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Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
PAPERS RELATING TO
on their part at disorder or intimidation of others would be visited with the strongest measures of repression; and they were at the same time informed in conciliatory terms that, when they returned to work, their complaints would at once receive careful consideration. In somewhat less than a fortnight from the commencement of the "strike" this policy had at length the desired effect, and after the men had returned to work the regulations were reconsidered. As now amended, the tax on ordinary boatmen is abolished, and the necessity of a license, with its accompanying photograph, is imposed only on the head man in charge of each boat; the restricted requirement being, it is believed, quite sufficient to fix responsibility in respect of irregularities such as had originally given occasion for the regulations.
56. One of the fortunate events of the year 1888 was the settlement with the Chinese Government of the long pending and much vexed question of the provision of a site for a lighthouse in connexion with the southern approach to Hong Kong. The only suitable sites are on one or other of certain rocky islets belonging to China situate some 28 miles from the Colony; and among the various difficulties which have obstructed the settlement of this question, the principal one was the objection of the Chinese Government to cede, or even lease, to a foreign Government the smallest portion of its territory. As the discussion of this subject had been dragging on for many years past and the matter appeared to be of sufficient importance to justify urgent measures and very liberal terms, I caused to be conveyed to the Chinese Government various distinct proposals under any one of which the Dominion of China would remain unimpaired and the control of its Government, ordinarily nominal, might at their option be completely secured, while the whole cost of construction would fall on the Colony.
57. With the valuable and most necessary co-operation of Sir Robert Hart, the Inspector-General of Chinese Maritime Customs, Her Majesty's Minister at Peking was able to secure the consent of the Tsungli Yamên to a settlement which, though differing somewhat from all the proposals made, accepted their main principle; and the work is now in progress, conducted by the Works Department, and at the sole cost of this Government...
58. As the hope of assistance from the Lighthouse Department of the Chinese Maritime Customs has failed, it has been necessary to purchase a steam vessel of considerable tonnage specially for this service. The work has also been delayed by an extremely unfavourable season, for landing can be effected at the Gap Rock (on which the lighthouse is to be built) only in very calm weather, which has during the last year been of rare occurrence.
While further difficulty has arisen from the fears on the part of the contractors and workmen that they, on this isolated rock, will become the object of attack from the pirates, who unfortunately still abound in these seas, and whose presence in the neighbourhood may probably render necessary either a guard for the lighthouse-
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