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Appendix No. 4.
JAMAICA.
North Side.
Port Antonio.
St. Anne's Bay.
Annotto Bay. Port Maria.
Montego Bay.
3 64-prs.
Battery Armament
Stony Hill.
Bog Walk.
Works
The Ferry, or Old Tavern.
2 64-prs.
Battery Armament Field-guns
•
•
..
Papines.
£
Rock Fort and Fort Nugent, but the road to the eastward of the mountain may be held by a work at Papines' Corner, with a post below to hold the bridge and ford over Hope River, which would also hold all the tracks leading into the main road.
On the north side of the island, Port Antonio is a harbour easily entered, and though not very large is deep everywhere.
This port was in old sailing times of considerable importance; in it the Jamaica Convoy used to collect while waiting for the opportunity to pass to the westward.
It is also again assuming importance as the port from whence the fruit trade with the United States is carried on by regular steamers. But there is no direct communication from it to Kingston; the main road passes along the coast to Annotto Bay, and thence to Kingston.
Annotto Bay, Port Maria, and Montego Bay are the only other bays on the north shore which need be noticed, as St. Anne's and Falmouth Bays are narrow and intricate; indeed, all the bays on the north side of the island have, in these days of larger vessels and steam-power, lost much of their importance.
Annotto Bay is so exposed that necessity alone should take large vessels there. Port Maria is of no use for an expedition of size.
Montego Bay is, however, a good open roadstead, and a landing in some force might perhaps be effected here. It shares with Port Antonio in the fruit trade with the United States.
Good roads lead from all these bays to Kingston, which is distant from them 30, 60, and 115 miles respectively. It does not seem probable that any great force can be landed and collected for an attempt to seize Kingston, and on each road there is a strong position which a small force might hold against greatly superior numbers.
For instance, Stony Hill holds the roads from Annotto and Port Maria, and Bog Walk the roads from Port Maria, St. Anne's, and all the other harbours on the north side of the 6,000 island; these positions are at some distance from Kingston, and the necessity for 1,350 occupying them, and how they should be occupied, can only be determined by local
examination.
£
In general terms it may be said that the harbours on the north side of Jamaica are 1,000 numerous and accessible, though not of great extent; that the water on this side is smooth, and the winds light and uncertain, so that landing to the extent to which the bays will afford accommodation is easy, but that, nevertheless, it would be unwise, with the small forces which will probably be available, to attempt to defend these bays.
£
In the interior of the island the country generally is so difficult that an enemy must keep to the roads, and the difficulties of these are such that his choice is practically limited to a few. It would be far better to keep these small forces well in hand and to meet the enemy by whatever road he may approach Kingston in a carefully selected position well prepared beforehand.
Such positions can be found on all the roads, and four only seem necessary to secure Kingston on the land side. The strongest natural positions would appear to be at Papines* (two positions), Stony Hill, Bog Walk, and the Ferry on the Lagoon River.
The small garrison available should be able to hold an enemy at bay in any of these positions for a tine, certainly for a time sufficient to enable a relieving fleet to operate upon the enemy's communications and convoys. If our fleet cannot be depended upon to effect this operation within a reasonable time, it seems unwise to incur expense in the attempt to 3,000 retain possession of Port Royal Harbour.
5,500
North end of Long Mountain.
900
2 64-prs.
Battery
Armament
£ 5,500 900
Garrison,
Five hundred men will be required to man the sea batteries, but one-third of these may be infantry :-
Royal Artillery.
Infantry.
Royal Engineers.
For sea batteries..
330
170
submarine mines
25
Half Company
22
post above Apostles Battery
50
"1
Rock Fort and Fort Nugent
100
Salt Pond Hill Post
250
33
,, Bog Walk
250
Stony Hill
200
33
Papines
100
}
Ferry on Lagoon River
100
Total
330
1,220
50
In hand for general service
650
·
Grand total..
330
1,870
50
There is barrack accommodation at Port Royal, Newcastle, and Up Park Camp, for 975 men, and the batteries and posts on land will accommodate 275 more, so that provision
* The second one at the point where the road closes on the river.
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