GIBRALTAR. 



are fcvcral niok-s, which facilitate the unloading of (hips, 

 and enable them to catl anchor in fccurity. Before you 

 arrive at the fouth gate you obfcrvo a handfome, large, 

 fquare. furrounjcd with trees, now called the Field of Mars, 

 formerly the Red Sand ; of fucli a fut, that the fooo men, 

 ufually conipofing the garrifon, cai perform their manoeu- 

 vres without inconvenience. Here the guard always mufters, 

 and on Sundays and holidays they make it tlie grand 

 parade. 



The prevailing forms of religion in this promontory are 

 the Catholic, tirat of tlic church of England, and the Jewilh, 

 each of which has its own burying ground, among the faudy 

 earth of the mountain. 



The town of Gibraltar is on the ivcft fide at the foot of 

 the mountain ; it is large, well built, fortified with ftrong 

 walls, ballions, and work=; to cover them ; a large fort pro- 

 tefts andmalks the mole, built in the form of a bridge, 300 

 feet long ; a church is built near it ; and on the land fide is 

 another mole, which covers the part fortified by a tort with a 

 tower, and two or three breaft-works, thrown up in front. 

 On entering the town by the fouth gate, you perceive on the 

 kft an edifice, containing the library of the officers of the 

 garrifon ; confiiling chielly of the works of modern authors. 

 The governor's houfe is built on the ground formerly occu- 

 pied by the convent of Francifcans ; to which is attached 

 a beautiful garden, which, on Thurfday and Sunday evenings, 

 during the fiimmer, is the promenade of the officers of the 

 garrifon and inhabitants of the city. The principal ilreet 

 Bito which you enter on leaving the governor's houfe, is the 

 refidence of the merchants, and on the right is the Catholic 

 shapel, rebuilt in an excellent llyle of architefture ; this 

 Ilreet extends almofl through the whole length of the city, 

 being more than half a mile loug, and on each fide it has 

 handfome flat pavements, and a number of (hops from one end 

 to the other. All the houfes are built in the Engliih ftyle, with 

 fmall deors, flat roofs, and enormous bow windows, behind 

 ■wliich the prime goods of all forts are expofed to fale. The 

 inhabitants are chiefly military ; the commerce witli Africa 

 is neither certain nor regular ; and although the contraband 

 trade with Spain, both in incney and goods, is one of the 

 principal branches of trade, that cannot be fufficient (fays La 

 Borde) to indemnify England for a million and a half of 

 piaftres, which on an average it cofl.s annually to maintainthis 

 point in the Mediterranean, where in other refpefts tlie duties 

 coUecled are very fmall. This place is advantagcoufly fitu- 

 ated for victualling the fleets, and the protection of the coail 

 of Africa, from whence the Englifli procure their csrn, and 

 as a place of refuge for their privateers and floops of war. 

 The port is a key to the Mediterranean and to tlie Atlantic ; 

 confuls from all the Itates of Europe and North America 

 ufually reiide there. The Americans, as well as the .Swedes, 

 Danes, and Dutch, in time of peace, carry on a direct com- 

 merce with Gibraltar, by fupplying thcmfelves with the ar- 

 ticles they want, and leaving in exchange Inufi", cod, pitch, 

 and tar, mafts, rum, maize, rice, flour, fiigar, pepper, 

 ginger, cotton, anifeed, and the other articles of commerce, 

 which they procure from Afia, Africa, and Europe. The 

 coaiU of Granada, SevUle, and Catalonia, furnifh wine, and 

 Africa wax and frefli meat in great quantities ; they alfo im- 

 port from Spain bvar.dy, raifins, almonds, oranges, lemons, 

 iiiks, fait, &c. which the veffels from the north carry back 

 in exchange. Gibraltar contains altogether 9000 inhabit- 

 ants, including eight regiments, amounting to 6000 men ; fo 

 that this place is rather a military colony than a commercial 

 eltablifiiraent. The popiJation ol Gibraltar extends otie mile 

 to the fouth, and neaily as much towards the top of the 

 mountain ; and if we may judge from the new buildings 



lately ereftcd, it is certainly incrcafing. All th^ houfes ar* 

 painted black on the outfide, with white borders or ledg(?s, 

 ihewing the number of llorics, which are generally two or 

 three. This mode is well fuited to a country where the reflec- 

 tion of the fun is fo violent. The police is well conducted ; 

