[From Buck Whaley's Memoirs]

CHAPTER II.

My Return to Dublin-An Extraordinary Wager-A Sea journalDescription of an Albacore-The Moorish Fleet-Gibralter-The Grand Battery-St. George's Hall-Poco Roco, or Eliott's Parlour -Ince's Gallery-Willis's Battery, or Queen's Gallery-The King's Bastion-St. Michael's Cave-Some remarks on Gibralter.

WHEN I had sufficiently recovered my health, I accompanied Mr. R_¹ to Dublin, where I was received and treated like the Prodigal Son. I took a house, hired a number of servants, and upon looking into my affairs, found that I had expended, exclusive of my ready money, about twenty thousand pounds of my fortune. Still, however, I might have been happy ; I had an ample property remaining and was caressed by my friends, who looked upon my past follies with indulgence and as merely proceeding from the ebullitions of youth.

This quiet life did not suit my volatile disposition in order, therefore, to vary the scene, I sent over to London for a female companion, with whom I had been intimate, and who immediately accepted the invitation. I had no motive whatever in giving her the preference but that she was an exotic. My inamorata was neither distinguished for wit or beauty ; but I will do her the justice to say that she had none of that rapacity and extravagance so common with the generality of her profession. What I expended on her account was from my own free will and suggestion. I hired her a magnificent house, suitably furnished, and settled an allowance of five hundred a year on her : this was merely pro forma, for she cost me upwards of five thousand. At her house I kept my midnight orgies, and saw my friends, according to the fashionable acceptation of the word.

But soon growing tired of this manner of living, I conceived the strange idea of performing, like Cook, a voyage round the world; and no sooner had it got possession of my imagination, than I flew off at a tangent with my female companion to Plymouth, in order to put my plan in execution, which was to purchase a vessel of two hundred and eighty tons burthen, and to carry twenty-two guns. I entered into treaty with a builder, who engaged to furnish me with one of the above description for ten thousand pounds, equipped in every respect, and to be ready in the space of four months.

This affair settled I returned to Dublin, where being one day at dinner with some people of fashion at the Duke of L-'s,² the conversation turned upon my intended voyage, when one of the company asked me to what part of the world I meant to direct my course first, to which I answered, without hesitation, " to Jerusalem." This was considered by the company as a mere jest ; and so, in fact, it was; but the subject still continuing, some observed that there was no such place at present existing; and others that, if it did exist, I should not be able to find it. This was touching me in the tender point : the difficulty of an undertaking always stimulated me to the attempt. I instantly offered to bet any sum that I would go to Jerusalem and return to Dublin within two years from my departure. I accepted without hesitation all the wagers that were offered me, and in a few days the sum I had depending on this curious expedition exceeded twelve thousand pounds.³

My whole mind was now engaged on this new project. I was inflamed with the desire of doing what had not been attempted by any of my countrymen, at least by those of my own age and I figured to myself the pleasure I should feel at my return to my own country after having accomplished this undertaking what admiration I should excite by the detail of my wonderful adventures, my hairbreadth scapes, and the descriptions I should give of the beautiful Turks, Greeks, and Georgians, and all the farrago with which my heated imagination was filled.

I was now nearly of age, and Mr. N_⁴ peremptorily insisted that I should again examine; the state of my fortune; with which request, however unwilling, I. was under the necessity of complying. I found it still more diminished by the variety of my dissipation and extravagance. This worthy man, with the greatest delicacy and gentleness, represented to me then, that the way of life in which I was engaged, must inevitably lead: me to ruin.; that my extraordinary, not to say scandalous, establishment formed for the English lady did not stand: me in less than five thousand a year ; that the annual expense of my ship, exclusive of the first cost, would amount to as much more ; and that at the rate I proceeded, I must in a short time be reduced to indigence, and depend for support upon my friends and relations : that the attachment of the former, as I have since experienced, would cease, when the sunshine of my fortunes, by which they were now attracted, should disappear ; and as to the latter, he knew my pride of heart too well to suppose that I could live under the mortification of owing the means of existence to any one, however nearly allied. He then addressed me in the following affectionate manner. " My dear M-⁵, do you look upon me as a friend?" I assured him that the proofs he had given me of his friendship were too deeply engraven on my heart ever to be erased; that I looked up to him as a father, and that I should ever esteem it as my greatest happiness to be permitted to call him by that sacred title. " Well then," said he, with tears in his eyes, " I conjure you by your friendship and the regard you allow me to have, that you will part with this woman and abandon the wild scheme of the voyage : that you will bestow your whole attention on the adjustment of your affairs ; on fixing an establishment suited to your income ; and, finally, that you will think of uniting yourself to some person of prudence and virtue, which will be the means of saving you from that precipice on which you are now tottering : you will then become a good husband, a good father and a good citizen ; three essential qualifications for every honest man, and without which there can be no real enjoyment in life."

