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It will probably be necessary to restore Fort George, which is about 2,000 yards from the Camp, and to construct a small advanced work on a lower level near Britton's Pen to cover the communications between the Camp and the heavy gun-batteries at Charles Fort and St. Mathias.
This scheme hardly does more than deny the harbour to an enemy; but, from the formation of the ground, it appears scarcely possible to attain to anything else, except at an enormous expense.
The garrison required would be :-
3 64-prs.
Appendix No 4.
BARBADOS. Fort George.
3 rifled howitzers.
Works Armament
Fort Britton.
..
••
£ 7,500 2,850
Infantry
Men. 2,500
430
Artillery
Royal Engineers
70
Total
3,000
The estimated cost of the proposed defences would be :—
Works
104,240
Armament..
49,000
Total..
153,240
(Signed)
J. H. SMITH,
April 25, 1881.
(Signed)
T. L. GALLWEY, Inspector-General of Fortifications.
BAHAMAS.
No. 115.
War Office Memorandum on the Defence of the Bahamas.
THE best harbour among the Bahamas is at Nassau, in the Island of New Providence, where is also the seat of government.
It will only admit with safety ships drawing under 15 feet of water.
There is, however, immediately outside the entrance an anchorage where ships of any size may lie.
The harbour is formed by the channel between Hog Island and the main Island of New Providence, and is about 3 miles long by 600 yards wide.
The western entrance is the deepest; the eastern will only admit vessels drawing under 8 feet of water.
It is protected at present by Fort Charlotte, a work with an irregular trace, on the hill opposite to the western entrance to the harbour, about 100 feet above the sea; by a battery at the water's edge, below the fort; by Fort Fincastle, on the ridge about 2,000 yards to the east of Fort Charlotte; and by Fort Montague, on a spit of land at the east entrance to the harbour. These two last works are of a very indifferent character. The remains of other small batteries exist on Potter Cay and on Hog Island. No rifled guns are mounted in these works.
There is barrack accommodation for 214 men, and a small ordnance and naval yard. With regard to the defence of Nassau, it is to be observed in the first place that while only comparatively small vessels can enter the harbour on account of the depth of water, yet the largest ships can co-operate in an attack, seeing that the 5-fathoms line outside Hog Island is only 1,000 yards from the anchorage in front of the wharves in the harbour.
In the second place, that Hog Island, which forms the northern side of the harbour, being 4 miles long, will, unless it be defended, afford an opportunity for an attacking party to land on it, and to approach within 1,000 yards of the town.
Thirdly, that the number of small cays and anchorages, with shallow channels between them, to the eastward of Nassau, offer great facilities for attacks by boats and small craft, either for the purpose of penetrating into the harbour by the east entrance, or of landing a force on Hog Island, or on the main island anywhere between Fort Montague and the point near Camperdown.
Fourthly, that owing to there being so few roads, and to the impossibility of moving off them on account of the marshes and of the thickness of the vegetation, the Island of New Providence affords unusual facilities for the defence of Nassau against an attack by land.
[1103]
5 E
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2 64-prs.
£
Works
5,000
罪
Armament
900
ВАНАМАЗ-
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