Our mandate is to keep our attention solely fixed upon the defences of the country, to elaborate different schemes for repelling different methods of attack, and in short to make ourselves responsible to the country for the safety of the Empire.

Every harbour on the south and east coast is supposed to be known to us, every yard of railway feeding the seaports from London, all the secret fortifications and places, south of London, capable of being held by inferior forces.

The mobilization of troops to any one point has been gone thoroughly into, and every possible movement and combination of the fleet.

These are only a few of the things which have become our care, but they are sufficient for the purpose of illustration.

The importance of this Board must be apparent to you; also the importance of absolute secrecy as regards its doings and movements." I was fascinated by the greatness of time subject.