Had he required of me any other sacrifice than the two above mentioned, I should have complied without hesitation ; but these were my favourite hobby-horses and though I would not offend Mr. N-⁶ by a direct refusal, I requested he would give me till the next day to consider of it ; which interval I employed in deliberating how I could best soften my non-compliance with his request, so as to avoid giving him offence. This I could not do in such a manner but that the good man was sensibly touched at my strange infatuation ; and any other but himself would have at once abandoned me to my fate. But his zeal to serve me was as steady as my perseverance in 'my own undoing was obstinate : so that by dint of argument and persuasion, he at length prevailed so far as to exact a promise from me that I would at least comply with half his request, and give up either one or the other, leaving the choice entirely to myself.

As I was now really attached to the lady, I agreed to give up the ship, if he would undertake to get her off my hands; which he did by means of a small compensation to the builder, who, I understand, afterwards sold her to the Empress of Russia.

This matter being settled, my whole attention was directed towards my expedition to Jerusalem, in which I intended my fair one should accompany me. But the inconveniencies of a female companion in traversing so much sea and land were pointed out to me in such a manner as induced me to give up that part of my scheme; and I accordingly left her in London on an allowance of two hundred a year, which was regularly paid her till all my property was sold.

Having now arranged everything which I thought necessary for my pilgrimage, I set out for Deal on the 10th of September, 1789,⁷ where I was joined by Mr. W-,⁸ who had promised to accompany me. I hired a vessel called the London, to carry me to Smyrna and touch at Gibralter. On the 7th of October we went on board and set sail immediately.

October the 9th.

We commenced our voyage with favourable gales, and this day we found ourselves in the Bay of Biscay. The sea ran prodigiously high, and for several hours the motion of the ship surpassed every thing I had ever seen or felt before. The sea rolled over our heads and washed every thing off the deck. One prodigious wave striking the ship in the counter, set her for some moments on her beam-ends, knocked the man from the helm, and almost killed him : on my endeavouring to assist him I nearly shared the same fate, as I was thrown by another sea with great violence against my companion, and had my hip and thigh bruised in a most shocking manner.

Night coming on, it blew harder and harder, and though the sailors termed it a hard gale, I really thought it deserved the appellation of a heavy storm ; nor was I, if countenances are allowed to reveal the emotions of the mind, the only person on board of that opinion. The captain himself acknowledged it to be the hardest gale he had encountered for seven years.

The return of day, however, promised us more moderate weather; and the wind shifting, we had in a few hours even less of it than we wished. I now began to feel the vanity of human wishes, and the late storm having made me somewhat religious I could not help reflecting how little we are able to fudge for ourselves. I had, some hours before, most fervently prayed for less wind, and now I was about to invoke heaven for more ! These considerations naturally induced me to be satisfied with the calm rather than have it exchanged for a storm.

My friend and I had been informed, when in London, that it was expedient, considering the hazardous expedition we were going to undertake, that we should let our beards grow, in order that we might [be] as little noticed as possible in those countries we intended to visit; which could be effected only by dressing ourselves as much as possible in the habit of the country. Accordingly, we had not shaved since we left London ; so that by this time we really appeared ridiculous and grotesque figures. We would more than once have undergone the operation of the razor had we not been well assured that a long beard would be of more use to us and protect us more efficaciously than long swords, or all the guards we could procure. This appeared to us a better scheme than either to fight the Arabs or make them large presents.

October the 15th.

Early in the morning I was awoke by the noise of the crew on deck, who had a large fish fast at my line ; I got up just time enough to see him brought on board. This fish, known to the sailors by the name of Albacore, was the most beautiful I ever beheld : it had in shape and colour much the advantage of the Dolphin, remarkably strong and full made at the shoulder, and tapering towards the tail. He weighed thirty-seven pounds when gutted, and it was out of my power to [prevent] the cook from cutting him open before he was a moment out of the water. I observed that while he underwent the severe operation of having his inside taken out, he lay as if totally devoid of feeling; but scarcely had his entrails been taken from him, when, as if to make amends for his apparent torpor, he beat the deck with such astonishing violence and rapidity that it was impossible to approach him. At length I was pleased to see an end put to his miserable existence by a blow with an axe, which the cook gave him on the head, which cutting it almost asunder, entirely deprived this beautiful animal of life.

I observed one peculiarity in this fish, which I should [not] pass over unnoticed: I remarked his heart to be as large as that of a half-grown lamb, and curiosity having led me to take it up in my hand, I was much astonished to find it so convulsed as to force open my fingers when pressed upon it. I laid it down and took out my watch to see how long it would retain its motion, and much to my surprise the heart moved on the deck for nearly two minutes after I had thrown it down. It was a most excellent fish, and for several days was served as the first dish at table. I saw with regret that we could not replace him, and therefore ordered some of it to be pickled, and found it as good as any sturgeon I had ever eaten.

October the 20th.

