ginable, with bunches fourteen pound weight, and every
grape as large as a nutmeg. To heighten ftill more this
boundlefs fertility, the intermediate fpaces between the
trees are filled with melons, artichoaks, caulyflowers, and
almoft every fpecies o f pulfe fupplied with conftant and
copious ftreams of water, which in a kingdom bleffed
with an eternal fpring, and where the grim froft is unknown,
feems to unite every idea o f the golden age of
the poets.
The grapes of Valencia and Granada have the preference
to all others in Spain. They cannot, it is true, from
their diftance, be fent frefh to England like thofe of Portugal,
but they ihip off large quantities of raifins at Malaga.
They prepare them in Valencia with the lixivium
o f feeds whofe fait augments the heat o f the water in
boiling. The grape is dipped for a moment in this lixivium,
when the ikin burfts on every fide, and the juice
gufhing out candies in the air, after which the bunches
are hung to dry in the fun. The cold weather afterwards
perfects this cryftalization, fo that when they get
to England, they become fo many cakes o f fugar, infinitely
better than when firft fhipped off. The raifins of
the fun, as they are called, are ftill more delicate, having
the ftalk half cut through, while the bunch remains fuf-
pended on the vine, and partakes of the heat of the fun,
as the fap cannot penetrate after they are dried; they
are
are packed up in boxes. This is the method ufed in
Granada, which makes them more Iufcious and delicate,
and juftly gives the preference to the Malaga raifins.
As the river Guadalaviar empties itfelf into the fea,
about three miles below Valencia, it is faid a plan has
been propofed to deepen the channel of the river, which
would be of great advantage to its commerce, as the fhips
lie in an open road in a dangerous fituation. Much
might ftill be done to enliven and give activity to this
agreeable city, formerly known to the Britiih army, having
opened its gates in 1705 to the earl of Peterborough,
but after the defeat at Almanza, the duke o f Orleans at
the head of the Spaniih forces recovered it again.
There is a pleafant village about two leagues from
Valencia, confifting of four ftreets inhabited chiefly by
potters, who make a pretty earthen ware of a copper colour
with gilding, that ferves the country people both
for ornament and ufe, it is made of an argillaceous earth,
very fimilar in quality and colour to. that of Valencia, in
which virgin mercury is found: this earthen ware is very
gloffy, and remarkably cheap, but is far from being the
belt ware in Valencia; another manufacture has been
lately fet up at Alcora, by the count de Aranda, a grandee
o f Spain, which for the finenefs of the clay might vie
B b b with