Gibraltar was anciently called Calpe; and Calpe and Abyla were the legendary3 Herculis Column?, or “Pillars of Hercules,” which marked the limit of the mythical4 hero’s conquests, and formed the supposed boundary of the Western world. The fable5 originated doubtlessly in the fact that the sun, or Hercules, to the navigators of the Mediterranean, sets behind these imposing6 promontories7, dipping below “the rim8 of ocean” as if to disappear for ever!
The first Greek author who mentions the famous Pillars is the poet Pindar. He speaks of them as the point to which the renown9 of his heroes extended, beyond which no mortal, whether wise or foolish, could advance. As thus in his 3rd Olympic:—
“As water’s vital stream all things surpass,
As gold’s all-worshipped ore
Holds amid fortune’s stores the highest class;
So to that distant shore,
To where the pillars of Alcides rise,
Fame’s utmost boundaries,
Theron, pursuing his successful way,
Hath deckt with glory’s brightest ray
His lineal virtues11. Farther to attain12,
Wise and unwise, with me despair, th’ attempt were vain.”
In the time of Herodotus they formed a perfectly13 familiar position; and they did not long remain the ne plus ultra of human enterprise, the Ph?nician mariners14 sailing far beyond them, and reaching the coast of Britain. Even in the days of Strabo, however, a good deal of confusion prevailed in the minds of men respecting these Pillars. He tells us that some supposed them to be islands, others rocky headlands; both rising sheer out of the sea like{118} colossal15 columns. Others expected to find them indicated by cities, or columns, or statues, erected16 either by Hercules himself as the proud memorials of his westward18 conquest, or by the Tyrian seamen20, dedicated21 to their tutelary22 god to commemorate23 the farthest limit of their discoveries. Later writers indulged in various conjectures24. Pliny records the myth that Hercules rent asunder25 the rocks which had previously26 divided the Mediterranean from the ocean; while another legend asserted that he had narrowed the strait in order to exclude the sea-monsters which had hitherto forced their way from the ocean into the Mediterranean.
Let us turn from ancient fables27 to modern facts. The voyager who now approaches the Strait sees on the one hand the picturesque28 coast of Spain, with its green slopes and mountains of purple splendour, and on the other the low sandy shores of Africa, suddenly broken up by the heights of Ceuta. Gibraltar towers before him a narrow promontory29 of rock, facing the sea with gloomy precipices30, and connected with the mainland by a low sandy isthmus32. The Bay is on the western side of the promontory, which there assumes a striking and romantic appearance. Along the whole face of the lofty cliff, tier after tier, stretch ranges of formidable batteries, with the town of Gibraltar lying sheltered at the northern end. From every nook and every coign of vantage bristle33 heavy cannon34. The midway slope, from the town to the summit of the great Rock, is occupied by white barracks and pleasant villas35, which rest in the shadow of leafy groves36. The eastern side, however, is one unbroken mass of precipice31, relieved by none of those indications of peaceful civilization.
The three principal points of the rocky ridge37 to which we have alluded38, are the Rock Mortar39, north, 1350 feet; the Signal, in the centre, 1276 feet; the Sugar-loaf Point, south, 1439 feet. The length of this ridge, which consists of limestone40, completely honeycombed with caverns41, is about two miles and three-quarters, with an average breadth of one half to three-quarters of a mile, and a circumference43 of about seven miles.
The north face of the Rock overlooks the sandy isthmus of the Neutral Ground; but at the north-west angle a line of fortifications separates it from the shore. To the south a rapid slope extends from Sugar-loaf Point to the oval-shaped platform of{120} Windmill Hill, below which the steep crags of Europa extend into the sea. At the north-west corner of the Rock the town is defended by the formidable Lower Lines; and thence a continuous series of defensive44 works stretches along the western front, and round the southern side of the Rock, until terminated by precipitous and inaccessible45 heights. This grand range of batteries, bastions, and ravelins is now armed with upwards46 of one thousand guns.
To the west lies the Bay, which measures nearly eight miles and a half in length, and upwards of five in breadth; its circuit being between thirty and forty miles. On its western curve, facing the town of Gibraltar, is situated47 the Spanish town of Algesiras. It boldly indents48 the shore on the north of the famous Strait, which extends, we may add, from Cape49 Spartel to Ceuta, on the African coast, and Cape Trafalgar to Europa Point, on the Spanish side. Its length is about thirty-six miles, its average breadth from fifteen to twenty.
