CAB11-57-15 — Page 14

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-CHAPTER I (B).

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4

The ridge conceals the harbour and dockyard from the open water to the south of the island, and bombardment from this direction cannot be regarded as reasonably possible.

5. The harbour can be entered from the east and from the west. At the east end the only entrance is through the Lyemun Pass, about 400 yards wide in its narrowest part and 900 yards long. There is ample water for the largest vessels in the channel, which is used nearly always by His Majesty's ships, and may be considered the main entrance to Hong Kong harbour. High ground exists on both sides of the pass, and the conditions are very favourable for defence. The Tathong Channel, by which this entrance is approached, is narrow, and the interior of the harbour is visible only from a limited area of water, so that not more than three battleships could occupy a position from which an effective bombardment could be undertaken.

.

6. At the western end of the harbour the total width of the entrance from the Island of Hong Kong to the mainland is about 6,000 yards, but this distance is divided by Green Island and Stonecutters Island into three entrance channels.

Of these, the southernmost, called the Sulphur Channel, lying between Hong Kong and Green Island, is 400 yards wide. This channel has 10 fathoms of water, and is used by all large vessels entering the harbour from the west.

The centre channel between Green Island and Stonecutters Island is 4,000 yards wide, but the effective width is much reduced by Kellet's Bank, which stretches north from Green Island, and is covered by 3 fathoms of water at low water spring tides. This channel is used mostly by junks and river steamers passing between Hong Kong and Canton or Macao. Inside the Kellett Bank the Centre and Sulphur Channels unite with a minimum width of 3,500 yards between the south-eastern end of Stonecutters and Belchers Point.

7. The channel north of Stonecutters Island is 1,200 yards wide, and has a depth of 4 fathoms. It is accessible from Chin-Wan Bay for boats passing north of Cheung-Hue. It is the best protected and, in spite of some difficulties of navigation, the most probable line of approach for torpedo craft attempting to rush the harbour.

8. The approaches to the western end of the harbour from the north-west are by the Cap-Sing-Mun Pass or by a narrow and tortuous channel lying to the north of Cheung- Hue. The approaches from the south are by two channels lying east and west of Lamma Island. The East Lamma Channel is over 2,000 yards wide, and has ample depth of water for the largest ships. The West Lamma Channel is narrow and the navigation difficult. The area of deep water in the approaches to the western entrance is restricted, but by utilizing the East and West Lamma Channels a squadron of four or five battleships could approach the harbour with a view to reaching positions from which the naval dockyard and ships lying in harbour could be bombarded.

The only important establishment not included in the harbour is the docks at Aberdeen.

9. The tides at Hong Kong are complicated in the extreme. At springs there is practically only one tide a day. The range of spring tide is, at its maximum, 8 feet when the sun reaches its greatest declination north or south, and its minimum 6 feet at the equinoxes. The highest night tides rise about 1 foot higher than the highest day tides.

10. During the twenty years ending in 1903 the number of days for one year was 147 during which fog occurred at levels between 2,000 feet and 1,000 feet, and 52 days at those between 1,000 feet and 800 feet.

Only on very rare occasions was fog observed as low as 600 feet.

March, April, May, and June were the most foggy months, and September, October, and November the least.

The months may be grouped without serious error and the following percentages obtained :-

Percentage of days with clouds between the

2,000 feet and 1,000 feet levels.

January, February, July, August

March, April, May, June

September, October, November, December

Percentage of days with clouds between the

1,000 feet and 800 feet levels.

42

January, May, June

64

February, March, April

15

July to December inclusive..

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