Which sea does Port Royal face? Port Royal. Seven feet under the keel

On a whim, Ascaron parted with mossy Europe and set off to conquer new lands. However, the hand does not rise to write the word “clone” opposite it. Contrary to the laws of mathematics, all the components of attractiveness come from changing places " Patricia“have developed into something new, recognizable externally, but significantly transformed internally. The elderly nobleman suddenly looked younger, became more dignified, acquired gangster habits and, driven by a passion for adventure, went into all serious troubles.

And yet they look alike, like twin brothers; economic model, social status system, maritime transportation and the construction of our own enterprises... in a word, everything for which we value Patrician 2, was carefully and carefully transferred to Port Royale. The political situation, of course, is different: no single trade organization like the Hanseatic League, only four powers (Spain, England, France and Holland) constantly at war with each other, and an atmosphere of bold permissiveness around. The action takes place in the seas and cities of the newly discovered Caribbean in one of four time periods, starting in 1570, when Spanish rule in the region seemed unshakable, and ending in 1660, during the era of the decline of the Spanish colonies and the rise of piracy. Having chosen one of the sides, the initial capital and “character characteristics” (not without the notorious role-playing elements here), the player finds himself face to face with a very prettier, richly colored, but familiar interface.

There aren't many major changes; veterans Patrician 2 will easily get used to the new environment. However, those who did not have a chance to play Ascaron’s previous creation will not have any difficulties either: Port Royale noticeably simpler and friendlier than its predecessor. The picture became brighter, the interface became more convenient, and the spirit of romance and adventure was mixed with business seriousness.

Accounting

You are not familiar with Patrician 2? Then I will briefly outline the main ideas. The driving force in Port Royale is trade; sea ​​cargo transportation is a reliable, although not fast, way to make a fortune and earn the respect of fellow citizens. The theory of enrichment is simple - we buy cheap, sell at exorbitant prices, and spend the difference on new ships, enterprises, repairs, crew, weapons, etc. Unlike Patrician 2, the global sea map is initially almost empty, and we have to independently find new cities on it. B O Most of them are young colonies, which is uniquely reflected in the gameplay: a division into so-called colonies has been introduced. “governor towns”, which have regular communications with Europe, and small settlements dependent on them. Accordingly, the list of goods includes three categories: food and raw materials, the demand for which is equally great everywhere, colonial goods intended for shipment to Europe, and imported products, which sell well in the colonies that are not connected with the mainland. In a local, difficult to predict market, this system introduces some element of reliability. Prices, of course, change dynamically depending on the amount of demand and the availability of goods in city warehouses.

As capital grows, an additional path to enrichment appears: own enterprises. Having bought the right to build in the city for a round sum and erected a mandatory representative office - a warehouse (Storage), we get the opportunity to establish private production. The list of available buildings is not that wide and varies from city to city - the geographical and climatic features of the area have an impact. In addition, some goods are produced with less efficiency, which can significantly reduce profits. The rules of a successful business are obvious - you need to produce what is in greatest demand and promises the minimum cost; At the same time, one should not lose sight of the workload of warehouses and the labor situation in the city. As in Patrician 2, it is possible to construct public buildings, which increases popularity among citizens.

Fifteen men on a dead man's chest

But all these trade and economic difficulties, without which it was unthinkable Patrician, inexplicably lost their meaning in Port Royale. The spirit of lawlessness, the acrid smoke of guns and light profit like a fair wind - this is the salt of the local seas. The authors gently push players to a simple idea: quick wealth cannot be obtained through honest means; but who here is afraid of dishonest ways?

It is allowed to engage in sea robbery immediately; you just need to spend the starting capital on recruiting sailors and purchasing guns, and forward to glory - the capture of small weak convoys in a matter of minutes will make a novice merchant the owner of a decent fleet. Selling extra ships brings a good profit, and the growing firepower allows you to organize increasingly risky sorties. At the same time, the image of a formidable filibuster does not at all mean a loss of reputation, since victories over pirates bring both honor and, often, considerable rewards, and for the “legal” robbery of merchant ships of other nations you can always buy a letter of marque.