The voyager, as his ship passes under the Rock, comes to regard it as one immense mass of fortifications, which Nature seems specially50 to have constructed for the reception of artillery51. Batteries frown on its precipitous sides; batteries crown its rugged52 summit; batteries line the water’s edge; and batteries project audaciously even into the very sea. Such is the Old Mole53, or “Devil’s Tongue,” which played so famous a part in the celebrated54 siege, and received from the Spaniards its expressive55 though certainly too emphatic56 appellation57. Half-way up the slope may be seen the walls of the old Moorish58 castle. To the right, the irregular buildings of the town, “of all imaginable shapes and colours,” are clustered in picturesque variety at the foot of the precipices. To complete the picture, the Bay is studded with numerous craft, from the stately man-of-war and the great India-bound steamer, to the smart-looking felucca which spreads its lateen-sails to the Mediterranean breeze.
On landing, the traveller pushes his way through a motley crowd, crosses the double enceinte, ditches, and drawbridge, and enters the market-place, an open area surrounded by barracks, four, five, and six stories high. Here are to be seen a throng59 of interesting characters: Algerians and Morocco merchants, with half-naked legs, slippered60 feet, their shoulders wrapped in their large white bernouse,{122} and their head crowned with the turban or tarbouche; Jews, with venerable beards, black robes, and pointed61 bonnets62; the turbaned Moors63, with loose flowing robes, and vests and trousers of crimson64 cloth; and Spanish peasants, with velvet65 breeches and leggings of embroidered66 leather, and the navaja, or knife, thrust into their tight crimson sash. Among these the English soldier winds his way, neat, erect17, and clean-shaven, as on parade in St. James’s Park; or the Spanish lady lightly treads, her face concealed67 by her black silk mantilla, and her hand fluttering the inevitable68 fan.
Gibraltar has no public buildings of architectural importance; it is essentially69 a garrison70 town, a fortified71 post, in which art and beauty are subordinated to the useful. Except, indeed, at one spot, the Garden, or Alameda—one of the most charming promenades72 in the world—which extends from the sea-wall to the base of the precipices, formerly73 known as the “Red Sands.” Here blooms a garden which is truly “a miracle.” The sub-tropical flora74 is displayed in all its magnificent variety. A forest of aloe and cactus75, of cistus and sweet-scented broom, clothes the rugged flanks and steep declivities of the mountain, if such it may be called. The winding76 alleys77 creep in and out of masses of rose-trees and flowering geraniums; while tall pines, huge mimosas, arbutes, and pepper-plants spread a pleasant shade around. Through these thick screens of verdure a glimpse is here and there obtained of the mast-studded harbour, and the shining waters of the Bay, and the azure78 hills beyond. Is it possible to conceive of a spot more enchanting79? The great defect in landscapes on the border of the sea is, as a French writer remarks, the want of greensward and leafy trees. But here these charms are combined; the richness of a beautiful vegetation blends with the transparency of a sunny sky, and the sapphire80 light of a sea like that of Naples, to form a picture of supreme81 attraction.
The town of Gibraltar is of limited extent, and the peculiar82 nature of its position prevents it from enlarging itself in any direction. Its two or three long streets run parallel to the sea-lines, and are intersected at right angles by numerous narrow squalid lanes, which ascend83 the precipitous acclivity by flights of rugged steps, called “Ramps84.” The general aspect of the town reminds the visitor of Landport; but these lanes resemble the wynds in{124} the “Old Town” of Edinburgh. “Toilsomely clambering to the top of the Ramps, we find,” says Bartlett, “still narrower lanes parallel to those below, resting on the bare hillside, but the houses having a fine look-out, and being often half buried in shrubbery and creepers, and peeping down upon the confused bee-hive below. Crouching85 thus, as it does, at the foot of the hot and arid86 rock, with its streets and alleys closely jammed together for want of room to expand, the town of Gibraltar is in summer excessively close and oppressive, and at no time can it be, we should imagine, an agreeable place of residence; for not only are its habitations confusedly huddled87 together, but for the most part exceedingly ill built and unsuitable to the climate.” This unfavourable opinion, however, is not confirmed by every traveller; and, as a matter of fact, for some months in the year the climate of Gibraltar is anything but unhealthy.
