The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-10-31

\
famous fortress OF Gibralter, gives
the following interesting account OF
its history
| Two hundred years ago, on July "a
| Gibraltar became British posses
sion, and has remained 80 ever since
AS 1t has even been regarded as the
key to the ELECTROMAGNETIC Il was
&en object Of awe and veneration to
the ancients, and bone of conten-
tion to the moderns--a brief sketch
of its eventful history may not prove
embarrassing.
The Lion Rock has been known
since the days of the Phoenician nav
| igators. On the primitive geography
or the early Greeks and Romans it
was known by the name Of Calpe, and
| formed one of the renowned Pillars
! Of Hercules that for centuries were
| believed to be the western boundary
Of the habitable globe. The twin pill
lar was Abya, lofty cmincncc on
the African side, near Cento. When
Spain was great nation, the great
est i'll Europe, and held both sides OF
the Meditarranean-the many-nation-
ed sea-so highly did she estimate
her possessions that She stamped on
her coins the Pillars. or Hercules. and
took as her motto NE plus ultra"
mo more beyond, But when the
hni1 onfrft ~ rnlon,r,vo nac.at No
You'd those pillars and laid bare the
Western Indies and the New World,
She omitted The me" and left the
Plus ultra"-moro beyond.
The rock stands on a peninsula In
Andalusia the most southern prov,
ince of Spain rising on one side al
most perpenaicularly from the waves
TO the height Of more than 1000 feet
Ii is three miles long and about hall
a mile wide. From some positions
It resembles a gigantic lion crouching
by tho sea and guarding the entrance
TO the Mediterranean. But not in
form alone is 1t the symbol of the
king of beasts. Its teeth are those
murdcrous batteries that bristle or
every part of that giant head, and
its roar is the thunder from their
iron throats.
We have no certain information
tha. the rock was recognized and
employed as a place of strength be
fore the eighth century Of our era
But In I'll A. y. the Saracen leader.
Tsrili-buTeyad . general of the Calf
crossed from Africa for the invasion
81 Spain He was at once impresse
with its strength and strategic i'm
portance Accordingly he fortified
it, and from him it was named Ge
bel.el-Tarik fTaricka HID a corrup
ton of which gives us Gibraltar. Thus
the lion passed into the hands Of thu |
Moors. and for moro than 800 years
the banner of the prophet floated |
over it, in spite Of the valor and en-
thusiasm Of the Christian warriors.
Gibraltar has experienced fifteen |
memorable siegcs, and its history II |
a great measure centers around thos
successive conlictsa stirring rec
ord of capture AMI recapturc, of sieg
and counter siege.
The flrst siege was IN 1909, whei |
Il fell into tho hands of the Spaniards |
for a brief period Six years after |
ward lsmacl-be-Ferez brought up hi. |
forces anil endesyored to make him
self master of It. But he was unsuc
eessful The third siege began ii
1898, when II was attacked in forcs
b. the army OF NIahomet Nv, king O. |
Fcz, and the garrison was compelled
o capituate. In the same year Al 4
,honso, king of Sastile. strovc 10 re
over his lost possession, and set
Siege to It, But this fourth siege
proved unsuccessful In the follow
ng year he again tried his fortune
m Gibraltar. For some years he In
lestod it in strength. but Alphonso
alling a victim TO plague. the fifth
icgcS followed. and still the rock re
NAMED In the hands Of the infidel
But in 14G2 the Christian warriors
gain drew the league OF battle
round the devoted rock. On this
'ecasion-its eighth Siege Gibraltar
vas wresteG from the Moors, and the
'rescent was replaced by the cross.
At last the Spaniards had won
hat proud possession for which they
lad so long striven. and yet they
we're not permitted to enjoy it in
,eace. The DIXIE Of Medina Sidonia.
powerful grandee. had assisted at
he capture of the Rock When Il
vas won he was seized with a de-
ire 20 possess II fer himself. The
ing. Ferdinand ~. objected. An APP
zeal to arms followed. and after a
truggle the duke became master Of
nc place. This was its ninth siege.
Then the king pade a compromise.
declaring the son and heir Of the
luke governor Of the rock forever.
But this arrangement came TO an end
n 1902. when Garcilaso de la Vera
vas ordered n take possession OF the
ock in the name Of the king. II
var then incorporated with the rest
4 the Spanish domini0ns. BHt Don
Iuan. the third duke. determined to
eoover, If possible. his rights. He