EXPLORING THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR
Captain Ringgold had been formally presented to the judge by an officer
who seemed to be the chief of police, or something of that sort.
"_El Juez_ Salazar" was what he called him. If any reader wishes to
pronounce as he reads, he will say _el hwaith Sah-lah-thar_; and if he
utters it like that, the chief of police would understand him.
Judge Salazar smiled when the commander invited him and his family to
visit the Guardian-Mother, declaring that he had no wife or children,
being still a bachelor.
"But if I had met the Señora Belgrave when I was fifty years younger,
it might have been otherwise," added the judge. "That is to say, if she
had not frowned upon me."
"Just my case!" exclaimed the commander.
"But you are still a young man, while I am seventy-five. 'It might
have been,' as your poet Whittier said, in my case; and it may be, in
yours," added his honor very jocosely.
"I don't know," laughed the captain. "But I hope you will visit my
ship, Judge Salazar. Will you not dine with us at six to-day? I will
have a boat at the landing for you at five."
"The temptation is very great, and I cannot decline the invitation,"
replied the venerable dignitary.
The carriage of the judge returned, and then he insisted upon taking
the commander and Louis to the shore, where they parted with him for
the time. All the party were delighted with the old gentleman and his
courteous Spanish manners, and Mrs. Belgrave declared that he was a
"dear old man." The cutter conveyed the party to the steamer, and in
about half an hour they were on board of the ship.
"The judge is a bachelor, Mrs. Belgrave, and he fell in love with you."
"Indeed! But he is old enough to be my grandfather!" exclaimed the
lady, laughing heartily.
"In order to give him an opportunity to conduct his suit before your
court, I have invited him to dinner to-day, and he has accepted," added
the commander.
"I shall be very glad to meet him socially, in spite of all your
nonsense, Captain Ringgold," said the lady. "I think he is a fair and
just judge; and certainly he is a very agreeable gentleman, though he
is not as good-looking as you are."
The lady blushed when she had said this, for she really meant nothing
by it; and the commander felt himself lifted up with something like an
ecstasy.
"I need not flatter myself till I know the breadth of the comparison,"
replied he. "But we must do our best to make the judge happy when he
comes on board; and I have no doubt he will spend the evening with us.
Sparks, call Mr. Sage."
Mr. Melancthon Sage, the chief steward, presented himself very
promptly, and the commander directed him to get up the choicest dinner
possible for six o'clock, for a very distinguished guest.
When Captain Ringgold went on deck, he found the owner of the Salihé
waiting for him there, his engineer having gone on board of her
alongside. He had spoken to Louis, who refused to say anything to him
except in the presence of the commander.
"Which I am very glad to see you, Captain Ringgold," the owner of the
little steamer began.
"I dare say you are, for you want to know whether or not your boat is
implicated in the smuggling that was done last night," replied the
commander jocosely.
"Which hit is very true, your honor; I do wish to know."
"Well, your worship, your friend Gray swore point-blank before the
court that he had engaged your little steamer to tow the Golondrina to
sea," added the captain.
"Which he lies like a himp of darkness!" protested Chickworth
earnestly. "'E came to me yesterday to 'ire 'er, but I told 'im she
was hengaged to the young gentlemen on board this steamer, and 'e
couldn't 'ave 'er on no account. Which this is as true a thing as Giles
Chickworth hever spoke in 'is life. I would swear to hit before the
judge hover there."
"Perhaps you could do it here, for the judge will dine with us to-day,"
suggested the commander, watching the expression of the man.
"Which I am ready to do!" protested Chickworth, using his first
grammatical "which" apparently by mistake.
"I am afraid you have had some dealings with these smugglers, Captain
Chickworth; but I do not believe you will come to grief on account of
anything that happened last night, for Gray told such a stack of lies
that the judge did not believe a word he said, and the testimony of
the boys contradicted about everything to which he swore. I think you
are all right, my man; but I advise you to have nothing to do with
smugglers."
"Which I don't, your honor!" exclaimed the owner of the boat.
"But Gray seemed to know all about your steamer, and he must have had
the use of her at five shillings an hour."
"Which 'e 'as; but not to smuggle in 'er."
"That is enough about the smugglers. Take warning, my man, and keep out
of trouble, or you will lose the steamer," added the commander.
"I owe you thirty shillings, Captain Chickworth," said Louis, tendering
the money, for he had listened to all that had been said.
"I don't mind that; you 'ave saved my steamer; for I know what a liar
Gray is, and I was afeard that they would want to confisticate 'er."
"I insist on paying for her," added Louis, thrusting the gold into the
vest pocket of the owner.
"I will pay for her to-day, but I want to make a trade with you for
to-day and to-morrow," continued the captain; and he engaged her for
the two days for two pounds. "You will keep her alongside when we are
not using her."
"Which I will do and hall night too."
"We are going ashore this afternoon, and at five o'clock you will go
over for Judge Salazar."