Byron called Valletta, the principal port of Malta, a “military hothouse;” but the term is much more applicable to Gibraltar, where the principal ornaments88 are cannon, and half the population soldiers or soldiers’ wives, or soldiers’ purveyors. If not the pomp and circumstance of war, at least its more prosaic89 side is everywhere visible. At every corner parties are{125} relieving guard; the patrol pace the crowded streets to the ear-splitting music of fife and drum; watches are regulated, morning and evening, by gun-fire; the gates are closed at a certain hour; peaceable amateurs sketching90 bits of the Rock are ferociously91 challenged by suspicious sentinels; you cannot move a step without abundant evidence that you are in a fortified town, where reigns92 an unrelaxing vigilance. Yet it is not without its semi-humourous, semi-picturesque aspects, such as Thackeray has drawn93 with his accustomed distinctness. Suppose, he says, all the nations of the earth to send suitable ambassadors to represent them at Wapping or Portsmouth Point, with each under its own national signboard and language, its appropriate house of call, and your imagination may figure the Main Street of Gibraltar. There the Jews predominate, and Moors abound94; and from the “Jolly Sailor,” or the brave “Horse Marine,” where the people of our nation are drinking British beer and gin, you hear choruses of “Garryowen” or “The girl I left behind me;” while through the lattices of the Spanish wine-shops come the clatter95 of castanets and the jingle96 and moan of Spanish guitars and ditties. “It is a curious sight at evening, this thronged97 street,{126} with the people, in a hundred different costumes, bustling98 to and fro under the coarse glare of the lamps: swarthy Moors, in white or crimson robes; dark Spanish smugglers in tufted hats, with gay silk handkerchiefs round their heads; fuddled seamen from men-of-war or merchantmen; porters, Gallician or Genoese; and, at every few minutes’ interval99, little squads100 of soldiers tramping to relieve guard at some one of the innumerable posts in the town.”
Thackeray refers in a similar strain to the Garden, or Alameda, which we have just described. It is, he owns, and he might well have said more, a beautiful walk; of which the vegetation has been as laboriously101 cared for as the tremendous fortifications which flank it on either side. On the one hand rises the vast Rock, with its interminable works of defence; on the other shines Gibraltar Bay, out on which, from the terraces, immense cannon are perpetually looking, surrounded by plantations102 of cannon-balls and beds of bomb-shells, sufficient, one would think, to blow away the whole peninsula. The horticultural and military mixture is, he continues, very queer: here and there temples and rustic103 summer-seats have been raised in the garden, but from among the flower-pots you are sure to see a great mortar peeping; and amidst the aloes and geraniums stalks a Highlander104, in green petticoat and scarlet105 coat. Fatigue106-parties are seen winding up the hill, and busy about the endless cannon-ball plantations; awkward squads drill in every open space; and sentries107 are marching to and fro perpetually. Yet the scene, says Thackeray, is always beautiful; especially at evening, when the people are sauntering along the walks, and the moon pours its light on the waters of the Bay and the hills and the twinkling white houses of the opposite shore. Then the place becomes quite romantic: it is too dark to see the dust on the dried leaves; the intrusive108 cannon-balls have for a while subsided109 into the shade; the awkward squads are at rest; even the loungers have retired,—the fan-flirting Spanish ladies, the sallow black-eyed children, and the trim white-jacketed dandies. From some craft nestling on the quiet waters comes the sound of fife or song; or a faint cheer from yonder black steamer at the Mole, which is bound on some nocturnal voyage. You forget the squalor and motley character of the town, and deliver yourself up entirely110 to romance. The sentries pacing in the moonlight look like feudal{128} knights111 of old; and there is music in the old historic challenge, “Who goes there?”
