 12 arrobas ; the arroba, 24lbs. pefo gruefo, or 361bs. 

 pefo futile : the former pound is 18 oz. the latter 12 oz.; 

 and the ounce is ^V heavier than the Caftihan ounce : hence 

 5olbs. pefo gruefo, or yjlbs. pefo futile, anfwer nearly to 

 jglbs. avoirdupois. The futile, or hghter weight, is ufed 

 for bread, fugar, tobacco, and fpices ; the gruefo, or heavier 

 weight, for moft kinds of merchandize. 



Corn is meafured by the cahiz of 12 barfellas, or 48 

 celemines: 100 cahizes produce jgi Eng4iih quarters. 

 The cantara, or arroba, liquid meafure, contains 4 azum- 

 bres ; and 25 fuch arrobas = 88 Enghlh wine gallons nearly. 

 The carga of wine confifts of 15 arrobas ; the carga of oil 

 of 12 arrobas. The vara or ell is di\-ided into 4 palmos, and 

 is about -tVth longer than the Caftilian vara, meafurnig, there- 

 fore, 36xV Enghrti inches. Kelly's Un. Camb. 



Valekcia, a town of South America, in the government 

 of the Caraccas; 16 miles S.W. of Caraccas. This city was 

 founded in 1555, under the government of Villacinda, with a 

 view of eftablilhing a port near to Caraccas, in order to facili- 

 tate the conqueft of the country , which had been muchextoUed 

 by Faxardo. But Alonzo Dias Moreno preferred a fitua- 

 tion farther dlftant from the lake Tacarigua, now Valencia, 

 or half a league W. of it on a beautiful plain, where the 

 air was pure and the foil fertile. N. lat. 10° 9'. W. long, 

 from Paris 70^ 45'. Its population in 1801 confided of 

 6548 perfons, according to fome reports, but according to 

 others, faid to be more accurate, of 8000 fouls. The inha- 

 bitants are generally Creoles, and the itTue of very ancient 

 families, excepting fome from the Canaries, and very few 

 Bifcayans. The ilreets are wide, and for the moft part 

 paved. The houfes are built like thofe of Caraccas, but 

 not with ftone. There is one church tolerably well built, 

 and in the eaftern part of a beautiful fquare, from which it 

 receives, and to which it gives an embelhlhment, that con- 

 ftrtutes the principal decoration of the city. In 1804 

 another church was erefted, and dedicated to our Lady of 

 la Chandaleur. The Francifcans have a monaftery, occu- 

 pied by eigfit monks, wliich has a very neat and elegant 

 church. The inhabitants had formerly the charafter of 

 being the moil indolent in the whole province ; but in con- 

 fequence of fome vigorous meafures that have been lately 

 adopted, a fpirit of greater aftivity and induftry has 

 been excited among them. The fituation of Valencia is 

 peculiarly favourable for trade : being feparated by only 

 ten leagues of good road from Porto Cavello, it may tranf- 

 port its commodities thitHer at a fmall expence ; and befides, 

 every commodity from the interior of the country (hipped 

 at Porto Cavello goes through Valencia, and that which is 

 deftined for Guayra pafles through Caraccas. The adja- 

 cent country produces every fort of provifion and fruit in 

 the greateft abundance, and of a moft exquifite flavour ; 

 and its plains furnifh its markets, at a very low price, with 

 every kind of animal which they can confume. Depons's 

 Travels in South America, vol. ii. 



Valencia, Lake of, called by the Indians Tacarigua, but 

 different from the bay or lake of the fame name, (fee 

 Tacarigua,) a lake of the government of Caraccas, lefs 

 "xtenfive but more ufeful than that of Maracaibo. This 

 lake ftretches 13^ leagues from E.N.E. to W.S.W., and its 

 greateft breadth is four leagues. Its form is oblong j it lies 

 10 



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at the diftance of one league from Valencia, and is fituated in 

 a valley furrounded with mountains, excepting on the W. 

 where it extends into the interior of the country. It re- 

 ceives the water of twenty rivers without any vifible outlet. 

 It is fix leagues from the fea, and feparated from it by in- 

 acceffible mountains. It probably difcharges itfelf by a 

 fubterraneous paffage, as well as by evaporation, fo bene- 

 ficial to vegetation. Its eaftern part is appropriated to the 

 cultivation of tobacco for the king's beneiit ; and this traft 

 being divided into live plantations, employs 1 5,000 perfons. 

 The remainder of the land gained from the lake is laid out 

 in other kinds of culture. Its vicinity is enlivened by a 

 variety of birds, whofe plumage is beautiful, and whofe 

 notes are melodious. It alfo abounds with aquatic game, 

 and Its borders are embellifhed with unfading verdure. It 

 is interfperfed with a number of fmall iflands, which are 

 inhabited ; and one of them, called Caratapona, contains a 

 population fufficient to raife provifions, fruits, and vegetables 

 for market. It fumifhes a great quantity of firti, that called 

 by the Spaniards, guavina, being the moft abundant. Many 

 reptiles are feen upon its borders ; and among thefe are two 

 kinds of lizard, which are particularly diftinguifhed ; and of 

 which the Indians and fome Spaniards make their moft de- 

 licious meals. Depons's Travels, vol. i. 



VALENCIENNES, a city of France, and principal 

 place of a diftrift, in the department of the North, fituated 

 on the Scheldt, which runs through the town in feveral 

 places, and here becomes navigable. It is fuppofed to 

 have derived its name from the emperor Valentinian I., who, 

 taken with the temperature of the cUmate, and charming 

 fituation of the place, laid the foundation of a town, about 

 the year 367, endowing it with many privileges and im- 

 munities, and particularly of being an afylum for debtors 

 and criminals. This privilege, which extended over the 

 greater part of the town, was called " banlieu ;" but it has 

 fince been hmited, to prevent abufe from fraudulent bank- 

 rupts and affafiins. Before the revolution, it belonged to 

 Hainaut, and contained feveral churches and convents. 

 The town-houfe is an ancient building of free-ftone, founded 

 in the 14th century ; the fquare or grand place is handfome, 

 but the ftreets are in general narrow, dark, and crooked. 

 The form of its municipal government was confidered fo 

 good as to ferve for the model of feveral republics, parti- 

 cularly Venice and Nuremberg, which fent deputies to col- 

 left the laws. Near the town is a coal-mine. Valenciennes 

 was one of the firft towns which revolted againft Phihp II. 

 king of Spain ; it took part with the States and the Pro- 

 teftant religion, and refufed to receive a garrifon fent by 

 Margaret of Parma ; in confequence of which it was be- 

 fieged, in the year 1567, by John de Noircames, baron of 

 Selles, and at the end of three months furrendered at dif- 

 cretion : thirty-fix of the principal ringleaders were punifhed, 

 and the town deprived of its privileges. It was afterwards 

 feveral times taken and retaken by the duke of Alva and the 

 States General. In the year 1656, it was befieged by the 

 French, under the command of marfhals Turenne and La 

 Ferte ; but they were compelled to raife the fiege, after the 

 lofs of 4000 men killed and wounded, in feveral affault;. 

 In the year 1677, it was befieged by Louis XIV. in per- 

 fon ; and after 1 7 days, taken by affault. It remained to 

 France by the peace of Nimeguen, which happened in the 

 foUmving year, when a new and handfome citadel was built, 

 at the expence of the citizens, and other fortifications added. 

 In 1793, Valenciennes was inverted by the allies, under the 

 conduft of the duke of York, and the governor Ferrand 

 fummoned to furrender. On the 14th of June, the trenches 

 were opened. The Britifh commander then fummoned the 



garrifon ; 



