Richard Ford’s visit to Gibraltar, 1845

Ford continues by describing the Garrison Library and even recommending works on Gibraltar:

“Strictly speaking, Gibraltar, which is an English garrison transported into Spain, is foreign to our handbook; yet as it is one of the great lions of Andalucia, it must be visited, and, therefore, will be briefly described. Here, among other things which are rare in Spain, is a capital English and foreign library, called “the garrison library.” This was planned in 1793 by Col. Drinkwater, and completed at the public expense by Mr. Pitt. It contains, besides newspapers and periodicals, a well-selected collection of about 20,000 volumes.

Here let the traveller, with the sweet bay and Africa before him, and seated on an easy chair, also not a thing of Spain, look through the excellent ‘Historia de Gibraltar,’ by Ignacio Lopez de Ayala, Mad. 1782. Three books of this work were put forth just when all the eyes of Europe were bent on the “Rock,” which the Count d’Artois (Charles X.) came to take, and did not. The fourth was never published, and the why will be found in the ‘History Of the Siege’ by Col. Drinkwater, 1783, and republished by Murray, 1844. It details the defence, and utter frustration, by sea and land, of the fleets and armies of Spain and France. For the “Straits” consult the ‘History of the Herculean Straits,’ by Col. James, 2 vols. 4 to., London, 1771 ; yet it is a mass of matter handled in a dull, uncritical manner. ‘Cyril Thornton,’ the amusing work of Capt. Hamilton, is somewhat obsolete in his picture of the work officers and their messes; drunkenness is unknown now, the cigar has outsted Bacchus, and postprandial indulgences are carried on with the weed at adjourned quarters, proper and improper. There is a small ‘Handbook for Gibraltar,’ London, 1844. Rowswell and Bartolots are the best booksellers on the Rock.”

Image: Garrison Library 1832. Watercolour by Lieutenant Frederick Leeds Edridge.