Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-23
MARTINIoUE'S GIBRALTAR.
Diamond Rock, Said to be In Eruption,
Was Once Fortified and Marked
on Mans as a Ship.

The opinion prevails that Captain Han
sen. of the Norwegian steamship Tails
man, who reported on his arrival in this
port on Wednesday that Diamond Rock,
of the coast OF Martinique, was in erup-
ton on May 18th, was mistaken. None or
the books containing accounts Of Diamond
Rock indicates that the little Gibraltar
possesses any volcanic properties 1t is
famous, in history as having been fortified
by British sailors IN 1904
Frederick A. Ober, in his book, 1.-THE
Stored West Indies" says:
Near and 20 the south OF Fort Royal.
Martinique. rises huge, sea-surrounded
Diamond Rock, which once upon a time,
as Il commanded the entrance to the port,
was seized and fortified by sailors under
the command OF Lord Howe. after the
capture Of st. Lucia. 1t is 500 feet in
height, with sides nearly perpendicular,
but those brave British tars swarmed to
its summit. and there, with scarce room
enough for a fOothold, they mounted sew
eral guns. with which they peppered away
at every French craft that hove in sight,
sending some Of them TO the bottom Of the
sea. But they were provisioned for
twelvemonth only, and when their supplies
failed they had to capitulate, as their
commander sailed away and left them TO
their fate. They did so. however, with all
the honors Of war, as defenders OF His
majesty's ship Diamond Rock"
William Agnew Patton, in his Down the
Islands, writes:
at a distance of one mile from the
mainland. southwark of a grand promon-
tory called Morne du Diamant. there leaps
up from the sea stupendous rock, with
such perpendicular sides that, by their ex-
ceeding steepness to all appearance its
narrow. level top, 574 feet above the sea
level is rendered inaccessible to man.
These smooth. fiinty, battlements no doubt
remained unscaled from the beginning of
time under Admiral Sir Thomas Hood,
serving under Rodney. conceived the idea
of Haunting the British ensign from the
peak OF this breeding place Of sea fowl,
in the face of Frenchmen shut up in
fortresses in Martinique or in ships lying
Grande Anse du Diamant and other an
chorages almost under the shadow Of the
Caribbean Gibraltar.
According TO one version of the story
OF Hoods exploit some of his sailors flew
a great kite from the deck of a sloop of
war, or, as some say, fired a shot carrying
a line. which they managed to stretch
across the summit Of the crag; by this line
a rope was drawn over the lofty pinnacle
and made fast below"
The remainder OF the Patton story agrees
in the main with the ODER version. The
following description Of the rock is given
in James Naval History:
THE south side of the rock is inacces-
sible IT being fat steep like wall, but
sloping a little toward the top. The east
and the southwest sides are also inaccessi-
BILE, the first has an overhanging cave
about 500 feet high. and the other several
caves OF great magnitude. The west side
where breakers run into the sea affords
the only landing. But even this landing
is not at all times practicable. on account
OF the surf and a person. when he has
| landed. has 10 creep through crannies and
over dangerous steps,"
The rocks for many years appeared on
the books OF the British navy as III. NJ.
s. Diamond Rock"