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2. Colombo, the seat of Government, which stands upon a flat strip of land, the southern shore of a shallow indentation of the coast.
This indentation is the port of Colombo, which is being converted into a large and commodious harbour, but from the open nature of the coast line no disposition of guns can save either port or town from injury by bombardment.
3. Galle, where the harbour is marred by sunken rocks, and is dangerous of approach, but more readily admits of defensive measures.
Trincomalee.
Trincomalee Harbour, situated at the north-eastern point of Ceylon, is the northern offshoot of Great Bay. The harbour, which is entered by the narrow strait (500 yards wide), between Fort Ostenburgh and Little Sober Island, is land-locked and capacious, containing about 1,800 acres of deep water.
The naval establishments are on its southern shore close under the Ostenburgh Ridge, about 220 feet high; they are not badly placed in respect to vertical fire, and the harbonr is easily defended.
The existing fortifications date from two distinct periods, and have been designed with two distinct objects. Fort Frederick, which is the older, stands upon a seaward spur of the low strip of land connecting the Ostenburgh peninsula with the mainland, and dates from the Portuguese occupation of the island, when the trade was merely coasting, and found ample scope for its necessities in Dutch and Back Bays, which bays its guns com- manded.
As ships increased in size they were compelled to resort to the inner, or Trincomalee, harbour, and Fort Ostenburgh was then built at the south-western extremity of Ostenburgh Ridge, which rises abruptly to a considerable elevation above the water.
Though the object for which Fort Frederick was built has long ceased to exist, the increase in the range of artillery has laid Trincomalee Harbour open to shell fire from the water, and in advance of Dutch and Black Bays, and the guns of the fort are again service- able in denying this water to hostile vessels.
The recommendations of the Colonial Defence Committee were limited to the improve- ment, and to the temporary armament of portions of the existing works, which mounted in Fort Frederick forty-one smooth-bore guns and six smooth-bore mortars; in Fort Osten- burgh twenty-four smooth-bore guns and three smooth-bore mortars of various calibres.
The gun emplacements, constructed in accordance with their recommendations, have taken a more than temporary form, and may easily be rendered permanent; they mount eight 7-inch guns, and six 64-pounder rifled muzzle-loading, viz. :--
Appendix No. 4.
CEYLON.
Fort Frederick
7-in. Guns.
64-pr. R.M.L. Guns.
44
4 2
106
Fort Ostenburgh
The positions are excellent, and at Fort Frederick it is now proposed to place 9-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns of 12 tons in three of these emplacements, for which calibre of guns they are suitable, and to construct two new barbette emplacements for 10-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns of 18 tons.
The 18-ton guns will command the whole of the coast as far as Chapel Hill.
Fort Ostenburgh.-It is proposed to construct two barbette emplacements for 10-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns of 18 tons in Regent's Battery, and to place two shielded emplacements for similar guns on the low ground below, at Östenburgh Point.
Fort Frederick.
New works--
2 10-in. R.M.L. guns, 18 tons. Revised works-
3 9-in. R.M.L. guns, 12 tons.
Works Guns
Fort Ostenburgh.
12,100 14,556
2 10-in. R.M.L. guns, 18 tons. 2 10-in. R.M.L. guns, 18 tons,
shielded.
Batteries Armament
N.E. Ostenburgh Ridge.
It is also proposed to move two medium guns to the north-east extremity of Osten- burgh Ridge, where the ground rises considerably, and from whence they will command Battery the low ground between the gorge of Fort Frederick and the ridge, and will command the ridge itself; and to place a small post armed with two 20-pounder rifled breech-loading guns on Orr's Hill to command the road from Nellavelly.
Battery
The armament of Fort Ostenburgh will then consist of four 10-inch rifled muzzle- Armament loading guns of 18 tons, two 7-inch guns of 7 tons, and two 64-pounder rifled muzzle- loading guns.
£
22,200 15,034
£ 2,000
Ory's Hill.
£
1,000 600
These guns, supplemented by submarine mines and torpedo-boats, two of which are provided, will deny the harbour to an enemy; and will, in conjunction with the guns of Fort Frederick, render it safe from the attacks of any force likely to be brought Torpedo boats (2) against it.
Elephant Point.
£ 9,000
3 10-in. R.M.L. guns, 18 tons,
They will not, however, secure it from distant shell fire from the south-west, and as the fire brought to bear upon the entrance by the heavy guns is limited, it is proposed to shielded. advance to the southern ridge of the peninsula to occupy Elephant Point with three shielded emplacements-and to construct two barbette emplacements for guns of similar Batteries
Armament
£
•
23,210 10,488
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