503-
Suggested by persons ignorant of the peculiar portion of struggling, and of the condition of life in this community, that a Police corps of seven hundred (700) men, of whom three hundred (300) are armed and disciplined Englishmen and Sikhs, is unnecessarily large for so small an island with a population of one hundred and sixty thousand (160,000). But the fact is that if the Police Force were not numerous and efficient, it would become indispensable to increase materially the garrison with a view to the proper protection of this great stronghold and emporium of the British, not only from foreign attack, but also from internal disturbance dangerous to life and property. It should be borne in mind that:
(a) of the total policemen about one-fifth are constantly employed as a Water Police, in maintaining order and repressing outrage in the Port, where there is a floating population of several thousands constantly resident on board house-boats; which covers an extent of quite a few square miles of water; and which is already visited by nearly