The adventures don’t end there: the game does everything to alleviate the trade burden, slipping in a variety of tasks, mysterious rumors and maps of buried treasures... And, of course, battles: up to two dozen assorted ships collide in a fierce battle, majestically gliding along the waves, dashingly circling and bombarding each other with cannonballs, turning the bloody fun into a formal ballet. There is not much room for the tactical mind, and usually, after the preliminary distribution of orders, all that remains is to admire the graceful and deadly steps of the warring flotillas. However, it is by no means always that the matter is decided only by superiority in strength. For example, ammunition may run out at the most crucial moment, and the lack of people on the team can easily allow an insidious enemy to board a key ship. You have to pay attention to various little things, which, of course, is nice.

IN Port Royale the concept of a separate ship has disappeared, now under our command there are only convoys and their captains (also, by the way, with their own set of parameters growing over time). This simplifies both trade and repair and purchasing operations - there is another step forward compared to Patrician 2. The number of convoys, as well as the number of cities in which you can build your own enterprises, depends on the rank - a local version of the character’s usual “level” for role-players, which increases by making successful trade deals, naval victories, successfully completing missions, etc. .

Seven feet under the keel

The number of features is too large for a short review - much remains behind the scenes, but it’s not a shame to draw a conclusion now: Port Royale worth the time spent on it. Of course, there are disadvantages. The interface is still quite inconvenient and overloaded, naval battles, despite their entertainment, are often monotonous, missions are typical and boring, AI seems to have received only superficial attention from the developers... In addition, in the process, all sorts of non-lethal errors come to light every now and then (no crashes on the desktop were observed), but annoying: the picture often “disappears”, information windows, on the contrary, refuse to close, difficulties constantly arise with the network game... This annoying ballast deprived Port Royale“Our choice,” and yet he rightfully receives high praise. Colorful graphics, pleasant music, a deep strategic basis (with a good pedigree) and the atmosphere of a good pirate novel - all the components of a successful project are evident.

In general, feel free to buy champagne, hit it hard on the monitor, and have a happy voyage. Maybe somewhere out there, among the salty waves, we will meet again...

Hello friends. Have you seen Pirates of the Caribbean? I hope so, because I never get tired of watching this film over and over again. The plot is based on stories of 17th century piracy. Exciting adventures of pirates led by Henry Morgan and Edward Thatch, known to us from the film as Blackbeard. What do we know about Pirates of the Caribbean? For me, this is an interesting and exciting topic, about which a lot can be said, but today we will talk about the pirate capital of Port Royal.

History of the pirate capital Port Royal

The city's development occurred during the golden age of piracy. At that time, there was an active struggle for world domination, in which England took an active part. Large costs were required for arming the navy, and in order to reduce them, letters of marque “letters of marque” were issued, which gave legal grounds to the owners of private ships to attack enemy ships. In other words, pirates who destroyed enemy ships and shared the spoils with the British crown were considered official for England and were not punished by law. The pirates were under the patronage of Elizabeth I. They were called "Privates".

After the British were defeated in the capture of Hispaniola (modern Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in 1654, they wasted no time and sent a flotilla to Jamaica. Due to the difficult military situation in the region, there were almost no Spaniards on the island at that moment, which allowed the British to easily capture Jamaica. They moved the capital from Santiago de la Vega to Port Royal. The reason for this was the deep and capacious harbor, which could accommodate even the largest ships and control sea routes, which only made it easier for pirates to access the loot coming to Spain from the Atlantic Ocean.

5 stone fords were erected in the city for the defense of the city. And they had something to defend. According to some reports, in 1688, 210 ships entered Port Royal, while all British ports received only 224 ships. A huge amount of money and gold determined the fate of the city. Port Royal had the reputation of being the most sinful city on earth. After long wanderings, the pirates returned home and spent the money on food, alcohol, women and gambling. Orgies, violence and murder have become commonplace here. But this did not last long, as they say: “All good things must come to an end.”

