Fort Matanzas Day 5

Hi folks.
carrying on from yesterday we crossed the Mantanzas river by boat to visit the fort.

St Augustine had one major problem a fort had to be built at the inlet of the river to act as a second defence against attack from the French and the British and was completed in1740-42. The fort was build on wooden piles and constructed of Coquina a local shellstone, and build to protect the town of St Augustine occupied by the Spanish

One of the four guns which protected the fort, this one is an18 pounder, all could reach the inlet half a mile away.

View from the sentry box looking towards St Augustine 14 miles away.

Inside the living quarters.

View towards the inlet and the Garita (sentry box).

Another view of the cannons from the Observation deck.

Another shot of the interior of the small area which housed up to 50 men at one time. 

Many thanks to "thirty year service" Mike Evans in the center and to our dear friend James and his wife Laura for arranging the trip for us.

Thanks for looking, Mike and Sue