As this, however, became the feat of the petty concerns in
which the Butch- Eaft India Company allowed its fervants to
traffic, and, under certain reftriaions, the other fettlers to carry
on with foreign fh'ips, a commerce that yras chiefly confined to
the fappjy qf proyiftous and refreffimeats in exchange for Indian
and European apicle<s, they found it nççeflfary t<? build a
foil for pi§t<#ion of thpir property and of the Company’*
ysarfhftujes agninft die attempts of the natives.
As the tsade to India inoreafed, and the Cape, in confe-
quenee, became more frequented, it was deemed expedient to
extend the works, and to ereft a citadel that fhould ferve as a
defenee againfl any attack either by land or by fea. This citadel
is the prefeat cattle, a regular pentagon fort, with two ravelins
and fome other outworks, and fur-rouaded by a wet ditch ; but
fo injudicioufly placed, in the very loweft part, or fink, of the
valley, that although it commands the town and part of the anchorage,
itfelf' is commanded by the ground riling from it in à
Hope to the Devil’s Hill, which, therefore, renders it notde-
fenfible.: This Hope is now occupied as high as the commencement
of the perpendicular rocky fide of the DeviPs Hill, by
various redoubts, batteries, and block-houfes commanding each
other, and the advance ground to the cattle, all of which were
added by Sir James Craig.
During the American war, when the French were at thé
Cape, they raifed lines with two redoubts to protedt the approach
to thé cattle on the land fide, the expence of 'which they
p|id in paper money. Thefe lines, however, extending no farther
ther up the tongue of land that projects from the DeviPs Hilly
than the point, No: 12; id the maip, were liable to be turned between7
that point and thé craggy fummit B, a manoeuvre, I believe,
which General Craig intended to put in practice, provided7
the Dutch, after being, driven out ôf Wyribérg, were
difpofed to make a ftand ait the Freneh lines. He therefore;
very properly, ordered7 a battery and block-houfe to be con-
firuâed immediately under D, and7 a fécond a little lower down
the hill, which, with the two redoubts in the lines, and Fort
de7 Knokke at their extremity on the ihore' o f TabFe Bay, Béiïig
all within the compafs of ity o yards, would enable the garri-
fon to keep up fuch a crofs and concentrated fire, as to prevent
any moderate number of troops from attempting to forée thé
lines in their approach to the town from Sitnoflvs Bay. Andy
in order to ftrengtliern thé northern extremity of the Ehes, and;
at the fame time, to cover the landing place at the moutli of,
and paffage acrofs, the Salt River-, he added, afib, a bombproof
tower and battery at G, both of which bear his name.
Notwithftanding, however, the ftrength of thefe linèsj the Officers
of the Dutch garrifon, now at the Gape, were of opinion
that the moft elegible mode of attacking the town would be ttv
force the lines, though at the hazard of lofing a' number of men,
after which the cattle muft Immediately fall ; and many'Ertgliih’
officers are of the fame opinion.
Fort Rnokke is conneâed with the citadel byi a rampart
drawn-along-the ihore, called the'Sea lines, defended bÿ fevëraî'
batteries, mounted with heavy guns; and furniffiéd with ovens
for heating Ihot. Within thefe lines is a ’ powder magazine,
and