'520 SPAIN. 



annual entertainment on a certain day, on which day all the other 

 hermits are invited, when taey receive the sacrament from the hands 

 of the mountain vicar, and, after divine service, dine together. They 

 meet also at this hermitage on the days of the saints to whom their 

 several hermitages are dedicated, to say mass, and commune with 

 each other. But at other times they live in a very solitary and 

 recluse manner, perform various penances, and adhere to very rigid 

 rules of abstinence. They never eat flesh ; nor are they allowed to 

 keep within their walls either dog, cat, bird, or any living thing, lest 

 their attention should be withdrawn from heavenly to earthly affec- 

 tions. The number of professed monks there, is 76, of lay brothers 

 28, and of singing boys 25 ; besides physician, surgeon, and servants. 

 Mr Thicknesse, who has published a very particular description of 

 this extraordinary mountain, was informed by one of the hermits, 

 that he often saw from his habitation the islands of Minorca, Majorca, 

 and Yvica, and the kingdoms of Valencia and Murcia. 



Filabres is another remarkable detached mountain, situate about 

 thr.ee leagues from Almeria, in the province of Granada. It consists 

 entirely of a single stone, or solid block, of white marble, a league in 

 circuit, and near 700 yards in perpendicular height. 



Forests. ...Spain contains many forests, partly in consequence of 

 the neglect of cultivation, and partly because they had b,een reserved 

 by the sovereign for the amusement of the chase. That called Pardo 

 is nearly thirty miles in length. 



Rivers, lakes... .The principal rivers of Spain are the Douro, for- 

 merly Durus, which falls into the Atlantic Ocean below Oporto in Por- 

 tugal ; the Tajo or Tagus, which falls into the Atlantic Ocean below 

 Lisbon ; the Gaudiana, which falls into the same ocean near Cape 

 Finisterre ; as does the Guadalquiver at St. Lucar ; and the Ebro, 

 the ancient Iberus, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea below 

 Tortosa. 



The river Tinto, the qualities of which are very extraordinary, rises 

 in Sierra Mornea, and empties itself into the Mediterranean near 

 Huleva. The name of Tinto has been given to it from the tinge of 

 its waters, which are as yellow as a topaz, hardening the sand, and 

 petrifying it in a most surprising manner. If a stone happen to fall 

 in, and rest upon another, they both become, in a year's time perfect- 

 ly united and conglutinated. This river withers all the plants on its 

 banks, as well as the roots of trees, which it dyes of the same hue as 

 its waters. No kind of verdure will grow where it reaches, nor any 

 fish live in its stream. It kills worms in cattle when given them to 

 drink; but in general no animals will drink out of this river, except- 

 ing goats, whose flesh nevertheless has an excellent flavour. These 

 singular properties continue till other rivulets run into it and alter 

 its nature ; for when it passes by Niebla, it is not different from other 

 rivers. It falls into the Mediterranean six leagues lower down. 



Several lakes in Spain, particularly that of Beneventa, abound with 

 fish, especially excellent trout. The water of a lake near Antiquera 

 is made into salt by the heat of the sun. 



The medical waters of Spain are little known ; but many salutife- 

 rous springs are found in Granada, Seville, and Cordova. Through- 

 out Spain the waters are found to have such healing qualities, that 

 they ire excelled by those of no country in Europe; and they are 

 continually more and more resorted to, especially at Alhamar, h\Gra- 

 nada. 



