( 35* ) 



night, the miftakes and obftinacy of our pilots 

 and officers had coft us dear. The wind was fair 

 for the Havannah, and about five in the evening 

 we were about a league from it, when we fired 

 two guns, one upon hoifting our colours, and the 

 other after we had made a fignal with the enfign, 

 for a pilot from the fort. 



None appearing, it was refolved to fend the 

 canoe to aft: leave to go in ; but it being now 

 late, this was deferred till next day, and the whole 

 night was fpent in tacking. On the twenty -third, 

 an officer of the Bellona went afhore, in order to afk 

 the governor's permiffion to water and purchafe 

 provifions in his harbour ; becaufe we had not 

 been able to lay in a fufficient quantity at Biloxi. 

 This was only a pretence, which I did not then 

 know, and the captain defiring me to accompany 

 his officer, I thought myfelf obliged to comply 

 with his requeft. 



The entrance of the port of the Havannah lies 

 north-weft quarter weft : on the left-hand, on go- 

 ing in, is a fort built upon a rock, at the foot 

 of which all vefiels muft pafs : it is called the 

 fort du More. It is a folid building, and has three 

 good batteries of brafs cannon, one above the 

 other. On the right-hand is a row of baftions, 

 which feemed to me to be newly finifhed, or but 

 lately repaired. The entrance is in this place but 

 five or fix hundred paces in breadth, and is fliut 

 pp with an iron chain, which would ftop a fhip 

 for a confiderable time, till having fhatrered it 

 with cannon-fhof: they fhould be able to break 

 fhroqgh 



