CAB7-4 — Page 406

Appendix No. 4.

ST. LUCIA.

Page 406

378

ST. LUCIA.

Sea defence.

Land defences.

Works

Toque Bay.

"

£ 2,500

CHARACTER OF THE PROPOSED

WORKS.

The Vigie.

5 10-4-in. R.B.L.

No. 113.

War Office Memorandum on the Defence of St. Lucia.

THIS island has an area of about 300 square miles, and a population of about 32,000, of whom 1,000 are whites. It is broken and mountainous throughout its whole extent, and for the most part is well wooded. On the eastern side of the island there appears to be no secure anchorage, but on the western shore several safe and commodious harbours present themselves. Of these, the principal is Port Castries, about 9 miles from the northernmost point of the island.

It consists of an inlet about 3,000 yards in length by 500 yards wide, with a depth of 9 fathoms over the greater part of this area.

It is considered one of the best harbours in the West Indies, and is well situated for communication with all the British West Indian Islands. At present it possesses no great commercial importance, and there is no dockyard or naval establishment, but it offers great facilities for such, and it has been recommended by the Admiralty as preferable for naval purposes to English Harbour at Antigua.

On the south and east sides the town and harbour are covered by ridges of hills of various heights; and on the north side of the entrance the Vigie, a conical hill 295 feet in height, with three radiating spurs, covers the approaches to the harbour, but to the west- ward it slopes rapidly down to a sandy isthmus connecting it with the mainland, and lying between Choc Bay and the inner anchorage, leaving the latter somewhat exposed on this side. It was on the shores of this bay that the English landed to attack the place in 1796.

The existing defences consist of the remains of a few open batteries for the defence of the entrance to the harbour, and of Fort Charlotte, a work strongly situated on the Morne Fortuné, a precipitous hill 814 feet above the sea-level, and overlooking the town and anchorage. This position was captured with heavy loss by the English under Abercrombie and Rodney in 1796. The work was then of the nature of a powerful field-work, and, as regards its defensive capabilities, is probably in much the same condition now.

It contained barracks, not bomb-proof, which, in 1856, were capable of accommodating 165 men.

With regard to the defence of the place in the present day, it must be observed that, as the batteries to defend the entrance cannot be placed more than 1,700 yards from the anchorage, it will be impossible to prevent its being bombarded from the sea.

The entrance to the harbour can, however, by submarine mines, be closed to an enemy's vessels, which can only be kept at a distance depending on their strength to resist the guns that may be mounted in the seaward batteries.

On an examination of the chart, it becomes apparent that some at least of the heavy guns intended to keep the enemy from bombarding the place from Choc Bay, or from off the mouth of the harbour, must be mounted on the Vigie, and, as suitable sites for mounting guns to defend the entrance also present themselves on the Vigie, it seems desirable to concentrate on this position all the defence againt naval attack, so that if the Vigie is held the harbour is denied to an enemy.

This can be effected by a proper disposition of works, though it would be somewhat expensive, as it would be necessary to defilade the works on the Vigie from Morne Fortuné, by which it is commanded.

Having thus provided for the seaward defence, the nature of the land defences remains to be determined.

Looking to the facts that the place is of second-rate importance, and that it is impos- sible altogether to protect it from bombardment from seaward, it is scarcely worth while to attempt an extensive scheme of land works.

There appears to be, however, a circle of hills at distances varying from 1,500 to 3,000 yards from the anchorage, screening the town from view on the south and east, and offering positions suitable for works. By occupying these hills the enemy would be pre- vented from entering the town, and any bombardment that might be attempted would be from a considerable distance only.

Probably three works would be sufficient to hold this line :-one, Fort Charlotte on the Morne Fortuné, which must always be the key of the land defence; the others, one at Morne Chabot, and the third on the south end of the ridge behind the town, called Aber- crombie's Hill,

It would, in addition, be advisable to construct a post on the hill above Toque Bay to prevent a night landing, and also to reform some of the old outworks of the Morne Fortuné.

In the absence of accurate plans it is not practicable to define the works exactly, but the Vigie appears to consist of a central hill with three spurs radiating from it. It is surrounded on three sides by a precipitous coast, and joined to the mainland by a narrow isthmus of low ground.

7 64-prs.

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