BOOK possesses all the plants of Sicily, the Archipelago and the CXXXVII. Levant. The olive flourishes every where, the carob tree Lusitanian region. Gallician region. Cantabrian region. grows near the lentisc, while the myrtle, the laurel, the fig and the mulberry display their varied foliage; the grape yields a strong wine, but within the same division, as in the last, are situated several zones, which exhibit different kinds of vegetation, from the low valleys to the summits of the Pyrenees. The Lusitanian region or that of the lower Tagus, extends from north to south, from Cape St. Vincent to Cape Roca; its breadth is determined by the southern branch of the Sierra d'Estremos. It is sheltered against cold winds by the mountains on the north of the Tagus. The lower parts are covered with sandy heaths, but one zone may be distinguished by its groves of orange and olive trees. M. Bory de St. Vincent observed on the coasts, particularly on the south, a vegetation similar in some respects to that of the Atlantic islands. "From the mountains of Cintra and the Semas of Ourem to Cape St. Vincent," says the same writer," botanists may discover a great many plants, which, it was supposed, were confined to the Açores, Madeira and the Canaries. American plants thrive and mul tiply easily, some of them might even be considered indigenous, at all events they have banished such as are so in many large districts, where they flourish as well as in their native land." The Gallician region or that of the Duero occupies from north to south, the space between Cape Roca and Cape Finistere, it is different from the preceding; the oak and the chesnut abound, but the olive and the orange appear only on the low valleys towards the south of the Duero. The northern or Cantabrian region comprehends all the country from the sources of the Adour to Cape Finistere; it is intersected by valleys, which incline either from west to east, or from south to north. The downs are not extensive, and all of them are situated near the The constant or uniform character of the region. consists in the absence of the cistus and rose laurel. The orange and the olive are reared with difficulty, and the BOOK same remark is applicable to the vine; but the hills and vallies in this fruitful region are covered with rich crops CXXXVII. and verdant meadows. The constant verdure may be attributed to a fertle soil and a humid atmosphere. The apple flourishes in every district, cider is substituted for light wine, so that the country may be considered the Normandy of the Peninsula. Islands. If, as every appearance leads us to believe, Africa and Balearic Spain were once united, the Balearic islands must have been part of the Peninsula. They seem to be a continuation of the chain, which terminates at Cape St. Martin; their general direction is from south-west to north-east, they consist of four principal islands, Ivica and fromentera, Majorca and Minorca, but several others of a smaller size are situated near these coasts. Thus around Ivica, may be seen Dragonera or the dragons' island, Conejera or the Rabbits' island, and Cabrera or Goats' island, as well as Esparto, Bebra, Espalmador, Espardella and Tagam. The island of Ayra lies near the southern shores of Minorca; the others may be past over in silence, they are of little or no importance. The island of Fromentera is equal to four leagues at Fromenteits greatest breath, its utmost length does not exceed ra. five. It is believed that it was so called in modern times, from the great quantity of grain which it produces in proportion to its surface. It was the small Pityusa or Pityuasa Minor of the ancients. Ivica or Ivisa, to the north of the last, may be about twenty-two leagues in circumference; the Romans called it Ebusus. It might be inferred from their ancient names, that these islands were once covered with forests. Majorca or Mallorca is the Balearis Major of the an- Majorca. cients; it may be about fifty leagues in circumference. Strabo informs us that the rabbits which the early inhabitants brought to it, multiplied so rapidly that the people were at last obliged to implore the assistance of the Romans to destroy these animals.* Minorca or Menorca, the ancient Balearis Minor, is not * Book III, ch. 2. BOOK less than thirty-eight leagues in circumference, it lies to CXXXVII the east of the last. Minorca. The land in these islands is mountainous, their geological formation is everywhere the same. Calcareous rocks are the most common, a fact that may serve to corroborate the opinion concerning their submarine junction with Cape St. Vincent. The heights of the mountains, the rocks and vegetables of the Baleares have been accurately known since the year 1825, the year that a French naturalist visited these islands.