The Sun.
London, England, 1805-04-08 00:00:00

MINCE RUPERri !MAD.

Tuts fate of the Island of 1) sminica, with an at,.
tack.
_upon which the French Squidron has corn.
menced its operations in the West Indies, being the
suhjetl of great interest anti general conversation,
we give the following descriptive Sketch of Prince
Rupert's. Bayand Garrison, to which General PR B.
YOST has retired. It is from the pen of an 'Officer
'who resided nearly two years in the Island, most of
which time he spent in that Garrison.

• The garrison of 44 Prince Rupert's Head" is
formed by a bold promontory, divided into two
hills, or, more properly speaking, mountains, called
the 44 outer and inner Cabritet' (from. the Spanish
word
.Cabr;ta, that part of the Island abounding
formerly with wild gnats). The outer hill, or
Cabrite, which is properly the 44 Head," is about
1, too feet above the level of the sea, and rather
overhangs, as from its stimmit, when looking over,
you cannot See the beach.
The inner hill, or cabrite, which is nearest the
main land, is not so high as the outer, nor near, so
wide ; it is rather a sharp narrow ridge, of an al.
most equal breadth, in the widest part not exceeding
twelve or fourteen, yards. On this inner hill are the
principal magazines for provisions, ammunition, anti
cisterns for water, &c. all bomb-proof, and barracks
on the slope; a• little belnw the top, for about two
hundred men. On this ridge are two heavy mar.
tars, and several pieces of cannon mounted, of the
larger garriscin calibre. It was fortified by Colonel
FRAZER, of the engineers, at an immense expence,
and, from him, is most commonlycalleci, " Marne
Frazer." - This hill is separated from the main
island by a wet swamp, about one mile across every
way. It has never been drained, • and, from the
wind blowing alMost always across it, arises the ill
health of the Garrison, which is emphatically called
by the French, -" Le Tombeau des Anglais,". from
the number of Troops we annually bury there. It
has been ofien in contemplation to drain the morass.
Two attempts, particularly, have been made, but
both. failed. The latter was frustrated by, the mu.
tiny in the Weit-India Regiment _employed in the
survey, which took place during the command of
Colonel COCHRA,NE JOHNSTONE. Although the
post is less healthy,, it is stronger than it would
have been had the attempt succeeded.

The valley between the two hills is nearly level; '
about the middle are the Parade, and the Govern.
ment House, a handsome building, where the Coin.
mantling Officer resides. The different offices, coin.
missary, ordnance store.keeper, engineer, ordnance
yard, hospital, bake.bouses, &c,. are likewise in the
valley. A very handsome and regular Fort, called
Fort Shirley, is at one end of the valley,commanding
the Bay and landing place. Within the fort, which
is about 300 feet above thclanding place, ;tie hand.
some stone barracks for near a reement,and two large
cisterns, or tanks, for water At the other end' of
the valley, lonking towards Guadaloupe, is a WWI,
fort, with barracks for two companies, which coin.
rnands an open and dangerous bay, called Douglas
Bay ; and on the outer face of the bill arc cut lines,
where cannon are mounted, • wherever they can, be
placed. The approach to the Garrison 'from the
• land is along the beach, the swami) reaching from
bay to bay, and is so narrow as' you ascend to the
barrier, where there is a drawbridge, that only three
or four men can advance abreast ; and, from the
steepness of the former hill, towards the swamp,
there is little chance of troops ascending that Way.
There are Barracks lately built on the ,outer calarite
for toOo men, well manned and supped with am.
reunitian and provi'sions. This Garrison, which is
often called the Second Gibraltar, may defy all the
attempts of the Frencb. Trenches cannot bit open.
ed on the side of the swamp; and even though they
could, the Enemy could make no impression upon the
batteries of the inner cabrite, which are situated too
high"for the elevation of any ordnance but mortars.
The Bay of Prince Rupert's is one of the best
in the West Indies; it is about three miles across
from the 44 Head" to the" Point Round," and about
as much from the entrance to the little Town of
Portsmouth at the bottom of the Bay. Portsmouth
is seated on the beach, between two small rivers ;
it was intended to have been inhabited by a set of
1 American Loyalist Refugees, about. 1783, and to
' have introduced the cultivation of rice in the neigh..
houriog swamps and low latitls, by which much
waste land swould have
,become profitable, and sup.
plied, must probably, the rice used arming 'the
slaves, which is a considerable and favourite part of ,
their food but the promises and intentions of the
then Ministry were nut carried into execution the
speculations failed ; many were ruined ; the land
reverted to its original wildness, and the few poor
Loyalists who survived, returned to America.
Here the Nave take, in their wood and water,
and,' from supplying the, crews Anti the garrison
with vegetables, and some other trifling necessaries,
the few,. inhabitants {chiefly people of colour) now
derive their principal support. just near the wa.
teriog.place is a tomb erected to the mem iry of
Lord 'CATHCART, who 'died here on an expedition'
against Cuba, I think in Charles ii.'s time, ?duce
Rupert's r Head is distant from kliseau, the. capital,
about eight leagues ; the most common route is by
water, The 'road by land is very. bid, and will,
in some parts, scarcely admit of two horsemen rit).:
ing a.hreasr, particularly at the famous riots eallOd
the 04 Li6nDS Mouth." To transport cannon ,by
or any o
coil
wheel
otd h
haenel
tcarriage,ee
sa, is
totally imp ossible ;
and if we the gdrrtyon may hold
out, though the, rest of,thy, Island falls.

PRICE.Oh

7STOCKS,

T.t)

Bank Stock, shut
Navy 5 per Cent. 8g SS 6
S per Cent. $797, shut
1 rnih ptr Cent.
4 per Cent. 73 6 ex.
3 per Ct. itet.i. 564 pi ex.

.di v.
3 per Ct. Cori. 57* 571
11. ink L. Ann. tb i s tOths
tfiy.
I)itto Short Ann. 2 5-ititfis
ex. thy.

11 D .1/4 Y

1 inti 4 Stock, shut
tihiLA
Ann suit Stuck,
()hi Ann.
New nitro
Exchequer tlillb, h. a ac. pr
Onintuint i 2
3 per Cent. tiefarctt
4P. Cent. Scrip
1 Ka 3 ;),..1 Cent.
Ditto Aim. t 3 7- ieths
Con Jur' to April. 57 irk