rugged, pointed, and at their summits deftitute of foil, yet cultivated wherever a vine can be fixed. The rock under the broken fragments of schift is limestone and marble. The fruit trees are the algarroba, figs, almonds, vines, oranges, ́ and lemons, with the aloes, producing here the prickly pear in fuch abundance, that the tithe of them is let for thirty thousand reals, or three hundred pounds a year.

The chief dependance of this country is on the vines, Thefe are cultivated with much labour, and at a great expence; for befide the common pruning twice a year, and the collecting of the fruit, all the earth near each plant must be twice moved. Previous to the winter it is collected round the ftem, that the roots may be kept dry and healthy during the wet season; and before the great heats of fummer, it is formed into a difh to retain the water, that the vine may not droop for want of moif

ture.

When it is confidered that these vineyards are always on the declivity of hills, inclined towards the fcorching fun, it may be readily conceived that the labour is fevere;

7

fevere; and that the people, who with unremitted application perform this task, can never deferve the character of drones. The peasants of no country upon earth are more patient of heat, of hunger, and of thirst, or capable of greater exertions, than this very people, who have been accused of indolence. For my part, from what I have obferved, and have been able to collect, I am fatisfied, that if the Spaniards of the interior provinces are unemployed, it is to be attributed neither to the climate, nor to their conftitutions; but either to the neglects of government, or to other accidental causes already noticed and explained,

The expence attending the cultivation of a vineyard is fo confiderable, being equal to three-quarters of the produce, that none but the lands unfit for corn are converted to this use, and many which formerly yielded wine in great abundance are now neglected. According to the statement of Oforio, who wrote towards the close of the last century, three gallons of wine, the produce of twice that quantity of grapes, as it came from the prefs, cost one fhilling and two-pence for the labour, be

ing the very price at which it was fold in the villages, when the grape was plentiful. Notwithstanding the diminution in the quantity of land allotted to the vine, there are, in the district of Malaga, fourteen thoufand vine-preffes, chiefly employed in making the rich wines, which, if white, from the nature of the country, is called mountain; if red, from the colour, vino tinto, known to us by the name of tent.

For the purpose of making these wines fuller in the body, and fweeter than they would naturally be, the grapes are left to be very ripe, then being cut, they are exposed to the fun to evaporate their moifture; after which, they are preffed and put into veffels, with a due proportion of infpiffated vinous fyrop. Some late experiments of M. John Murphy, prove that the mountains of Malaga can produce a light and pleasant white wine, equal in quality to the best sherry. To obtain this, when he has gathered his fruit, he combs off the grapes from the ftem, before he commits them to the prefs. I have tafted the produce both in England, and at his table, and think it already superior to the sherry, commonly to

be

1

be met with, and have no doubt that he will improve it every year, till he has brought it to be equal to the best.

This wine he fells for fixteen pounds the butt, of one hundred and thirty-five gallons, delivered on board the ship; whereas fherry fells for twenty-four, and is frequently spoiled with brandy.

Good mountain is fold from thirteen to fixteen pounds the butt, according to quality and age.

It is reckoned, that from eight hundred to a thousand veffels enter this port every year, of which about one-tenth are Spanish; and the exports in wine, fruit, oil, and fish, are computed at about three hundred and feventy-five thousand pounds per annum; but there have been times when it has been confiderably more. M. Martinis alone one year exported five thousand butts of wine, and other merchants in the fame proportion to their ufual fales. Their fifh are anchovies, of which, in years of great abundance, they have fold ten thousand baricas of two quintals each.

In my

little excurfions round the city, I vifited the Victoria, a convent built in the

valley

valley between the old Moorish fortress, and the hill on which Ferdinand erected his battery. My guide, a good old monk, endeavoured to amufe me with a legendary tale respecting this fpot, and the reason of its having been thus honoured; but my attention was otherwise engaged, for I was taking notice of some people bufily employed in pulling up oats from a fine crop of wheat. From their mode of winnowing their grain, after the mares have trodden it with their feet, their feed corn must

be

very foul; whereas, with the fimple machine I have referred to, the drum and principle of which was first described by Papin, they might fave the expence of pulling up the oats, and keep their land much cleaner than at present.

How wonderful is it, that this beautiful machine is not better known, and that it should not yet have been univerfally adopted. Dr. Papin invented it in 1689, merely for the purposes of raising water, and of fupplying deep mines with air; but, in Holland, it was adapted to the use of husbandmen, for winnowing their corn. This great philofopher published his discovery to the

world