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No. 252.

Colonial Office to Admiral Sir A. Milne, Bart., G.C.B.

(Secret and Confidential.)

Sir,

Downing Street, July 25, 1878. I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you the inclosed printed correspondence, and to request that the Colonial Defence Committee will favour him with any observations which they may have to offer with regard to the defence of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island.*

2. Although, as stated by the Admiralty, Nanaimo is not an Imperial naval coaling station, yet it appears from the last paragraph of Lieutenant-General Sir Selby Smyth's second Report that all the coal for merchant steamers and for Her Majesty's Navy in the Northern Pacific comes from there, and Sir Michael Hicks Beach, therefore, is of opinion that the subject should be carefully considered.

3. In these circumstances I am to suggest, for the consideration of the Committee, whether it is advisable to adopt some defensive precautions for the protection of the coal mines at Nanaimo.

R. H. MEADE.

I am,

&c.

(Signed)

No. 253.

Memorandum, dated July 27, by Sir J. L. A. Simmons, G.C.B., on Admiral Sir A. Milne's Letter to Colonial Office, June 26, 1878, No. 202 in series.

(Secret.)

I ENTIRELY concur in the views expressed by my colleagues of the Colonial Defence Committee, in their letter of the 26th June, and am not prepared to recommend guns of 38 and 25 tons to be sent to the Cape for the defence of Table Bay, and am of opinion that it will suffice for the permanent defence of Cape Town to send out five 10-inch guns, such as are now about to be made of an improved pattern, with enlarged chambers and of greater length, to take the place of the present 18-ton gun; but I should prefer that six such guns were sent instead of five, three to be mounted on either side of the bay, at or near Kyk in de Pot and Craig's Tower.

These guns will exceed in power the present 25-ton guns, and will be quite equal to piercing any but the most powerful ironclads at a range of 3,000 yards.

Considering the very limited number of these vessels, that owing to their great cost they will never be very numerous, that as a rule they are incapable of carrying a supply of coal for very long voyages, that their number and position will be known, and therefore that they will be watched by the ships of Her Majesty's fleet; also considering the great distance of the Cape from any refitting station, which must operate to prevent an enemy's. ships from risking an action involving, to say the least, very uncertain results, in which they would be exposed to serious injury on their unarmoured parts, I am of opinion it will be unnecessary to provide heavier guns than those recommended.

I would observe, however, that it appears to me very desirable that a gun-breat mounting one of these improved 10-inch guns should be maintained as part of the defen It might manœuvre within the mole under the protection of the guns in the batteries, and, while presenting a very small target to an enemy's guns, might keep hostile cruizers at a The greater distance from the docks and town than the land batteries alone could effect. cost of one of these vessels is not great, and it is presumed that if hauled up in peace times its engine might be kept in good order at slight expense by a contract with some manufacturing firm, when it would be ready for service when required.

I also concur in the opinion expressed as to torpedo-boats.

The addition of the sixth gun would add from 7,000l. to 5,000l. to the estimate given in the letter of the 26th June, making it in one case 42,000l., and in the other about 30,000l., the former being the estimate for entirely new works, and the latter being for the modification of the works now authorized; in each case the cost of the guns and a proportion of ammunition are included.

(Signed)

J. L. A. SIMMONS.

July 27, 1878.

* No. 207.

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