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materially the amount of the different issues to be made by the Senior Ordnance Store Officer, by the Officer in charge of Supply and Transport, the require- ments of medical stores, &c. As the Scheme stands, there is nothing to show if the extra demands consequent on the increased strength could be met, or to show to what extent the Tables of supplies of food, &c., necessary to enable the island to hold out for a certain period given in the Scheme of 1887 (no others have since been furnished), still hold good.

8. The use of the boat patrols referred to at p. 6, paragraph 5, of Colonel MacLean's Report requires explanation. Judging from the experience of the navy, inshore patrol boats in thick weather or dark nights are rarely, if ever, of any practical use in giving even short notice of an enemy's approach, and at night in clear weather a much more extensive area of water can be overlooked from even moderate heights on shore than from any boat. Owing, however, to the difficulty of lateral communication along the shore at St. Helena, it is possible that such boats would be a useful means of visiting different look-outs to insure their efficiency, but if such is their intended use it should be so stated.

9. It is believed that the arrangements with regard to coal supply have been altered from that shown on p. 4 of the 1888 Scheme. If so, that paragraph requires revision.

10. Finally, the Colonial Defence Committee desire to express their opinion that Her Majesty's Government should be urged to take the requisite action to give effect, as far and as soon as may be practicable, to the Draft Militia Ordinance of 1891, even though the numbers enrolled may fall short of the strength contemplated in the Ordinance. They fully concur in the principles contained in paragraphs 7 and 8 of Colonel MacLean's Report as to the use and disposition of the Militia force when raised,

11. The Colonial Defence Committee recommend that these remarks be communicated to the Governor for consideration by the Local Committee at the next annual revision of the Scheme. The date for submitting this will now shortly be due, and by that time the Local Committee will be in possession of the Colonial Defence Committee's Memorandum No. 46, referred to in paragraph 1 of these remarks. The entire Scheme should be recast in the light of the instructions contained in that Memorandum, and submitted in a collective form.

(Signed)

August 3, 1893.

W. PEACOCKE, Secretary,

Colonial Defence Committee.

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