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Appendix No. 4. armament as proposed is six 43-ton guns and four 26-ton guns, which is considered satisfactory.
battery must also be self-defensible.
A
CYPRUS
This
Varoshia Fort. This being next on the list of proposed works is now considered. Your Committee have carefully examined the site indicated, the immediate neighbourhood, and the ground between it and the sea, and find that the position shown is very incorrect, being, in fact, at least double the distance from the sea-board to what it would appear to be in the map. This site must therefore be abandoned, not only on account of its distance from the sea, but also from the fact that its fire would be much masked by the buildings and gardens towards the north and east. As, however, it appears very desirable to command the water from east to south of Oxonisi, the erection of a work for three 26-ton guns is recommended on the spit of land to the south-east of Oxonisi Fort, at a distance of about 1,000 yards from it.* This work need be closed in rear by a musketry wall only, as it is seen into by the guns of Oxonisi.
Old Town Battery. The advisability of placing a battery here is, at the present time, open to question, it being from its position of little support either to the Quarry Fort or to Oxonisi, its distance from the former being over 2,000 yards, and the latter being invisible from it. Your Committee does not, therefore, recommend its construction.
Should further defences be considered necessary in addition to the two powerful works recommended at the Quarries and Oxonisi, this would be best provided for by the erection of a revolving turret at the end of the breakwater, for holding two 12-inch breech-loading guns of 43 tons, and this, though a costly work, would probably not cause the estimated expense to be exceeded, as there is considerable reduction in other points.
There can be no doubt that with the object in view of making Famagusta defensible both by land and sea, a line of detached forts is necessary, and it may possibly be found that the positions indicated for such are approximatively correct as laid down in the map; but in the absence of any trustworthy plan of the ground, it is impossible to enter into this question otherwise than in a general way, such as given in the proposal submitted by the Inspector-General of Fortifications in his letter of the 25th May, 1881, with which proposal we concur.
RECAPITULATION of Works recommended and their Armament.
Quarry Fort
Oxonisi
Varoshia
Three-Gun Battery Old Town Battery Breakwater Turret
43-ton Guns. 26-ton Guns. Medium Guns.
Remarks.
3
3
6
6
4
3
Abandoned. New recommendation. Abandoned,
2
Estimate of Cost.
7. This question cannot be really determined, there being no means of estimating the cost of works of the exceptional nature now under discussion.
Garrisons Required.
8. The strength recommended in the letter of the Inspector-General of Fortifications is considered to meet the slightly altered plan of the defence and guns; 640 men for coast batteries; 1,200 men for land defences; 600 men for reserve; or a total of 2,440.
Assistance from Local Levies.
9. At the present time there are no local levies available. The only partially drilled body of natives being employed in the police, who are fully occupied in civil duties. With respect to the resources which are available for the provision of a garrison from the natives of the island, this Committee considers that the Christian elements (which is three-fourths of the entire population) must be left out of the question, these being unaccustomed to bear arms and devoid at present of all the qualities necessary to form soldiers. The Mahommedan race is, however, on the contrary, one in which must trust could be reposed, being brave, sober, and obedient. At short notice a considerable body of these could be enlisted, and the fact that a semi-military corps (the Pioneers) once existed, would allow us to trust to the probability of assembling at short notice a body of some few hundred men capable of being at once put into the ranks, a foundation on which a considerable extension could easily be made. It is believed that a force of 3,000 could be readily raised for this service in the island alone. It is right, however, to point out that the gunners of the garrison would have to be British soldiers, the Mahommedan, though brave, being far from intelligent.
(Signed)
tr
THOS. LE H. WARD, Captain, H.M.S. “ Superb.”
H. DUMARESQ, Colonel. FALK. WARREN, Colonel.
* This point, being some 20 to 30 feet above the sea, would mask any fort placed further to the south-east,
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