, 1892-05-11
THE NEW COALING STATION, CAS-
TRIES BAY, ST. LUCIA.
TO The Editor Of the Times.

Sir,-In making foreign voyages in past
years ! have been permitted in your columns
to give the impressions of an eyewitness on
points connected with imperial defence and
colonial administration On the present occa-
sion | ask to be allowed to offer a few observa-
tions suggested by a cruise in the West In
dies.
And first as to the garrison for the new
eoaling station at Castries Bay, in st. Lucia.
The position has been selected solely on stra-
tegical grounds. 1t is easily defended and the
harbour is secure. In a sanitary point Of
view it bears an evil name. Our central coal
ing station in the West Indies must be forti-
fed, to resist a coup de main. We must have
near at hand a sufficient garrison, 1t is not
imperative that the troops should be quattered
in st. Lucia in time Of peace.
1t is at present proposed to remove to St.
Lucia the British troops hitherto stationed at
Barbados. On many grounds the latter seems
the more desirable station under peace. The
barracks are admirably adapted to a hot cir
mate. They stand on the shore, cooled by
the constant breezes from the sea, and look out
on Il spacious savannah or park, equally con-
venient for drills and exercise, for cricket,
tennis and polo. 1t should not be put out Of
view that Barbados has a population Of liz,
600, as against the 1900 Of st. Lucia. Ghe
presence of British troops is a link with the
mother country. In tbs regard it is desirable
that the few troops we maintain in the West
Indies should be stationed in the largest CEN
tresof population. The considerations which
have been urged point to the conclusion that
in peace the distribution Of troops should re-
main as at present. If war threatened, in q
few hours the force in Barbados could be
moved st. Lucia. In this connexion it may not
be to out Of place to compare the staff of the
army in the West Indies with the forces quar-
tered in the command. Barbados and Jamai-
ca have each a colonel on the staff, with the
local rank of najor-general, two deputy assis-
tant Acknowledgements, an officer commanding
Royal Artillery, a commanding Royal Engin-
eer, a senior Ordnance Store. officer, a district
paymaster, and a senior medical officer.
The troops quartered in the command
include two companies Royal Artillery, two
companies West India Sappers, eight com
panies West Riding Regiment, nine companies
West India Regiments. These have their full
proportion of regimentaI officers. The colonel
of the West Riding Regiment .issat headquar-
tiers in Barbados. A colonel commands the
West India depot in Jamaica. The staff of
the army in the West Indies would be sufi-
cient if the force under their command num-
bered as many thousands as there are hundreds
present with the colours. A revision of the
establishments at the foreign stations would
probably result in considerable reductions
without loss of efficiency.
Passing from military arrangements at Bar
bados to the works in progress at st. Lucia
as an old Admiralty official l feel it a
duty to press strongly one or two sugges-
tons.
The physical conditions which render Cas-
tries Bay a secure harbour tend to make it's
stagnant waters unhealthy under "a tropical
sun. The harbour was formerly s1lrronnded