...that I had been startled by the sound of the wake of a passing boat slapping rhythmically against the opening of Fort Macomb's ancient drainage system. The Chef Menteur Pass supports an active fishing community, and I had heard voices carrying over the water from that craft.
I had visited Fort Pike, Fort Macomb's sister starfort, earlier in the day. These two forts are just about as identical as 1820's technology could make them (although Fort Macomb is a bit smaller than Fort Pike), so I knew what this channel running down the center of a casemate was: A drainage channel! There are two of these channels on opposite ends of the fort, just as there are at Fort Pike.
I had visited Fort Pike, Fort Macomb's sister starfort, earlier in the day. These two forts are just about as identical as 1820's technology could make them (although Fort Macomb is a bit smaller than Fort Pike), so I knew what this channel running down the center of a casemate was: A drainage channel! There are two of these channels on opposite ends of the fort, just as there are at Fort Pike.
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