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Appendix No. 4.

SINGAPORE.

Mount Faber Battery.

Mount Faber Mortar Battery.

Nature of attack to be provided against.

General plan of defence.

Work on Mount Serapong.

Work on Mount Siloso.

Work on Mount Palmer.

one 6-foot traverse is provided. This circumstance, taken in connection with its position on a narrow ledge on the face of the cliff, would always have rendered the service of the guns dangerous. The site is quite unsuited for the requirements of modern warfare, and I recommend that the armament should be removed and the battery entirely dismantled. The summit of the hill, upon the slope of which it stands, presents, however, a very advantageous and commanding site for a work to aid in the defence of the roadstead and the New Harbour. I shall refer to this point hereafter.

This battery was constructed for two 56-pounders smooth-bore guns of 98 cwt., and designed to bear upon the eastern and western entrances of the new harbour, which are distant 2,300 yards and 2,400 yards respectively, as well as to play upon any vessel that had succeeded in entering the harbour, in which the navigation is somewhat difficult. The armament of this work has, however, been removed, and the work itself has not been kept in repair.

The two 13-inch mortars are still in position, but the work itself can scarcely be said to exist. The mortars were intended to play upon the deck of any vessel that may have entered the New Harbour, but it need scarcely be added that so small an amount of vertical fire would scarcely afford such protection.

It will be seen that the existing defences scarcely provide in any degree for the protection of New Harbour, and that there is nothing to prevent a hostile cruizer from entering, and destroying the shipping, wharves, coals, and establishments therein.

I will now consider what defences are necessary to afford the required protection.

Proposed Defences.

Distant as Singapore is from any great foreign naval centre of operations, from whence a possibly hostile maritime Power could dispatch an expedition in any great force, it is only necessary to defend it against the attack of a squadron which might consist of three or four vessels, one or two of which would probably be iron-clad. If it were considered necessary to provide for defence against non- armour-clad vessels only, of course a large saving would be effected in the cost of armaments.

It is, however, to be observed that France and Holland each have, at the present time, at least one iron-clad in the Eastern Seas. A few months ago there were three iron-clad vessels, two French and one Dutch, in harbour here.

In order to provide effectively for the protection of New Harbour, I would propose to place two works on the island of Blakang Mati-one on Mount Serapong, the other on Mount Siloso; also a new battery on Mount Palmer. I further propose to occupy Mount Faber for defence on the land side. The positions of these works are shown on plan.

The work on Mount Serapong would bring a fire to bear seaward upon the wide zone which extends from the western entrance of the New Harbour to Tanjong Paggar spit; flank the front of Blakang Mati and of the proposed work on Mount Siloso; command the New Harbour from end to end, and, though at long range, the Singapore Straits to the southward. In conjunction with the work on Mount Palmer, it would also maintain a cross-fire on the channels leading into the New Harbour from the eastward. Its commanding situation, on the culminating point of Blakang Mati, from which an all-round fire can be brought to bear, will render it the key of the defences, whilst the decks of vessels which may attempt to force an entrance into the New Harbour, or which might have succeeded in doing so, will be exposed to its plunging fire. I recommend that this fort should be the largest of the new works of defence, and that it should be constructed to receive ten 11-inch muzzle- loading rifled guns, distributed in the most convenient manner round a knoll which crowns the summit of the hill, and which will perform the office of a large traverse to protect the guns in any face from the effects of reverse fire.

The western entrance of the harbour will be closed by the work on Mount Siloso. From this point a fire can be brought to bear upon any vessel attempting to enter the harbour from the westward, or upon any vessel that might have succeeded in effecting an entrance into the harbour. A flanking fire would also be brought to bear along the front of Blakang Mati, and along that of the south-western coast of the Island of Singapore. It has been suggested that as Mount Imbeah, the next hill to the eastward of Mount Siloso, has a command of some 30 feet over Mount Siloso, that this point should be occupied in preference. Mount Siloso from its height would, however, intercept the fire from a work on Mount Imbeah to a distance of about 3,000 yards from Mount Siloso. The occupation of Mount Imbeah, instead of Mount Siloso, would, therefore, entail the construction of a work on the Island of Singapore, on the northern side of, and at a little distance from, the western entrance, in order to command the space which would otherwise be undefended. The construction of a work on Mount Imbeah would thus entail an increased expense for forts and armaments, the employment of additional troops and further splitting up of the garrison. As to the question of command the battery on Mount Siloso could be perfectly defiladed, if necessary, from Mount Imbeah, supposing an enemy were able to take possession of this point, an operation which, under the circumstances of the case, would be quite impracticable.

I recommend that the work on Mount Siloso should be an open battery constructed for six 11-inch muzzle-loading rifled guns.

Its gorge

The work on Mount Palmer should be placed on the summit of the hill, 110 feet above sea level. I recommend that it should be constructed for four 11-inch muzzle-loading rifled guns. should be prepared to receive two or three pieces of small calibre to flank the northern slopes of the Mount Faber range, and to enfilade the valley stretching in front of that range.

This fort will co-operate with that on Mount Serapong in defending the eastern entrance into the New Harbour. It will also command that part of the harbour between its eastern entrance and the Borneo Company's wharves. Its fire will also sweep the roadstead and the adjacent shore of Singapore to Tanjong Katong.

By the construction of the three works on Mounts Serapong, Siloso, and Palmer, the coaling depôts, wharves, and establishments in the New Harbour would be protected from attack from sea-

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