blishing a colony at the Cape of Good Hope, they left St. Helena, and
the English East India Company, being fully alive to its value, immediately
took possession of it. They held it for ten years, and then
obtained from King Charles the Second a charter to secure them m
SOUTH ATLANTIC POST O F F IC E OP 1645.
its further possession. This Company becoming absolute owners of
the place, at once commenced to establish a small colony. They
erected fortifications, introduced settlers from England as well as
new plants and stock, so that a general improvement took place,
■which so excited the covetous desires of its recent possessors, the
Dutch, that in the year 1665 they successfully attacked and again
took possession of it. The English, however, speedily retook it, and
within twelve months were in full possession; but these proceedings
impressed them with the importance of strengthening their fortifications,
and accordingly they pulled down the original fort, built in
1659, of which a stone record yet remains, and erected another,
which doubtless forms.the basement story of the present castle in
Jamestown. This they called Port James, in compliment to the
then Duke of York (afterwards King James the Second), and
this accounts doubtless for the change of name, about this period,
from Chapel Valley to James Valley, and more recently to Jamestown
.W
hether, during the first seven years of their renewed possession,
the English were too much occupied with building fortifications and
improving the place to spare time for recording their transactions or
not is uncertain, but it is a fact that no written accounts of that
period are forthcoming, and from tradition only is it gathered that
the place was governed 'successively by men whose names were
Dutton, Stringer, Swallow, Coney, and Bennett. They were succeeded
by Captain Anthony Beale, during whose government, in
the year 1673, the Dutch again took it, but not without considerable
resistance on the part of the English, who were somewhat prepared
for the attack. The Dutch, on this occasion, made their first
attempt to land at Lemon Valley, on the leeward coast, but were
observed by the English, who repulsed and drove them back with
showers of rocks and stones hurled down the steep hill sides, until
they were compelled to seek shelter on board of their ships. Even
in modern warfare of the present day such a fusilade would be most
formidable, but it only increased the determination of the Dutch for
repossession; accordingly they waited until the darkness of night came
on, when fortunately for them an Island planter, who with his
slave had been fishing on the coast, lighted a fire to cook his
supper. The Dutch, espying the light from their ships, directed their
course towards it, and landed at a part called Bennett’s Point. Probably
by threats, they influenced the slave to guide them up the
intricate, paths of Swanly Valley to the mountain land near High
Peak ; but the English also were on the alert, and were there prepared
to meet them with a force of 500 men from the Island garrison.
The battle: of High Peak, which then took place, resulted in favour