P R E F A C E .
AT my return from Italy, in tiri? year, 1778, I once more vifited Spain, and traverfed
the whole kingdom (a). This journey afforded me the greater pleafure, from not
only being verfed in the Spaniih language, but having made many friends and acquaintance
during my former refidence in that kingdom, befides, being no itranger to their
manners and cuftoms; which circumflance greatly contributed to increafe my amufement, and
render my travels far more agreeable than they would have been, to a perfon in a lefs eligible
predicament.
On my arrival at Madrid, the ingenious and' elaborate work o f Dbn Guillermo Bowles (£>],
firft fell into my hands. This valuable treatife is deiigned as an introduction to the Natural
Hijlory and Phyjical Geography o f the kingdom of Spain, for the execution o f which the author
was very well qualified’, having been employed many years by his Catholic Majefty in vifiting
mines and other purpofes tending to the improvement o f that kingdom, in different branches
o f mineralogy, and other ufeful arts. Upon the perufafof this production, i t occurred to me,
that at a period wheq Natural Hijlory is fo much cultivated, a more perfeCt acquaintance with
a country, which had hitherto in this refpeCt almoft efcaped philofophical enquiry, would meet
the approbation of an Engfifh reader; more efpecially as we might be induced to expeCt from
fuch a writer, abundant variety o f accurate information, that could not be offered by any common
inveftigator: particularly when the many inconveniencies o f bad roads, and other embar-
raffments, that offer themfelves perpetually in that kingdom, are confidered. I have therefore
availed myfelf of this wack as my chief guide, with refpeCt to the principal objeCts o f natural
hiftory, without being a mere copyift in every minute d e ta ilb u t on the contrary, fuch original
remarks are offered as I flatter myfelf will not be unacceptable to the candid reader.
W e are informed by Mr. Bowles, that having, eafually (in 175:2) met with at Paris Don
Antonio de Ulloa, now an admiral in the Spaniih fleet, he was induced by this gentleman to
enter into the fervice of Spain, and that he fcon after fet out for that kingdom to receive his
inffruClions, and to put them into execution. In this commiffion he was affociated with Don
Jofeph Solano, who in 1773, was appointed governor o f St. Domingo ; Don Salvador de Medina,
who died at California, whither he went to make obfervations upon the tranfit o f Venus;
and Don Pedro Saura, an advocate of Madrid. TÍie two former gentlemen were naval officers
and well known by their literary abilities and travels.
The firft obj,e& that engaged Mr. Bowles’s attention was an infpe£tion into the quickfilver
p in e o f Almadén, in La Mancha, at that time greatly negle&ed, though a place o f the utraoft
. (a) This was my thicd voyage to Spain .
(i) Introducción a la hiftoria natural y a la geógrafo fifica de Efpana, por Don Guillermo Bowles. Ms.
drid, 1775, 4to,
a * confequeac*