The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-07-27

ership in spite of the extended Spanish
sieges of 1927 and 1879. The word
Gibraltar is derived from the Arabic
ge6et, a mountain, and Tarak, the name
of a Moorish General who assisted in
the conquest of Spain A. d. I'll.
The tour of the rock and its fortifca-
tions is the all-absorbing feature of
Gibraltar. The relocated Town Major
readily grants permits at his Office on
Governors lane, and the ascent COM
mences from point on the north near
the barracks and ruined Moorish
tower, which was built A. ID. 725. A
courteous sergeant takes the permit at
a gate part of the way up, and accom-
panles the visitor as cicerone. Round
ing the slope of the rock to the north,
we came upon group of native mon
keys, which have never been disturbed
by either the Spanish or English occu-
pants. There are now seventeen of
these amusing marauders on the rocks.
Having assembled some distance through
well-protected passages of masonry or
cut rock, the Sergeant led us into the
Lower Gallery, which extends around
the northern or Spanish side This Ii
tanic work consists of corridors and
frequent chambers tunneled in the
solid mountain for distance of several
hundred feet. The chambers contain
forty or fifty heavy ritled guns, which
point through openings SO arranged as
to command the bay, the Spanish APP
preach and the Mediterranean. Emerg-
ing at the opposite end, we assembled to
the Upper Gallery, where almost the
same length and armament are pre-
sented. Then, coming out on the slope
overlooking the city, one open-air bat
terry after another is unexpectedly met,
perched on some commanding position.
Now when it is remembered that all
these guns are many hundred feet
above the sea, and that the troops in
the galleries are absolutely beyond the
reach of harm, some idea of the i'm
pregnability of Gibraltar can be formed.
Then, in addition, the guns can be
trained to sweep the rocks, and great
piles of explosive missiles stand ready
to be hurled down upon any foe so in
trepid as to dare the hopeless scaling
operation. And in these times of cleo
| trio torpedOes and similar weapons
nothing could be more fatal than for an
enemy to step upon those rocks. Even
a siege must prove Intellectual, as pro-
vision is made to sustain a large garri-
son for many months, and with coun-
! try of such naval resources as England
timely aid would be almost certain.
While Gibraltar is valuable naval
station and impregnable to assault, it
is utterly powerless to command the
entrance to the Mediterranean in these
days of iron-clads and steam without
the assistance of fleet. To the near
est point on the African coast the dis
lance is twelve or thirteen miles-too
great for even modern proiectiles. Tor
pedOes and a blockading squadron could
alone do the work, but with them the
rock would serve as an adjunct and u
convenient base of supplies. The views
from the signal station on one of the
southern peaks are truly magnificent.
The ocean under the glare of the sun
resembles great sheet of glass, and the
ships dot the surface like mere toys.
On the south, the rocky coast of Africa
is distinctly outlined through the strait
to the west the broad Atlantic reaches
to the horizon; to the northeast is the
snowy Sierra Nevada range, and north
is fair Andalusia--the terrestrial para
disc of the Christian, the Jew and the
Moslem.-COr. Philadelphid Bulletin.