CAB7-1 — Page 95

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But in time of war it would be a wise and indispensable precaution to have armed cruizers all round these exposed coasts.

There is a well-instructed battery of forty-two artillerymen at Pictou, quite worthy of being entrusted with rifled guns.

I have now touched upon the chief points of defence of the four most important ports referred to in Sir Alexander Milne's despatch.

I may observe also that we have recently armed the following less important sea- ports since the arrival of the "Cimbria" in American waters, viz.: Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, four 32-pounders, and raised forty-two artillerymen.

Digby, Nova Scotia, six 32-pounders; there is a battery of artillerymen there. New Liverpool, Nova Scotia, two 32-pounder guns and a battery of artillerymen.

St. Andrew's, New Brunswick, two 32-pounder guns, and reorganized a battery of artillerymen.

There can be no doubt that wherever we have 32-pounder smooth-bore guns we ought to have rifled cannon to repel an attack by ships armed with modern rifled artillery, for which smooth-bore guns are inadequate.

It is only a question of expense, and that must be the main point of consideration for the Government.

The Colonial Defence Committee propose an outlay by the Dominion Government of no less than a maximum sum of 50,0001. or 48,000%, according to whichever proposed alternative is adopted, and subject also to a further probable deduction of 11,2001. for Charlotte Town, but in the smallest estimate about 36,0001. sterling.

It is proposed this Government should purchase nineteen 7-ton 7-inch muzzle- loading rifled guns, and nineteen 64-pounder rifled guns.

The first-named guns are stated to cost 1,000l. each.

The latter 6001. each.

I may here observe, with respect to the 64-pounder rifled guns, that last year we purchased from the British Government fifteen Palliser muzzle-loading converted rifled

-pounder guns at a cost of 1551. 5s. 8d. each.

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In the Woolwich Vocabulary of 1875-76 the cost of these guns is set down at 1017. 12s. 2d., plus 5 per cent., aud proof 91. 14s., or less than 1201. per gun.

The Palliser converted gun is a hardy, serviceable, and economical weapon, and I recommended and urged the purchase of ten more of these guns last year, but it was not adopted. I wish it had been.

If the Canadian Government feels itself in a position to purchase nineteen 7-ton guns and nineteen 64-pounder rifled guns, our long lines of sea-coast would then be tolerably well-armed; but the former are valuable and costly guns, and wherever they are mounted they should have a small party of artillerymen permanently stationed to take care of them. They would all be in exposed positions, and only a volunteer militia to man them, they would be liable to damage, to be choked by idle persons with stones, and to be otherwise injured unless permanently guarded. The same may apply to the 64-pounder guns, but they are much less costly, and a caretaker at each battery might possibly be sufficient for them.

If the Government, however, should be disposed to adopt the recommendations of the Defence Committee in extenso, and doubtless those recommendations are practically sound, and these coasts should have every gun they propose, I feel quite sure the militia will strain every nerve to work these guns with all the scientific knowledge they can acquire and apply.

Should, however, the Government on reflection consider the 7-ton guns beyond their means to purchase and to protect, then it is my duty to recommend that an equal number of 9-pounder converted Palliser rifled guns should be procured in lieu, making a total of thirty-eight or forty rifled cannon of that calibre (or a proportion of both descriptions), which would arm all the positions proposed by the Defence Committee, with a few guns over for batteries recently armed with 32-pounders only.

The Palliser 64-pounders cost about 1601. each, besides the expense of carriages, which latter can, if necessary, be built in Canada, that plan having been found to answer for the rifled guns on Fort Dufferin recently placed upon traversing platforms.

When Captain Palliser was out here last year, he keenly took up the question of converting our smooth-bore guns into rifled cannon, according to Sir William Palliser's principle, and had actually made arrangements with the Canada Engine Works, owned by Messrs. Gilbert, at Montreal, for that purpose.

A 32-pounder was lent them to operate upon, and, if successful, the question of conversion would have been submitted to the Government, but I regret to say, when recently in Montreal, I visited the Canada Engine Works in company with Lieutenant-

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