He said
that as the wind was blowing from the Levant quarter, the voyage
would be a speedy one. Being desirous now of disposing to the most
advantage of the short time which I expected to remain at
Gibraltar, I determined upon visiting the excavations, which I had
as yet never seen, on the following morning, and accordingly sent
for and easily obtained the necessary permission.
About six on Tuesday morning, I started on this expedition,
attended by a very intelligent good-looking lad of the Jewish
persuasion, one of two brothers who officiated at the inn in the
capacity of valets de place.
The morning was dim and hazy, yet sultry to a degree. We ascended
a precipitous street, and proceeding in an easterly direction, soon
arrived in the vicinity of what is generally known by the name of
the Moorish Castle, a large tower, but so battered by the cannon
balls discharged against it in the famous siege, that it is at
present little better than a ruin; hundreds of round holes are to
be seen in its sides, in which, as it is said, the shot are still
imbedded; here, at a species of hut, we were joined by an artillery
sergeant, who was to be our guide.
