§ Considerable advance has been made in this all-important matter. The supplies of coal required at home and foreign stations, and the best means of obtaining them, have been carefully considered.
§ A number of lighters have been ordered for facilitating the coaling of our ships afloat both on the home and foreign stations, arrangements have been made for taking up cruiser colliers and coaling outfits to be used by colliers in company with a fleet will be stored at various places at home and abroad. We hope during the year to be able to make some progress with works at Portland for unloading sea-borne and railway-carried coal; but until the plans have been more carefully investigated and accurate estimates produced, I did not consider it advisable to sanction any premature expenditure.