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2. That any defence of the new harbour approaches with any of the present arma- ment, or with torpedoes, would be both futile and injudicious without the roadstead being also defended.
3. Should it be possible to obtain suitable rifled ordnance, the following sites should be at once prepared and armed: Mount Palmer; the lower battery, Mount Faber; Mount Siloso, and Tanjong Kutong, where a sand-bag battery might very readily be thrown up.
Under existing circumstances, therefore, the Committee can only advise that rifled guns and torpedoes be telegraphed for, and that until their arrival the defence of the Colony must be left to Her Majesty's Navy.
C. A. S. DICKINS, Colonel, 28th Regiment, Commanding
(Signed)
Troops, Straits Settlements.
CHAS. F. HOTHAM, Captain, R.N.
J. F. A. McNAIR, Colonial Engineer and Surveyor-General.
Singapore, April 8, 1878.
Inclosure 4 in No. 224.
Report.
THE Committee having met at Government House, and consulted further with his Excellency the Governor as to the steps possible to be taken for the defence of the port and settlement of Singapore, pending the arrival of the 6-ton muzzle-loading rifled guns from England, advise that the seven 68-pounders, which the Committee, since writing their report of the 8th instant, have been given to understand are serviceable, be placed in the following positions :-
Two 68-pounders at Tanjong Kutong.
Three 68-pounders at Mount Palmer.
Two 68-pounders at Mount Faber (lower battery).
The Committee further recommend that the carriages of all guns to be placed in position be thoroughly overhauled, and any necessary repairs made forthwith. Further, that the guns to be removed from Fort Canning be replaced by such serviceable 8-inch and other guns as may be available, to be ready to meet with any local disturbance that might arise.
The Committee consider that no time should be lost in placing these guns (68-pounders) in the positions indicated, but that beyond this no defence measures are at the immediate disposal of the Government, which, as already stated, must rely upon Her Majesty's Navy for its principal support and defence.
(Signed)
C. A. S. DICKINS, Colonel, 28th Regiment, Commanding
Troops, Straits Settlements.
CHAS. F. HOTHAM, Captain, R.N. J. F. A. McNAIR, Colonial Engineer.
Singapore, April 17, 1878.
Inclosure 5 in No. 224.
Sir,
Government House, Singapore, April 18, 1878. THE Defence Committee, on which you have been so good as to sit, having advised that the measures enumerated in the accompanying Memorandum be carried out with as little delay as possible, I have the honour to request that you will be good enough to give such orders as may be necessary for giving effect to the recommendations of the Committee.
The Colonial Works Department will co-operate with the military authorities in this matter, and will on demand furnish any labour and materials which the military depart- ments may be unable to supply, leaving it to be decided hereafter by which Government the expenses incurred are to be borne.
I write on the assumption that the 68-pounder guns are serviceable, on which point I am at present without definite information. Of course if it should come to your know- ledge that the guns in question are unserviceable, it would be useless to go to the expense of removing them..
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