Leland in his "Itinerary" describes the defences as consisting of a "mudde waulle armid with tymbre, whereon be great peaces both of yron and brassen ordinaunces." The circuit of the town was a mile, and a ditch was constructed outside the wall. Leland records that he heard in the town that the defences of the entrance to the harbour ("the tourres in the hauen mouth") were commenced in the reign of Edward IV, continued in the time of Richard II, and finished in that of Henry VII. In the time of Edward VI two towers of stone were built, one on either side, at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbour, and a chain of immense weight and strength was placed between them in such a way as to form a defence against the advance of the ships of the enemy. The actual chain, with large long links, is shown on a plan of Portsmouth of the time of Queen Elizabeth.[21] The approaches to Portsmouth, east and west, were commanded by several forts and the two blockhouses, popularly known as Southsea Castle and Hurst Castle, both works being of the time of Henry VIII. [Illustration: FIG. 32. SOUTHSEA CASTLE, _temp._ KING HENRY VIII] An extremely interesting picture, in the nature of a bird's-eye view, of the defences of Portsmouth and the adjacent coast-line, extending as far as the northern shores of the Isle of Wight, is given in the engraving showing the encampment of the English forces near Portsmouth, 1545, published many years ago by the Society of Antiquaries of London. The original of this picture perished in the fire which destroyed Cowdray House, the mansion of Viscount Montague, at Midhurst, Sussex, but fortunately the Society of Antiquaries has preserved for us the copy of a picture which is full of interest, as illustrating the mediaeval walls of Portsmouth and the castles, forts, and other works as well as the guns, ammunition, and methods of working them, in vogue for the defence of the coast about the middle of the sixteenth century. One can see, too, the two towers built at the mouth of the harbour for carrying the chain which once protected it. The picture also comprises a bird's-eye view of the naval forces of England and France drawn up in battle order at the commencement of the action between the two navies on 19 July 1545.