Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/207

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Chap. 4.] ACCOUNT or COUNTEIES, ETC. 173 and with barbarous names. The number however of the free population amounts to nearly 166,000. In a similar manner the twenty -four states of the juris- diction of the Bracari contain a population of 175,000, among whom, besides the Bracari^ themselves, we may mention, without wearying the reader, the Bibali, the Coelerni, the Gallseci, the HeqWsi, the Limici, and the Querquerni. The length of the Nearer Spain, from the Pyrenees to the frontier of Castulo, is 607- miles, and a little more if we fol- low the line of the coast ; while its breadth, from Tarraco to the shore of Olarson^ is 307^ miles. From the foot of the PjTenees, where it is wedged in by the near approach of the two seas, it gradually expands until it touches the Farther Spain, and thereby acquires a width more than double ^ Nearly the whole of Spain abounds in mines ^ of lead, iron, 1 The people of Bracara Augusta, now Braga. Among the riiias of the ancient city are the remains of an aqueduct and an amphitheatre. This people probably derived their name from then- fasliion of wearing braccse, " breeches" or " trowsers," like their neighbours of GaUia Brac- cata. The exact locahties of the various other tribes here mentioned do not appear to be exactly known. 2 Our author is mistaken here, even making allowance for the short- ness of the Roman mile (1618 yards), as the length is only 470 miles. Coastwise it is 620. 3 Now Oyarzim. It is also mentioned in B. iv. c. 34.

  • He is also in error here ; for, taken in a straight hue, tliis distance

is but 210 miles. * The distance is about 560 miles. ^ It may be worth while here to take some notice of the mineral pro- ductions of Spain in modem times, from which we shall be able to form a more accurate judgement as to the correctness of the statement here made by Phny. Grains of gold are still to be found in the rivers Tagus and Douro ; but there is not found sufficient of the precious metal to pay for the search. Silver is found m the mines of the Guadal canal. Copper and lead are to be foimd in abundance. There is a mine of plumbago four leagues from Ronda ; and tin is found in GaUicia. In every pro- vince there are iron mines, those in Biscay being tlie most remarkable. Lodestone is foimd in Seville, cobalt on the Pyrenees, quicksilver and cmnabar at Almaden, arsenic m Asturias, and coal in Asturias and Arra- gon. There are salt-mines at Mingrilla and Cardona ; almn is found in Ar- ragon, antimony at Alcaraz. On the Sierra Morena, and in Gallicia, there is saltpetre in numerous locahties ; amber in Asturias and Valencia, and sulphur in Murcia, Arragon, and Seville. Pipe-clay of a pecuhar quahty is found in the vicmity of Andujar. Gypsum and marble are found in great abundance, and stone for building purjwses, of the best quality. Aine- thysts, white cornehans, rubies, agates, garnets, and rock crystals, with other precious stones, are also found in abundance and of the finest quality.