ide of the Island.
I shall now give the best description I can of the Different Forts that
are Erected for the Defence of the Bay. The first you meet with coming in
from Sea is a Battery of 22 Guns, seated in the Bottom of a sandy Bay,
which is on the South side of the Sugar Loaf, and can be designed for no
other use than to hinder an Enemy from landing in that valley, from
whence I suppose they may March up to the Town or round by the West side
of the Sugar Loaf to attack the Forts that are on that side of the
Entrance into the Bay, the first of which is Seated under the foot of the
Sugar Loaf on a low Isthmus which joyns the Peninsula or point of the Bay
with the Land of the Sugar Loaf. It appears to be a square of Stone Work
without a Ditch, with Bastions and furnished with Cannon. A little within
this fort are 2 battrys of 5 or 6 Guns each. They are designed to play
upon Shipping, but neither these battrys or the Fort are out of reach of
a Ship's Cannon. Hard by these batterys stands Fort Logie. It is an
irregular hexagon, built of Stone upon a Small Rock standing at the west
Entrance of the Bay, and is surrounded on all Sides by the Sea. It is
mounted with 14 or 15 guns, which are placed so as to play upon Shipping
going in and out of the Harbour. There is only one way to go into it,
which is by Steps Leading up to a Sally Port on the North-West side.
Opposite this is the Fort of Santa Cruze, built upon a low rocky point
that forms the East Entrance of the Bay. It hath the Appearance of a
Regular Fortification of Stone Work built upon the Slope of the Rock, on
which account there are in some places 2 Tier of Guns. It hath no Ditch
but on the Land side, where it is cut out of the Rock; in every other
part the Sea washes up to its Walls. It seems everywhere to be well
Mounted with Cannon Except on the land side, where none are wanting,
because they could be of no use, the land being so very high above it.
Yet, after all, neither this Fort nor those on the opposite shore do not
appear to be of any great Strength, even against Shipping, for which they
are wholly design'd, being the key of the Bay. They lay low, and Ships
may come so near as to have them entirely within the reach of their Guns;
but it would require 5 or 6 Sail of the line to insure Success. Between 2
and 3 Miles within the Entrance of the Bay, on the West Side, is the Isle
Borghleone, upon the east point of which is Erected a Battry of Stone,
and Mounte
|