(i.e. "the beautiful bay"), a city of Spain, capital of the province of Viscaya (Biscay), is situated in a small and fertile plain bounded on three sides by mountains, on the banks of the river Nervion (or, as it is called in the Basque language, Ibaizabal), six miles from its mouth. This river, which divides the old town from the new, is crossed by an ancient stone bridge of two arches, and also by a modern suspension bridge. The houses in the principal streets are built of hewn stone, several stories in height, with projecting eaves, which throw a deep shadow. The streets have an air of cleanliness and quiet, no waggons or carts being permitted to enter the town. The transport of goods is carried on by means of trucks. The principal public buildings are the churches and monasteries, a spacious hospital with 600 beds, town-hall; custom-house, charity-house, theatre, a new college, and a fine abattoir of Tuscan architecture. Of the educational institutions, the principal are, the Colegio General de Vizcaya; the schools supported by the board of trade for affording gratuitous instruction in design, architecture, languages, and mathematics; a nautical academy; besides several other public schools, and twenty-four private academies. Pop. about 15,000, chiefly engaged in agriculture, trade, and the iron manufacture. It may be mentioned that the women of the humbler class are much employed in masculine occupations, such as carrying burdens, &c., for which they are well fitted by their robust and vigorous frames. The climate of Bilbao, though humid, is on the whole healthy, though pulmonary diseases are somewhat frequent. The Arenal, which is a favourite promenade, extending along the right bank of the Nervion, is ornamented with rows of fine trees, and diversified with houses, gardens, warehouses, &c. The other favourite walks are the Campo Valantia, to the north of the Arenal; and the Paseo de los Canos, so called from its forming the roof of the great aqueduct for conveying the water of the river to the town.

Bilbao is the principal seat of foreign commerce in the north of Spain. The tide ascends as high as the town, but the river is only navigable for small vessels above the port of Portugalete, at its mouth. The average value of the exports, consisting chiefly of wool, iron, hardwares, fire-arms, wheat, wine, oil, fruit, chestnuts, madder, &c., is estimated by Madoz at about L500,000, of which sum about one-fourth is of native and colonial produce. The average value of the imports—including cotton and woollen stuffs, hemp, sheet-iron, steel, coffee, sugar, &c.—is, according to the same authority, about L156,000, of which about the half is foreign. Principal manufactures, hardware, woollens, paper, hats, leather, copper goods, &c. The iron-mines in the vicinity are very productive; and Bilbao sword-blades have long been celebrated. Lat. 43. 15. N. Long. 2. 56. W.

Bilbao was founded A.D. 1300, by Don Diego Lopez de Haro. At the end of the fifteenth century it was considered of sufficient importance to supersede Burgos as the seat of the Consulado, or supreme tribunal of commerce. During the Peninsular war Bilbao was sacked by the French, and