NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



83 



neck of flat land, being- drawn across it from one hill to another, which 

 rise at each end with smooth and almost perpendicular faces. The 

 Eastern plain conducts to the back of Santa Cruz, and communicates with 

 the Sacco, or Five-fathom bay. From hence a path winds up the hill, 

 and passing- between two remarkable points, comes to a surt of square 

 castle, rather than battery, to prevent the fort from being- attack-ed in the 

 rear ; but the defence of this spot seems very inadequate to its importance. 

 The other plain, towards the West, conducts to the hinder part of the 

 Sug-ar Loaf, and communicates with the bay of Bota Fog-o. Each curtain 

 is about twenty feet hig-h, and double. The approach to both would be 

 dang-erous, because exposed to the fire of Santa Cruz, though neither of 

 them has any g-uns mounted upon it. 



The last named fort has been partly described already. It is built 

 upon a projecting- rock, which forms, on one side, the gorge of the 

 harbour ; and though backed by a lofty and steep, yet not inaccessible 

 hill, is certainly the most formidable of the forts. It has three plain 

 faces ; on that to the South are mounted a few heavy pieces ; to the West 

 two tiers of embrasures present themselves, but very few guns are visible, 

 and all, it is said, are seen, which are there ; to the North are four or 

 five embrasures, all empty. 



Directly opposite to this, upon a projecting point of land, is another 

 small fort, on which are mounted a few light guns, not calculated, appa- 

 rently, to do much injury. It is properly an outwork, belonging to the 

 fort of St. Joan, Avhich is situated round the point, in a position where it 

 can oppose a landing at the back of the Sugar Loaf, guard the entrance 

 to the bay of Bota Fogo, and sweep its beach. Here the Portuguese 

 fleet disembarked the troops which first invaded the country, here they 

 remained two years, before they could advance a single step ; and to 

 guard them, a fort, probably the precursor of the present was erected. 

 Thus much may be said in vindication of both its position and its form. 



In front of the entrance is the fort of the Lage, a square building-j 



which, though small, is capable of doing great execution in still weather, 



provided it were well garrisoned and supplied* Its fire might continue 



K ^ 



