CHAPTER XV
EXPLORING THE ROCK OF GIBRALTAR
Captain Ringgold had been formally presented to the judge by an officer who seemed to be the chief of police, or something of that sort. "El JuezSalazar" was what he called him. If any reader wishes to pronounce as he reads, he will sayel hwaith Sah-lah-thar; and if he utters it like that, the chief of police would understand him.
Judge Salazar smiled when the commander invited him and his family to visit the Guardian-Mother, declaring that he had no wife or children, being still a bachelor.
"But if I had met the Señora Belgrave when I was fifty years younger, it might have been otherwise," added the judge. "That is to say, if she had not frowned upon me."
"Just my case!" exclaimed the commander.
"But you are still a young man, while I am seventy-five. 'It might have been,' as your poet Whittier said, in my case; and it may be, in yours," added his honor very jocosely.
"I don't know," laughed the captain. "But I hope you will visit my ship, Judge Salazar. Will you not dine with us at six to-day? I will have a boat at the landing for you at five."
"The temptation is very great, and I cannot decline the invitation," replied the venerable dignitary.
The carriage of the judge returned, and then he insisted upon taking the commander and Louis to the shore, where they parted with him for the time. All the party were delighted with the old gentleman and his courteous Spanish manners, and Mrs. Belgrave declared that he was a "dear old man." The cutter conveyed the party to the steamer, and in about half an hour they were on board of the ship.
"The judge is a bachelor, Mrs. Belgrave, and he fell in love with you."
"Indeed! But he is old enough to be my grandfather!" exclaimed the lady, laughing heartily.
"In order to give him an opportunity to conduct his suit before your court, I have invited him to dinner to-day, and he has accepted," added the commander.
"I shall be very glad to meet him socially, in spite of all your nonsense, Captain Ringgold," said the lady. "I think he is a fair and just judge; and certainly he is a very agreeable gentleman, though he is not as good-looking as you are."
The lady blushed when she had said this, for she really meant nothing by it; and the commander felt himself lifted up with something like an ecstasy.
"I need not flatter myself till I know the breadth of the comparison," replied he. "But we must do our best to make the judge happy when he comes on board; and I have no doubt he will spend the evening with us. Sparks, call Mr. Sage."
Mr. Melancthon Sage, the chief steward, presented himself very promptly, and the commander directed him to get up the choicest dinner possible for six o'clock, for a very distinguished guest.
When Captain Ringgold went on deck, he found the owner of the Salihé waiting for him there, his engineer having gone on board of her alongside. He had spoken to Louis, who refused to say anything to him except in the presence of the commander.
"Which I am very glad to see you, Captain Ringgold," the owner of the little steamer began.
"I dare say you are, for you want to know whether or not your boat is implicated in the smuggling that was done last night," replied the commander jocosely.
"Which hit is very true, your honor; I do wish to know."
"Well, your worship, your friend Gray swore point-blank before the court that he had engaged your little steamer to tow the Golondrina to sea," added the captain.
"Which he lies like a himp of darkness!" protested Chickworth earnestly. "'E came to me yesterday to 'ire 'er, but I told 'im she was hengaged to the young gentlemen on board this steamer, and 'e couldn't 'ave 'er on no account. Which this is as true a thing as Giles Chickworth hever spoke in 'is life. I would swear to hit before the judge hover there."
"Perhaps you could do it here, for the judge will dine with us to-day," suggested the commander, watching the expression of the man.
"Which I am ready to do!" protested Chickworth, using his first grammatical "which" apparently by mistake.
"I am afraid you have had some dealings with these smugglers, Captain Chickworth; but I do not believe you will come to grief on account of anything that happened last night, for Gray told such a stack of lies that the judge did not believe a word he said, and the testimony of the boys contradicted about everything to which he swore. I think you are all right, my man; but I advise you to have nothing to do with smugglers."
"Which I don't, your honor!" exclaimed the owner of the boat.
"But Gray seemed to know all about your steamer, and he must have had the use of her at five shillings an hour."
"Which 'e 'as; but not to smuggle in 'er."
"That is enough about the smugglers. Take warning, my man, and keep out of trouble, or you will lose the steamer," added the commander.
"I owe you thirty shillings, Captain Chickworth," said Louis, tendering the money, for he had listened to all that had been said.
"I don't mind that; you 'ave saved my steamer; for I know what a liar Gray is, and I was afeard that they would want to confisticate 'er."
"I insist on paying for her," added Louis, thrusting the gold into the vest pocket of the owner.
"I will pay for her to-day, but I want to make a trade with you for to-day and to-morrow," continued the captain; and he engaged her for the two days for two pounds. "You will keep her alongside when we are not using her."
"Which I will do and hall night too."
"We are going ashore this afternoon, and at five o'clock you will go over for Judge Salazar."
