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5. Page 6, paragraph 13.-In their Remarks, dated July 3, 1895, on the Defence Scheme revised to September 1894, the Colonial Defence Com- mittee suggested that it was undesirable that the charge of three 7-inch R.M.L. guns at Munden's Point, and of six 12-pr. R.B.L. guns should be left entirely to the Militia without some Artillery supervision. The Local Committee now state that arrangements have been made with a view to avoid this, but on p. 11 of the present revision the 12-pr. R.B.L. guns appear as still manned entirely by Militia, and the Manning Table on p. 27 seems to show the same arrangement. Probably it is intended that the 12 men of the R.A. told off to High Knoll should supervise the working of the 12-pr. R.B.L. as well as of the 7-inch R.B.L. guns there. This, how- ever, requires to be made clearer in the Scheme.
6. Page 6, paragraph 14.-The Local Committee state that as it is not thought practicable, with the available garrison and transport, to move the 12-prs. from High Knoll, their action will be confined to the defence of the Ridges from there. On p. 11 of the Scheme these guns are, however, entered as belonging to the movable field force, "if possible," and there is a note which leaves it doubtful whether they are eventually to be moved or not.
It would appear better not to refer to these 12-prs. in connection with the movable field force.
On the other hand, it is suggested that some, at any rate, of the six machine guns which have been provided for general defence should be made available for movement in the field. No reference is traced in the Scheme to this important element of defence except on p. 17 (D), where it is stated that "the Artillery will be relied upon in the first instance to repel any threatened landing at Jamestown with their machine guns." The Manning Table on p. 27, however, shows all the Artillery told off to other guns. If the machine guns were on field mountings, they would be better employed in strengthening the weak infantry force than as a supplementary armament to the Artillery shut up in the batteries. The adaptation of the existing mountings, to enable them to be so employed, is for the consideration of the War Office.
7. Page 6, paragraph 21 (b).-The proposal of the Local Committee that the same scale of rations should apply to the Militia and to the Regulars is now concurred in.
8. Page 6, paragraph 21 (c) to (j), the Local Committee state, has been amended in accordance with the Remarks of the Colonial Defence Committee, dated July 3, 1895. In accordance with those remarks, supplies of rum, lime juice and Brand's extract, would not be required from England on alarm of war, and the amounts under this heading in the Table on pp. 24 and 25 have apparently been entered in error.
Report of Harbour Master.
9. Page 7, paragraph 2.-The bearings of the Examination anchorage limits, proposed by the Colonial Defence Committee and concurred in by the Harbour Master, should now be embodied in the Harbour Regulations on p. 37.
Defence Scheme.
10. The Colonial Defence Committee consider the Scheme as now revised, to be satisfactory as far as it can be made so with the present garrison and arrangements for reinforcing it. They understand that their strong recommendations of June 14, 1894 and July 3, 1895, that at least the present authorised infantry reinforcements should be permanently added to the strength of the troops in St. Helena, will shortly be dealt with by the Government.
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