CO129-403 - Governor Sir May Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1913 [8-10] — Page 385

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of Hongkong is sufficient to prevent any permanent elevation of the sea bed by the deposit of silt.

7.

I now come to the main point of Sir Paul

Chater's letter, namely, that a comprehensive scheme should be undertaken for dredging the harbour to a minimum depth of 40 feet at lowest spring tides with as little delay as possible. I do not think Sir Paul Chater can have realised what such a scheme would involve, and I have no hesitation in saying that it is not only out of the question on the ground of expense, but also quite unnecessary. I am willing to accept his contention that we may expect vessels having a draught of from 35 to 40 feet of water to come to this port within the next few years, though I do not

the see how they can come via Suez Canal, which is to be deepened to 29 feet only. The harbour of Hongkong can provide a safe and sufficient anchorage for at least ten vessels at a time having a draught of 35 to 40 feet in close proximity to the wharves, but in order to provide for their accommodation it will be necessary to re-organize the present system of moorings.

8.

Most of the private moorings in Hongkong Harbour were put down at a time when no vessel visiting the port had a greater draught than 23 feet. They were, therefore, not arranged according to the depth of water, which was everywhere ample, but according to the date of application and the nature of the shipping of the Company or Firm requiring the moorings. The question, therefore, to be faced now is such a re-arrangement of the moorings as will result in ships of great draught being allotted berths in the deeper portions of the Harbour. Some expense would be incurred in doing this which I think the Government should bear and care would have to be taken to preserve existing rights, such as they are, as far as possible. This would obviate the necessity of dredging a large area, which would probably tend to silt up again and which could only be maintained at great expense.

9.

The position of the proposed new wharf,

which