a range of remarkable mountains in the south of Spain. These mountains begin in the vicinity of Alcaraz, on the eastern borders of La Mancha, and extend between that province, Estremadura, and Alentejo, which it leaves to the north, and enters the kingdoms of Jaen, Cordova, Seville, and Algarve, and terminates at the sea shore at Cape St. Vincent. In its course through Cordova, it is called the Sierra de Cordova. On the south of Estremadura, and the north of Seville, it bears the name of the Guadalcanal mountains; it then trends to the southwest, where the northern side is called the Sierra of Calderon; on the south, in the Portuguese province of Algarve, it is called the Sierre de Monchique.

The highest point of these mountains does not exceed 2700 feet above the level of the sea; but from their summits being barren, and the lower parts mere morasses, they were long deemed impassable, and were so deemed at the period when the author of Don Quixote chose them for the scene of the exploits of his hero.

In the late war with France, a pass through them was deemed by the Spaniards to be impregnable, but the French troops were adroit enough to turn them, and thus were enabled to pour their armies into Andalusia, and besiege Cadiz.

After the peace of 1763, king Charles the III. entertained the project of cultivating this district; and Olavide, a benevolent and enterprising capitalist, transported thither a number of Germans, who were formed into colonies, and built several villages, and the town of Carolina. The face of the country was changed, and the soil found productive; the progress was advancing, when Olavide was involved in difficulties with the Inquisition, which gave a check to the operations, which the hostile operations carried on at subsequent periods have continued.