461 A. H. Verrili—The Bermuda Islands. 49 
sels, though somewhat suspicious vessels were sometimes scared 
away, just as well as by many modern forts of greater size. (Fig. 
21, and plate lxxix, fig. 2.) 
Additions and repairs were made to King’s Castle at various times, 
and it seems to have been garrisoned almost continuously for over 
seventy years, though the regular garrison usually consisted of only 
12 men. 
In consequence of the war with Spain, the Company in a letter of 
March, 1626, ordered Governor Woodhouse to see that the forts, 
especially King’s Castle, were kept in order and well guarded. 
As a result of this, extensive repairs were made and new works 
were built at the King’s Castle from May to November, 1626. A 
levy of men from all the tribes was made, each man to give two days 
labor or furnish a substitute, the men to work in gangs of 15 each. 
Items charged for the special or skilled labor indicate that consider- 
able changes were made. There isa charge of 120 pounds of tobacco 
for 1,000 feet of cedar planks for the platform, etc.; 400 pounds for 
the foundations; 394 pounds for mounting the ordinance and for the 
“palisado ;” 425 pounds for iron work of the gun carriages, ete. 
Altogether, 3,925 pounds of tobacco were demanded for this work. 
There is no special description of the work done, or needed to be 
done, nor any statement of the number of guns mounted. It seems 
strange that so many repairs were needed within four years from the 
time that Governor Butler had left the works in good order and the 
16 guns mounted on new cedar carriages. There is no mention of 
new guns. A little later there were charges of dishonesty and fraud 
preferred against Capt. Stokes, who was then in command of the 
fort, and Capt. Felgate, who superintended the work, and they were 
both discharged from the service, in disgrace, showing that the pub- 
lic interests were sometimes poorly looked after there,—much as in 
modern, times, and other countries, on a larger scale. 
In November, 1626, a new fort was ordered to be erected on Pen- 
iston’s Island (now Paget Island), about where Fort Cunningham now 
stands. 
For this work every owner or “halver renter of land,” and every 
servant receiving wages, was required to give 10 days of labor or its 
equivalent in substitutes. Wages were reckoned at 24 Ibs. of 
tobacco per day, without board, or 2 lbs. “and his victuals.” ‘The 
men were to work in gangs of 40 at atime, in rotation. At that 
time the land had to be cleared. ‘There is record of a special 
charge of 120 pounds of tobacco for fellimg the trees on the site. 
