ELCHE, the MO of the Romans, is a town of Spain in the province of Valencia, situated in a plain almost entirely covered with palms. It contains several good streets, several spacious squares, some splendid houses, and six fountains, one of which is of marble in the shape of a tomb, and discharges excellent water by 20 pipes. At the end of a beautiful bridge, without any water un der it, is a circular marble fountain which discharges the water by eight pipes ; but the water of this and the other four fountains is brackish. There are three pa rish churches in the town, an hospital with 20 beds, two convents of monks, and one of nuns. The church of St Maria has a marble portal, and, according to Laborde, is a " monstrous assemblage of plain, twisted, and spiral fluted columns." On the road from Orihuela, on the left as we approach the town, there is a large and hand some square building, which is used as barracks for the troops. The Ducal Palace, standing on the bank of a
deep ravine, bears marks of a high antiquity.
Elche carries on a great trade in dates and palms, with which the surrounding country is covered. There are several tanneries and a soap manufactory in the town.
The town is the residence of a vicar-general of the Bishop of Orihuela, and is governed by an alcalde major, four regidors, and some deputies of the commons.
The town is remarkably gloomy, and has no kind of amusement, society being very rare. The inhabitants, and particularly the husbandmen, are rich. Don George Juan, one of the most celebrated of the Spanish mathe maticians, was born at Elche. Population 2700 houses, 15,000 inhabitants, of whom there are 500 families of labourers, and several noble families. See Laborde's View of Spain, and Townsend's Travels, vol. iii.