"with such goods as they wanted, owing to which, and to its being a very " opulent and large city, filled with passengers and merchants, the produce of the tithe imposed upon the goods and paid by the Christian merchants "amounted to very considerable sums, and exceeded that collected in any "other sea-port.

Costly silken robes of the brightest colours are manufactured in Almeria." Thus far Ash-shakandí.

Some of the districts surrounding Almeria deserve mention. One of them is that of Berjah (Berja), where lead is to be found in great abundance. Its capital, Berja, is situate on a very pretty river called Wádi-'Adhra 127 (the river of Adra), whose banks are covered with trees and flowers. A poet has said very happily,

"When one comes to Berja on the road to Almeria there is no remedy "but to stop there and desist from the journey,

"For indeed its houses and gardens are so many paradises, while the roads leading to them are so many hells." 128

Hisn-Shinsh 129 is a fine town distant one day's march from Almeria. Its territory abounds in mulberry trees, by means of which a prodigious quantity of silk-worms are reared. The river of Tabernash (Tabernas) passes close to this town.

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'Jayyén' " 130 (Jaen), says Ash-shakandí in his risáleh, “is the citadel of Andalus ; Jaen. "for no city can be compared with it for abundance of grain, number of valiant soldiers, nor for the strength and solidity of its fortifications. Indeed during "the last civil war and its disastrous campaigns the infidels had more than one opportunity of showing their inability to compete with the Moslems, since as many times as they appeared before the walls of that city they were severely repulsed, obliged to raise the siege, and to fly further than the Pleiades, 131 and "to make themselves as scarce in the surrounding districts as the eggs of the pelican are among the rocks. 132

"Jaen is not destitute of ulemas and poets. It is the birth-place of many illustrious individuals in all professions, and the sciences are cultivated in it "with as great an ardour and enthusiasm as in any part of Andalus. It is generally "known by the name of Jayyénu-l-harir 133 (Jaen of the silk), owing to the extensive "cultivation of mulberry trees for the rearing of silk worms within Jaen and in "the environs.

"It may also be said in praise of Jaen that it extends its jurisdiction over districts like that of Ubedha (Ubeda), where the vines are in such abundance "that their fruit cannot be sold on account of its excessive plenty, and like "that of Bayésah (Baeza), which is famous for its saffron which is exported in great quantities by land and water.

"The first-mentioned district (Ubeda) offers another very striking peculiarity,

viz., that its inhabitants are all very fond of music and dancing; so that thou "wilt find among them dancing girls who are famous for their beauty and "admirable shape, and who dance with great elegance and taste. They are "also very expert in playing with swords, and cups, in drawing horoscopes, untying knots, and finding out hidden things." 134

CHAPTER III.

Western district-Seville-Xerez-Gibraltar-Tarifa-Beja-Badajos-Merida-Lisbon-Silves.

ISHBILIAH (Seville) was one of the finest cities of Andalus. We have stated Seville. elsewhere (following the words of Ibn An-naththám) that it was founded by Ishbán, king of the Romans. However, the building of this city is by others attributed to another king of the Romans whose name was Julius, and who was the first to take the title or appellation of Kaysar (Cæsar). Which of the two was its real founder we are unable to determine. They say that when Cæsar came to Andalus, and saw the spot which is now occupied by Seville, he was very much struck with the beauty, extent, and apparent fertility of the country all around him; that he was also very much pleased with the luxuriance and fine vegetation of the mountainous district (now) called Asharaf (Axarafe), and therefore determined upon building a city in that spot. Having chosen a convenient situation on the banks of the Wádi-l-'adhem (Guadalquivir),' he began the building of his city, which he surrounded with strong stone walls, and in the centre of which he erected two citadels of wonderful structure, which he named Al-akháwin (the two sisters). Kaysar, moreover, fixed his residence in his new city, which became thus the capital of his kingdom, and was known ever after by the name of JuliahRomiyah, which its founder gave to it, being a compound of his own name (Julius) and that of his native country (Romah).

Seville, as we have already remarked, became also the capital of Andalus during the Gothic domination, for the kings of this race used to divide their court between four principal cities, viz. Seville, Cordova, Carmona, and Toledo; and to reside in one of these four cities, according to the different seasons of the year.

