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CHAPTER I,
13
is direct, and three touch at either Portuguese or Spanish territory, or at both; thence by the same Company's triplicate cables to Alexandria, viâ Malta; thence by its land- lines to Suez; thence by its four cables, one of which touch at Suakim and three at Perim, to Aden; thence by its three cables to Bombay; thence by Indian Government land-lines to Madras; thence by the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company's two cables from Madras to Penang, and three cables (one of which touches at Malacca) from Penang to Singapore; thence by the same Company's two cables, one viâ Saïgon (Cochin China) and the other, viâ Labuan (British North Borneo), to Hong Kong, this is termed the "via Eastern," and if the cables from Porthcurnow direct to Gibraltar, and that from Singapore, viâ Labuan, are used is an all British route, except in so far as it involves the use of stations and land-lines in Egypt. There is a third route between Saigon and Hong Kong, viâ Hue and Haiphong, but the cable between Haiphong and Hong Kong has been interrupted for some considerable time, and it is doubtful if it will ever be repaired.
There are various alternative and emergency routes as far as India, of which the principal are the " viâ Indo," which makes use of land-lines through Germany, Russia, and Persia; and the route round Africa, which is all British except for touching Portuguese territory at Madeira, St. Vincent, Delagoa Bay, and Mozambique.
An alternative route from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong is by land-lines through Europe and Russia to Vladivostock; thence by the duplicate cables of the Danish Great Northern Telegraph Company to Shanghai, touching at Nagasaki; thence to Hong Kong either by the cable of the same Company, touching at Amoy, or by the cable of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, touching at Foochow. Shanghai and Foochow can also be reached by Chinese land-lines from the Russian frontier at Helampo, and Vladivostock from the French Tonquin frontier at Lungchow, and from the British Indian frontier at Bhamo.
Cables have recently been laid for the Chinese Government by the Eastern Exten- sion Telegraph Company and the Danish Great Northern Telegraph Company (1) from Shanghai (Woosun) to Chefoo, and (2) from Chefoo to Taku. From Chefoo the following branch cables have been laid: To Wei Hai Wei for the British Government, to Port Arthur for the Russian Government, and to Kiau Chau for the German Government.
Hong Kong communicates with Australia through Singapore and the Dutch stations of Batavia and Banjoewangie, or Banjoewangie alone.
There is also cable communication with the Portuguese Colony of Macao.
The cables from Macao, Haiphong, Saïgon, Labuan, Manila, and Foochow land in Taihowan Bay. That from Amoy lands in Deep Water Bay.
10
General Character of Hong Kong and Kowloon.
11. A glance at the chart will show better than any verbal description the peculiar position of Hong Kong, lying at the southern end of an indented peninsula, between which and the island itself are the famed harbour and roads.
The southern shores of the island are deeply penetrated by arms of the sea, and the eastern entrance to the harbour between the Devil's Peak and Lyemun is only half-a-mile wide, while the western entrance between Belchers Point and Stonecutters Island is some 3,500 yards across. A mimic mountain range with peaks rising from 1,400 to 1,800 feet follows the western, northern, and eastern shores, while spurs and steep outlying hills break up the whole surface south of the main ridge.
Eight gaps offer convenient passage across this ridge, which in several instances is effected by good roads. Beginning from the west, they are—
Mount Davis Gap, the only one crossed by a carriage road, about 500 feet
above sea level.
(A steep and difficult track leads over this pass.)
Victoria Gap, 1,250 feet. Magazine Gap, 787 feet. Wanchai Gap, 700 feet. Middle Gap, 900 feet. Wong-nei-Cheong Gap, 685 feet. Quarry Bay Gap, 980 feet. Sai-ki-Wan Gap, 700 feet. [822]
E
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