344 T the River Plate and Back 



great pinnacle of reddish rock, with sides so steep that 

 it looks as if nothing but a sea-gull could reach its top. 

 In the troublous times of the Napoleonic Wars when 

 England and France were fighting with each other on 

 land and sea, Admiral Hood of the British Navy re- 

 solved to take possession of this rock, which commands 

 a narrow passage through which from time to time he 

 discovered that French ships were escaping him. 

 Somehow or other the brave sailors under his command 

 found a w r ay up the steep sides of the rock and anchoring 

 one of his ships at the very foot of the clifT, he caused 

 five cannon to be hoisted from her deck by ropes let 

 down from the summit. He landed one hundred and 

 twenty men as a garrison, and the fort was entered on 

 the Admiralty lists as 'H. M. Ship, Diamond Rock." 

 For a long while the British sailor-soldiers held the place 

 and gave the French no end of trouble. At last when 

 they had shot away their last cannon-ball, and the 

 drinking water had given out, they surrendered to a 

 French fleet of sixteen sail, which had been for some 

 time hammering away at them. These islands are full 

 of memories which stir the blood. The story of the 

 rise of the naval power of England is largely laid in West 

 Indian waters. Here were the haunts of the buccaneers. 

 Here Sir Walter Raleigh, Drake and Hawidns, Rodney 

 and Nelson, won many of their laurels. There is not an 

 island, not a strait, to which does not attach some 

 legend, or story of historic interest. The blood of the 

 sea-rovers and sea-fighters of the past has dyed these 

 waters and crimsoned the soil of these islands. 



The panorama of the western coast of Martinique 

 was slowly unfolded before us in the light of a beautiful 

 summery afternoon. We stood in close to the shore. 

 We could see the hills rising above Trois Islets, and 



