GIBRALTAR, a famous promontory, or rather peninsula, of Spain, lying in N. Lat. 35° 50', W. Long. 5° 35'. To the ancients it was known by the name of Calpe, and was also called one of the Pillars of Hercules; by the Arabians it is called Gebel Tarek, that is, the Mount of Tarek, from Tarek, the name of the Saracen general who conquered Spain in the beginning of the eighth century. The whole is an immense rock, rising perpendicularly about 440 yards, measuring, from north to south, about two English miles, but not above one in breadth from east to west.—The town lies along the bay on the west side of the mountain on a decline; by which, generally speaking, the rains pass through it, and keep it clean. The old town was considerably larger than the new, which at present consists of between 4 and 500 houses. Many of the streets are narrow and irregular: the buildings are of different materials; some of natural stone out of the quarries, some of a factitious or artificial stone, and a few of brick. The people are supplied with fresh provisions chiefly from the coast of Barbary, with fruit,
Gibraltar. roots, and vegetable, of all sorts from thence, or from their own gardens. Besides what is properly called the town, there are several spacious and commodious public edifices erected; such as barracks for the soldiers, with apartments for their officers, magazines of different kinds, storehouses for provisions, &c. The inhabitants, exclusive of the British subjects dependent on the garrison, or who reside there from other motives, consist of some Spaniards, a few Portuguese, a considerable number of Genoese, and about as many Jews; making in the whole, according to Dr Campbell, between two and three thousand, without reckoning the garrison; though some make them much fewer. The town may be said to have two ports; the first lying to the north, and is proper only for small vessels; the other is very commodious for large vessels, and has a fine stone quay. The bay is very beautiful and capacious, being in breadth about five miles, and in depth eight or nine, with several small rivers running into it. It is very advantageous to the place. There is no ground to be found in the middle of it at an hundred fathoms depth, so that a squadron may lie there in great safety; the breezes from it are very refreshing; and it contributes likewise to the subsistence of the inhabitants, by supplying them with plenty of fish.
The strait of Gibraltar, through which the ocean passes into the Mediterranean, thereby dividing Europe from Africa, runs from west to east about 13 leagues. In this strait there are three remarkable promontories or capes on the Spanish side, and as many opposite to them on the Barbary side. The first of these, on the side of Spain, is cape Trafalgar, opposite to which is cape Spartel; and in the neighbourhood of this stood the fortress of Tangier, once in the possession of the British. The next on the Spanish side is Tarifa; and over against it lies Malabata, near the town of Alcazar, where the straits are about five leagues broad. Lastly, Gibraltar, facing the mountain of Abyla, near the fortress and town of Ceuta, which make the eastern entry of the straits.
The fortress of Gibraltar was formerly thought to be impregnable; but, in 1704, it was proposed by the two English Admirals Sir John Leake and Sir George Rooke, and by Prince George of Hesse Darmstadt, to attempt the reduction of it. The fleet entered the bay on the 21st of July; the prince landed a body of troops on the Isthmus, between the bay and the Mediterranean; the fleet cannonaded the town from the bay; and a detachment of English seamen having debarked at Europa point, with some loss, carried the outworks. This made such an impression on the inhabitants and the garrison, that the governor (the Marquis de Salinas) capitulated; and the Prince of Hesse took possession of the place on the 24th of the same month, with the loss of less than 100 men. The Spaniards, extremely sensible of the loss they had sustained, immediately sent an army of 10,000 men, under the command of the Marquis de Villadarias, to besiege it; and at the same time the Count de Thoulouse, who commanded the French fleet in the Mediterranean, put to sea in order to co-operate with the Spaniards. This produced the battle of Malaga, August 13th 1704, in which the French were defeated; though Sir George Rooke was in no condition to prosecute his victory, on account of his want of ammunition.
tion. The siege, however, went on, and the place was so much pressed, that if Sir John Leake, who was sent to its relief, had arrived one day later, the place had been inevitably lost. Five hundred Spaniards had bound themselves by an oath, either to become masters of Gibraltar, or to perish in the attempt. They had accordingly concealed themselves in some of the caves, of which there are many in the southern part of the promontory. The mountain had also at that time many trees upon it, by which the Spaniards ascended, and which were on that account afterwards cut down by the garrison. The enterprize of the Spaniards, however, did not succeed; for, having attempted to scale the walls, they were all to a man destroyed. Marshal de Tesse then joined the Spanish army, with a considerable body of French troops, and the siege was continued for six months longer; when the French fleet being defeated by Sir John Leake*, they were forced to turn the siege into a blockade. The excellent conduct, however, of Sir John Leake, and the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt, obliged them at last to abandon the enterprize. On the conclusion of the war, the fortress of Gibraltar was ceded to Britain, but without any territory; and ever since the Spaniards have fortified lines on the Isthmus, to prevent any communication between the garrison and the country. They have ever since continued to behold it with a jealous eye, and have meditated several attempts against it. In 1727 they again besieged it in form with a great army: but having made very little progress during four months, which they consumed before it, a cessation of arms took place; and no further attempt has been made till the present year (1779.)
The possession of Gibraltar is of very great consequence to Britain. It not only gives us the command of the Straits, and their navigation: but affords refreshment and accommodation to our fleets in time of war, and to our merchantmen at all times; which, to a maritime power, is of very great advantage. From its situation, it divides both the kingdoms of France and Spain; that is, it hinders a ready communication by sea between the different parts of these kingdoms. This, of course, hinders the conjunction of the fleets and squadrons with each other, or at least renders it so difficult as to be a perpetual check upon these ambitious powers. It awes also the piratical states of Barbary, and in like manner the emperor of Morocco; insomuch, that our commerce is more safe than that of any other European power, which gives us great advantages in point of freight. It is otherwise highly favourable to our trade in the Mediterranean and Levant. It procures us the respect of the Italian and other powers: who, though far distant from Britain, must consider this as an instance of her power to hurt or assist them. It also saves us the expence of squadrons and convoys, upon any disputes or disturbances that may happen among those powers, and which would otherwise be necessary for the protection of our navigation.