The extensive forests of Andalusia, and particularly those of evergreen oak, constitute an object of national riches. These trees attain a magnitude that would in other countries be considered with astonishment; nor, indeed, have I ever seen any of the vegetable reign arrive at such immensity, except those of Brazil, where several species of trees grow to a size that entitle them to the name of giants of the forest.
The population and industry of Andalusia have never recovered the blow they received by the expulsion of the Moors, at which epoch an immense number of towns and villages were seated on the banks of the Guadalquivir alone, and the population of the kingdom was estimated at seven millions, of which Grenada contained three millions. According to the most recent estimation, the number of inhabitants is now but two millions, of which it is said one fourth at least are useless to society by their religious vows. Here I cannot help observing that, whatever may be the event of the present contest, the Spanish nation will derive an inestimable benefit from the invasion of the French, in getting rid of such legions of monks, who not only, like drones in a hive, hang a dead weight on the industry of the community, but, what is still worse, are the great obstacles to all national improvement, by the gross ignorance in which it is their interest to keep the people; for we can scarcely suppose it possible that, should the French be finally driven out of Spain, the Spanish government or nation will be so lost to common sense, as to restore the monastic orders.
The observation that, “where nature is most bountiful, the people are most indolent,” is no where more completely verified than in Andalusia. Even the olive trees, which constitute a considerable portion not only of the wealth, but of the very subsistence of the people, are so neglected, that generally nine out of ten are half decayed, or the vegetation only preserved by a single narrow strip of bark, while all the rest of the trunk is naked; nevertheless, such is the fertility of the soil, that a tree thus deprived of nine-tenths of its bark, is seen loaded with fruit.
But though in general agriculture is little understood in Andalusia, it is more advanced in some districts than in others, which is probably to be ascribed to the different direction of leases. In many parts, the tenant holds only for three years, in others for five; but neither term is sufficient to induce the farmer to go to any expence in improvement; on the contrary, it is evidently his interest to get the most he can out of the soil, at the least possible expence. Such, however, is the richness of the soil, the abundance of water consequent to a mountainous country, and the equal temperature of the climate, that the lands retain their fertility almost undiminished, in spite of the vicious system of agriculture.
The mesta, or ancient custom of driving vast flocks of sheep from one end of the kingdom to the other for pasture, which is protected by the Government, is also extremely unfavourable to the improvement as well as to the extension of cultivation.
The valley through which the Guadalquivir winds its course, is supereminently fertile, and from it the French armies derive the greatest part of their forage and provisions. The sides of the mountains to the north of Cordova are covered with vineyards and gardens, interspersed with groves of lemons and orange trees; in short, the territory of Fernan Nunez, about four leagues from Cordova, is but one continued beautiful garden for many miles.
The provinces of Seville and Grenada are the most fruitful in barley and maize; the former, mixed with chopped straw, is the general food of the horses, for giving them barley alone is said to produce disease. The neighbourhood of Seville, Cordova, and Andujar produce abundance of wheat, and the quantity of this grain raised in the whole of Andalusia, is said to be double its consumption. The crops particularly near the coast are, however; very uncertain, the Levant wind often destroying them, as well as the Solano, which blows in scorching blasts from the coast of Africa, and produces a similar effect to the blight. The coasts of Grenada are most exposed to this baneful wind, and here, therefore, the cultivation of hemp is preferred, this plant receiving no injury from it.
Amongst Spanish wines those of Andalusia are the most esteemed, and particularly those of Grenada. The wines of the territory of Malaga are highly celebrated, and of which there are twenty to thirty varieties; those of Pietro Zimenes, the Muscatel, and the Tierno, are of superior quality. Farther west dry wines are chiefly produced, of which the most esteemed are those of Rota and Xeres: of the latter, known by the name of sherry, fifty thousand quintals* are exported annually, chiefly by the port of Malaga, from which was also exported three hundred thousand quintals of raisins, the grapes of this district being of a very superior quality, and requiring no other preparation than merely hanging to dry in the sun. [* A quintal in weight is one hundred pounds English; in liquid measure twelve gallons.]
