fil6 Hohart Town considered with 



appropriately to be discussed under the head of coast defences.- 

 We must now consider the reverse or rear of the Town. 



This ought to be defended by detached works, which 

 ought also to be closed works, unless indeed their rear should 

 fall upon any building which could be used as a citadel of 

 retreat, and thereby the means of a prolonged defence secured. 

 Commencing at the end of Mount Nelson Range, near the 

 termination of Davey- street, a strong work should be erected 

 there to command the road which comes from the Paver 

 Huon, and Procter's Road from Brown's River : this should 

 be the first of aline of detached works {vide Plate I.), extend- 

 ing thence through the valley to Knocklofty, and along the 

 top of the Knocklofty Range, and then down the ridge which 

 leads from its northern extremity to the hill in the Govern- 

 ment Domain. A few small works within a proper distance 

 of each other should be disposed along the water's edge, so 

 as to close the line up to the battery at Macquarie Point. 



If any exterior defences were required in the direction of the 

 Laiinceston Road, to check an attack from that direction, 

 a line of works on the ridge of Mount Wellington, beyond 

 New Town, would be necessary. 



Thus far have I endeavoured, with the help of my plan, to 

 show the ground to be occupied. I now come to make a few 

 extracts from standard military authors, relating to the con- 

 struction of such works as have been considered advisable 

 to employ. 



The Block-house is the style of field-work to be erected ; 

 and, after showing various modes of constructing it, I 

 would ask why should not a block-house (with a little addi- 

 tional labour) be made a permanent work ? 



The Royal Military College Course (p. 225) thus defines 

 block-houses. " K Block-house to resist musketry should 

 be composed of trees squared, so that the parts in contact 



