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Appendix No. 4.
There is a rough road from the head of the bay connecting with the main road from Cape Spear to St. John's, by which, after a march of an hour and a-half, an enemy could reach a most favourable and commanding position on the Southside Hills, within easy range of the town and harbour, from NEWFOUNDLand. whence the place could be set on fire in a very short time.
These remarks on the dangers of Freshwater Bay apply equally to landings effected at the two Deadman's and Black other bays referred to, but with these latter the distances to march will be greater, and the facilities for Head Bays. landing not so good.
28. Quiddy Viddy Harbour,
About a mile from the entrance to St. John's Harbour to the northward is a small fishing harbour See Map 2.* called Quiddy Viddy, which in calm weather small boats may enter for the purpose of landing troops. It is within 1,000 yards of the crest of Signal Hill, and has always been considered as a vulnerable point in the defences, consequently the small two-gun battery which has been previously referred to at paragraph 12 was constructed to guard it.
Lake.
There are two very good roads leading from it to St. John's, one on each side of Quiddy Viddy Roads to St. John's.
29. Logey Bay.
To the northward of Quiddy Viddy, and between 4 and 5 miles from the capital, is a small See Map 1.* indentation in the coast called Logey Bay, where it might be possible in very fine weather to land a force, but it is very much exposed, and it is scarcely possible that an enemy would venture to attempt a landing when there are so many other places far more favourable within an easy march of the town.
There are two good roads leading from this place to St. Jolm's, one of which joins the road from Roads to St. John's. Outer and Middle Coves, and the other, keeping more to the eastward, passes at the foot of a range of hills, from which it commands the whole distance until it joins the Quiddy Viddy road near the village of that name.
30. Portugal Cove.
At the time the French were creating such havoc at Bay of Bulls in 1796 (referred to at See Map 1.* paragraph 25), considerable aların was occasioned by the report that they intended to land a force at Portugal Cove, about 9 miles to the north-east of St. John's, on the eastern shore of Conception Bay, from which they were to march on the capital. If they had at that time any designs in this direction, it appears strange that they did not take advantage of so favourable a point for such an undertaking, for after Torbay there is scarcely any harbour in the Avalon Peninsula so well suited for a base of operations for an enterprising enemy. It is, however, probable that at that time the roads, if any existed, were in such a state that it was impossible to move troops by them, and therefore the French preferred to fix upon a harbour at double the distance from St. John's, in order to take advantage of the road communicating with it. This is now changed; the road from Portugal Cove is one of the best in the island; consequently the value of this point to an enemy has greatly increased, and the necessity for the utmost vigilance on the part of the garrison in this direction becomes greater than ever.
The cove is the deepest indentation on the eastern shore of Conception Bay, and, with certain winds, not a very secure anchorage, but an enemy's force would experience very little difficulty in effecting a landing at almost any time.
The road to St. John's is a very good one, and practicable for all arms; it ascends steeply for the Road to St. John's first 2 miles from the cove, and for the remainder of the distance is tolerably level. The country on each side to within 3 miles of St. John's is very similar to that in the neighbourhood of the other roads in the peninsula, viz., rugged, broken, and swampy; it is intersected with ponds and lakes, and in places covered with the usual stunted fir trees, but on approaching within 3 miles of the town the ground is open and under cultivation.
There is a small cross-road to Torbay which leaves the main road about a mile outside Portugal Cross roads to Torbay. Cove, and another to the same point half-way between the cove and St. John's.
Several favourable positions for disputing an enemy's advance may be found near the main Positions road, but they are principally between the cove and Windsor Lake, and at least 4 miles from St. John's.
In the spring of 1878, when three Russian steamers were on this side of the Atlantic, it was under consideration how and at what point they could have surprised St. John's, and Portugal Cove appeared to be one, if not the most, convenient place from which to effect such surprise.
It will be seen from the annexed plan (No. 1)* that by making Cape St. Francis light from the seaward at about 6 P.M. they could have reached Portugal Cove by 9 P.M., unknown to the authorities in St. John's. Fifty men thrown on shore and pushed up the road for 200 or 300 yards would A force of 800 or 1,000 men effectually have prevented any intelligence being sent to St. John's.
could have been quickly landed, and by midnight have reached the narrow neck of land between Windsor Pond and Newfound Pond, and, if not checked at that point, could, after cutting off the water supply of the town, have been in the occupation of the stone buildings overlooking the town by 2 A.M. The steamers having landed this force could steam round Cape St. Francis and be in position off St. John's Harbour at the same time, 2 A.M., ready to receive the forced contribution which must have been given up, in steamers, specie, and stores of all kinds. These steamers, thirty in number (Appendix A), turned loose on the trade of the St. Lawrence and the Canadian maritime provinces, At the would have produced immense havoc before our ships of war could have disposed of them. present moment St. John's is open to such a raid by a single vessel having on board 600 or 800 men available for landing, who, after capturing the steamers belonging to the sealing fleet, would be available to man them.
* Not printed.
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