Newfoundland History

Newfoundlanders refer to the port of St John's as the"pocket of God". The safe harbour it provides from the rough elements of the Atlantic Ocean, makes one feel as safe as if one was "in the pocket of God". Once a ship has entered the "narrows", the high cliffs facing the Atlantic protects it from dangers from the sea.

The picture shows the entry into the port of St. John's around 1960. On the left, clinging to the hill, is found the community called "the Battery", where, until recently, the main occupation was still fishing. On the right side of the narrows, one sees the faint outlines of Fort Amherst where a major part of the defenses of the city have been located. There, in the Second World War, huge canons protected the city from German U Boats..