OUR MEANS OF DEFENCE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume IV, Issue 220, 18 April 1872, Page 6

OUR MEANS OF DEFENCE.

(From (lie Eveniig Star.) Our neighbors in Victoria dovoted the holiday on Easter Monday to training the Volunteer force in their duties, in case Melbourne should be attacked. The papers contain full particulars, which are chiefly interesting to us as pointing to the difference between the preparations for defence there, com- | pared with the ports of New Zealand. First there is the Cerberus, a steam monitor of powerful armament ; next H.M.V.S. Nelson, armed with two 150-pounders rifled, twenty 64-pound-ers rifled, and four 68-poundcr guns. On shore there are three batteries at Williamstown, armed as follows : — The Right Battery, four 68-pound guns ; the Centre Battery, one 300-pounder rifled, four 80-pounders rifled, and four 68-pound guns; and the Lighthouse Battery, two 300-pound, four 80-pound, aud two 68-pound guns, all rifled. On the opposite side of the Bay are the Sandridge Batteries. The Western (emplacement) Battery is armed with four 68-pound guns ; the Lagoon Battery with one 300-pound and four 80pound guns rifled, and four 68-pound-ersj the Central Battery, three 80pounders rifled ; and the St. Kilda Right Battery, three 80-pounders rifled guns. In addition to these three sandbag batteries were thrown up, two of which were armed with two guns each, and one with four guns. Notwith- 1 standing these formidable preparations on shore, so far as we can gather from the accounts given, supposing the Cei'berus removed, and in her stead an enemy's monitor of equal armament were to make an attack, the chances are that Melbourne would be successfully bombarded. There can be no question that in many respects Dunedin possesses superior advantages of position for defence compared with Melbourne, but in. other i-epp-=scts tbe chances are against it. In an attack upon Melbourne the batteries at the Heads would have to be passed, an*! tlion. tlipre are the dangers of na vigation of Port Phillip, which, even if safely traversed, affords some hours for Melbourne to muster and prepare its forces. Should an attack be made on Port Chalmers, however, the first intimation would probably be that the enemy had anchored there. We have been accustomed, to believe that the narrowness of the channel affords the means of destroying an enemy's cruiser by meanß of torpedos. Ifc seems, however, from the Melbourne papers, that it will not do to be too secure on that point. The whole of the ceremony of preparation by an attacking vessel was gone through on board the Cerberus, and here is the story of what was done ia prospect of torpedos being placed in the track :—: — Then the order was given to prepare for action — a command which was obeyed with all the alacrity of British seamen. The first thing done was to guard against the risk of injury from the torpedoes with which it was supposed a vigilant Government would endeavor to bar the ingress of a hostile fleet. A simple but apparently effective contrivance was deyised to achieve this object The two masts of the ship were lowered and run out through the hawse-hol^s a distance of some 18 or 20 feet over the bows. When they were securely fastened in position, a spar about 40 or 45 feet in length was fashed ; across them, and suspended from it was a ' network of grapnels, which it was considered would fish up any of the electrical or selfacting torpedoes which might be laid in the course of the vessel. As the length of the < spar greatly exceeded the breadth of the ship, there was little to be apprehended from these snbmarinedangersif the contrivanceanswered its purpose ; for even if the torpedoes exploded when hooked by the grapnels, no injury would result, as it is an ascertained fact that the shock would not be felt more than 18ft. or 20ft. in a lateral direction. We should imagine that all chance of fishing up one of these monsters might be guarded agaifts£ by giving them a circular form, so thai ejfcber the grapnels would pass over them or I merely roll them over without materally altering their position ; and this is one of the advantages of knowthe foils an enemy is prepared to use, so that measures may be taken j accordingly. This is really the chief point of interect to us in New Zealand. We want efficient and cheap means for defending our harbors. We do nob think ifc likely them will ever be any attempt at invasion, by land forces ; but even should there be, our chief safeguard is harbor or coast defence, such as indicated by the Times, to which we drew attention a short time ago. Batteries with armament?, such as those in Melbourne, are enormously expensive; but should the | torpedo gun be found an effective arm, j a torpedo system is easily adapted io the harbor. Valuable as are our Volunteers as marksmen, it seems we are behind our neighbors in arrangements. In all probability our Volunteers are the.best shots in the Colonies ; but they are all either sharpshooters

or artillerymen. In Melbourne they 1 have a signal and "torpedo corps." Their mode of operations was new, and on that account interesting. The Argus tells vs — Another item in the list of prepi rations (for defenc) wa3 the stations establ shed f*>i tiie use of the torpedo and signal corps, onehalf of which under t'aptain Ellery was established at the top of the Williamstown Lighthouse, and the other half under Majoi Coachman on one of the rifle-pit mounds within the enclosure of the Victoria Hifle Association. It is sufficieut here to at at" that the apparatus used was of the most modern character. Among other instruments, it included the helioti ope, a mode of communication by flashing ijhe sun's rays by means of reflectors. It was completely successful, and answered nearly as well as if electric telegraph communication had been established. We commend these subjects to the study of our defensive associations : for it must never be forgotten that familiarity with means of attack or defence is necessary to render either successful.