fine looking glaffes made in the king’s glafs houfe at St.
Ildefonfo, which fupplies all the palaces ; they have-
here«the largeft tables perhaps in the world for running
plate glafs. The greateil being 145 inches by 85, and
its weight 405 arrobes. The fmaller is 120 inches by
75, and weighs 380. This curious art was firft invented
by the Sieur Abraham Thevart, who propofed it to the
court o f Verfailles in 1688, and is performed much
like the calling o f iheet lead by the plumbers, by
which means they are enabled to make glaffes of double
the dimenfions of thofe, by the Venetian method o f
blowing, befides other improvements*
At a fmall diilanee from the palace, at a place called'
the Mata, near the powder magazine, there is a vein o f
quartz, which appears above ground, running from
South to North for about half a league, till it enters
and lofes itfelf in the oppofite mountain.. A piece of
this quartz, of about fix pounds, being cut, feemed-
very curious, being half tranfparent, and almoft as fine-
as rock cryftal, having a kind o f ilripe, four fingers
broad, between two coats, o f a darker quartz. On
following this vein feveral pieces of the fame quartz
appeared covered with rock cryftal of a milk colour,
forming thofe veins called by miners, “ noble veins.”
Mr. Bowles acknowledges he did not more particularly
examine, or make any effay in this place ; and yet he tells
us, he conjectures, and infers that it is. an unwrought
mine of gold.
The environs of St. Ildefonfo and particularly the
foot o f the mountain are covered with a remarkably fine
fort o f grafs, ,to which they give the name , o f cofquilla,
from its effed o f tickling the hand when touched. The
root is about eight inches long, cylindrical, and about
the fize o f a pin, diminiihing towards the point ; in
the middle o f this root, which is fmooth, the ilem
fprings up, bearing fmall capfules. at their points, in-
clofing the. feed ; in many places, and particularly at
Segovia, they make ufe o f it at Chriftmas for ornaments
in the churches, to imitate verdure ; alfo little brooms
are made with it to. fweep away duft ; it likewife grows
in abundance in the plain o f Olmedo, and is.feldom tp '
be feen elfewhere.
It is only a few hours ride from St. Ildefonfo to the -
city o f Segovia. The naturalift will meet with many
objeds of cunofity in. the environs o f this city observing
its different fpecies o f marble, granite,' lime-
ftone, clays, and three forts o f fand (a). It’s fam0us
Roman aquedud remaining fo perfed to this day, will
prove the folidity of its materials, more effedually than
M Mr. Bowie, eater, into many details refReffing the variety oi fand d avs
en irons 0 egoyra, which, not being confidered a, univerially interefling, areomit’ted.
longO