We saw a whale quite near us. This stupendous animal did not in the least appear to mind us : it seemed to keep company with the ship, and followed it for many minutes, spouting up water to a very great height, and once he was so near as to wet our mizzen half way up with the spray. Had we been at all provided with harpoons, we might, I am certain, have made him a very easy prey.

October the 26th.

We had now been six days beating to windward, expecting every day to weather Cape St. Vincent ; and what was most extraordinary [was], that let us be on which tack we would, whether steering East, West, North, or South, we were sure to have the wind change, as we did, and blow directly in our teeth. This led me to remark, that, in order to live pleasantly at sea, two qualifications were absolutely necessary: in the first place, a man must possess an uncommon share of philosophy, and in the next a good stock of patience ; particularly if he has the misfortune of being confined to a merchant ship, with a long voyage before him, absent from all the endearing objects of his heart, and the wind constantly against him, with no appearance of a change in his favour. In a situation like this, one has much time for reflection. I hope that those I made may be of service to me, and by way of assisting them, I proposed to my friend to drink a bottle of Madeira, and set his philosophy and mine afloat together. This succeeded beyond my expectation ; the heavy hours passed away in jocund merriment. We forgot that the wind was against us, and night coming on, we slept as well and contentedly as if we had the most prosperous gales in the world.

The next morning we saw a number of fishing boats off the Spanish land, and through my glass I could discern the village of Saltas in the land of Sinas, or Boddendoes,⁹ so called from the redness of its soil. Saltas, as well as I could judge at the distance of two or three leagues, is a neat pretty village situated at the foot of å very high hill. The country on both sides is very beautiful, and mostly covered with underwood. I should have liked to go on shore ; but not having bills of health for the place, and [my] knowing the strictness observed by the Spaniards, in preventing all strangers from landing on any part of their coast, especially from on board a Turkey ship, induced me to give up all thoughts of it. Besides, the captain related to me a circumstance which some years [before] happened to himself. He was then mate of a merchantman bound to the Levant, and finding the ship weather-locked upon the Spanish coast near Malaga, he was desired by the captain to go on shore in search of a few necessaries. He had scarcely landed when he was seized and carried before a magistrate, who sent him to prison, where he lay for upwards of ten days, till the ship went to Gibralter and the Governor was informed of the circumstance, who on application had him restored to liberty, though not till after he had paid the gaolers very considerable fees. This was more than sufficient to shake me in my resolutions, and I was obliged to content myself some time longer with the exercise that walking the deck afforded.

At length the wind became favourable, and the captain revived our spirits by informing us, that should the wind keep as it was, we should be in Gibralter in thirty-six hours. I had now been twenty-one days on board, and when we sailed from the Downs we expected that much less than half that time would have set us on the Rock. I could not help growing a little impatient, ;and the more so as I had a long voyage before me and little time allotted to perform it.

I had not much leisure to cherish these pleasing expectations, as in a few hours the wind kindly returned to its old quarter. My patience began to be nearly exhausted ; for the more I endeavoured to reason with myself, the more I was convinced of the fallacy of human happiness: one moment we were elated with appearances, which vanish in another ; and reason, which we are told should be our support, only serves to convince us more fully of our wretched insignificance. In my opinion, a man should either be a Seneca, or quite a fool, to pass through life with any tolerable share of comfort. I am confident that I am no philosopher, and though I have vanity sufficient to prevent me from thinking myself a fool ; yet were I called on to give my opinion, which of the two characters I think the most likely to conduce to happiness, I should not find it a hard matter to decide in favour of the latter.

October the 27th.

At break of day we saw the coast of Barbary, distant four leagues, and soon after we were abreast of Cape Spartel, when we were very much alarmed at the appearance of several ships within gunshot of us, which we discovered to be the Moorish Fleet. It consisted of six small frigates, that seemed to mount from twenty to thirtysix guns each. They appeared to be full of men, above twice the number we have in ships of that size; notwithstanding which they obeyed their signals very clumsily. Yet on the whole I thought the ships sailed well on a wind, and had they been more expert at handing [?handling] and setting their topsails, they would have kept tolerable pace with us. We observed them after some time make a signal, which immediately gave us the alarm the foremost ship ordered the boats to be hoisted out, and on the first being let down into the water we were sufficiently aware of their intentions not to wait for a second. We crowded all the sail we could, and were in about two hours out of their reach.

These boats most undoubtedly were intended to board us : whether their views were hostile or not, I cannot decide : but in either case it would have reduced us to the dire necessity of performing forty days quarantine at Gibralter, as we afterwards. learned, had we been boarded by any ship whatever from the coast of Barbary.

We sailed close along the Barbary shore, and found a strong tide hurrying us into the Gut of Gibralter, at the rate of seven knots. The coast appeared very wild and the shore very bold all the way from Cape Spartel to a very high land, called Apes' Hill, from the number of animals of that name that is seen on it. The face of the country is rocky, and yet covered with much underwood, which has an uncommonly wild appearance. Here and there you are struck with a romantic prospect, and some spots are very pretty. But as you proceed to the eastward the country carries with it the appearance of an uninhabited sandy desert.

