Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/351

 CORDOVA 347 Some mountain ranges besides those of the volcanoes rise above the plain, as one border- ing it on the eastern side, and the Sierra Madre, which, commencing at lat. 21 N., and extending 60 m. further north, separates it for this distance into two portions. Other ridges here unite with it, spreading out into the mountainous district of Zacatecas, celebrated for its rich silver mines. Beyond this the Sierra Madre forms a belt of full 100 m. in breadth of parallel ridges and valleys extend- ing to New Mexico, where it unites in lat. 33 N. with the southern portion of the Rocky mountains. Between the Rio Colorado and the Rio Grande del Norte, some of the sum- mits of the Sierra Madre exceed 10,000 ft. in height above the sea, and are continually cov- ered with snow. The geological structure of the Cordillera of Mexico is that of granitic and volcanic rocks, together with the micaceous, talcose, and clay slates, which form a consider- able portion of the range, especially in the mining districts. So many of the rich silver mines of Mex- ico are found in porphyry, that its presence is re- garded as particularly fa- vorable for the existence of this metal. It is also found, however, in the metamorphic limestones, and in those called by Humboldt the Alpine and the Jura. In no part of the range of the Cordille- ras in North and South America has the produc- tion of this metal been so great as in Mexico. It was estimated by Hum- boldt to be ten times as great as that furnished by all Europe, and two thirds of the whole pro- duction of the globe. The vegetation of the elevated country varies with its height. On the high plains the forests destroyed by the early Spanish settlers have never been re- newed, though there are still to be seen fine open groves of gigantic oaks and pines, clear of undergrowth. The plains as seen about the city of Mexico are not always fertile, but are covered in many places with saline incrustations. CORDOVA (Span. Gordola). I. A S. province of Spain, in Andalusia, bounded N. W. by Badajoz, N. by Ciudad Real, E. by Jaen, S. E. by Granada, S. by Malaga, and S. W. and W. by Seville; area, 5,190 sq. m. ; pop. in 1867, 379,464 (estimated). The Sierra de los Pedro- ches, a range of the Sierra Morena, crosses from E. to W. the part of the province N. of the Guadalquivir, which is generally mountainous. The Guadalquivir flows from E. N. E. to W. S. W. across the province, receiving from the north the Rio de las Yeguas, Cuzna, Guadiato, and Bembezar, and from the south the Gua- dajoz. From the Guadalquivir southward stretches a fertile plain, the Campina, to where the Sierra de Priego occupies a small tract of country in the extreme south. The province is somewhat deficient in water, but produces grain enough for its own use, and great quan- tities of wine, oil, hetnp, flax, saffron, honey, and wax. Fine mules and horses are bred, and bees, game, fish, cattle, and swine are plentiful. There are numerous mines of coal, copper, iron, silver, and lead, and manufac- tures of silk, woollens, and pottery. The principal towns are Cordova, Baena, Cabra, Castro del Rio, Fuente Ovejuna, Lucena, Montilla, Montoro, and Rambla. II. A city (anc. Corduba), capital of the province, in lat. 37 52' 15" N., Ion. 4 49' 37" W., 70 m. N. E. of Seville, situated in a beautiful plain on the right bank of the Guadalquivir, here crossed by a Moorish bridge of 16 arches ; pop. in 1867, Prison of the Inquisition. 41,976. It is renowned for its picturesque buildings, its beautiful location on the southern declivity of the Sierra de Cordova, and its un- surpassed cathedral, once a Moorish mosque. The town itself resembles eastern towns in its inconveniently narrow streets, and its want of ventilation and cleanliness. It is enclosed by high walls flanked by square, round, and octagonal towers, built by the Moors on the foundations of the old Roman line of circum- vallation. There are several churches and religious houses, a bishop's palace, a theatre, a museum, a lyceum, a plaza de toros, and several hospitals. The great mosque was founded by Abderrahman I., A. D. 786. It was an edifice of marvellous beauty, with a light, elegant roof, springing from clusters of slender pillars, and was lighted with 4,000 silver lamps. There were originally 1,200 pil- lars, but 400 have been taken away to make an open space suitable for Christian worship.