COAST DEFENCES.

Press, Volume II, Issue 44, 15 March 1862, Page 3

COAST DEFENCES.

As tht; subject of coast defences is at the present time occupying a large share of piiblie attention, the following paper, by Colonel Mould, Koyal Engineers, j one ol a long aeries presented, to both Houses of i Legislature by command of Governor Gore Browne. i will lie read with interest. It was laid on the table during the Session of 1800, and as it makes especial reference to the harbor defences of Lyttelton, we ; have reprinted it entire :--- ------j Auckland, 22nd July, I8fi». | The Commanding Royal Engineer is of opinion that the i defences of New Zealand should, for the present, be confined. \ as against predatory squadrons, to the furnishing the harboursjof Auckland, Wellington, and Lyttelton with effective eo__i:

batteries, susceptible of self-defence against a sudden attack by parties landing from boats. These three ports are selected, aa the chief commercial towns in the respective provinces ; are situated on the shores .if the harbours; the towns contain large amounts of valuable property, moveable and immoveable, and they are peculiarly exposed to insult and destruction by an unscrupulous enemy, desirous either of raising contributions from the inhabitants, or in default thereof, of wantonly destroying the towns and the property they contain. To carry out these objects, there are, unfortunately, very small means in "materiel" in the colony, and what exist, are in. Auckland, in the shapa of a few guns, of which the majority era of small calibre, mounted on Britomart Point to command tho access to the upper harbour and the anchorage iv front of the town. The first point, therefore, to be con. sidered and to be carried out, ia to maka this battery as effective as practicable. The guns, originally without any protection, were covered, upon the breaking out of the Russian war, by an eartheru parapet faced internally with sods, but this has crumbled away partially, and though frequently repaired is now in a very unsatisfactory condition; it is therefore proposed to revet the interior of the parapet about four feet on each side of each embrasure, and the embrasures themselves, with masony of suitable solidity ; to replace the existing ineffective shot furnace, by one of an improved construction; to renew some of the decayed and unsuitable platforms, and to renovate the defences of the land front, at a cost on the whole, as shown in the accompanying approximate Estimate, of £677. The services should be commenced immediately, but they need not under the present aspect of affairs, be hurried ou so as to increase the expense by employing civil labour, but be executed gradually by the military labour at the disposal of the Commanding Royal Engineer. As regards other defences at Auckland, I do not see any reason for changing my opinion, as to the extent whioh is requisite for protecting the large interests at stake, laid down in my report of the 15th March last, that is to say, that two i«owerful batteries protected hy a strong redoubt should b e established at the North Head, and another on Okahu Point, facing the main channel, also suitably defended on the laud front, both posts having sufficient barrack accommodation for their respective garrisons. It appears unnecessary at this instant to go into the question of the requisite works, but merely to state the number of giuis which should be demanded for their armament, which are as follows .-— For this North Head— North Battery 6—6S Pounder gums South Do. 8—32 Redoubt 2-24 " For Okahu Point— Battery 4—68 Pounder gnus 6-112 For the protection of Port Nicholson and the town of Wellington, the report of the Commanding Royal Engineer on the question of the reservation of land for military purposes, proposed the occupation of Ward's Islands, facing the entrance to the port, ami of Pipifcea Point, forming oue head of Lamhton harbour and bay, on which the town is situated, by coast batteries. On the former, there should be in battery guns of large calibre and long range, say 6S pounders, 0 in number, with a Redoubt or Keep of sufficient strength and capacity to protect and accommodate the garrison; on the latter, a battciy of 8-32 pounder guns, the gorge being closed by a loop-holed guard-house, and one or two small buildings for the occupation of the artillerymen required to man the guns. A battery on the other head or shore of Lambton harbour is scarcely practicable without considerable expense in the construction of the works to protect the defenders from a reverse fire of Ilirlemuu from the commanding ground in the rear; it would, however, be desirable to have an armament-, say 6-24 pounders, for a battery ou that side, in case the Colonial Government should determine on incurring the expense necessary for an effective insurance of their fellowcitinens' property. Lyttelton, from its situation, forms an admirable target for the concentration of the fire of a hostile squadron .- unfortunately, it is so circumstanced that defensive points are not readily obtained in consequence of the difficulties of the ground round the harbour. There is a small island close to the farther side of the hr.rbour from the town, commonly called Rhode's Island, which may be occupied by heavy <mn<s of long range whioh would reach across the harbour, but their fire would be rather uncertain at the distance at which ships might pass them, there being deep water close in shore on both sides, to a point nearly opposite the town ; nevertheless the guns should b° demanded, to the number of 6-6S pounders, to be mounted either in suitable works on the island, or else disposed in a battery which might be constructed on a short jetty or mole rim out from the N. E. point of the bay on the shore of which the town is built, in which case there may be in addition to the guns of la're> calibre, 4 others, either 32-pounders or 24-pounders. A point forming the S.W. head of the bay above referred to should also lie occupied by about G guns-32-poimdens. These two batteries well secured and servetL should insure the town from pillage or insult from a small force. To recapitulate, the whole number of guns required would be as follows : fiS-pouuders 32-potmders 24-pounders Auckland 10 14 0 Wellington ... 6 8 '...' g Lyttelton t» 6 4 Total 22 28 jo All mounted on wood carriages and cast iron dwarf traversing platforms, with the exception of the 24-poundcrs for Wellington aud Lyttelton, and the 32-pounders for Lytteltoa