 no beggars arc to be found here ; the llrects arc prefers'ed 

 clean and falubrious ; and though they are all well lighted at 

 night, no one is allowed to walk without a lanthorn, and aper- 

 miifiou from the general ; fentinels requiring anfwers to their 

 challenges being ilationed in the town, as well as patroles and 

 watchmen. All forms of religion are tolerated without in- 

 convenience, and the number of Jews, who live here more 

 fecurelv than in any other part of Europe, is very coiifidera- 

 ble. Gibraltar has a theatre, which, though fmall, is well 

 laid out and adorned with tafte. For want of regular aclors, 

 the officers of the garrifon perform, during the greater part 

 of the year, a number of Enghfli plays. 



On the oppofite fide of the ftraits of Gibraltar is the 

 town of Ceuta. The traveller, who wiflies to crofs over into 

 Africa, may take advantage of the N.W. winds, and of the 

 fmall vefiels which are continually paffingand repafiing. 



The origin and foundation of this town are loil in the ob- 

 fcurity of time. It is certain, however, that the Phoenicians, the 

 Egyptians, and other ancient people, landed at Gibraltar ; and 

 the name of the pillars of Hercules, by which this place 

 was known, is nothing more than a tradition preferved among 

 the Phoenicians, who peopled this coail, and brought their 

 gods and religious worfhip with them. But it is not known 

 whether the ilraits or colur-ins exilled in the remotefl; anti- 

 quity, and if the iufeription '• nou plus ultra' ' meiint that 

 nothing was more wonderful than the feparation of the two 

 continents, or, as is more probable, that no one had dared to 

 navigate beyond this point. However this be, it is probable 

 tliat the firft navigators of the Mediten-ancan landed at Gib- 

 raltar, or its envii-ons. This opinion is iupported by the 

 authority of Pomponiiis Mela, who, being born at Cadiz, 

 may be fuppofed to feel more intereft than others in whatever 

 related to this coaft. The Moors feized on Gibraltar in the 

 eighth century, and keld it without interruption till the 

 fourteenth, when, in the year 13 10, it was taken from them 

 by Perez de Guzman ; but they retook it in the year 1332, 

 and held it till the year 1462, when it was retaken by the 

 Spaniards, and it has continued in the hands of the Chriilians 

 from that time. The English took it from the Spaniards during 

 the war of the fucceifion in Spain ; the fort furrendcred to the 

 united fleet of England and Holhuid under fir George Rook, 

 in 1 704 ; and the alhes took poflefiion of it in the name of 

 Clrarles IH. The place was ceded to the Engliih bv the trea- 

 ties of Utrecht and Seville ; it was befieged at fcveral times 

 without fuccefs. Since the Englidi have been mafl;ers of the 

 place it h.as been fo nuich improved and llrengthened, as pro- 

 bably to bid defiance to the ulinoil efforts cf an enemy. In the 

 courfe of the American war, the Spaniards again befiej^ed it ;* 

 but their memorable attack witli floating batteries of up- 

 wards of 200 cannon, in (hips of all fizes, terminated only 

 in difappomtment, in the deilriii£lion of the (hips and men 

 employed, and in the immortal liunour of the brave defenders 1 

 i6 H-.iles N. of Ceuta, 70 S. of Serille. N. lut. 36 4 44". 

 W. long. 5° 19' 46". 



GiBii.M.TAH, an ancient town of South America, in the 

 government of Caraeca.";, andprovinccof Venezuela, fit uated on 

 the E. coafl: of ihelakeMaracaybo. The country in its vicinity 

 is well watered with rivers, and furnifhe.i cocoa of the bell qua- 

 lity, and very large i-edars. The bell Spaniih tobacco is pro- 

 duced here, called Tobago de Marafaibo, from which is 

 made the valuable fnuff, vulgarly called " Mackaba" fnuff. 

 The air is very infalubrwus in the rauiy feafon, and therefore 



{he 



