MONTSERRAT, a celebrated monastery of the Benedictines, in Spain. It is about nine leagues to the northwest of Barcelona, being situated on the right bank of the river Llobregat, on an insulated mountain nearly eight leagues in circumference, and raising its head above the surrounding bills till it reaches the height of 3300 feet. It appears, from the road to it, like ahuge pile of most enormous bowls,The bitumen which joined the stones having been decomposed. As the traveller ascends, he observes vegetation gradually decreasing, till towards the top, when it entirely ceases, and nothing is presented to the view but naked rocks, separated like pillars, forming various pyramids, varying in height from 20 to 150 feet. The ascent, though steep and fatiguing, is not dangerous, as far as the church, which is large and richly ornamented; but the constant smoke of upwards of eighty lamps lighted with oil has sullied the statues and pictures, and dimmed the brilliancy of the silver. The number of monks and lay-brothers residing here amounts to upwards of one hundred; besides which, there are twenty-five boys who officiate in.the choir, with a physician, surgeon, and servants. Besides those who reside in the convent, there are several of the monks who live in a kind of hermitage or oratory on the pinnacle of several of the insulated rocks. These hermits are supplied with food twice in the week, and their gardens yield some [7:15:440] fruits. They are not permitted to eat meat, or to converse with each other, but live a life of perfect solitude, possibly of devotion, during the whole day, excepting when they descend to the general service, which is performed in the church of the convent. The term of the noviciate for the ordinary monks is six months; but those who wish to live in one of the hermitages must pass six years of very severe probation before they can be allowed to reside in them. Although the romantic situation, the extensive and varied prospects, and the natural curiosities of the place, draw to it many travellers who are not infected with any devotional feeling, yet the number of real votaries is very great. These come to say prayers, to pass a few days in devotion and contemplation, to kiss with reverence the hand of a miraculous image of the holy Virgin; and, what is of most importance to the institution, to deposit votive offerings, which are eagerly accepted by the recluse inhabitants. By the rules of the order, they are bound to maintain for three days every pilgrim who comes to pay his devotions to the sacred image. The devotees are allowed bread in the morning, broth at noon, and bread again at night. Although this parsimonious kind of hospitality is not very expensive for each individual who arrives, yet the number is so great that the annual cost is considerable; and although the presents from the rich far exceed the cost of their maintenance, yet these presents are preserved carefully till they are quite spoiled by age. Their original endowment was only the mountain; but by rigid economy they have, in the course of ages, been enabled to purchase considerable estates in the vicinity. Some of these, indeed, have been appropriated by the government to its own use, and probably at no distant period the remainder may share the same fate.

It is singular that there should be always a number of candidates, both for the cells of the monks and for the hermitages of the recluses. They make a vow never to quit the mountain, and they are not allowed to enter into holy orders. This may perhaps account for the continuance of those who are once admitted; but it is not easy for Protestants to understand that state of mind which induces men in the full vigour of their bodily and mental faculties to withdraw from the world, and abandon every pursuit but that of inactive devotion and the tiresome repetition of prayers, with no variety to amuse and no excitement to animate them.

