times they fee the flamengo (d); but neither the excrements
of fo many birds, nor the putrefaCtion of fo many
dead filh, afford the leaft fymptom of volatile alkali
when analyzed, no more than the water of the fea, not-
withftanding the numbers of filh that die in it. The
hottom of the Albufera is a bed o f pure clay, and if by
any accident the waters ihould run off, we fhould find it
without any mixture o f ftone, fand, or iron, and perfectly
fimilar to the fuller’s earth of England.
Amongft the beautiful fpots in this country, none exceed
or can be compared to a diftritft in this neighbourhood,
called the Huerta de Gandia, yet this enchanting
place, fo near to the city of Valencia, is little known to
travellers, as it lies on the fea coaft out of their track, at
a fmall diflance from the road, hemmed in by a circular
chain ofhill-s, forming an inclofure of about a league
and a half diameter. Near the fea the city of Gandia,
(a) This fingular bird is fo called crrr account o f the red or flame^colour of its wings, and
feet;, it is a fcarce bird in Europe, and always frequents lakes.. T hey have a tongue not
much lefs than a kid’s tongue, and which was reckoned a delicious morfel by the voluptuous
Romans. When Mr. Peirefc receiyed his friend Le Vayer at his houfe, he entertained him
with this difh, repeating thofe lines o f Martial,
B a t mihi penna rubens nomen fed lingua gulofis>
Noilra fapit.
Xe Vayer wondered why Apicius and the emperors Caligula, VitelKus, and Heliogabaluj,
had reckoned it fo dainty a difh, for inftead of being exquifite, he found it rather unpleafant,
with a fleihy tafie, like that o f all water fowl. Therefore the inhabitants of Provence generally
throw away the fieQt, and only, make ufe of. the feathers as an ornament to other birds
at particular entertainments. See “ Life ofPeirefc, by Gaffendi. Tranflated into Englifh by
William Rand, M. D .” London, 1657.
capital
capital of the dutch,y o f that name, offers a new point of
.view, and from , the church iteeple, you have a noble
profpetft, of the Huerta, and may fee above twenty village^
difperfed amidft tin infinite variety o f verdure and fpli-
age, enriched, by a diveriity o f fruits, Amongftj the
reft, the blue fig, the glowing pomegranate, and thepver-
dant,olive vie with each other in e x c e llen c e e v e n the
very beach feems deGrous of adding a fhar.e to this plentiful
ftore, for the prickly pear ihoots out every where
amongft the clefts of the rocks, and its fruit is free to all
who.choofe to partake of it. In this feat of blifs, Gmpli-
city and perfection fill the mind with delight, and all the
laboured powers of invention are outdone;, for nature
here, as Milton, fays,.
W a n t o n s a s i n h e r p r i m e , a n d p l a y s a t w i l t
H e r v i r g i n f a n c i e s , p o u r i n g f o r t h m o r e f w . e e t , .
W i l d a b o v e r u l e o r . a r t .