CEUTA. . cH.n. 



Gibraltar and the coast between Ceuta and Tetuan are 

 sy of access in fine weather, and here the Moorish autho- 

 ties are obliged to maintain a force of coast-guards. We 

 et several wild-looking fellows, who became more frequent 

 we approached the Spanish lines before Ceuta, each 

 antily clothed and armed with a long gun. They must 

 iffer much in cold and rainy weather, as they have no 

 her protection than a slight screen of branches, inter- 

 ced with straw or reeds. 



Ceuta stands upon a narrow promontory that forms the 

 istem extremity of a spur projecting from the high range 

 ' Ape's Hill. As this promontory is only the last in a 

 Ties of conical summits that gradually diminish in height 

 5 they approach the Mediterranean, the fortress is com- 

 Letely commanded on the land side. But the Spaniards 

 ave erected small forts on the nearer heights, and with 

 loderate watchfulness are secure enough from any assault 

 lat could be made by the Moors. As we rode over the 

 eck of land connecting the fortress with the adjoining 

 ills, and finally approached the only entrance, which is 

 3ached by a succession of gates and drawbridges, we had 

 >isure to admire the elaborate character of the defences, 

 1 which every known resource of military engineering, 

 s understood at the beginning of the last century, seems 

 have been accumulated. The soul of Uncle Toby would 

 ave delighted in the multiplication of ditches, curtains, 

 avelins, demi-lunes, hornworks, and palisades that have 

 leen expended here for the purpose of astonishing the 

 mtutored mind of the ignorant Moor. 



The little town that forms the kernel of these vast 

 ortifications far surpassed our expectations. Say what we 

 dll, there is a vast gap between the condition of the least 

 dvanced countries of Europe and the barbarism from 

 ?hich no Mohammedan State has yet contrived to raise 

 tself. Ceuta, however, is a very favourable sample of a 

 Spanish town, and is far superior in aspect to most places 

 if equal importance in the motlier-country. The well- 



