The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-08-22
QIBR ALTAR.
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Every child has learned of the wonder fui fortress ot Gibraltar, on the northern share of the Mediterranean. It's name has long ago passed into the language as a synonym for the impossible and i'm pregnable. And yet Gibraltar has changed hands oftener than most strategic points of anything like its strength and impor. tance.
 The recurrence on Friday, the 2lth in- stant, of the anniversary of its capture by the English and Dutch fleets under com. mand of Sir George Rooke, tenews inter- est 1T. the mighty giant at the gateway of the world" Its gray brow of limestone Juts into the great sea, bold and domi- peering, at the height of fal 400 feet. Proud as the plume in the helmet of a grenadier the English flag floats from the lofty eminence, as it has Aoated for now nearly two centuries. On three sides the cliH, whereon is the fort proper, is almo st perpendicular, and may be deemed inac- cessible. Great caverns have been scooped into it's tough old sides from every direction by the Sea long before the age of man, and at a time when the tow ering rock was q mere uprising in It Some of these are beautifully arched and supported by forests of stalacGtes, ex- tending from ceiling to floor. But more wonderful even than anything that nature has done here arc the works of man Extending from side to side. parallel with the north front of the promontory, gal leries have been pierced through the solid rock. These arc nearly three miles in length, and at every twelve yards ports are cut through to tho north. From these great guns trown upon the sea. seeming to scorn tho puny attacks ot any power foolish enough to stand before them. On the crest of the rock are strongly in- trencaed barracks and fortresses, away above the world below. Nearly I,soo guns, tho largest and strongest in the world, are In place. The esular garri- son consists of between (. 900 and 8 900 men at all times. A little town clusters at the base of the battlements. The whole colony Is kept under the strictest military discipline. No foreigner is permitted to remain tAere, except for certain desis ted periods, and tAen only when he gives guarantees for his good behavior.
 Every yoar, on Jc!y e+sA, there is g jubilee in Gibraltar, and the splendid vic tory which wrested the place from Spain I8I years ago is commemorated with high glee. But at all other times the l6ooc people in the town conduct them selves with due decorunl, and manage to live mainly from one another.
 Gibraltar is an Historical spot. It and Apes hill, directly opposite it, were be- lieved to be the pillars of Hercules. Then the strait was thought to be the western boundary of the world, before the adven- turous explorers exploded the fine tancies of the earlier geographers. There it was that tho leader of the Saracens, with his hardy band, climbed the rocks and built fortress upon their heights. A castle built fourteen years Afterward, in 723 still stands on the northern edge of the cliff For mora than four centuries the Sara cens held the place, but the Christians took 1t from them in I333, and planted the banner of the cress upon the battlements. But the standard of the faith was allowed to wave but fifteen years, when the Moors took 1t on one of their raids that for the time terrorized Europe.
 Again Spain recovered it, and so strengthened the works that it was deemed thoroughly impregnable. However, the English captured it in I7o4. on July 24th, and the day is pompously celebrated ever since. h I779. France joined forces with Spain to take the place, but after a mem- orable siege of five years, gave up the task. At oas time there were 10000 men, forty seven ships and I 900 pieces of ar tillery in tho combined forces. In Sep tenber, I7S2, what has been described as the most dreadful cannonading known in history" was directed against the British forces on the rock. Ten enormous floating batteries were put in use, but af. ter several hours of the hercest fighting they were destroyed. The English lost only sixteen men in the engagement, and the fame of Gibraltar as being beyond the po~er of man to capture was estab- lished probably forever.
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