with a valuable collection of books, to which all the military have access, forms a great acquisition to the garrison. This institution, together with the sensible and polite conversation of the engineer and artillery officers, most of whom are men of education and liberal minds, gives a tone to the society and manners which is highly agreeable. Nothing, however, can be more miserable than the appearance of the civil inhabitants of the town, whether Moors, Jews, or Christians. They live crouded together, in habitations resembling barracks rather than houses, which are as filthy as their persons.

The commerce of Gibraltar has been very considerable since the communication with Spain has been free; but, like other markets in similar circumstances, it is now so overloaded, that there is scarcely room for the various commodities collected, and serious fears are entertained, that if a siege were to commence, a great quantity of property must be sacrificed for military accommodation, as there are neither store-houses sufficient to contain it, nor shipping enough to conit to places of safety.

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The markets of this place are well supplied from Spain with every kind of provision, at moderate prices; and a considerable number of live bullocks are brought from the coast of Africa, which contribute to the supply of the garrison; but though wheat is abundant in that country, their Religion allows none to be exported for the use of Christians.

A rigid discipline is kept up within the garrison: no person can pass through certain gates, unless provided with a passport, and the civil inhabitants are prohibited walking the streets at night without a

lanthorn. Indeed, so strict are the regulations, that having dined one day with Captain Donnelly on board the Invincible, and landed in the Dock-yard, we could not pass the gates, but were under the necessity of climbing over the wall by a rope ladder to get to our lodgings. We shall leave this place to-morrow, and begin our journey to Malaga.

By

means of

my friend Mr. Viale, the Sicilian consul, who is connected with the post-office in Spain, we had hired horses for our journey to Granada, which were directed to meet us at St. Roque, a place to which we proceeded in the afternoon. After passing the lines, we left the antient city of Carteia on our left scarcely a vestige now remains of that celebrated city, which is known to have flourished when the Phoenicians first traded with Spain, 900 years before the birth of Christ. It was conquered by the Carthaginians 280 years before that æra; continued a naval station of great importance during the civil wars between Cæsar and the Pompeys; and was the place from which, after the fatal battle of Munda, Cneius Pompey escaped, to meet his untimely death on the shore of Alicant. A large farm house is constructed from the ruins of Carteia, and several Roman inscriptions have been discovered, which clearly ascertain its scite.

We reached St. Roque before it was dark, where we found a posada, equalling in comfort an English inn. It is the resort of the

officers from Gibraltar who make excursions into Spain; and the host has learnt from his visitors, to accommodate his house to their habits, for which, however, he takes care to charge sufficiently high.

We breakfasted at six o'clock, and were on horseback before day-light; the first hour of our journey was occupied in ascending a barren mountain, with no object to interest, except the more lofty mountains at a distance. When we had gained the summit, and began to descend, the country became more agreeable; the woods were composed of various shrubs mingled with cork trees, which in figure and colour resembled our oaks, but are smaller in size; and the shrubs and plants, by their various hues, added considerably to the beauty of the surrounding country. We passed some verdant meadows, in the valleys, in which a few substantial-looking farm houses were situated, and observed a few cows grazing in their neighbourhood. On the hills around considerable flocks of goats were feeding, but no sheep.

We crossed the river Guadiaro, which descends from Ronda through clefts in the mountains, and is at times impassable, except by boats at a ferry a few miles higher. We passed it, however, at a ford, and soon reached the sea shore, by which we travelled under the lofty Sierra, called sometimes Sierra de Gaucin, at others Sierra Vermeja, till we arrived at the town of Estepona, where, after a long and tiresome ride, we were glad to refresh ourselves.

The Spanish saddles are very short in the seat, and have projections before and behind, to prevent the rider from slipping off, either in ascending or descending steep mountains, and consequently it is necessary to keep the legs almost in a straight line, a position at

first very fatiguing, but which gives a firmer seat than our mode of riding; habit, however, renders it agreeable.

Estepona is a fishing town, containing nearly one thousand families; but it suffered so much during the fatal epidemic in the year 1804, that its population is small, in comparison to the number of families, almost all of whom subsist by fishing, or by the fruits which they cultivate, and convey to Gibraltar. We visited a Franciscan convent, where there were only fourteen monks, who appeared to be in a miserable state: their church even had nothing deserving notice, and we were gratified only by the respect and attention paid by these fathers to our English uniforms, which are sure to attract notice and civility from all the clergy.

After a dinner on Sardinias, a small fish caught in great quantities on this coast, we left Estepona, and continued our journey along the sea coast. It was fortunate that the weather had been lately dry, for we crossed, between the Guadiaro and this place, over the beds of no less than fourteen large arroyos, or temporary streams, which, when it rains, are impassable. These arroyos form receptacles for the rains which fall on the lofty mountains, or for the melted snow from their tops: though the streams are now dry, they occasionally rush down with such irresistible force that nothing can withstand them. At such times all communication is suspended, for neither bridges nor boats can resist the fury of the torrents; however, from the steepness of the hills the waters rapidly subside, and the beds again become passable. On the side of the road, between the foot of the mountains and the beach, the ruins of several towns, formerly peopled by the Romans, and mentioned in the Itinerary of Antoninus, are still visible;