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some of these sub-sections, at all events, there may be houses close to their posts which might be made available as shelter for the troops, thus obviating the necessity of the issue of a considerable quantity of camp equipment and avoiding unnecessary exposure. This matter might be considered.

10. It has been found advisable in similar cases to the Cape to number the sub-sections of the defence consecutively throughout the sections, to avoid the possibility of confusion.

11. Nothing is said of the mode of meeting the attack from seaward which is mentioned on p. 7, and the Scheme is silent regarding the details of the action of the Officer Commanding Royal Artillery, who would be largely concerned in repelling this nature of attack.

12. It is believed that there is a good landing place in Chapman's Bay with a good easy road leading thence to Simon's Town. If so the mode of meeting this form of attack should be discussed.

13. No mention is made of any definite arrangement for maintaining a look-out on any part of the coast south of the Cape Peninsula, whence the approach of an enemy might be detected. No elaborate arrangements seem to be necessary, as doubtless the telegraph could be made use of. With regard to telegraphic communication with Saldanha Bay to the north of the Peninsula, the Colonial Defence Committee note with satisfaction the action. of the Colony in the construction of the line to that place, as alluded to at p. 5 in the covering letter of the Governor. The importance of securing rapid communication with Saldanha Bay, owing to its possible value to an enemy's ships, is referred to in Rear-Admiral Nicholson's letter, p. 56, and in the event of war, and of the telegraph line not having been completed to that point, measures should be arranged for maintaining a signal station there.

14. There is no allusion to the important matter of the protection of the coal supply at the port. If it is safe under the guns, and no alterations in existing coaling arrangements would be requisite in the event of war, the fact should be stated.

15. With regard to the employment of local steamers for purposes of patrol alluded to at p. 4, the Colonial Defence Committee desire to remark that the Admiralty Confidential despatch of the 26th May, 1892, on the subject of distant patrolling (a copy of which has been sent to the Governor), carefully refrained from laying down any hard and fast rule. While pointing out that it was only in rare and exceptional cases that such a system could be of any use, it recommended that the circumstances of each place should be locally considered, as only a close investigation of all the conditions of each locality could show in what cases it would be likely to prove of utility. As regards the use of boats for purposes of immediate patrol 2,000 to 3,000 yards in front of shore batteries in dark nights or thick weather, referred to in a separate despatch from the Governor to the Colonial Office, the Colonial Defence Committee consider that, judging from the experience of the navy, the system is so unreliable as to be rarely of practical use, and might even prove harmful by engendering a false sense of security. In dark nights and thick weather an enemy's boats would only be discovered on their coming actually on the top of the patrol boat: in any other case, with ordinary precautions for silence they would be likely to pass by the patrol boat unnoticed. Thus, as on dark nights and in thick weather, such inshore patrol boats will rarely, if ever, be able to give even short warning of an enemy's approach, and as, even in clear weather, the area of water overlooked from them will be smaller than that which can be overlooked from moderate heights, natural or artificial, on shore it may fairly be concluded that the cost and crews of such patrol boats can generally be more effectively employed in other branches of the Defence.

16. The arrangements in regard to supplies require reconsideration. No such sweeping measure as that given on p. 22, viz. "All exportation of supplies would be prohibited as soon as war is imminent," is at all necessitated by the circumstances of the case. Such embargo is requisite only in the case of coal, and of naval and military stores; no other trade need be interfered with except in so far as is prescribed in Colonial Office Confidential Circular of July 1, 1891.

It is correctly observed in the Scheme that "Any stoppage of communi- [463]

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