The hills -arc covered with vineyards, and as you dc-
fèèind into the' low lands., the eye is enrapturéd with the
ino ft bcautifel objects ;; the dreairy month of January in a
northern tl-iinatè is- here a feene of delight, the fields are
full o f pcirriwinkle, myrtle, oleander, and lavender, with
many other flowers in full blow, at that early feafon, and
this enchanting profpccl continues to Malaga, an antient
and celebrated city, taken from the Moors, in 148.7., by
Ferdinand and Uabd, after a moll vigorous defence,
and having been 772 years in their poffellion. A city
■not left remarkable for its opulence and *exteniivc commerce,
than for the luxuriance of its foil, yielding in
great abundance the moil delicious fruits ; whifft its rugged
mountains afford thole lulcious grapes which give
Inch reputation to the Malaga wine, known in England
by the emphatical name of Mountain. Thefe valuable
mountains have moreover a peculiar advantage, that the
drought which is fo prejudicial to com, contributes
principally to the goodnels and flavour of the grape, as
the furrounding mills afford-every neceffary refrefhment,
And are more ferviceahle than rain, which would rather
injure the roots, by wafhing away that light coat of- foil
with which they are fo fparingly provided.
. fi ehm Ì m o f Linnaeus. Audlher fon called tànanus by that great writer, iscomruou
2 Derbyibire, and gathered by peafauts who fell it for a peuuy a pound to g ® ®
fife it-foT purples. It is Xo plentiful that .they can colleft twenty or thuty .pound a.day. See
Ite. Witbering’ sbounical arrangement, Sect
But
Rtit before I leave Malaga I cannot omit fpeaking of
ihofe excellent and remarkable potatoes peculiar to that
dillrici, and in fo great eftcein in other parts o f Spain ;
fehey are fweet arid; lufcious, of an oblong form, arid o f a
bright yellow colour like goldv aud when poafted eat extremely
well with, wine and fug-ar ; -they are equally an
Alnerican pr.oduâion though different .from the common
potatoe which is only known ° f late years .at Madrid,
and not in. any ether part, o f the. kingdom, except Galicia
where they are common as having been firft brought
there by the Spaniards, and from thence conveyed originally
to Ireland.
Abou t'three-miles to the.weftward o f Malaga, there are
'gardens about a hundred paces from the fea, and on a
level with it, inclofed with the Indian fig or prickly
pear,-and with the aloe,whofe iharp pointed leayes ferve
as an excellent fence againft cattle ; lèverai plants grow
under their fhade, particularly two Torts p£ mallows, ;
fpurge, geraniums marih r marigold,. borrage, afphodcl.
with.onionleaves, baftard dittany, forrel, clary, gqldylocks,,
goofegrafs, avens, nightfhade, ihepherds purfe, fumitory,,
and white afparagus many o f thefe even, grqvv in the'
burning fands on. the fea ihore, and are in flower, in Ja-j
nuarv, alfo a great deal of celandine the fame as in the;
interior parts o f Spain.
T. t, 2 . Further,-