ON the 1st of the month the wind was south-west; from the 2d to the 4th westerly; from the 5th to the 11th south-west; on the 12th and 13th to the south-east; on the 14th south and south-west; on the 15th and 16th south-east; on the 17th and 18th easterly; from the 19th to the 23d casterly; on the 23d and 24th south-west; from the 25th to the 27th southerly; on the 28th and 29th west; on the 30th south; and on the 31st south-east. We had a heavy gale of wind, accompanied with showers, on the 5th, and strong gales ca the 2d, 6th, 14th, 19th, 28th, and 29th. The only thunder storm we had in the course of the month was in the morning of the 12th, and it was of short duration. We had rain on the 1st, 3d, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 15th, 16th, 24th; 28th, and 31st. The weather has not been so hot as it frequently is in the month of May. May 2d. Toads begin to croak in the evenings. The swifts are now seen in considerable numbers, and fly screaming after each other in the same manner as they do in the middle of summer. May 4th. The nightingale is arrived. Sweet-scented vernal grass (anthoxanthum odoratum) is in flower. It is this grass, chiefly, that gives to hay its peculiar scent. May 6th. The black-cap sings. The cuckoo is arrived. Mushrooms are gathered. May 7th. Chaffers (scarabæus melolontha) begin to fly about in the evenings. It is really wonderful to observe with what exactness of time the first leafling of the trees, and the emerging of these insects from the ground, take place. Whether the season be early or late, the chaffers invariably make their first appearance as soon as a sufficiency of food is provided for them by the vernal foliage. May 8th. The seven-spotted lady-bug (coccinella septempunctata) flies about. The bloom of the hawthorn begins to expand. Damson-trees are in bloom. Yellow wagtails (motacilla flava) appear. May 12th. This was a close, damp, and yet sultry, day. The ponds and manure heaps along the sides of the road were extremely offensive. The caterpillars of the barred tree, lackey-moth (bombyx neustrius of Haworth) begin to merge from the ova which the parent insects deposited in the autumn round slender twigs of apple-trees. These caterpillars are in some seasons so numerous as to devour a great part of the foliage. There has been of late so much rain in the country to the westward, that the rivers have ⚫verflowed their banks. May 13th. The sowing of barley, which was much retarded by the wet weather, is now going on; and, if the weather continues fine for a few days longer, will be finished. May 15th. Bird's-foot trefoil (orxitbopus perpusillus), heart medick (medicago polymorpha), common vetch (vicia sativa), and common bird's-foot trefoil (lotus corniculatus), are in flower, The hawthorn also is now in full bloom. May 20th. The chaffers are not at all numerous; but, if we may judge by the devastations which have of late been committed by the chaffer-grub (or rook-worm as it is usually called) it seems probable that in the next spring these insects will be unusually abundant. The froth-worm, or cuckoo spit, appears on the blades of grass and other herbage. The leaves of the mulberry-tree are not yet fully expanded. Those of the walnut-tree have been much injured by the chaffers. May 26th. Wall butterfly (papilio mægera), red admira! (papilio atalanta), and fern chaffer (scarabæus borticola), appear. May 27th. Young wood-pigeons are nearly fledged Rye is in full ear; and the bramble, and dog-rose, are in flower. May 30th. Green pease, and ripe strawberries gathered. May 31st. The crops of grass are heavier in this neighbourhood than they have been far several years past. The rye also promises to afford an abundant crop; and the wheat and barley are, on the whole, looking very well. The yellow iris, and fox-glove, are in flower. MONTHLY MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. THE grass is generally down in the vicinity of London, and the hay harvest proceeding in all the forward parts of the country. Although a considerable and profitable bulk, the meadow hay does not quite equal the general expectation as to quantity; but pasture lands, and the artificial grasses, were scarcely ever more remarkable for weight of swathe. The grass is also very forward on all mowed and cleared grounds. Wheats are now in high bloom, and although the late cold and changeable weather and high winds have in some degree affected their colour, no damage is yet apprehended, and in ten days or a fortnight more the blooming will generally be over in the southern counties. In some of the cold and wet lands wheat looks rather sickly, and recovery will depend entirely on the state of the weather during the next two or three weeks. They talk of too great a bulk of straw upon inferior lands, for the crop to be very productive on such, but the warm and good lands are of the highest promise. The growth of Spring wheat is full as considerable as last year. The spring crops promise a general abundance, with the exception of some barleys and oits, which have been blighted, probably as well by the lightning as the chills and variable wer ther. Pease and beans will be a full crop-potatoes an extraordinary one. It is said the potatoe-crop in Lancashire has been for several years overdone, much undrained and improper land being applied to that purpose, to the great deterioration of the quality of the Lancashire root. Hops will be an universal crop, and fruit most abundant. Some little damage has been done to the rutaboga, by the slug or fly. English turnips will be rather a late season. The lands work admirably, Fat beef uncommonly dear-store cattle somewhat cheaper, the grass going off. In Ireland and Wales, the seasons have been wet, cold, and backward, probably near a month behind the southern parts of England. In France, and generally upon the Continent, the present, it is said, will be the most productive year of the last ten. Smithfield: Beef, 5s. 4d. to 68. 