26 Voyage of the Novara. 



to return to their floating abodes. From this hour till morning 

 all communication with the harbour is arrested, and the utter 

 impossibility (except in extraordinary cases) of leaving the 

 town after this hour, has given rise amongst the people to the 

 saying, *' There is only one thing more difficult than to get out 

 of the town after midnight, and that is to get in." 



There are in the city two Anglican churches, one "Wes- 

 leyan, one Presbyterian, two Catholic chapels, and two syna- 

 gogues. The garrison library, where likewise a great number 

 of journals and magazines are kept, possesses 22,000 volumes, 

 amongst them several very rare and costly works, especially of 

 ancient Spanish literature. It was founded in 1793 by Captain 

 Drinkwater, and has been hitherto kept up by private subscrip- 

 tions and the profits arising from a printing-establishment 

 attached to it. 



Gibraltar owes to the energy and public spirit of the 

 governor. Sir James Fergusson, the foundation of several im- 

 portant establishments and undertakings. Since the beginning 

 of his administration in 1856, the number of public schools 

 has been considerably increased, the town supplied with gas, 

 and well-arranged public baths established. 



The city does not possess a single well or spring; the 

 water used is obtained from tanks, in which the rain is 

 collected. The quantity of rain that fell during the twelve 

 months of 1855 amounted to 78 inches; in 1856, it is said to 

 have been only 24 inches. Nevertheless, there is at no time 

 any scarcity of water. The Government have lately caused the 