Captain Ringgold had already attended to the formalities necessary to obtain admission to the town and to visit the batteries and fortifications, and the American consul had rendered all the assistance required. After an early lunch the party embarked in the Salihé, now in charge of Captain Chickworth and his engineer. The little steamer proceeded directly to the Ragged Staff stairs, where the landing was made.
Macias, one of the guides of the place, was waiting for them. The party walked till they were tired, and then a wagonette was obtained, and they rode through the streets for an hour, looking at the buildings, especially the barracks, for everything was military about the town.
Ever since the possession of the Rock was obtained, about one hundred and eighty years ago, the English have been at work improving the defences of the place, and the territory is covered with batteries in addition to the principal fortifications in the Rock itself. The visitors gave only a glance at these, and observed with more interest the soldiers and their officers, as seen about the streets, especially a regiment of Highlanders, whose bare legs were more comfortable in this climate than in England.
On the east side, facing the open Mediterranean, the ascent of the hill is almost perpendicular, while on the other side it is much more gradual. A number of non-commissioned officers were sent with the strangers as guides, and they explained everything of interest that was passed. After a rather hard walk, they reached the highest point of the Rock, which is called El Hacho, or the Signal. From it a view of two oceans was obtained, if we count the Mediterranean as one, and two of the grand divisions of the earth, Europe and Africa. The mountains of Spain and those of Africa were in sight.
Macias pointed out Apes Hill and other objects of interest, and it was unanimously voted that the view was magnificent. The visitors continued their wanderings amid pyramids of cannon-balls, and the region was covered with receptacles for ammunition. They entered the galleries, which extend for thousands of yards, and the first sight of them conveys an idea of the vast amount of labor which has been performed in constructing them, for they have been hewn out of the rock.
There are casemates and even halls, one of the latter of which is fifty feet long by thirty-five wide, and is called St. George's Hall. About every thirty feet in the eastern side are embrasures through which project the muzzles of great cannons, which are hardly noticed from the outside as one sails along the sea. A view of the Rock at the distance of a couple of miles on the strait conveys no idea of the strength of the fortifications.
In addition to the immense strength of the principal fortress, there are forts and batteries in every available place along the shore, and on the line which separates the place from The Neutral Ground, so that an attack by sea or land could be promptly repelled. Everything has been done to render the works invincible, and the supplies kept in store preclude the possibility of starving out the garrison in any reasonable period of time. But the fortress will never again be besieged or attacked, for many believe "the game is not worth the candle;" and Mr. Bright thought it ought to be ceded back to Spain, for its possession by a foreign power has never ceased to be a thorn in the flesh of the proud and haughty dons of the peninsula.
Aside from its military importance, Gibraltar is of the greatest value to England as a stopping-place, where coal and other necessaries can be obtained by her commercial marine. All the steamers which pass through the Suez Canal on their way to India and Australia stop here. If England were at war with any other nation, the place would be of vast importance as a coaling station, where her ships could lie in safety in spite of any force that might assail them.
"There are no springs of fresh water on the Rock," said Captain Ringgold to his party. "You remember how the people of the Bermudas are supplied with water; and the residents here, both civil and military, have to depend upon the rainfall. All the water that falls upon the roofs of the houses is economized and gathered up into reservoirs; and that which flows down the sides of the rock is also carefully saved, for a water famine would be as bad as a dearth of food. The navy tank, from which ships are supplied, holds eleven thousand tons of water, as the books put it; but to the common mind that is a very indefinite method of measuring water, and how big that tank is I can form no idea, only that it is a big one.
"I suppose you have noticed that plants grow in the apertures and crevices of the Rock, though nothing of the sort can be seen from the water. Asparagus, capers, aloes, and cacti thrive here, and even grassy and wooded glens are found in places. Now we will go down to the Almeda, which is the Spanish name for a park, as you learned when you were in Cuba."
This beautiful garden is located near Europa Point, the southern extremity of the peninsula of Gibraltar. It is on the very border of the sea, and is very tastefully laid out in English style, with winding walks, and with a great variety of plants and shrubs which thrive in this climate, including cacti and some trees of considerable size. From shady arbors fine views were obtained of the surroundings, including the mountains in Africa.
The party had made the ascent of the rock and the return on mules and donkeys, and the big four had lots of fun with the latter. That of Scott was so small that he picked him up in his arms and carried him some distance, to the great amusement of the lookers-on. When they reached the Ragged Stairs, the company embarked in the little steamer, and, as it was not yet four o'clock, they made an excursion in her around the Rock. The American consul had been invited to dine on board, and he was a member of the party.
As soon as her passengers had disembarked, Louis and Scott were sent over in the Salihé to Algeciras for Judge Salazar, and returned with him before dinner-time. He was received on board with the "most distinguished consideration."