On the following morning we found ourselves in the very centre of the Gut or Mouth of the Straits ; and on both sides the most beautiful sea-landscape offered itself to our view ; on the South the uneven surface of the Barbary shore forming itself into a bay, at the West end of which is the town of Tangiers ; on the North, nearly opposite, and on the Spanish shore, is the beautiful village of Tercese [?]. The immense height of the rocks ascending perpendicularly from the surface of the sea strikes the imagination with sublime though awful ideas.

In the middle of the Channel that runs between these two shores, as you open the entrance into the Mediterranean, there runs a tide, which in the summer months always sets in to the westward ; and to the eastward in the winter months, at the rate of five knots. From the manner in which this tide appears to boil up in different places I should imagine the ground to be very foul, or that there runs a contrary tide at the bottom, either of which would give it the appearance it now has.

I cannot be supposed to affect feelings that may be fairly called peculiar to the moment, when in the midst of that immense body of water which washes a shore ofno less than three thousand miles, even in a direct course, to the head of the Black Sea, I discovered so many new, interesting and variegated scenes, which were much heightened by the reverberation of the sound of cannon through a chain of mountains, and the setting sun plunging itself into the Atlantic directly central to our situation, and which was sometimes obscured by the interposition of impending clouds.

On Wednesday, October 29th, we discovered the Rock of Gibralter. I had remained on deck from five in the morning with all the eagerness that curiosity and expectation could inspire. The renown of that memorable siege was too fresh in my memory not to be stimulated by the greatest impatience to hear those facts recorded on the spot which immortalized its brave defenders and their veteran chief.

I had from earliest youth formed a wish of visiting Gibralter, and the eagerness with which I waited for the time of my getting on shore is not to be described. But I was never more disappointed in my life than at the first appearance which this so much celebrated place [seemed] to present at two miles' distance from the sea : nothing to strike the eye but the height of the rock and a few straggling houses : not the appearance of a battery, or the smallest indication of a fortified place. Nor was my opinion peculiar to myself in this respect, for I have heard since that a stranger on his first approach to Gibralter must necessarily be somewhat disappointed from the first view [that] place offers from the sea. But how soon is he undeceived when he sets his foot on shore, and with what pleasure and admiration does he gaze on everything he sees around him. Nature and art have gone hand in hand for many years : and if nature has been lavish of her favours, art has done much indeed; and is still exerting herself to improve her wonderful productions by rendering this celebrated fortress absolutely impregnable, to advance the grandeur and glory, the interests and honour of the British name.

I was just stepping into the boat to go on shore when the captain requested I would return to the cabin and look at myself in a glass : nor could I help laughing at the ridiculous appearance I made. In dressing my hair the servant had taken care to powder my beard, which was now grown an inch long. I therefore held a council of war whether or not I should appear before the Governor in such a manner ; and the majority giving it against me, I was obliged to yield to the considerations of the present, and lose sight of the motives of prudence which had made me take these precautions against the future. Consequently my venerable beard was condemned to undergo the operation of the razor, and it required all the exertions of my persuasive eloquence to get a respite for the poor whiskers.

I inquired my way to the Governor's, and as I proceeded through the streets was much [struck] with the variety of figures that I met running promiscuously backward and forward, and the odd and confused noise resulting from a dozen different languages spoken at once. Jews of all nations, Moors, Turks, and Christians were indiscriminately mixed together, each having a different dress, countenance, and religion. To me all was masquerade. I could not have been more amused in the centre of the Pantheon ; nor hit upon a character to which I could have done more justice than the one I naturally filled at the time, viz., that of a country booby, gaping and staring at all I saw.

I did not find his Excellency ¹⁰ at home; but having been informed of my arrival, he had done me the honour of leaving an invitation for my friend and me to dine with him at three. We strolled about the town till that hour, viewing and examining the devastations committed during the late siege. We were received with all that easy politeness and affability of manners which so eminently distinguish his Excellency's character, and denote the gentleman, as well as the social companion. I had the honour of being well acquainted with the General some years before, when he was on the staff in Ireland, during the administration of the late much lamented Duke of Rutland, whose public and private virtues can only be forgotten when time is no more.

He recollected me with pleasure, and I knew sufficiently of my friend the General to be certain of meeting with excellent cheer at the Governor's.

We ate, drank, laughed and talked a good deal for the time, but early in the evening the company broke up and I was going to retire when my friend recommended me to his secretary, Mr. B-, who, in order to make me pass the evening as pleasantly as possible, had invited a party of young people to a little dance. Though rather fatigued, and in boots, I could not withstand the temptation, when I was presented to a very beautiful young Spaniard, agée de seize ans, aussi fraiche que jeune, et aimable que jolie. My pretty partner did not dislike a fandango. Her uncle, as he was called by some, though others informed me that he was more nearly related to her, played the base-viol. He was a fat friar of the Franciscan order, and so much of the bon-vivant as to have been excommunicated by the Pope.

