ar£ fometimes obliged to water; the grape neverthe-
lcfs affords that excellent wine fo well known, to which,
mull be added an amaiing quantity o f mulberry-trees, almond
trees, fig, and algarabas^ or carob trees, theceratonia
edulis o f Linnaeus, which requiring little moifture, fucceeds
in dry foils, and thrives equally in every. íltuatíon, whether,
on hills or in¡ plains («}.
The city of Alicant forms a crefcent, on the fea fide,
and is well known for the luxuriancy of its environs, as
well as its extenfive and lucrative commerce. That part
of the fhore neareft the city forms a bed of limeftone
mixed with fand, in which the triple-hinged oyfter fhells
are found, with buccina, molafellina, and urfmi, half petrified,
the fhells often preferving part of their natural var-
nifli, and the oy.fter ihells their fcales, by, which the
commencement o f their petrifadion may be perceived.
In that part, of the beach next the fea, the fand is the
fame as in the neighbouring rocks, wafhed from the limy
earth, which the water has diffolved, leaving only the,
(a) The fruit grows in ahuik like a bean^cod, inclofing four, or five beans, and is given to
cattle ihell and all. It is fweet and palatable, and often eaten by poor people it is a tall
fightly tree, and in a manner peculiar to the kingdom o f Valencia. The pods are green on
the tree, but grow brown when dry. According to Miller, they are apt to Ioofen the beljy,
and caufe gripings o f the bowels. He fays, the'fe pods are directed by the college ofphyfi-
cians to enter fome medicinal preparations, for which purpofe they are. often.-brought from
abroad. The tree is preferved as a curiofity in England among other exotics, as the leaves
always continue green, and being different in ihape from moft other plants, -afford an ?gree-
able variety, intermixed with oranges, myrtles, &c. in the green-ho ufe.
pilla manna f o rm e d by the fibres of the roots o f the alga,
or f?g. mofs.
A chain pf hills are difcernable at Alicant, extending
from Murcia, forming a femi-circJe o f two leagues extent
from the city, and clofe in with the fea about four
leagues from each other, Glutting in a fine vale, and
inclofing the part we have fpoken o f before, which it
fhelters from the north winds, and enables it to partake
more effe&yally of every benign influence o f the fouth.
The weftern fide is uneven, full o f ilone, and coniifts o f a
white calcareous foil, whofe furface is covered with large
fhells more perfedly petrified than thofe on the fea
ihore, particularly two forts o f urfmi,the large and fmall,
the former of the fize o f an orange, found ftill larger
in the interior parts o f Valencia, o f a diftimft fpecies,
and fo perfe&ly petrified as to receive a poliih like marble,
being different from thofe generally feen in cabinets
o f natural hiftory. The oyfter fhells between Murcia and
Mula are alfo diftinft from thofe o f Alicant, having only
one hinge, are about eight inches long and five broad ;
which opens a field of fpeculation for naturalifts, with
refpeft to thefe various petrifadlions and their period o f
antiquity.
Two leagues to the fouth weft of Alicant, there is an
infulated calcareous mountain, at the eaftern foot o f
■Z z which