Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-05-18
The Town of Gibraltar.

The scenes in the lovely bay and in the
narrow zigzag streets Of the little town arc
busting and full OF life. The bay is dotted
with ships aud boats Of many kinds, ancb.
ored in the shadow Of the rock. On the
quays of the town you recognize the reason
Of tho saying that Gibialtaris an epitome of
the three continents. Here, besides English
and Scottish soldiers, who are met in the
vicinity Of tho rock, arc TO be seen swarthy
and handsome Moors FROM opposite Barbary,
with their suow-whito turbaDs, flowing robes,
bare leather-colored legs, and loose slippers
down at the heel Jews from over the strait,
IN gaudy embroidered costumes. with broad
varicolored sashes wound about their waists,
and baggy white trousers Spanish snug.
gers, in tight-6ttiDg coats and brooches, fast
ened down the sides with silver buttons
pretty dark-eyed women Of Genoa, arrayed in
scarlet cloaks and hoods, the latter trimmed
with broad black velvet Spanish beauties.
with long lashes and lauguishing eyes, wear.
ing their sweeping black lace wells and grace
ful mantillas; Highland soldiers, in plaid
aud tartan and q race of acclimated En-.
glish, bronzed and semi-Spanish in feature,
the natives Of Gibraltar, upon whom the
Spanish have bestowed the rather uncompli.
mentory epithet Of "Rock Scorpions"
Out into the sea stretch the various
'moles," the most conspicuous being the old
and new moes, while at the northern end of
the town rise the towers, battlements, and
crumbling walls of the old Moorish castle
an imposing relic of the days of MOsem as.
tendency. In the distance, among the hills
and groves, peeps out the ancient little town
OF San Roque--a curious place, aud well
worthy visit. Everywhere about as well
as on the rock you are reminded of the fact
that Gibraltar is, first of all, fortress.
Soldiers aud guards, deploying, lounging, or
on post, present themselves at every turn
high up on The cliffs the diminished figures
OF sentinels are seen pacing to and fro in the
pleasure-gardens the most noticeable persons
are the officers, strolling and taking their
ease; the tattoo Of drums the roar
the roar Of cannon at stated hours the OPEN
ing and closing of the great gates that sepa-
rate the fortress from the town, all impress
one with the military Importance of
the place. Still more marked an.
pears the military characte of the rock,
as you glance up toward the beetling cliffs. \
and see, yawning from innumorable PORTFOLIOS,
and above long ranges of battlements, and
from many an imbrasure and turret, tho
cannon which guards the entrance to the
Mediterranean ; and as, curious to behold the
marvels OF the fortress in their details, You
cross the draw-bridge, 60 under the low
arched gateways pass the parade and Ala.
media, ascend the irregular streets which creep
in steps up the sides of the crags, leave be.
hind the quaint old Moorish castle, and at
last find yourself literally entering the rock
through an iron gateway. The first glance
reveals the immense labOrs which have been
undertaken to perfect by art the defenses
with which nature has endowed Gibraltar |
One sees before him series of galleries, tun.
nels, aud excavations, conducting apparently
into blank of Cimmerian darkness. Here,
FAR above the beach, are dug out long tunnels
at the very edge of the headlong cliff and
as you pass along them, guided by the light
Of torches, you observe portfolios at intervals
Of fifteen or twenty feet, with brass ordnance
peeplng out menacingly from every one.
Ascending constantly, you find that there is
tier after tier of these tunnels. There, if
necessity should arise, the gunners might
stand and pour their deadly fire upon feet or
cohort, perfectly shielded by the massive
aud solid rocky, which no missile, however
destructive, could moro than feebly indent.
The Windsor Galleries. which are excava.
tons wholly within the rock, form con.
tinuous subterraneau passage of two thousand
feet in length, twelve feet high, and twelve
wide, and this passage ascends by the same
ligzag course which is seen in the great
roads that wind over the Alps, till it gives
an outlet near the summit.-GeO. M. Totole,
IN Harper'S Maqasine for .Illne.