| Fort Cornwallis |
Fort Cornwallis was named after Charles Marquis Cornwallis, a distinguished Governor General of India. The fort was designed to protect the harbour from possible French attack. The Fort is situated at the spot where Captain Francis Light was supposed to have landed in 1786. The originally structure is made of wood. The fort was rebuilt between 1808 and 1810 with convict labour. The fort still remains standing until today, but some of its ground had been converted into a public park and an open air theater. However, it is still guarded by old cannons, which were retrieved by the British from pirates who had stolen them from the Johore Sultanate. The most famous cannon there is the Seri Rambai, which dates back to 1613. The local believes that if a childless woman offered special prayers and place flowers in the barrel of the cannon the woman can become fertile. The Fort is open daily from 8.30pm – 7pm. |