4d. ;-Mutton, 5s. 4d. to 6s. Od. ;-Veal, 63. to 7s. 6d. ;➡ Lamb, 6s. 8d. to 7s. ôd.;-Pork, 5s. 4d, to 6s. 8d. ;-Bacon, 7s. Od. to 7s. 4d.-Irish ditto Bs. 4d. to 6s. Od. ;—Fat, 39. 6d. ;—Skins, 20s, to 303.—Oil cake, 15l. 13s. per thousand. Middlesex, June 25, 1811. METEOROLOGICAL REPORT. Ibservations on the State of the Weather, from the 24th of May, 1811, to the 24th of June, 1811, inclusive, Four Miles N.N.W. St. Paul's. In the early part of the month we had showers, attended with a good deal of thunder, and some days with very vivid lightning; but the quantity of rain is only equal to about 1 in depth. The average height of the barometer is equal to 29-63, which is lower than might be ex pected, considering the small quantity of rain. The average temperature is 62° 27, nearly 4° higher than that of the last month. We have had but little very hot weather, and some exceedingly cold days, occasioned by severe easterly winds. The season, on the whole, must be regarded as highly favourable to the hay-harvest; and the crops are very large. The wind has come as frequently from the westerly points as from the easterly, so that it may be said we have had a smaller portion of east winds than usual. The number of brilliant days is 17, of the others few have been cloudy or very dull through the whole of the day. In ERRATA. page 524, col. 1, line 11 from the bottom, read the interests,” instead of “‹ interests ;" and at page 558, in the notice of Dr. Busby's directions, for " Dr. Julian, Busby,“, reak Mr. George Frederic Busby,” TO THE THIRTY-FIRST VOLUME OF THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE. VOL. 31. No. 215.] JULY 30, 1811. [PRICE CS. AT HALF-YEARLY RETROSPECT OF DOMESTIC LITERATURE. TRAVELS IN THE SOUTH OF SPAIN, in Letters written in 1809 and 1810, BY WILLIAM JACOB, ESQ. M.P. F.R.S. Ta moment when Spain has, in every respect, become so interesting to the world, nothing could have been more desirable than that it should have been visited and reported of by so intelligent a traveller as Mr. JACOB. As a British merchant of the first class, as an experienced traveller, as a lover of science and literature, and as an active member of the British House of Commons, he was eminently qualified to perform the task he undertook; and in its execution every candid reader will arise from his work instructed and gratified. Some obliquities in Mr. Jacob's political opinions, and a passionate misrepresentation given by him in Parliament, of the views of the enemies of corruption in Middlesex, have, we are aware, created prejudices against Mr. J. among the friends of public liberty in England; yet these aberrations incident to the fallibility of man do not, in the main, subtract from Mr. Jacob's general pretensions; and, in the work before us, he has proved himself a man of sense, and, as far as regards Spain, a clear-headed politician. Our readers will agree with us, after they have heard Mr. Jacob speak for himself, in the imperfect views given of his valuable work, in the following extracts. FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF CADIZ. The view on entering the bay of Cadiz presents the finest collection of objects that can be conceived: on one extremity of the left point is situated the town of Rota, a little farther the castle of Santa Catalina and the neat city of Santa Marih; at a greater distance, on the lap of a lofty hill, stands Medina; nearer the, sea the town of Puerto Real and the arsenal of the Caraccas; and on the extremity of the right hand point of land the city of Cadiz. To add to the splen. dour of the scene, this extensive bay was filled with the vessels of different nations displaying their respective colours amidst MONTHLY MAG. No. 215. a forest of masts. The whiteness of the houses, their size, and apparent cleanliness, the magnificence of the public edifices, and the neat and regular fortifications, form together a most striking assemblage of objects. The ground opposite to Cadiz has little appearance of verdure; and, except the vineyards near Santa Maria and Rota, all looked brown and barren. I am aware, that in no other country must I expect the beautiful verdure of England, which, in spite of our hazy atmosphere, enlivens our prospects and gives them a richness and variety which I have looked for in vain in Germany, in America, and the West Indian Islands. We landed between four and five o'clock, at the wharf without the