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The Committee append to this Report "The proposed Estimates and Expenditures for the Seychelles Islands, 1882" (A), and " A Letter on the Present Position of the Seychelles, by His Honour H. Cockburn Stewart; addressed to the Honourable the Acting Colonial Secretary of the Mauritius," dated the 20th June, 1881 (B).*
C. G. GORDON, Lieutenant-Colonel, R.E., and
Brevet-Colonel.
(Signed)
RICHARD D. KING, Captain, R.N. R. W. S. ROGERS, Lieutenant (T).
Appendix No. 4.
SEYCHELLES.
Victoria, Mahé, September 15, 1881.
APPENDIX (C).
Detailed Account of the Defence of Port Victoria, Mahé, with Submarine Mines.
The northern entrance to be closed with three lines of electro-contact mines (38 in number) and seven groups of 3,500 lb. ground mines, placed as shown in the tracing.
The operating station to be built on St. Anne's Island, under the protection of the fort. Each group of ground mines to assume a triangular shape, and be fixed on the twin-mine system, with the exception of the second observation station, this to be substituted by having a director (similar to the one at present in use on board Her Majesty's ships) at the operating station; the correct elevation to align the sights on any particular group being ascertained (its bearing being worked on the arc) would enable that group to be fired by observation.
2. St. Anne's Channel to be closed with a group of twenty-five mechanical mines, placed in the circle marked "M" in the tracing.†
3. The southern entrance to be closed with five lines of four electro-contact mines, worked from a station on Cerf Island, under the protection of the fort.
R. W. S. ROGERS, Lieutenant (T).
(Signed)
Inclosure 2 in No. 66.
Memorandum on Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles.
Mahé.
THERE are three entrances into the Port Victoria, the principal harbour of the Island of
the second The first entrance, that from the northward between St. Anne's Isle and the mainland; entrance is by St. Anne's Channel, which, however, is considered unsafe, except with the assistance of a native pilot; and the third is by the southern channel, which Moresby considers dangerous, but which is little known (a whaler drawing 16 feet of water without a pilot came through this channel the other day).
The Island of Mahé can be landed upon in many parts of its coast-line.
By placing two 10-inch guns in Cerf Isle, the defence of the St. Anne's and southern channel could be secured; and by placing two 10-inch guns near Connau Point and two 10-inch guns on St. Anne's Isle, the main channel from the north would be secured.
These three batteries would cost, with the barracks, &c., an actual outlay of 59,000%., and the annual outlay for the artillery and infantry would cost 32,000%.
As, however, a landing could be effected on the other side of the isle, and it would be necessary to place blockhouses and troops at St. Louis Hill, near Connau Point, and at some point near the Trois Frères River. This would require an actual expenditure of 7,000l., and an annual expenditure of 18,000l. So that the defence of the Port Victoria would require an actual outlay of 66,0007. and an annual outlay of 50,000%.
It would seem much better, instead of sinking such a sum on this battery, which would only partially defend the harbour, to place the 10-inch guns on locomotive sea carriages, and thus enable them to be available, not only for the defence of the harbour, but also for the defence of the coast-line of Mahé and the neighbouring isles.
The cost of the purchase of these four gun-boats, &c., would be 77,000, and their annual expense would be 15,000., as detailed in Appendix, Naval Section, Report Defence Committee, 1st August, 1881.‡
The resources of the Seychelles suffice to meet the current expenses of the isles, and, for the present, the Colony of Seychelles would not bear any portion of the above expense.
The question arises whence this amount can be obtained? and the natural result is what raison d'être there is for the "London" to be retained at Zanzibar?
Her cost is from 50,000l. to 60,0007. a-year, her crew, some 300 officers and men, would suffice for the manning of the four gun-boats and for the torpedo service, and no extra expenditure would be required if she was stationed at Seychelles.
The "Ruby" spent here some 3,000l. during the few weeks she was here at Seychelles; the expenditure of the "London" is advantageous to a foreign country, and there is no doubt that if the London" was here a great impetus would be given to the Colony of Seychelles, and at the same time an effective defence would be acquired without any extra annual expense to the Imperial Govern-
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ment.
* These inclosures are printed documents, and are omitted.
+ Not printed.
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‡ See No. 44.
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