Aly. Jacob's Letters from Spatn. 
tewh; but the most striking part of the 
gallaries i is that called St, George’ s Cha- 
pel, which is scooped out of the ‘solid 
rock about. four hundred feet above the 
level of the sea, and is filled with cannon, 
Over this, Willis’s battery is situated, 
having its artillery pointed in the same 
direction. Qn a level with the entrance 
is placed another battery called the 
Devil's Tongue, which flanks the entrance, 
and on which, I think I was told that, 
six hundred pieces of artillery might be 
brought to bear on any attacking enemy, 
Our friend Lieutenant Mitchell of the 
artillery bas been my Ciceroni at Gibral- 
tar, and I have prevailed on him to ac 
company Mr. Ridout and myself in our 
intended tour to Malaga, Granada, and 
Ronda. We have ascended together 
tothe top of the rock inthe highest part, 
and went on -horseback as far as the 
horses could ascend; the servants then 
conducted them to the other side, where 
we weretomectthem. The object most 
worthy of notice is St. Michael’s cave, 
about ‘half way up the rock, .the road to 
which is good, though it is bounded upon 
one side by a tremendous precipice. 
‘The entrance to this cave is by a natural 
excavation, about thirty feet in breadth 
and twenty-five in height, It is full.of 
stalactites of a large size, which, de- 
scending from the roof and resting on 
the floor, have the appearance of pillars 
constructed forits support. As we were 
mot provided with torches’we could not 
descend, but Mr. Mitchel, who had ex- 
plored it before, had penetrated four 
+huridred feet hy a gradual descent through 
apartments of natural arches in various 
directions, supported by similar columns 
.of stalactites. 
» From St. Michael’s Cave we asconied 
to the top, ond had a yiew from the clitf, 
which is perpendicular, towards the Me- 
diterranean, about one thousand three 
hundred feet above the level of the.sea. 
A tower has been built at the highest 
int, with the intention of viewing from 
at the motions of the ships in the bay of 
Cadiz; bot from ‘its height it has been 
_ frequently struck by lightning, and is now 
a ‘heap of ruins. We descended the 
rockon the eastern side by steps, hewn 
avith mach labour out of the stone, ¢ill 
me reached a small battery, whence a 
path wound to the south end of the rock, 
ere the horses were waiting for us. 
~ Theypper part of the rock of Gibral- 
“tarconsists of exce)lentlime-stone, resting 
‘onia base of granite ; the crevices of the 
pork was the resugt of apes of a large 
a , 
619 
sizey in which they conceal themselve, 
when the east wind blows, but at other, 
times they make their appeatance in cons 
siderable numbers, and sometimes greatly 
incommode passengers, by rolling down 
broken fragments of the rock. No one 
is permitted to shoot them; indeed the 
strictest orders are issued that no gun 
shall be fired on the rock, which, as the, 
place abounds with game, proves ta 
sportsmen a great mortification. The 
view from the summit Is very extensive 
we discerned Apes-hill. and the contigu- 
ous mountains in Africa, and the Spanish 
mountains of Ronda and Granada, with 
the towns of Algeziras, Ximenes, St. 
Roque, Estepona, and Marvella, but 
the- country was not diversified with 
trees, nor adorned with verdant fields, 
I was much pleased with the houses 
built, for some of the officers of the gar« 
rison, towards the south ; the naval come 
misstoner especially has a charming resi~ 
dence, and a good garden, stockeil with 
every species of tropical fruit. The first 
rate society in Gibraltar is very good, 
and a taste for elegance, united with 
economy, generally prevails, 
A_ public library, instituted by the 
late Mr. Pitt, and furnished with a vae 
luable eollection of books, to which all 
the military have access, forms a great 
acquisition to the garrison, This instis 
tution, together with the sensible and 
polite conversation of the engineer and 
artillery officers, most of whom are men 
of education and liberal minds, gives a 
tone to the society and manners which 
is highly agreeable.” Nothing, however, 
can be more miserable \than the appeare 
ance of the civil inhabitants of the town, 
whether Moors, Jews, or Christians. 
They live crouded together, in habitae 
tions resembling barracks rather than 
houses, which are as filthy as their pere 
sons. 
The commerce of Gibraltar has been 
very considerable since the communica 
tion with Spain has been free; but, like 
other markets in similar circumstances, 
it is now :so overluaded, that there is ~ 
scarcely room for the various commodie 
ties collected, and serieus fears, are en- 
tertained, that, if asiege were to come 
menee, a great quantity of praperty 
must he sacrificed for military aceom- 
modation, as there are neither store- 
houses sufficient to contain it, nor sbip- 
ping enough to comvey it to places of 
safety. ” 
The markets of this place are well 
supplied from Spain with.every kind of 
rovision. 
P ? 
