Spain, Having Substituted The Artificial Stimulus Of Her American Mines In The Place Of The Natural And Nutritive Food Of Real Industry, On Which She Fed During The Dominion Of The Moors, Gradually Fell Off In Commercial Importance, As Well As In Political Consequence And Power.

The decline in her commerce, and in her home industry, was further accelerated and increased by the absurd restrictions which she imposed on the intercourse with her colonies.

All these circumstances concurring, about the period when she fell into the power of the house of Bourbon, - that is, about the beginning of the eighteenth century, - she sunk very low in industry and commerce, and she has, since that period, continued to fall.

And yet, as we have observed, she possesses great natural advantages: a sea coast on the Atlantic and Mediterranean of considerable extent; a great variety of climate and soil, and consequently of productions, - she might become, under a wise and free government, distinguished for her political power and her commerce.

On the Atlantic, the first port towards the north is Saint Sebastian; then succeeds Bilboa, St. Andero, Gijon, Ferrol, and Corunna; but though some of these, especially Ferrol and Corunna, possess excellent harbours, yet the poverty of the adjacent country prevents them from having much trade. To the south of Portugal is Seville, on the Guadalquiver, sixteen leagues from the sea; large vessels can ascend to this city, but its commerce was nearly destroyed by the transfer of the colonial trade to Cadiz.

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