"This immense Fortified Rock".....The Journey From Gibralter to Malta

Keystone View Company, P. The Rock of Gibraltar, an important strong-hold of the British Empire. Gibraltar, None. [Between 1860 and 1910] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2020680548/.

The 100 Ton Gun  (also known as the Armstrong 100 ton gun). Two guns were installed in the British Overseas Territory of Gibralter, one at Victoria Battery and one at Napier of Magdala Battery in Rosia Bay.  The guns arrived in 1882 and 1883, and the first firings took place in 1884.  This is one of the four guns produced by William Armstrong's manufacturing company for Gibralter and the island of Malta; only two are left.  You can view them today on Gibralter and at Fort Rinella on Malta. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-ton_gun

  

Page 17 continued

"...We were now privileged to steame (sic) up the straites (sic) with land clearly visible on either side until the Rock itself is sighted, here we naturally expected to be greeted with some friendly faces from this immense fortified Rock. The first familiar face that was distinguished on the Rock itself was that of Armstrongs 100 ton guns just looking at us with his mouth wide open & with such a solemn gaze as though saying I would like to but I dare not. I am told that this gun if fixed in such a position to command the whole of the straites (sic) both from the Mediteranean (sic) entrance and the Atlantic approach, & that it is quite an easy task for it to throw a projectile across to Africa, a distance of 10 miles. (according to the website Welcome to Gibralter gibralter.com it was said that the gun's range was 8 miles but conservative estimates put it at around 5 miles).  We did not put in at Gibralter so were disappointed in meeting some of our old friends who we knew on the rock...but still in passing we had a fairly good view although to get a good view of the rock...

Page 18

...it is necessary to enter the Harbour. It was after passing Gibralter & getting well out into the Mediteranean (sic) that we felt the roughest weather & for a couple of days our ship tossed about just enough to make a seafaring life uncomfortable & I was now blessed with my first dose of sea-sickness. Before leaving England I was careful to buy a fairly good supply of Lamplough's Pyretic Saline for use on the voyage together with a couple of bottles of Doctor Collis Browne's chroladine (sp. chlorodyne) for use in case of dysentery or other disorders consequent upon the change of climate, & here I found it necessary to open my Lamplough's and take which I did regularly for a few days & used it occasionally after as I required it. It was not however an unpleasant run up the Mediteranian (sic) although for several days we had no land on either hand save a solitary island which I was told was inhabited by French prisoners. After leaving Gibralter about 6 days on the early dawn of the 11th morning from England the welcome sight of the Island of Malta broke upon the gaze of the...

Page 19

 ...watchers although the general company was not astir by this time but as soon as the word was passed down the gangway the whole were soon on deck watching with all eagerness to scan to the utmost the coastline of Malta & about 1 hour after she hove in sight, (between 5 and 6 o'clock in the morning) we entered Valetta (sp. Valletta) harbour & were at once greeted by the hurrahs & shouts of many hundreds of troops & residents who had watched our approach. This was truly a delightful, a beautiful morning & a lovely sun rising over a delightful island...is a sight not always witnessed, even by those who are accustomed to travelling by land & sea."   Page 19 will continue in the next post.... 

 From The Railway Review issue no. 26 1881.  Pyretic Saline was an effervescent mix of citric acid with potassium and sodium bicarbonates that was marketed world wide as a remedy in case of cholera, small pox, tropical fevers, sea sickness and headaches. It was one of  the 'cure-all' patent medicines of the day, especially for travelers. 

Chlorodyne was one of the best known patent medicines sold in the British Isles.  It was invented in the 19th century by Dr. John Collis Browne, a doctor in the British Indian Army. Its principal ingredients were a combination of  laudanum (an alcoholic solution of opium), cannabis and chloroform...just the ticket for relieving pain or as a sedative anywhere in the Victorian Empire! Wikipedia: Chlorodyne

The route taken from Gibralter to the Island of Malta by the Rewa.  It was about 6 days of sailing. You can see the boot of Italy and the island of Sicily in the top right corner.   Google Maps. 

