This last town,
one of the most ancient commercial places in the world, is highly favoured
both by nature and art as a port; and before the French revolutionary war,
and the separation of the American colonies from the mother state, was
undoubtedly the first commercial city in Spain. The exports of the northern
provinces consist principally in iron, wool, chesnuts and filberts, &c.;
the imports, which chiefly come from England, Holland, and France, are
woollen, linen, and cotton goods, hardware, and salted fish.
On the Mediterranean, Malaga may be regarded as the third commercial city
in Spain, though its harbour is not good; the other ports in this sea, at
which trade is carried on to any considerable extent, are Carthagena,
Alicant, and Barcelona, which ranks after Cadiz in commercial importance,
and now that the colonial trade is destroyed, may be placed above it. The
principal exports from these Mediterranean towns are wines, dried fruits,
oils, anchovies, wool, barilla, soap, kermes, antimony, vermilion, brandy,
cork, silk, &c. Barcelona formerly exported an immense number of shoes to
the colonies. The imports consist chiefly of Baltic produce, the articles
enumerated as forming the imports of the north of Spain, and some articles
from Italy and Turkey.
Portugal, not nearly so extensive as Spain, nor blessed with such a fertile
territory, is before her in commerce: she possesses two sea-ports of the
first consideration, Lisbon and Oporto; and five of the second class.
Pages:
866
867
868
869
870
871
872
873
874
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882
883
884
885
886
887
888
889
890