Pond. — Notes on the firiiKj of Torpedoes by Electricity. 167 



If fathoms at low tide, while projecting from Kangitoto is a hank with only 

 2i- fathoms, giving only 1,400 yards of channel to the bank on the south 

 side, while midway is the shallow bank about 400 yards long, thus reducing 

 the distance to be defended to less than 1,000 yards. It will thus be seen 

 that fewer torpedoes will be required to defend this passage, and the North 

 Head would be dh-ectly at right angles to it, thus placing it very favourably 

 for direct observation, while the highland to, the west of the Tamaki Heads 

 would prove a favom-able position for observation from whence to signal, 

 either by .flags, hghts or telegraph, the approach of the enemy to the first 

 line of the defence. I would x^ay especial attention to this passage, as I 

 think it very likely an enemy would choose that, anticipating that the most 

 used channel would be the best guarded. And it must be borne in mind 

 that the days for attack by sailing craft are past, and that, if Auckland 

 was attacked, it would be by several steamers and not one only, as no 

 enemy would do so hazardous a thing as to send in an unpiloted and 

 unattended steamer, as the slightest mishap to vessel or machinery would 

 at such a time place her at the mercy of those she came to molest ; nor is it 

 likely that small, light draught cruisers would be chosen for the work, as in 

 the South Pacific there are no naval stations where the attacking squadron 

 would be safe from the British navy then on the station, or where they 

 could provision, coal, or dock, therefore large vessels alone would be 

 enabled to attempt the work, and again a hght draught vessel would be 

 unable to carry an armament sufficiently powerful to do any damage at 

 long range. 



With respect to the distance of Auckland from the respective outer lines 

 of proposed defence, I find fi-om the Admiralty Chart that the centre of the 

 first line in Eangitoto Channel is 200 yards less than five miles, but this 

 would be reduced to 4t miles should the vessel stand well in to the bank, 

 stiU keeping outside the line ; this is measured to the lower part of Queen 

 Street, but by his standing in so close it would preclude him from seeing 

 any portion of Auckland district unless from his mast-head, and then the 

 only places which he could observe would be Mount Eden, Mount Hobson, 

 and perhaps one or two other points of the high land, and from this position 

 I do not think we have anything to fear from shot or shell falling into the 

 city, as irres^Dective of the distance he has no point on which to concentrate 

 his fire, and certainly none on which to observe the effect of his work. 

 But from the Koreho Channel the position is altered, as here he has full 

 view of the town, which he could absolutely rake provided he had artillery 

 which would carry far enough ; but the distance from this point to the 

 lower part of Queen Street is five miles and 300 yards, and here again must 

 be borne strongly in mind the fact that guns heavy enough to throw shell 