"It Was Quite a Pleasure Trip Up to This Time..."

 Indelible pencils, or copying pencils.   Described as an "ordinary lead pencil, but more permanent, as the marks cannot be erased with rubber".  These pencils are considered the predecessors of the ball point pen. They were "convenient (no need to continually dip one's pen into the ink well), provided firm pressure (superior to fountain pens of the time), and generated relatively permanent markings. Their usefulness is demonstrated by the wide range of applications to which they were enlisted".  From The Book and Paper Group Annual Volume 17 1998. The Copying Pencil:  Composition, History, and Conservation Implications by Liz Dube.  https://cool.culturalheritage.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v17/bp17-05.html

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 "...At 5 a.m. the revellie (sic)  (spelled reveille: A bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife and drum or pipes call most often associated with the military. It is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. Wikipedia.org) is sounded & we are soon on deck & with mop scrubber squeegee swab & broom we are quite busy at scrubbing decks, an exercise which we had to indulge in every morning at the same hour as mentioned above. Next comes our morning ablution (washing) & as we are on board ship our supply of fresh water is very limited & if you do not manage to be very soon at the ablution room instead of getting a wash in clean water you stand a chance of getting a good thick bath. We are getting still...

Page 14 

 

 ...nearer the Isle of Wight & it is whispered around that we are going to let down our pilot here & he will take ashore letters from the ship & not a few avail themselves of the opportunity of sending a few lines written hastily & in most cases with a black lead pencil, some having (provided?) themselves before leaving Chatham with an Indelible pencil are considered to be rather above the ordinary. We get breakfast served up at 7 a.m coffee & bread with a little butter.  Shortly after breakfast we observe a small sailing vessel making toward us but no land visible...this eventually proves to be the pilot cutter come out from Portsmouth to take off our pilot, so after a little anxious watching the cutter is skillfully brought alongside of our ship & the pilot taken off without the necessity of stopping the ship.  Nothing of particular note occurred during the first morning but after dinner....

Page 15 

...we are told we are not far from Cornwall & that during the night we should pass the lands end so that afternoon and evening was spent in watching for glimpses of coastline in the distance & as night drew nearer there was more than a few sighs heaved at the thought of leaving behind entirely old England but there was no help for it & as the ship would not stop by being told she has (?) on at full speed after passing the Lizard & we went to bed. By the following we were nearing Cape Ushant the first bit of French coast sighted after leaving our own shores. Cape Ushant is a very formidable pile of rock abutting out from the main land and strikes the watcher as he gazes at it from the distance that this forms as it do a very formidable foe to storm tossed broken hearted vessels whose misfortune it is to come in contact with it." 

"A formidable pile of rock abutting from the mainland...."

Page 16 

"We kept the French coast in sight more or less until we reached the Bay of Biscay & in crossing we were privileged with very beautiful weather, so much so that the bay was like the proverbial mill pond...it was quite a pleasure trip up to this time. As you may guess, sea sickness was the order of the day among a large number of people on board, but personally I was permitted to escape for a few days longer. After passing through the bay of Biscay, we (were?) not long in sighting Cape Finisterre, which by the way we sighted on a beautiful evening when the sun was setting, with a beautiful crimson, a scene which made the cape show up to magnificent advantage." 

Modern day tourists enjoying the sunset on Finsterre, which literally means 'the end of the world'. It is the most westerly point in Europe. Raw Travel  https://rawtravel.com/walks/camino-de-finisterre/

 "This was on the evening of the third day at sea, and after this we did not loose (sic) sight of land for (?) time together until we had passed Gibralter on the morning of the fifth day after leaving England, the famous straits of Gibralter was sighted and as we approached nearer all eyes we (were) eagerly watching....(page 17)....our advance to behold at one & the same time, the two continents of Europe and Africa." 

The journey of the Rewa past the Isle of Wight, past the Lizard and Land's End in Cornwall.  Google Maps.

 Ushant to Fisterra to Gibralter.  Google Maps.