The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-01-09

This rocky promontory, three
miles in length and three-quarters
of q mile i'm average breadth, forms
the southern extremity of Spain. II
is situated at the end of low pen
insula, which connects it on the
north with Andalusia. Five and a
half miles distant across the sea is
the Spanish town of Algesiras, be-
tween which and Gibraltar lies the
Bay of Gibraltar, called also the Bay
of Algesiras.
The rock is composed of gray Pri-
mary marble, deposited in n strata
from twenty to forty feet thick. The
surface near the sea, is sandy and
red in appearance; higher up, the
rock is covered only with short and
scanty grass and moss. Seen from
sea, its aspects is uninviting, the
whole appearing denuded Of trees
and verdure; nevertheless, there are
grassy, wooded glens In the hooks
of the mountains. There are no
springs of fresh water on the rock,
and the inhabitants are therefore
compelled to depend on therainfall.
A graphic writer says of this
mighty rock, with it's vast fortifica-
tons and powerful batteries, well
calledimpregnable and defiant ofthe
destructibility of man:
passing the fortifications on the
southern point, we steered north
ward into the bay, and what seemed
an entire city, with its buildings
erected upon terraeed work, rose
before Us. This, however, only
proved To be the suburbs of the
fortress.
"SOon South Gibraltar was reached
and as we passed we saw under the
shadow of the frowning guns many
pleasant country residences with
their picturesque white walls and
green shutters. From one Of these
villas we had, looking over the
AlgeSiras Bay, a beautiful view OF
the city, Tarifa and the African
coast. But the most magnificent
view of all was obtained after land
ing and ascending as far as possible
the southern point of the rock itself,
which was enveloped in a sea OF fog
and tipped with the suns first rays.
Passing soldiers and artillery,
we reached the great waste on It's
summit, where the vines of the wild
cucumber creep over gray, forbid
ling bOuiders, or lose themselves in
the ereviccs of the rocks Away
below lay the deep green sea, heav-
ing and tossing in the early morn
ing sunshine In the distance we
had a glimpse of the dark noun
tains OF the north, the Malaga Bay
and the whole coast of the Mediter-
ranean. Southwark rise the African
highlands, and at a distance of
eleven miles, Ceuta, the Spanish city
On the African coast. Our next
visit was to the Notifications, which
are mostly excavated in the solid
rock, where, from a small group OF
buildings, sheltering part of the
garrison and their families, we were
escorted by two soldiers through
vast galleries of solid rock into
priSOnlike vaults, one moment lost
in complete darkness, AID the next
emerging into open passages with
the blue ky above. The entire
rock is covered with the most for
midable batteries. 1t was fatiguing
Journey to playhouse, the highest
point Of the rock. The road descend
ing from thence leads past a great
cave, whose singular stalactites, al
an unreasonable depth are very in
teresting To the northwest, a fort,
built in the time of the MOOrs, may
still be seen, but il has. as 1t were,
grown into more recent Notifications
and walls which line the rock from
sea to summit.
Atsunset everybodv is behind lock
and key upon Gibraltar. The sig
nal gun is fired, the gates of the
fortress are closed and all communi-
cation with the outer world is sus-
pended till sunrise
"The present name of this sea-
commanding prOmOntory originated
from the Moorish Gibel Tariff { Rock
Of Tariff after the Moorish chief who
came to conquer Spain, and erected
n fortress on this mountain.
Charles V, when it fell into
Christian hands, had the fortifica-
tons enlarged and improved by an
engineer from Strasburg. The
made themselves master of
it in 1904, and it has ever since
remained in their possession, not
withstanding the efforts of their
enemies to regain thisi important key
TO the Mediterranean. ILLUSTRATED
World.