CO129-221 - Governor Sir Bowen - 1885 [4-6] — Page 214

sufficient defences for Hongkong.

against an external

enemy;

and

I have now the honour to report

that I have not neglected the - almost equally important question of a sufficient supply of food for the Garrison and for the Civil __ Population, in the possible, though very improbable, event

blockade

of

of this island.

༩༩༩ འ་ ་་

I have been in

communication on this subject with General Cameron, and I am satisfied that able and experienced

Officer

O

213

Officer has made excellent arrangements,

through the Commissariat Department,

for the Garrison.

3.

With regard to the

Civil population, I have been in confidential communication with several of the leading merchants,

both European and Chinese, as to the resources which be relied

may here in the event of a trying

upon

emergency.

4.

Our Chinese population

execeds at present

one hundred and

fifty thousand (100,000), but of

the se

I