fhew themfelves in the face b y g iv in g it a liv id and dark green colour. I t is hu-
mouroufly introduced in D on Q u ix o te , fp eakin g o f Thomas Cecial’s nofe, which
befides be in g fu ll o f warts, was alfo de color amoratado como de berengena. It grows
riaturally in A lia , Africa, and America and is commonly eaten b y the inhabitants,
and was prob ably introduced into Spain b y the Saracens, according to its Arabic
name.
L E . T T E R X V I .
T h e peaches called pavies are o f the Ibrt named amygdalits perjicaby Linnteus,
but for a more particular account o f them fee Duhamel On fru it trees.
A l l fruits grafted though upon their own ftocks o f the fame kin d o f f iu i t impro
v e , as is evident in the gra fted chefnuts o f Spain. T h e Spaniih cajldno is the
fagus caftanea o f Linnaeus, they graft upon that fpecies o f the family o f chefnuts
which Linnaeus calls fagus, mjlaneafativa.
l e t t e r X V I I .
I n the lordfhip o f B ifca y no troops are raifed in time o f peace i in war, every
inhabitant without diftinftion is a foldier, fo that the cuftom o f .¡Quintas, every fifth
man, as in other parts o f Spain is not in ufe. T h e y have p u b lic armouries
in the three provinces o f Bifcay, and the arms are delivered out to the m en
who are exercifed b y experienced officers. T h e y have moreover erected twenty
batteries on the coaft at their own expence, and raifed the regiment o'f Cantabria.
A c co rd in g to the laws or Fueros de .Bifcaya Ley 5. tit 1. the Bifcayners are.
to ferve his majefty at their own charge, they, alfo furnifh confiderable .drafts, for
the navy, and prefent the k in g with a free g ift , in confequence o f which, and their
extraordinary courage and fidelity they are freed from taxes, though they p ay a '
patronage to the k in g as their fovereign lord, befides other royalties and tythes.j
fo that when every thing is confidered, the nature o f their country requiring
the utmoft fpirit o f induftry, to cultivate, they contribute a full p rop o rtion to wards
the d ate as well as their neighbours.
In
A P P E N D I X .
In antient times, when the Cantabrians were taken prifoners and tortured b y
their enemies, they w o u ld fin g under the moft excruciating pains, and bid defiance
to their captors as the favages ftill do in N o r th America. A t prefent they
are a brave and hofpitable people, famous in peace and in war, as ftatefmen and
foldiers, never y ie ldin g to fa tigu e , as Silius Ita licus has defcribed them ;
Cantaber aate omnes byemifque æftufquefamifque
ïnvidus*
T h u s they held o u t 70 years againft the Romans in the zenith o f their power,
and on ly fubmitted when A u gu ftu s came in perfon with his viétorious legions*
to whom the whole world,, known at that time, had fubmitted, as Horac e tells
the emperor*
Te Cantaber norr ante domabilis,.
Medufque et Indus,, te profugus Scythes
Miratur,. o tu fee la præfèns
Italiæ Dominæque Romæ ! Tib* 4. ©d. 14.
Acco rd in g to Brantôme,, the Spaniards were the, firft who were armed with
muiketsy. andTi f we b e lie ve that writer, they were confidered as the beft infantry
in Europe.. M u ik e ts were firit. ufed, by the E n g lifh at the fiege o f Berwick in 1521*
L E T T E PC X X T r
T h e fo llow in g article was inférted in the-Madrid g a ze tte -o f th e 1 5th o f January
17 79 :; “ M an y petrifactions- o f elephants bones are continually found in the ex cavations
made near the b ridg e o f T o led o at Madrid. T w o elephants teeth were
la te ly d ug up intire, the one ab ou t 33 inches lo n g , and the other about h a lf that
length. L a rg e pièces have lik ewife been diicovered which b y their lize feem to
have b elonged to fix. different elephants, o f whofe teeth there are nine pieces and
part o f the jaws , as alfo the teeth o f fojne unknown animal, all which are depo-
fite d in the ro y a l cabinet o f natural hiftory a t Madrid.”
PART