COMMENDED ESSAY, 1897 . 
343 
would be found that a few guns for each water area, if kept constantly 
prepared for action, would afford sufficient protection. The guns 
selected must be able to bring a sufficient fire to bear, must have 
accommodation for detachments close at hand, and must be manned by 
Regular Artillery who must always live on the spot. We cannot count 
upon knowing that war is imminent sufficiently early to be sure of 
sending men from elsewhere in time. The delay that sometimes occurs 
in returning the salute of a foreign man-of-war is a sufficient indication 
of what might happen in war if readiness is not insisted upon. 
But how is practice to be arranged so as to test our readiness ? To Practice to test 
this question the only possible answer is that blank ammunition must readiness - 
be used, and the Navy must be asked to co-operate. Single ships are 
constantly moving about from place to place, and it seems a very small 
request to make that a captain should occasionally, when leaving a port, 
receive sealed orders that before entering the port for which he is bound 
he should open fire with blank ammunition at one of the forts defending 
it. Very few rounds would suffice, and the test of readiness would be 
the rapidity with which the fire could be returned, not necessarily from 
the fort attacked but from any fort or forts which may be able to bring 
a fire to bear. This will show us where our arrangements require 
improvement, will bring home to us the necessity not only of being 
ready but of keeping a sharp look out, and will ensure such orders 
being issued as will prevent any hesitation or delay on the part of those 
in immediate command of the guns. A few rounds of blank ammuni¬ 
tion must be kept with the guns for this purpose. 
In some cases warning might be given by other ships or by the Coast 
guard of the approach of a man-of-war, but still its intentions would 
not be known until it opened fire. This would give invaluable practice 
in the communication of information to those most concerned. 
It may be thought that all this readiness would entail too great a 
strain on the detachments ; but they need not always be on the alert ; 
all that is required is a look-out man with communication by electric 
bell with the forts ; the detachments themselves would have more nights 
in bed than if they were doing ordinary duty with their companies, 
and it should also be borne in mind that the guns to be held in readiness 
need not always be the same, and that detachments could therefore be 
relieved without any difficulty. 
After war has broken out our readiness must be extended to the 
protection of commerce. It is our business to provide places of refuge, 
where merchant ships can be safe from the attack of hostile cruisers. 
By night we can only afford safety within our defences, but by day the 
safe area can be extended considerably according to the range of our 
guns. Something of the sort is even now practised at Gibraltar, where 
the Spanish Guarda Costas are not allowed to pursue smugglers within 
the three mile limit. But we must know how to distinguish friend 
from foe, and avoid firing at one of our own cruisers when in pursuit 
of an enemy’s ship ; and in admitting our own merchantmen, we must 
be careful to exclude those of the enemy which may run in to recon¬ 
noitre. Examination anchorages are good in theory, but we must have 
practice in communicating with the examining boats and in acting 
promptly on the information so obtained. No practice however in 
these various duties can be obtained without the co-operation of the 
Navy, and we must look to the Navy to help us in these matters. It 
is not very much to ask. Ships are constantly moving about from place 
