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I ought perhaps to have made it perfectly clear in that letter that the Admiral and myself had inspected the Kowloong Peninsula only, and not the Military works.
It is true that early in 1880 or towards the close of 1899 I accompanied the General, the Commanding Engineer, the Officer Commanding the Royal Artillery, the Military Secretary and the Brigade Major, and made a careful inspection of the Military works at Kowloong. I inspected the works with the Military Authorities.
6. except never inspected with the Military
The subsequent inspection of the Peninsula itself with the Admiral was made for the greater part in a steam-launch. We landed at each end and explored the boundary line and the Chinese villages close to it. We did not go near any of the forts or Military Works. I have no doubt Your Lordship will agree that a person in my position ought not to be precluded from visiting, with either Naval or Military Officers, the various parts of the colony under his Government. For three or four years past I have lost the opportunity of getting information for the use of Her Majesty's Government, either in official inspections of the forts such as I made with the General,