country is wheat, barley, saffron, honey, silk, saltpetre, hemp, barrilles, and sugar canes, with the richest and most delicious fruits. Its wines are in high esteem. Wolves are the chief beasts of prey, that infest Spain. The wild bulls have so much ferocity, that bull feats were the most magnificent spectacle the court of Spain could exhibit. The domestic animals are horses that are remarkably swift, mules, black cattle, and sheep, the wool of which is superior to any in Europe.

Minerals. Spain abounds in minerals and metals. Cornelian, agate, jacinth, loadstone, turcois stones, quicksil ver, copper, lead, sulphur, alum, calamine, crystal, marbles of several kinds, porphyry, the finest jasper, and even diamonds, emeralds, and amethysts, are found here. Anciently it was celebrated for gold and silver mines; but since the discovery of America, no attention has been paid to them.

Commerce and Manufactures. Spain has but little com merce and few manufactures. Gold and silver are the chief articles both of export and import. A silk manufacture at Valencia gives employment to 20,000 persons. The other manufactures of Spain are linen, wool, soap, glass, copper, and hard ware.

Population. The population of this kingdom is computed at 10,396,000 in Europe, and 10,816,000 in her colonies.

Manners and Customs. The persons of the Spaniards are generally tall, especially the Castilians; their hair and complexion swarthy, but their countenances very expressive. The inferior orders, even in the greatest cities, are miserably lodged, and those lodgings wretchedly furnished. Many of the poorer sort, both men and women, wear neither shoes nor stockings; and coarse bread, steeped in oil, and occasionally seasoned with vinegar, is the common food of the country people through several provinces.

Literature. The literature of Spain is respectable, though little known in other countries, since the decline of the Spanish power. Concerning their means of common education, little is known; but it is chiefly in the hands of the monks. They have upwards of 20 universi ties; the most noted is at Salamanca,

Religion. The established religion is popery; here the Inquisition, for a short time suppressed, still exists. There are eight archbishoprics, forty-four episcopal sees, and twenty four universities.

Government. Spain is an absolute monarchy.

Cities. MADRID, the capital of Spain, is on the river Manzanares, which, though small, is adorned with two magnificent bridges. The city contains 15 gates, 18 parishes, 35 convents of monks, and 31 of nuns, 39 colleges, hospitals, and houses of charity; one for all nations, in which are from 500 to 1000 patients; 14,100 dwelling houses, and about 156,672 inhabitants.

CADIZ, the great emporium of Spanish commerce, stands on an island, which communicates with the continent by a bridge. It contains 13,500 houses, and 57,387 inhabitants. BARCELONA has 111,410. SEVILLE was the largest city, except Madrid, but is greatly decayed. Carthagena, Bilboa, Malaga, and Alicant, are populous and commercial cities. Granada and Toledo are celebrated in Spanish history.

History. The first inhabitants of Spain were the Celta, a people of Gaul; after them, the Phoenicians possessed themselves of the most southern parts of the country, and may well be supposed to have been the first civilizers of this kingdom, and the founders of the most ancient cities. After these, followed the Grecians; then the Carthageni. ans, on whose departure, sixteen years before Christ, it became subject to the Romans, till the year of our Lord 400, when the Goths, Vandals, Suevi, Alans, and Sillingi, on Constantine's withdrawing his forces from that kingdom to the east, invaded it and divided it among them. selves; but the Goths in a little time were sole masters of it, under their king Alarick I. who founded the Spanish monarchy. In 1808, Spain was invaded by the emperor of France, who seized the throne, and placed his brother Joseph upon it. Spain is still (1813) struggling for her existence as an independent nation.

PORTUGAL.

Situation, Extent, Boundaries. PORTUGAL is the most westerly country of Europe, lying between 37 and 42° north lat. and between 65 and 68° east lon.; 360 miles long, 150 broad. Bounded west and south by the Atlantic, east and north by Spain.

Divisions and Population. It is divided into six prov. inces, Estramadura, Beira, Entre-Minho-Douero, Tra-losMontes, Alentejo, and Algarva. The whole kingdom contains 19 civdads, or cities, 527 villas, or smaller towns, 3344 parishes, and, according to Ebeling, 3,558,712 souls.

Rivers, Lakes, and Springs. The chief Portuguese rivers are mentioned in Spain, all of them falling into the Atlantic ocean. The principal are the Tagus, Douero, Minho, and Guadiana. The Tagus was celebrated for its golden sand. It overflows its banks as regularly as the Nile. The Guadiana, eight leagues from its source, disappears, and runs seven leagues under ground. It is 150 leagues in length.

