Entrance to Amoy Harbour is marked by a line of rocks and islands that extend across the mouth, leaving a channel about 1000 yards wide on the Western side. Further to the East, there is a smaller channel practicable for ships but never used by them. The width of the harbour varies from 9000 yards at the mouth to 4500 near the entrance to the inner harbour. The inner harbour is entered by two channels, one on the South of Kulangsu, used with an ebb tide, and the other round the Northern end of the same island, used with a flood tide. The rise and fall of the tide is 21 feet, and the depth of the channel varies from 17 to 10 fathoms. The width of the channel between the 5-fathom line at the entrance is 5200 yards and at the entrance to the inner harbour, 4200 yards. The trade of Amoy is almost entirely tea, brought over from Formosa. The bulk of the mercantile firms are British, one being German.
The defences of Amoy consist of six forts, four being on the island of Amoy and two on the mainland on the Western side of the harbour.
The four on Amoy Island comprise:
Fort Rehshik, situated at the Southernmost end of Amoy Island, immediately opposite the entrance to the outer harbour. It is armed with one 17-centimetre Krupp breech-loader and one English gun by Blakesby & Co., apparently an 8-inch, but it is out of repair and unserviceable. The Krupp gun is in good condition and quite serviceable, with 200 rounds of ammunition. The fort is built on the edge of the water at an elevation of about 50 feet. The distance to the entrance is 7000 yards, far too much for the present type of gun to be of any use. There is also barrack accommodation for the troops and water in the fort.
Fort Fowleso is situated on a point called Cliff Point at an elevation of about 60 feet. It is entered on the North side through a gate in a castellated wall. The road then turns down the hill and passes through a gate at the bottom into the inner fort where the barracks for the troops are situated. Its armament consists of two 28-centimetre breech-loading Krupp guns and two 12-centimetre breech-loaders by the same maker and dated 1875. The two 28-c.m. guns are mounted on barbettes in circular pits about 8 feet deep. The traversing and elevating numbers also, all the higher numbers, work in the pit, but the gun is loaded from the parapet. The guns are 25 yards apart and are flanked on each side at a distance of 7 yards by the 12-c.m. guns.
The guns seem to be in good condition; there are 130 rounds. The range to the entrance is about 8000 yards and to the centre of the channel, about 3000 yards.
The barracks were clean and seemed large enough to accommodate 300 men. The 12-c.m. guns would only be of service in case of a boat attack. The front of the fort is unprotected and could be easily taken from the South side. The depth of the ditch is about 6 feet. The stores and ammunition are well protected in bomb-proof casemates. Each gun has 320 rounds, and the 28-c.m. takes a charge of 350 lbs. One shot was fired from this gun at a range of 10,000 metres. The line was good. The loading and firing were done expeditiously and well. There is a French Range finder in the Fort, but apparently, no one knows how to use it.
Pwan Shok fort is a mile from Fowleso and is situated at an elevation of 30 feet close to the water's edge. It is armed with two 21-centimetre Krupp breach-loaders pivoted on front pivots. The guns are placed on a parapet and have a low parapet of masonry in front of them. They are clean and in a serviceable condition and likely to be of use if properly handled.
Liau Kan Yong Fort is about 400 yards from Pwan Shek and armed with old...
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