CASTILE, (OLD) a province of Spain, lies on the western side of the river Ebro, which, with the moun tain of Doea, separate it on the east from Arragon and Navarre. On the north, it is bounded by Asturias and Biscay ; on the west, by the kingdom of Leon ; and, on the south, it is divided from New Castile by the moun tains of Guadarrania. it forms an irregular triangle, of which the western side measures 59 leagues, the north east 51, and the 53; and comprehends an area of 13,272 square miles. c• Old Castile," says Laborde. " presents a succession of plaii,s, of rather one expat,se of down, surrounded by lofty mountains, and occasionally intersected by other mountains of equal elevation, and diversified by hills, eminences, and gentle acclisities." Its mountains are merely ramifications from the great Pyrenean ridge, which 111115 along the northern provinces of Spain as far as the Atlantic, and consist chiefly of the mountains of Burgos, culled also the mountains of San tander, the Skim d'Occa, the Sierra de Clogollos, and the Sierra Piquera. These mountains contain several varieties of marble ; and one in particular, which lies between Aspietia and Vidalia, is composed entirely of that substance, which is a black marble veined with white. Copper mines are found near d'Escary and Old Colt:mar ; and in the vicinity of the latter place, is a bed of jet, and several muriatic pyrites. A transparent vein of quartz, us fine as rock crystal, and forming a bed of about four inches in breadth, extends nearly half a league from south to north of Mata ; and, about two leagues from Guadarrama, another vein of quartz mixed with pyrites, intersects a mountain of granite from one side to the other. The quartz, in this vein, is detached front the rock ; and grains of gold are easily distinguishable. immint Arandillo, which constitutes a part of the moun tains of Burgos, is composed entirely of calcareous rock ; and, in its centre, exhibits impressions of the large horns of the corium ammonis, and that species of shells com monly called St James. On the top of the mountain is a thick saline lake, from which salt is procured by evapo ration, in the proportion of seven pounds of salt to one quintal of water.
Old Castile abounds with mineral waters. Among its cold springs, arc the celebrated lakes so well known by the name of Puente de Bocci°, or Lagos de San Vicente, and Lagos de Santa Casilda; and of its tepid springs, the principal are those of Arnedillo, whose source rises at the foot of the mountain Encineta, about a mile from the town, Barco d'Avila, Banos, which was well known to the Romans, and .Alcaraz.
TIM: province is watered by numerous rivers, among which are the Xalon, the Montibles, the Queiles, the Duero, the Cation, the 'Formes, the Cavar, the Ebro, the _Alhama, the A revadillo, the Araja, the Lagtera, the Ire qua, the Timm, the Pizuerga, the Zidacos, the Arlanzon, the Arlanza, the I lenarez, the Carnoca, the Valtaia, the .Abion, the Uzero, the Castillo, the Dueraton, the Bure jo, the Nazerilla, the Ora, the Paz, the Tueva, and the Oja. The plains and valleys are fertilized through' which they pass, and though the soil is frequently rocky, and scarcely susceptible of culture, yet in some places it is highly favourable for the purposes of agriculture, par ticularly in the district lying between Rodrigo and Bur gos. There the harvests are most luxtniant, and every species of grain is produced in great profusion, and of excellent quality'. Cultivation, however, is much neglect ed throughout the province. The ground is merely scratched with a light plough; but notwithstanding this slight preparation, the heat of the climate, and the dry ness of the atmosphere in this country, such is the inhe rent humidity and richness of the soil, that the crops are seldom known to fail ; and so plentiful is the increase, that a third part of the harvest is considered as sufficient for the consumption of the province. It is to this profu sion, indeed, that we must, in a great measure, attribute the backwardness of the natives to agricultural improve ments. The overphis of their crops, owing to the diffi culties of Conveyance, can seldom be converted into wealth. Their only method of exportation is on the backs of mules, and the roads are in general so wretch ed, that some of them arc even scale ely Fa( ticable to these sure-footed animals. Part of the great road wleic It leads from Bayonne to MacIrid, int( !sects this e, and passes through the cities of Burgos and Valladolid , but the cross roads are no better than they were lOur centuries ago. They are narrow, steep, and rugged. sometimes miry, and often impassable to horses. The pass of Guadarrama. hick is the lit artist point of «m munication betwcc n Old and New Castile, was, till about the middle of the last century., so stn p and difficult, that it could not be attempted v. ithout danger. But by the care and munificence of Ferdinand VI. a road •a formed, beginning at the village of Espinar, by w Inch the ascent etas rendered safe and easy. In gratitude lin this service, a marble monument has been erected to hi, memory, w hick represents a lion resting on a column. w ith this inscription :