. Gibraltar and its sieges, with a description of its natural features . pa and Windmill Hill next come in sight,with an apparently endless series of barracks, forts,magazines, officers residences, bastions, curtains,and batteries. Across the Strait the eye restsupon the Spanish fortress of Ceuta, and the moun-tain-chain which extends from Tetuan to Tangier. The visitor may prolong his excursion to theruins of OHaras Tower, above Europa Point. Itwas built by Governor OHara as a belvedere, andforms a picturesque object. Thence, the descent ofthe eastern side of the Rock is accomplished by astai
. Gibraltar and its sieges, with a description of its natural features . pa and Windmill Hill next come in sight,with an apparently endless series of barracks, forts,magazines, officers residences, bastions, curtains,and batteries. Across the Strait the eye restsupon the Spanish fortress of Ceuta, and the moun-tain-chain which extends from Tetuan to Tangier. The visitor may prolong his excursion to theruins of OHaras Tower, above Europa Point. Itwas built by Governor OHara as a belvedere, andforms a picturesque object. Thence, the descent ofthe eastern side of the Rock is accomplished by astaircase known as the Mediterranean Steps,which winds and bends and twists around precipiceafter precipice, and from point to point, with theRock above and the blue expanse of the Mediter-ranean below. The silence and solitude of the spotproduce a deep impression on the mind, which seemsto enter here into an intimate communion withNature. We forget the works of man and the pur-pose for which the grim Rock is so stoutly held;when, on turning a sudden angle, we see, at the. ttTE mouth of fire. 131 extremity of a small platform, and in a situationinaccessible if not invisible from below, a solitarybut formidable gun, commanding Catalan Bay andthe Neutral Ground. At a short distance is another,but of less calibre. This singular recess is knownas the Mediterranean Battery. So much for the Rock itself. Let us now invitethe reader to accompany us on an excursion toCarteia. We pass through the Lower Lines, whichto the unmilitary eye appear absolutely impregnable,and enter upon the sandy isthmus of the NeutralGround. A survey of the works at this point ofaccess to the mainland convinces us that theSpaniards are justified in calling it the Boca delFuego, or Mouth of Fire. The narrow cause-way which crosses the artificial morass can beblown away at once by the fortress guns. Buteven if an enemy overcame this obstacle, he wouldfind himself confronted by a line of strong batteries,stretching f
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidgibraltarits, bookyear1879
