CONFIDENTIAL.
Hongkong.
Government House,
129
C. O.
7139
Hongkong, 29th January, 1904.
Sir,
Admy
93834/03
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential Despatch of the 12th ultimo, on the subject of the order made by this Government under which Foreign Men-of-War are not allowed to anchor elsewhere than in a Man-of-War Anchorage without the permission of the Governor.
It is well to point out in the first instance that the order of the 26th of June last was not the first of its kind. The first two paragraphs of it were issued as an order in 1899 and communicated by Circular letter to all the Foreign Consuls.
In 1901, owing to an Italian Man-of-War having anchored in Tytan Bay on the South side of the Island of Hongkong, the following paragraph was added and a new order issued.
"That in the event of their Ships arriving within the waters of the Colony too late to come into the Harbour, they are to anchor as near to Green Island as is possible or in Junk Bay, and that the Bays on the South side of the Island of Hongkong may not be used as anchorages without permission having been first obtained from the Governor by application made through the Colonial Secretary".
In June last, owing to a report made by the Police that a German Gunboat had anchored in Long Harbour, Mirs Bay, the order was again amended so as to prohibit the anchoring
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
ALFRED LYTTELTON, K.C., M.P.,