Montserrat, one of the West Indian islands, belonging to Great Britain, is situated in 16. 47. north latitude, and 92. 13. 25. west longitude. It is about twelve miles in length by seven and a half in breadth, and contains a superficies of 30,000 acres. Like the islands in its vicinity, it runs from south-east to north-west, and presents an equally broken and mountainous surface; an arrangement and physical structure which has led to the conclusion that these islands owe their origin to volcanic eruption. The extremity of the mountain chain terminates on the north in a bold headland coast, where there is no landingplace and little anchorage. The land slopes to the sea in a supcession of conglomerate eminences, which extend to the base of the mountain. On the south there is no approach for vessels of any size until they get to the westward, the sea for a mile or two being studded with huge rocks and shelving banks of coral. The island then suddenly shoots up to the height of 1500 feet, and continues to rise pile above pile, throwing out lateral branches, until they attain the altitude of 2500 feet above the level of the Atlantic. This chain stretches across to the northern extremity of Montserrat, where it terminates, as we have mentioned. Many of the mountains are inaccessible, and are separated from each other by immense perpendicular chasms several hundred feet in depth. These gullies, however, as well as the mountains, are covered to the very summits with lofty woods, and all the beautiful variety of vegetation which a mountainous region within the tropics presents. On the south-west side of the chain is a small souffrière, situated 1000 feet above the sea, in a dell formed by the approximation of three conical hills, the scenery around which has been described by Mr Coleridge as grand and beautiful in the highest degree. The road from Plymouth, the capital of Montserrat, to this place, after stretching along the margin of the sea, winds inwards by a gentle declivity towards the mountains. The path becomes strewed with the snowy amaryllis (pancratia Cα-ribbaea), and the scarlet hibiscus; and on either side lime and orange trees form a verdant hedge. The whole of the valley in which the souffrière lies is broken into vast and irregular masses of clay and limestone, which are scattered about in the utmost confusion. The surface of the ground is everywhere hot, indeed so much so near the streams of water which run between the fragments, that it is difficult for the foot to support it more than half a minute. The water at its source boils up violently, and a cloud of vapour constantly settles over it. The sides of the mounds of clay are encrusted with pure alum; but, notwithstanding this, the vegetation of bushes and creepers all round is green and luxuriant, whilst the rampart of mountains in which the solitary valley is embosomed is clothed with woods whose feathery grass-like plumage bends devotedly to the setting sun under the unceasing breath of the trade-wind. There are no marshes, but there is a small lake on the top of a hill about two miles west from Plymouth, which remains constantly full. Plymouth, the capital, is small, but substantially built, of a fine gray stone, and has a comfortable appearance. The geological features of this island are similar to those of the islands in the neighbourhood. Many of the rocks have been termed only vast masses of clay of divers hues; but in the conical hills carbonate of lime, iron pyrites, and aluminous earth abound. The soil is in general dry, light, thin, gravelly, and thickly covered with blocks of clay and sandstone, excepting in the valleys where the loamy earth is deposited by rains. The climate of Montserrat is remarkable for its salubrity, a characteristic which has obtained for it the name of the Montpellier of the West Indies. The temperature of course varies according to the locality and the elevation above the sea. It is subject to hurricanes, but these are neither frequent nor severe. To enumerate the staple products of Montserrat, would be merely to recapitulate what is said of them under the heads of Jamaica, St Lucia, and other West India islands. Indigo was formerly-raised in great quantities, but this branch of agriculture is now abandoned. The sugar and rum produced are highly esteemed. Of the former there were exported in 1832, 2,322,208 pounds, valued at L.16,549; and of the latter, 74,064 gallons, valued at L.3307. The total amount of exports for the same year was L.21,517, and of imports L.11,067. In 1830 the shipping inwards was 5824 tons, and outwards 6576 tons. By the latest return it appears that, between the 5th of January 1836 and the 5th of January 1837, there were imported into the united kingdom from this island 12,152 cwts. of sugar, 16,256 gallons of rum, and 2694 cwts. of molasses.

The executive of this island is embodied in the government of Antigua, but the inhabitants enjoy their separate council and house of assembly, the former consisting of six members and the latter of eight, two being sent from each of the four districts into which Montserrat is divided. The gross annual revenue is about L.2500. There are five places of public worship, capable of containing 1000 persons, and also a Wesleyan missionary station; and there are six public or free schools, with 298 male and 390 female scholars. Montserrat was at one time more densely peopled with Europeans than it is at present. The popu [7:15:441]lation, including all classes, is now estimated at about 7400. This island was discovered by the companions of Columbus, and called by them Montserrat, a name expressive, in the Spanish language, of its broken and mountainous appearance. It was first settled in 1632, by Sir Thomas Warner, under the protection of the British government. It was taken by the French about the year 1664, but restored to Britain at the peace of Breda, and it has ever since formed a part of our empire.