a British town and fortress in Andalucia, the most southerly province of Spain. It stands on the extremity of a small peninsula, washed on the east side by the Mediterranean, and on the west by the Bay of Gibraltar. This peninsula is connected with the mainland by a low sandy isthmus called the "Neutral Ground," which reaches from the rock of Gibraltar northwards to the ancient Spanish lines, a distance of a mile and a half; its breadth is about three-fourths of a mile.

Gibraltar was known to the ancient Phoenicians by the name of Alube, which was corrupted by the Greeks into Calpe. Over against it, on the African shore, stood Abyla (called by the English Apes' Hill); and these two mountains formed the renowned Pillars of Hercules, and for many centuries the extreme limits of maritime enterprise among the seafaring men of the ancient world. Its importance in a strategic point of view was first discovered by the Saracens, who, when they crossed over from Africa into Spain in 711, built a fortress on it, in order to keep up their communication with the other side. From the name of their leader, Tarik, or Tarif, they called the rock Gebel Tarik, the hill of Tarik, whence the modern name of the Gibraltar mountain is said to be derived. An ancient tower, the sole relic of the castle built by the Berber chief, is still standing. The rock remained in possession of the Arabs till the year 1309, when it was retaken by Guzman the Good, who commanded the Spanish armies for Ferdinand IV., the king of Castile and Leon. In 1333, however, the Moors once more made themselves masters of it, through the treachery of the Christian governor, and retained it till 1462, when they were driven out of it by Henry IV., king of Castile. It was finally incorporated with the Spanish crown in 1502. The arms of the town were from this time forth a castle with a key hanging from its gate, typifying its command over the straits. Great efforts were made by the Spaniards to strengthen the natural defences of the place, and they succeeded so well that throughout Europe Gibraltar was regarded as impregnable. In 1704, however, it was taken by a combined English and Dutch fleet under Sir George Rooke and the Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt. The Spaniards made desperate efforts to recover it, but their attempts were invariably defeated, sometimes with immense loss. The peace of Utrecht in 1713 confirmed the possession of it to the English. In 1720 the Spaniards determined once more to take it if possible by a coup-de-main; but their intention became known to the garrison, and the plan was abandoned for a time. Seven years after this a much more formidable attack was organized. The Spaniards had made vast preparations, and surprised the garrison before reinforcements could be sent from England. The result of the siege was still doubtful, when the news of a general pacification brought it to a close. But the most memorable siege of Gibraltar, indeed one of the most memorable of all sieges, was that which it sustained from the combined land and sea forces of France and Spain during the years 1779-1783. The grand attack on the place was made on the 13th September 1782, and all the resources of power and science were exhausted by the assailants in the fruitless attempt. On the side of the sea they brought to bear against the fortress forty-six sail of the line, and a countless fleet of gun and mortar boats. But their chief hope lay in their floating batteries. These celebrated engines of destruction had been planned by D'Arcon, an eminent French engineer, and built at the cost of half a million sterling. They were so constructed as to be impenetrable by the red-hot shot which they foresaw the garrison would employ; and such hopes were entertained of their efficiency that they were styled invincible. The Count d'Artois (afterwards Charles X.) hastened from Paris to witness the capture of the place. He arrived in time to see the total destruction of the floating batteries, and a considerable portion of the combined fleet, by the English fire. In writing home on the subject he found it convenient to hide his chagrin under a wretched joke: "La batterie la plus effective," said he, "c'est ma batterie de cuisine." Despite this disaster, however, the siege continued till brought to a close by the general pacification, February 2d, 1783. The history of this famous siege is fully detailed in the work of Captain Drinkwater, who himself took part in the defence, and in the Life of its gallant defender Sir Gilbert Elliott, afterwards Lord Heathfield, whose military skill and moral courage place him among the best soldiers and noblest men whom Europe produced during the eighteenth century. In nothing did his true nobility of character show itself more clearly than when it became his duty to animate his little garrison, whose spirits often flagged under the combined influences of disease and impending famine. When victory at length crowned his arms, the small remnant of 400 men that were saved from the wreck of the hostile fleets owed their lives to his humanity. His conduct at the opening of the siege, when called upon by the Spanish commander to deliver up the keys of the fort, is a worthy parallel to that of Leonidas at Thermopylae, when ordered by the Persian king to lay down his arms. This scene has supplied to Reynolds the subject of one of the noblest portraits ever put on canvas. Since this memorable siege—everything that the science of the engineer could do has been done to render Gibraltar, humanly speaking, impregnable. The east and north sides are naturally so steep as to be wholly inaccessible. At the north-west corner, where "the Lines" intervene, a narrow gorge, leading down to the neutral ground, is flanked by the most formidable batteries. Europa Point, the southern extremity of the rock, is almost equally precipitous; but to make assurance doubly sure, powerful batteries have been erected there also. The top of the Point is now surmounted by a fine lighthouse. In the neighbourhood are the "Flats," an open sandy space where the soldiers of the fort are drilled and exercised. On the western side the hill slopes down gradually to the sea. On this slope stands the town of Gibraltar, flanked by the old and new moles. It was almost entirely destroyed during the great siege, but has been rebuilt on an enlarged and improved plan. The houses are, for the most part, tolerably well built, but the curious intermixture of English and Spanish architecture, and the large number of mean public houses painted in glaring white, are not calculated to impress the visitor very favourably. The town is connected with the isthmus by a narrow causeway, on the defence of which science has exhausted its resources. The most remarkable of the defences commanding this part of the town are the "galleries," two excavations cut out of the solid rock with great difficulty, and at an immense expense. Their aggregate length is between two and three miles, and their breadth is sufficient to let a carriage pass. At intervals of 12 yards port-holes have been cut out in the face of the rock commanding the neutral ground and the bay, and so contrived that the gunners in the galleries are quite safe from the shot of any possible assailants. These galleries are so scarped as to be inaccessible, and their safety is further secured by the batteries that bristle on every height above.

