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harbour, and affects the anchorage on the western shore, making very rough water in the northern part of the harbour; the waves surge round from Grant's Knoll at the extremity of Duntz Head with sufficient violence to prevent vessels lying alongside the Dockyard Wharf, which, on account of this sea, it is not considered advisable to extend beyond the 2-fathom line; for this reason it has been proposed to remove the establishment to Plumper Bay, at the head of the harbour. There it would be comparatively easy to secure it from bombardment, as it would be retired 1,500 yards.

Land

At the time Colonel Lovell wrote, 26,000l. had been spent towards the new dock, but if the establishments had then been removed very little of this would have been wasted; the land will by-and-bye be worth more than its present value; the pumps will be useful on at either place, and the materials of the coffer-dam may also be turned to account for a dock in a different position.

Again, the new dock might be made in Plumper Bay; the Naval Yard, which is very limited, remaining where it is; or the present establishment might—as Esquimalt advances -be turned to commercial purposes, and the whole naval establishment placed at Plumper Bay.

Or, the principal buildings might be bomb-proofed by the Admiralty, or, if the expense of doing this be too great, the machinery at least might be protected by bomb- proofs. In this case, our defences need not extend beyond securing the entrance to the harbour.

What has been proposed does not provide any defence for the land side of Victoria, which, Colonel Lovell says, must be left to the garrison and to extemporized field works, confining present operations to throwing up at important positions shelter for position guns to be used when the time arrives.

;

The proximity of Esquimalt to the naval station of the United States leads to the consideration how it may be best connected with the terminus of the Canada-Pacific Railway if Esquimalt be maintained as a naval port, and strongly fortified, easy com- munication with this terminus is indispensable to it, and this may be best effected by a railway from Esquimalt to Nanaimo, and thence by water to the terminus at Burrard's Inlet. This water passage is not more than 45 miles long, and across smooth water.

It should be observed that for the security of the Canada-Pacific line it is indispensable that it should nowhere run south of the Fraser River; whereas, if Colonel Lovell's antici- pations are well founded, it will run south of it for several miles, and within 10 miles of the territory of the United States.

Esquimalt being maintained, the question of an advanced naval station near the entrance of the Strait of San Juan de Fuca, which shall guard the narrow waters and serve as an equipoise to the United States' station of Angelos, may not improbably arise here- after, and the selection may then perhaps rest between Port San Juan and Ucluelet Inlet, in Barclay Sound.

No notice has yet been taken of Nanaimo, from whence the principal supply, and the best quality, of coal is derived. As Esquimalt depends for its coal upon Nanaimo, the defence of the former is not altogether satisfactory, if Nanaimo be left undefended; fortu- nately, it may easily be defended, the neighbourhood affording strong positions at the sites indicated in the accompanying diagram.†

The cost may be taken at about 37,000%.

Looking, however, to the present state of its resources in men and material, it would be premature to construct permanent works, and we must fall back upon Colonel Lovell's suggestions-of guns of position to be kept in central places, and moved, when wanted, to emplacements prepared beforehand. The cost of this might be assumed to be 7,2001.

Appendix No. 4.

VANCOUVER ISLAND.

£

4,000

10,000

12,000

Total

*

26,000

Coffer-dam

Works

Armament

Nanaimo.

£

37,000

23,204

Total

*

60,204

£

1,440

1,200

3,000

1,560

7,200

8 40-pr. guns 2 magazines 2,000 yards road 8 positions

Total

It is not worth while to spend much in rendering the present batteries at Esquimalt Present batteries, revision of, and Victoria efficient; their armament is poor, and the mode of mounting, which was of necessity adopted, is feeble, and exposes the guns. Colonel Lovell recommends that the batteries (which he says are judiciously placed) should be left as they are; they cannot, however, with due regard to efficiency, be so left, as they have no storage for ammunition, and are not sufficiently inclosed to preclude trespass.

The defects referred to above render it necessary to revise the mode of mounting the guns, and the additions of magazines and accessories, and of gorge inclosures, will amount to a practical reconstruction of the batteries, of which the earthwork alone is serviceable.

The cost of strengthening and completing the batteries will probably be 9,7001.,* to which should be added 3,000l. for a barrack for thirty men, and 2,000l. for a sea wall to save Brothers Island from being cut in half by the sea-in all 16,000%. It should be observed that this estimate, following Colonel Lovell's Report, allows 25 per cent. for local prices, but this per-centage seems too small.

The batteries might be inclosed and put in fair order for about 2,500%.

If there be any prospect of permanent defences being undertaken, material expendi- ture in perpetuating such a poor type of battery cannot be recommended.

£

Revision of batteries

9,700

Barracks for 30 men Sea-wall

3,000

-

2,000

14,700

1,300

16,000

Add contingencies

Total

Batterics inclosed and repaired,

2,500%.

The question of garrison still remains for consideration. The active Militia furnishes Garrison. 200 efficients, and it is estimated that 1,400 more might be enrolled. It would not, however, be prudent to depend upon this number, and probably 500 are as many as can, under any circumstances, for many years to come, be brought together.

*Excluding 1,5007. for a small post on Signal Hill.

+ Not printed.

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