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Letter from REAR ADMIRAL STOPFORD to J. W. CROKER, ESQRE. HIS MAJESTY'S SHIP Scipion, TABLE BAY, 31st March 1811.

SIR,-In compliance with the orders of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty conveyed in your letter under date of the 13th October 1810, duplicates and triplicates of which have been received, desiring me to cause an estimate to be made of the expense of erecting at Simons Bay all such Store-houses, Lodgings, &c., as I may consider necessary in addition to those already there for all the naval purposes required on this Station, on the supposition of the Squadron being kept up nearly on the present establishment.

I have the honor to acquaint you for the information of their Lordships that I have in conjunction with Commissioner Shield proceeded to Simons Bay and ascertained with as much accuracy as possible the precise limits of the nature and extent of such buildings as will be required for the purposes mentioned. In the estimate of the expenses I have been assisted by Mr. Osmond, late a Carpenter in His Majesty's service, who has resided at Simons Bay several years, and I have reason to believe that his calculations are correct and will put their Lordships in possession of the expense likely to be incurred by the intended establishment.

The very confined situation of Simons Town left me little room for choice in the proposed purchases. The alternative of building under the high price of labour and materials in this Colony decided me as to the preference of purchasing as far as it was possible even under such confined circumstances.

The house proposed for the resident Commissioner is well adapted in every respect, the price demanded for it is specified in the Margin, (125,000 Guilders) of which the proprietor Mr. Brand, who from his situation of Deputy Fiscal is obliged to reside at Simons Town, is willing to abate 25,000 Guilders provided Government will make over to him the House called the Admiral's House with a proportion of land annexed to it of 200 feet in front and 200 feet in depth.

This house is in a very ruinous state, and not habitable without undergoing considerable repairs, and I beg leave to offer it as my

opinion that the terms are as favorable as can be procured, and that the House and Ground can be disposed of without any hindrance to the general arrangement. The residence selected for the Naval Storekeeper, Master Attendant, and Master Shipwright, is a house belonging to the Colony, and now occupied as a Mess house and quarters by the officers in garrison at Simons Town. This house as Colonial property may I imagine be transferred by order of Government to any other branch of His Majesty's service; it will however be necessary to provide another house for the accommodation of the Officers in Garrison, which expense, I conclude, will be defrayed by the Colony. This house from its contiguity to the Naval Arsenal is well suited for these three officers, and is sufficiently commodious. I have inserted the expense of fitting it up (5,000 Guilders for fitting and 70,000 Guilders for procuring another house) for this purpose as well as the expense for substituting another house for the army officers.

The house proposed for the residence of the Agent Victualler and four clerks is well situated for the purposes of that department. Storehouses and cooperage sufficiently extensive join the house, and all are placed near the beach and the wharf. The expense of this purchase is 200,000 Guilders.

The house selected for a Naval Hospital capable of containing one hundred men with a residence for the Dispenser and Steward and a piece of ground for the exercise and health of the convalescents, is well placed for the required purpose, but there is not at present any residence for the Surgeon or Agent. The expense of this purchase is 75,000 Guilders for the house, 10,000 for alterations, and 26,000 for building to.

With respect to the additions necessary to the Storehouses already erected I submit to their Lordships' consideration the following Statement made in concurrence with Commissioner Shield, viz. a mast house 120 feet long, 24 feet broad, one house for a boat house 120 feet, both with working sail lofts and store sail room over, also three double stores each 80 feet long, 24 broad, expense 289,000 Guilders. It would be necessary to continue the wall and embankment in front of these new storehouses in the same manner as is already done before the former storehouses already erected, the expense is 20,000 Guilders.

In order to provide tenements for sixteen artificers it was my first intention to have proposed the conversion of the Admiral's

house for that purpose, the expense of which would have been 3,000 Guilders, but if their Lordships approve of the disposal of this house as mentioned in the first part of this letter an additional sum must be added to the 3,000 Guilders for erecting edifices for the artificers.

Aware of the objections which may probably arise to the plan of building public Storehouses in distant Colonies, I beg leave to renew for their Lordships' consideration a plan which I understand has before been suggested of having a two decked ship sent out and fitted for the various purposes of a naval yard. On board such a ship many stores might be deposited and artificers lodged. She would also answer for a sheer hulk. As a ship of this description, containing stores to a considerable amount, would require protection, I should beg leave to propose that part of her Guns should be kept mounted, and that she should have the establishment of a sloop of war.