The wine named Montella, produced in the vicinity of Cordova, is the most esteemed in the country. The olives of the territory of Seville are reckoned of a superior quality, but the oil made from them is generally rancid, owing, doubtless, to the negligent manner of preparing it.
The Andalusian horses are deservedly considered the best of Spain, and this superiority they owe to the facility of crossing them with those of Barbary, by the constant intercourse between the coasts.
The manufactures of Andalusia, which were formerly very considerable, particularly those of Seville, have constantly declined since the beginning of the seventeenth century. The silk manufactures of Cordova, Grenada, Seville, and Malaga, are, however, still flourishing, and those of Xeres and Puerto de Santa Maria respectable. Coarse woollens are also manufactured to a considerable extent in several towns. From the royal tobacco manufactory at Seville issues an immense quantity of segars and snuff, the latter named poluillis. At Velez Malaga is a manufactory of playing cards, the only one I believe in Spain, and which supplies both the whole kingdom and the colonies. Besides the sugar works at Malaga, there are some respectable ones at Motril.
The general commerce of Andalusia, though much declined from its ancient splendour, was still considerable at the period of the present invasion, the chief trading ports being Almeria, Malaga, and Cadiz. Almeria was, during the Moorish dominion, one of the most commercial cities of Europe, which it owed principally to the goodness of its port, at the head of a gulf, sheltered from the Levant winds by the promontory of Cape de Gata. A pestilential disease, which desolated the city in the fourteenth century, gave the first blow to its commerce, and the expulsion of the Moors totally annihilated it; nor have two centuries been able to restore it. The commerce of Malaga, as I have before observed, has been totally destroyed by French fraternity or invasion, words synonymous in their effects; and this example ought to warn every nation to guard as cautiously against the one as the other. The exports from Malaga formerly amounted to upwards of three millions of piastres, of which oil alone furnished one million, while the imports did not amount to two millions. Cadiz, until 1776, enjoyed the sole trade of the colonies, and though this commerce has been opened to all the principal ports of Spain, it still retained two-thirds of the whole. The wars with England, however, reduced it to a cipher, before the French invasion. In 1793 this port sent one hundred and seventy-seven ships to the colonies, and in 1801 only twenty cleared out from all the ports of Spain; no other proof need be adduced, how greatly it is the interest of Spain to be on good terms with England, who can thus in a moment annihilate the most valuable branch of her commerce, and upon which the very existence of her government, in the present state of the country, depends. The French invasion, and the vast efforts made by England to support Spanish independence, will doubtless unite the two nations more closely than ever, and, therefore, even in a commercial view (supposing France to fail in the subjection of the country, which I think is not problematic), she must lose considerably by the mistaken ambition of Buonaparte, for Spain will certainly procure hereafter from the British islands many of the articles which she formerly received from France, and other nations now subject to her. Thus Irish linens have already superseded those of Holland, and if the colonies should succeed in their efforts for independence, another consequence of the French invasion, they will certainly receive the manufactured objects they require from England, rather than from France. The exports of woollens alone from Marseilles to Spain, chiefly for the use of the colonies, was estimated at twelve millions of francs.
At the head of the distinguished characters to whom Andalusia has given birth, must be placed Seneca, the great master of sententious morality. During the Moorish dominion the arts and sciences were highly cultivated, and rose to a great degree of perfection; particularly astronomy, mathematics, and medicine, in the last of which the Moors made vast improvements, and introduced a new system of physiology, which superseded that of the Greeks, and which was first adopted in France, from whence it found its way into the rest of Europe.
Andalusia has produced some poets of eminence of both sexes. Among the men Ferdinand de Herrera is the most esteemed, and among the females Aischa of Cordova, and Maria Alpharsati, surnamed the Sappho of Spain, whose picture I observed in several of the first collections.
