| Table of Contents < - - - return Chapter 5 - The Mediterranean < - - - next Don Bennett's War Chapter 4 - Land! _______________________ About noon on our eleventh
day out, we sighted land, which surely did our hearts good. This land
was Africa on our right and Spain on our left, and the gap in the middle
toward which we were sailing was the straits of Gibraltar. All afternoon
we sailed toward that gap with the land on either side getting more
distant every minute. Finally at about sundown, we came to the mouth
of the straits, and it was really a pretty sign to behold, with the
rock peaklike cliffs of Spanish Morocco and the brown hills of Spain
on our left. We could see a small Spanish town beginning to light up,
and down near the waterfront was an old fort. Small Spanish fishing
craft came out near us and waved. As it was getting dark, we could just
see the forward peak of the Rock of Gibraltar as it was just coming
into view around the hills of Spain. As we slowly sailed through the
calm strait waters (perhaps 8 miles wide), it became dark and the international
city of Tangiers could be seen brightly lighted up on a small inlet
on the African coast. The Rock of Gibraltar was also all lit up and
we could see many lights sending messages to our convoy in Morse code.
One green light kept repeating "R.G." in code. All the ships
had colored lights turned on their masts only. The other ships could
not be seen but we could tell where they were by their cross-like, lighted
masts moving through the darkness. All the personnel on board seemed
to be on deck (except those still seasick), and lined the rails and
climbed abridgments to get a look at lights of Tangiers on the right
and the Rock of Gibraltar on the left. As the lights dropped away behind
us and with nothing else of interest to see, we all drifted back to
our bunks with thoughts of what was to come. Chapter 5 - The Mediterranean < - - - next Table of Contents < - - - return _________________________ Copyright, Donald Bennett
Sr., 1999 - 2025, all rights reserved on all images and content.
Web Site By Webmeister
Don Websites and Graphic Design |