the Slavice. After a careful perusal of these Returns I have come to the conclusion that for the two years' consumption of this garrison for Colonial purposes we should not retain in store here more than a supply of the principal articles of Military Stores sufficient for one year's supply might be sent out from England to replace the yearly expenditure of the garrison.
3. I am unable to offer any opinion with regard to what may be deemed an adequate provision for Naval purposes, the wants of this branch of the service must necessarily depend upon a variety of circumstances beyond the reach of my calculation. I may instance that the late destruction of Pirate fleets has caused an unusual consumption of Powder, and in the last year 22,000 lbs were served out to the Naval squadron from the Ordnance stores of this colony, while during the preceding year, only 14,069 lbs were expended. My recommendation will therefore be understood to be totally exclusive of the requirements of the Navy, and solely confined to the garrison of the island.
4. It may be as well to inform Your Lordship that great quantities of stores were left here at the conclusion of the Chinese war and breaking up of the expeditionary force, which, under ordinary circumstances, would not have been required; and this is one of the reasons for so large a collection being in the Storekeeper's charge. I would strongly urge the necessity for either selling by public auction, or sending to England by the first opportunity, all those articles marked by the Board of Ordnance or respective Officers in their Returns, in the Surplus column, as most of them, such as Blankets,