* The island of Majorca is the most important; the two principle mountains are the Puig de Torcella, and the Puig Major. The two groups, which divide the islands, are formed by calcareous rocks, belonging to lands of lower deposits, such as the rock called lias and oolithic limestone. The other minerals are dolomia, porphyry and rocks, which appear to be of igneous origin. Medicinal springs and different specimens of copper ore indicate their mineral wealth, from which the inhabitants have hitherto derived no advantage. Majorca, like the other Baleares, may be distinguished by its arid summits and verdant plains. The carob and the olive trees appear in all their vigour. The first occupies the lowest level, and ascends to the height of 1500 feet; the second thrives on the mountains; it unites with the Aleppo pine, and covers the declivities; but the last, flourishing at the height of six hundred feet above the olive, mingles with the green oak, which grows 300 feet above it. The highest summits are covered with a sort of sesler, Sesleria soerelna. The dwarf palms on the stony heights protect with their broad foliage different kinds of cyclamen, ononides and anthyllides. The peasants often set fire to forests of oaks and pines on the mountains, in order to protect a vegetable which they call carregt (Donax tenax). It diffuses itself over all the vacant space thus produced, and affords in the following year an abundant nourishment for men and M. Cambessede, Membre des Societes d'Histore, Naturelle et Philomathique de Paris. + M. Cambessede took a barometrical measurement of the two mountains; aceording to him, the first is equal to 4,778 feet in height, and the second to 3,676. cattle. In vain do the pines and oaks push forth shoots, the carregts keep their ground, and it is not before many years that they yield to the efforts of their gigantic neighbours. The myrtle, the pistachio, the thorny caper bush, the cistus and other shrubs on the stony heights near the mountains of Majorca, indicate the Mediterranean region. The lignous salicornia and the tamarind grow on the marshes near the shore, the vine flourishes on the hills, and the cotton plant is cultivated on the low and humid lands. It is unnecessary to give an account of the vegetable productions in the neighbouring islands, they differ but little from those that are found in Majorca.* BOOK CXXXVII. habitants. The Baleares or Balearides were so called by the Greeks, Ancient infrom the great skill with which the inhabitants used the sling. According to Pliny, they were also called Gymnasii, because they went naked to battle.‡ Their arms were a small buckler, a javelin and three slings of different sizes, one or other of which was used according to the distance of the enemy. Their children were early accustomed to handle the same instrument; it is said that their parents refused to give them food, until they hit a mark at a certain distance. It has been inferred from the surname of Gymnasii or naked, that the Greeks and Romans had not often friendly intercourse with these islanders, for it is certain that they wore dresses long before the inhabitants of Italy. Diodorus Siculus mentions a singular custom established amongst them; the "marriage ceremony," says he, "terminates in a feast, but the husband is not permitted to consummate the nuptials, until the bride has granted her favours to all the guests." The Romans conquered the Balearides, not so much to put a stop to the piracies of the islanders, as to deprive the Carthaginians of important stations for the commerce of the Mediterranean. The same people founded Palma and Pollensa in Majorca, two places which shall be Enumeratio plantarum quæ referuntur in insulis Balearibus. Cambussede, 4to. Paris, 1827. BOOK afterwards mentioned; the islands formed part of the proCXXXVII. vince Tarraconensis. Origin of the word Spain. Ancient inhabitants. Celtibe.. Many conjectures have been formed concerning the origin of the words Hispania and Hesperia, the ancient names of the Peninsula. It is probable that Hispania comes from the Phenician word span, which signifies concealed, not an inapplicable name, for at an early period the country was little known to the Phenicians. It has been also said that they called it Spania, from the number of rabbits they observed.* The Greeks called it Hesperia from its western situation, relatively to their own country. The name of Iberia, which it also bore, seems to have been derived from the name of its early inhabitants. M. Bory de St. Vincent supposes them a colony from the island or continent of Atlantis. Such an assumption, however, is liable to many objections, and it appears to be as probable, as the opinion supported by several Spanish authors, who affirm that the first inhabitants of their country were descended from Tubal, a son of Noah, who landed in Spain twenty-two centuries before the Christian era. The Iberians, according to Herodotus, were divided into six tribes; the Cynetes, Gletes, Tartesses, or Turdetani, Eleusinii, Martinii, and Celeiani. Strabo informs us that the Tartesses made great advances in civilization; they applied themselves to literature, they possessed books of poetry, histories of a very ancient date, and laws which, they affirmed, were written six thousand years before his time.‡ Diodorus Siculus mentions the invasion of the Celts into Spain. The Iberi made war against them for a long time, but after an obstinate resistance on the part of the natives, the two people entered into an agreement, according to which, they were to possess the country in common, bear the same name, and remain for ever united; such, says The double signification of the word span (concealed, rat bit), leads to a double interpretation. The Romans adopted the last, as appears from a medal of Adrian, on which Spain is represented by the figure of a woman with a rabbit on her side. See Flores, Medalles de Espania. Tome i. p. 109. + Hesperia signifies the west or the evening in Greek. Strabo, Book V. ch. 2. |