641
I have the honour to be, (Signed) Richard Woonam.
Captain D'Aquilar,
Victoria, Hong Kong,
Private Assistant Military Secretary to
February 7th 1844.
No: 58
With a view to saving time, and putting the Honorable Major D'Aguilar Commanding Her Majesty's Forces in China in full possession of the views and Commands of Her Majesty's Government, as regards the future Military defences of this Colony. I am directed by His Excellency the Governor to forward to you, for the information of the Honorable Major General, a copy of a Despatch dated the 15th November 1843, which was received by the "Sesostris" Steamer on the 30th of last month.
In forwarding this transcript of Lord Stanley's Despatch, I am further directed to state, that the ground work and basis of the Despatches to which His Lordship refers are shown in the Governor's letters to the address of Major General Lord Saltown, the numbers and dates of which are noted in the margin.
The change in the numbers between the letters of June and July was caused by the Island having become a British Colony, by the Exchange of the Ratification of the treaty.
Some of the letters of which the numbers and Dates are noted had not reached England at the date of Lord Stanley's Despatch, but were to the same purport as those which His Lordship had received.