The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-02-13
Gibraltar aud Round About.
tcorYmoiIr 1892, ny EDGAR L wAKrNAS,l
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. fV'uut SWTtEVHuuHCsV he IHU'dVSHIS''
GiDnALTAR, Jan. co. believe that
ono Of the greatest glories OF intelligent
Amerlcanism lies in the fact that, rs n
people, We arc receptive OF reasonable
md Just ideas, and are susceptible OF
conversion from hereditary pejudice
and the moan ind little spirit Of hatred
and envy towards another nation be-
cause OF any superiority Of policy or
possession 1t may be great enough to
pursue or enjoy.
This conviction came 10 mo more
overwhelmingly than over before, as
We steamed away from tho land OF the
Moors and took our way across the
strait towards tho city and Rock OF
Gibraltar. Upon tho Northern Pillar
OF Hercules tho English flag has iloated
for lSS years. And / am glad Of it;
glad that Sir George Rookie, in, the War
OF Secession, was cunning and brave
enough TO take IL; that iron-hearted
Elliott in tho -Four Years Siege was
soldier enough to hold it against tho
combined efforts OF France and Spain:
and that all the powers OF Latin and
Musselman arms and diplomacy, with
the cowartlly Vaccinations OF English
traitors ut home, have never availed to
hand over this key OF tho whole I.cvant
to Spanish or other possession or retro
erosion; because:
Just so long as England holds Gibral.
tar tho trade Of tho Mediterranean and
the Last is peacefully open not only to
England but to every nation OF the
earth with spirit enough to compete
for it; and North America, whose Eng
lish speaking and thinking people now
twice outnumbcr those OF the mother
land, in common with Great Britain, in
trade, in travel, and in all those things
tending towards the worlds cnlighten-
mcnt and progress, will enjoy through
Enelands logged possession OF Gibral-
tar, 4 common guarantee oil security
and respect.
Ii, us l have done, you will tramp
E through the provinces Of France; wan
der afoot from Finistcrre by ValladolidN
to Madrid and thence across tho Spanish
sierras to Barcelona and the sea; know
Portugal from Lisbon 10 the Mediterra-
mean gatei; idle among the peasants
and shepherds OF Italy from the Pyra-
nees to remotest Apulian shores; tramp
from Sicilian Catania over old Etna to
fair Palermo; and then, in Algiers and
Morocco, come close enough TO the peo-
pie to know the repulsive nature and
life OF the Arab and Moor; YOU will
never haveEto learn from any other
source this true thing-that. at heart
and rs whole, the Latin races whether
in southern Europe or in South Ameri-
ca, possess as deep and lasting heredi-
tary hatred OF all who own and speak
the English tongue, rs fadelessly fires
the Mosleln heart in its faratical dream
OF sometime everywhere planting the
Z crescent above the cross.
Differ as previously as Americans may
with Englishmcn regarding the justice
or injustice of this or that, on these
large lines of tremendous import We
cannot buttremain one and indissolu-
BILE. Looking out OF the history OF the
centuries that we're. and from among
the possibilities OF the centuries to
/ come, the mighty Rock and its arma-
ment fades from sight rs mere stub
bornly held possession and menace,
Its mythic name, the Pillar of Hur-
culcs, merges into the Pillar OF Peace.
And Gibraltar in the possession OF the
English speaking and Christian living
race willremain the hostage Of Christian
civilization ior all tina to come.
! ~ IMPRESSIONS.
All ones preconceived notions OF Glib.
raltar fall far short, I think, OF convey
ing its true grandeur and impressive
ness. From whatever direction you ap-
proach it-from the westward over tho
Atlantic, from the Mediterranean on
! the east, from Tangier IN Africa across
the strait, or from the Spanish sierras
to the north-it has always the seem
ing OF a majestic mountain OF stone ris.
L ing sheer out OF the blue OF the sea.
AS We approached it, some Struggling
clouds which had formed among the
peaks OF tho Spanish sierras, carried by
northern winds, were stretched in thin
folds across its upper heights. They
gave the huge rock alternate bars OF
ebony shadow and golden light, and,
shutting its top altogether from sight,
emphasized the impression OF myster-
ious altitude.
Even when one is landed, the easiest
affair of its kind in all Europe, as Glib
ratar is u, free port, this impression is
not dispeiled. The white city,a pile Of
huddled terraces ut tho waters edge at
the only spot, on all Gibraltar where
limitations could be patched like nests
OF birds upon its ragged sides, is but n
thin line OF human resort upon and
above tho shore. Wherever tho eve
rests is sea beneath, and rock above !;
notvery precipitous on the city side,
\ yet rising in escarped height on height,
until one feels certain that inaccessible
heights are shut from sight beyond.
My own first impulse, rs l believe
must be; that OF all first visitors here,
was to mount its utmost crag and study
its topography with my own eyes,
while feasting upon the matchless PIANO.
rama thus afforded. In two hours,
time, including the dignified delay re.
quired i'll the issuance OF q permit by
II the military secretary, in Gunncr's
Lane, stood alongside the signal
tower, El Hacho, from which, it is said,
I with q powerful glass the Bay OF Biscay
can be seen, while the valley in which
is built the capital Of Morocco, the city
OF Fee, is plainly discerned.
Imprcsnable Gibraltar upon which
ono now stands is the outjutting prom.
ontory OF long, narrow strip OF land
and rock, forming peninsula on the
eastern shore OF the Bay OF Gibraltar,
or Algeciras, rs it is sometimes called.
Tho latter is shaped like horseshoe,
open to tho south, its western shore OK
tremity terminating ins Cabrita Point.
This BAY is perhaps eightmiles long