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But in time of war it would be a wise and indispensable precaution to have armed cruizers all round these exposed coasts.
There is a well-instructed battery of forty-two artillerymen at Pictou, quite worthy of being entrusted with rifled guns.
I have now touched upon the chief points of defence of the four most, important ports referred to in Sir Alexander Milne's despatch.
I may observe also that we have recently armed the following less important sea ports since the arrival of the "Cimbria" in American waters, viz.: Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, four 32-pounders, and raised forty-two artillerymen.
Digby, Nova Scotia, six 32-pounders; there is a battery of artillerymen there. New Liverpool, Nova Scotia, two 32-pounder guns and a battery of artillerymen. St. Andrew's, New Brunswick, two 32-pounder guns, and reorganized a battery of artillerymen.
There can be no doubt that wherever we have 32-pounder smooth-bore guns we ought to have rifled cannon to repel an attack by ships armed with modern rifled artillery, for which smooth-bore guns are inadequate.
It is only a question of expense, and that must be the main point of consideration for the Government.
The Colonial Defence Committee propose an outlay by the Dominion Government of no less than a maximum sum of 50,000 or 48,0002, according to whichever proposed alternative is adopted, and subject also to a further probable deduction of 11,2007. for Charlotte Town, but in the smallest estimate about 36,0001. sterling.
It is proposed this Government should purchase nineteen 7-ton 7-inch muzzle- loading rifled guns, and nineteen 64-pounder rifled guns.
The first-named guns are stated to cost 1,000/. each.
The latter 6001. each.
I may here observe, with respect to the 64-pounder rifled guns, that last year we purchased from the British Government fifteen Palliser muzzle-loading converted rifled H-pounder guns at a cost of 1551. 58. 8d. each.
In the Woolwich Vocabulary of 1875-76 the cost of these guns is set down at 1011. 12. 2d., plus 5 per cent., and proof 91. 14s., or less than 1201. per gun.
The Palliser converted gun is a hardy, serviceable, and economical weapon, and I recommended and urged the purchase of ten more of these guns last year, but it was not adopted. I wish it had been.
If the Canadian Government feels itself in a position to purchase nineteen 7-ton guns and nineteen 64-pounder rifled guns, our long lines of sea-coast would then be tolerably well-armed; but the former are valuable and costly guns, and wherever they are mounted they should have a small party of artillerymen permanently stationed to take care of them. They would all be in exposed positions, and only a volunteer militia to man them, they would be liable to damage, to be choked by idle persons with stones, and to be otherwise injured unless permanently guarded. The same may apply to the 64-pounder guns, but they are much less costly, and a caretaker at each battery might possibly be sufficient for them.
If the Government, however, should be disposed to adopt the recommendations of the Defence Committee in extenso, and doubtless those recommendations are practically sound, and these coasts should have every gun they propose, I feel quite sure the militia will strain every nerve to work these guns with all the scientific knowledge they can acquire and apply.
Should, however, the Government on reflection consider the 7-ton guns beyond their means to purchase and to protect, then it is my duty to recommend that an equal number of -pounder converted Palliser rifled guns should be procured in lieu, making a total of thirty-eight or forty rifled cannon of that calibre (or a proportion of both descriptions), which would arm all the positions proposed by the Defence Committee, with a few guns over for batteries recently armed with 32-pounders only.
The Palliser 64-pounders cost about 1601. each, besides the expense of carriages, which latter can, if necessary, be built in Canada, that plan having been found to answer for the rifled guns on Fort Dufferin recently placed upon traversing platforms.
When Captain Palliser was out here last year, he keenly took up the question of converting our smooth-bore guns into rifled cannon, according to Sir William Palliser's principle, and had actually made arrangements with the Canada Engine Works, owned by Messrs. Gilbert, at Montreal, for that purpose.
A 32-pounder was lent them to operate upon, and, if successful, the question of conversion would have been submitted to the Government, but I regret to say, when recently in Montreal, I visited the Canada Engine Works in company with Lieutenant-
111
Colonel Strange, Royal Artillery, Dominion Inspector, and to our great disappointment we found that, owing to temporary impecuniosity, the Messrs, Gilbert hud made no progress nor attempt with this trial gun, but they promised faithfully they would be shortly in a position to do so.
However, it will not do to trust to chance in such matters, for even if they could undertake to turn out converted cannon, and projectiles eventually, it would be some time before they could be ready, Meantime, I strongly recommend the purchase of forty -pounder Palliser rifled guns; from Woolwich they could be dispatched before summer is
over.
Sir William Armstrong would charge more than if bought at Woolwich Arsenal, besides his guns are, as well as very expensive, of a different character from Sir William Palliser's converted gun, and considering that Sir W. Palliser has this year presented the Dominion Government with a 7 and an 8-inch gun, both now at Quebec, and later with a 10-inch gun, which he will shortly send out, I think we owe him every consideration, and I am sure, when I let him know we require a supply of guns, he will use his best efforts to assist this Government, to whom he has already shown such good-will.
We have in this country 19 8-inch guns, 135 32-pounders, 209 24-pounders, 32 18-pounders, all smooth-bore, and capable of conversion if we had the requisite machinery at work; all the above could be converted into 64-pounder and 40-pounder rifled cannon.
I have not touched upon the defence of Esquimalt and Victoria on the Pacific, as the despatch related principally to Atlantic ports. I may, however, add that Lieutenant- Colonel Irwin, Royal Artillery, is superintending the construction of a two-gun battery on Beacon Hill, Victoria, and a four-gun battery on McAulay's Point, lying between Victoria and Esquimalt Bays, protecting the former in cross_fire with Beacon Hill, and at long range, commanding also the entrance or approach to Esquimalt Navy Yard.
The true defence for the latter, however, is a battery on Fisgard Island, at the narrow strait between the bay and basin, where there should be also a two-gun battery of heavy guns manned, I think, consistently with its purpose, by seamen of the squadron or by Marine Artillery. A battery of two-guns on a neighbouring height commanding the inner bay would be an additional protection to the Navy Yard.
I think the defence of Nanaimo should on no account be overlooked. All the coal for merchant steamers and for Her Majesty's Navy in the Northern Pacific comes from Nanaimo, and it is utterly undefended except by a single company of volunteer infantry.
I have, &c.
(Signed) ED. SELBY SMYTH, Lieutenant-General.
The Hon. A. MacKenzie, M.P., Premier.
(Secret and Confidential.)
Sir,
No. 218.
Colonial Office to War Office.
Downing Street, July 3, 1878. WITH reference to your Secret and Confidential letter of the 21st ultimo,* I am directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to request that you will state to Secretary Colonel Stanley that he will be glad to be informed whether the War Depart- ment will be willing to furnish the nucleus of gunners and small arms, &c., referred to in the letter from this Department of the 29th May last,† for the Government of Newfound. land, providing the Colony should be prepared to defray the expense.
2. If the War Office should be able to comply with the wishes of the Government of Newfoundland in this respect, I am to request to be furnished with an estimate of the expense for providing a military training force, as well as an estimate of the cost for small arms, &c.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
R. H. MEADE,
No. 136.
• No. 184.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 885
4 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE,
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
LONDON
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