474
Under the head of drills the figures are as follows:--
Efficients with
Ca. Co. Band.
•
No. 1 No. 2 Eng.
taff. Co.
than 30 drills.....
7.
Efficients
with legs
than 30 drills.
Non-ficients
Total....
زائر
N
12
++ 22
4
3
17
17
༔
7 107
XO 23 3
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
(June 27, 1904
DEPARTMENT.
The competition for the shield presented by · BOTANICAL & AFFORESTATION Sir W. J. Gascoigne, K.C.M.G.. for Maxim gun practice, took place on January 23rd, 1904, and was won by the right half No. 2 company. H.K.V.A.
The corps took part in the King's Birthday parade in conjunction with the remainder of the garrison at the Happy Valley on November 9th, 1903,
An ambulance class was conducted by Cap- Of the 11 non-efficients. 16 have been called | tain F. O. Stedman. M.D. Nine members of the npon to make good the loss to the corps fauds.corps presented themselves for examination, of
whom & qualified. ie, $25 each. 7 have been excused owing to the nature of their employment, 12 are absent (with leave) from the colony, and 6 recruits have been unable to complete the necessary number of drills.
The number of non-efficients shows a distinct decrease on the number last year, and I am of opinion that, although the number have again fallen, the efficiency in proportiou to the total is greater than in formuer years. I hope now that the hey gun drills have been stop od that the degrease in numbers will be checked and every endeavour is being made to get more recruits to join.
The anual report of the Superintendent of Mr. S. T. Duun, for the year 1903 is published the Botanical and Afforestation Department.
in the Government carette. We extract from it the following paragraphs :--
BOTANIC GARDENS,
The gardens have of late years become so crowded by Chinese visitors in fine weather that it was deemed advisable to restrict their Confidential correspondence was carried on
use on certain days in order to provide oppor tunities of visiting them in a less crowded state during the year with the Colonial Defence Com- mittee on the subject of the organisation of they those desirous of doing so for scientific or corps, and it was finally decided that the other purposes. Each of the two gardens was artillery portion of the corps should in future accordingly closed once a week during August, carry out moveable armament and Maxim gun, September and October, admission being grant. duties and not drill with the fixed armament ined only to visitors presenting their cards. 26 the forts.
opportunities were thus offered to the public of visiting the gardens under favourable condi tions, and 627 persons (of whom 334 were The Europeans) availed themselves of them. result is interesting as showing the small that there is at the present demand
This decision was communicated to the menu-i bers of the corps on parade on Febrnary Hith. 1904. I hope that this decision may check the further decrease in the numbers.
i
In my report last year I mentioned that it had been sanctioned that a shed should be put; time, of
apat Kowloon to contain an engine and search. light installation for special instruction of the volunteers.
Musketry was carried out during the
camp instraction, and as many members as possibl. were put through the cours ›. The members of the En.ineer company fired the full course laid down in the musketry regulations, 1903: the members of the artillery companies fired at 20tion that this building had been completed, but yards, 300 yards and 50 yards: the average was good, but according to regulations, the latter are not classified.
The officers of the corps have practised with revolv rs OII different occasions, with good results.
CAMP OF INSTRUCTION.
The annual camp was held under canvas at Stonecutters Island from October 3rd to November 2nd. 1993. The attendance was
better than in the previous year, in spite of the fact that a typhoon kept men away for nearly full days out of the 10. Stonecutters West Battery was manned at night by the artillery units, and the engineer company manned the search lights. The usual company, carbine and rifle drills. were carried out, and the artillery units devoted the greater part of the time to 15Pr. B. L. and Maxim gun drill, in which a keen interest was taken. Practice was carried out with the Maxim guns on the range with good results. also class-firing by a number of men, but time did not permit of the whole corps completing the course. The engineer company in addition to musketty and infantry drills, carried out daily drills with the engines and search lights under the supervision of Royal Engineer instructors. Two accidents occurred during the period in camp which were attended to by Lieutenant Swan. the Medical Officer. and in both cases valuable first aid was given by the members of the ambulance class in camp. Next year it is proposed to arrange for one of the medical officers to remain in camp during the period.
The Officer Commanding Royal Artillery in- spected the artillery units on October 31st. Drill was carried out with the 15-Pr. B. L. and Maxim guns, and the C. R. A. expressed him- self pleased with the result.
The O.C.S:M.. R.E.. carried out an examina. tion of the members of the engineer company on October 31st, and stated that their knowledge and progress was good.
The Officer Commanding the Troops inspect- ed the corps on parade on Sunday, November 1st, and also made an inspection of the camp. He remarked on the steadiness of the men on parade and stated that he considered the camp was better laid out and more soldierly than in previous years.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The annual inspection of the corps by His Excellency the General Officer Commanding was held on March 26th, 1904.
The absentees from the Inspection are as under:-23 absent with leave out of the Colony. 16 absent with leave on special duties in this Colony, 10 absent on medical certificates, 11 absent without leave.