On June 7, 1692, as a result of a strong earthquake, 2/3 of the city was flooded and went under water to a depth of 15 meters. Over 5,000 people were killed, and about 50 ships sank in the harbor. The earthquake destroyed 1,500 thousand buildings, the entire city was destroyed. What is this, God’s punishment for the sins of the inhabitants or a coincidence? The colonial administration was forced to move the capital to the small village of Kingston, which remains the capital of Jamaica to this day.

Of the 5 stone Fords, only one survived - “Fort Charles”. The earthquake greatly changed the coastline. Now it is quite difficult to reproduce the picture of that time.

On the territory of the former capital there is a museum with archaeological finds from the bottom of the sea where the city sank.

For me this was a very interesting and educational excursion. Perhaps the reason for this was that I read a lot about pirates and watched a video about Port Royal, where a picture of the 17th century city was restored using computer graphics. Having seen everything live, I only filled in the missing gaps. Therefore, before visiting, I highly recommend collecting more information in order to get a feel for the place and enjoy the tour.

Ford Charles is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, admission price is $2.

1. Despite the fact that Port Royal is one of the main attractions of the country, the place is quite deserted. If you are planning to buy souvenirs there, they are not there. You won't even buy water there, so keep that fact in mind when visiting.
2. You will be in the open sun all the time; there is practically no shade. Therefore, be sure to take protective cream with you.

This is interesting

Port Royal was located on the Palisadoes sand dune, two dozen kilometers long, at the mouth of Kingston Port in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it quickly became the most important trading post in the Caribbean, due to its strategic position on the trade routes between the New World and Spain. Over time, Port Royal became a notorious center for pirate gatherings, gambling, prostitutes and drinking. It even received the nickname of the craziest city on earth.

Port Royal's glory days did not last too long. At the height of his glittering wealth, on June 7, 1692, a major earthquake shook Jamaica. The sea swallowed the city, killing 2,000 and injuring 3,000. Local clergy called the destruction of Port Royal a punishment from God for the sins of the local people. Today this place, with a population of less than 2,000 people, is of neither commercial nor political importance.


The first Europeans to enter Jamaica were the Spanish under the leadership of Christopher Columbus in 1494. Spain secured control of the island for 146 years until the English invasion in 1655. In an ingenious solution for defense, the then governor of England invited pirates to Port Royal, instructing them to follow Spanish ships and rob them. The strategy was so successful that Spain was forced to defend its property at all times. Their ships were robbed by pirates on a regular basis.

Port Royal meanwhile prospered. Between 1655 and 1692 it grew much faster than any other city founded by the English in the New World. At its peak, there were 2,000 buildings in which 6,500 thousand people lived. Its peculiar inhabitants spent their money on gambling and drinking. Port Royal gained a reputation as a den of evil and godlessness.


Charles Leslie wrote of Port Royal in the 1660s: “Wine and women had exhausted their wealth to such an extent that... some were literally reduced to poverty.” The paintings in this selection depict the 1692 earthquake that destroyed the city and partially flooded it.


Port Royal's extravagance came to an abrupt end on June 7, 1692, when a major earthquake and tsunami plunged two-thirds of the city under water. A series of fires and subsequent hurricanes never allowed it to return to its former glory. Port Royal today remains a small fishing village. The submerged portion of Port Royal is an important archaeological site in the Western Hemisphere. Many artifacts from the 16th and 17th centuries were discovered here. Many of them can be found in the Museums of History and Ethnography at the Jamaica Institute in Kingston.

Port Royal is a small town on the island of Jamaica, built by the British at the end of the 17th century. Also known as the "Treasury of the West Indies".

The first settlement (fort) was founded by the Spaniards back in 1518. Beginning in 1655, after the British captured the island of Jamaica from the Spanish, Port Royal became the capital of the island. In 1655, there were practically no Spaniards in Jamaica, so it was not difficult for the British to capture the island.

From this time on, the city became the most important port among the English colonies in the region. In the second half of the 17th century, more than 90% of all English ships arriving in the Caribbean went to Port Royal. All products from the island were exported to the metropolis only through this port. It is difficult to overestimate the role that the city played in the history of the island at that time. Therefore, a vacation in Jamaica like here: http://www.calypso-tr.com/yamajka/ will not be complete without visiting this historical place.