“‘All’s well,’” says Thackeray with humorous exaggeration, “is very pleasant when sung decently in tune10, and inspires noble ideas of duty, courage, and danger; but when you have it shouted all the night through, accompanied by a clapping of muskets112 in a time of profound peace, the sentinel’s cry becomes no more romantic to the hearer than it is to the sandy Connaught-man or the barelegged Highlander who delivers it. It is best to read about wars comfortably in ‘Harry Lorrequer’ or Scott’s novels, in which knights shout their war-cries, and jovial113 Irish bayoneteers hurrah114, without depriving you of any blessed rest. Men of a different way of thinking, however, can suit themselves perfectly at Gibraltar; where there is marching and counter-marching, challenging and relieving guard all the night through. And this all over the huge Rock in the darkness; all through the mysterious zigzags116, and round the dark cannon-ball pyramids, and along the vast rock-galleries, and up to the topmast flag-staff, where the sentry117 can look out over two seas, poor fellows are marching and clapping muskets, and crying, ‘All’s well,’ dressed in cap and feather, in place of{129} honest nightcaps best befitting the decent hours of sleep.”
Every visitor to Gibraltar makes a point of ascending118 to the Signal Station, though the climb is somewhat arduous119, and the higher we ascend the more rugged and rocky becomes the winding path. It must be owned, however, that the view from the summit repays one for the fatigue of the ascent120. From this point is clearly seen the ridge-like character of the Rock, dividing it into two steep declivities, which vary considerably121 in their character. On the east, as we have already said, nothing is visible but an inaccessible precipice; on the west, the slope is more gradual, is broken into terraces, and descends122 to a narrow level running parallel with the shore, where cluster the houses of the town and the villas on its outskirts123, with batteries and other defensive works stretching right away to Europa Point.
Immediately at the foot of the Rock observe the New Mole and the Dockyard. The works which protect the sea-front of the town extend to this point, where they are strengthened by the comparatively new batteries, Victoria and Albert, and the sunken zigzag115, poetically124 named the “Snake{130} in the Grass.” Beyond lies the sheltered nook of Rosier125 Bay, where ships of the line frequently drop anchor; on the high ground above are situated the Naval126 Hospital and Barracks. The terraces of Europa and Windmill Hill next come in sight, with an apparently127 endless series of barracks, forts, magazines, officers’ residences, bastions, curtains, and batteries. Across the Strait the eye rests upon the Spanish fortress128 of Ceuta, and the mountain-chain which extends from Tetuan to Tangier.
The visitor may prolong his excursion to the ruins of O’Hara’s Tower, above Europa Point. It was built by Governor O’Hara as a belvedere, and forms a picturesque object. Thence, the descent of the eastern side of the Rock is accomplished129 by a staircase known as “the Mediterranean Steps,” which winds and bends and twists around precipice after precipice, and from point to point, with the Rock above and the blue expanse of the Mediterranean below. The silence and solitude130 of the spot produce a deep impression on the mind, which seems to enter here into an intimate communion with Nature. We forget the works of man and the purpose for which the grim Rock is so stoutly131 held; when, on turning a sudden angle, we see, at the
extremity132 of a small platform, and in a situation inaccessible if not invisible from below, a solitary133 but formidable gun, commanding Catalan Bay and the Neutral Ground. At a short distance is another, but of less calibre. This singular recess134 is known as the Mediterranean Battery.
So much for the Rock itself. Let us now invite the reader to accompany us on an excursion to Carteia. We pass through the Lower Lines, which to the unmilitary eye appear absolutely impregnable, and enter upon the sandy isthmus of the Neutral Ground. A survey of the works at this point of access to the mainland convinces us that the Spaniards are justified135 in calling it the Boca del Fuego, or “Mouth of Fire.” The narrow causeway which crosses the artificial morass136 can be blown away at once by the fortress guns. But even if an enemy overcame this obstacle, he would find himself confronted by a line of strong batteries, stretching from the foot of the Rock to the sea, and at the same time exposed to the cross-fire of three or four rows of guns, placed in tiers along that side of the precipice. As we continue our way along the Neutral Ground, we observe that military science{132} has done its utmost to render it impassable by a hostile force. Willis’s Batteries are planted on a bold crag, half-way up the Rock, so as to be able to sweep the isthmus with a withering137 fire; and the rugged front of the Rock yawns with fissures,—los diantes de la vieja, or “the old lady’s teeth,”—from each of which frown the black muzzles138 of heavy guns; while, in addition, the Old Mole, or “Devil’s Tongue,” projects its threatening mass into the sea.