The competition for the musketry shield presented by Sir H. A. Blake, G.C.M.G., took place on May 2nd, 1903, at Tai Hang rife range, and was again won by the left No. 1 company, H.K.V.Ä.
i
On February 3rd. 1904. I received informa-
that the engine and light were required to complete the defences. I hope that these may soon be replaced: the engineer company has decreased in strength to 21 at the present
time. and it would be advisable to endeavour to popularise this useful portion of the corps by enabling them to do their technical drills without proceeding in every case to the forts.
The question of suitable headquarters for the corps
still remains unsettled.
A Kitson light installation (2 lamps) was approved and fitted up on the parade ground in December, 1903. This has proved a great con venience and enabled the gun drill, laying, etc. with 15-Pr. B. L. and Maxim guns to be carried out under better conditions than formerly.
SERVICES.
Major A. Chapman took over the duties of Acting Commandant during my absence on leave from June 3rd to August 19th. 1903. and has always afforded me valuable assistance in all matters concerning the welfare of the corps.
The others officers of the corps have also, in almost every case, rendered excellent service and set a good example to the non-commissioned officers and men by their attendance at drills and their endeavours to promote the efficiency of the corps.
The
Sergeant Major W. Higby, R.G.A.. joined the staff at the commencement of the annual camp and from the date of taking over his duties has proved himself a zealous, hardworking non-commissioned officer, and has made himself First class popular with all ranks in the corps. Armourer Sergeant J. T. Hawks has fulfilled his duties in a very satisfactory manner. duties of orderly room clerk have been performed by Yeung Shi-Chai, who has now been put on the permanent staff of the corps; he has done his work well, and during the period between September 27th and October 16th, whilst he was without the services of a Sergeant Major. he greatly assisted in the heavy clerical work entailed by the arrangements for the camp.
The Manila Culleneics of the 21st inst. says that Rear-Admiral Philip H. Cooper. com- mander-in-chief of the United States naval forces on the Asiatic station. is ordered to turn over the command to Rear-Admiral Stirling and proceed home on waiting orders. The cause for this order from the navy department is the result of a report of a recent medical board of survey which recommended that Rear-Admiral Cooper be relieved from active service owing to physical disabilities. It is understood that Rear Admiral Stirling, who is now aboard the cruiser Yen Orleans at Chefoo, will be notified by Rear-Admiral Cooper to proceed to Hongkong, whence the command will be officially turned over to him; else he will be instructed to assume command per order, notifying the depart ment at Washington of the acceptation of the office by him.
:
!
for
an uncrowded gurden. The privileged entrance should perhaps he tried again from time to time to test the wishes of the community. During the latter part of the year two gardeners were used as Park Keepers to encourage visitors to observe the regulations of the Gardens. A marked improvement in the behaviour of the Chinese working men who visit the Gardens in large numbers resulted from this plan, thus rendering the Gardens more attractive to other visitors. Some amendments were made in the Regulations in August, hy one of which visitors are now allowed to bring
in their do ́s on leash.
One of the points brought out by the occa - sional closing of the Gardens referred to ahore was the comparatively small use made of the New Gardens by visitors. This has probably of seats there, and this defect was remedied in been due in some measure to the small number
the autumn by the addition of 30 new ones. The opportunity was taken of opening up the trees and shrubs in front of some of the seats in order to give good views of the harbour. Some seats were also placed in Glenealy Ravine.
FORESTRY.
The time has now arrived for the Colony to profit to the full extent by the foresight of the Government of a former generation In the late seventies tree planting was seriously nu- dertaken, and from the rear 1882 to 1885 the annual expenditure of $2,000 was expressly sanctioned for afforestation, and from 200,000 to 300,000 young pines were planted each year. As the island became more completely covered with plantations. the operations and annual vots gradually diminished, until the present time. when the planting of a few thousand trees can be covered by a small portion of the tree planting rote of 13,450. As a result of this policy there are now nearly 5,000 acres of pine upon the island, and the oldest plantations, now between 25 and 30 years old, are ready to fell and replant.
The pine plantations are of very various ages and sizes, and much time has been devoted during the year to a careful examination of them and subsequently to delineating them on maps and schedules so that a systematic working plan can be drawn up to ensure as far as possible an
uniform annual outturn of timber. The surface of the island has been divided for this purpose into seven main divisions, and each of these into six to eight blocks containing from fifty to two or three hundred acres of pine plantation each. The primary object of this preliminary inspec. tion of the plantations was to obtain statistics upon which to found a working plan for the future, but the results have a further interest as showing what return the Government have for their outlay of former years.
Forest Offences-Considering the fewness of the forest guards—5 in all or one to each 1.000 acres of plantation, the number of trees stolen is small, only 427 during the year, and taken together with the 50 offenders brought to justice and convicted, reflects much credit on these officers.
Fires. Only one serious fire occurred among the Government plantations. This was to the ¦ west of Tytamtuk and extended over shout 2 acres, destroying 880 pine trees. It was only
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