Plate VII.*
ཝཱ
168
The total garrison for the place would then stand as follows:-
Artillery Engineers
sub-miners
93
Infantry
Totals
::::
Imperial.
Local.
Total.
118
934
100
472 100
20
* 20
900
1,138
500
*1,400
854
1,992
Nanaimo. The only objects in defending Nanaimo at present are to insure a supply of coal to our own steamers in the Pacific, and to deny them to an
enemy.
In the Eastern Pacific anthracite coal has been found and worked at Queen Charlotte's Islands. Coal of a good quality for steam purposes, but giving out dense smoke, underlies the greater part of the northern and eastern districts of Van- couver Island, and has been worked at Quatsino Sound on the north-west, Port Rupert, Baynes Sound, and Nanaimo on the eastern coast. All these workings are now closed except those at Nanaimo, where the greater portion of the mines lie about 3 or 4 miles from the shore.
Coal, of which about four tons are equivalent for steam purposes to three of Nanaimo coal, has been found at Bellingham Bay, Coos, Seattle, &c., in and near Puget Sound, in Washington Territory, but all the mines have given out except those at Seattle, which are being worked successfully.
Half the Straits of Fuca, and the greater part of the Straits of Georgia, being American water, would be neutral to any other Power, and I believe that men-of- war once within the entrance of the straits would be able to go to Puget Sound to coal, and therefore they would be independent of Nanaimo. On leaving Puget Sound they could, while still in neutral water, move to within 30 miles of Nanaimo, which, on this account, should be strongly fortified, so long as Esquimalt depends for its supply of coal on the water communication with Nanaimo. This communi- cation is, however, so entirely commanded by the Island of San Juan, that in a war with the States the supply would be very precarious. I did not visit the mines to the north, but was informed that, although out of working order, there would be little difficulty in obtaining coal from them, more particularly from those in Baynes 'Sound.
Nanaimo Harbour consists of two parts-Departure Bay to the north, and Nanaimo Harbour proper to the south.
These two harbours are separated by two rocky and well-wooded islands, and are connected by a narrow and deep channel, in which, at about the middle of its length, is a bar with a dangerous rock, causing very troublesome currents and tide rips. The harbours can be approached either from the north of Gabriola Island, or from the south by Northumberland Channel, between that island and the main- land;
the former is always open, the latter is difficult to navigate except at high tide.
The coal wharves are at the back of the harbour. a mile retired from the entrances; there is one wharf on the inner shore of Newcastle Island, but the mine is now closed. The wharf from which the navy generally obtain their coal is at the north-west corner of Departure Bay.
For defence against attack from the sea the place has fair capabilities. Horswel! Bluff, on the northern side of the entrance of Departure Bay, is a good site for guns to fire seaward, to command the entrance of the harbour, and to bear upon any vessel that might have forced its way into the harbour. The height above the sea is too great for heavy guns to be depressed so as to command the deep but narrow channel between Jesse's Island and the mainland. The whole of the bluff is so densely wooded that it was not practicable to select the exact site for a battery. The only road to the bluff is a rough track for hauling timber, not practicable for guns, but there are no obstacles to a good road being made.
Opposite to Horswell Bluff is the almost perpendicular rocky cliff of Newcastle Island, on whose summit, which is broken rock, covered with trees, are several good positions for batteries. Boulder Point, 130 feet above the sea, commands the north side of the entrance, but guns mounted here could not be depressed to see the water
• Not printed.
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169
near the cliff. McKay Point and Angle Point are good positions for a battery to protect the entrance to Departure Bay, and to give a distant fire upon vessels attempting the entrance of Nanaimo Harbour.
For the further protection of this latter harbour there is a very good place for a battery at the south end of Protection Island about 35 feet above the sea, and a second position is offered on Sharp's Point, behind which, if unoccupied, an enemy might lie in security and bombard the town.
The entrance of both harbours are well adapted for torpedo defence with obser- vation mines.
The foregoing remarks apply entirely to defence by permanent works, but these must not be thought of unless it is proposed to maintain a garrison of regular troops to take care of the works, armament, and stores. Without such a garrison the provision of permanent works would only be a waste of money. Whatever may be the cause, the Dominion Government seem devoid of interest in the defensive works of the country, and even the carriages, &c., lent to them by the Admiralty for the defence of the harbour at Esquimalt are being destroyed for want of a little paint, which the officer in charge is unable to obtain.
Not less than two or three 64-pounder or 7-inch guns would be required at each of the points mentioned for an efficient permanent defence of Nanaimo, and it seems a question whether the money required for establishing those works, with their magazines, &c., and the barracks for the garrison, together with the cost of maintenance, &c., would not be expended to a greater advantage in assisting to make a railway from Nanaimo to Esquimalt, a distance of about 55 miles, whereby not only would the coal trade of the place be developed, but a constant supply would be insured to the ships of the navy without the risk of its being cut off at the Island of San Juan.
>
Failing the establishment of a permanent garrison, the only alternative is the resort to guns of position, to be kept in store until required, and then moved to emplacements prepared beforehand. At Departure Bay there would be facilities for this at the coal works in the north-west corner of the bay, from whence a road might be cut to Horswell Bluff.
The Superintendent of the mines, with his engineering staff and miners, would, if enrolled and trained, be sufficient to take care of the guns, if paid by the Imperial Government, and work them in action.
The surface of Newcastle Island being too much broken and too rugged for the movement of guns of this nature, and there being no inhabitants on the island who could be entrusted with their care, the whole of the guns for the defence of Depar- ture Bay should be kept on the mainland.
The entrance of the southern harbour does not afford the same facilities for a defence of this character. Sharp Point is cut off from the town by the embouchure of the Nanaimo River, and can only be reached by land by a circuit of about 12 miles, too great a distance for guns to be moved with the present appliances of the town.
Protection Island, which is uninhabited, is cut off from the town by a channel about 1,500 yards wide. Guns might be taken across this channel in a scow, towed by a small steamer, and on the inner shore of the island are several points at which landing-places might be formed, and from whence roads could be made to the emplacements.
This latter is the kind of defence I would recommend for Nanaimo, and it would require:-
Eight guns of position (40-pounder Armstrong).
Two magazines.
One scow-steam-tug could be hired.
Road to Horswell Point, 1,600 yards.
Road on Protection Island, 400 yards.
Two sheds for guns.
New Westminster, Burrard Inlet, and the Canada Pacific Railway.
New Westminster is at the head of that part of the Fraser River (about
15 miles from the mouth) which is accessible to the steamers plying in the Straits
of Fuca, &c.; beyond this point powerful stern-wheel steamers are employed to take passengers and merchandize to Yale, the head of the navigable water."
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
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