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Appendix No. 4.

ANTIGUA.

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376

ANTIGUA.

Barclay Point.

2 10-in. R.M.L.

2 64-prs.

Works

Armament

£

No. 112.

War Office Memorandum on the Defence of Antigua.

ANTIGUA has an area of about 108 square miles, and a population of 35,000, of whom about 2,000 are whites.

The island is for the most part surrounded by dangerous reefs and shoals, but the coast-line is indented with numerous bays and inlets. The principal of these are:-

1. St. John's Harbour, on which is situated the capital of the island. The anchorage here is in 14 feet of water, inconvenient, and suitable for small vessels only.

2. Falmouth Harbour, with good anchorage in 24 feet of water; but the entrance is difficult, and the harbour is not frequented by large vessels.

3. English Harbour, which is a small but well sheltered harbour on the south side of the island. It is about 1,200 yards long, 200 yards wide, and more than 4 fathoms deep over a large part of its area, with a minimum depth of 31⁄2 fathoms at the entrance. It is surrounded by high ground on all sides except where a narrow strip of sand divides it from Falmouth Harbour,

The country around Falmouth and English Harbours is the loftiest part of Antigua, and the hills generally are steep and rugged.

There is a small dockyard and naval establishment at English Harbour, frequented chiefly by men of war for coals and water.

The existing defences consist of the remains of works at Middle Ground, Barclay Point, Shirley Heights, and Blockhouse Point, and of a large work called Fort Monk, over- looking Falmouth.

There was formerly accommodation at Shirley Heights and Blockhouse Point for 231 men.

Sea Defence.

Antigua possesses no great commercial importance, and the Admiralty have recom- mended Castries Harbour, in St. Lucia, as preferable to English Harbour for naval purposes; if, however, it be decided to defend English Harbour, it may be assumed that from its second-rate importance as a naval station it is improbable that heavily-armoured vessels would be employed to attack it, and the 10-inch 18-ton gun would suffice for the seaward defences.

In considering the sea defences there are, in addition to the measures necessary for the immediate defence of English Harbour, two points to be specially noted; viz.:-

1. That it is necessary to prevent the enemy gaining access to Falmouth Harbour, as from thence he could destroy the dockyard.

2. That as the mouth of English Harbour is only 1,000 yards from the dockyard, it is not possible entirely to protect the latter from bombardment from the sea.

To prevent hostile ships entering English Harbour, it appears sufficient to mount a couple of heavy guns behind shields on Barclay Point, which faces the entrance, and is about 55 feet above the sea, and to close the entrance with submarine mines.

Two medium guns should be mounted at Barclay Point to flank the line of submarine

14,520

8,100 defences.

Submarine mines-

Buildings

·

4,300

Boats

7,500

Stores

3,400

Total

•

15,200

Fort Charlotte.

3 10-in. R.M.L.

Works Armament

Black's Hill.

3 10-in. R.M.L.

3 64-prs.

Works

Armament

Submarine mines--

In order to command the approaches to English Harbour, three heavy guns should be mounted at Fort Charlotte Point, 131 feet above the sea level. There is not sufficient £ 11,550

room on Snapper Point for a heavy gun battery, and Shirley Heights and the hills on 10,800 Middle Ground are too high to afford suitable sites for batteries to command the entrance.

£

16,830 12,150

Included in previous amount.

Middle Ground.

Works Barracks

To close the mouth of Falmouth Harbour, and to give additional fire over the approaches to English Harbour, three heavy guns should be mounted at Black's Hill, 126 feet above sea level. Two or three medium guns should be associated with them, and submarine mines should be laid across the entrance of the harbour.

In order to secure the peninsula between the harbours called Middle, Ground, the £ access to which, however, appears difficult, intrenchments should be thrown up at the 2,000 highest point, and on the spur of the hill called Fort Cuyler. Some of the additional barrack accommodation required might be constructed on the Middle Hill, so as to form a keep for this portion of the defences.

5,000

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