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Fortifications
Mauritius, strategically positioned on the trade routes to the Orient was occupied successively by the Dutch, the French and the British mainly because the ports of Mauritius were the preferred stopping over to and from the Spice Islands of the Far East during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Whoever controlled the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean controlled the region.
The Dutch built their first settlement, Fort Frederick Hendrik, at Vieux Grand Port in 1638. After the Dutch abandoned Mauritius the French took possession of the island in 1722 and they began to construct defences at many strategic sites. When the British captured Ile de France from the French in 1810 and renamed it Mauritius there were over 40 coastal batteries and fortifications on the island.
The ease with which the British overran the French occupiers convinced the new rulers of the importance of reinforcing and equipping existing fortifications with heavier ordnance. The threat of attack from Reunion or Madagascar as well as the danger of civil uprising by the French settlers were good reasons for the construction of a number of forts and towers. Amongst the more important fortifications built during British rule were Fort George, Fort Adelaide, Fort William, Fort Victoria and several Martello Towers.
The last era of fortifications in Mauritius was during the Second World War when several important forts were upgraded in order to repel a possible German or Japanese invasion. Today most of the forts in Mauritius are in need of rehabilitation as they have become redundant and most are in very dilapidated condition.
Rs 2 - Battery of Pointe du Diable
This fortification was a major defence at the extremity of the point facing the sea. It was constructed by the French in 1750 to control access to the bay of Mahebourg from the north and it was a very strategic defence for the east coast of Mauritius. The stone work is amongst the finest of the period. A fire control and observation post was built on the hill overlooking the point. This superb battery was overrun and partially blown up by Captain Nesbit Willoughby in 1810. Plans were made for the upgrading of the fortification in 1830 by building barracks, a store, a powder magazine and banquettes but the works were never completed. Today the coastal road runs right through the fortification between the stone rampart and the control post.
Rs 5 - Donjon St Louis
One of the earliest French forts, this defence sits on the summit of a fortified hillock situated at the rear of the estuary of Grand River North West (GRNW). The donjon is composed of three series of parapets with a post at the highest point of the hillock. The post had a powder magazine encircled by a protective wall and a barrack. From this vantage point three coastal batteries at Anjou, Conti and Cond? could be alerted in case of attack. This fortification protected the southern flank of the capital and defended the bay. In 1748 Boscawen's invasion fleet was deterred and in 1810 the British had to attack through a narrow pass in the north because of the puissance of Donjon St Louis. Most of the original structure is still standing overlooking the GRNW road bridge.
Rs 6 - Martello Tower
The military reputation of Martello Towers rests on the remarkable performance of a single tower at Cap Mortella, Corsica in 1794. Circular and elliptical the subterranean level was for water and storage space, the ground floor for food, fuel and armaments and the first floor for cooking and sleeping. Over 200 Martello Towers were built to defend the coasts of the British Empire in England, Canada, Ceylon, Jamaica, Bermuda, South Africa and Ireland. The Martello Towers of Mauritius are special in their characteristics and were built of cut basalt stone with unique double mountings of artillery on the gun platform. Five Martello Towers were built between 1832 and 1835 at Grand River North West, Black River and Port Louis. Of three remaining towers the one at La Preneuse, Black River, is now ranked as one of the finest in the world.
Rs 12 - Fort Adelaide
Fort Adelaide, named in honour of the wife of William IV, was built between 1834 and 1840 on a small hill, Petite Montagne, overlooking Port Louis. Known simply as the Citadel it was designed by Colonel Thomas Cunningham and built by convicts from India and Mauritius as well as by free creoles. Estimated at ?30,000 the final cost was ?45,270. The imposing, irregular structure contained barracks for officers, casemates for 200 men, commissariat for three months, tanks for 40,000 gallons of water, a magazine for 280 barrels of powder besides ordnance and stores for the garrison. The irony of the Citadel is that as soon as it was completed the threat of invasion from abroad or uprising from within had faded. The splendid fort on the little mountain is currently a dilapidated structure of black basalt masonery.
Technical Details
Designer : Tony Theobald
Printer : BDT International Security Printing Ltd.
Stamp Size : 27.94 x 44.45mm
Perforation : 14
Gum : PVA
Paper : CAWatermarked
Sheet Format : 50 stamps set in two panes of 25
Date of Issue : 10 December 2003
Denominations : Rs2, Rs5, Rs6, Rs12
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