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England and the Brazils (2572). Sierra Leone is unhealthy, but the harbour, being up a river, would be more secure than St. Vincent from distant fire (2566, 2569, 2571).

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Aden.-Vessels drawing more than 22 feet of water cannot get in and out of the anchorage at Aden at all times of tide; various proposals have been made for deepening the upper part of the harbour, but this necessary improvement has not been carried out on account of the estimated expense (over 100,0007); one of the difficulties has been the apportionment of the expense between the Imperial and Indian Govern- ments (2471-2475).

Perim cannot compare with Aden as a naval station. A naval station should combine security for coal, a depôt for stores, and a protected rendezvous for ships, both mercantile and naval; at Perim these conditions are wanting. The harbour, which is very small, is on the south side of the island, and open to strong winds which blow up the Red Sea in the late months of the year; ships can anchor off any part of the island, which then acts as a breakwater (2465-2469). Perim may be said, in a very limited sense only, to command the entrance to the Red Sea (2476, 2482). The eastern channel, which is generally used in daytime, is 1 miles wide (2477, 2478, 2480, 2481); but the western channel is 10 miles wide (2479), and has deep water all across (2483). There is no water on the island; con- densed water is used (2470).

There are numerous harbours and anchorages in the Red Sea which might be occupied in war time, but the approaches to all except the southern ports are difficult (2614). An enemy's trade and access to the Suez Canal might be better intercepted from a position inside Shadwan (where there is a good anchorage), commanding the Straits of Jubal, than from Aden or Perim (2615-2617).

Mauritius is very valuable as a naval station, and would become more so if the Suez Canal were blocked (2525); it could not be made too secure in view of its importance to trade round the Cape of Good Hope, as shown in the old wars when we took the island from the French (2529). The harbour of Port Louis will take ships of the largest size; but during the hurricane season would probably not give secure shelter to more than a small squadron of moderate draught (2526-2528). The dock has about 20 feet of water over the sill (2664). It is very important that there should be telegraphic communication with Mauritius, especially during war (2605).

The Seychelles lie comparatively near the tracks of ships homeward bound, viâ the Red Sea, from India, China, and Australia, in the south-west monsoon; they would offer a port of refuge to sailing vessels and steamers of small power, but would not be of much service to the powerful steamers, of great coal capacity, in which the greater part of trade would be carried during war (2539-2543). Port Victoria affords good anchorage in the inner harbour to a small squadron of large ships; and forty or fifty vessels could lie in the outer harbour (2412); the entrance to the inner harbour is difficult and requires to be marked by beacons and buoys (2413, 2416, 2417); the outer harbour is dotted with coral shoals, but is not difficult of access (2413, 2416). The land is mountainous (2414). The only postal communication with the islands is by the French Messageries steamers; occasional visits are paid by Her Majesty's ships from Zanzibar (2601–2003). Port Victoria, like all other places in mid-ocean having good harbours, should be treasured (2421).

Diego Garcia, a dependency of Mauritius, is one of the Chagos group of islands (2422, 2423, 2436), which lie almost at the intersection of the routes from Aden to Australia, and from the Cape to the Bay of Bengal (2429, 2538); it is a low lagoon island (2424, 2425), inclosing a spacious harbour, about 15 miles long, capable of accommodating ships of the largest class (2426, 2480, 2431). The harbour has deep water near the shore, and all conditions of a good harbour (2432); with the exception of the entrance, which is about 14 miles wide (2433), the coast of the island is inacces-

sible (2434). The island is inhabited, and produces large amount of cocoa-nut oil (2435); it is considered healthy; the climate is said to be mild and equable, and water is abundant at a depth of 5 feet (2427, 2428).

Proposals have been made by commercial men to establish a coal depôt at Diego Garcia for the use of merchant shipping (2425, 2429). In the event of war with any Power capable of bringing ships into the Indian Ocean, both Diego Garcia and the Seychelles should be temporarily occupied and fortified, to pre- vent their capture or use by an enemy (2529, 2530, 2536, 2537).

The Cocos. or Keeling Islands are low coral lagoon islands (like Diego Garcia, but on a smaller scale) lying on the track of ships going to and from the Cape through the Straits of Sunda (2437, 2443-2445). The islands were taken possession of by the Crown in 1856, having been previously occupied by a few British subjects trading with Batavia, Singapore, and Penang (2437, 2438, 2440); the islands are healthy (2441), but are seldom visited by Her Majesty's ships (2439). The anchorage is small, but good for vessels of mode- rate draught (2442).

Torres Straits.-The nearest route from England to the east coast of Australia is by Torres Straits (2618); this route is now used to some extent, but requires very careful navigation (2619-2624). Prince of Wales Channel is the only fair passage, the others are excessively intricate, and not available for ships of heavy draught (2625, 2630, 2631). Prince of Wales Channel is not more than 1 miles long, very narrow (2625, 2628), and might be commanded by guns on Goode or Ham- mond Island, close to Thursday Island, which is the A small station key of the ship-passage (2626, 2629),

The

at Thursday Island would be valuable more as a rendezvous and depôt than as a coaling-station (2625)- In a serious maritime war the route by Torres Straits would be safer than that to the south of Australia, as there would be less chance of meeting an enemy. navigation of these straits would only be possible for steamers, and the distances from civilized places are so great that no enemy could remain there if we held all suitable coaling-stations (2632-2634),

New Caledonia.-The French have a very good port at Noumea, on the south-west side of New Caledonia; the entrance to the harbour is through a barrier coral reef, but large ships can anchor anywhere inside (2635– 2638).

King George's Sound is not at present required as a naval station, as Her Majesty's ships are seldom in its neighbourhood (2665); in time of war it would be very expensive to maintain a coaling-station there, but we ought to keep a firm hold upon King George's Sound, otherwise an enemy would probably take it as an advantageous position from which to intercept our trade 2666-2668).

Labuan is a very good port, the anchorage lying between the island and the mainland, about 10 miles from the entrance; the coal is on the same (north) side of the island (2606–2608).

Port Hamilton is an excellent harbour, formed by two small islands, lying between Corea and Japan- 25 miles distant from Corea and 120 from Japan (2447, 2453, 2455). The harbour is about 2 miles in length, and is capable of accommodating any number of ships of any class (2453, 2448, 2449); it has two entrances, one of which, however, is shallow. The coast rises steeply, the highest hill being about 800 feet (2450, 2451). There is a population of 300 to 400 Coreans, but there are no British subjects (2454, 2455, 2523). Port Hamilton is distant about 600 miles from Vladivostock, the chief Russian station in the Pacific (2456, 2459), which has a very fine harbour and extensive works, of a defensive nature (2461, 2463). It has been stated that the Russians are about to remove their establishment to Olga Bay (180 miles north-east of Vladivostock), which is a smaller harbour, and. probably, more easy to defend (2460-2462).

Naval Stations in the Pacific.-A central naval station off the west coast of America appears to be almost a necessity to us in time of war (2485); even

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