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Inclosure 1 in No. 122.
Captain Jones, R.N., to the Secretary to the Admiralty.
Sir,
Garnet,” Montevideo, December 14, 1881. WITH reference to your letter of the 8th July, 1881, I have the honour to inform you that Major Cautley, R.E., has returned to England by the Pacific mail-steamer which left here on the 21st instant, having completed his Report on the defensive capabilities of the Falkland Islands, and, in compliance with paragraph 4 of the above-quoted letter, I beg to forward herewith my Report.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
LOFTUS F. JONES,
Captain and Senior Naval Officer, South-East Coast of America.
Appendix No. 4.
FALKLAND
ISLANDS
With accompanying Harbour.* plan of Stanley
Inclosure 2 in No. 122.
Report on the Defensive Capabilities of the Falkland Islands as a Coaling and Refitting Station for the Royal Navy and Mercantile Marine.
PORT STANLEY is the seat of Government, and the only Settlement in these islands of any Seat of Government. considerable population.
It is well situated and completely sheltered all round, and Port William, through which it is Well situated. entered, affords a good anchorage for vessels, making the port at night, and sheltered from all prevailing winds.
In the anchorage in Port Stanley the holding-ground is good, but it would be desirable to lay Moorings and down moorings for ships of war, as not only economising space, but would bring them nearer to the anchorage. dockyard and coaling depôt (if one is established).
Piers could easily be constructed, by sinking hulks in 3 and 4 fathoms water at a distance of Coaling and refitting 1 cables, and running out piers to them, alongside of which ships could coal. Coaling by boats would depût. generally be attended with delay and risk of wetting the coal, in consequence of the strong gales and short seas which prevail throughout the year, but more persistently in the summer months; neverthe- less, I think it could be made an admirable coaling and refitting station for the Royal Navy and
mercantile marine.
I think another light should be placed on Cape Carysfort, to facilitate making the land from the northward at night.
Lighthouse.
Falkland Islands.
I should say that to defend all the ports and harbours in the Falkland Islands, which are nume- Defensive capabilitie rous and good, and, as a rule, easy of access, would be impracticable, at least without an immeuse of the whole of expenditure and large permanent garrison; therefore they could, and, no doubt, would, be made use of by an enemy for refitting purposes, without there was an adequate force of ships on the station to prevent it,
I shall, therefore, confine my remarks to the defence of Port Stanley, assuming it to be a dockyard, Defences of Port coal depôt, and arsenal, containing all necessary supplies for refitting, storing, provisioning, and coaling Stanley. a squadron in these waters.
I consider, then, that the defensive capabilities of Port Stanley are very great, but resolving itself Radius of defence, into a question of outlay in the construction, and expenditure in maintaining the defences and garrison 3 miles. in an efficient state; but as I am not aware to what extent Her Majesty's Government are likely to carry the defensive arrangements of the harbour of Stanley, either in works, guns, torpedoes, or men, I have limited my views to the defence of a radius of 3 miles from a point near the centre of the harbour, which embraces the most accessible landings for an enemy, as well as the most suitable spots for erecting stone forts and earthworks.
Proposed position of forts, torpedo defences, firing stations, and boom, are shown on the accom- Accompanying plan.* panying tracing of Stanley Harbour.*
With a good system of torpedo defence in Port William, and covered by the guns of the works Port William. hereafter specified, the inner anchorage of Port William could be made almost unapproachable to an enemy, and Port Stanley secured from direct attack in that quarter.
I should therefore propose placing a single line of electro-contact mines between Arrow Point, on First line of torpedo the north side of Port William, and York Point, on the south side, in 8 fathoms, and then a double or defence. treble line of ground mines between the same points, which would be commanded by the guns at the works at AB and FG, also of a strong work on the largest of the William Islets with firing stations at A and B, marked 0, and O2, and well away from the works.
Also a second line of torpedo defences to protect the anchorage and entrance to the narrows, com- Second line of posed of a single line of electro-contact mines between Doctor Point on the north side, and Ordnance torpedo defence. Point on the south side, and two or three lines of ground mines in 7 fathoms, commanded by ABD and F and G, the same firing station at A and B would do for both lines of defences; of course a good and safe channel should be kept open for friendly ships.
Although outside the radius I have prescribed, Pembroke Peninsula is so important that to prevent Anchorage inside an enemy from availing himself of the anchorage inside William Islets, and there effecting a landing William Islets. on one of the beaches between York Point and Cape Pembroke, which, if successful, would turn the works of Port William and place the whole of the torpedo defences in his hands, and enable him to march direct on the arsenal, it would be necessary to construct a work of considerable strength on Great William Islet, and at Cape Pembroke, marked J on the plan.* Redoubts should be also con- structed on the headlands H and I to enfilade the beaches, and to make this very important portion of the defences unassailable, it would be necessary to lay three lines of ground mines between Billy Rock * Not printed.
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