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Appendix No. 4.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

whole trade of the Empire that passes round the Cape of Good Hope to the very greatest danger, is at present, equally with Port Elizabeth, entirely destitute of means of defence.

N.B.-A Memorandum by Lieutenant-Colonel Owen, R.A., as to certain points onwhich he is not altogether in accord with the views of the Committee, is appended.

(Signed)

L. SMYTH, Lieutenant-General, Chairman; JOHN F. MERRIMAN, Commissioner of Lands

and Parks;

A. M. CREASE, Colonel, C.R.E.;

JOHN F. OWEN, Lieutenant-Colonel, O.C.R.A.,

Cape Command; Members.

G. Ë. BOYLE, Major, D.A.A. and Q.M.G.,

Secretary.

MAURITIUS.

Head-quarters, Cape Town, December 23, 1881.

Inclosure 4 in No. 31.

Memorandum by Lieutenant-Colonel Owen, R.A.

THOUGH agreeing generally with the Report of the Committee, I beg to append my opinion on certain points in modification to the same, but without entering into any detailed reasons for the same which have already been laid before the Committee, as I understand that the present Report is only a preliminary Report.

(a.) As to the armament for existing and proposed forts, I think that the existing 7-inch guns are not of a nature well fitted even for a portion of the armament, and that they should, in all cases, be replaced by further-ranging guns of more power, though not of necessity of greater weight of metal.

Also that the more powerful guns for any fort should be equal in range and power to any which, in reasonable possibility, could be brought to bear against them.

(b.) It seems to me doubtful whether the new work proposed at Paarden Island (vide paragraph 9 of Report) would not be too isolated from the rest of the defences by the marshy and broken delta of the Salt River; and whether, looking to its necessarily retired position (due to the formation of the Table Bay coast-line), it would not be better to substitute for this proposed work a powerful work about the site of Craig's Tower, open to the rear and defended by a keep and open batteries on the spur of Table Mountain in its rear, in a similar manner to the proposed defences at Green Point upon the other flank of the defences of Table Bay (vide paragraphs 5 and 6 of Report).

(c.) With reference to Hout Bay and Chapman's Bay, should it be thought absolutely necessary to deny the former to an enemy's ships, I agree with the proposals of the Committee (paragraphs 11 to 15), but it appears to me doubtful whether it would not be more advisable to retire the defences from the coast-line (leaving Hout Bay open to an enemy's ships), and to limit them to earthworks in the passes leading inland from the bays in question.

(d.) It seems to me that the nature of the country is such that a large proportion of mounted infantry would be most essential to defence.

JOHN F. OWEN, Major, R.A., and Iientenant-Colonel.

(Signed)

Cape Town, December 21, 1881.

MAURITIUS.

No. 32.

Colonial Office to Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad.

Downing Street, February 14, 1880.

Sir,

I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you, for the consideration of the Royal Commission on the Defence of British Possessions and Commerce Abroad, copies of despatches from the Governor of the Mauritius, with reference to the defence of that Colony, together with a copy of a letter from this Department, dated the 10th January, transmitting a copy of the Governor's despatch of the 6th November to the War Office, with the view of obtaining the opinion of the Secretary of State for War as to whether the question of the extension of the telegraph to Mauritius should, on military grounds, be again brought before the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury. No reply has yet been received from the War Office.

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I am, &c. (Signed)

R. H. MEADE.

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