INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. Ixxxi 



so that there would be imminent danger of losing the ships, both 

 by sinking and blowing up. 



It must nevertheless be observed, that although such a wind as 

 would enable vessels to come into the road by South-west Point, 

 be very rare in this latitude, yet westerly winds have been known 

 to prevail for a week together. These, however, seldom occur 

 oftenerthan once in five or six months, and as their duration is 

 often momentary and always precarious, it would be too great 

 an uncertainty for an enemy, after a long voyage, to wait here 

 in the expectation of so very precarious an event. 



From those observations it will appear that there is no certainty 

 of arriving at James's Town without coming round the north- 

 east end of the island. And even then, if ships, after doubling 

 Sugar-loaf Point, where the trade wind generally leaves them, 

 and the eddies commence, do not keep close under the shore "all 

 the way between that and the road, they run great risk of being 

 blown entirely off the bank ; or of being compelled to come to an 

 anchor at no great distance from the batteries. 



Ships thus obliged to hug the shore between Sugar-loaf Point 

 and the road, gives the island a prodigious advantage over an 

 enemy who might attempt this route ; because he would be ex- 

 posed to such a continued and multiplied fire from the batteries 

 between Butter-milk Point, and James's Town, as scarcely any 

 number of ships would be able to overcome. 



Rupert's Bay, James's Town, and Lemon Valley, are the prin- 

 cipal landing places on the leeward coast. All these are well 

 fortified by fleur d'eau batteries, provided with furnaces for heat- 

 ing shot, and flanked by cannon placed u[)on the clitKs far above 

 the reach of ships' guns. Mortars and howitzers for showering 

 grape upon ships' decks, or upon boats attempting to land, are also 

 provided. In short, it seems wholly impossible to force a descent 



m 



