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Appendix No. 4.
CEYLON.
Hood's Tower.
2 10-in. R.M.L. guns, 18 tons.
calibre upon the ridge above, at the spot called Hood's Tower; the latter will command the waters south of the emplacements nearly to Chapel Hill, meeting there at long range the heavy guns of Fort Frederick.
2 64-pr. R.M.L. guns.
Batteries
Armament
£
19,030 8,042
Chapel Hill Post.
2 20-pr. R.B.L. guns.
Battery
Armament
To this battery two 64-pounder rifled muzzle-loading guns may be added for the defence of the southern shore of the peninsula; but the peninsula is covered with thick jungle, and assailable at other points, and it may therefore be necessary to occupy the north-east point of Elephant Ridge, viz., Chapel Hill (which, rising to a height of 420 feet, commands Hood's Tower), with a small post constructed with places for two 20-pounder 1,500 rifled breech-loading guns,
£
£
Permanent obstruction
600
1,500
Three lines of submarine mines are provided, for which sufficient submarine mining stores are at the station already, viz., the outer line, a little in rear of and between Elephant and Klippenburg Points; the inner lines between Fort Ostenburgh and Little Sober Island, and between Little and Great Sober Islands.
French Pass, between Great Sober Island and the mainland, should be closed permanently.
This defence will afford protection against any force likely to attack Trincomalee, and it does not seem advisable to provide less, as against single cruizers or a small squadron; though some may perhaps think that one of the batteries on Elephant Ridge may be omitted.
The removal of the Naval Establishment to Great Sober Island has been advocated by more that one naval authority; but, regarded from a defensive point of view, it would not appear to be in greater security there than in its present position, at any rate in not so much greater security as to render the expense of the change justifiable.
If Trincomalee fell into an enemy's hands the other ports of Ceylon would not be affected; the country around it is wild and almost uninhabited, and he would find it very difficult to move from it upon the capital; and as, unless we lost the rest of the island, it would certainly revert to us at the end of the war, it would be a positive disadvantage to him to detach a force sufficient for its conquest and retention.
Colombo.
At Colombo great efforts have been made to create a harbour, and large sums have been, and are being, expended upon the construction of a breakwater.
This harbour can be denied to an enemy by remodelling some of the emplacements in the fort to receive heavier guns, and by constructing a battery for three heavy guns at Mutwal Point, to the north of the harbour, where there is an excellent though rather con- tracted site. When the second, or northern arm of the breakwater has been carried out, a site for an iron battery might be found at its extremity; a battery there would add greater security to the harbour, but would not render it safe from distant shell fire, and would be so expensive that it cannot be recommended, until at least the importance of Colombo attains to far greater dimensions.
The recommendations of the Colonial Defence Committee were limited to the revision of the old works, which mounted thirteen smooth-bore guns of small calibre, to receive temporarily an armament of six 7-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns, and three medium rifled muzzle-loading gnns, of which, however, five of the former and one of the latter only have been mounted, viz. :----
7-in. R.M.L.
64-pr. R.M.L.
Battenburgh Bastion--
3 9-in. guns.
Enkhuysen Bastion-
1 9-in. gun. Guard Bastion-
1 9-in. gun.
2 64-prs.
Kippenburgh Bastion-
19.in. gun.
Batteries Armament
Mutwal Point.
Battenburgh Bastion Enkhuysen Bastion Guard Battery Klippenburgh Bastion
3
1
1
Subsequently, a work was designed for Mutwal Point.
:::
This work has not been
commenced.
The revision of the old works has been carried out in a very durable manner. If 9-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns be substituted for 7-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns in these emplacements—and they will, with one exception, take such guns without alteration—and a battery for three 10-inch 18-ton rifled muzzle-loading guns be constructed at Mutwal Point, the roadstead may be considered safe from single cruizers or a partially- 3,960 armoured squadron; but to afford it security from strongly armoured ships carrying heavy 14,772 guns, a very heavy outlay would be necessary, far beyond what the present importance of
Colombo warrants.
3 10-in. R.M.L. guns, 18 tons.
2 64-pr. R.M.L. guns.
Provision is also made for two medium guns at Guard Battery, and two at Mutwal
Point.
Battery Armament
£
17,820
10,755
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