duces varieties o f this fruit, but thofe o f Durango are
the beft. Renets are common of two or three forts ;
cherry trees grow as high as elms, at Gordejuela. They
have excellent peaches, which they call pavias, with
this remarkable circumftance, that they are never
grafted, or improved by any particular culture («).
Thofe o f Aranjuez are of this kind,, but have not
their flavour nor mellownefs. O f pears they have
great variety, and alfo thofe choice forts, as the beu-
erre, fondante,. doyenne, and bergamotte ; befides a-
bundance of figs, nuts, and currants; and though, the
country does not produce rafpberries naturally, it a-
bounds with excellent ftrawberries, as well as all manner
of garden, plants,, greens,, and, pulfe in perfection.
Their onions are remarkably fweet ; Galicia
furnilhes. them with turneps for cattle, and. they have
the fmall ones for the kitchen ; their cows and oxen are
fmall, but flout and robuft : goats they had better, be
without, as great care muft he taken to. prevent them
from deftroying the trees : fheep they have none, and
indeed it would be a difficult matter to hinder them
from continually entangling themfelves amongft the
thickets. They have fix or feven forts of grapes; of
which they make the Chacoli wine ; all. fpots are not
(a) The French diftinguifh peaches into two forts, viz. pav-ies and peaches. Thofe are
called peaches which quit the ft one, and thofe whofe' flefh adheres clofely to the ftonc, pa vies,-
which are more efteemed in France than the peaches» though in England the- latter'are
preferred by many. Miller.
equally
equally favourable ; however the vineyards are numerous
about Orunda and Bilbao, and form the principal
revenues of the country gentlemen; but as the
prices are fixed, and no foreign wine can be introduced
nor fold by the publicans, while their own vintage is
felling, they are more eager to increafe the quantity
than meliorate its quality, for which reafon it is in ge>
neral bad ; befides, they make their vintage too early,
which gives a iharpnefs to the wine, and deprives it" o f
body.; and being unfkilful as well as carelefs, mixing
the rotten and four grape with the reft, Chacoli is a
very poor wine. Their whole vintage will not fuffice
for four months confumption, and the deficiency muft
be made up from the province of Rioja, which ec-
eafions; a faying, “ That all the iron of Bifcay is fwal+
lowed down in. foreign wine, by the natives.” Even
Englilhmen and Germans, are people of great fobri.
ety, compared’ with many Bifcayners, yet drunken men
are feldom feen in the.ftreets, becaufe they are acr
cuftomed to eat heartily in thefe drinking entertainments
; both men and'women breakfaft, dine, eat
in the evening, and'fup very plentifully; and yet err*
joy excellent health-
Moft of tile mountains o f Bifcay, and Guypufcoa, are'
of an argillaceous fubftance, the ftone decornpofes very
little,. or refolves into earth, though calcareous ftone is
abundant,.