Printed for the use of the Colonial Office. April 1894.
Page 201
CONFIDENTIAL.
75-R
HALIFAX.
NOVA SCOTIA. 5.
5132.
Report of Local Joint Naval and Military Committee of November 1893.
Remarks by Colonial Defence Committee.
THE Colonial Defence Committee have considered the Report of the Local Joint Naval and Military Committee, Halifax, and offer the following remarks:-
1. The paragraph at foot of p. 5, which forms the basis of the Report, should read thus :----
"Halifax, in common with all other defended ports, so long as an enemy's ships can keep the seas, is liable to attack by the smaller class of torpedo-boats and launches that can be carried on board of cruisers. It is not at present liable to attack by torpedo-boats of any other class, but may in the near future become so by first-class torpedo-boats acting from the United States within 240 miles."
2. Mine-fields.-The outer mine-field off McNab's is unnecessary. The inner mine-field off Point Pleasant should suffice for all desired purposes; it is at the place most naturally fitted for this description of defence, and the anchorage inside it is sufficiently capacious.
The outer mine-field should be abolished and the inner mine-field alone retained, the latter being strengthened, if necessary.
This alteration will much simplify the control of this branch of the defence, which, as at present constituted, forms two separate commands, owing to the distance apart of the two mine-fields.
M
3. Examination Anchorage. The examination anchorage should be in McNab's Cove. Any anchorage outside McNab's Light is unsafe, and one of the chief essentials of an examination anchorage is that it shall be sheltered. The prospect of compulsory detention in an unsafe anchorage would tend to deter our merchant-vessels from frequenting the port in war time, and thus one of the chief reasons for defending the port would be done away with. It would, of course, be preferable to have the examination anchorage outside the outer line of forts, and at a somewhat greater distance in front of the mine defence, but in the present case this appears to be impracticable, and where non- interference with trade and a perfect system of defence are incompatible, the Colonial Defence Committee are strongly of opinion that the former should be regarded as the all-important consideration, and a moderate degree of risk be accepted rather than hamper and alarm our trade by any hazardous restrictions.
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All vessels (except British war-ships) desiring to enter the port should anchor - viz., "bring-up," not merely bring-to" in the examination anchorage, the northern limit of which should be the line between York
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