15

A-No. 6

For the North Head— Norih Battery 6—68 Pounder Guns South Do 8—32 " " Redoubt 2—24 For Ohahu Pomt — Battery 4—GB Pounder Guns 6—32 " " 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, andof Pipitea Point, forming one Head of Lambton Harbour or Bay, on which the Town is situated,by coast Hatteries. On the former, there should be in Battery, Guns of large calibre and long range, say 68-Pounders, G in number, with a Redoubt or Keep of sufficient strength and capacity to protect and accommodate the Garrison; on the latter, a Fattery 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 Riflemen from the commanding ground in the rear, it would however be desirable to have an armament, say 6-24 Pounders, for a Battery on that side, in case the Colonial Government should determine on incurring the expense necessary for an effective insurance of their fellow-citizens' property. Lyttelton, from its situation, forms an admirable target for the concentration of the fire ofa 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 Harbour from the Town, commonly called Rhode's Island, which may be occupied by heavy guns of long range which would reach across the Harbour, but their fire would be rather uncertain, at ihe 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 be demanded,to the number of 6 68-Pounders, to be mounted either in suitable works on the Island, or else disposed in a Battery whicli might be constructed on a short jetty or mole run out from the N.E. point of the Bay on the shore of which the Town is built, in whicli case there may be in addition to the Guns of large calibre, 4 others, either 32-Pounders or 24-Pounders. A Point forming the S. W. Head of the Bay above referred to should also be occupied by about 6 Guns—32-I'ounders. These two Batteries well secured an(! served, should insure the Town from pillage or insult from a small force. To recapitulate, the whole number of Guns required would be as follows :— 68-Pounder Guns 32-Pounder Guns 24-Pounder Guns Auckland 10 14 2 Wellington 6 8 6 Lyttelton 6 6 4 Total 22 28 12 All mounted on wood carriages and cast iron dwarf traversing platforms, with the exception of the 24-Pounder Guns for Wellington and Lyttelton, and the 32-Pounder Guns for Lyttelton. With these Guns should be demanded Ammunition and materials for about 200 rounds per Gun, shot aud a fair proportion of shells of an approved description, together with every article of small stores required for this service. If a proportion of the newly invented powerful Gun, " Armstrong's," could be 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, aud perhaps not in any case except upon payment of the cost, whereas the other description of Guns above mentioned, though effective and powerful, will now be gradually 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 in the Colony, with what may now be termed an inferior arm, than to leave the Colony entirely defenceless. Supposing the whole number of 68-Pounders cannot be obtained, the 56-Pounder, an admirable gun of long range, may be substituted. The following are the lengths and weights of the Guns required. Pounders. feet, inches. cwt. G8 10 10 112 56 11 0 97 32 9 6 50 24 9 6 50 The Guns above proposed to be demanded, together with those now in Battery in Auckland, are in number 78, for the service of which, there are in the Colony, less than one regular artilleryman for two Guns, and the numbers are not likely to be 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 case of necessity. It has been proposed, and the proposition is most worthy of consideration, that Volunteer Companies should hi invited to enroll themselves for Artillery service in all the settlements 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 Auckland