smugglers; the excessive duty on the import of foreign manufactures amounting to a prohibition of them. Manchester goods are introduced in great quantities into Spain through Gibraltar.

PROVINCES.

The provinces on the Bay of Biscay are, Galicia, Asturias, Santander, and Biscay. On the French frontier, Navarre, Aragon, and Catalonia. On the Mediterranean, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia. On the frontiers of Portugal, Estremadura and Leon. The inland provinces are New and Old Castile.

TOWNS.

Madrid, is situated on the r. Manzanares, in the midst of a sterile plain; it is the capital of the kingdom, but is without manufactures or commerce. Pop. 210,000.

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, on the Mediterranean, of great commercial importance during the middle ages. It has considerable manufactures, the chief is silk. Pop. 140,000.

Seville, a city of very remote antiquity, and once the capital of Spain; its cathedral is celebrated: its trade has declined, but is still extensive. Pop. 91,000.

Granada; the stronghold of the Moors when in Spain, who have left behind them many relics of their magnificence.

Valencia, on the r. Guadalaviar, the capital of the province; papermaking and printing early introduced, and still carried on: silk manufactures: the province supplies most of Spain with rice. Cadiz, the principal commercial city and sea-port of Spain; it is strongly fortified one of the principal stations of the Spanish navy: its trade has been much diminished by the loss of the American colonies. Saragossa, r. Ebro; capital of Aragon: celebrated for its two sieges in 1808 and 1809.

Malaga, Granada, on the Mediterranean; its almonds are most esteemed in the English market: also exports sweet wines, raisins, oil, &c. Carthagena, built by Asdrubal; the best harbour on the Mediterranean. Cordova, Andalusia, r. Guadalquiver; an ancient city: the birth-place

of the Senecas and Lucan. Once famous for leather, called from the place, cordovan, and the workers of it cordwainers. Gibraltar, on a rocky peninsula about 1,400 feet above the level of the sea it was taken by the British in 1704, and it resisted from 1779 to 1783 the combined efforts of the French and Spanish fleets. Toledo, New Castile, r. Tagus; the ecclesiastical metropolis of the country; it was once famous for its sword-blades.

Salamanca, a city of Leon; the chief seat of Spanish literature: the French defeated here in 1812.

Ferrol', on the Bay of Corunna; an important naval station.

St. Sebastian; the only port of consequence on the northern coast; one of the keys of Spain: taken by assault by the British in 1813. Corunna, a sea-port in Gallicia, with considerable trade; here Sir John Moore defeated the French in 1809, and fell.

COLONIES.

The colonies of Spain were once thirty times as extensive as the parent state; Mexico and a great part of South America belonged to it. All that it now retains are the isles of Cuba and Porto Rico, in the West Indies; the Canary isles, off the coast of Africa; and the Philippine and Ladrone islands, in the Indian Archipelago.

POPULATION.

Rather more than twelve millions, which does not equal that of England and Wales.

The root of the Spanish language is Latin, intermingled with Gothic and Moorish phrases. It contains more Latin words than the Italian itself. This is an indication of the extent to which the Romans, and afterwards the Goths and Moors, overran the country and intermingled with the Celts, who were the early inhabitants of the peninsula. From these tribes the present race of Spaniards springs.

CHARACTER, MANNERS, ETC.

The Spaniards are remarkable for gravity of deportment and taciturnity, but are fond of gaiety and amusements; they are proud, indolent, and bigoted; their passions are warm, yet they are generous, and capable of sincere attachment. They are very averse to the pursuits of agriculture and commerce. Superstition and intolerance have done much to debase a character which contains the germ of many excellencies.

The arts and literature once flourished in Spain, but they do so no longer. Spain is almost destitute of roads, which is not less unfavourable to civilization than it is to commerce.

GOVERNMENT.

The constitution of Spain is a limited monarchy, it is at present in a very unsettled state

The clergy have

great influence, and are not amenable to the civil tribunal. Isabella II. now holds the sceptre.

The Roman Catholic religion is universally professed. The inquisition, which used to reign here in all its terrors, was abolished in 1820.

ANIMALS.

The Merino sheep are well known; the Spanish horses are esteemed for their spirit and the elegance of their form. The asses and mules are much superior to those of other European countries, and are chiefly used in travelling in the mountain districts. Bears, lynxes, and wolves are met with on the skirts of the Pyrenees.

ANCIENT NAME.

Spain was known in ancient times by the names Hispania, Iberia, and Hesperia Ultima.