Portugal contains several roaring lakes and springs; some of them are absorbent even of the lightest substances, such as wood, cork, and feathers; some are medical and sanative; and some hot baths are found. The mineral waters of Caldos da Rainha and Chaves are very much esteemed. Beside these, there are several springs which may be ranked among the natural curiosities of Portugal.

Climate, General Appearance. The vicinity of the sea renders the climate milder than in Spain. The general configuration of this kingdom is mountainous; but excepting the Estella, which may be seven or eight thousand feet above the level of the sea, the mountains owe their apparent height to the level of the country round them; and the wildness of their aspect may be attributed to their needle-like asperities.

Soil and Productions. The agriculture of Portugal is not generally bad: but the skill employed in it is small. Except round Lisbon, the country produces sufficient corn

for its inhabitants; the vallies of Entre-Minho-e-Douero are extremely well cultivated; Tra-los-Montes is covered with fields of corn to the very summits of the mountains; wheat, maize and pulse are produced in considerable quantities.

Manufactures and Commerce. The salt marshes of Por tugal furnish great plenty of salt. Much salt is made also from the sea water, especially in the bay of St. Ubes, whence much is exported. The foreign trade consists of the produce of the country, or in the merchandise, which is received from its foreign settlements such as sugar, tobacco, rum, cotton, indigo, hides, Brazil and other woods for dying, and many excellent drugs. The manufacture of gun flints is one of the least remarkable, yet of the greatest importance to this kingdom.

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Manners and Customs. The modern Portuguese retain little of that adventurous, enterprising spirit, which rendered their forefathers, the Lusitanians, so illustrious about 300 years ago. The peasantry though degraded and oppressed, are inoffensive and industrious. In diet, the Portuguese are temperate, and the beauty of the climate induces them to spend most of their time abroad; the house being little more than a conveniency for sleeping. The furniture of the houses of the grandees is rich and superb to excess; and they maintain an incredible number of domestics.

Universities and Academies. These are Coimbra, founded in 1291 by king Dennis; Evora, founded in 1553; and the college of nobles at Lisbon, where the young nobility are educated in every branch of polite learning, and the sciences The royal academy of Portugal was instituted in 1720, by John V. Here is also a military and marine academy, where young gentlemen are educated in the sciences of engineering and naval tactics. A geographical academy has lately been established.

Religion. The Roman Catholic is the established religion, to the exclusion of all others. There are two tribunals of inquisition.

Cities. LISBON, the capital of Portugal, is one of the most regular built cities in Europe; and is deservedly ac counted the greatest port in Europe, next to London and Amsterdam. The houses are lofty, clegant, and uniform;

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and being built of white stone, make a beautiful appearThe population is estimated at 350,000, and 44,000 houses. The second city in this kingdom is OPORTO, which is computed to contain 40,000 inhabitants. The chief article of commerce in this city is wine ; and the inhabitants of half the shops are coopers. Braga is a considerable town. In the city of Coimbra is an ancient university. Travira has 4770 inhabitants.

Curiosities. The lakes and fountains which have been already mentioned form the chief of these. The remains of some castles in the Moorish taste are still standing. The Roman bridge and aqueduct at Coimbra are almost entire, and deservedly admired. The walls of Santareen are said to be of Roman work likewise. The church and monastery near Lisbon, where the kings of Portugal are buried, are inexpressibly magnificent, and several monasteries in Portugal are dug out of the hard rock. The chapel of St. Roch is probably one of the finest and richest in the world; the paintings are Mosaic work, so curiously wrought, with stones of all colours, as to astonish the beholders.

History. Portugal was anciently called Lusitania, and inhabited by tribes of wandering people, till it became subject to the Carthagenians and Phenicians, who were dispossessed by the Romans 250 years before Christ. In the fifth century it fell under the yoke of the Suevi and Vandals, who were driven out by the Goths of Spain, in the year 589; but when the Moors of Africa made themselves masters of the greatest part of Spain in the begin ning of the eighth century, they penetrated into Lusitania, where they established governors, who made themselves kings. It became 'subject to Spain in 1580; but in 1640, the people rebelled, shook off the Spanish yoke, and elected for their king the duke of Braganza, who took the name of John IV. in whose family it has ever since remained, independent of Spain. The Prince regent and royal family of Portugal emigrated to Brazil in 1807 Lisbon was taken by Bonaparte, and nearly the whole kingdom overrun by French troops, and since retaken by the British, and in 1814 the royal family returned from Brazil, under the auspices of Great Britain.

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