Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-08-30


ly given to The Herald for publication
Next weeks letter will describe visit TO
famous Monte Carlol-Editor Herald.
We are due at Naples today, but
we are a long way from being there
AS a matter Of fact it would be some
what difficult for the lardlubber to
complete the address as to geographi.
cal location, and I'm not going to
attempt it; suffice it to say that we are
about twenty hours out of Gibraltar
and all is we'll. We are getting
ahead slowly, but steadily and surely.
wrote you after we left MADEIRA
and before we arrived at Gibraltar
and mailed the letters to you enroute,
also a card at that point Not much
of anything of interest occurred
between Madeira and Gibraltar. The
calm sea, never ruffled to any appre-
cable extent, was one of the features
of a most remarkable voyage. Never
even pitching of any consequence
and rolling entirely out of the
question, this old ship has certainly
carried us in splendid style I doubt
if there was single case Of genuine
sea sickness on board, if SO I didn't
hear of it, Just before we reached
Gibraltar the coast IF Africa came
in sight. Not much to look at to be
sure, yet it was land, and part of
continent which the majority of our
passengers had never seen. The first
appearance was line of low lying
sandy hills, with not much vegetation
of any kind, and the few shrubs and
stunted trees looking as if they want
ed drink pretty badly. There was
hardly a settlement along the entire
coast. but here and there unpretentious
huts, and now and then light house.
When we rounded the north coast and
passed into the straits of Gibraltar
land was distinctly visible on both
sides The coast of Spain seemed one
mass of tall cliffs of sandstone and
the African coast also became more
bold. terminating finally in noun
gray was the general color to the
south of us-this was deep5ned if
possible by the clouds by which the
summit of the mountain was covered.
Gibraltar was not at all like the
mental pictures 1 had drawn of it,
that is, it did not SO impress me at
first sight am inclined to believe
that it was because the harbor proper
was on the westward side instead Of
being to the east of It. The face of
the cliff is almost perpendicular and
points toward the northeast. 1t is of
course strongly fortified, indeed,
when one had examined it carefully
he ceases to wonder why it is called
the key to the Mediterranean. When
approaching it from the harbor it is
easy to see here and there the galleries
carved in the solid rock. or rather
tunnelled, for onlysaby openings here
and there are they distinguishable
The whole face Of the mountain seems
honeycombed with deep black holes,
and behind each such opening is
long range gun. At the top of the
cliff is signal station of which the
staff is visible for many miles, Half
way down the cliff is the old Moorish
castle with it's walls still showing
deeps dents from cannon balls of the
besieging army. The fortress is sur
founded by a moat with drawbridges
of steel. At the foot of the hill and
extending quite a distance up its side
is the city of Gibraltar. These houses
ale all built Of brick with tile roofs.
The streets are narrow and crooked.
The shops small and crowded, but
displaying a great variety of articles.
1t seemed as though the things for
feminine apparel or adornment were
in the majority. Certain it was that
the women crowded around them and
into them like flies around honey
pot The merchants in these shops
however are certainly we'll up in the
tricks of their trade and drive sharp
long aim Each shop bears a sign
prominently displayed reading FIXED
Prices. = The meaning is soon found
to be somewhat ambiguous if not
actually misleading. One of the girls
in my party was very much taken
with a fine black lace scarf 1t was
certainly beauty and the price was
six dollars and half She apparent
ly jewed the proprietor most greivous-
ly by offering four dollars Somehow
or other his injured FEELINGS rapidly
recuperated and could not fail to
note that the price finally agreed upon
was four dollars and fifty cents