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 242 TALDEZ soliciting the cooperation of France, he ac- companied the French auxiliary troops nnder Pichegru to the Netherlands in 1794-'5, and became a member of the legislative body of the new republic and professor of public law at Leyden. In 1796 he went as ambassador to Spain. In 1810 he attempted in vain, as an envoy of King Louis Bonaparte, to dissuade Napoleon from annexing Holland to France. VALDEZ. See MELENDEZ VALDEZ. VALDIVIA. I. A S. province of Chili, bor- dering on the province of Arauco, the Andes (which separate it from the Argentine Repub- lic and Patagonia), Llanquihue, and the Pacific ocean; area, 10,YOO sq. m.; pop. in 1875, 37,- 481. There are many fine harbors on the coast. On the E. border are several active volcanoes, of which Villarica is the highest. The surface between the sea and the Andes is generally more level than that of other parts of Chili. The most important streams are the Cauten or Imperial, Tolten, Valdivia, and Rio Bueno. The soil is exceedingly fertile, and the greater part is covered with forests of excel- lent timber. The climate is moist, but health- ful. Valdivia at one time yielded largo quan- tities of gold, but the system of slavery which the Spaniards attempted to impose upon the natives caused a revolt, which led to the ruin of the mines. About two thirds of the popu- lation are Araucanian Indians, and the remain- der descendants of the Spaniards and mixed breeds. II. A city, capital of the province, on the S. side of the Valdivia river, about 9 m. from the Pacific, and about 470 m. S. of San- tiago ; lat. 39 49' S., Ion. 73 15' W. ; pop. in 1875, 4,054, many of whom are Germans. The harbor, a beautiful bay formed by the river, is one of the best on the Pacific. The island of Manzera at the entrance to the river forms two passages, skirted by steep mountains strongly fortified. Its chief trade is with Valparaiso, to which it exports large quantities of timber. It was founded in 1551 by Pedro de Valdivia, became rich and populous, was many times attacked and in 1590 destroyed by the Arau- canians, and was rebuilt and strongly fortified. It was taken by the Dutch in 1640, and by the patriots under Lord Cochrane in 1820. VALENCE (anc. Valentia a town of France, in Dauphiny, capital of the department of Dr6mp, on the left bank of the Rhone, which is here spanned by an unusually fine suspension bridge, 57 m. S. of Lyons ; pop. in 1872, 20,668. The streets are narrow, and old walls surround the town; but there are attractive squares and promenades. It is a bishop's see, and has a cathedral founded in 212 by St. Apollinaris, with a tower rebuilt in 1862, and with Cano- va's monument of Pope Pius VI., who died here. Connected with the artillery school is a large area for practice. The former citadel is now a barrack for engineers. Silk and cotton goods, gloves, glass ware, and other articles are manufactured. There is much trade in the sparkling St. Peray wine, almost equal to Cham- VALENCIA pagne, and in timber, grained leather, cloth, &c. The town was a colony in Gallia Nar- bonensis, and in the middle ages was the capi- tal of the county and duchy of Valentinois. VALENCIA, a central county of New Mexi- co, divided into two farts by the S. projection of San Miguel co. ; area, about 10,500 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 9,093. The E. part borders on Texas, and is intersected in the S. W. corner by the Rio Pecos. The W. part, bordering on Ari- zona, is intersected near the centre by the Rio Grande, and watered by its tributary the Puer- co, and by the Zuni, one of the head streams of the Colorado Chiquito, and is crossed by several mountain chains. The chief produc- tions in 1870 were 39,438 bushels of wheat, 77,854 of Indian corn, 5,755 of peas and beans, 6,178 Ibs. of tobacco, and 72,840 of wool. There were 456 horses, 622 inules and asses, 1,264 milch cows, 3,329 working oxen, 48,610 sheep, and 795 swine. Capital, Valencia. VALENCIA. I. An ancient kingdom of Spain, bounded N. by Catalonia, E. and S. E. by the Mediterranean, S. W. by Murcia, W. by New- Castile, and N. W. by Aragon ; area, 8,897 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 1,401,833. It comprised the modern provinces of Castellon, Valencia, and Alicante. The principal rivers, all of which rise in the country W. of Valencia, are the Guadalaviar, the Jucar and its tributary the Ma- gro, the Palancia, Mijares, and Segura. The interior parts are mountainous, while the land upon the coast and on the banks of the numer- ous rivers is generally level. In some places high rugged mountains come close to the sea. The Sierra de Penaquila, which terminates in Cape San Martin, traverses the province of Alicante in a N. E. direction. The other ranges are irregular, but for the most part lie nearly E. and W. The ores of iron, copper, cobalt, quicksilver, lead, and silver are found. Supe- rior facilities for irrigation render Valencia the most fertile district of Spain, and in some places several crops are raised in a year. Wine is produced in large quantities. The climate is noted for its mildness and salubrity. Under the Moors Valencia formed part of the caliphate of Cordova, but it was taken from them by the Cid in 1094. They reconquered it in 1101, and on the dissolution of the realm of the Al- moravides it became an independent kingdom ; but the Moors were finally expelled in 1238. It afterward became a province of the king- dom of Arajon, retaining however the title of reino de Valencia. II. A province occupy- ing the centre of the ancient kingdom, border- ing on the Mediterranean and the provinces of Castellon, Teruel, Cuoncs, Albacete, and Alicante ; area, 4,352 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 665,141. The rivers Guadalaviar and Jucar, which intersect it, supply a system of irriga- ting canals, watering more than 100,000 acres. The chief crops of the irrigated lands are wheat, barley, oats, rye, lucerne, maize, beans, hemp, rice, oranges, and mulberries ; of the unirri- gated lands, the grape, olive, carob, fig, date,