THE DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 226, 12 January 1877, Page 2

THE DEFENCE OF THE COLONY.

Tiie Imperial Government have requesteu His Excellency the Govcrnnor to furnish a description of the roads and other lines of communication throughout the Colony. The details of the description required are set forth as follows : ■'■' The commercial and strategical value of each line of communication, accompanied, if by military reconnaissances and sketches of each. In the absence of reeonnaisances, such information, given in detail, as may be forth coming on the following heads : —Roads : A complete itinerary of their course, and of that of all bush tracks or other paths as far as known ; kind of country they traverse, with its resources ; their width, passes, cuttings, embankments, inclines, bridges, ferries, ... fords ; whether metalled or unmettled ; how far they are fitted for the passage of infantry, cavalry, artillery, and transport ; towns and villages on their course or skirted by them, with their resources in food, water, and shelter for men and horses; exact distances, branch roads, and intercommunication with other lines of communication; military positions, ' convenient halting places and camping grounds on the line, extent of each, and whether it fulfils all the conditions concerning the health and the wants of troops ; also its distance from neighboring canrping grounds. The JVEinister for Public Works has applied to the district engineers of the several provincial districts throughout the Colony to supply the required information in detail. A northern contemporary remarks : —"We cannot conceive what the vernment wants with this information, X/ unless it contemplates reversing its policytowards the Colony, and again Imperial troops here. "We are not at all

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