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landed with a view to capturing them by a coup de main, but as the coast outside the harbour is almost impracticable for a landing for a considerable distance, this force need not be very large.

The force at present at Sierra Leone consists of four companies of the 2nd West India Regiment, numbering 426 of all ranks.

The addition, probably, of two more companies, and of a small detachment of trained artillerymen to take general charge of the batteries, assisted by Houssas to do the heavy work under their direction, would suffice for a garrison in time of war.

In consequence of the very strong current which prevails in the harbour, the employ- ment of submarine mines, which would add greatly to its security, would be attended with difficulty. It might, however, be well worthy of experiment to place a few, inter- spersed with dummies.

The estimated cost of the proposed works is as follows:-

3 7-ton guns complete

3 64-pounder guns complete

Batteries, magazines, &c.

£

3,000

1,800

8,400

13,200

(Signed)

ALEX. MILNE. HENRY BARKLY. J. L. A. SIMMONS.

BARBADOS.

Bridgetown, the chief town and port of the Island of Barbados, with a population of about 19,000 inhabitants, adjoins Carlisle Bay, an open roadstead, but is used as the principal harbour of the island, which shelters it from the prevailing winds.

The town being close to the sea, cannot be thoroughly protected against the fire of ships in the offing, which might, under the threat of bombardment, endeavour to compel the destruction or surrender of shipping at anchor in the roadstead. But it seems never- theless desirable that the existing batteries at the north and south ends of the bay, Beckwith and Rickett's Batteries, which are at present armed only with eight 24-pounder smooth-bored guns, should be remodelled and rearmed with four 7-ton and four 64-pounder rified guns, which would keep off ships not armed with very heavy artillery, and even render it probable that any ship belonging to a Power which only possesses a very distant port of refit would hesitate before incurring the risk of being disabled for the mere purpose of destroying a few ships which might happen to be in the roadstead.

The present garrison of the island is—

Artillery

European infantry, three companies..

1st West India Regiment, two companies

Total

•

115

497

154

766

It is desirable that a local organization should also be adopted here, as recommended for Jamaica, to aid the garrison in defending the batteries and town against attack by a force landed beyond the range of the guns. The estimated cost would be :-

4 7-ton guns complete

4 64-pounder guns complete Batteries, magazines, &c.

Total..

£

4,000

2,400

4,800

11,200

JAMAICA.

Kingston Harbour is of importance, not only as the chief port of Jamaica, the largest of the British West Indian Islands, but from its connection with Port Royal, which is the principal naval arsenal and depôt in the West Indies.

The Defence Committee, in consideration of the value of the commerce between Great Britain and North America and the West Indies, as well as the position of

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