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CHAPTER III (F) and (G),

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18. Food.-Hong Kong is favourably situated for resisting a long siege, being the Far Eastern depôt for all kinds of supplies used both by Europeans and natives; in fact, there are probably few places where so large a stock of provisions could be obtained in so short a time.

There is estimated to be enough flour for the whole population to last 312 days. There are two large sugar refineries, and a store of sugar sufficient to last for years. There is tea in ample quantity, salt, pepper to last for a year, but the stock of preserved meat and salt pork does not exceed 40,000 lbs. Within 12 miles from Kowloon Point the mainland furnishes a fair supply of vegetables.

In fact, the only portion of the European's food limited in quantity is fresh meat, and there is no pasturage within the Colony for either sheep or oxen.

No more than eight days' supply of fresh meat can be fed by the contractor within the Colony, but as long as China is open to us there can be no scarcity of live stock ; if China were closed to us supplies of tinned meat, &c., would have to be provided for the garrison. The present supply in the Colony of tinned meat, bacon, ham, cheese, &c., is variable, and not to be depended upon.

The ocean gives us a plentiful supply of fish for the whole population, both European and Asiatic.

All the Consuls in the neighbouring countries have been communicated with as to supplies, but the open market seems to be the only sensible way of obtaining an increase in our food-stuffs.

The question of food supply to the civil population is dealt with in Chapter VI.

19. Fuel.—There are ample stocks of fuel (coal, wood, and mineral oil) in the Colony to last six months.

20. Water.—The reservoirs give an ample supply of water in ordinary years, but long droughts have shown that in some years the storage capacity is insufficient.

This question is under the consideration of the Colonial Government.

(iii.) Barracks.

21. No special arrangements are required for housing of troops in barracks. When distributed for defence, the majority of the garrison will be accommodated under canvas or in mat-sheds, the barracks in cantonments being guarded by the two

The Coolie Corps will be housed as described above.

reserves.

(G.)—Action by Principal Medical Officer.

1. The P.M.O. will at once arrange for the establishment of a dressing-station with the headquarters of each of the six Sections, and for the distribution to Sections of the officers and men of the R.A.M.C. according to Tables B, G (i), G (ii), and G (iv), and of the medical and surgical equipment in Table G (i). He will then proceed to organize base hospitals as in Table G (iv), and to arrange for the assistance of the civil practitioners.

2. The existing military hospitals [vide Table G (iv)] would be supplemented by base hospitals in Victoria and Kowloon, the former in the three lower blocks of Victoria Barracks, and the latter in the southern blocks of the Whitfield Barracks, vacated by the companies on section duty. Victoria Barracks will be equipped with 15 beds for officers, 92 for British soldiers, and 25 for Asiatic soldiers; total, 132 beds. The Kowloon base hospital will be equipped with 125 beds exclusively for Asiatics. The Government Civil Hospital will be utilized for the sick and wounded of the Chinese Coolie Corps.

3. The medical care of the sick will be carried on as at present by the R.A.M.C., and I.M.S., who will proceed to their dressing stations, with the troops of the Sections to which they have been detailed. When this takes place, the civil medical practitioners, above referred to, will assist in looking after the sick and wounded in the base hospitals.

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