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No Military Arrangements.
This matter may therefore be briefly summed up by saying that no military arrangements of any description exist at Port Hamilton.
FORTIFICATIONS POSSIBLE, &C., including Torpedo Defences.
Fortification neither Expensive nor Difficult.
I could not presume, after such a short visit, to present any plans which might be followed were it proposed to defend this port, either by guns or torpedoes, but the following notes might be worthy of consideration as recording my opinion, that the fortification of Port Hamilton would not be a matter of any very great expense or difficulty.
Forts easily constructed in Commanding Positions.
A glance at the plan of the Nam How Islands will show that the area to be defended is small, whilst forts could easily be constructed in commanding positions, both for direct and flanking fire.
Entrance easily blocked by Torpedoes.
The entrances could easily be blocked by a system of torpedoes, laid down under the close cross fire of the points that must be passed to enter the harbour, nor would this appear to necessitate a very elaborate or expensive system of torpedo defence.
Blocking of Harbour, not followed by any inconvenience.
The northern and southern channels might easily be blocked up, once for all, by cheap mechanical mines, in fact, this harbour appears to present one of the rare cases in which mechanical mines might really be laid down with advantage, without any subsequent inconvenience being felt at the conclusion of hostilities.
Defence of Main Channel by Mines.
This would only leave the main channel (where no strong tide runs) to be defended by a system of ground and buoyant mines, placed where countermining, if attempted, would have to be carried on under the cross-fire of the guns and cross rays of the electric light from the surrounding hills.
Secure Site for Dockyard, &c.
If a dockyard or storehouses were constructed, either on the west of Observatory Island, or near the south village on Sunhodo Island, it would not be easy for ships outside the harbour to enfilade them, whilst, in attempting to do so, or to land troops, they would be exposed to the commanding fire of the guns in position on the hills.
Capabilities for Strong Defence.
More might be said on this subject, but this will probably be sufficient, as giving the grounds for my belief that Port Hamilton could be formed into a compact naval depôt, and be made capable of offering a strong defence.
HYDROGRAPHIC NOTES.
Reason for advancing Suggestions.
There seems little to be said about the Hydrography of Port Hamilton which may not be found in the Sailing Directions or gathered from the Admiralty Chart, which appears to be quite correct; so the few remarks that I make here, are made, not so much for the object of recording any fresh facts with respect to the harbour, but more for the purpose of advancing suggestions which might be thought worthy of consideration in the event of Port Hamilton ever becoming the naval depôt of a first rate European Power.
Grand Natural Harbour.
It has already been mentioned that this port is well sheltered and has good holding ground, and it may well be said to constitute a grand natural harbour.
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Not however completely sheltered.
There are, however, few harbours so totally sheltered in every direction, that strong winds blowing directly into them could cause no inconvenience whatever to ships riding in any part of the anchorage, and Port Hamilton cannot be fairly said to constitute one of these few.
North opening not dangerous.
Port Hamilton has an opening to the northward, but it is very narrow, and has a bar running across it from shore to shore, so that a heavy sea (even if it had space to rise between this entrance and the mainland which fronts it) would be broken, and would have no ill effects on ships lying in any part of the harbour.
Experience of H.M.S. “Merlin.”
During the time the "Merlin" remained at Port Hamilton it blew very hard from the north, but the sea in the port remained quite smooth, and admitted of gigs running about under sail.
North winds not “bad weather" winds.
Again, north winds do not appear to be "bad weather" winds at this place.
Harbour landlocked southwards.
The harbour to the southward is entirely landlocked.
Quarter from which wind would be disagreeable.
The only wind which would really be disagreeable to ships anchored in the southern part of Port Hamilton would be one from between the two points of E. by S. and S.E. by E., which might, in bad weather, send in a heavy sea through the main entrance; most of its force, though, (even in this case) would be exhausted on the shallows stretching in a southerly direction from Shoal Point.
Exceptions to perfect shelter.
Thus it appears that the only exceptions to perfect shelter afforded in every part of Port Hamilton are presented by its being open to the sea in two directions through narrow channels, partially blocked already by bars, which would form a capital ground- work, if it were desired to protect the harbour completely by breakwaters.
Harbour easily improved.
The islands abound in large boulders, and with a very ordinary amount of labour the north entrance could be completely blocked, whilst if a breakwater were run out from Shoal Point, in a south-westerly direction, as far as the 4 fathom patch, the whole of this beautiful harbour would be enclosed, giving an anchorage of 14 miles in length and mile in breadth, with a muddy bottom and average depth of 10 fathoms.
Largest Ironclad capable of entering.
Into this anchorage a deep water channel could be buoyed, through which the largest ironclad could steer a straight course in 6 fathoms at low water springs, and turn at her leisure after entering the harbour.
Suitable place for Docks, &c.
The most suitable place for the construction of docks, depôts, &c., or for the moorings of a floating dock, would seem to be somewhere near either of the two villages on Sunhodo Island. Each of the beaches fronting these villages are steep, but that of the northern one is especially so. Here ships refitting could be moored close in shore, quite out of the influence of any wind or tide whatever.
Tides.
As regards tides, the "Merlin" experienced no tides in any part of the bay, but the Sailing Directions say that strong tides are generally due to southerly winds which pile
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