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of Her Majesty's possessions in the Southern Continent. Her chief port, Durban, is only about 1,300 miles from Madagascar.

The native population of Natal, numbering about 400,000, continues absolutely loyal to the Crown and submissive to the local government.

Beyond the northern, southern, and western boundaries of the Colony live the Zulu, Pondo, and Basuto tribes or nations. There is no present reason to fear that, should affairs he wisely directed, danger need be apprehended from any of those quarters. Everything will depend, however, upon the wisdom, discretion, and foresight that may be employed in the maintenance of relations with the races I have named.

The boundaries of Natal are delimited by fordable rivers on the north and south; by the Drakensberg mountain range on the west, and by the sea on the east.

The existence of a far outnumbering native population within and beyond the frontiers of Natal has from a very early period in the history of the Colony caused especial attention to be directed to local defensive organization.

For some years after British sovereignty was proclaimed the Dutch pioneer farmers in the upper districts maintained their simple but effective "burgher" organization, under "field commandants" and "field cornets."

To Natal belongs the distinction, if I mistake not, of having established the first fully organized volunteer corps in the Empire. I refer to the Royal Durban Rangers, raised in the year 1853, under Governor Pine's auspices. Since that date the volunteer service of the Colony has been maintained in varying strength and efficiency, according to the circumstances of the time.

On seven separate occasions the volunteers have been summoned to active service, and have heartily responded to the call. Apart from the Zulu war, their most remarkable exploit was the successful pursuit of the rebel Chief Langalibalele through the trackless defiles of the Drakensberg and Double Mountains, before deemed to be impenetrable. This difficult and perilous operation was carried out entirely by Colonial men under Colonial leaders, and at Colonial cost.

At the present moment the volunteer service in Natal is in a condition of unprecedented strength and efficiency.

In 1874 it was deemed desirable to reorganize on a larger scale and more efficient basis a permanent force of mounted police. This body of men was increased three years ago to a strength of 300; but financial exigencies last year led to a reduction of its strength on the understanding that when the revenue might permit, and circumstances necessitate, the numerical strength of the force would be increased again.

In the year 1850 a small body of native police was in existence, but after the mutiny of the Cape Mounted Rifles during the Cape frontier war of that year, it was deemed prudent to disband that force. Since then no regular native force has been organized, but on several occasions native levies have been called out for emergent service, while in the Zulu war the native contingents furnished by Natal played a useful and prominent part both in the Colony and in Zululand.

It may here be stated that the Natal native shows a peculiar aptitude for either military or police service.

So much for internal defence. As regards defence from attack by sea, it may be assumed that the only point of strategic interest is the seaport, Durban.

The rest of the

seaboard is more or less rock-bound and surf-swept. No commander in his senses would venture to land troops upon it.

Neither shoals nor reefs beset the approach to Durban. The harbour is sheltered and commanded on the south by a bold headland some 250 feet high, off which vessels of any draught can lie or pass within a distance of a few hundred yards. The town, however, lies behind a range of low sand dunes, now built over, and could be easily shelled by vessels sweeping through or stationed in the outer anchorage.

Owing to the surf that ordinarily breaks upon the bar and beach, and the distance that boats would have to travel before reaching shore, it is very doubtful whether any assailant would venture to attempt a landing in the face of fire from the beach.

The port is at present absolutely undefended by any battery. Ordnance is represented at Durban by two small 6-pounder Armstrong field-pieces that have done service for the Durban Volunteer Artillery during the last quarter of a century.

When I left Natal a committee was about to inspect and report upon the defensibility of the town and harbour. In the absence of their report it would be inexpedient on my part to discuss the details of the question. It is understood, however, that the erection and equipment of two batteries on either side of the entrance would suffice to secure the place from hostile approach. In some quarters it is maintained that such batteries would be unequal to the task of repelling an enemy's iron-clad cruizer, and that it would be a

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wiser policy to let the foe do his worst, neither offering resistance nor submitting' to indemnity. The former alternative is one that does not as yet commend itself to my approval.

I offer no opinion on the question whether the damage that might possibly be done by bombardment would not be much less in value than the amount of any probable indemnity.

I think it will be obvious that, under these circumstances, the most effective aid to resistance would be that offered by naval resources, whether taking the form of cruizer, gunboat, or torpedo service, or all combined.

The heavy strain that has been imposed upon the revenues of Natal by railway and harbour works, as well as by war charges, has prevented any expenditure in this direction.

The Colonists, nevertheless, have organized a very efficient corps of "naval volunteers" at the port, and have offered to man and maintain at their own cost any batterics or defensive work that may be erected.

Apart from the political importance of the position of Durban, it is a point which upou strategic grounds is also worth holding. The harbour is landlocked, and the bar which has so long obstructed the entrance is in course of rapid removal by the works that have been in progress since 1882. At present vessels of 15 feet draught obtain easy ingress and egress.

As soon as a channel has been blasted through a ledge of rock which forms "sill" within the entrance, there is every reason to believe that the inner harbour or natural dock will be accessible at all times to vessels of any burden.

&

A line of railway now connects that harbour with the districts of Klip River and Newcastle, where, according to the official report of Mr. F. W. North, F.G.S., Colonial Mining Engineer, a coal-field containing an estimated quantity of 2,073,000,000 tons of coal of good quality exist. The terminus of the present main line is situated only 13 miles from the nearest coal-pit, and the local Legislature has made provision for the immediate extention of the line to that point and beyond.

Whatever, therefore, may happen at sea or elsewhere, the Empire possesses at Durban a harbour connected by railway with a coal-field of proved value and productiveness. In other words, Durban can at once be made a coaling station half-way on the great Eastern Ocean route, where supplies of coal can be obtained by Her Majesty's navy or the merchant service, irrespective and independent of any ocean war risks to colliers or cruizers.

The importance of this fact (1) to Imperial and naval interests, (2) to the general and commercial interests of the Empire, and (3) to the interests of our Australasian and Indian possessions, cannot, I venture to think, be overrated.

I will say nothing more here as to the general value of Natal as a possession than that the recent discoveries of gold, both within and just beyond the Colony, promise to yield very largely to the wealth of the Empire and the relief of metallic necessities.

Before proceeding to specify the provision made by Natal for its internal defence, it is necessary to state that the European population of Natal set down in the blue book for 1885 at 20,214 males and 16,487 females, representing a total of 36,701.

The total numerical strength of the Colonial volunteer service for the same year was stated at 1,080, thus distributed :-

7 mounted corps

1 artillery corps

3 infantry corps

1 naval corps

501

57

414 108

The strength of the Natal mounted police in 1885 was 278 officers, non-commissioned officers, and men, making a total strength of organized defensive corps of 1,358, or about

7 per cent. of the entire male European population.

The charges borne by the Colony on account of strictly defensive services for 1885

were :-

Local charges

Contributions towards the Imperial forces

In addition thereto may be reckoned the interest

payable upon the Colonial contribution towards Zulu war expenses (250,000.)

Or a full total of

£

£

54,498

7,515

62,013

12,500

74,513

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