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7
Ceylon.
Proceeding to the Colony of Ceylon, the Committee find three places of importance which need consideration :-
1. Trincomalee. An Imperial naval station, and the finest harbour in the Indian Ocean.
2. Galle. A great commercial coaling station and port of call, especially for postal steam communication with India, China, Japan, and Australia.
3. Colombo. A commercial port of rising importance, and the capital of the Colony.
The existing defences of Trincomalee consist of two considerable works :-
1. Fort Frederick occupies a promontory jutting out to the north-east from the strip of land separating the harbour from the open sea. This fort mounts 41 smooth-bore guns and 6 mortars, and contains considerable barrack, hospital, and store accommodation.
Armament-
32-pounder smooth-bore guns
24
19
""
32
18
97
""
19
6
92
"
13-inch mortars..
10 8
29
"
*
27
:::
:::
No.
5
26
1
41
1
3
2
6
It commands Back and Dutch Bays, but the present armament is not effective, except at short ranges. The Committee, therefore, recommend that three 7-ton rifled guns should be mounted in addition, to give a more distant and effective fire upon these bays.
2. Fort Ostenburg stands upon the south-west extremity of the ridge of that name, a commanding site 200 ft. above the sea. It overlooks the deep-water channel leading into the harbour, and constitutes the principal defence of the anchorage and dockyard. The fort is protected by natural scarps and by walls, and mounts 24 smooth-bored guns and 3 mortars-an armament which, like that of Fort Frederick, is only effective against unarmoured ships at short ranges.
Armament-
32-pounder smooth-bore guns
24 18
+
19
"1
13-inch mortars..
10 "
:::
:::
::
No.
3
13
24
1
2
coli
One 12-ton 9-inch rifled gun has been already sent for mounting in an emplacement prepared for it in this fort.
The Committee recommend that steps should be taken to mount this gun without loss of time. They further recommend that two 6-ton or 7-ton guns should be sent out at once, and mounted in this work, to secure a more distant fire than the existing arma- ment affords, on the entrance to the harbour. These guns will also serve to protect the submarine mines, a few of which should be laid outside the entrance, if a sufficiency of trained men can be found to work them. But as this defence will be very imperfect, the Com- mittee are of opinion that as soon as guns can be provided, two additional 7-ton guns should be supplied for Fort Ostenburg, and four 64-pounder muzzle-loading rifled guns, to supplement the smooth-bored armament.
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