CO129-296 - Public Offices & Others - 1899 — Page 17

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probably moreover be found the most convenient natural frontier,

which can be fixed as the northern frontier of the leased area.

2. That the Chinese officials should evacuate the town

of Kowloon. The administrative and other disadvantages of

Chinese jurisdiction being exercised over a town at the back-

gate of Hong Kong have been repeatedly brought to notice, and

were laid much stress on in paragraph 3 of the Colonial Defence

Committee's Memorandum No.85 M. of the 10th November 1896.

3. That the leased area should be extended to the south

to include Gap Rock Island, on which the lighthouse to the

western approach is situated. This would secure to us the

islands of Lema, whose occupation by another Power would be

extremely undesirable, and remove the danger that exists at

present of the light at Gap Rock being extinguished to our

injury. The annexation of Gap Rock Island was recommended by

the General Officer Commanding at Hong Kong in 1894, by the

Joint Naval and Military Committee on Defence in their Report

XVII of the 18th May 1895 and by the Colonial Defence Committee

in their recent Memorandum No.139 M. dated 28th April 1898.

§

4.