After I had danced for three hours, I found myself under the necessity of asking quarter from my fair partner ; and I found much more pleasure in the conversation of this beautiful girl than I had experienced even in gratifying her in the fandango.

The next day I received visits from several of the officers of the Garrison, among whom I had the pleasure of meeting with many old friends and school-fellows, vying with each other who should shew me the greatest politeness. Accompanied by some of them, I walked out to see the town. We first examined the storehouses and barracks that had been destroyed in the lower part of the town, and which had not been rebuilt since the siege. Afterwards we visited the different batteries that are constructed at the foot of the Rock : among the most remarkable are Orange Bastion, Montague Bastion, Saluting Battery, King's Bastion, Prince George's Battery, and South Bastion. They are situated on the Line Wall to the west of the town. There are many other batteries on the different heights above, to support these in time of action.

As we were proceeding to make the tour of the different works that defended the bottom of the Rock, we arrived at Waterpoint, where we found the Commodore's, now Admiral Cosby's, boat, just come on shore in order to conduct me on board the Trusty. He received me with the most friendly cordiality ; and after inquiring about all our mutual friends in Ireland and England, he offered me every assistance that lay [in] his power; telling me I might command his boat whenever I should want her ; and as the most curious and interesting part of the Rock must be seen by water, this kind offer, of which I availed myself several times, was of the greatest service, and enabled me amply to satisfy my curiosity. From thence we visited the Grand Battery, situated on the north, and thirty feet in height. It commands the two entrances from the isthmus into the garrison ; and in the last siege this battery, with only half its guns in play, was more than sufficient to prevent any boat from landing at any part of the isthmus, having the entire command of both the northern entrances which run parallel to each other. I spent much time in examining and admiring this great battery ; but the General's hour for dinner approaching, I was forced to make a precipitate retreat, and was lucky enough to find myself in good time.

It is the fashion in Gibralter, as well as in London and Dublin, to complain in the midst of a most sumptuous repast, of the hardness of the times and the dearness and scarcity of provisions. I was assured, however, that they were then as much so as during the siege, owing to the disagreement which subsisted between the garrison and his Moorish majesty, who had taken it into his head to quarrel with them and refuse them provisions. It was even said that in one of his drunken fits he had sworn by his beard never to be on better terms with Gibralter.

Our next excursion was to view and examine St. George's Hall and Gallery and the different embrasures cut out of the solid rock, that have been made and are still carrying on, at an immense expense. The morning being uncommonly warm, and our intended promenade being on a continual ascent, we thought it proper to hire mules. As we ascended the hill, every object struck me with new and pleasing sensations. The first thing I observed was the apple geranium, growing everywhere spontaneously, and in full bloom ; likewise in different places, variegated geranium ; while the general face of the Rock produced at this season a considerable luxuriance and verdure, and was ornamented with neat cottages built by officers, and many gardens formed and cultivated with vast labour and expense, the produce of which every proprietor of grounds sends to the common market, after the wants of his own house are provided for, and which afford a supply tolerably adequate to the great demands of this numerous Garrison. The uncultivated parts of the Rock produce vast quantities of the Palmetto, with a considerable variety of more humble plants and aromatic herbs. But the quantity of ruins still visible and the number of respectable habitations that were reduced to mere wrecks recalled to the mind of the spectator all the sufferings their inhabitants must have experienced during the siege.

The town below had the most picturesque appearance; the number of different batteries planted in every quarter and seen at one view, make [one] consider with surprise the temerity of an enemy that would dare to approach within their range. In our ascent we commanded a very distinct view of the Causeway and Inundation from lower Forbiss ¹¹ to Landport, and the whole range of Line Wall from thence past the new Mole as far as to Roscia Bay.

After we had made considerable progress in our ascent to St. George's Cave, we stopped for some minutes to see a cavern called Poco Roco, or small cave, in which General Eliott, late Lord Heathfield, resided for some time during the commencement of the late siege. This little rock is situated nearly four hundred feet from the surface of the sea, and about one-third of the way up the Rock. The General had the front of it built up, and he lived on this spot for a month when the Spaniards first began the attack. They had the incivility to throw many shells near this humble abode, with a wish to dislodge this brave veteran.

From Poco Roco Cave, now called Eliott's Parlour, we remounted our mules, and rode upwards of one hundred feet higher up the Rock, when we arrived at the entrance of Ince's Gallery, so denominated after the name of the man who planned and executed that great work. We unlocked the door and proceeded forward into this wonderful Gallery, hewn out of the solid rock. It extends in length, from the entrance to the most easterly part, seven hundred and seventy feet. In that whole extent, its gradual descent is about eighty-four feet: its breadth about eighty feet, and its height from seven to nine feet.

It has fifteen different ports or embrasures, each of which is occupied by a long thirty-two pounder. These guns are supplied with ammunition from seven magazines hewn out of the rock of the Gallery, at equal distances ; and in time of a siege they can be played with astonishing effect on the Spanish lines, without the possibility of receiving any injury.