Seagate, amidst a crowd of boats which made it difficult to approach the shore. The precautions of our friends, who had provided a house for our residence, and got our baggage passed through the gates with slight examination, prevented our feeling the inconveniences usually experienced at first landing in a foreign city. After I had entered the gates, and be come a little reconciled to the nauseoня effluvia of oil and garlic, I was greatly struck by the extraordinary scene around me; and could have imagined almost that I had suddenly been dropped from the clouds into the midst of a large masquerade: the variety of dresses and characters, the swarms of people, the height and externally clean appearance of the houses, with the curtains drawn across from one side to the other, and the extrame narrowness of the streets, rendered still more so by the projecting balconies of painted or gilt iron gratings, all produced feelings I never before experienced, and which no language can describe. thermometer seldom exceeding 70; and the walk in the evening by the sea side most refreshing and cool. The mode of living is also favourable to health and enjoyment, fruits and vegetables form the principal food even at the best tables; and, though a species of cookery approaching to French is introduced at Cadiz, it is so combined with that which is purely Spanish, that the difference is scarcely to be distinguished Very little wine is drunk during dinner, and imme. diately afterwards the gentlemen retire to coffice with the ladies. The habits of the Spaniards are very temperate and frugal, so far as regards the table and the furniture of their houses, but they keep a much greater number of domestic servants than families of the same, description in England. In their dress and personal ornaments both the men and women are very extravagant, especially the latter; and I am told that the money expended on a lady's silk stockings and shoes alone (for they never walk out twice in the same) is enormous. CADIZ MARKET. Yesterday, though Sunday, the market was excessively crowded, especially the fish and vegetable markets; the latter was supplied with a surprising profusion of every thing in season. Garlic in this place is a most important article, and is sold in strings three or four yards long, which are piled in stacks. The market also abounded with onions, grapes, melons, pumpkins, turnips, carrots, and celery of a prodigious thickness. The consumption of meat in this city is very small, and the little consumed is of a very inferior quality. The poorer and middle class of people live principally on fruits and vegetables, with fish which is sold fied in oil, at shops in different parts of the town. WINE MANUFACTORY OF XERES. The principal commerce of this place consists of wine, especially of that species so generally known by the name of Sherry. The quantity annually made in this place is about 40,000 pipes, of this 25,000 are consumed in this city, in Cadiz, and the vicinity; 15.000 are exported, of which about 7000 are sent to England; and the remainder to the United States, or to the different Spanish dominions in South America. The value of the wine, when new, is from eight to ten pounds per pipe; it increases in value by age, and that which is sent to England is always mixed with brandy, which occasions a further sugmentation in the price. Most of the wine merchants in Xeres have distilleries, to make brandy, to add to their wine, but do not export any. A large quantity of it is likewise consumed in the mountainous part of Andalusia, where it is mixed with anniseed, and very much used by the lower class of people during the winter. There are no staves nor iron hoops made in this part of Spain, so that supplies are obliged to be obtained from foreign countries, for the packages in which they even export their most important production. The United States of America furnish the staves, and the iron hoops are sent from England. Besides the wine sent to England, under the denomination of Sherry, there are some sweet wines made in this neigh bourhood, which are much valued by the natives, and among others the tent wine, as it is called in England. Very little care is employed in the original making of their wines: the growers are generally poor, and indebted to the merChants of this city, who, by advancing them money before the vintage, are ena bied to take advantage of their embarrassed circumstances, to purchase at rates, which keep those growers in a perpetual state of dependance. This want of capital is felt in a still greater degree by the owners of the olive trees, the va riable produce of which frequently leaves them too deeply in debt, in unfruitful years, to enable them to clear themselves in those which are more productive. To this deficiency of agricultural capital may probably be attributed the languishing state of the cultivation in Spain. THE GORDONS. The Gordon family has been long established at Xeres: it came originady from Scotland, and settled here in consequence of its attachment to the unfor tunate House of Stuart, and its adhe rence to the Catholic religion. Mr. James Gordon, though married to a Spanish lady, sent his daughters to