The Puritan Colonists


nons, floor beams, apertures in the front wall to counteract
direct fire from the sea, all were attended to by Captain Axe
who had been in the wars in the Netherlands and was experi-
enced in the siege warfare, engineering and fortification, and
privateering on the seas for which Holland was then famous.
Captain Rudyerd had reported that the forts on Old Provi-
dence could not keep out flat-bottomed boats, and for securi-
ty against them small forts for musketeers should be erected
near the water, built of timber and sand, and that the neck
of a land should be cut for the planters' retreat. Thus we
have Blewfields Road which led from the fort at Men of
War Town to Captain Camock's House in Commess Bight,
and serving both the Silk Grass Creek and the Stand for of-
fensive or defensive protection. The system of defense was
not on a small scale. At Glory Caye, the northern entrance,
a passage-way was cut through the reef, and through that cut,
which led direct to the Stand from Caye Bokel, a bend of 200
miles was eliminated and a secret passage was made available
through the reef, for escape or attack in row boats, in case
the Spaniard came. A good example is offered by the larger
of the two Seal Cayes that are west of the Sapodilla group.
The entrance to this islet, where fishermen gather in the sea-
son, is through a deep natural channel to the north which
leads into the circular coral lagoon or atoll with white sandy
bottom and water clear as crystal, but on the south side an
exit was cut through the reef, and this passage is still visible
to-day, although the coral is closing it up. It was built by the
Spaniards to watch the Puritan traders at Sloops and Queen
Cayes, Scipio and Bugle Cayes, as a bridgehead.
 Danger threatened the two Stands from Bacalar in the
north, and Puerto Caballos in the south. At Blewfields and
Colson Ranges a marine patrol guarded the approach from
Bacalar with a northerly wind. At Scipio, Bugles, and Colson
Cayes which are close together the South Stand was guarded
against a descent with a southerly wind from Puerto Caballos
and the bridgehead at Seal Caye. The fleet of Diego el Mula-