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to be of value for military purposes, it will be necessary to prevent buildings being constructed on the ground immediately below it.

"The construction of another road, viz., one round High West, is recommended by the Commanding Royal Engineer. The General Officer Commanding, in his letter of the 24th April, 1897, gives reasons against the necessity for this communication, and the Colonial Defence Committee concur in these reasons.'

3. It will be seen from the above that the Colonial Defence Committee suggested that the War Office should communicate with the Colonial Office on the subject of the construction by the Colonial Government of the road between Wan-Chai and Wong- nei-Chong Gaps. As a result of this communication and some subsequent corre- spondence, a sum of 10,000 dollars was inserted in the Hong Kong estimates for the year 1899 in order that the road, estimated to cost 30,000 dollars (3,0001.), might be commenced. Owing, however, to anticipated difficulty in meeting the expenditure connected with the administration of the territories newly acquired by the Colony, the amount was struck out, and it has not been reprovided in the Estimates passed for the year 1900. In view of the improbability of Colonial funds being shortly made available, the G.O.C. now urges the construction of the proposed road at War Department cost and recapitulates the arguments which support the necessity of the road from a military point of view. These arguments are mainly based on the diffi- culties that would be experienced with the existing communications in sending reinforcements between the two gaps or in occupying Middle Gap between Mounts Nicholson and Cameron, which, owing to its proximity to Deep Water Bay, the G.O.C. looks upon as a most favourable point for an enemy to attack. He also states that a road such as he proposes "would completely outflank, envelope, and command an enemy's line of attack towards the re-entering angle at Middle Gap, and a moderate defending force on the very favourable commanding position afforded by it would be in a position to make a good defence against largely superior forces of the enemy."

4. The other road dealt with in the letter from the General Officer Commanding now under consideration is intended to connect the saddle between Mount Gough and Victoria Peak (Victoria Gap) with the saddle between Victoria Peak and High West, and it is proposed that it should pass to the south of Victoria Peak and be continued round High. West. Similar proposals were put forward by the Commanding Royal Engineer in a Memorandum forwarded by Major-General Black on the 24th April, 1897, their object being to provide for guns and troops from Victoria Gap rapidly occupying positions on the north-west and south shoulders of High West, whence advances from the landing-places on the south-west of the island could be opposed. Major-General Black's views on the subject were as follows:--

"I do not agree with the proposition to make a road round High West and to strongly occupy this conical hill, which rises steep and high above the ridge connecting it with the Victoria Peak system; the garrison is too small to occupy such an advanced position; if the enemy, landing at Kellett Bay, took to scaling this steep hill he would gain little advantage, as it leads nowhere, and is well under fire from our position near the Peak and at Mountain Lodge.

"As to the col opposite Mount Davis, that very favourable position is in my Scheme, occupied by the Peak Garrison when lending a hand to that of the Mount Davis Section; 7-prs. can be transported thither from Mountain Lodge, and it would not be a costly task to reopen the old road which once led from Mountain Lodge in the direction of Belcher's Battery; this road will be more necessary if the contruction of a barrack for half a company of the increased Artillery force near Belchers, now being weighed by me, is put forward.”

The Colonial Defence Committee, in the Remarks from which an extract is given above, concurred in the reasons given by the General Officer Commanding against the necessity of a road round High West.

5. Major-General Black's alternative suggestion to reopen the old road which once led from Mountain Lodge in the direction of Belcher's Battery, in order to be able to occupy the col opposite Mount Davis by men and mountain guns from the Peak garrison, was entertained by the War Office, but subsequent references to the Colony resulted in Colonel Elsdale's Scheme being again put forward. It is in the letter under consideration strongly supported by Major-General Gascoigne, now com- manding at Hong Kong, for tactical reasons connected with the defence of the Gap between Mount Davis and High West, as illustrated by recent manœuvres.

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