The isthmus is a sandy level, with patches of grass and vegetables, two parallel lines of British and Spanish sentinels, barracks of a squalid character for the Spanish soldiery, and still more squalid hovels for Spanish peasants. Here the ruins of Fort St. Philip remind us of the former existence of Spanish military works of a formidable character. Philip V. erected in 1751 two advanced forts, now heaps of shattered masonry139; one called after his tutelar saint, Felipe, the other after Santa Barbara, the patroness of the Spanish artillery. They were so strong, says Ford140, that when the French advanced, in the Peninsular War, the modern Spaniards, being unable even to destroy them, called in the aid of our British engineers, under Colonel Harding, by
whom they were effectually dismantled141. This is at least un fait accompli, and they never ought to be allowed to be rebuilt, adds Ford, since to raise works before a fortress is a declaration of war; and as Buonaparte’s announced intention was to take Gibraltar, Sir Colin Campbell (afterwards Lord Clyde) was perfectly justified in clearing them away, even without leave or license142 from the Spaniards. It was fortunate for many Spaniards that Campbell effected this work of destruction, for thus General Ballasteros was saved from annihilation, when the French pursued him and his undisciplined mob of troops, by skulking143 under our guns. Yet no sooner was Ferdinand VII. replaced on the throne of Spain by British arms, than this man urged him to reconstruct the lines as both dangerous and offensive to England. Thereupon said General Don to the Spanish commander at Algesiras, “If you begin, I will fire a gun; if that won’t do, I shall fire another; and if you persevere144, you shall have a broadside from the galleries.” So the lines were never rebuilt.
Carteia was in old days a Ph?nician colony, situated at the point where the river Guadaranque{134} enters Gibraltar Bay, and forms a small but sheltered port. The Ph?nicians called it Melcarthes, in honour of their tutelary god, the African Hercules; and for centuries it flourished as the emporium of a very extensive commerce. Having fallen into the hands of the Romans, it was renamed Carteia; and it is mentioned in the annals of the Second Punic War as an important naval station, and the scene of a great sea-fight, in which L?lius defeated the Carthaginian Hadherbal, B.C. 206. Thirty-five years later, the Roman senate assigned it as a place of residence to upwards of four thousand men, the offspring of Roman soldiers and Spanish women, who had been manumitted by the pr?tor L. Canubius. They amalgamated145 with such of the inhabitants as chose to remain, and their city was declared a Latina colonia libertinorum. Such is Livy’s statement.
During the desperate civil war in Spain, Carteia seems to have been the naval headquarters of Cneius Pompeius, who fled thither146 after his severe defeat at Munda, but was compelled to abandon it through the disaffection of a large portion of its inhabitants, B.C. 45. Betaking himself to the forests, he was discovered by his pursuers. Weary and desperate,{135} he flung himself at the foot of a tree, where he was speedily overtaken, and killed after a miserable147 struggle.
At the death of Julius C?sar, Sextus Pompeius collected his adherents148 at Carteia, from which he marched at the head of six legions. This is the last incident of any importance in its history. It appears gradually to have sunk into decay; its port was forsaken149, its commerce disappeared. After the Moorish invasion its masses of masonry were used as a quarry150 for the erection of the Torre de Carthagena, and the Spaniards afterwards pillaged151 them for their town of San Roque. Hence its remains152 are now of small extent. Corn grows upon the site of the once populous153 and wealthy city; and the ruins of its theatre are the only memorials of its glory.
The city walls may also be traced; they ran parallel with the river, and then crossed the high ground to the sea-shore. The ancient harbour was within the river-mouth, the entrance to which is now obstructed154 by a bar. It is very narrow, and easily rendered impracticable for hostile ships. Livy records that when Varus, Pompey’s admiral, was defeated off the Rock by Didius, he withdrew{136} to the harbour of Carteia, and fixed155 a number of anchors or grapnels across its mouth. Against these the ships of Didius struck, when they attempted to enter; and by this simple expedient156 Varus saved his entire fleet from destruction. Two hundred years ago the ancient mole, with its solid Roman work, was almost entire; and the ruins of many splendid buildings still existed. No statues or art-relics have been found; but as Carteia was allowed the privilege of a mint, the coins dug up have been numerous and interesting.
An extensive tunny-fishery formerly existed at Carteia.
Returning to Gibraltar, we find that there are still two or three of its “lions” to be inspected. We have visited neither St. Martin’s Cave nor the Galleries.
