158 
A TOUR THROUGH SPAIN. 
July, 1890. 
quantities. Lucerne is cut fifteen times in the year. Valencia 
is a great centre of the saffron culture. Hyoscyamus albus 
grew on one of the five bridges over the river. 
The journey from Valencia to Cordova took a considerable 
time, but the rail side was enlivened with great quantities of 
Boraginaceous plants, such as Borago, Nonnea, Anchusas, 
Echiums, and Echinospermums. The fields were pink with 
Erodiums, and on the ballast grew vast quantities of the 
Adonis. Cordova is a most interesting city, although sadly 
changed since its glory during the Moorish occupation, when 
it had 600 mosques, 200,000 houses, and stretched twelve 
miles. It was then the successful rival of Damascus and 
Bagdad. The Mosque is still very magnificent with its 1,000 
pillars of marble, its fine old tower and splendid silver lamp. 
In the court are orange trees three hundred years old, which, 
with the feathery palms and dark cypresses, give the place an 
Oriental appearance. On the Homan bridge, crossing the 
Guadalquiver, grew Chrysanthemum coronarium , and by the 
river among the corn grew Muscari comosum, Anagallis ccerulea. 
Hernaria hirsuta, and Campanula Speculum. Cerinthe major 
occurred bv the roadside. Here in March one revelled in 
«/ 
summer heat and sunshine. The lilac was rather over flower 
and the oranges a magnificent sight. Sweet lemons were 
brought on for dessert. The Patio of the hotel had splendid 
Heliotropes. 
A long journey through interesting country, during which 
hoopoes, red-legged partridges, etc., were noticed, led to 
Seville, at which a most enjoyable time was spent in visiting 
the splendid and spacious Cathedral, 400 feet long and 268 
feet broad; with its vast organ of 5,000 pipes, and its 
wonderful Moorish tower (the Giralda tower), 350 feet high, 
round which wheeled in continuous and beautiful flight the 
Falco hirunduloides. The Museo, with its splendid pictures by 
Murillo, was visited again and again, as was the Cathedral, 
where everything is on a gigantic scale. The Paschal candle¬ 
stick is twenty-five feet high; the candle contains 2,500 
pounds of wax ; 18,000 litres of wine are annually used for 
sacramental purposes. It contains the tomb of the father of 
Columbus, and two splendid examples of Murillo, “ The 
Guardian Angel” and “ The Vision of San Augustin.” 
The palace of the Alcazar is very beautiful. In the court 
were bananas in the open air, with nearly ripe fruit. Many 
varieties of oranges are cultivated in the gardens, which also 
boast two magnificent Magnolias. 
Pilate’s house, the cigar factory, with its 4,000 women 
working under one roof; the pleasant drives through Los 
Delicios, and the bull fight, were other objects seen. 
