The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-04-20
For the Wilmingtonian.
GTDR ALT AR.

This important piece was once celebrated
town and Fortress Of Antlausia, in Span at pres
cnt in possession d. Great Britain. It'll the ~
rival Of the Sa,acens in Spain, which took place
about the 712 Of tile Christian era, the rock of
Gibraltar went By the name Of Mons Cnlpe. On
their arrival. fortress vas built upon it, and it
obtained the name Of Gibl 2Wif, from the name
of their general and thence, by corruption, CIR
yaHar 1t was il the possession of the Spaniards
and sIoors BY turns, until it was taken from the
former hy combined feet of English and Dutch
shlps, under the command Of Sir George Rookie,
in 1901; and this rather through accident, than
any thing else. Tive Priacc Of llcsse, with
eighteen hundred mcn, landed on the sthmns;
but an attack Oh that se was found to be i'm
practicable, un account Of the steepncss OF the
rock. The feet fred IS, 900 shot, without max
ng any impression on the wcrks, 50 that the for
tress seemed imprcgnY,!e, both TO the British and
Spaniards, except by famine. At last q party OF
sailors rowct. close under the new mole in their
boats, and as they saw that thc garrison, which
consisted Of only 100 men, did not regard them,
they were encouraged 10 attempt . landings and
mounting the mole, hoisted red jacket Us sig
nal of possession. This being observed from
the f1ee., more boats and sailors were sent off,
who likewise asccnded the works, got possession
Of battery, ard soon obliged the town to sur
render After many fruitess attempts TO rccov-
er it, it was confirmed 10 the English, by the
treaty of Utrecht, in l713 Repeated attempts
have been since made TO wrest it from the Brit
ish Governments, but without success. A war
between France and England made it more IA
nous than ever; when it underwent long siege
against the united forces Of Spain and Franco by
land and sea, and was galanty defended by Gen
cral Elliot and his garrison It must be granted,
that the place is, by nature, alEanst impregna-
BILE. Near three hundred pieces Of cannon, of
different bores, and chiefly brass, which were
sunk before tho port, in the floating batteries,
were raised and the price of them distributed a.
lnong the garrison 1t has commolious port,
formed naturally for commanding the passage Of
the Straits, or in other words the entrance into
the Mediterranean and Leyant seas. But the
roadstead is neither safe against Al enemy nor
storms; the bay is about 60 miles in crcumfci-
ence. A current sets through the Straits from
the Atlantic ocean into the Mediterranean. At
the time of the siege, the town was neither large
nor beautitul--it was totally destroyed by the
bombs of the enemy-but on count of its forti-
fcations, it is esteemed the key of Spain, and i.
always furnished with garrison, we'll provided
for its defence.
The harbouris formed by a mole, which is
fortified and planted with guns. Gibraltar is ac-
cessbe ca the land side, only by narrow pas
sage between the rock and the sea, but that is
walled and fortified both by nature and art, and
so enclosed by high, steep hills, to be almost
inaccessible that way. 1T has two gates en- that
side, and as many towards the sea.--Across the
isthmus the Spaniards have drawn a fortified line
chiefly with view to hinder the garrison o
Gibraltar from having any intercourse with the
country behind them, notwithstanding which,
they carry on a clandestine trade in many art
! cles. The garrison is however confined within
very narrow limits; and rs the ground produce.
scarcely any thing, all their provisions are brought
n either from England, or from Ceata, ON the op
oosttc coast OF Barbary. y. n.
W