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39. Pages 102 to 101.-It is scarcely necessary to reproduce in the Defence Scheme the Geneva Convention in extenso. It is printed in the "Manual of Military Law," a copy of which should, in accordance with the Queen's Regulations, be in possession of every officer.
40. Page 109, Traffic Regulations, paragraphs 1 to 3.-These paragraphs fix the responsibility of "bringing to" vessels desirous of entering Castrics Harbour at a certain place on the vessels themselves. Since this subject was last dealt with by the Colonial Defence Committee, the experience gained by a careful examination of the conditions of the various defended ports of the Empire has shown some modification to be necessary in the general arrangements, by which the exclusion of a hostile vessel endeavouring to enter a British port by fraud or treachery is insured. It is now thought uccessary to put the responsibility of identifying every arrival from seaward, in the first instance, on the examination vessel, who should direct the stranger to bring to. Should the incoming ship, either from ignorance or treachery, attempt to evade the examina- tion vessel, the latter should signal to the batterics, and they, irrespective of the position the ship may have arrived at, would bring her to cither by a signal, in the shape of a shot across her bows, or, if this was 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 waters of a harbour, may be presumed to be hostile, and must be brought to by the batteries, and, as soon as she reaches the inner limit of the examination anchorage, conveniently termed the examination linc, she must be treated as an enemy. The examination line should be drawn from a gun, 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. It will be necessary that this gun should be fully manned both by day and night.
Applying these principles to the case of Port Castries, it would appear that, with the existing armament, No. II 6-inch B.L. gun at the Vigie is the most suitably placed to act in support of the examination vessel, and that the examination line, as above described, should run from this gun to the Tapion Rock, on the opposite side of the harbour. A quick-firing gun would naturally be much more suited for this service, and, in arranging for any rearmament at St. Lucia, the War Office will doubtless bear in mind the advisability of placing at least 1-6-inch Q.F. in such a position that it can fire from a short range approximately along the line, joining the westerly extremities of Vigie and Toc.
The examination line should be shown on the large scale map accompanying the Scheme.
It should, of course, be clearly understood that armed vessels, recognized to be hostile, should be fired at as soon as they come within effective range, whatever may be their position.
41. Maps.-The following places referred to in the Scheme are not traced on the maps accompanying it :-
Barra Barra Hill (p. 24).
Spurs A and B, overlooking upper portion of Choc Valley (p. 24).
Anse Chastanet (p. 25).
The contouring of the ground to the south-west of the Choc River requires filling in on the map at the end of the Scheme.
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December 13, 1898.
(Signed)
M. NATHAN, Secretary,
Colonial Defence Committee.
PRINTED AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE BY J. W, HARRISON.—16/12/98.
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