When you arrive at the end of this Gallery, you enter St. George's Hall. Here, if possible, your astonishment is still increased, and you are really lost in amazement; a vast and magnificent Hall opens to your view, into, which you descend from Ince's Gallery by a spacious flight of steps.

St. George's Hall has seven large embrasures, by which it is lighted: three of them are to the east, three to the west, and one in the centre, to the north. The floor of the Hall from the steps to the north part is forty-six feet : its extreme breadth forty, and its height in general eighteen. The thickness of the rock through which the ports are cut is fifteen feet, and each port has a long thirty-two pounder.

I observed to my friend how very highly I thought this vast subterraneous work was finished, and in what a masterly manner the workman must have used his chisel, so as scarcely to leave an edge or the least roughness on any part of the rock, which was polished with the greatest care: but my astonishment much increased when they informed me that it was intended to have the Hall and Gallery wainscoted from one end to the other; this would answer a most salutary purpose in case of a desperate siege, when the barracks of the town should be destroyed. Here would be a capital retreat for the soldiers, and they would be better lodged than troops usually are in the best barracks. Their hammocks might be slung, to the ceiling and drawn close by pulleys during the day. Their firearms could be most commodiously hung in gun-racks along the side of the Gallery, and there would be here at once complete barracks large enough to lodge six regiments.

After I had spent full three hours in viewing with much pleasure St. George's Hall and Ince's Gallery, we descended the Rock, and came to the old batteries at Willis's, so called from the name of the person who first constructed them.

SIR ROBERT BOYD, K.B.
(From an Engraving by John Hall, after A. Poggi, 1786; in the British Museum)

Under Willis's we went to see another curious work, now carrying on and nearly finished, called Queen's Gallery : it is similar to St. George's and extends north and north-west. When finished it will add exceedingly to the strength and security of Gibralter ; as there will be an excavated communication between all the lines, by which ammunition of every kind can be conveyed at all times wherever it is wanted.

From Queen's Gallery we descended the hill and went to the King's Bastion, begun fourteen years ago. The first stone, which weighed seven tons, was laid by General Boyd ¹² on the 28th of March, 1774. His speech upon this occasion seems to have been dictated by the spirit of prophecy.

"May this work, which I nominate the King's Bastion, repel the united efforts of France and Spain ; and may it be as ably defended, as I make no doubt it will be skilfully constructed."' The brave veteran lived to see his prayer fulfilled in all its parts, and his remains are now deposited in a tomb constructed by his own order in the centre of the Bastions.

This great battery is "of a semicircular form: its estimate was laid at twenty-one thousand pounds, but, like all other estimates, by the time it was completed it did not cost less than fifty thousand. It was from this Bastion that the flat-bottomed boats, or floating batteries, were destroyed by red-hot shot during the late siege. General Eliott had dining tables made from the wrecks of these boats, on which I had several times the pleasure of dining with the Governor.

After our morning's excursion we returned to town a good deal fatigued, I in particular, by the excessive heat, to which I was not inured like my companions. I dined this day at the mess of the 18th Foot, with my friend, and as it turned out, my future fellow-traveller, Captain M_.¹⁴

I partook here, as indeed at all the other tables in the Garrison, of most excellent cheer, a well-regulated mess, good cookery, excellent wines and a most gentlemanlike society. With these inducements I trust I may be pardoned for having been tempted to excess; particularly as I had an object in view, which I thought of much importance, and was determined to carry my point this evening, if possible.

My friend with whom I dined was at this time just going to become his own master, having obtained leave of absence and being about to return to England with the Commodore, who was then quitting this station. It was my anxious wish to prevail on him to defer his visit to England and join me in my intended expedition, in which I was so fortunate as to succeed, and from this moment we considered ourselves as embarked in one common cause, in which we felt equally interested.

We terminated, at a late hour, a jovial, pleasant evening, and parted to meet the next morning for another excursion.

Saturday, Nov. 1 st.

I was determined to explore St. Michael's Cave, as I did not wish to leave Gibralter without seeing this wonderful work of nature. The Governor had promised me every assistance I should want, and accordingly he had the goodness to send me twelve chosen men with torches, and a guide, with two hundred fathoms of rope to facilitate my subterraneous descent, as I was determined, to go to the bottom of this cave, or at least, as far as any other person had ever been.

At nine in the morning I set out, accompanied by Captain S_¹⁵ of the Royal Engineers and my friend Captain W-.¹⁵ We were mounted on mules and clambered up a very steep ascent. We arrived after an hour's ride at the mouth of the cave, where having refreshed ourselves with some Madeira, and summoned up our courage, we followed, with torches in our hands, our Genoese guide, and after encountering many difficulties, arrived at the first great chamber of this wonderful Cavern.

