L E T T E R XIV.
Environs o f Reinefa, f o u n t o f the river Ebro, and intended canal
of Cafiile.
TH A T part o f Spain called “ Montana de Burgos»”'
may be thrown into two grand divifions. The
firft takes in all that fpace from the higheit part of the
mountains, to the Bay o f Bifeay, and the other, the fpace
extending from the fame height towards Cafiile. The
higheft part o f thele mountains, is that intermediate
Situation between Santander, and Burgos, it being a continual
afcent of fourteen leagues from Santander to Rei-
nofa, defcending afterwards from thence, as far as Burgos.
The fource o f the Ebro is within half a mile o f
Reinofa, and runs eafterly, till it falls into the Mediterranean,
while the Pifuerga runs into the Duero, whofe
courfe is wefterly, and empties itfelf in the ocean ; from
whence it may be inferred, that Reinofa divides the waters
between the two feas, and is therefore one o f the
moft elevated diflriils in Spain, as well as the cold eft,
its lofty mountains railing their heads as high as the
line of congelation, being conftantly covered with fnow.
The foil of Reinofa produces the belt oaks in tbe kingdom,
dom, equal to any in Europe, and fome thoufands of
them, are occaiionally felled for the fervice o f the navy.
Good oaks will not fueceed fo well in a rich limy foil,
abounding with moifture, but require on the contrary,
that it ihould be o f an argillaceous nature, ftiff and
compact, as well as dry, where they fuffer no injury
from dampnefs, and thrive by flow and proper gradations.
The foil of Reinofa is in general, compofed o f
fandy rock, mixed with quartz, as large as chefnuts, cemented
in the rock in the fame manner as in the warm
climate o f Granada. About a league to the north o f
Reinofa there is a very high mountain called Arandillo,
whofe fummit is at prefent fo much decompofed, as to
form an exteniive plain where there is very good grafs.
The people o f the country, fay there was formerly a
town here, and tire quantities o f loofe ftones ftill remaining,
feem to confirm the report. The nature of this
mountain is lingular, its bafts being of gypfeous ftone,
its fummit of fand ftone, and its centre of limeftone, wiLh
large impreflions of cornu ammonis, and fcveral fcallop
{hells fixed in the rock. On the road to Reinofa, black
marble veined with white is feen in great quantities ; the
fame may be obferved at the Puerto between Afpeitia,
and Vidana, where there is a mountain of ftmilar marble,
from top to bottom. Two leagues to the fouthward o f
Reinofa, there is another high mountain, with an hermitage
at the top, where there is great plenty of bilberry
whortle