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of year, and this in its turn points to the expediency of perfecting the communication between the two places. It seems highly desirable that at least a good communication by road between them should be made, and it is suggested that the Governor should endeavour to cause provision to be made in the Civil Estimates for the construction of a road from Trincomalie to Matale, as advocated by the Local Committee.
3. Passing to the Scheme itself, which has been drawn up in a very clear form, and with a satisfactory attention to detail, the Colonial Defence Committee think it unnecessary to refer here to any of the measures connected with harbour defence at Colombo and Trincomalie which have formed the subject of special Report by the Local Joint Naval and Military Committee in November last. They have furnished their remarks on that Report to the War Office, and when the final joint decision of the Admiralty and the War Office is received in the Colony, the necessary alterations in the Scheme should be made at the next revision.
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4. The strategical considerations are correctly set forth, but the sentence at foot of p. 9, "in both cases their way is blocked by the forts at Singapore,' might with advantage be altered to the following sense, viz., "in both cases their line of action would pass through waters defended by the British Squadron based on Singapore; also some alteration in the wording is desirable at p. 10, sixth to eighth lines from the top, as it is difficult to understand how "torpedo-boats" could injure the "town," and again at p. 17 (d), as it might be inferred from the actual text that "submarine mines" were assumed to be a defence against "torpedo-boats."
5. Distribution of Garrison.—According to the note in column of Remarks of Royal Artillery Distribution Table at p. 31 the three 6-pr. Q.F. guns at Ostenburg Point are to be manned by infantry, though according to Table (A 2) at p. 23 it would appear that they are to be manned by artillery. These guns are intended for the defence of the mine-field, and should be manned by artillerymen, and as the guns are in a separate battery, separate provision must be made for their detachments. Also, if possible, artillery gun-layers at least should be detailed for the six 3-pr. Q.F. guns of the movable armament for general defence at Colombo.
6. Page 51 (f). The arrangement proposed is presumably the only one possible pending the extension of the harbour, but it is difficult to understand how, if merchant-vessels come into Colombo for safety, they can be safely sent the 300 miles distance round to Trincomalie.
7. Pages 52 and 89, 152, 154, and 155.-Mention is made of scout boats and patrol boats, part steam-vessels, part native canoes, to be employed in connection with signal stations and to watch the coast. It has been decided that the use of such boats, even if steamers of fair speed, can insure but little priority of intelligence compared with that obtainable from signal stations of even moderate height on shore, and that their employment, unless under very exceptional Iccal conditions, is of doubtful utility: the native canoes would be absolutely useless. Also, it is difficult to see what advantage is to be derived from patrolling the route of the cables to India by native boats. They would be powerless to prevent an enemy's ship from cutting the cables, and any interruption of the cables would make itself known instantaneously without any such aid. Their only conceivable use would be to carry messages across the straits after the cable was cut. The safety of submarine cables at sea must depend on the protection afforded by Her Majesty's navy.
8. Pages 81 and 82.-Tables 10 and 11 show a very small supply of ammunition, especially for the four 9.2-in. B.L. guns at Colombo and the 9-in. R.M.L. guns at Trincomalie. If, as seems probable, the authorized allowance of ammunition in artillery charge with the guns has not been included, these Tables as they stand are misleading.
9. Pages 96 and 99.-It is not clearly stated under what circumstances the demolition of bridges would be undertaken. It should be definitely understood that they must not be demolished except on most urgent grounds, and by orders from the General Officer Commanding. Some precautions of this nature are desirable to prevent the possibility of their being needlessly destroyed.
10. Pages 93 and 121.-The orders to the Officer Commanding Royal
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