Page:Suakin, 1885.djvu/19

 board, I spent two days in my bunk on a little ship's biscuit

Sunday afternoon brought us to "Gib.," which was looking very beautiful and very grand, as it always does. We were not long in getting on shore, and as we were to stop for four hours to take some gunners on board, we made up a party and drove down into the town to luncheon at the "Royal." "Gib." was looking its best; there had been plenty of rain, so wild flowers of all sorts abounded. After a luncheon, such as we had not eaten since leaving England, we took a walk round the North Front, and out to the neutral ground. There are few more imposing views than the Old Rock presents from the neutral ground. There is a wonderful air of majesty and strength about the place, and England will lose one of her brightest jewels when Gibraltar ceases to be her property. It is a place to be proud of, and there are few inches of it that are not familiar to me, as I was there more than five years one time. It was dark before we put to sea again, and as we rounded Europa Point a band was playing "Auld Lang Syne," and we could hear away in the darkness the sounds of cheering coming to us across the still waters of the Mediterranean. The next morning found us