The Romans were attracted to this province by the fertility or its soil, and the mildness of its climate; and it was converted into a garden, by the industry of the Moors. Upon the expulsion of the Moors it was great ly depopulated, and since that time it has continued in a state of nearly total inutility to Spain. The soil is extremely rich; but it is almost completely reduced to the state of rank pasturage. In the district of Badajoz alone, it is computed that there is a space of waste land 26 leagues long, by 12 broad. Neither gardens, nor or chards, nor fruit, nor mulberry trees, nor hemp, occur in the whole province. Wheat and rye are almost the sole productions, and the quantity grown is nearly sufficient for the support of a scanty population. Olive trees and vines are not numerous. Chesnut trees are more abundant, and afford nourishment to the inhabi tants. Every autumn, about 4,000,000 head of sheep are sent into the provinces, and remain during the win ter feeding upon the grass. Although agriculture is in this wretched state, yet there arc some cantons where it is more flourishing. Gardens and fruit ticcs abound between the Puebla de In Culzada and Montijo, in the Vera de Plasencia, Olive trees arc numerous at Banos; vines at Talavera la Vieja and Banos ; and nu merous plantations of oak, chesnut, and other trees, round Talavera, between Las Brozas and Arroya del Puc•co, in the Vera do Plasencia, and its valley, and near Ervas, Banos, and Bejar. Around Caceres and Plasencia, and in the valley of Bejar, agriculture is more attended to.
During several centuries, this province possessed some good manufactories of broad cloths, and other Ivoollen stuffs. The principal manufactories which ex isted before the revolution were, one of hats at Badajoz, established by a Frenchman, two similar manufactories at Zafr,., a number of tanyards at Zafra and at Cace res, and a manufactory of broad cloths at Arrago del Puerco. There is a manufactory of second cloths at Ervas, and another very considerable one at Bejar, which sends a quantity to Castile and Andalusia.
The roads and inns in Estremadura are very wretch ed. The road which leads into Portugal is the best kept,
and was always repaired when any of the royal family of Spain and Portugal travelled that way. Link de scribes this road as more magnificent than any of the English roads, and better than most of the French.
There are neither schools nor establishments of any kind in Estremadura, excepting two colleges, the inha bitants being in a state of extreme ignorance.
This province contains three bishoprics, Badajoz, Fla sencia, and Coria; th ee cathedral chapters in these three towns, SO military commanderics, 415 parishes, 172 con vents, 31 hospitals, 2 asylums, 2 colleges for the edu cation of youth, 7 cities, 228 small towns, 94 villages, 1 grand military government, 11 particular military go vernments, I intendant at Badajos, and a royal audience at Caceres.
The chief towns are Badajoz, which is the capita!, Plasencia, Coria, Merida, Truxillo, Xeros, de los Cavalleros, Llerena, Almatana, Zafra, Caceres, Albu querque, and Olivenca.
The principal rivers are the Tagus and the Guadia na, which arc navigable, and other eighteen, viz. the Alagon, the Cuyar, the Sabot-, the Savar, the Allegrette, the Alamonte, the Guyar, the Navazo, the Naluenga, the Lentrin, the Rivello, the Guadajiera, the Caya, the Mutachcl, the Guadarranque, the Gevara, the Albarra gena, and the Ahrilongo.
The principal mountains are of considerable eleva tion, some of them being branches of the Sierra Con stamina, in the centre of the kingdom of Seville, which it crosses from north-east to south, throwing out rami fications into the kingdom of Cordova, and joining the Sierra Morena on the north. The Sierra de Guada lupe is very- high, and of peat extent, and projects a number of branches into different parts of the province, In the years 1787 and 1788, the province contained 41 6,922 inhabitants, consisting of From this scanty population, the traveller often pass es through the immense tracts without seeing a settle ment, a house, or a human being, and without perceiv ing a tree, or a spot of cultivated land. See Link's Travels hi Portugal; and Laborde's View of Spain. (70