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CHAPTER II (D).

These would be met by the garrison of the Wong-nei-Cheong Section, including two 15-prs., supplemented by the Reserve, and the boats would be under fire from the two 5-inch howitzers above Wong-nei-Cheong Gap. Repulse Bay need not be specially considered, as if ever a landing took place on its steep shores, the advance would be the same as that from Deep Water Bay.

(c.) As regards Stanley, the village might be destroyed, but an advance from here would only be a very much more toilsome way of attacking the points that are more easily attained from Deep Water and Tytam Bays; if an enemy, landing at Stanley, advanced northward over the rugged broken ground, it would only lead him to the spheres of defence of Wong-nei-Cheong Gap and Tytam Reservoir,

(d.) From Tytam Bay the objective of the attack would be:

(1.) To destroy the dam of the Tytam Reservoir and to seize the Wong-nei-Cheong Section; the two 15-prs. allotted to its defence, supplemented by the fire of the two 4.7-inch guns from Mount Parker and Boa Vista, would hold an advance over this difficult ground in check until the arrival of support from the Sanitarium and of the Reserve.

(2.) The deflection of this attack from the Reservoir viâ Quarry Bay Gap need hardly be considered, as it could not take place if the defence at the Reservoir held its

If not, this circuitous route would hardly be adopted.

own.

(3.) Advance by Tytam Gap and Sai-ki-Wan Road need hardly be considered, for after a lengthened march over steep slopes it leads to ground defended by Sywan Redoubt and the garrison of No. III Section. Reserves should reach the Sai-ki-Wan | Gap long before the advance from Tytam Bay, on which a flank or rear attack could be made from the Reservoir.

(ii.)-Attack from the Mainland.

6. An attack from the mainland is perhaps the most probable that an enemy would attempt, as the mainland can be approached without coming under the fire of the forts. To meet it, it becomes necessary to push the line of defence up to the chain of hills dominating Kowloon, as they, in the form of a natural fortress wall, present a well- marked feature. An attack from this side may be viewed from two aspects :-

(a.) By one of the great Powers.

(b.) By a Chinese army.

7. With regard to (a), an enemy endeavouring to effect a lodgment on these hills, which must necessarily be his first objective, is confined to certain landing places and lines of approach. Experience locally gained proves that any landing on the seaboard which abuts on the open sea is only practicable in the very calmest weather, as there is generally so heavy a swell that the conveyance of troops in shallow-draught boats becomes a proceeding so hazardous as to render it unpracticable. An enemy would accordingly be obliged to bring his transports into the sheltered bays and to land his troops therein. A landing having been effected, the broken precipitous country further restricts his advance to certain routes.

Pathways, for the most part rough country tracks used by grass-cutters, form the characteristic inter-village communication of the Chinese, run from the east and west up to the line of hills from the direction of Hebe Haven, and are met by similar tracks from the direction of Junk Bay, while a narrow Chinese paved road runs from Hebe Haven itself over the Customs Pass to Kowloon City. All these tracks are practicable for infantry and for such light field pieces as are capable of being carried on mules or coolies. Similar tracks run from Three Fathom Cove and the eastern shores of Tide Cove to the passes over the chain of hills named respectively the Customs Pass, the Grass-cutters Pass, the Shatin Pass, the Kowloon Pass, and the Lai-chi-kok Pass. On the extreme left of the position, i.e., on the west of the chain of hills, the frontier road, a broad metalled road upon an easy gradient, has been constructed from Kowloon to Tai-po-hu. On the west of the Tide Cove there are several Chinese tracks running from the shore up to the villages in the hills, which join one main pathway, the most noteworthy of all, and can thus be said to converge on to the extreme left of the position. This main pathway runs direct from Tai-po-hu over the Lead Mine Pass and joins the frontier road near the Lai-chi-kok Pass.

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