With respect to the advantage to the public service likely to be derived from the measure of the removal of the Naval Arsenal from Cape Town to Simons Bay and having only one Arsenal in the Colony, it must be very evident to their Lordships that one Arsenal can be better managed and regulated than two placed at the distance of 20 miles apart, with only one establishment of officers to superintend both departments. The equipment of the ships can also be carried on with greater certainty and expedition at Simons Bay, as there is less interruption from the weather at that place than at Table Bay.

It has hitherto been customary to have a Regiment at Simons Town, but in consequence of a large portion of the military having gone to the Isle of France from this colony, the garrison at Simons Town is now reduced to 150 men.

On many points connected with the disposal of the buildings now occupied by the Navy at Cape Town, and with a view of procuring the information for their Lordships as to what extent the expenses of the new establishment might be relieved from falling on the British Government by an advance or loan of the paper money of this Colony, or even by the fabrication of such a quantity as would answer the demand, which measure as one of public expediency has in former instances been resorted to, I addressed a letter to His Excellency Lord Caledon, a copy of which is herewith transmitted for their Lordships' information,

but in consequence of the Governor being a considerable distance up the country I shall not have it in my power to send an answer by this conveyance.

I send home for their Lordships' inspection a sketch of Simons Town with all the buildings mentioned in this report marked thereon. The original of this report goes to England with the Owen Glendower, and I shall send a duplicate by an English merchant brig called the Mary, which sails at the same time as the Owen Glendower. I have &c.

(Signed) ROBERT STOPFORD, Rear Admiral.

P.S.-Since writing the above I have upon consultation with Commissioner Shield caused an estimate to be accurately made of the expense of erecting twelve tenements for the Artificers of the Naval Yard instead of sixteen, the former number being supposed sufficient, the amount of which is 30,000 Guilders.

The amount of the various sums calculating three Guilders to a Rixdollar, five of which are a pound currency, is £56,666 3 rds. 1 guilder.

R. S.

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Letter from SIR JOHN CRADOCK to ROBERT PEEL, ESQRE.

HEREFORD STREET, April 1st 1811.

DEAR SIR,-I shall feel myself much obliged to you, if you will submit to Lord Liverpool my anxious request to be permitted to nominate a Clergyman to one of the vacant Clerical situations at the Cape.

The Person I should take the Liberty to propose is the Revd. Mr. Jones, of the University of Cambridge, a gentleman of extensive literary attainments and of the most unexceptionable moral Character. As He is to have the Charge of the Education of my Son, whom I take out with me, it is to me of peculiar Interest that His Lordship would have the goodness to gratify me on this subject. I have etc.

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Letter from JOHN BARROW, ESQRE., to ROBERT PEEL, ESQRE. ADMIRALTY OFFICE, 1st April 1811.

SIR, The Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy having by their Letter of the 30th Ultimo informed my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that they had appointed Mr. Algernon Frederick Jones, belonging to Portsmouth Dock Yard, to be employed in investigating the nature and qualities of the Woods growing in the Forests in the neighbourhood of the Cape of Good Hope, which may be applicable to the various purposes of Ship building, and also in taking measures for removing the same from the said Forests, and that he will proceed to his appointment in the Dolphin storeship now loading at Portsmouth for that Settlement, I have their Lordships' commands to acquaint you therewith for the Information of Lord Liverpool, and to request that you will move his Lordship to cause Instructions to be given to the Governor at the Cape to co-operate with Commissioner Shield, and render such Assistance on the occasion as he may be able to afford. I am etc.

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Letter from REAR ADMIRAL STOPFORD to J. W. CROKER, ESQRE.

Scipion, TABLE BAY, 1st April 1811.

SIR, I have to request that you will be pleased to acquaint my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that I shall deem it expedient to keep four coppered Transports upon this Station until I can ascertain to what extent the Isle of France will require supplies of any description from this Colony or from the Island of Madagascar.

This Number of Transports will be made up by two which have arrived here under Convoy of the Owen Glendower, one under Convoy of the Harpy, and the Oxford, formerly employed upon the Station,

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