Spain

Regional variety shapes Wentworth Webster's survey of Spain, published in 1882. His preface warns that one province can differ sharply from another and that official figures require careful scrutiny. The book follows that approach across geography, climate, farming, mining, population, government, education, religion, literature and the arts, giving physical surroundings and public institutions a place in the same account.

The provincial descriptions bring this broad survey down to particular places. Around Cadiz, Webster examines harbours, salt works, fishing and the sherry trade, explaining how steam navigation has shifted commerce towards Seville. He also describes the tall houses built on Cadiz's narrow site and the winter gardens near San Lucar de Barrameda. Readers interested in historical travel writing will find a detailed view of Spain's towns and industries through a nineteenth-century observer's estimates, sources and regional comparisons.