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vessels at anchor, but could not be successfully used in the day-time against armed vessels or steam-ships under weigh.

The objection that occurs to me to considering the defence of Table Bay and Simon's Bay as one by moving the troops to any threatened point, consists in the embarrassment that might be caused by feint attacks or attempts at landing troops in one bay, while the real objective point was the other, or by a divided attack.

For the efficient working of such a system of defence the completion of the railway to Kalk Bay becomes an absolute necessity, and the desirability of a battery under the Muizenberg covering the beaches immediately east of it suggests itself.

The value of establishing a system of telegraph stations on the Peninsula is obvious, as is also the necessity for the provision of suitably protected powder magazines,

The Colonial Defence Committee have been misinformed as to the principal coal depôt for the navy being at Table Bay, the only depôt on the station being in the naval yard at Simon's Bay, where there is at present stored 9,000 tons.

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An objection will always exist for the maintenance of an iron-clad vessel at the Cape except in actual war, until such time as the graving-dock at Table Bay is completed, as there is no means at present of preserving the bottoms of heavy iron ships from the destructive effects of barnacles and coralline growths.

The experience of the outbreak of recent Continental wars has not been such as to justify the belief that much time will be given in the future for defensive preparations, and cannot but think that, when a well-considered system of defence for such an important position as the Cape of Good Hope has been submitted, that no time should be lost in carrying it into effect.

FRED. W. RICHARDS, Commodore.

(Signed)

(B.)

Further Report upon the Defence of the Cape Peninsula.

Cape Town, South Africa, February 14, 1880.

His Excellency the Governor of Cape Colony, on the nomination of the General commanding the forces in South Africa, appointed the following officers to be military members of a Commission to report upon the defences of the Cape Peninsula -

Colonel Hassard, C.B., Commanding Royal Engineer, South Africa, and commanding the troops in Cape Colony.

Colonel Bellairs, C.B., Deputy Adjutant- and Quartermaster-General. Lieutenant-Colonel Law, C.B., Cominanding Royal Artillery in South Africa.

2. Commodore Richards, C.B., Senior Naval Officer on the Station, was nominated a naval member, but that officer's duties having called him to the West Coast, he left a memorandum containing his views upon the defences.

3. The military members had laid before them a copy of a despatch, dated the 22nd October, 1879, from the Secretary of State for the Colonies to his Excellency the Governor of Cape Colony, together with copies of other papers therein referred to. They held several meetings and visited the different localities and existing works of defence.

4. The recommendations made by Lieutenant-General the Honourable F. A. Thesiger, C.B., in his Report dated the 23rd July, 1878, were accepted as a basis, and the accom- panying detailed estimates, prepared by the Commanding Royal Engineer, of the works proposed to be carried out, were handed in, the following slight modifications having been made, viz. :-

(1.) It is considered that a work at Craig's Town will be unnecessary, the guns to be

placed in Amsterdam Battery, already reconstructed, crossing fire with them in Fort Knokke, and sufficiently commanding the anchorage.

(2.) The following will be the contemplated armament, of the various proposed works as far as possible to meet the views contained in the paper laid before the Com-

mission:-

Table Bay:-

Fort Wynyard, three 10-in. 18-ton guns.

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two 6-ton guns. Amsterdam, two 18-ton guns.

two 6-ton guns.

Fort Knokke, one 18-ton gun.

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two 64-pounders,

Simon's Bay :-

North battery, four 18-ton guus.

South battery, four 18-ton guns.

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An advance battery south of present cemetery, Kalk Bay, two 18-ton guns. Hout's Bay :-

battery to be constructed near the site of present block-house for two 6-ton guns.

Supplemented, if possible, hereafter by torpedo defences.

5. The Commissioners concur with the recommendations made by Commodore Richards in his memorandum dated the 6th December, 1879, except that they do not find that it falls within their province to give an opinion upon the amount of expense to be hereafter borne by the respective Governments of England and the Cape Colony; and they think that the question of placing a work at Kalk Bay might be postponed for the present.

6. A battery of field-guns should, however, in their opinion, be available for the prevention of landing gun-boats, and for general land defence. Were the commissariat

and transport branch on the spot supplied as the Commissioners urge it should be, with general service waggons, the mules and drivers for the latter might be utilized for the field-guns as well, This arrangement was, and probably is still, carried out at Gibraltar.

7. Looking at the extent of coast to be observed and defended, the attached posts to be held, and the necessity for securing rapid communication, the Commissioners strongly recommend that fifty men of the infantry regiment stationed on the spot should be trained as mounted infantry.

8. Taking the number of the Imperial troops forming the garrison of the Peninsula at 200 artillery and 1,000 infantry (50 of whom to be mounted), the Commissioners consider that not less than 200 artillerymen, 2,000 infantry, and 50 (mounted volunteers should be always available from the colonial forces. The Commissioners have no infor- mation as to whether the Cape Government would be prepared to keep such a force in readiness to act under the officer commanding Her Majesty's troops, or what the probable cost of maintenance thereof would be.

9. With respect to the extension of the railway from Wynberg towards Simon's Bay, the Commissioners have been informed that a survey has been made as far as Kalk Bay, and the cost of extension to that spot estimated at 50,0001.

10. The Commissioners visited the new graving dock at Cape Town now in course of construction. They ascertained that the dock, when completed, which will not be probably before the end of 1882, will be calculated to receive ressels of the Orient Steam-ship Company class, or a moderate-sized iron-clad.

(Signed) F. C. HASSARD, Colonel, R.E.

W. BELLAIRS, Colonel, Deputy Adjutant-Generai. F. T. A. LAW, Lieutenant-Colonel, R.A.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

NEPERNI mmimmimC.O. 885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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