Jules Verne

“ Ford in saying that “Ceuta ought to belong to England, for Spain does nothing, and hardly knows how to keep it,” and showed great irritation against the English, “who never put their foot on a piece of ground without the foot taking root.”
“Yes,” he remarked, “before they think of taking Ceuta let them take care of Gibraltar! There is a mountain there that Spain will one day shake down on their heads!”
The doctor, without inquiring how the Spaniards were to bring about such a geological commotion, did not contest the statement, which was made with all the loftiness of a hidalgo. ”

“ Point Pescade would not have forgotten to tell this to his friend Cape Matifou as he showed him to the north the rock of Gibraltar, and to the south Mount Hacho. And Cape Matifou would have appreciated at its full value this wonderful feat, and not a shade of envy overshadowed his simple, modest soul. The Provençal Hercules would have bowed low before the son of Jupiter and Alcmena.
But Cape Matifou was not among the yacht's passengers, and neither was Point Pescade. One taking care of the other, both had remained at Antekirtta. ”

“ About three o'clock the doctor requested to be taken to the governor of Ceuta, whom he wished to visit—an act of courtesy quite natural on the part of a stranger of distinction.
It need scarcely be said that the governor was not a civil functionary. Ceuta is above all things a military colony. It contains about 10,000 people, officers and soldiers, merchants, fishermen or coasting sailors housed in the town and along the strip of land whose prolongation toward the east completes the Spanish possession. ”

“ Naturally the governor was not without some conceit in singing the praises of his colony, but he did not exaggerate in the least. The administrative system of Ceuta is considered one of the best in the world, both as affecting the material well-being of the convicts and their moral amelioration. ”

“ During his travels in the East the doctor had studied some of the more curious cases, and had added to that branch of physiology a rich contingent of new observations. He was thoroughly well informed as to the phenomena and the results that could be obtained from them. Gifted himself with great suggestive power, which he had often exercised in Asia Minor, it was on it that he relied to carry off Carpena, if chance had not made the Spaniard insensible to its influence. ”

“ The convicts amounted to nearly 2000.
To reach the governor's house the carriage had to traverse a macadamized road outside the town which ran through the colony to its eastern end. On each side of the road a narrow band between the foot of the hills and the waste along be beach is well tilled, thanks to the assiduous labor of the inhabitants, who have a hard struggle against the poverty of the soil. Vegetables of all sorts and even trees are there to be found—and the laborers are many. ”

“ At ten o'clock the “Ferrato” dropped anchor in the harbor, or rather about two cable-lengths from the pier which receives the full strength of the sea; for there is nothing but an open roadstead exposed to the surf of the Mediterranean waves. ”

“ Ceuta was then administered by Colonel Guyarre. He had under his orders three battalions of infantry detached from the continental army to serve their time in Africa, one regiment permanently quartered in the colony, two batteries of artillery, a company of engineers and a company of Moors, whose families occupied special quarters. ”