Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 15.djvu/254

 said bridge to build a platforme, and plant ordinance vpon it: and on both sides of the bridge there are certaine trenches made, where our men may be close kept.

At the point of this land called ycacos, which is in the entring in of the harbour towards S. Anna, we haue made a Fort of timber fouresquare of 300. foote euery way, and trencht, where wee may plant 15. or 16. peeces of ordinance, and keepe 50. men in garison, and behinde the bourdes on the backside of the timbers, a Barricado of earth or mudde wall being foure foote in thicknesse, and behinde the mud-wall sand: so this Fort will bee of great importance for safegard of this Harbour, because all the Shippes which doe enter into this Harbour doe come close to this place where it is strongest, so that sometimes one may cast a stone into the ships when they are comming in: and when any shippe of warre or Pirate will giue any attempt to enter into this Harbour, there is order giuen that the two galleys shall go forth, and put themselues behinde the Fort with their prows to the sea, and so shooting at their enemies in the forepart of the ship, and then the Fort answering likewise with their ordinance at the side of the shippe, and at their tackling, so the enemie being in the Harbour all vnrigged, they must of necessitie be constrained to lye houering within the Harbour, or els they must driue vpon the rockes called the Ismo, or els vpon those rocks which are couered with the sea at the Iland of Cares.

And put case that in this place, we can doe no good by this meanes, and that the enemie will venture to come in with their long boates and Pinnesses through this narrow mouth; then we are to haue in a readinesse 4. Frigats to ayde and helpe the gallies, and to row with oares, and so to go to the narrow mouth, and there to stay in the channell. And forasmuch as the entring in is so dangerous, according as I haue certified your Maiestie, there can no ship come into this harbour, but we must needes sinke them; so that these defences shall not onely bee annoyance to the enemie, but also animate and encourage the inhabitants of this citie: for they haue beene and are in such feare of the enemie, and Pirates, that if wee had not made these fortifications, strengthened the citie in this order, and put some souldiers in garison, the citizens would haue fledde, and forsaken this citie: for all the perswasions made to them by the gouernour coulde not perswade them to the contrary, but they would bee gone, if it had not beene for this fortification, and yet for all this