It was called Iberia from the river Iberus; and Hesperia from its extreme western situation; the epithet ultima was added to distinguish it from Italy, which the Greeks named Hesperia, on account of its western situation with respect to them.

PORTUGAL.

BOUNDARIES, EXTENT, CAPES, ETC.

It is bounded N. and E. by Spain.-S. and W. by the Atlantic. It lies between 37° and 42o N. lat., and 61o and 910 W. long. Its length is 360 miles, its greatest breadth 140, and it contains 40,000 square miles.

The principal capes are Mondego, Roca, and St. VinThe natural geography of Portugal is similar to that of Spain.

cent.

COMMERCE AND COLONIES.

Manufactures and agriculture are much neglected in Portugal; its commerce too is languid. Its principal article of export is port wine; Oporto is the seat of this trade, which is in the hands of British merchants.

Portugal took a distinguished part in the maritime enterprises of the 15th and 16th centuries, and the acquisition of numerous valuable colonies rewarded her exertions. The chief of these, Brazil, has declared its independence; Portugal still retains Madeira, the Azore, and Cape Verd islands; with settlements in Guinea, Angola, and Mozambique, in Africa; Goa in India, and Macao, in China.

PROVINCES.

Portugal is divided into six provinces ;-Entre Douro e Minho, Tras os Montes, Beira, Estremadura, Alentejo, and Algarve.

TOWNS.

Lisbon, on the Tagus, the capital of the kingdom; has an excellent harbour: its commerce is comparatively considerable. By the earthquake in 1755 the city was nearly destroyed, and 30,000 inhabitants were killed. Pop. 260,000.

Oporto, r. Douro; the second city in the kingdom. Pop. 70,000. Coimbra, the ancient capital of the kingdom; an university.

Braga, one of the chief towns of the interior; see of an archbishop. Setubal, or St. Ubes, a sea-port on a bay south of the Tagus; exports salt largely to Sweden and other countries.

POPULATION, GOVERNMENT, AND RELIGION.

The population is about 3,500,000.

The peasantry are, for the most part, in a state of vassalage. The influence of the clergy is great, though here, as in Spain, infidelity has to a large extent taken the place of superstition. Ecclesiastics, monasteries and nunneries superabound; a large portion of the best land is church property. The inquisition has succeeded, as in Spain, in repressing the profession of Protestantism. The government is monarchical; Maria II. is queen.

ANCIENT NAME.

The Roman province of Lusitania nearly corresponds to the present kingdom of Portugal.

ITALY IN GENERAL.

BOUNDARIES.

N. by the Alps which separate it from Switzerland and

Austria.-E. by the Gulf of Venice.-S. by the Mediterranean.- -W. by France and the Mediterranean.

COAST AND ISLANDS.

The peculiar shape of Italy gives it a great extent of sea-coast. The most remarkable gulfs are, the Gulf of Trieste at the northern extremity of the Adriatic, the Gulf of Manfredonia on the east, Taranto on the south, and Salerno, Naples, and Gen'oa on the west.

The capes are Gargano, Leuca, and Spartivento.

The islands of Sicily and Sardinia belong to the Italian states; Corsica, which is separated from Sardinia by the Strait of Bonifacio, belongs to France. To the north of Sicily lie the Lipari isles, the largest of which are Lipari, Vulcano, and Stromboli; they are all of volcanic origin. Malta, a place of great strength, is to the south of Sicily; it is in the possession of the English. The isle of Elba, between Corsica and the main land, belongs to Tuscany.

MOUNTAINS, LAKES, AND RIVERS.

The surface of Italy is extremely diversified with hills and valleys, rivers, lakes, and mountains. On the north are the Alps; and the Apennines run through nearly the whole extent from north-west to south-east.

Many of the lakes are peculiarly beautiful: the largest are Lago Maggiore, Como, and Garda, in the north; and Bolsena and Fucino in the middle.

The largest rivers are the Po, Adige, Tiber, and Arno. The Po, the Padus and Eridanus of antiquity, occupies an extensive basin formed by the Alps and the Apennines. It has its origin in several streams which descend from the western Alps; the one which takes the name, though not the largest, falls from Mount Viso. It passes by Turin, Cremona, Piacenza, and runs, by several mouths, into the Gulf of Venice. It is 300 miles long, and is navigable to within 50 miles of its source.

The Adige descends, with many other streams, from the northern part of the Alpine range; it passes Trent and Verona, when turning more rapidly to the east than its companions, which fall into the Po, it maintains an independent course, and runs into the Gulf of Venice. Owing to the deposition of mud (debris) brought down by the