It would be ridiculous in the extreme for me to attempt the description of those awful beauties which surrounded us on all sides. The different crystallizations and the many fantastic structures which appear to support the ceiling of this great ante-chamber require, to be truly delineated, that descriptive talent which so peculiarly distinguishes the writings of some of our poets; where the beauties of nature are heightened by the glowing traits of taste and imagination. From what I had seen I felt myself inspired with the most eager desire to proceed.

We descended from this first great apartment, by the assistance of ropes, about sixty fathoms lower, where we landed ourselves in nearly the same kind of chamber we had left above. Having provided ourselves with straw, we had it lighted, and in a few moments the whole place was illuminated. Reversed pyramids of petrified water, thirty and forty feet in length, hanging from the ceiling everywhere, and reflecting the light in different colours, had the most beautiful appearance, and struck the imagination with the most sublime ideas. The air still retained its salubrity, and the only unpleasant circumstance that occurred to us was the number of bats, which everywhere flew against us and interrupted our solitary meditations.

We remained in this second chamber till all our straw was consumed, and then proceeded on our journey by the help of ropes which were fastened at the entrance. We descended almost perpendicularly fifty fathoms. I now began to find my body rather heavy for my arms to support much longer ; and with some impatience asked my guide below me whether we should soon get to the bottom. He answered me that we had already reached it. I made haste to follow him, and soon found myself on my legs. I remained some time panting for breath and much exhausted. As soon as my friend W- had joined me, the rest of the party having already deserted us, we proceeded to the spot which our guide informed us was the bottom. This last apartment was not half the size of the other two, and the crystallizations had totally altered their form. Instead of the long petrified icicles, the whole ceiling and sides of this chamber appeared covered with large bunches of grapes, of different colours, red, white and blue, as exact as if the fruit itself had been hung up everywhere. I broke off several, and have kept them since as a great curiosity.

Our guide now told us that we had seen all that was worth visiting, and advised us, on account of the foulness of the air, to go no lower. I asked him if he had ever known anyone to have gone farther. He said he had himself gone about twenty feet lower, and afterwards found it impossible to proceed, as the passage became too small for a man's body. I was however determined to go on, and lighting a new torch, I ordered him to lead the way. We descended with much difficulty, as the air began to be quite mephitic. Our torches went out, but happily we had left a large flambeau burning at the entrance of the second cave, which my guide was obliged to fetch, leaving me all the time in the dark. I began to be much incommoded with the damp, as we were in the most violent heat, occasioned by the hard exercise of lowering ourselves by ropes.

I saw nothing here so curious as what we left some hundred feet above our heads : the crystallizations were smaller, and the water in greater abundance, dropping from all quarters. Our guide was pressing us to returns when I perceived a small aperture, which he wished to prevent my seeing. I asked him why he had not shewn it. He said that no one had ever been lower, except the two soldiers, who two years ago, had attempted to force themselves into this hole ; that, indeed, they had succeeded in getting in, but never. found their way back.

On examining the size of the hole, I thought it sufficiently large for the dimensions of my body. I thrust my head and shoulders into it, and perceived that at the distance of five or six feet it took a different direction,. and appeared to go perpendicularly downwards. I ascertained this fact by throwing my torch into it, which disappeared suddenly : we heard it for some seconds falling with a hollow noise, which at last subsided, and on looking into the hole I perceived a very clear light at a great distance. I was therefore determined to endeavour to proceed a little farther, and if possible to go to the bottom,

When we examined our rope we found that we had only about the sixth part of the two hundred fathoms remaining. I fixed it round my shoulders and between my legs, and began to let myself down : the hole grew so small that it required much strength and resolution to proceed. I did not lose courage, but forcing myself forward I found I was, after a struggle of a few minutes, as ow as the torch, and to my great surprise at the bottom, where no human being had ever yet been. I called to my friend, whose voice I could distinctly hear, informing him that I was really at the bottom, and that the air was by no means bad but very cold. He was determined to follow me ; I endeavoured to dissuade him, as I knew the size of his body to be too large for the narrow parts of the passage ; but he was positive, and got as far as the spot I dreaded, when, forcing himself on, he remained fixed for some time without being able to proceed up ,or down ; nor could he, as he afterwards informed me, utter a syllable. What first apprised me of our danger was the quantity of smoke, which not finding vent above, from the obstruction of his body, almost suffocated me below. I made all possible haste to get back, as the smoke increased in such a manner as almost prevented my respiration. I now found myself in the last extremity, but was determined my courage and presence of mind should not forsake me, and finding that my life depended on my exertions, I struggled like a person in the last agonies of death, and in a little time found myself returned to the spot where I had left the guide. My friend was quite exhausted and breathless : nor could we speak for several minutes, and had he remained a little time longer in the narrow passage, he and I must inevitably [have] perished.

We found ourselves so weak that our return to the land of the living was by no means an easy task. It was both difficult and fatiguing to raise and pull ourselves up by our hands, placing our feet against the rock and holding fast by the rope, which was now become so wet that it required much strength to prevent its slipping through our hands, and our falling to the bottom.