Captain Ringgold had already attended to the formalities necessary
to obtain admission to the town and to visit the batteries and
fortifications, and the American consul had rendered all the assistance
required. After an early lunch the party embarked in the Salihé, now
in charge of Captain Chickworth and his engineer. The little steamer
proceeded directly to the Ragged Staff stairs, where the landing was
made.
Macias, one of the guides of the place, was waiting for them. The party
walked till they were tired, and then a wagonette was obtained, and
they rode through the streets for an hour, looking at the buildings,
especially the barracks, for everything was military about the town.
Ever since the possession of the Rock was obtained, about one hundred
and eighty years ago, the English have been at work improving the
defences of the place, and the territory is covered with batteries
in addition to the principal fortifications in the Rock itself. The
visitors gave only a glance at these, and observed with more interest
the soldiers and their officers, as seen about the streets, especially
a regiment of Highlanders, whose bare legs were more comfortable in
this climate than in England.
On the east side, facing the open Mediterranean, the ascent of the
hill is almost perpendicular, while on the other side it is much more
gradual. A number of non-commissioned officers were sent with the
strangers as guides, and they explained everything of interest that was
passed. After a rather hard walk, they reached the highest point of the
Rock, which is called El Hacho, or the Signal. From it a view of two
oceans was obtained, if we count the Mediterranean as one, and two of
the grand divisions of the earth, Europe and Africa. The mountains of
Spain and those of Africa were in sight.
Macias pointed out Apes Hill and other objects of interest, and it was
unanimously voted that the view was magnificent. The visitors continued
their wanderings amid pyramids of cannon-balls, and the region was
covered with receptacles for ammunition. They entered the galleries,
which extend for thousands of yards, and the first sight of them
conveys an idea of the vast amount of labor which has been performed in
constructing them, for they have been hewn out of the rock.
There are casemates and even halls, one of the latter of which is fifty
feet long by thirty-five wide, and is called St. George's Hall. About
every thirty feet in the eastern side are embrasures through which
project the muzzles of great cannons, which are hardly noticed from the
outside as one sails along the sea. A view of the Rock at the distance
of a couple of miles on the strait conveys no idea of the strength of
the fortifications.
In addition to the immense strength of the principal fortress, there
are forts and batteries in every available place along the shore, and
on the line which separates the place from The Neutral Ground, so
that an attack by sea or land could be promptly repelled. Everything
has been done to render the works invincible, and the supplies kept
in store preclude the possibility of starving out the garrison in
any reasonable period of time. But the fortress will never again be
besieged or attacked, for many believe "the game is not worth the
candle;" and Mr. Bright thought it ought to be ceded back to Spain, for
its possession by a foreign power has never ceased to be a thorn in the
flesh of the proud and haughty dons of the peninsula.
Aside from its military importance, Gibraltar is of the greatest value
to England as a stopping-place, where coal and other necessaries can be
obtained by her commercial marine. All the steamers which pass through
the Suez Canal on their way to India and Australia stop here. If
England were at war with any other nation, the place would be of vast
importance as a coaling station, where her ships could lie in safety in
spite of any force that might assail them.
"There are no springs of fresh water on the Rock," said Captain
Ringgold to his party. "You remember how the people of the Bermudas are
supplied with water; and the residents here, both civil and military,
have to depend upon the rainfall. All the water that falls upon the
roofs of the houses is economized and gathered up into reservoirs; and
that which flows down the sides of the rock is also carefully saved,
for a water famine would be as bad as a dearth of food. The navy tank,
from which ships are supplied, holds eleven thousand tons of water,
as the books put it; but to the common mind that is a very indefinite
method of measuring water, and how big that tank is I can form no idea,
only that it is a big one.
"I suppose you have noticed that plants grow in the apertures and
crevices of the Rock, though nothing of the sort can be seen from
the water. Asparagus, capers, aloes, and cacti thrive here, and even
grassy and wooded glens are found in places. Now we will go down to the
Almeda, which is the Spanish name for a park, as you learned when you
were in Cuba."
This beautiful garden is located near Europa Point, the southern
extremity of the peninsula of Gibraltar. It is on the very border of
the sea, and is very tastefully laid out in English style, with winding
walks, and with a great variety of plants and shrubs which thrive in
this climate, including cacti and some trees of considerable size. From
shady arbors fine views were obtained of the surroundings, including
the mountains in Africa.
The party had made the ascent of the rock and the return on mules and
donkeys, and the big four had lots of fun with the latter. That of
Scott was so small that he picked him up in his arms and carried him
some distance, to the great amusement of the lookers-on. When they
reached the Ragged Stairs, the company embarked in the little steamer,
and, as it was not yet four o'clock, they made an excursion in her
around the Rock. The American consul had been invited to dine on board,
and he was a member of the party.
As soon as her passengers had disembarked, Louis and Scott were sent
over in the Salihé to Algeciras for Judge Salazar, and returned with
him before dinner-time. He was received on board with the "most
distinguished consideration."