King George's balls
Your destination is Chateaux La Pointe Koenig, La Jules Koenig, Les Salines Pilot Private Road. In Riviere Noire, you will find the Harmony Battery, a vestige of the colonial period, which was declared a national heritage site in 1985. It sits on the Salines peninsula of Riviere-Noire which is home to a large wetland, including salt marshes.
The house, known as The Castle, was home to the Koenig family in the 1940s, and is located at the bottom of the battery, on a small promontory. It offers a magnificent view of the bay of Riviere-Noire. In 2000, its roof was destroyed by Cyclone Dina. It has been abandoned since then.
At the back of this historical heritage site you will find Martello Tower number 5. It dates from 1934, and is one of five built with basalt rock by the British in strategic sections of the west coast offering passage to enemy ships (namely the French). They are copies of the tower at Mortella Point in Corsica. They were never involved in any miliary action and this one remains structurally intact.
Chateaux La Pointe can be accessed by using the Les Salines Pilot Private Road and gaining access to the beach via a small sand road, passing the Martello Tower – just as the local fisherman do. There is a lot of development underway and it is feasible that this access may be cut off at some point in time. It can also be accessed by a longer, more scenic route – by parking much lower down on Les Salines Pilot Road (closer to the bridge, entering from Riviere Noire, and walking along the beach passed the Diamond Beach Club). One of the first things that you will notice (other than the wire fence and barbed wire) is the open tower which is often host to a pack of feral dogs, guarding their home. Just below their perch is a bathroom which was renovated – to the right of this you will see stone steps which will lead you to a doorway on the first floor of the house.
Enter the house and go through to the end of the house (admiring graffiti whilst you do [some of which is rumoured to be by a famous artist]) which is shaped and roofed like a tower.
From here you will see views of Le Morne, but closer to home – an abandoned cannon!
It is suspected that the British cannon, a 24 pounder gun bearing the naval royal seal of King George III, was placed there by the wealthy French-Mauritian Koenig family. The barrel could turn 360 degrees to reach its target and the range is over 2km! You need to be careful, as the grounds are very overgrown – towards your left are overgrown steps that can be used to get to the level of the cannon. Once you have reached the cannon, you need to turn to where the cannon spies; your head at it’s aim; your chest will be the measure. Finding the crevice, protected by nature, will be your treasure!