The former is reached by a path not to be recommended to any but the firm of foot and clear of brain. It passes the Jews’ Cemetery157, and then climbs the eastern side of the Rock, until it reaches a craggy buttress158, which overhangs a tremendous abyss, and commands a fine view of the southern precipices. Standing159 there, the adventurous160
spectator takes in a panorama161 of the Strait from Europa Point to Ceuta, with the lighthouse rearing its white tower on the wave-washed promontory, and the white surf of the Atlantic breaking in ripples162 on the Mediterranean current.
Still following up the hazardous163 path, we find that it skirts the brink164 of a steep stony165 slope, descending166 from the precipice down to the very water’s edge,—“a truly perilous167 spot, where a single slip over the loose pebbles168 must send us rolling several hundred feet, into the Mediterranean.” It is said that a boy of Gibraltar, who had conceived the idea of revenging himself on a schoolfellow, induced him and two other boys to visit in his company the famous cave. As they approached this dangerous spot, he exclaimed, “We are four that go up, but only three will come down!” and hastened to fulfil his prediction by hurling169 his victim into the sea below.
Having passed the slope, we creep on our hands and knees through a gap in the rock, and, a short distance beyond, come upon a narrow ledge170, which proves to be the threshold of the cavern42 in question. Along this ledge we ascend to a small oval platform, and thence enter within the gray obscurity of the cave.{138}
Here is a description of its principal features by an accurate observer:—
The roof is encrusted with pendent stalactites, and supported by stalactitic pillars, some of which are solid and massy, others so slender and delicate that they might have been the work of fairy hands. In the deepest recesses171, a still pool of water, formed by the constant percolation172 through the rocky vault173, vividly174 reflects the fantastic objects above and around it. “The perilousness175 of the access, the deep seclusion176 of the site, hung half-way up a precipice 1400 feet high, with the inaccessible rock above and the murmuring sea below, make this cavern as it were a temple, erected by the hand of Nature herself, for the lonely enthusiast177 who delights to worship her in her most hidden solitudes178. We continued to wander about, fascinated by the strange beauty of the spot; and, loath179 to leave it, lingered until the declining beams of the sun warned us that we had to return by a path which it would be difficult, if not dangerous, to retrace180 in the obscurity of twilight181. Almost dazzled as we emerged into open day, we stood a moment beneath the dark arched entry, to look out upon the expanse of sea, glowing in the sun, with a few white feluccas catching182 its declining beams; and{139} then creeping cautiously down the narrow ledge by which we had ascended183, began to wend our way towards home.”
To the Galleries the best route is by Willis’s Batteries, which were finished in 1732, and, from their commanding position, proved exceedingly annoying to the Spaniards in the Great Siege. The execution done was so serious, that it led them to form a plan for mining and blowing them up. They began their operations at the top of a slope, above the Moorish ruins of the Devil’s Tower, on the north side of the Rock; but while burrowing184 through the solid mass were overheard by a watchful185 sentinel. He gave the alarm, and the works were quickly destroyed by the besieged186. Having reached a narrow terrace about half-way up the northern angle, the visitor, as he surveys its face, discerns a long series of cave-like openings, from which protrude187 the black muzzles of cannon, so pointed as to command the Neutral Ground below. Through an iron gate he now enters into the upper galleries, which were excavated188 during the Great Siege, and lead to the Windsor Galleries, likewise provided with port-holes, as it were, and thence proceeds by an irregular path to St. Georg{140}e’s Hall. This is excavated in a mass of rock, which externally resembles a projecting dome189, and here at the eastern angle corresponds with the craggy platform of Willis’s Batteries at the western. Its dimensions are considerable, and on more than one occasion it has been used as a banqueting-chamber. Lord Nelson was entertained here prior to the battle of Trafalgar.
We now take leave of Gibraltar, its town, its fortifications, its Alameda, its rock-hewn batteries, repeating the fine sonnet190 of Archbishop Trench:—
GIBRALTAR.
“England! we love thee better than we know;
And this I learned when, after wanderings long
’Mid people of another stock and tongue,
I heard again thy martial191 music blow,
And saw thy gallant192 children to and fro
Pace, keeping ward19 at one of these huge gates
Which like twin giants watch the Herculean straits.
