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Appendix No. 4. past the battery, delivering her fire as she did so, and in a minute be in a position to bombard the town,
while perfectly safe from the battery.
GAMBIA.
12. The merchant's gunpowder magazine is within 81 feet of the battery. Why it was allowed to be erected in such a position, perfectly exposed as regards the magazine itself, and extremely dangerous as regards the battery and barracks, it would not be easy to say.
13. The three-gun battery is in a better position, as it commands a considerable portion of the harbour, but neither of the batteries are strong enough to withstand a heavy artillery, and their present armament would not be of much use against an armour-plated vessel.
14. Unfortunately, no defensive works, if placed on shore, could be constructed in a sufficiently advanced position to save the town from bombardment, and therefore, if forts could not (on account of the cost) be constructed on the Middle Ground Shoals, or on St. Mary's Shoal, and if it be decided to protect the town, it might be worth while considering whether one
or more floating batteries (removable, if desirable, during peace) would not answer the purpose.
15. Should the Settlement be chosen for a coaling and refitting station, and the idea of fortifying the town be abandoned, some one of the creeks up the river might be utilized by forming a depôt for coal and stores on its banks, and protecting its mouth, or portion of its channel, by subinarine mines.
16. Vintang Creek has an estuary about half or three-quarters of a mile wide, and a depth of about 2 fathoms, but inside the entrance the creek soon begins to narrow and deepen, and at Vintang village, which is a few miles from the mouth, it is only a few hundred yards across, and the depth runs from over 9 fathoms in the centre to 12 fathoms close in shore.
There are many smaller creeks with 2 to 3 fathoms of water at the mouth, and a width of 100 yards or so.
Some of the creeks are many miles in length. I have been 50 miles up Vintang Creek in the Colonial steamer St. Mary, and found over 10 feet of water at that distance from its entrance.
17. St. James' Island, which is about 17 miles from Bathurst, was fortified in years gone by, but the fort is now in ruins. The river is too wide at the point where the island is situated to be perfectly commanded by the guns of a fort, but a battery placed on the island, and another on the near (north) bank, a little way above Albreda, would, I think, protect from naval attack a coal and refitting depôt either on the island or on shore, but especially one on shore.
St. James' Island is little over a mile from the nearest bank, and between it and the bank there is a depth of 4 fathoms.
18. With regard to aid from local levies, I have to state that I should be extremely disinclined to count or depend upon them. They would be raised with difficulty and but slowly, and would be. almost useless against a civilized foe unless they were trained and taught to handle arms of precision; and I may point out that in such training, if any levies were raised from the neighbouring tribes, there might, at a future time, be some danger to the Settlement itself.
19. The experience of the Ashantee war is a warning against placing any confidence in, or founding any hope upon, native levies.
20. In conclusion, I beg to express the opinion that if the Gambia be not valuable as a coaling and refitting station, its insignificance will be its best safeguard that is, if the Government are not prepared to expend a large sum in fortifying it, and in maintaining a large garrison for its defence.
(Secret.) Sir,
I have, &c.
(Signed) V. SKIPTON GOULDSBURY, Administrator.
Inclosure 2 in No. 8.
Mr. Gouldsbury to Mr. Herbert.
Government House, Bathurst, November 30, 1881.
IN continuation of my despatch, Secret, dated the 14th instant,* I have the honour to inform you that I transmit to you herewith a Report on the defences of the Gambia, prepared by Mr. Bauer, the Colonial Engineer.
2. I have not anything to add to what I have said in my despatch of the 14th instant, and but few observations to make on Mr. Bauer's Report, its consideration requiring greater professional knowledge than I am possessed of.
3. Mr. Bauer's plan of floating turret batteries, and his method of supporting and working the guns, appear ingenious, but whether they could be carried out, and be effective in practice, are questions to be decided by military engineers and artillery officers.
4. Referring to paragraph 20 of Mr. Bauer's Report, and to his suggestion for the construction of a turret battery on St. Mary's Shoal, I beg to state that, although the position (as regards its command) for a defensive work appears to me to be a very desirable one, yet I think the stability of the shoal is not much to be depended upon, and I fear constant expense would be entailed in maintaining it.
I have, &c. (Signed)
V. SKIPTON GOULDSBURY, Administrator.
* Inclosure 1.
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