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CHAPTER IV.
20. Page 21. With the abolition of the Section organization this Chapter will disappear. Any part of the information it embodies which it may be considered advisable to retain should be transferred to Chapter IT (1).
CHAPTER V.
21. Page 25.-This Chapter should be rewritten, so as to contain the exact orders which would be issued on receipt of the notification of impending hostilities to-
(i.) The Militia Artillery;
(ii) The Militia Infantry; (iii.) The Police;
with regard to movements, rations, quartering, equipment, and ammunition, the guards and picquets they would furnish, &c.
CHAPTER VI.
22. Page 29.-The Harbour Regulations which it is stated are being made, should be embodied in full in the next revision of the Defence Scheme. Their object should be to prevent any vessel with hostile purposes entering the harbour, either by treachery or force. For this purpose it will be necessary to tell off, in the case of war with the United States, or with any other Power when the circumstances of the time make an attack on British Guiana probable, some vessel to examine all ships other than those of the Royal Navy approaching the Demerara River. The responsibility of identifying every arrival from seaward will, in the first instance, rest on this vessel, who should direct the stranger to bring-to. Should the incoming ship, from ignorance or treachery, attempt to evade the examination-vessel, the latter should signal to the battery, which, irrespective of the position the ship may have arrived at, would bring her to either by a signal, in the shape of a shot across her bows, or, if this should be ineffectual, by firing at her. In the event of no signal being received from the examination-vessel, or, in her temporary absence, any ship proceeding at speed towards the inner water of the harbour, may be presumed to be hostile, and must be brought-to by the battery, and as soon as she reaches a certain line--conveniently termed the examination-line-she must be treated as an enemy.
The examination-line should be drawn from the battery, to prevent any mistake as to the position of the approaching ship, and so that the crossing of the line may be instantly followed by the fire necessary to stop or
sink her.
The exact direction of the examination-line will be for local determination; it is suggested, however, that it might conveniently be on the red buoy bearing about 23 degrees west of north from the battery.
The arrangement for the examination of vessels should be in the hands of the Port Authority, and should be entered in the Scheme, viz., the name of the vessel selected, the manner in which the crew will be provided, the orders to the Captain, and the system of communication which will be adopted between the vessel and the battery.
The Port Authority will assign berths to vessels in harbour, and they should not be allowed to change them without receiving permission.
A secret code of signals to enable the fort to identify Her Majesty's ships will be communicated to the station when necessary, and will obviate the necessity for any restrictions being placed on these ships requiring to enter the harbour.
23. The question of giving special powers to the Commandant to requisition transport, again referred to in Chapter VI of the present Scheme, has already been dealt with in these Remarks. It is doubtful whether powers to requisition supplies or civil labour are necessary, unless the Governor is of opinion that there would other- wise be difficulty in obtaining what is necessary for the defence at reasonable rates.
24. That part of the present Chapter VI, commencing from "As the armament of Georgetown," &c., to the end, seems out of place under the heading of "Civil
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