TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



213 



dip in the majestic rollers sweeping so softly in from 

 the sea. Having sufficiently rested we will invoke 

 the assistance of the manager to lend us a boat and a 

 few men to row us round the point into the bay of 

 Las Cuevas, on the edge of which is situate Lord 

 Rendlesham's magnificent estate, after which it 

 is named. By adopting this mode of locomotion, we 

 will, when we round the point and pass out a short 

 way to sea, obtain a view of both the magnificent 

 bays of Maracas and Las Cuevas ; but before we land 

 let us visit the remains of the old Spanish fort at a 

 point to the North of the bay, erected to, in some mea- 

 sure, protect the entrance to both bays. The destruc- 

 tion of this fort or Martello tower, occurred in this 

 way — I quote from Joseph, he says : 



" By false information and the errors of others, 

 Nelson was made to believe that the enemy intended 

 to descend on Tobago and Trinidad. On the 7th June 

 1805, his fleet appeared off the Northern coast on a 

 point of which was posted a single Martello tower 

 commanded by a French officer in the English ser- 

 vice. One of Nelson's ships sent its boat ashore to 

 get information at the fort ; the officer commanding 

 it mistook the fleet for the enemy, and having no hope 

 of defending his post flung the solitary gun over the 

 hill into the sea, blew up the fort and set off for town 

 over Tucutche spreading the news that the combined 

 fleets were about to attack the island. It turned 

 out to be a false alarm but it caused a considerable 

 amount of fright in Port-of-Spain. " This is how the 

 old fort, the remains of which till recently could be 



