NEIGHBOURHOOD OF GIBRALTAR. 185 



vered from the same ruins. On the hill on which St. 

 Roque now stands there was formerly a hermitage ; 

 but since the Spaniards of Gibraltar sought a refuge 

 here, when that fortress was taken by the English, the 

 number of houses has gradually increased, and from its 

 close proximity to so great a commercial emporium as 

 Gibraltar once was, the number of inhabitants has 

 considerably increased. The poorer classes still live 

 chiefly upon the people of Gibraltar, whom they supply 

 with the produce of the country. The population 

 does not, however, I believe, exceed ten thousand, 

 including the military and strangers. This town, 

 like most other towns in Spain, has occasionally 

 produced men of military eminence, who have dis- 

 tinguished themselves in the revolutionary wars of 

 the country. The writer of the ' Guide Book to Gib- 

 raltar' quaintly observes, that, " with a lingering hope 

 of again possessing the fortress of Gibraltar, the city 

 of Gibraltar is said to exist in San Roque." Be this 

 as it may, it is notorious that in all public acts the 

 Roquians still style themselves the inhabitants of 

 Gibraltar residing at St. Roque, and the general at 

 Algesiras is called the commandant of the Campo de 

 Gibraltar ; some even say, that like the remnants of 

 the Grenada Moors now in Morocco, the old families 

 in St. Roque hand down from one generation to ano- 

 ther the keys of the houses which their forefathers 

 brought with them on quitting Gibraltar. To whatever 

 extent the jealous feelings of the Spanish may now be 

 excited in prejudice to the English power, it is very 

 gratifying to observe the friendly intercourse which at 



