628 



SPAIN. 



Saragossa, the capital of Arragon, stands upon both sides of the Ebro, over which there is 

 a superb stone bridge of 7 arches. Before the memorable siege of 1803, its churches were re- 

 markable for their magnificence and wealth, but, with the other public buildings, they suffered 

 much injury at that time. The church of Our Lady of the Pillar is remarkable for its splen- 

 dor, and for its miraculous image of the Virgin Mary, which attracts numerous pilgrims from 

 all parts of the countrj^. The university of Saragossa is one of the principal in Spain. Pop- 

 ulation, 43,000. 



Santiago, or St. Jago de Composlella, the principal city of Galicia, has extensive manufac- 

 tures of silk and cotton, and contains one of the principal Spanish universities. Its cathedral, 

 consecrated to St. James, (in Spanish, Jago,) the patron saint of Spain, is supposed to contam 

 his remains, and is visited by great numbers of pilgrims. Population, 28,000. 



Corunna, the capital of Galicia, is a flourishing and strongly fortified town, with extensive 

 trade and manufactures. Population, 23,000. The harbor is spacious and safe, and is es- 

 teemed one of the best in Spain. Here are an arsenal and an ancient tower of great height 

 and solidity, by some attributed to the Phoenicians, by others to the Romans. 



Valladolid, capital of Old Castile, and the scene of many interesting events in Spanish his- 

 tory, is now much declined from its former splendor, and contains but 21,000 inhabitants. Its 

 university is the second in Spain, and there are here 8 colleges and 46 convents. The royal 

 castle, in which several of the Spanish kings were born, and the cathedral, are the most re- 

 markable edifices. 



The other principal places in Old Castile are Santander, a flourishing commercial town, on 

 the northern coast, with 20,000 inhabitants ; Burgos, with 12,000 inhabitants, containing a 

 great number of churches and convents ; Segovia, a very old town, with numerous Roman and 

 Moorish remains, 1.3,000 inhabitants ; and Salamanca, formerly the seat of one of the most 

 celebrated universities of Europe, which has now lost its ancient importance. 



Bilboa, the capital of Biscay, and one of the principal commercial towns of Spain, has 

 15,000 inhabitants. 



Oviedo, capital of the Asturias, and Badajoz, capital of Estremadura, have each a popula- 

 tion of 10,000. 



Pampelona, a strongly fortified place, with 15,000 inhabitants, is the capital of Navarre. 



Palma, on Majorca, is the capital of the Balearic isles, and has an extensive commerce. 

 Population, 34,000. Port Mahon, on the eastern coast of Minorca, has one of the safest and 

 most convenient harbors in the Mediterranean. It is strongly fortified, and contains a naval 

 hospital, an arsenal, and one of the finest lazarettos in Europe. 



Gibraltar is an important fortress, situated on a rocky promontory, at the entrance of the 

 straits of the same name, and rendered impregnable by nature and art. The promontory is 

 7 miles in length, and nowhere half a mile in width, and the rocky wall rises precipitously to 

 the height of above 1,400 feet. Every point bristles with batteries, which communicate with 

 each other by covered ways hewn out of the solid rock. The town of Gibraltar stands at the 

 foot of the promontory, upon a spacious bay, which forms a convenient naval station. Its 

 commerce is extensive ; population, 15,000 ; English, Moors, Jews, Italians, and Spaniards. 

 This fortress was taken by the British in 1704, and has ever since remained in their pos- 

 session. 



4. Jlgriculture . The greater part of the land in Spain, belongs to the nobihty, the church, 

 the towns, or corporate bodies. The state of agriculture is wretched, and the implements of 

 husbandry are very rude ; hardly two-thirds of the productive soil is under cultivation. Hemp 

 and corn are raised in almost all the provinces ; olives and the sugar-cane are cultivated in the 

 southern parts, and in this quarter may be seen large fields of saffron, rice, and cotton. Every 

 part of the country yields wine. The rearing of sheep is an important branch of industry, 

 and the wool is distinguished for its fineness. The Merinos, or fine-wooled sheep, pass the 

 summer in the mountainous districts of Castile and Arragon, and the winter in the plains of 

 Andalusia and Estremadura. They are driven this distance of nearly 700 miles, in 40 days, 

 in flocks of 10,000. The Mesta, or society composed of the owners of the sheep, has the 

 right to drive them over the land which lies on the route, and to feed them on the pastures ; 

 where the land is cultivated, the proprietor is obliged to leave a space 250 feet in breadth for 

 their passage. The whole number of sheep in Spain is about 18 millions, more than half of 

 which migrate annually. 



5. Commerce. The foreign commerce of Spain is not extensive ; wine, oil, fruits, wool, 



