Port Royal
Port Royal was
once know as the “wickedest city on earth.”
It was home to many pirates and colonists during the 17th
century. It was one of the biggest ports
in the Caribbean. On June 7, 1692, the
city suffered a tremendous earthquake, which cause two-thirds of the city to
fall into the ocean. One of the
remaining buildings is half sunk. At least 2,000 people were killed
instantly. The town never recovered and
was later used as a naval port.
Today
it is a small fishing village where you can get some delicious fish! In the
little museum there are a few naval items.
My favorite was a little trinket from “the battle of Jenkin’s ear.” I looked it up (as the title brought up such
questions as “Who was Jenkins? What happened to his ear? Why did his ear lead
to a battle?”). The battle was between the
British and the Spanish (Spanish Town was the first capital of Jamaica but the capital
was changed to Kingston when the British took over as they didn’t want their
capital called “Spanish” Town). Robert
Jenkins was arrested by the Jamaican government. He claimed the Spanish had cut off his
ear. Most people did not believe him and
thought his ears were safely hidden under his wig. Whether the British thought it was true or
not, they declared war on Spain in 1739.
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| The sea used to be much farther from the land than it is today. |
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| Black Sand |
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| An anchor for the naval ships |
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| A community soccer game |
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