vital air: for, as Dr. Priestley has remarked, in the Philofophical Tranfactions of the 27th of November 1788, "When either inflam"mable or dephlogisticated air is extract"ed from any fubftance in contact with "the other kind of air, fo that the one is "made to unite with the other in what

may be called its nafcent ftate; the re"fult will be fixed air; but, if both of "them be completely formed before their "union, the refult will be nitrous air.”

Thus, in the various facts and obfervations above related, we may fee the intimate relation and connection between inflammable, fixed or mephitic, and nitrous

air;

that the two latter refult from the combination of the former with vital air in

given quantities; whilst, with a greater proportion of vital air, we obtain nitrous acid; and that, of thefe its conftituent principles, in warm climates, animal substances are, by their putrefaction, conftantly producing one, whilft vegetables, by day, are as conftantly pouring forth the other.

In the neighbourhood of Granada are feme confiderable plantations of the fugar

cane,

cane, which, as I am informed, yielded profit during the war; but are now attended with a lofs. Political writers have lamented the loss sustained by Spain in the neglect of this once-flourishing branch of agriculture; as if fome fertilizing ftream had been cut off, or diverted from its accustomed channel. They would have their country produce every thing it wants, and become thereby both richer and more independent. But in this they forget the benefits of commerce, and the advantages derived by it from the exchange of furplus commodities, when every nation cultivates and produces that for which the local fituation, the foil, the climate, and the genius of the people, are most adapted. Thus, in the neighbourhood of Granada, the land allotted to the fugar-cane would produce good corn; and the fair queftion is, Since they cannot have them both, which will be moft profitable?

I took notice, in my excurfions round the city, that all the corn-mills have horizontal water-wheels. These are fuited to the country, and on the whole are beft for them.

The

The nature of fociety I found nearly the fame as in other inland fituations, where the manners of the inhabitants derive no tincture from intercourse with strangers. The morning is employed, either in bufinefs, by those who have any thing to do, or, after mass, in vifits to the ladies. They dine early, and eat after the Spanish fashion, with the fopa, the olla, and various kinds of meat stewed in their little pitchers, excepting at the prefident's and archbishop's, where the French cookery prevails. After dinner they go to the fiefta: in the evening to the pafeo. When the day clofes, they afsemble at the tertulia, or evening assembly, to which they have access, and here they commonly amuse themselves with fome round game at cards.

As for morals, they are much like the reft of Spain: the monks are exceeding corrupt, and the women have no want of lovers to admire their charms. Yet in juftice to them I muft obferve, that, according to the information of Father Porrò, a famous confeffor, there are numbers who are uncorrupted by the manners of the age, and who excel, not merely in the form but

in

in the power of their religion. Thefe, faid he, are not acceffible to ftrangers. Silent and retired, they are scarcely either seen or heard; and therefore, added he, a ftranger paffing through the country is in danger of being deceived in the judgment which he forms, if he too haftily draws general conclufions.

Before I left the city, I enquired, as ufual, into the value of provifions.

Beef fells for nineteen quartos, that is fomething under five pence a pound of fix

teen ounces.

Mutton twenty-three quartos, or nearly fix pence halfpenny, in the city; but in the adjacent villages at twelve quartos, or three pence three-eighths.

Bread four quartos and a half, or five farthings and a fraction.

Oil fifteen quartos.

Wine eight quartos the quartillo.

pence

Labourers have four reals, or nine halfpenny nearly, per day. Artifans twice

as much.

When I was about to leave Granada, my good friend Don Antonio de Gardoqui, the inquifitor, fent me a ham, fome chocolate,

and

and fix bottles of old wine, as my stock of provifions for the journey.

The diftance from Granada to Carthagena is computed to be fifty leagues; and for a good mule to carry me I agreed to give two hundred reals, or forty fhillings nearly, being at the rate of five fhillings a day; not allowing for the return, because the mule belonged to the corfarios, or public carriers.

Thursday, 26th April, we left Granada. Near the city the hills are cultivated and covered with vines; but, as we advance, the country becomes more wild and broken, with high and rugged rocks laid bare and deftitute of foil. The intermediate plains are abandoned to the Efparto rush, or stipa tenaciffima of Linnæus, the quercus coccifera, the juniper, and a few miferable ilex.

The rock is chiefly fchiftous, often covered with limeftone; and the furface is scattered with white quartz, which seems to have been formed in the fchift, where appears in confiderable veins.

it

On these high mountains we faw many monumental croffes: but not one is recent,

becaufe,