England for their education, who, after some years residence in the convent at York, returned to this city. One of them is married to a colonel in the Spanish army, who is now with his regiment in La Mancha. Mr. Gordon, besides being a wine merchant and a distiller, is a very large farmer; he has purchased 2400 acres of good land, which is mostly in tillage, and is principally cultivated by the German soldiers who were captured at the sur render of Dupont's army at Baylen; he has also some young men from the Lothians in Scotland: and with these labourers he conducts his farms to advantage, and has introduced all the improvements which have been recco practised by the best agriculturists in Great Britain. THE MARQUIS WELLISLEY. The day after my arrival I waited on our ambassador, the Marquis Wellesiey, who received me with dignified, but not distant, politeness: his conversation discoveret an accurate knowledge, and comprehensive view, of the state of Spain, while his liberal conduct, and uniform attention to his countrymen, must en sure him their respect and esteem. The arrival of this celebrated nobleman in Seville, produced an extraordinary sensation, a sensation certainly neither prepared nor fostered by the body to whom he was sent, whose narrow souls were jealous of his character, and apprehensive lest his powerful talents should detect, and expose their contracted policy and futile projects. All the respectable inhabitants of the city, among whom were many of those men whose information, patriotism, and energetic minds, had planned and effected the first revolution, became the leaders on this occasion also, and conducted the triumphal entry of the British minister. Seville was emptied of its population, and the expecting crowds patiently endured, without the city, the heat of the sun, the privation of their meals, and of their siesta, and tranquilly waited from morning till dusk, to welcome the approach of a man whose high rank and distinguished capacity were considered as pledges of the generous and disinterested intentions of the monarch he represented. The shouts of the people, and the acclamations of the multitude, were genuine and unequivocal demonstrations of the strong feelings of the nation; but the conduct of their rulers discovered merely that routine of compliments which the hollow intrigues of a court may teach, but which he, who had ruled such courts in India, knew in what manner to appreciate. The welcome of Lord Wellesley at Cadiz had perhaps been increased by the news of his brother's victory at Talavera; and certainly one cause of his lordship's enthusiastic reception in that city may be attributed to that fortu nate occurrence; but at Seville all was pure, unmixed joy for the arrival of a man whose nation was venerated, whose character had preceded him, and to whose high qualities they looked up for deliverance from the government of a body of men fortuitously rated to the unlimited exercise of the even me and legislative power of a grea in dron. TATEM JUNIA. GARAY, DE SCureticy of shop, seems a man of jan gesa bost, without finesse, and y'e, aby asshluots s in busi ness; he is ey acessibic, and, is ha cabinet is in the apartment adjoining to that in which Senora Garay holds her evening parties, persons, who come to him on public business in the evening, are amused by conversing with the ladies till their turn for admission to the minis ter arrive. At Senora Garay's evening party, called the Tertulla, there is generally some good company, with a considerable mixture of vulgar-looking men, dressed in boots and shabby military uniforms, and smoaking segars. The ladies as well as Garay are fugitives from Madrid, who, following their husbands, and fathers, have assembled at Seville. Though among this party evident marks of departed grandeur are visible, no repining is heard; they hear their situation with resignation, and only vent their feelings in execrating the French. apartments occupied by Garay, are in the Alcazar, or antient palace, and are literally destitute of all furniture except a great number of common chairs, with rush bottoms, and one small table on which the lights are placed. The walls have some few arabesque ornaments and inscriptions. The floors are of brick; and the only part that looks respectable is a door covered with crimson damask, which was put up when the late King Charles the Fourth occupied these apart ments. The The MARQUIS DE VILLEL, another member of the Junta, whom I have frequently visited, was, for a short time, governor of Cadiz, but rendered himself so obnoxious that he was forced to abscond; he interfered with too many of the volup tuous pleasures of that city, and, having attempted to lengthen the petticoats of the actresses, and cover the necks of some of the ladies of rank, he became so generally odious that he could remain there no longer. His stupidity, his frivolous turn of mind, and his ignorance, unfit him for any office requiring mental exertion, and yet, it is said, that he has considerable weight in the Junta, COUNT TILLI, one of the representa tives from Seville, was known there only from his ill-gotten wealth, and his generally profligate character; he was, how, |