CO885(3-4) — Page 238

CO882 & CO885 Colonial Office Confidential Prints 理藩院機密印刊 All

1

10 7-ton guns complete..

6 64-pounder guns complete

Batteries, magazines, ko. Submarine mines Gun-boat

Total

.

:::::

:

::::::

£

10,000

3,600

10,000

3,000

13,000

39,600

NEWFOUNDLAND.

St. John's, the principal port and capital of Newfoundland, is situated on an estuary

of the sea, the entrance to which is through a channel about 1,200 yards long, varying in width from 100 to 300 yards.

The existing defences of the harbour are as follows:-

1. Fort Amherst, at the seaward entrance of the channel, mounting five 68-pounder smooth-bore guns.

2. Chain rock battery at the narrows, mounting two 32-pounder and one 68-pounder

smooth-bore guns.

3. Waldegrave Battery, about 300 yards inside the last, mounting three 32-pounder

and one 68-pounder guns.

4. Queen's Battery on the heights, mounting six 32-pounder smooth-bore guns.

5. Fort William; a keep near the town mounting three 32-pounder guns, and one

13-inch mortar.

6. Quiddy Vidi Battery, commanding the entrance to a small harbour of that name, about a mile to the north of the harbour, which affords the only good landing in the neighbourhood.

Considering the narrowness of the entrance, the Committee are of opinion that the present defences afford a very fair amount of protection to the harbour; but it is desirable, as soon as guns can be spared for the purpose, that two 7-ton guns should be sent out to be mounted either at Fredericks Battery or Chain Rock, as may be con- sidered most desirable, which with the smooth-bored guns would, considering the extreme narrowness of the channel, render this harbour secure against any attack to which it may be exposed.

There is no garrison at present in Newfoundland; it would therefore be necessary, with a view to manning the batteries, either that artillery should be sent out for the purpose, or a local force will have to be raised, which should be principally artillery, there being from the nature of the coast but little risk of a force landing with a view to capturing the batteries by a coup de main.

The Committee would suggest that if such a force can be raised, assistance should,

if necessary, be given by the loan of a few officers to organize it, there being no garrison or trained body of men in the island upon which to form it.

The estimated cost of the proposed additions is :-

2 7-ton guns complete

Additions to batteries

£

2,000

1,200

Total

3,200

ABSTRACT of Cost of Proposed Works.

Armament.

Cost.

Total.

7-ton. 64-pr.

Works.

Guns.

Sub-marine Defences.

Gun-boats.

£

£

£

£

£

New Zealand

11

11

26,000

17,600

43,600

Esquimalt

6

6

16,000

9,600

25,600

Victoria, British Columbia

3

3

8,400

4,800

13,200

Newfoundland

2

1,200

2,000

3,200

Jarnaica

10

10,000

13,600

3,000

13,000

39,Є00

Barbados

4

4,800

6,400

11,200

Sierra Leone..

3

8,400

4,800

13,200

Total

39

33 74,800 58,800

3,000

13,000 149,600

Total of former abstract

58

36 101,800

79,600 19,000

65,000 265,400

97

69 176,600 188,400 72,000

78,000

415,000

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

CO. 885

4 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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