PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
ELITTI
Reference :-
MC.O. 885
Sir,
58
Inclosure 4 in No. 127.
Victoria, British Columbia, November 15, 1875. 1. I HAVE the honour, in accordance with your request, to report as follows in reference to the proposed batteries to cover Victoria and Esquimalt Harbours.
for
2. The point shown in the accompanying plan as Battery Point is the most suitable guns that are to command both harbours, and there is room, as you are aware, on the spur running almost due south to that point to locate at least 30 guns, that would bear on the mid-channel of both harbours at ranges from 2,000 to 2,500 yards.
3. In consideration of the number and class of serviceable guns available in the accompanying return, and the local advantages offered by the harbour mouths, I would re commend the distribution shown in the accompanying plan, viz., four 40 pounder Armstrongs on Point Ogden, three 7-inch Armstrong breech-loaders at Battery Point, and three 8-inch iron 68-pounders of 95 cwt. on Fisgord Island, in front of the lighthouse.
4. The 40-pounder Armstrong is the gun still in use with the Royal Artillery as a heavy field-battery gun. The 7-inch Armstrong is most suitable for long range and accuracy of fire, and the 68-pounder of 95 cwt. is the only smooth-bore gun which, for destructive power at short ranges, holds its own against more modern rifled ordnance of equal calibre.
5. I am of opinion that little or no difficulty would be found in raising and organizing sufficient men to man these guns, and I would be very glad to undertake the duty, if ny present official duties admit of it.
6. I have spoken of the 40-pounder Armstrong as a heavy field-gun, but its more correct designation is a 'gun of position," and that position is most unquestionably at Ogden Point, where a natural battery of trap rock already exists, of the form and dimensions shown in my sketch, and would require very little artificial aid from earthwork or sandbags to render it complete.
7. I have seen these guns manoeuvred on Woolwich Common with the Horse Artillery and field-batteries, and if an arrangement were made with the horse dealers, &c., here, similar to that in force in Eastern Canada, these guns could be rendered a moveable battery, and brought to bear on any point from Esquimalt Harbour to Cordova Bay. There is nothing to prevent their being at once mounted and moved from the dockyard to Ogden Point, and the instruction drill of volunteers could then be commenced without delay.
8. As a rough estimate, exclusive of dockyard charges and the construction of expense magazines, I should say these works ought to be executed for 600 dollars, or 1201. The number of men required for the service of these guns would be 100, inclusive of officers and non-commissioned officers, in two batteries of 60 and 40 respectively, and the Seymour artillery at New Westminster might be reorganized as a third battery of the same brigade.
9. By far the most serious item of expense in this project is the value of the guns, ammunition, and stores, and dockyard transport charges, which may roughly be estimated at 3,000l., or 15,000 dollars, but I would respectfully venture to suggest for the consideration of the Major-General Commanding-in-chief" in Canada that should he be pleased, in con- sideration of the extreme strategical and commercial value of these harbours to both the Imperial and Dominion Governments, to submit the project for the favourable considera- tion of His Royal Highness the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-chief, that little or no difficulty would be experienced in inducing Her Majesty's Government to present this sum or its equivalent in the necessary war material to the Dominion Government, conditionally on the guns being effectually mounted and manned.
10. The feeling of the Colony, or I should perhaps more correctly say Province, is as far as I can judge intensely loyal to the British Crown, and an appropriate and popular designation for such a brigade if raised would be the Victoria Brigade of Royal Canadian Artillery, and it should, as far as practicable, be in all respects assimilated to a "brigade of the Royal Regiment of Artillery.
11. Booms and torpedoes would be useful adjuncts to these guns, and on this subject I have consulted Captain Long, of Her Majesty's ship "Fantôme," the senior naval officer
on this station.
The Deputy Adjutant-General,
Victoria.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
G. BLAIR, Colonel,
R. F. P. Royal Artillery.
Sir,
59
No. 128.
Colonial Office to D. J. Kennelly, Esq.
Downing Street, May 23, 1878. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant, with reference to the defence of the port of Louisburg, and I am to state that he will cause your communication to be brought to the notice of the proper authorities.
I am, &c.
Sir,
(Signed)
No. 129.
Colonial Office to Admiral Sir A. Milne, Bart., G.C.B.
R. H. MEADE.
Downing Street, May 28, 1878. 1 AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, for any observations which the Colonial Defence Committee may have to offer, a copy of a letter from a Mr. Kennelly, with reference to the defence of the port of Louisburg.
I am, &c. (Signed)
R. H. MEADE..
No. 130.
The Earl of Dufferin to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart. (Telegraphic. Paraphrase.) (Secret.)
May 24, 1878.
REPORT of the Colonial Defence Committee inclosed in Secret despatch received;
also despatch No. 95 of the 9th just received.
No. 131.
Governor Sir John H. Glover, R.N., G.C.M.G., to the Right Hon. Sir M. E. Hicks Beach, Bart. (Received May 25.) (Secret and Confidential.)
Sir,
Government House, Newfoundland, May 16, 1878. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch (Secret and Con- fidential), of 30th April, 1878,† with inclosure, on the subject of the defence of St. John's, as proposed by Committee appointed to consider temporary measures of defence of the more important Colonies.
Having consulted with Lieutenant Jackson, R.A., we arrived at the conclusion that three heavy and three light guns, with six steel mountain guns, and 1,000 stand of arms, together with torpedoes, would be sufficient to protect St. John's against "a small squadron or a single unarmoured cruizer;" this I laid before my Ministers, who in effect agreed to pay a force of 1,000 volunteers and 100 gunners. On this I sent Lieutenant Jackson to Halifax to ascertain what assistance might be obtained from that arsenal.
I inclose Minute of a Council held at Government House on the 14th May, 1878, also a Minute of a Council held this day, by which it will be seen that all that the Govern ment feel themselves in a position to undertake is to provide volunteer gunners for guns provided at the expense of the Imperial Exchequer.
I also inclose the result of two meetings held at the Commercial Rooms, together with a petition from the principal inhabitants and merchants of Harbour Grace, also a copy of a petition from the Chamber of Commerce, and one from various persons desirous of organizing a volunteer force.
have no doubt that if the guns, with nucleus of gunners, stores, ammunition, armis and accoutrements for 1,000 men are supplied free of charge to the Colony, I shall be
• No. 112.
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+ No. 63.
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