The Rock of Gibraltar. 229 



trary, it is upon the whole more continuously flattened, while 

 there are likewise here isolated perpendicular cliffs entering into 

 the formation of the rock. The far projecting foot of the rock 

 towards the south, consists of two interrupted divisions, having 

 cliffs which are partly perpendicular. The under part, which is 

 called Europa Point, is about 105 English feet above the sea ; 

 the second, Windmill Hill, is about 330 feet above the sea. 

 From here the rock rises steep to its liighest southern point, 

 which is named St George's tower, to which a narrow steep 

 pathway conducts, called Mediterranean Stairs. The above, like 

 the northern pinnacle, possesses a height of about 1400 feet*. 

 The crest of rock which unites the two, and which is in some 

 places extremely narrow, is upon the whole somewhat lower in 

 height upon the western declivity. Not very far from the Signal 

 house, which is placed upon the highest point of the rocky crest, 

 at an elevation of 1276 feet, there is the opening of a spacious 

 cave, which is covered with long calcareous stalactites. Around 

 the western, northern, and eastern borders of the rock, there 

 is a continued flat land, which, towards the north, runs into 

 the small neck of land that unites Gibraltar with the neigh- 

 bouring country. The town is situated on the west side of the 

 rock, upon the above flat, and the higher part of the town has 

 the declivity of the rock as a shelter. The flat space of the 

 eastern border is very narrow. Few houses are situated on this 

 part, and these are more threatened than protected by the over- 

 hanging cliffs. This shore runs southward towards a steep in- 

 clined plane, consisting of sand, and against which the waves 

 dash to a considerable height. This part is entirely cut off by 

 a perpendicular rocky wall projecting into the sea, and is thus 

 separated from the border of the under southern division of the 

 rock. 



On the east side of the rock, nature has rendered fortification 

 unnecessary, but the other sides are protected by art. The 

 works of the fortress not only surround the entire border of the 

 rock, but they extend in the most varied lines to the highest 

 pinnacle of the same. And they cover not only the surface of 



• The highest pinnacle, called the Sugar Loaf, has a height of 1439 Eng- 

 lish feet above the sea. 