At the end of the 17th century, the city was a large settlement, where there were about 2 thousand one-story brick buildings and more than 7 thousand people lived, among whom there were about 1 thousand pirates. Due to the presence of numerous pirates, the port in those days had another name: “one of the most immoral places on Earth.”

The colonial port administration was loyal to the pirates who controlled the trade routes between Panama and Spain. In the city's harbor, pirate ships were undergoing repairs, and the crew was resting. Pirates such as Henry Morgan (buried in 1688 in the city's St. Catherine's Church), John Davis and others were based in Port Royal.

It is quite possible that Port Royal would have remained the capital of the island to this day, if not for the earthquake of 1692, during which most of the buildings were destroyed or went under water. The buildings were built directly on the sand; during the tremors, the sand liquefied and the houses slid straight into the sea. More than 50 merchant ships and one 32-gun English frigate sank in the port harbor.

After the earthquake, the British colonial administration moved to a village called Kingston.

As a result of a series of fires and powerful hurricanes, by 1728 the city was almost completely destroyed and all residents left for other places. Fans of the film "Pirates of the Caribbean" probably know that some of the film's action took place in this city.

“Terrible clouds were gathering over the Caribbean back in the seventeenth century... The Jolly Roger looked out from the distant depths of the sea, and the ferocious cries of people thirsting for gold, women and human blood were heard. Seagulls sang in the sky, either cursing someone, or remembering the dead... It was a difficult time. A time of bloodshed, violence and robbery. A time when even the most dangerous robber could become a great man, when at the word “pirate” people trembled with fear, when real bloody battles flared up on the sea almost near every corner of it. This was the time of pirate dominance in the Caribbean. A lot of films have been made about this, many books have been written... And only a few know the truth about them.”

Where did piracy come from?

The distant sixteenth century... It all started right then. Off the coast West Indies. It was at this time that the first pirates appeared and settled there. They united together into one and indivisible " Coastal Brotherhood"and were only engaged in plundering Spanish ships sailing by. Soon to replace French pirates the English came, who were also in good standing with the local authorities. The whole point was that the new time, the new era interpreted new rules for people. Throughout Western Europe, here and there, the Reformation took place - a change in the church system. Something similar happened in England. Such a policy in a number of countries often infuriated the popes, who in every possible way incited and intimidated many opponents with their “faithful” countries. This is how Catholic Spain strengthened its influence against the reformers. She had great dominance in Atlantic. It was the Spaniards who were the first to discover New World and studied it. Spanish ships and sailors were in good standing all over the globe. The power of their fighting vehicles was incomparable. But Spain was also famous for the fact that it enjoyed good trust among the popes of Rome, preached Catholicism and in every possible way oppressed any dissent. So Spanish Invincible Armada she even sailed to war against England, trying to subjugate it. But the war failed, the campaign failed. Among other things, the English monarchs enjoyed every possible support from pirates, who struck their opponents in the foreign policy arena, while simultaneously robbing their ships and taking all the goods that were there. In particular, in such “campaigns” people such as Admiral Drake, O'Reilly and other pirates. Most of them even got their place in government bodies in England.

Tortuga

But the French also did not waste time, but continued to carry out predatory raids against the Spaniards. Among them appeared “special” people - buccaneers. These were no longer the usual thugs they used to be. These were cruel and merciless killers already trained by life. These were natives of French sailors who were shipwrecked or prisoners who were captured. pirates and they themselves became them. Professionals trained only for robbery and murder attacked and plundered Spanish ships, and returned with rich booty. But the question arose: where to return? For many years, the buccaneers consoled themselves with the thought of creating a single naval base capable of covering any robber who wanted to sail to a single seaport. To do this, the port must be fortified with various reefs that will not allow ships to get close, surrounded by a rocky coast that will help shelter many cruel robbers and murderers from various attacks from the authorities. It became such a place Tortuga- a port city, a refuge for robbers and bandits. It was there that all the wealth began to be brought, it was there that the darkest and most gloomy place was where the pirates loved to spend time in debauchery, debauchery, drunkenness and fun.

