Page 210
Appendix No. 4.
CEYLON.
Trincomalee Colombo Galle
*
Total
Colombo.
Galle,
●
..
:::
Page 210
182
Distribution.
R.A.
Infantry,
R.E.
[Cavalry.
TRINCOMALEE.
Fort Frederick
86
43
general purposes
100
最
Fort Ostenburgh
124
62
Chapel Hill
50
Ostenburgh Ridge
100
Orr's Hill
50
General purposes
400
··
Submarine miners
50
Mounted
35
Total
210
805
50
35*
Colombo.-180 men will be required to man the guns, of whom 60 may be infantry; to these should be added 500 for general purposes, and a small detachment of mounted men, making a total of 710 men of all arms.
There is barrack accommodation for 654 men at Colombo and for 171 at Kandy; so that nothing is needed for the accommodation of the garrison here.
Distribution.
COLOMBO.
•
Fortifications General purposes Cavalry
Total
:::
R.A.
Infantry.
R.E.
Cavalry.
120
60 500
120
560
30
30
Galle.-183 men will be required to man the guns, of whom 60 may be infantry; to these should be added 400 for general purposes; and we have, including 30 mounted men, a total of 613 of all arms.
There is barrack accommodation at present for 325 rank and file; and accommodation for 100 more may be found in the works. So that it will only be necessary to provide barracks for 188 men and 30 horses.
Distribution.
R.A.
Infantry,
R.E.
Cavalry.
GALLE.
123
60 400
..
Fortifications
•
General purposes
Mounted men.
Total
123
460
30
30
The Colonial Defence Committee estimated the total garrison for the three places at 1,100 1,6001; whereas the figures above, when collected, amount to 2,423.
710
613 After careful consideration I cannot avoid the conclusion that the greater number is by no means too great; the increase is in the infantry, and is about one-half in Trincomalee 2,423 and Colombo, and twofold in Galle.
As has been stated previously, the defences constructed in accordance with the recom- mendations of the Colonial Defence Committee have been exceptionally well done, and, as far as they go, nothing more is needed; but their armaments are too feeble, and would be much improved if 9-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns of 12 tons were substituted for the 7-inch rifled muzzle-loading guns of 7 tons.
Colombo Harbour is in course of construction, and Galle is almost an open roadstead, and the same points must be selected for defence, whether the object be to constitute them ports of refuge in which ships may be in security, or depôts for coaling denied to an
enemy.
But at Trincomalee it is different: the harbour there is inclosed, and may be denied to an enemy at half the cost of rendering it secure from any attack which may be made upon it.
The details are set forth in the accompanying Table; the following summary may suffice here:-
+ Trincomalee Colombo Galle
Total
•
•
Page 210
* For general purposes.
:::
:
:::
:::
800
500
300
1,600
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