Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
one of over 50 plans which record work on Tangier and its defences; these plans were sent to
London, from whence finance and supplies were sought to maintain and develop the colony.
Tangier is here presented as an English stronghold, with the royal arms at top right. The
bird's-eye view provides a sense of perspective, while pictorial elements vividly convey
the scene. All kinds of shipping lie safely in the harbour, and the city is shown with the
amenities to become a major trading port. The walls seem strong, with strategically-placed
watchtowers, and an island fort at left. The handsome galleon at the harbour entrance appears
illuminated by the rays of the splendid compass rose. All of these suggest prestige and power.
Yet in 1676, the year after the chart was made, a survey revealed Tangier to be effectively
a garrison town, in that most of the population were military men and their families. There
were no signs that it was set to become a civilian colony. This was despite the fact that, to try
to encourage settlement, in 1668 the town had been given a charter equivalent to those of cit-
ies in England, with a mayor and corporation to run it, instead of the army. In the light of this,
the blank space at the back of the plan where the town lay takes on a symbolic significance.
In reality, Tangier proved to be too expensive to maintain from a distance, with no other
English colonies nearby. It was under near-constant attack from local Berber people, while
Barbary pirates harassed merchant shipping in passage to and from the port. English rule
ended in early 1684, with the entire population evacuated. Samuel Pepys, as Secretary to the
Navy Board, went out to Tangier to oversee the demolition of the fortifications built over the
previous two decades. The mole, which had only been finished in 1676 at a cost of £340,000,
was mined, and all of these expensively-erected defences were blown up, to leave the town
in ruins for the Sultan of Morocco's forces, who then gained control. This early, short-lived
outpost of the British Empire thus ended in gunpowder and dust.