But again, this was not always the case. Days and years passed, times changed... And soon Tortuga was no longer the place to somehow isolate yourself from problems. In particular, there were constant attacks from the authorities, who made Tortuga the property of France. So subsequently this place became unsuitable for the existence of pirates. And they, in turn, began to look for a suitable place for themselves. And so I became Port Royal.

Port Royal

Port Royal - a city on an island Jamaica, capital of the English colony in the seventeenth century. The city has 5 stone forts such as Fort Charles, Fort Walker, Fort Rupert, Fort James and Fort Carlisle. The city itself is also surrounded by powerful reefs. These reefs in the past did not allow any shipping to the ship go to the port, but subsequently served as good protection against attacks by all kinds of rabble, who tried more than once to destroy and plunder this port. This port was founded by the Spaniards back in 1518. In it, Spanish sailors found a convenient place to store their untold wealth. In the mid-seventeenth century, as a result of wars, both religious and political, the British recaptured this port and made it their colony. The population of the port was small. By the end of the seventeenth century it barely exceeded seventeen thousand people. Economically Port Royal occupied a very advantageous position. All of its products were shipped directly to England. Many ships visited this port. So in 1688, this port city was visited by as many as two hundred ships, with a displacement of eleven tons. Products such as sugar, fruit and rum predominated as exports. In addition, there was a whole slave trade. And they sold slaves" smuggling", both French and English, and Spanish pirates. Moreover, the income from such “smuggling” slave trade was very high. So in essence Port Royal began to occupy a leading place in the trade policy of the countries of the old world. But this city became a favorable refuge not only for English merchants.

Pirates Port Royal was also chosen. With the arrival of the British in these lands, there were already up to 1,200 robbers and murderers in the port. Reasons for such attractiveness Port Royla for pirates it was the following: in the port they could easily repair a ship and even hide their loot; in addition, the wide harbor made it possible to safely place most ships in it, and various reefs also made it possible to protect themselves from various attacks on the port. Among other things, this place was ideal for attacking Spanish ships. English and French pirates repeatedly sailed from Porta Royle on military sea voyages against Spanish ships, inflicting untold damage on them and returning with rich booty. There were many such trips. They very often ended in bloody and brutal battles, the death of sailors, hundreds of thousands of people. One of these campaigns was the campaign against Panama in 1671. When the Spanish city was on fire in the midst of thirty English ships. These ships, or rather their cannons, razed the city to the ground. During this campaign, a huge ship was destroyed, the captain of which was an outstanding man - Henry Morgan.

Henry Morgan

This is one of the outstanding pirates, an English navigator. His life is full of adventures, as is his unexpected fate. Cruel and treacherous, he at the same time lived a glorious life. A simple boy from Wales, he hired himself as a cabin boy on a ship that sailed to the island Barbados. There he was sold into slavery. The long years of painful wandering were not in vain for him. Soon he managed to buy his freedom, and later Morgan moved to Jamaica. There he boldly joins a pirate gang. Soon Morgan's career began to grow every day. He acquires his own ship and becomes unanimously the captain of the crew. Subsequently, several more ships begin to join his small detachment. And so Morgan and his team move from solo robberies to serious campaigns. In particular, one of these campaigns was the campaign to Panama. Soon, instructions were given from England to “ask for the carpet” for Morgan. He was arrested and sent to his country for trial. Everyone expected a cruel verdict from the court, but Morgan was acquitted. His robberies and robberies were saved by the fact that he robbed Spanish ships in every possible way. And, as you know, Spain was an enemy of England. So, in addition to the fact that Morgan was treated kindly and released, he was also given the position of lieutenant governor of Jamaica, and he lived in such a position with honor until the end of his days.

Epilogue

A Port Royal, eventually ceased to exist. At the end of the eighteenth century, an earthquake struck Jamaica and most of the port was flooded. As a result, by the beginning of the new century there was no one else on this godforsaken land. But the memory of this place and the role pirates played in it is unforgettable. You can still see or hear in movies or books about Tortuga, or about pirates, or about their city - Port Royal.