The rock of Gibraltar itself is composed chiefly of gray primary marble, lying in strata which vary in thickness from 20 to 40 feet. As seen from the sea it presents a bare and uninteresting aspect, as if wholly devoid of trees, plants, or verdure of any kind. It possesses, however, some wooded and grassy little glens, shaded from the scorching heat in the nooks of the mountains. In the crevices of the rock itself are found the asparagus, the caper plant, the palmita, and various sorts of succulent herbs, such as the aloe, and some species of cactus. Kelaart in his Flora Calpensis describes upwards of 400 flowering plants and ferns as indigenous to Gibraltar, and about fifty as introduced. The rock shelters rabbits, partridges, pigeons, and woodcocks, which are never shot at; and is remarkable as the only spot in Europe where the ape is found wild. The species is the Barbary ape, of a dark fawn colour. They inhabit the high ground on the east of the rock, and never approach the dwellings of men unless driven into the low ground by the cold winds from the N.E. They then do a little damage to the orchards; but they have always enjoyed perfect impunity for these occasional depredations; and it is as grave an offence to kill one of them as it was in Egypt in ancient times to destroy an ibis, or as it is now in Holland to injure a stork. The rock is honey-combed in many places with caverns, some of them of great size. The largest of all is that of St Michael on the S.W. side, the entrance of which is about 1000 feet above the sea-level. On entering, one sees a spacious but gloomy hall hung round with massive stalactites, from which the visitor descends through a succession of caves of the same sort to a depth of about 500 feet below the entrance. The foulness of the atmosphere has hitherto prevented any one from penetrating further; but at this depth it is said that the waves of the sea may sometimes be heard roaring through the caverns below. Among the rocks, chiefly in the fissures filled with calc-sinter, are to be found many interesting fossils, among others the bones of various animals, intermixed with helices and fragments of spar.

The climate of Gibraltar is temperate, and, on the whole, healthful, the only exception being in the case of children cutting their first teeth. To them it seems to be peculiarly fatal. In summer the African heat is tempered by a refreshing sea-breeze, which blows from about 10 A.M., and ceases before sunset. During the other seasons, however, fogs and mists are common. The easterly winds, or levanters, sweeping the Mediterranean, bring with them the unhealthy season, which lasts from July till November. During the prevalence of these winds, wounds are said to become aggravated, acute diseases arise, and many convalescents relapse and perish. The west winds on the other hand are clear and refreshing, and blow directly on the town. The rains set in with great violence in the end of September, and continue to fall at intervals, though much more lightly, till May. The drought which then follows is very intense. The heavy dews and thick fogs of autumn are as disagreeable as they are insalubrious. Much discussion exists as to the nature and origin of the Gibraltar fever, which scourges the rock periodically at intervals of about twelve years. It is believed to arise from the filthy habits of some of the alien residents, and to be fostered by the defective sewerage. Probably also the structure of the English parts of the town is calculated to make the infection spread. These houses, which are built on the English model, and furnished in the English style with carpets, curtains, and other appliances which prevent the free circulation of air, are singularly ill adapted either for the hot or the cold weather of Gibraltar, and the fever is consequently peculiarly fatal to British subjects. The means that have been taken to diminish the amount of disease by enforcing a strict quarantine on foreign ships visiting the port do not seem to have contributed materially to that end. There is a magnificent tank for supplying the navy. It generally contains from 9000 to 11,000 tons of good water, which is that which falls on the mountain in the rainy season. The houses are so constructed that all the rain which falls on their roofs is led into under-ground tanks. There are no springs on the rock itself, and those on the neutral ground yield but a scanty supply of bad water. Provisions are supplied cheaply and abundantly from Africa. The soldiers of the garrison used formerly to be fed on saltnuts sent out from England. This diet was found to be productive of very fatal dysenteries and inflammations; but since 1840, when a different dietary was introduced, the amount of sickness and mortality among the troops has greatly diminished.

