C 983 ) 
(blutely dry, or lay it under Water at their pleafure. I 
have talked feveral times hereof to Mr. Sherwood, the 
Owner of the Swamp, yet nothing is eiTayed in Order 
thereto. And now fince we are fpeaking of fames Town, 
give me leave to adjoyn fome Refle&ions as to the Si- 
tuation and Fortifications of the place. The Natural 
Situation of the place is fiich, as perhaps the World has 
not a more Commodious place for a Town, where all 
things confpire for Advantage thereof. 
James Town Ijland is rather a feninfula, being joyned 
to the Continent by a fmall Neck of Land, not paft 
Twenty or Thirty Yards over, and which at Spring- 
Tides is overflow'd, and is then an abfolute Ifland. Now 
they have built a filly (brt of a Fort, that is, a Brick 
Wdl in the fliape of a Half- Moon, at the beginning of 
the Swamp, becaule the Channel of the River lies very 
nigh the Shoar but it is the (ame as if a Fort were built 
at Chelfey to (ecure London from being taken by Shipping. 
Befides Ships paffing up the River are fecured from the 
Guns of the Fort, till they come diredly over-againft 
the Fort, by reafon the Fort ftands in a Vale, and all 
the Guns directed down the River, that fliould play on 
the Ships, as they are coming up the River, will lodge 
their Shot within Ten, Twenty, or Forty Yards in the 
rifing Bank, which is much above the Level of the Fort ; 
fo that if a Ship gave but a good Broad-fide, juft when 
Hie comes to bear upon the Fort, fhe might pur the Fort 
into that confufion,as to have free Paflage enough.There 
was indeed an Old Fort of Earth in the Town, being a 
fort of Tetragone^ with fomething like Baftions at the 
four Corners, as I remember; but the Channel lying 
further off to the middle of the River there, they let it 
be demohihed, and built that new one fpoke of, of Brick, 
which (eems little better than a blind Wall , to ihoot 
Wild Ducks or Geefe, 
