
being totally diftimft, and without any connexion with
any Spanifh dialed; thofe who underhand it, affure
us it is veryfoft and harmonious, as well as energetic (a).
A general neatnefs prevails every where in the town
o f Bilbao. The ihambles is a Tufcan building, in the
centre o f the town, with an open court and a fountain
in the middle ; nothing can be more cleanly or better
contrived, free from all bad fcents, or any thing difguft-
ing as it is copiouily fupplied with water to carry away
every thing offeniive. The meat is delivered fo freih
and clean, as not to require being waihed, as praciifed
in other parts of Spain, which deprives it of its fubftance
and flavour ; the veal is white, and delicate, and the
poultry excellent: the woods afford plenty of birds, be-
(a) In the mountains of Bifçay and. Navarre, the Spaniflilangiiage, or romance, is neiihec-
Ipoken or underffooeL
• See the following books.
De la antigua lengua, poblàcioaes, y Commas de fas Efpaoas enrqùe d'e pafo fe tocan al~
gunas cofas de fa Cantabria por Andres de Poza — Bilbao, 1-587, 4tov
El impolible vencido r Arte de la le-ngua bafconcada por manuel de Eapramendi.. Sala,-
manca, 1729* . ,
Diccionario Trilingue del Caftillano, Bafcuenfe y Latin por manuel de Larramendi, 1745,^
From whence it is evident that the Bafcuenfe is totally different from, the Spaniih, which is
the common language o f thé two Caftiles, Leon, Efrrëmadura, Andalulia, Aragon, Navarre,
Rioxa, and the mountains of Burgos ; and is generally under flood in Afturias, Galicia, Var-
lencia, and Catalonia, though not the language of thofe provinces,, where they have a dialed
varying mofc or lefs from the Spaniih, in proportion 10 their iituation and proximity to neighbouring
kingdoms.
fides
fides five forts of birds o f paffage, called Chimbos, which
fatten foon after their arrival, and are greatly efteemed.
Amongft the different forts o f filh common at Bilbao,
there are two peculiar to that river, which the inhabitants
are remarkably fond o f; thefe ar6 a peculiar fort
o f eels in winter, arid the cuttle fifh in fumriier; the eels
are finall like the quill o f a pigeon, o f a pale colour,
about three inches long, and without a back
bone, which they catch at low tides in prodigious quantities.
In a word, every thing is in plenty at Bilbao,
for befides a well fupplied market, thei^ gardens a-
bound in pulfe, and fruit o f all kinds ; fo that one
can live no where better than here, when we take into
the account, the hofpitable difpofition of the inhabitants,
which foon falls off, if you flight their cordiality, or attribute
it to motives of adulation or ifitereft. Such is
the happy life o f the inhabitants of Bilbao, free from the
luxuries as well as the ambitious paffions, which agitate
the minds of their neighbours, they pafs their lives
in tranquility, governed by wholefome laws ; amongft
which they are faid, even to have one againft ingratitude,
with a punifhment affixed to it.
Z L E T T E R