Gibraltar contains a motley population of from 15,000 to 20,000 (exclusive of the troops in garrison), chiefly English, Jews, Spaniards, and Moors. Stringent measures are adopted by government to prevent any increase in the number of permanent residents. No person is allowed to remain on the rock who cannot find some one to stand security for his good behaviour. Permis de séjour are issued by the police magistrate for ten, fifteen, or twenty days, at the end of which period they require to be renewed. The officers of the garrison have the privilege of introducing a stranger for a month.

Justice is administered at Gibraltar according to the law of England, which is not found to meet thoroughly the emergencies that are constantly occurring among a population so heterogeneous as inhabits the rock. The judge-advocate settles disputes that arise between debtor and creditor; but appeal is open from his decision to that of the Gibraltar, governor, whose verdict is final in all cases where the value of the contested property is below L300. If it exceed that amount the parties may appeal to the privy-council in England.

The utmost tolerance exists in Gibraltar in all matters pertaining to religion. Nearly every known form of worship is celebrated; but that which reckons by far the greatest number of adherents is the Roman Catholic. Next in number are the Jews, who have four synagogues; and after them the Protestants, chiefly members of the Church of England. The least numerous are the Mohammedans. Two bishops representing the Romish and English Churches reside permanently at Gibraltar. There are three excellent libraries on the rock, the oldest and best of which is that which owes its origin to Colonel Drinkwater, the historian of the siege. It numbers about 20,000 volumes.

Gibraltar is a free port; and though its trade and commerce have of late years declined considerably, they are still extensive and important. It is the great resort of the contrabandistas or smugglers, who purchase nearly all the goods that find their way into the south of Spain. The smuggling of tobacco, which is manufactured in large quantities at Gibraltar, is a source of constant fretting and ill-will between the governments of Spain and this country. The quantity of this commodity that finds its way into Spain without paying duty is between six and eight millions of pounds annually, employing in its manufacture about 2000 hands. The loss and affront endured by the Spanish crown through the continuance of this trade, are all the more keenly felt, as tobacco is a monopoly of the government, and a considerable source of its income. Inquiry, however, has shown that the success of the smugglers is chiefly due to the incapacity or dishonesty of the Spanish officials, whose duty it is to put an end to their trade. The only chance that these personages have of making fortunes is to accept the presents which procure their connivance. In 1852 the declared value of British and Irish produce and manufactures exported from the United Kingdom to Gibraltar was L510,889.

Gibraltar was long an ill-managed and most expensive colony. It has now been thoroughly reformed, and not only defrays its own expenses, but even pays over a small surplusage to the home government. The total amount of the revenue is a little above L30,000; the expenditure is rather under that sum. The sources of income are the customs, port and quarantine dues, land revenue, rents, auction dues, stamps and licences, &c. The outlay is caused by the salaries in the civil, judicial, ecclesiastical, and municipal services, by allowances to some of these departments, and by office contingencies.

Gibraltar, Bay of, or, as it is sometimes called, Algeciras Bay, is bounded by the rock of Gibraltar on the one side, and the headland of Cabrita on the other. Its greatest length is about eight miles from N. to S., its greatest width about five miles from E. to W., and its circuit nearly forty miles. Its depth in the centre is about 110 fathoms. In spring tides the water rises in the bay about four feet. Algeciras, from whose name the bay is sometimes called, is a fortified Spanish town on the W. side of the bay, over against Gibraltar. Near it is the beautiful little island called Isla Verde, or Green Isle.

Gibraltar, Straits of, the narrow channel which separates the south of Spain from the north of Africa. The width at the narrowest part, between Cabrita Point and the opposite shore, is thirteen miles. We have an excellent chart of the straits by Don Vincente Tefino de San Miguel, with the additional observations of Captain H. W. Smyth, R.N., from which it appears that there is a continual current flowing from the ocean in the middle of the straits, which has a velocity varying from three to six miles per hour, and is three and a half miles in breadth. There are two lateral currents, which have a mean breadth each of two and a half miles; but they change their direction with the changes of the tide. At the time of ebb these lateral currents have a velocity equal to that of the central one. The depth of the strait in the meridian of Cape St. Vincent is 100 fathoms; but in passing upwards the channel regularly and rapidly deepens, until, opposite to Europa Point at Gibraltar, the depth of water is 1000 fathoms. It is remarkable, that though the oceanic current at the straits, and that of the Bosporus at the Dardanelles, continually pour their waters into the Mediterranean, its level is not raised. But Dr Halley long ago showed the evaporation from its surface was fully equal to maintain it at the same level, notwithstanding those additions, and that of the rivers it received. The current is sufficiently strong to be dangerous to vessels sailing into the Atlantic, and can only be overcome by a brisk wind from the Levant.