worthy of notice, as having been the native place of the
illuftrious Hernan Cortez, the great conqueror of the
Mexican Empire. The lintel of the door, is of granite,
fimilar to that of the Efcurial, afmall cage indeed, for Jo eon-
fiderabk a bird! faid a biihop o f Badajoz, on viewing this
building.
From Villanueva I came, in four hours, to the village
of San Pedro, crolfing part of a fandy plain, but except
what is cultivated, by the inhabitants o f Don Benito,
all the reft is negleded, and only ferves for pafture,
the water being at a greater diftance. This diftrid is
called Torre Campos, and extends four fquare leagues,
to the village o f San Pedro, amidft hills, covered with
oak, gum ciftus, lavender, and white afparagus from
hence it is three hours journey to the city o f Merida,
defcending, after the firft league, into a well cultivated
country, traverfed by feveral brooks;, that empty
themfelves into the Guadiana, whofe beds are dry in the
fummer, as well as this great river itfelf, in many places;,
for, as it meanders fo much in the plains, the fands foak
up its water, which, by degrees, eats away the bills, converting
the granite, fandftone, and rock, into fand ; fo
that the coarfe fand, the fine, and the pebble, are feen,
decompofed, in the valley,, in the fame order they were
ranged on the hills, from whence they have infenfibly
rolled down. Thus, for example, if, on the eminence,
there
there was a ¡quarter of a league of granite, the fame
proportion will be found in the valley, o f pebble ; if
fandy rock, then coarfe fand; and, if folid rock, then
fine fand, and, at times, all blended together, from
their having been fo in their former ppfition.
Merida, from its venerable remains, and antiquities,
juftly deferves the attention o f the curious. What is
now left o f this antient city, is on a fmall hill, occupying
about the circuit of a league, on the banks o f the
Guadiana, but its ruins extend much further, and ihew it
to have been the principal colony of the Romans, in Spain.
Examining the .remnants of ftone, fcattcred amongft
the ruins, I found a great variety of colours, mixtures,
hardnefs, and qualities.. To be the better acquainted
with their nature, I attentively obferved the
adjacent hills, and plains, from whence they were moft
probably dug out; from thefe refearches, I deduced
four primitive forts, which, by various mixtures, confti-
tute the great variety obferved here. The firft is of a
deep red, like bulls blood, and fometimes as brown as
chocolate, with a fmooth grain % this is the mother o f
Porphyry ; the fecond is white, and without any grain;
the third is of a blueifh caft, .tending to black ; and the
fourth inclining to green ; alt thefe primitive kinds;, when
confidered fingly, are of very little value, from the
dullnefs