and entreat me not to think of crossing that day, or the next, even if the chance offered.

The question of the steamer being, however, at last settled for that day in the negative, the last hour at which she could have started being past; I turned my attention to sight-seeing.

In the town there is nothing to be seen except the market, which is worth a visit; and the Garrison Library, which contains a large, varied, and choice collection of books, to which all new works of any merit are added immediately on publication, and has a fine reading-room attached, supplied with all the leading periodicals. The interest with which I should have regarded the library and reading-room was considerably marred, however, by my being told that, in accordance with a recently made rule, its benefits were reserved altogether to the military portion of the population. An exception, I believe, is made in favour of clergy even non-military; but the civilian and lay portion of the population are all excluded. After this, I was not surprised to hear that ladies, even belonging to the officers' families, were not admitted to the reading-room. The idea until lately has been so prevalent even in England, that women were better for not having their minds enlightened, and better still for not having any minds to enlighten, that I was not surprised to find the theory carried out in Gibraltar. Indeed it is not very long ago that the same idea was current with regard to officers. Taking this fact into

consideration, one may say that Gibraltar is even more progressive than the mother country. In England we have come to think that officers should not be more ignorant than other men; in Gibraltar they have arrived at the conclusion that all men should be ignorant but officers-which is a great advance.

The drive to Europa Point affords a magnificent view of the Straits. On one hand the Atlantic, on the other the Mediterranean, stretching away into blue and apparently boundless distances. Behind and overhead the great Rock towers up bare and black. Opposite rise the glorious African mountains, in particular the other great "pillar of Hercules," the Gebel-Mousa (Mons Abyla of the ancients), or to give it its better known title, "Ape's Hill." To see this view alone is worth coming from England, even to return the next day.

The Gebel-Mousa (Mountain of Mousa), is so called after Mousa-ben-Nosair, viceroy of Caliph Walid I. He successfully invaded Spain, early in the eighth century, and his general, Tarik-ibn-Zeyad, gave his name Tarik, to the rock; Gebel Tarik (Mountain of Tarik), becoming afterwards corrupted into "Gibraltar." This information was not derived from my tormentor, the guide. He did not accompany me to Europa Point.

It rained several times during the day, however, so he found some occupation in drying my waterproof cloak and umbrella, which I brought in wet after each

excursion. In the evening he had the pleasure of escorting me on foot to the neighbouring hotel, where I dined; and he afterwards had the supreme felicity of coming and fetching me back.

D

CHAPTER IV.

THE ROCK.

NEXT day I joined a party to ascend the Rock, visit the Galleries, the Signal Station, and St. Michael's Cave.

It is possible to make the excursion on foot, but as this would have been exceedingly fatiguing, we preferred to go mounted; the gentlemen of the party on ponies, and the ladies on donkeys, with queer trestleshaped saddles.

We mounted by a gentle ascent from the main street, passing through a large square, one side of which is taken up with the Garrison Library, a pretentious-looking building on the outside, and having a well trimmed garden and row of shady orange-trees in front. Leaving this on our right hand, our road for a quarter of a mile led through steep narrow lanes, lined on either side by the dwellings of the poorer inhabitants. Like the poor quarters of most towns, this one of Gibraltar is most prolific in children. They swarmed in the streets like ants; the dark-skinned, Murillo-looking little Spaniards fraternizing admirably in their play with the sandyhaired, freckled "bairns" of the Highland soldiery. The "lingo" used by the children of both Spanish and British parents for the interchange of their young ideas, is almost unintelligible to unaccustomed ears.

Having left the streets, we ascended by a steep dusty road to a guard-house, close to the old Moorish castle, whose walls are still pitted with the holes made in it by the French and Spanish shot and shell during the memorable siege. Here we were met by the sergeant of the guard, to whom we showed our pass. He placed us in the charge of a white jacketed artilleryman, who led the way, swinging in his hand as he went a most "Bluebeard" looking bunch of keys. Here we dismounted from our ponies and donkeys, and a few minutes' walk along the covered way formed for the passage of troops from the lower range of excavations (which are not shown to the public) to those on the higher level, brought us to the entrance of the galleries, which is guarded by a strong palisaded gate, secured by enormous bolts and padlocks.

These fastenings having been opened by our attendant, we entered a lofty tunnel, cut through the solid limestone. At short intervals were smaller tunnels, cut at right angles, their openings to the daylight forming the embrasures to so many guns, commanding the isthmus which connects Gibraltar with the mainland.

We emerged from the main tunnel, and a short ascent by another covered way brought us to a rocky platform, where our guide paused, and called our attention to the fine panoramic view to be obtained here. The neutral ground spread out like a map below us, its boundaries marked, on the English side, by a row of black sentry