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Jamaica on the direct route to Panama and the Pacific, placed Port Royal fourth in the list of importance of the coaling stations of Her Majesty's ships abroad.

The port is a commodious and secure harbour, easily entered in all weathers, and capable of being made very safe against attack.

The existing works for its defence are as follows :—

1. At Port Royal, an old work comprising several batteries facing seaward, with a masonry front across the isthmus protecting the batteries from an attack by an enemy advancing along the palisades.

2. Fort Clarence and Apostles' batteries, small works on the west side of the entrance, opposite Port Royal,

3. Fort Augusta, on a spit facing the entrance of the port, an old masonry work with very thin stone parapets.

4. Rock Fort, closing the road leading along the north shore of Kingston Harbour between Long Mountain and the water.

The total armament of these various works consists of

18 8-in. smooth-bored guns.

26 32-pounder smooth-bored guns.

The whole of these defences have been reported for years to be in a very dilapidated state, and not able to resist the attack of a vessel armed with rifled artillery of even moderate calibre. In 1872 the Governor, Sir J. P. Grant, reported that while of opinion that Port Royal should be made a really strong place, for which it presents great facilities, he considered that it was much worse than a mere waste of money to keep up a garrison for what can hardly be denied now-a-days to be a sham fort. Unless full advantage be taken of the remarkable natural advantages of Kingston Bay as a safe harbour of refuge in war time, whereby the dockyard, now defenceless, may be secured, he considered the garrison at Port Royal to be manifestly useless in peace, and that in war its maintenance would be running a needless risk of incurring what would be proclaimed a disgrace. He adds that Port Royal in its present state is absolutely indefensible, and in the absence of British ships of war, would be at the mercy of a gun- boat.

The Committee are informed that nothing has been done since this very strong report was written, and that practically the entrance to Port Royal and Kingston harbours is at present defenceless.

The Committee are of opinion that the recommendations of the Defence Committee, in their Report of the 5th June last, should be carried out, viz., that-

Ten 7-ton rifled guns should be mounted for the defence of this harbour, five at Port Royal, two at Apostles' battery, and three at Rocky Point.

They also think it desirable that six 64-pounder rifled guns should be added to this armament, whenever guns can be spared for the purpose.

The Committee further recommend that in time of war, submarine mines, for the employment of which this harbour, owing to the slight rise and fall of tide, is well adapted, should be used to block all the channels leading into the harbour, except the east channel, which would be well under the guns to be mounted for its defence.

They are further of opinion that the adoption of the recommendation of the Defence Committee that a gunboat should be stationed at Port Royal would be attended with advantage.

The present garrison of Jamaica consists of--

A battery of coast artillery

Four companies of European infantry

1st West India Regiment

Total

110

328

424

862

As this force is not more than sufficient to provide for the defence of Port Royal and the batteries to be erected for the protection of the entrance to the harbour, it is desirable that some local organization should be adopted for enrolling a portion of the inhabitants of Kingston, to make it secure against attack by a force landed to the eastward.

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

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10 7-ton guns complete.. 6 64-pounder guns complete Batteries, magazines, &c. Submarine mines Gun-boat