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with Lieutenant-Colonel Strange, R.E., to report upon the defences necessary to place the important harbours of Esquimault and Victoria in an efficient state of permanent defence.

2. Your Ministers will no doubt concur with the Secretary of State for War that it would be desirable that the Port of Nanaimo should at the same time be examined by Colonel Lovell in company with Lieutenant-Colonel Strange.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

M. E. HICKS BEACH.

No. 41.

(Secret and Confidential.) Sir,

Colonial Office to War Office.

Downing Street, July 3, 1879. I AM direeted by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to request that you will inform Secretary Colonel Stanley that he has transmitted by to-day's mail to the Governor- General of Canada, for the information of his Government, a copy of your Secret and Confidential letter of the 30th ultimo, stating that Colonel Lovell, C.B., commanding Royal Engineers at Halifax, has been directed to proceed to Vancouver Island, and after placing himself in communication with Lieutenant-Colonel Strauge, R.A., to report upon the defences necessary to place the important harbours of Esquimault and Victoria in an efficient state of permanent defence.

2. In transmitting the letter, Sir Michael Hicks Beach observed that he had no doubt that Lord Lorne's Ministers would concur with the Secretary of State for War, that it would be desirable that the Port of Nanaimo should at the same time be examined by Colonel Lovell in company with Lieutenant-Colonel Strange.

APPENDIX.

I am, &c. (Signed)

R. H. MEADE.

Rear-Admiral de Horsey to Admiralty.

[This was inclosed in a letter from the Admiralty, dated September 6, 1878.]

(Confidential.) Sir,

"Shah," at Esquimault, June 28, 1878.

I REQUEST you will acquaint the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that on arrival at Esquimault on the 18th instant, I lost no time in complying with their Lordships' directions as contained in the latter part of your Confidential Circular letter of the 24th April last, in accordance with which I have the honour herein to report my views on the subject of the defences of Esquimault and its vinicity.

2. In order to carry out their Lordships' instructions, I directed (Appendix No. 1) Captain Bedford to take to his assistance Gunnery Lieutenant Lindsay and Captain Burrows, R.M.A., and to report fully to me on the subject of defending this port.

3. The inclosed able and lucid Report (Appendix No. 2) made by Captain Bedford, with the assistance of the officers named in the last paragraph, has much facilitated my duty in reporting on the subject under consideration, for although after personal examination of the various sites, I differ from that Report in some minor details respecting the disposition of the available guns, as hereafter shown, I fully concur with the report in the main, and especially with paragraph 6, wherein is set for the inadequacy of the proposed arrangements for the defence of Esquimault and its dockyard.

4. Appendix No. 3 and 4 being tracings from Admiralty Charts, are furnished to make my views clearer, but in considering the question I request their Lordships will be pleased to place before them the excellent Chart No. 576 "Esquimault and Victoria Harbours," which will elucidate my remarks far better than a tracing.

5. On examining the chart last mentioned, the eye will be immediately struck with the

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