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mount a 12-pr. Q.F. gun at Upper Belcher (G.O.C. No. 49/66 Z/82 and W.O. Hong Kong 5/763), and should be:-

Eastern Entrance: From Pak-sha-wan Battery N. 47° E. (true) through Lyemun

Point.

Western Entrance: From Upper Belcher, 12-pr. Q.F. gun N. 3° W. (true) through the western extremity of Stonecutters Island."

A third examination line is now necessary for the channel between Stonecutters Island and the mainland, which is the main approach to the Cosmopolitan Docks, and which, by a recent modification of the minefield, will now have a friendly channel through it. It is recommended that this examination line should be:-

North-Western Entrance: From Stonecutters West Battery, N. 22° W. (true) to the western extremity of 110-ft. islet.

This islet is marked on the map illustrating the Defence Scheme. At Stone- cutters West Battery, a 16-pr. R.M.L. gun (not a gun of the movable armament) should be used as supporting gun in accordance with War Office letter No. 57/Gen. No./4292 O. 1, dated the 1st August, 1903, and demands should be put forward as directed in that letter.

At page 4, paragraph 20, and page 108, paragraph 3, it is stated that the channel between Stonecutters and Green Island will be closed to all traffic, and that the Stone- cutters South Shore battery will be charged with the duty of stopping vessels from crossing the examination line in this channel.

The Colonial Defence Committee consider that this restriction is calculated to interfere with the full use of the port, and would tend to deter shipping from frequenting it. If the examination line mentioned above is used, the examination service should be able to deal with vessels entering on either side of Green Island. If necessary, launches acting as tenders to the examination steamers should be employed.

136

Kindly Chemels not to the marked permanently 57/HX/901 1LD 112/2/04

57/HK/992501 22.7.04 asking for. Why 3-prQF. have. bent).

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26. Among minor errors and discrepancies noticed are the following: Page 22, line 11 from bottom, 47-inch howitzers should read guns; page 30, Devil's Peak, Upper and Lower, should be made to read Pottinger and Gough Batteries; page 48, at end of Indian scale of rations: meat is mentioned twice in the scale, and the remarks referred to do not appear to be included in the Defence Scheme.

27. Maps.--A key map and a map of part of the mainland have been prepared to illustrate the Defence Scheme. The defence detail in red on the map of the island should be revised locally with the Defence Scheme, to show the positions of all batteries containing existing fixed armament, and also sites of permanent emplace- ments prepared for movable armament.

J. E. CLAUSON, Secretary,

Colonial Defence Committee.

January 27, 1904.

Approved by army Council 27/2/04, 266/Hong Kong/49.

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