When first I came in sight of that brave shore,
It made my very heart within me dance
To think that thou thy proud foot shouldst advance
Forward so far into the mighty193 sea.
Joy was it and exultation194 to behold195
Thine ancient standard’s rich emblazonry,
A glorious picture by the wind unrolled.”
It is, doubtless, with such feelings as these described by the poet that most Englishmen will gaze upon the famous Rock; though there are not
wanting philanthropists to remind us that it rightfully belongs to Spain, and that our possession of it is an insult to a friendly power. Had we surrendered it, however, it would probably have been seized by France; and it is not so much for our own interests we hold it as for those of Europe. While the British flag waves from its summit, it is a sign and symbol that the Mediterranean will be the free highway of all nations.
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Mediterranean
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| adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的 | |
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configuration
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| n.结构，布局，形态，(计算机)配置 | |
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legendary
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| adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学） | |
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mythical
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| adj.神话的；虚构的；想像的 | |
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fable
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| n.寓言；童话；神话 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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promontories
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| n.岬，隆起，海角( promontory的名词复数 ) | |
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rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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mariners
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| 海员，水手（mariner的复数形式） | |
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colossal
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| adj.异常的，庞大的 | |
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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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18
westward
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| n.西方，西部；adj.西方的，向西的；adv.向西 | |
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19
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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20
seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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21
dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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22
tutelary
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| adj.保护的；守护的 | |
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23
commemorate
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| vt.纪念，庆祝 | |
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24
conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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25
asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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26
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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27
fables
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| n.寓言( fable的名词复数 )；神话，传说 | |
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28
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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29
promontory
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| n.海角；岬 | |
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30
precipices
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| n.悬崖，峭壁( precipice的名词复数 ) | |
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31
precipice
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| n.悬崖，危急的处境 | |
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32
isthmus
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| n.地峡 | |
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33
bristle
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| v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发 | |
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34
cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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35
villas
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| 别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅 | |
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36
groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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37
ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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38
alluded
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| 提及，暗指( allude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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40
limestone
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| n.石灰石 | |
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41
caverns
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| 大山洞，大洞穴( cavern的名词复数 ) | |
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42
cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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43
circumference
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| n.圆周，周长，圆周线 | |
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44
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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45
inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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46
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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47
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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48
indents
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| v.切割…使呈锯齿状( indent的第三人称单数 )；缩进排版 | |
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49
cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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50
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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51
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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52
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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53
mole
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| n.胎块；痣；克分子 | |
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54
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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55
expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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56
emphatic
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| adj.强调的，着重的；无可置疑的，明显的 | |
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57
appellation
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| n.名称，称呼 | |
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58
moorish
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| adj.沼地的，荒野的，生[住]在沼地的 | |
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59
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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60
slippered
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| 穿拖鞋的 | |
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61
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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62
bonnets
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| n.童帽( bonnet的名词复数 )；（烟囱等的）覆盖物；（苏格兰男子的）无边呢帽；（女子戴的）任何一种帽子 | |
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63
moors
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| v.停泊，系泊（船只）( moor的第三人称单数 ) | |
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64
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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65
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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66
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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67
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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68
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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69
essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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70
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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71
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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72
promenades
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| n.人行道( promenade的名词复数 )；散步场所；闲逛v.兜风( promenade的第三人称单数 ) | |
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73
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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74
flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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75
cactus
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| n.仙人掌 | |
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76
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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77
alleys
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| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
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78
azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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79
enchanting
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| a.讨人喜欢的 | |
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80
sapphire
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| n.青玉，蓝宝石；adj.天蓝色的 | |
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81
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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82
peculiar
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|
| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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83
ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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84
ramps
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| resources allocation and multiproject scheduling 资源分配和多项目的行程安排 | |
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85
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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86
arid
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|
| adj.干旱的；(土地)贫瘠的 | |
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87
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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88
ornaments
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| n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 ) | |
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89
prosaic
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|
| adj.单调的，无趣的 | |
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90
sketching
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| n.草图 | |
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91
ferociously
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| 野蛮地，残忍地 | |
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92
reigns
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| n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期 | |
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93
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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94
abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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95
clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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96
jingle
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| n.叮当声，韵律简单的诗句；v.使叮当作响，叮当响，押韵 | |
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97
thronged
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| v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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98
bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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99
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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100
