Foreign Climbs 



was something singular about our get-up or get-down, 

 for a crowd gathered together to see us alight at the 

 door. 



The first thing was to rush to the post-office ; the second, 

 to fortify our disappointments with a light lunch of bread 

 and (double Gloucester) cheese and beer ; and after writing an 

 hour or so, we sallied forth, when, with that aspiring energy 

 which characterises the youth of Britain, we scaled the rock 

 by its most rugged and steep ascent, which, scorning the 

 idea of a guide, we of course hit upon with our usual felicity. 

 After toiling up an interminable and dilapidated flight of 

 steps, on the edge of a wall, we reached the signal- 

 station hot and breathless, giving vent to many palpitating 

 maledictions on the oppressive sultriness of foreign clivibs. 



Here the fresh breeze blowing over the razor-edge of the 

 rock's backbone, freshened us up, and we looked over the 

 dizzy precipice, which goes down like a wall on the other 

 side to the rippling blue of the Mediterranean, 1,300 feet 

 beneath. " The stately ships sailed in and out of their haven 

 under the hill," and in the excitement of the scene, with two 

 seas and two continents within our horizon, the wandering 

 spirit of the buccaneer of old came strong upon us, and we 

 spake of selling our ponies and buving a shallop, of which 

 Harry (late midshipman, R.N.) was to be captain, and I 

 crew. In this we were to sail by Scylla and Charybdis to 

 Carthage, and crossing northward, glide among the Ionian 

 islands ; then, coasting along the winding bays of Asia 

 Minor, touch at Tyre and Sidon, put in at -Joppa, and 

 visit Jerusalem. 



We descended to be in time for dinner ; and learning 

 that it would be dished at gun-fire, went out and waited 

 upon the line-wall to see the ceremony. The following 

 sonnet, in the mild tourist style, will save description. 



165 



