April, 2001
The drive out onto the Palisadoes (the long, flat spit of land leading out to Port Royal from Kingston) was very scenic. Becoming very narrow at spots, it was easy to see the harbour waters on the right, and the ocean waves not far away on the left. I could imagine how this fragile link to the mainland, only opened in 1936, could easily be cut by storms. Tall skinny cactus plants (like scaled-down saguaros) were growing amongst the sand dunes and mingling with the mangrove bushes. I later learned that the area supports a rather rare, precarious ecosystem.
Cactus and mangroves
Our
stop, the Morgan’s Harbour Hotel, was at the end of the line. We went
in, and beyond the lobby, it opened up to a
sandy beach, an enclosed salt water bathing lagoon, an open-air dockside
restaurant, and a small marina. A building with a large "1692" on it,
and a sign that read "Buccaneer Scuba Club" caught our attention. As
the hotel overlooks the sunken portion of Port Royal, I thought perhaps this was
a joke. I later learned they really do have a scuba club there, for the sunken
city, along with various shipwrecks, is of great interest to scuba divers. We
also learned that this building was the Pitch House, an 18th c. storehouse
(though some told us it was a survivor of the 1692 earthquake). Now it hosts
dances within its walls.
We walked down the main road, actually a narrow lane. Then came a grassy park (the old Muster Grounds) with one of those historical marker signs, telling briefly about the history of Port Royal:
Once called "the richest and wickedest city in the world", Port Royal was also the virtual capital of Jamaica. To it came men of all races, treasures of silks, doubloons and gold from spanish ships, looted on the high seas by the notorious "Brethren of the Coast" as the pirates were called. From here sailed the fleets of Henry Morgan, later lieutenant-governor of Jamaica, for the sacking of Camaguey, Maracaibo, and Panama, and died here, despite the ministrations of his Jamaican folk-doctor. Admirals lord Nelson and Benbow, the chilling Edward "Blackbeard" Teach, were among its inhabitants. The town flourished for 32 years until at 20 minutes to noon, June 7, 1692. It was partially buried in the sea by an earthquake
Church Street
Walking further, past some small homes, and a small rosy-coloured Methodist church (just barely seen on the right side), we spotted a moderate-sized gray-colored church beyond on the other side of the street (far left).
St. Peter's Church
This was St. Peter’s, an Anglican church built in 1725, to replace Christ’s Church which was lost in the 1692 earthquake.
The Communion Silver
It was said the communion silver of St. Peter's Church had been willed to the church by Sir Henry Morgan from his Spanish plunder. This is it. I actually drank communion wine from the goblet on the right.
Lewis Galdy's Tomb
One of the founders of St. Peters was Lewis Galdy – a local hero who had survived the earthquake. We found his tomb in the churchyard, with a succinct history of his life:
Here lies the body of Lewis Galdy who departed this life at Port Royal on December 22, 1739 aged 80. He was born at Montpelier in France but left that country for his religion and came to settle in this island where he was swallowed up in the Great Earthquake in the year 1692 and by the providence of God was by another shock thrown into the sea and miraculously saved by swimming until a boat took him up. He lived many years after in great reputation. Beloved by all and much lamented at his Death".
The Outside Walls of Fort Charles
Leaving the cool, dark church, we were ready to see more of Port Royal. To the south, we came to Fort Charles, one of six forts that guarded the town. Construction had begun in 1655 when the British first arrived – it is the oldest surviving structure in Port Royal. Now it remains much as it appeared after the post-1692 Earthquake remodeling (it had sunk 3 1/2 feet as a result of the earthquake). The new work in 1694 was carried out in well-laid brick, laying it on top of the older crude stone-work which is still visible in the foundations of the fort (seen in the photo above -- on the far walls, to the right, you can seen the white layer of older stonework).
Walking up a ramp, and paying our fee, we entered the fort, thrilling to the thoughts of walking in the footsteps of Henry Morgan, and Admiral Lord Nelson. Nelson had been stationed at the fort as a young officer and was in command of the batteries for three to four weeks in 1779.
We first went into a small museum with many of the artifacts recovered from the sunken section of Port Royal.
Nelson's
Quarterdeck
Exiting the museum, we followed the fort tour guide into the shade of an overhanging platform. She explained that the wooden decking above us was called Nelson’s Quarterdeck, for that is where the young Horatio Nelson was said to observe the horizon for enemy ships (actually, the wood was fairly new, having been replaced after a fire in 1953). We climbed steps up to the platform, with it’s numerous guns pointing out to sea, where we could see that it made a splendid observation point.
Looking to the west, to the tower in the corner of Fort Charles. Nelson's Plaque (see below) can be seen as the white square on the wall in the left center.
Giddy House
Leaving the fort through the southern gate, our guide took us took the remains of the Victoria and Albert Battery – several large gun pits sunk into the sand, connected, we were told, by underground tunnels – installed in the late 1880’s. The 9.2 and 6 inch guns are now gone, having been quite disrupted by the 1907 earthquake. That same earthquake also tilted the late 19th century powder magazine/artillery storehouse, now canted at a 35 degree angle. Inside the "Giddy House" we had much fun taking photos of each other looking as if we were leaning at quite a drunken angle. (Tamara Eastman is in the doorway).
Grogge Shoppe
Back inside the fort, we stopped for drinks in the cool interior of the brick Grogge Shop. It was easy to visualize this building back in the early 18th century, minus it’s modern accoutrements, and imagine what a grog shop of the period might look like. But it had not always been a grog shop. Our tour guide had told us this building was once a prison, then a powder store house.
The center of the fort. The museum is located in the white building on the left. The Grogge Shop is located behind, in the shade of the large tree.
Nelson's Plaque
Here's the plaque (the lower white one) on the fort wall declaring: "In this place dwelt Horatio Nelson. You who tread his footprints remember his glory."
We walked back to the Morgan’s Harbour Hotel (built within the site of the Old Naval Dockyard) where we had a wonderful Easter brunch at their dockside restaurant. Looking out over the sunken city, and Gallows Point, I reflected on all the events, people and vessels this little spit of land had known. About the only remnants left from pre-1692 Port Royal were Fort Rupert encased in its protective lagoon, and the much modified Fort Charles. Still, it was much easier to visualize the city in all it’s glory, than it would be to look at present-day skyscrapered Boston and try to imagine the appearance of Port Royal’s 17th century colonial sister seaport.
Looking out of the "Sunken City" of Port Royal
(This is a composite of two photos spliced together -- thus the odd look to the
back of Tamara Eastman's head in the center)
Port Royal Plaza
Painted on the ends of the buildings were enormous replications of the Red Stripe beer label (it must be the official beer of Jamaica – we saw it EVERYWHERE), and painted in between "Red Stripe Welcomes you to Port Royal".
Buccaneer's
Roost
Down a street leading off the plaza, we saw a restaurant with a festive second story terrace, flying the Jolly Roger high overhead. Looking closer, the sign said Buccaneer Restaurant, with another sign above it declaring Buccaneer’s Roost.
The Port Royal Ferry Docks
The ferry soon came, and as we pulled away from the docks, I watched several young children frolicking in the water paddling about in some empty ice chests. I remembered reading that Kingston Harbour was the seventh largest harbour in the world, and one of the most polluted (indeed, it was referred to as the cess-pit of the Caribbean).
Continue on to Part II: A Visit to Jamaica: Port Royal
Part
One .. Port Royal
Part
Two .. Port Royal Development Project
Part Three .. Spanish Town & Kingston
Part Four .. Foods, Fauna and Flora
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