squads
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| n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍 | |
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101
laboriously
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|
| adv.艰苦地；费力地；辛勤地；（文体等）佶屈聱牙地 | |
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102
plantations
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| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
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103
rustic
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| adj.乡村的，有乡村特色的；n.乡下人，乡巴佬 | |
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104
highlander
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| n.高地的人，苏格兰高地地区的人 | |
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105
scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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106
fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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107
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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108
intrusive
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| adj.打搅的；侵扰的 | |
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109
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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110
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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111
knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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112
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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113
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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114
hurrah
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| int.好哇，万岁，乌拉 | |
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115
zigzag
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|
| n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行 | |
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116
zigzags
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| n.锯齿形的线条、小径等( zigzag的名词复数 )v.弯弯曲曲地走路，曲折地前进( zigzag的第三人称单数 ) | |
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117
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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118
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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119
arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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120
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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121
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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122
descends
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| v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜 | |
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123
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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124
poetically
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| adv.有诗意地，用韵文 | |
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125
rosier
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| Rosieresite | |
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126
naval
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| adj.海军的，军舰的，船的 | |
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127
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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128
fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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129
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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130
solitude
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| n. 孤独; 独居,荒僻之地,幽静的地方 | |
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131
stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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132
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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133
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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134
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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135
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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136
morass
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| n.沼泽，困境 | |
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137
withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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138
muzzles
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| 枪口( muzzle的名词复数 )； （防止动物咬人的）口套； （四足动物的）鼻口部； （狗）等凸出的鼻子和口 | |
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139
masonry
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| n.砖土建筑；砖石 | |
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140
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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141
dismantled
|
|
| 拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消 | |
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142
license
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| n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许 | |
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143
skulking
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| v.潜伏，偷偷摸摸地走动，鬼鬼祟祟地活动( skulk的现在分词 ) | |
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144
persevere
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| v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠 | |
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145
amalgamated
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|
| v.（使）（金属）汞齐化( amalgamate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）合并；联合；结合 | |
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146
thither
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|
| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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147
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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148
adherents
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| n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙 | |
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149
Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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150
quarry
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| n.采石场；v.采石；费力地找 | |
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151
pillaged
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| v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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152
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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153
populous
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| adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的 | |
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154
obstructed
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| 阻塞( obstruct的过去式和过去分词 )； 堵塞； 阻碍； 阻止 | |
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155
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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156
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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157
cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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158
buttress
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| n.支撑物；v.支持 | |
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159
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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160
adventurous
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| adj.爱冒险的；惊心动魄的，惊险的，刺激的 | |
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161
panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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162
ripples
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| 逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 ) | |
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163
hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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164
brink
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| n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿 | |
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165
stony
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| adj.石头的，多石头的，冷酷的，无情的 | |
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166
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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167
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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168
pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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169
hurling
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| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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170
ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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171
recesses
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| n.壁凹( recess的名词复数 )；（工作或业务活动的）中止或暂停期间；学校的课间休息；某物内部的凹形空间v.把某物放在墙壁的凹处( recess的第三人称单数 )；将（墙）做成凹形，在（墙）上做壁龛；休息，休会，休庭 | |
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172
percolation
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| n.过滤，浸透；渗滤；渗漏 | |
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173
vault
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| n.拱形圆顶，地窖，地下室 | |
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174
vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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175
perilousness
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176
seclusion
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| n.隐遁，隔离 | |
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177
enthusiast
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| n.热心人，热衷者 | |
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178
solitudes
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| n.独居( solitude的名词复数 )；孤独；荒僻的地方；人迹罕至的地方 | |
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179
loath
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| adj.不愿意的；勉强的 | |
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180
retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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181
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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182
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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183
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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184
burrowing
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的现在分词 )；翻寻 | |
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185
watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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186
besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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187
protrude
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| v.使突出，伸出，突出 | |
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188
excavated
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| v.挖掘( excavate的过去式和过去分词 )；开凿；挖出；发掘 | |
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189
dome
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| n.圆屋顶，拱顶 | |
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190
sonnet
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| n.十四行诗 | |
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191
martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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192
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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193
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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194
exultation
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| n.狂喜，得意 | |
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195
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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