LINARES  , a

town of southern Spain, in the province of Jaen, among the southern foothills of the Sierra Morena, 1375 ft. above sea-level and 3 M . N.W. of the river Guadalimar . Pop . (1900) 38,245 . It is connected by four branch railways with the important argentiferous lead mines on the north-west, and with the main railways from Madrid to Seville, Granada and the principal ports on the south coast . The town was greatly improved in the second half of the 19th century, when the town hall, bull-ring, theatre and many other handsome buildings were erected; it contains little of antiquarian interest save a fine fountain of Roman origin . Its population is chiefly engaged in the lead-mines, and in such allied industries as the manufacture of gunpowder, dynamite, match for blasting purposes, rope and the like . The mining plant is entirely imported, principally from England; and smelting, desilverizing and the manufacture of lead sheets, pipes, &c., are carried on by British firms, which also purchase most of the ore raised . Linares lead is unsurpassed in quality, but the output tends to decrease . There is a thriving local trade in grain, wine and oil . About 2 m . S. is the village of Cazlona, which shows some remains of the ancient Castulo .

The ancient mines some 5 M . N., which are now known as Los Pozos de Anibal, may possibly date from the 3rd century B.C., when this

part of Spain was ruled by the Carthaginians .