One of the authors who has described Seville expresses himself in the following terms:-" Seville is built on the banks of the Guadalquivir, also known by the "name of Wádi Kortubah (the river of Cordova). A very handsome bridge of boats, fastened together by means of iron chains, serves as a communication for

"the people living on the two banks of the river. The city itself is fine and well "built; the squares are large, and the market-places commodious and abundantly provided with every necessary, as also with articles of trade of the most expensive kind, which afford great gain to the merchants. The people of Seville are said "to be wealthy; their principal traffic consists in their oils, which they ship to "distant parts of the East and West. The olive tree grows very luxuriantly in all "the districts dependent on the city, but above all, in that called Axarafe, which "is an extensive tract of land measuring about forty miles in length, and nearly as much in width, formed of gentle hills of a reddish earth, and where there are "forests of olive and fig trees planted so thickly as to afford the passengers who "travel through them a complete shelter in the hottest summer day. The Axarafe " contains besides a very large population scattered in farm houses, or living in "towns and villages, which have also their market-places, their baths,—fine buildings, and other conveniences and comforts only to be met with in cities "of the first order."

The author of the Minhaju-l-fakar (open way to reflection) says that Seville was one of the handsomest cities in the world, and its inhabitants famous for their indolent habits, and their love of pleasure, which in them was almost proverbial. They led a most luxurious and dissipated life, which, the author observes, was chiefly owing to the delightful river that flows through their territory, and which "has not its equal in the world. It is navigable for large vessels, and is always "filled with pleasure-boats kept by the inhabitants, and by fishing or trading "vessels in the opinion of some it surpasses in beauty the Euphrates, the Tigris, " and the Nile. Its banks are covered with fruit trees, forming a sort of canopy over the river, so that one may sail in it sheltered from the rays of the sun, and listening to the charming melody of the singing birds. The journey along its "banks is equally pleasant, and one may travel the distance of ten parasangst

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(thirty miles) through clusters of buildings and farm houses, high towers and "strong castles, forming a continued city. The tide is perceptible in the river of "Seville at a distance of seventy-two miles from the sea. It also abounds in fish, "of which the daily consumption is almost incredible. The amount of taxes paid by the city of Seville only, during the Khalifate of Al-hakem Ibn Hishám, is stated "at one hundred and thirty-five thousand dinárs."

Seville and its territory was also known by the name of Hems (Emesa), as we have said elsewhere; for when the lands of Andalus were divided among the Arab settlers it fell to the lot of the people of Emesa in Syria, whose banner immediately follows that of the people of Damascus in the processions at Medina.

Various are the works of art and splendid buildings described by the authors

who have written about Seville; but the most amazing of all is unquestionably the tower attached to the great mosque, which was built during the reign of Ya'kúb Al-mansúr. As a piece of architecture it is unparalleled in the world. Ibnu Sa'íd mentions also several spots in the vicinity of Seville to which the inhabitants used to resort for the sake of recreation and indulgence; one was Tarayanah (Triana),6 one of the suburbs attached to the city, the other Kabtál,' an island on the Guadalquivir.

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Another of the peculiarities of Seville is that figs and oil will keep for a considerable length of time without being spoilt; the sugar cane grows in its territory; and the worm called kermes, which dyes of a colour superior to the lac of India, is also found in great abundance on the oak trees. But, indeed, were we to enumerate all the excellences of its soil, we should protract this work to an interminable length. However, as Seville is one of the cities described by Ash-shakandí in his risáleh, and this with his usual accuracy and eloquence, we shall here quote his words:" Seville," says that learned and most accomplished writer, "is to be praised for many things: mildness of temperature, purity of air, fine buildings, good streets, picturesque environs, and abundance of provisions and commodities of all sorts. This latter requisite indeed gave rise to that saying, so common among the people of Andalus- If thou seekest for birds' milk, by Allah thou "shalt find it in Seville.' Nor can I pass in silence its beautiful river, the Guadalquivir, in which the ebb is felt at a distance of seventy-two miles, and "which the poet Ibnu Saffár describes in that very ingenious distich

The breeze falls playfully on the river, and, lifting up the skirts of its robe, agitates the surface of its waters; the stream, resisting the outrage, hastens 'down to revenge it.

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The ring-dove laughs on its banks from the excess of his love, and the 'whole scene is covered with the veil of tranquillity and peace.' "But this is neither the time nor the place to explain the phenomenon of the tide. Both banks of the Guadalquivir are covered with pleasure-gardens, orchards, vines, and yew trees, 10 in such profusion that I doubt whether there is any river in the world to compete with it in this respect; and let this not be "taken as an exaggeration, for I once questioned a very intelligent man, who had travelled through Egypt, about the Nile, and he told me that that famous river had neither the verdure, nor the orchards, gardens and pleasure-grounds, which "the Guadalquivir has on its banks. I also asked a traveller who had resided in Baghdad, and he gave me a similar answer about the Tigris: in fact, the Guadalquivir can only be compared to a paradise, for not only are the districts watered by it the most delightful regions that can be imagined, but the inhabitants

VOL. I.

I