After some hours' severe labour we had the pleasure of once more seeing daylight, and found ourselves at the mouth of St. Michael's Cave ; where I answered the inquiries of my friends by fainting away, and it was some minutes before I recovered my senses. We had been five hours in the cave, and were it not for the ridiculous vanity of saying that we had gone lower than any other person, and quite to the bottom, half an hour would have shewn us whatever was most curious and best worth our notice. I had the rope measured, and found that I had been as low as the level of the sea. The only benefit I reaped from this expedition was the ample materials for mirth and raillery it afforded my friends, who pretended that it had been my intention to perform my journey to Jerusalem through the bowels of the earth.

After having spent a few days more in examining every natural and artificial curiosity of this place I thought it prudent to proceed on my voyage. I therefore took leave of all my friends and acquaintance, thanking them for the friendly and encouraging reception they had given me.

I cannot dismiss this subject without making a few general remarks on this spot. For, in my opinion, there can be nothing in Europe, or in the world, that can offer to the curious traveller so many objects to admire and investigate as Gibralter. He might spend a whole month very pleasantly in examining its natural beauties alone. And the artificial works, surpassing everything of the kind in the world, would afford him ample materials for study and improvement.

To appearance, indeed, Gibralter must strike the eye as a barren rock, yet wherever it is cultivated, which is done in some spots by collecting earth together, it yields vegetables in great abundance. Sometimes it does not rain here for four months, and of course everything would be burned up were it not for the heavy dews which fall every night. But after a few hours' rain every cultivated spot assumes the most lively verdure. A garden here, of about half an acre, could not, I was assured, be cultivated at a less expense than £3oo a year, and yet the tenant, notwithstanding that enormous sum, was a considerable gainer by its produce.

Though the Rock of Gibralter is surrounded by the sea, well water is to be found all over it, pretty good, and fit to drink, though heavy and often brackish ; but the rain water from the mountain, which is filtered through the sands without the south port, is exceedingly good and wholesome, and remains uncorrupt a long time. It is collected into a reservoir, and from thence conducted to the town. This aqueduct was first begun by the Moors, and carried by earthen pipes : in their time it reached the city, supplying the Atarasana ¹⁶ and the Castle : that now existing was planned by a Spanish Jesuit, and only reaches to the grand parade. The hill universally abounds with cavities and receptacles for rain, which mostly centre in the Reservoir, affording an inexhaustible stock of excellent water, greatly contributing to the health of the inhabitants.

I was much surprised, in one or my excursions, to spring a covey of partridges of about twelve brace. I saw nothing for them to feed on, but was informed that they eat the seed of the Palmetto, which grows in great abundance on every part of the Rock. I met with numbers of them afterwards : nor was I astonished at it, when I knew that there was a strict rule observed forbidding any person of whatever rank or condition to fire a shot on any account, unless at an enemy, and they have had sufficient sport in this way to satisfy any reasonable people for some time.

At the southern end of the Rock, some way up, above St. Michael's Cave, there are many wild boars, which are sometimes seen a dozen in number. I should willingly have paid those gentlemen a visit, had shooting been permitted. On the Sugarloaf there are monkeys in hu^dreds ; and though the soldiers often complain, when on guard, of being pelted by them with stones, they are not permitted to defend themselves by shooting at them.

There is very little society at Gibralter, but a perfect harmony subsists between the Garrison and the few inhabitants; and with apparent wishes to promote conviviality, they spend their time in a very pleasant manner. I felt so much comfort and satisfaction among them that it was with much regret I left this celebrated Rock ; not less, endeared to me by the hospitality I experienced there than it is known to the rest of the world for its memorable defence.

Footnotes

^{1 See Preface.
2 Duke of Leinster's-William Robert, the 2nd Duke, whose town residence was Leinster House, since occupied by the Royal Dublin Society.
3 "Fifteen thousand pounds," MS. No. 2.
4 i.e., Mr. R-, see Preface.
5 There has been an erasure here of a W, see Preface.
6 Ibid.
7 Obviously a mistake for 1788.
8 Mr. Wilson, see Preface.
9 I cannot identify any of these places.
10} General Geo. Augustus Eliott, Lord Heathfield, K.B.
11 Forbes's Barrier is evidently intended. See Drinkwater, "Siege of Gibraltar," pp. 204, 205. Plan.
12 Lieut.-Gen. Sir R. Boyd, K.B., Colonel of 39th Foot, in 1788 Lieut.-Governor of Gibraltar.
13 This speech as given in Drinkwater's "Siege of Gibraltar," 4th ed., 1790, runs as follows :" This is the first stone of a work which I name the King's Bastion: may it be as gallantly defended as I know it will be ably executed, and may I live to see it resist the UNITED EFFORTS OF FRANCE AND SPAIN."-p. 290.
14 Capt. Moore.
15 Either Alexander Sutherland, Charles Shipley, or Thos. Skinner, according to the Army List for 1788. '
15 Wilson.
16 Spanish for Arsenal.