JERBOURG AND ITS FORTIFICATIONS. 249 



Martin's point with its beacon ; then Telegraph Bay imme- 

 mediately below the barracks, where the Jersey and Sark 

 cables enter the sea. The extreme south point consists of 

 the most picturesque rock-mass in the island, which forms 

 one of the chief charms in the general view of Moulin Huet.* 

 The point is called " Le Tas de Pois d'Amont," or the Pea- 

 stacks, and the rocks are called the Apostle Rocks, or the 

 Monastery-and-Monk Rocks, concerning which monk certain 

 local traditions are told in Sir Edgar MacCulloch's book. 

 The west coast is virtually inaccessible to Petit Port with 

 its beach of firm sand, from which rises almost vertically a 

 gigantic quartz vein. Parallel with this vein to the south 

 are numerous fissures or narrow caves, one of which, after 

 penetrating about 30ft., communicates with the face of the 

 cliff above, another miniature Creux Derrible. The whole 

 peninsula rises so abruptly as to be almost inaccessible from 

 the sea; but in the platform of rocks on the east side is a 

 narrow cove with deep water, so well sheltered that during 

 the summer, pilots often kept a skiff there in readiness to 

 board any vessel approaching the island on this side. From 

 this cove, which is the spot to which the name Divette is 

 given, a practicable path leads through the new fir plantation 

 to the group of houses called La Buvee, just north of the 

 isthmus. It is possible also to land on the beach at Petit Port, 

 where a dangerous path gives access to the isthmus, though it 

 is almost impossible to scale the cliffs to Jerbourg itself. 



I wish to discuss the erections which, at various periods 

 have been constructed to render this position, naturally so 

 defensible, a safe refuge for the inhabitants of Guernsey 

 in time of war, and in order the more satisfactorily to do so, 

 I have endeavoured to collect all the information available 

 on the subject. I have received most valuable assistance 

 from Miss E. Carey, of the Vallon, and Mr. T. De Gruerin, 

 of Le Mont Durand, and have consulted Dupont's " Cotentin 

 et ses lies," the Bulletins of La Societe Jersiaise, Tupper's 

 History, &c. 



According to my idea, the oldest of these fortifications 

 are the earthern ramparts across the isthmus. These 

 commence, on the west side, at the summit of the cliff at 

 the head of the path from Petit Port, so much frequented 

 by sand-eeling parties. Here, there are three embankments, 

 the outer ones the deepest, the height from hollow to crest 

 being about 8 feet ; they extend in the direction of Doyle's 

 Monument. 



* Walter Huet was warden of the islands from 1367 to 1373. 



