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Inclosure in No. 116.

Report of a Committee of the Honourable the Privy Council for Canada, approved by his Excellency the Governor-General on the 19th day of January, 1880.

THE Committee of Council have had under consideration the Circular despatches of the 21st and 22nd October last from the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies, with their inclosures, relative to the Royal Commission to inquire into the state of Defences of Colonial Ports and Naval Stations.

The Honourable the Minister of Militia and Defence, to whom said despatches, with inclosures, have been referred, reports that his Department will be at any time in readiness to procure the information that may be required by the Royal Commission, as mentioned *in the above-quoted clocuments.

The Committee recommend that a copy of this Minute, when approved, be transmitted to Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies.

No. 117.

Certified,

(Signed)

J. O. COTÉ, Clerk, Privy Council, Canada.

Governor Sir J. Glover, G.C.M.G., to the Right Hon. Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bart.--- (Received February 3.)

Sir,

Government House, Newfoundland, January 26, 1880. IN reference to my despatches of the 25th and 26th† November, 1879, I have the honour to report, for your information and that of the Secret Defence Commission, that in company with Lieutenant Morgan, Royal Marine Light Infantry, my private Secretary and Aide-de-camp, I inspected the forts, magazines, and barracks at St. John's, and some points in the immediate neighbourhood where a hostile force might be landed; and directed Lieutenant Morgan to drawn up a Report, together with suggestions which may prove useful when considering the measures to be taken for insuring the defence of the town and harbour of St. John's; the town of Harbour Grace; and the organization of a naval coast defence force for Newfoundland.

2. I have now the honour to forward the very able and exhaustive Report prepared by Lieutenant Morgan, which I feel confident will be considered by the Commission as reflecting great credit on that officer.

3. I would only further observe that the wealth in shipping, steamers, and stores of all kinds collected in the town and harbour of St. John's presents to an enterprising enemy at the commencement of hostilities the most tempting and unprotected prize, upon which to make an easy and successful raid, of any seaport in the British possessions on this side of the Atlantic.

4. Another object of the enemy would be to capture our sealing fleet of steamers; these vessels are built as strong as wood and iron can make them, in order to resist the pressure of the ice, and are capable of being fitted to carry one or more heavy guns.

If they were let loose on the trade of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and maritime provinces of the Dominion of Canada, they would destroy a vast amount of property both on shore and afloat before our cruizers could dispose of them.

Trusting these observation may not be considered out of place, I have, &c.

JOHN H. GLOVER.

(Signed)

Inclosure in No. 117.

Report by Lieutenant Morgan, R.M., on the Batteries, Barracks, &c., at St. John's, Newfoundland, with Suggestions for the Defence of the Colony.

To accompany this Report,—

Map 1. Showing the coast, and town and harbour of St. John's, with the various

roads converging on the capital.

Map 2. Showing the various forts, batteries, and Government buildings at

St. John's.*

Map 3. Geological, and showing the whole Island of Newfoundland.❤

* Not printed.

+ No. 66.

96

Report on the Defences of Newfoundland.

In the following Report upon the state of the fortifications, barracks, and general defensive capabilities of Newfoundland, it has been considered unnecessary to enter fully into statistics and details connected with the island itself, and only sufficient reference will be made to render the Report useful for the purpose for which it is intended.

From its geographical position, both with respect to Canada and England, Newfound- Geographical position

most important, land may be considered as the key to the St. Lawrence and the vast Imperial dependencies in North America. The last census taken in 1874 gave a total population of 161,499, including 8,651 on the west, or that part of the coast of Newfoundland where the French have certain fishery privileges under existing Treaties; it also includes 2,416 on that portion of the Labrador coast under the Newfoundland Government, excluding Esquimaux and natives. This census showed an increase of 14,913 over that of 1869, and assuming

the increase since the year 1875 to be in the same proportion, the population of Newfound- Population. land at the present time may be estimated at about 180,000; nearly two-thirds of the entire population is to be found on the Peninsula of Avalon.

According to the census of 1874 there were 37,259 persons engaged in catching and curing fish, and 20,647 able-bodied seamen engaged as fishermen in this Colony and its dependencies.

The seal fishery is prosecuted during the months of March and April, and sometimes Fisheries. during the early part of May, and upon its termination preparations are made for the ensuing cod fishery, which begins about the end of May and continues until October.

て

1. Towns.

The principal towns in the island `are St. John's and Harbour Grace, but Carbonear Towns

may also be considered of some importance. The two latter are situated on the west side of Conception Bay.

Harbour Grace is a very flourishing place of about 8,000 inhabitants. It is the capital Harbour Grace.

of Conception Bay, and is the next town in importance to St. John's.

Carbonear was once a town of considerable importance, but it is not so much so in the Carbonear. present day.

Placentia was a very important place whilst under the dominion of the French. The Placentia. position is a good one for a naval station, as it commands and protects the approaches to the Gulf of St Lawrence.

2. Telegraphs.

The Atlantic telegraph cable between Ireland and Newfoundland is landed at Heart's Telegraph.

The Content, and from this point it is carried overland via Harbour Grace to Placentia. ends of the telegraph cables to St. Pierre and Cape Breton Island are landed at Placentia. There is telegraphic communication between St. John's and Harbour Grace, Carbonear, and Placentia.

3. Description of St. John's.

St. John's, the capital of Newfoundland, and the seat of Government, has a population St. John's. of about 25,000, and employs upwards of 12,000 tons of shipping.

See Maps 1 and 2.

The harbour forms a deep inlet on the extreme eastern coast of Newfoundland, and Harbour. although small, it is convenient and secure, having deep water and excellent anchorage. Its entrance is narrow, and varies in width from 200 to 350 yards. It forms a passage called the "Narrows." After passing this the harbour bends in a westerly direction, and is completely cut off from view from the sea by the high land on the south side.

The Narrows are shut in by two lofty ranges of mountains-the nearest point on the The Narrows. north side, called Signal Hill, towers almost perpendicularly 520 feet above the water. 8 Map 2. The range on the south side rises with scarcely less abruptness to a still greater elevation, 740 feet, forming an almost inaccessible border to the south side of the harbour. The harbour is not often frozen over in winter-perhaps once in eight years-and is accessible at all seasons, except when the prevalence of easterly winds during February and part of March drives heavy field ice upon the coast. There is a depth of water in the harbour for the largest vessels, which can be securely moored at the wharves which line both sides of

the harbour.

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