There is little inland commerce in the province, as the roads are generally in a very bad state ; and there are few commodities to support a foreign trade. The exports are cutlery, ribbons, worked spart, wine, silk, grain, kali, saffron, to the amount of 493,038/. annually ; and the imports are fruits, beef and mutton, wines, spices, linens, cloths, silk stuffs, hardware, and a few ar ticles of luxury. But the balance is in favour of the exports, which brings some wealth into the country every year.
There are no inns in the province, except in the towns of Murcia and Carthagena ; and the posades are very bad. Coaches, calashes, and volantes, are used in tra velling ; and there are various little carts and waggons, drawn by mules or oxen ; but asses are principally used in carrying burdens. No attention is paid to the arts and sciences in the province. There are no artists, nor even a tolerable workman in the whole of it. Ex cept at Carthagena, where the institutions for education are confined to the pupils for the royal navy, there arc only a few miserable schools kept by monks. There are two public libraries in the town of Murcia ; but few persons make any use of them. The principal towns of this province are, Murcia, Carthagena, Lorca, Ju milla, Albacete, Almanza. The country is thinly in habited, except in the more fertile plains, where the villages are closely crowded. The population is not
above one-half of what it might contain ; and in 1788, did not exceed 338,000.
The natives of this province are remarkable for their apathy and indolence. They seldom remove from their native spot, to enter the army, the navy, or the univer sities. The more wealthy individuals spend their whole time in eating, sleeping, or smoking cigars. The shop keepers, the mechanics, and even the peasantry, are con stantly retiring to their meals, or their repose, and do not employ a quarter of the day at their work. Even the domestic servants, in the summer season, when it is easy to procure subsistence, leave their places, and refuse to labour when they can live without it. They are indif ferent even about walking abroad for recreation ; and either spend their clays within doors, or sit down if they come into the open air. They seldom visit one an other's houses, nor take any part in amusements, nor bestow any attention on dress and furniture. It is only in Carthagena that the inhabitants show any activity, affability, or enjoyment ; but these are chiefly foreigners, collected in me place for the purposes of trade. See Laborde's View of Spain, vol. ii. (q.)