This kingdom has also the honour of giving birth to several eminent painters, at the head of whom may be placed Paul Cespides, who was a universal genius, excelling equally in painting, engraving, architecture and poetry. Antonio Murillo deserves the second place. The Spaniards being extremely fond of music, this art has of course made considerable progress among them, but the national music is still far inferior to that of Italy or France. Malaga has produced some good botanists and chemists, whose works are to be found in the public libraries.
It is justly a matter of surprise, that during such a contest as the present, not a single Spaniard of superior talents or abilities has appeared on the great theatre of action, while the French revolution has brought forth geniusses of almost every description. Perhaps paucity of talent among the Spaniards is owing to the influence of the clergy not being yet sufficiently weakened, to permit the general adoption of a more liberal system of education, which can alone produce the desired revolution in the moral habits of the nation. In fact, what energy of action can be expected from a people, who trust more to a patron saint for protection than to their own courage. The soldier, who places his sole confidence in a relick suspended on his breast, may go into battle with the appearance of valour, but will surely turn his back the moment he thinks his saint has forsaken him. The inquisitorial prohibition of all books containing liberal sentiments on religion, morality, natural philosophy, or politics, still exists, and a list of such books is seen hung up in every church. In some of the public libraries, however, these books are allowed a separate place, over which is scribed “Books of Reference,” to denote that they are for the use of the learned alone, and not to be read by all persons indiscriminately, although in general they are the only books worth reading in the collections.
The Andalusians are distinguished from the natives of the other provinces of Spain by a peculiarity of costume and manners; the former they seem to have preserved from a very early period, and the montero cap is still universally worn by the peasantry, whose common dress is a light jacket with three close rows of oval buttons, and two of loops and tassels. Buttons indeed seem to be their favourite ornament, for to each knee of the breeches they have usually twenty to thirty hung to silver chains, and two rows to the waistcoat fixed in a similar manner. Their shoes are out of measure long quartered, and as well as the knee bands fastened by enormous silver buckles. The men plait their hair in a neat manner and fasten it at the extremity with a black ribbon, tied in a bow, which hangs half way down the back. The Andalusian prides himself on his country, and is seriously offended at being mistaken for a native of any other province, even though it should be of Castille itself. The Bullero and Fandango with castanets are the favourite dances of the Andalusians, and they usually accompany them with a popular song, which greatly adds to their effect. The number of Gustanos or gypsies, scattered over this province is very considerable; their women, though their complexions are very dark, have in general fine features and brilliant eyes; these vagabonds were formerly protected by the nobles, in return for which, their stiletto was always at their patron’s service, to revenge his injuries on his enemies, or satisfy his jealousy of a rival. In travelling through Spain the idea of assassination is every moment recalled to the mind, by the crosses erected to mark the spots where this crime has been committed, and the number of these ecce-signa proves the astonishing prevalence of this cowardly species of revenge.
Even a sketch of the natural history of Andalusia would lead me far beyond the limits I have prescribed to myself in this journal. I cannot however forbear mentioning the mines of gold and silver, which during the Roman dominion were celebrated for their richness, but which are at present not worth the working. Amongst the most noted are those of Linarez in the province of Jaen, which were worked by the Carthaginians, and were the property of the beautiful Himila, wife of Asdrubal. They were still productive in the time of the Romans, and are described as being two thousand feet deep, and having several galleries. There are some rich copper mines on the banks of the Tinto, not far from Cordova. The kingdom of Grenada has several warm mineral springs chiefly sulphureous, of which the most celebrated are those of Alhama at Grenada, and one within two miles of Antequera, famous for the cure of gravel complaints. To such of my readers as may wish for a detailed account of the mineral waters of this province, I can recommend a treatise on them by Don Juan de Dios Aguda, a copy of which was lent me at Andujar by the good priest I have already mentioned.