STRENGTH OF GIBRALTAR.

Inangahua Times, Volume V, Issue 18, 9 January 1878, Page 2

STRENGTH OF GIBRALTAR.

Gibraltar!' for nioro than otto huntfroil 1 ' nnd B«v«nty yonrt Im* been in a condition ' fo defy imy'nttrtclt> froni'ant qulrter. I» is n mns.s of solid grey nnrblo, ' ttUh'th© 1 southern esrtnunrcy of Spanish' 1 Andnlusin by a narrow peninsula, which- 1 istMitiroly commanded hy t iiV> fortress.The rook— at its highest point, I4rt6*fcctr nbovc tho st*a levcl^is completely hurey. combed with baltorips— boom proof— mm* ovory spooies* of dsfonsifo contrivoncitrCnrtMon 1 of^tho lar^Pst c.tlibro frown «l<in^C iM fnco, steep escarps bar paths Up tint nimoHt pcrpondiculiir ascent,' imrnon<o' ci^tttijs nnd mnanaiiiVs fivnish xbuiuianf supplios-of wntcr nnd nmmnnition, nnd' tlioro is always » stock of provisions mifiScii'iit to last llirfco ys?«r9> y Tlio ordinary unrrison consists of about Gft(» 'infaotry-, I I<XX) 'Artillery, tmd ft pickod corps of cflw j-nHu in c»so of emnr«onoy there' nro nccomniodatio'is for doublo this force' riio Inat nnd memorable s'icro Gibraltar ' has* endured bogan in Juno, 1779,'an(1' ondod in IVlbruary, 1788,' Tho combined armiw.i and- fliJotn of France and Spain 1 pounded tho improanablb walls for three' years nnd ei^ht months, and then gavo ' up tbo hopolo-H tusk. Tho Hrttish loit 3&s killed, SM'fronnliecßse, 41 from denortion, and tho woitndbd numbored 1O()8.'Tlio castWltios t>n"thd' other sido aro not known; Sm«ti thi*i\ tt»oro has boon noattempt to r'ob"l2ngltu<l ! of hor priceless^ }iosspsmo;i ; n, possession, by tho way, of' wliioh sho robbed Spnin. Tho present' strensjthenins; of Gtbrnllar means that England docs not intend l to bo "o«u«ht napping," and that tho Gorefnmont does ' not know 1 how sood' tlils nintclilosvciliji. del may bo needed as a baso of ''active operations in 'tlio* Mediterranean and tho • further TSaat. Ijoufc threatened to' turn the " tWlolcss sea " into a JbVonoh J Inkej-Aliixandhr, 1 if ho bad tho opportunity, would glad fy* make it a Russian lako ;- hub ns long fii^Kngland holds Gibraltar-—---tho koy of tho Tretsforn'door — th« Modi-<~ torranonn is^to nU'intefitd^ nnd purposes, • nn-Kngliah'lnko. •