CO129-238 - Governor Des Voeus - 1888 [7-8] — Page 88

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at the Gap Rook, the cost of the two Lighthouses would be

but little, if at all, in

excess of that

originally contemplated for the one.

I have the honour to be, My Lord, Your Lordship's Most Fordient

Humble Servant,

quiisham dos Vans

Errclosure 1.

C. O

16509

RED.

REG 17 AT 98,

80

H.B.M. Minister at Peking to Governor of Hongtons.

SIR,

PEKING, 9th March, 1888.

I had the honour to receive on the 11th of February your Excellency's Despatch of the 16th of January last bearing upon the long pending question of the erection of a Lighthouse in the neighbourhood of Hongkong to serve as a guide to vessels approaching from the South.

You inform me that the Government of the Colony, in accordance with the unanimous opinion of the Maritime Experts who have been consulted on the point, has come to the conclusion that the only proper position for the Light is the Gap Rock, and that the display of a Light on any other of the sites which have been suggested would be worse than useless as calculated to create rather than avert danger.

Under these circumstances Your Excellency has requested me to lay before the Chinese Government three alternative proposals for the crection and maintenance of a Lighthouse on the "Gap" Rock, and you state that in order to facilitate the commencement of the work at an early date, you had submitted the decision of the Colonial Government to Her Majesty's Government and asked that, should it be approved, I might be informed by telegraph and so enabled to lay the matter before the Chinese Authorities without delay.

Your Despatch reached me at the commencement of the Chinese New Year, when little or no official business is transacted; but with a view to expedite as far as possible a settlement of the question, I placed myself in communication with Sir ROBERT HART, the Inspector-General of Maritime Customs who is charged with the Superintendence of the Chinese Lighthouse Departmeent, and with his usual courtesy be at once promised to give your proposals his best attention, so that at the expiration of the New Year's holidays he might be in a position to discuss the proposals of the Hongkong Government with the Ministers of the Tsungli Yauên, but he did not disguise from me his fears that it would be almost useless to expect a reply from the Chinese Government in time to permit of the work being commenced by the second or third week in March, the date mentioned by Your Excellency, as in all probability it would be necessary to consult the Viceroy of Canton, within whose jurisdiction the Gap Rock lies.

On the 3rd instant I received a Telegram from the Secretary of State telling me that Your Excellency's proposals had been approved, and Sir ROBERT HART lost no time in placing them before the Government.

He himself appears to be in favour of the first suggestion, which I gather from your despatch is the one which on the whole the Colonial Government would also prefer, namely, the erection and maintenance of the Lighthouse by the Government of Hongkong, on the condition of the occupation of the Rock being sanctioned in return for a nominal "Royalty" as an acknowledgement of China's Sovereignty over the soil.

Directly I am made acquainted with the views of the Chinese Government I shall have the honour of bringing them to Your Excellency's knowledge.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your Excellency's most obedient, humble servant,

His Excellency

THE GOVERNOR OF HONGKONG,

40..

gon

de.

JOHN WALSHAM.

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