ESTREMADURA, is the name of the largest and most fertile, though the least populous and the least cul tivated of the provinces of Spain. It is bounded on the north and north-east by the kingdom of Leon ; on the east by New Castile ; on the south and south-east by the kingdom of Seville in Andalusia ; and on the west by the Portuguese provinces of Estremadura, Beira, Entre Trajo-et-Guadiana. It is about 50 leagues long from north to south, and 45 broad from cast to west, and con tains about 2000 square leagues.
This province is intersected by ranges of hills, the mineralogy of which has not yet been carefully exa mined. A mine of copper, in a blue and green mixed stone, occurs in the Sierra de Guadalupe, to the south of the village of Logrosen. There is a lead mine, which has been worked on an eminence called Vadija, or val ley of Las Minas, about 2i leagues from Logrosen, on the road to Zolamea. Another occurs about a league from Alocer, in a plain intersected by banks of calca reous stone and slate. Blood stones are found near Nabal Villar. A vein of whitish and tasteless phospho ric stone, which, when pounded, takes fire, and gives a blue flame, crosses the road obliquely from north to south, on leaving the village of Logroscn at the foot of the Sierra de Guadalupe. A black earth, which shines when rubbed between the hands, is found upon a very steep mountain on the road between Alcocer and Nabal Villar. Laborde says, that it is a mine of refractory iron. A mine of iron on a sandy stone, containing very fine red ochre, is found between Alcocer and Or ellona. A blackish mineral, which Mr Bowless regards as an infusible iron, which strikes fire with steel, and contains a red emery, is found on the mountain of Larcs, about a league from Alcocer. This mine was worked by the Moors, who erected a fortress on the mountain, which still remains. The mountain is com posed of a brown freestone, mixed with quartz. Near Alcocer, there also occurs a smooth emery, with grains, containing a small quantity of gold. It was likewise worked by the Moors.
Silver is found in a whitish stone, with a white mica, on the mountain to the north of Logrosen. It also oc curs upon an eminence called Chantee, towards Zala mea, two leagues from the eminence called Vadija. It is found with lead, in a granite rock cut against its na tural direction. The vein also contains spar, quartz,
white and yellow pyrites, and a black shining and crum bling pyritous matter. This mine has been worked, but was abandoned in consequence of being filled with water. Mr Link informs us, that before he arrived at Almaraz, he found along the hill to the northward of the Tagus slaty granite, on which, near the vertex, rested a clay slate, mixed with much mica. Towards the Puerto, he found a great change in the kinds of stone; such as clay slate with mica, sandstone slate, green marl, and between these, strata of carbonates, and traces of phosphates, of limestone, which is also found in strata in those mountains farther to the westward. The sandstone is less slaty higher up the Puerto; and the summit is covered with ratchil. Towards Joray ciego, on the other side, the clay slate and sand slate continue to the neighbourhood of Truxillo, the country around which is composed wholly of granite. Sand slate and clay slate. were found near Meajadas, but the rat chit began about the yenta del despoblado, which, at a village called San Pedro, formed rocks of a kind of breccia, extending along the Guadiana, to Merida, from which the course of the river is through plains, or be tween gentle hills, as far as Badajoz, excepting a pretty high granite mountain on the south side of the Guadi ana, near 'Alerida. Soon after this follow hills of a kind of sand breccia, and then a sandy plain as far as Me rida.
Several of the Estremadura mountains, particularly that of Guadalupe, are covered with numerous medi cinal plants. This mountain has several stags and roebucks. The principal mineral springs in the pro vince, are those of Cheles, nine leagues from Talavera la Real ; the Fuente de las Aguzaderas, near Zafra, upon the mountain Castellar ; the Fuente Carras co, near the village of Almaharrin; the Fuente de Ber nardo Estevard, near Barcarrota, a small town about seven leagues from Badajoz, and a quarter of a league out of the road from Xeres de los Cavalieros; and ano ther by the side of the Hermitage of St Bartolome, near Alang,e, a town of three leagues to the east of Merida. The first five of these are cold, and the last is thermal. It is very copious, and has baths, and was much fre quented in the time of the Romans, the ruins of a bason and an oval edifice being still visible.