The Newtown bee., 1895-03-15

| Al HE BASE OF THE ROCK.-THE WON DERFUL STONE GALLERIES SPANISH
 BEGGARs AND CUsToM-HoUsE.
 Let me see. At my last writing, we were still on the wide Atlantic, making head toward Gibraltar I'd the waters of 'the blue Mediterranean" Sunday even. ing, February F, about six o'clock, we come in sight of the great light on the coast of TaDgier in Africa. This light. I am told, is called the great international light, because it belongs to five great nations; the United States, Great Britain, France. Germany and Spain. As passen- gers eager for every new thing, for days we had been studying the navigation tchart; but what did we novIces know about it? We had seen our course mark ed off from day to day; but how did we know that the register was true? And yet, at the very hour at which we were | expecting it, the great beacon cast out it's pathway of light over the sea. So, though for long years we sail over dark waters ard troubled seas, if we only trust our Pilot, if we only have faith in the divine Chart he has given, at the | very time when we strain our eyes to catch it, the beacon will be seen on the Heavenly shore.
 The day at Gibraltar will be remember ed by us all. It is wonderful place, and there are many wonderful things to see. No matter how much love an American may have for his own beloved land, as he travels and sees what Eng land has done for her colonies and com pares the condition of the people who in immediately contiguous lands, his RESPECT FOR JOHN BULL
 cannot help but rise many degrees. England is great Christian nation, and her beneticent rule is marked wherever the Union Jack floats. We should be proud to claim kinship with our cousins on the other side of the sea.
 The maps in the geography do not give the school boy, and much older boys too, the right idea of the Hay" of Gibraltar. I always thought the big rock rose right up from the north side of the straits, and that the big guns could be aimed at vessels passing almost beneath the I frowning heights. That is not so. The Rock of Gibraltar does not lie east and west; it lies north and south, and fronts immediately upon large bay or inden- l tation of the Mediterranean sea. Still. the guns are so pointed that they can sweep practically across the whole breadth; and, as their reach is 10 and F miles, it would not be we'll for hostile nations to think lightly of these fortifica- tions in time of war.
 The traveller was right who said that the two chief products of Gibraltar are tourists and soldiers. Soldiers are every where; at every turn you see them, at every step you meet them. They wear, of course, the red coat and small cap perched in cooked shape upon their heads and most of them look as if their busi- ness were never to smile. There are l TOGO of them now at the fortification. I Their least term of service at Gibraltar is eight years; and those who come from India serve l2 years, to become thorough. ly accustomed to the climate. Gibraltar is not, however, all soldiers. The most beautiful flowers and trees are there and the public gardens, kept scrupulous. neat, met on the hard, smooth road that winds up the hill, is the glory of the place. As we saw the lilies and almond trees in full bloom and all the vegata. tion looking green and fresh as on a May morning, we indeed felt that we had left our New England winter far away
 Gibraltar is not only great and mas sive fortress; it is a good-sized town, too of some 15, ,000 inhabitants or more. As you see it from the ship, you would say there were only few houses clustered there at the foot of the rock; but,
 WHEN YOU STEP ON SHORE
 and drive through the streets, you won der where they found space to put it all I said "streets ;" but there is really ont street, Waterport street, or, as in every town in America, going usually by tht name of Main street. This one street i: Gibraltar, and the others are only apolo gies for streets; they are alley-wayI leading into this main channel. On thf main street every inhabitant in Gibral tor at 1pacf HaU. if hi does rot, he is sick or infirm or else, be cause of some slight infraction of tn law, he has been taken to the guard house.
 The true idea of the rock as mighty impregnable fertilization is gained onl. l by visit to the stone galleries. There i probably nothing anywhere else in th' world that can exactly match these They are long avenues which hay been tunneled through the soli' rock. How far they actually extend Ido not know, and very few othe travellers know; for the guide vii only conduct you certain distance John Bull is probably afraid that som shrewd Yankee may some day explore hi great fort, learn all his secrets, and so in very literal fashion, steal the thunde , of his big guns. At distance of ever, few rods in these galleries are embrs , sures, openings out into the free air | where are placed heavy guns, that, in 1 time of war, would make echoes throug these galleries which the world neve heard before and make the entire mour tain seem horrid monster rising fror out the deep and belching forth tn : flames of death. These stone street have chapter of melancholy romano lconnected with them. They were bui between the years of 17S3 and IFS. when the rock was besieged by th iSpanialds. For four long years thi siege lasted, and the English solidel T under the
 'i BRAVE GEN ELLIOTT
 were at times reduced to such bittt , straits that they kept themselves barel { alive OF the wild grasses and herbs th'
 grew about their mountain home. Son
 of us crawled out through one of thei
 openings and looked down hundreds { l. feet upon the shores of Spain and u sea.
 As we leave the town of Gibralta- b
 hind on the way into the borders of Spai
 we pass over causeway that spans u Il moat. Beneath this causeway IS said
 be great powder magazine, so arrange
 that, at moments notice, the who
 structure could be blown into the a
 and leave the rock surrounded by wate
 We breathe sigh of relief as we reae r. the further end of this causeway, u
 thought passing our minds that the :
 lent sentry may be below lighting h
 pipe. At the foot of the rocks alon
 the sea, on space scarcely large enoug you would say, for an Irishman to s
 his chicken-cOop, is a village dignih' by the name of Catalin Bay. One hu
 dred would be an exaggerated census
 the place. When asked where the pc
 pie came from who live there, was to they did not come from anywhere, f [. they had always been there. 1 suppos
 like sea-mosses and sea-urchins. th'
 were indigenous to the rocks. Just
 you approach the border of Spain, y lcnma unnn strin of land about 2l var