With these guns should be demanded ammunition and materials for aTxmt 200 rounds per gun, shot and a fair proportion of sbeells of an approved description, together with everj' article of small stores required for service. ff a proportion of the newly invented ]K>werful gun, " Armstrong's," could he obtained it would be desirable, but as it is most probable that all the energies of the Imperial Government will be insufficient to supply their Fleets and Garrisons with this arm, it is hardly to be expected that they would be furnished, at least at present, to the colonies, and perhaps not in. any ease except upon payment of the cost, whereas the other description of guns above mentioned, though eifectiv~e and powerful, will now gradually be thrown out of use in Europe, and doubtless will be readily obtained without charge to the colony : it will be better to commence a defensive system r in the colony with what may now be termed an inferior arm, than to leave the colony entirely defenceless. Supposing the whole number of (IS-pounders cannot be obtained, the f>(i-pouiider, a:i admirable gun of long range, may be substituted. The followiTig arc tho lengths and weights of the guns required Pounders. feet. inches. cwt. (58 10 10 112 | r>;> 11 0 !.'7 i 32 9 0 r.i> 24 9 iJ 50 The guns a~bove proposed to be demanded, together with those now in 1 mattery iv .-luckland, are in number 78, for the service of which, there are in the colony less than one regular artilleryman for two gun.:, e::d the numbers are not likely to he increased by the Imperial Government: it is therefore imperative that the Colonial Government should, if they desire the colony to be exempt from insult from even a paltry privateer or small armed vessel, consider in what way the guns, if supplied by the Imperial Government, may be effectively manned in ease id ncv3-;ity. It has been proposed, and the proposition is mo. t worthy of consideration, that Volunteer companies should be h-vited to enroll themselves for artillery service in all Hi- Liiements that may be provided with, defences ; that if the invitation is answered, which it is believed it would be cordially for a branch of the service so prominent as that of the artillery, they should be armed like regular artillerymen, or like the present /luckland Volunteer Uillos with a rifle carbine; that they should b° provided 'with a simple but neat uniform to be worn on special occasions; that they should be trained, as far as the time that can he spared by the individuals composing the force will albvw, to the practice, and, to a small extent, the science of gunnery, with garrison guns ; and when sufficient progress in the acquisition of these points has been realized, that a certain, number of rounds should be allowed annually for expenditure for target practice. The same patriotic feeling that induces so many of the respectable inhabitants of the province of A uckland with a stake in the country, to enroll themselves as Volunteer Rifles, woidd, it is presumed, not only bring them forward to he trained for bloodless practice, but draw them to their guns in the face of a daring enemy. Siicli men have much to lose even in the destruction of property, still more in the deprivation, even though temporarily, of liberty, in the event of an occupation of the country by the forces of a despotic power. Such an event, it is to be hoped, may never happen ; but without due defences and preparation, this rich and rising colony may excite a keen desire for its acquisition by the enemies of Groat Britain. A body of this kind would render most efficient aid to a small force of regular artillery, without which, the latter would hardly be able to man one-twelfth of the garrison guns proposed to be provided, without leaving a man for the service of held guns which might be called into play. (Signed) Thos. R, Mould, Colonel Commanding Royal Engineers.