SPAIN. 521 



Canals. ...Several canals have, of late years, been begun in Spain, 

 but most of them are stili in an unfinished state. That of Arragon 

 is intended to form a communication, through the Ebro, from the 

 Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean. The canal of Castile is to be- 

 gin at Segovia, about 40 miles to the north of Madrid, and extend to 

 the Bay of Biscay. Other canals have been projected from the Es- 

 curial, and from the capital, to the Tagus ; the former, it is said, is 

 completed. 



Metals and minerals... Spain abounds in both, and in as great va- 

 riety, and of the same kinds, as the other countries of Europe. Cor- 

 nelian, agate, loadstones, hyacinths, turqubis stones, quicksilver, cop- 

 per, lead, sulphur, alum, calamine, crystal, marbles of several kinds, 

 porphyry, the finest jasper, and even diamonds, emeralds, and ame- 

 thysts, are found here. At Almaden in La Mancha is a mine of quick- 

 silver, the most ancient known in the world, which produces annually 

 250 tons of that mineral, and has produced 900. Near Cardona in 

 Catalonia is a mountain of fossil salt, a league in circuit, nearly 500 

 feet high, and extending downwards to an unknown depth. The Spanish 

 iron, next to that of Damascus, furnishes the best arms in the world, 

 and, in former times, brought in a vast revenue to the crown; the art 

 of working it being here brought to great perfection. Spanish gun-, 

 barrels, and swords of Toledo, are still highly valued. Among the 

 ancients, Spain was celebrated for gold and silver mines ; and silver 

 was in such plenty, that Strabo, who was contemporary with Augus- 

 tus Caesar, informs us, that when the Carthaginians took possession 

 of Spain, their domestic and agricultural utensils were of that metal. 

 These mines have now disappeared ; but whether by their being ex- 

 hausted, or through the indolence of the inhabitants in not working 

 them, we cannot say ; though the latter cause seems to be the most 

 probable. 



Climate, soil, produce. ..Except during the equinoctial rains, the 

 air of Spain is dry and serene, but excessively hot in the southern 

 provinces in June, July, and August. The vast mountains that run 

 through the country, are, however, very beneficial to the inhabitants, 

 by the refreshing breezes that come from them in the southernmost 

 parts ; though those towards the north and north-east are in the win- 

 ter very cold. 



Such is the moisture of the hills, bounded on the north by the Bay 

 of Biscay, and to the south by snowy mountains, that the utmost care 

 is not sufficient to preserve their fruits, their grain, their instruments 

 of iron, from mould, from rot, and from rust. Both the acetous and 

 the putrid fermentation here make a rapid progress. Besides the re- 

 laxing humidity of the climate, the common food of the inhabitants 

 contributes much to the prevalence of most diseases which infect the 

 principality of Austuria. Yet, although subject to such a variety of 

 endemical diseases, few countries can produce more instances of lon- 

 gevity; many live to the age of a hundred, some to a hundred and ten, 

 and others much longer. The same observation may be extended to 

 Gallicia, where, in the parish of St. Juan de Poyo, A. D 1724, the 

 curate administered the sacrament to thirteen persons whose ages 

 together made one thousand four hundred and ninety-nine, the young- 

 est of these being one hundred and ten, and the oldest one hundred 

 and twenty-seven. But in Villa de Fofinanes, one Juan de Outeyro, 

 a poor labourer, died in the year 1726, aged more than one hundred 

 and forty six years. 



Vol. I. 3 X 



