ALCALA DE HENARES, a beautiful and large city of Spain, in New Castile, seated upon the river Henares, which washes its walls. Its population, which was large in the 16th century, does not now exceed 5000. The streets are handsome and pretty straight: one of them is very long, running from one end of the city to the other. The houses are well built; and there are several squares, the largest of which is an ornament to the city: it is surrounded on all sides with piazzas, where tradesmen have their shops, to expose several sorts of commodities to sale, of which there is as great plenty and variety as in most towns of Spain. The university was founded by Cardinal Ximenes, archbishop of Toledo, about the beginning of the 15th century, contained 24 colleges, and was, after that of Salamanca, the most celebrated in Spain. The land about Alcala is watered by the Henares, and yields grain, very good muscat wine, and melons of a delicious kind. Without the walls is a spring, the water of which is so pure and so well tasted, that it is inclosed and shut up for the king of Spain's own use, from whence it is carried to Madrid.—This city is 10 miles south-west of Guadalajara, and 13 miles east of Madrid. W. Long. 3. 42. N. Lat. 40. 30.