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would be fitted up at the Ordnance Wharf, Kingston, to afford temporary rest and refreshment to the sick, but there is nothing in the Scheme to show what steps are necessary to fit up this station. Again, certain dressing and collecting stations are to be established under the Scheme, but there is nothing, in the majority of instances, to show what stores or equipment are necessary to establish them, or whence such stores are to be obtained. The Scheme should show what material is available for medical services, in military charge, and what material is to be obtained from local resources to supplement the existing supply, specifying precisely the sources whence the additional material and stores are to be procured. It appears from the supply Return attached to the Scheme that certain quantities (which, however, are very indefinitely stated) of medical supplies are to be laid in locally, on going into a state of defence; but there is no mention of this fact in the medical portion of the Scheme. It is also stated in this Return that a four months' supply of medicines is required from England, but there is nothing to show that any attempt has been made to draw upon local resources for this supply, some portion at least of which it appears probable could be obtained locally. Every effort should be made to utilize the local resurces to the fullest possible extent, and only when this has been done should demands be made upon England for supplies.
9. Moreover, the medical arrangements are apparently based upon the assumption that extra medical aid will be sent out from England in case the operations are prolonged. There is no ground for any such assumption, and the Defence Scheme and its arrangements should be drawn up on the under- standing that no further personnel will be available than that already com- municated to the General Officer Commanding in War Office letter of the 19th July, 1892. Any additional personnel which may be required to carry out the provisions of the Scheme must be obtained from local sources, and the arrangements for this purpose should be detailed in the Scheme.
10. A certain amount of transport will evidently be required in connec- tion with the medical arrangements. Its nature, amount, and mode of supply should be known to the Principal Medical Officer. Presumably the arrange- ments for the supply of this transport will be dealt with in the action to be taken by the Deputy-Assistant-Adjutant-General (B) in the revision of the Scheme. As matters stand the provision of this transport is left in an indefinite state. It is remarked that "any available spring carts, vans, drags, &c., would be made available for transporting the sick," but it should be quite possible to ascertain beforehand, with a fair degree of accuracy, the numbers of vehicles which will be required at certain points and to make arrangements for procuring them.
11. In paragraph 15, p. 5, it is proposed to use a man-of-war or a local steamer for scouting purposes; and again at p. 24, allusion is made to the employment of a gun-boat for the same purpose. The Admiralty have constantly emphasized the fact that war-vessels cannot be detailed for the local defence of ports, and the Colonial Office issued a Circular, dated the 28th July, 1892, last year, to all Colonies, pointing out the objections to the use of scouting vessels.
12. With respect to the patrol-boats and the steam-launch patrolling at night in connection with the search-light or fixed beam on the outer edge of the minefield mentioned on pp. 6 and 24, the various experiments of late years lead to the conclusion that movable guard-boats are rarely of practical value, as they are apt to mask the fire of the shore defences, require specially skilful handling, and no satisfactory recognition signals have yet been devised for them. Moreover, the instances are very rare in which hostile cruizers have the means for or are in the habit of practising counter-mining.
13. At paragraph 30, p. 7, torpedo-boats, the sentence "if provided, the Commodore will direct their operations," expresses a truism, and might well be omitted. The Admiralty have consistently declined to tie down torpedo- boats or vessels of any class to the local defence of ports.
14. The supply of small-arm ammunition in the island should be given ; but this will no doubt be dealt with in the revision of the Scheme under the heading of Action to be taken by Senior Ordnance Store Officer.
15. With regard to the remark in paragraph 16, p, 5, and the suggestion. of the General Officer Commanding at p. 27, as to the provision of fire
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