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establishment are situated on the island to the south of the central portion of the harbour.

The eastern portion of the harbour is at present much less frequented, but important docks are now under construction at Quarry Bay, on the island of Hong Kong, and an extension of commercial activity over this area may be expected in the future.

The island of Hong Kong consists of a range of rugged hills, with peaks rising to heights of from 1,400 to 1,800 feet. The main or central ridge follows roughly the direction of the western, northern, and eastern shores, while spurs and steep outlying hills break up the whole surface to the south. The ridge entirely 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 probable.

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.

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 Stonecutter's 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 most of the larger vessels entering the harbour from the west.

The Centre Channel between Green Island and Stonecutter's 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 mainly by junks and river steamers passing between Hong Kong and Canton or Macao. Inside the Kellet Bank the Centre and Sulphur channels unite, with a minimum width of 3,500 yards between the south-eastern end of Stonecutter's Island and Belcher Point.

The channel north of Stonecutter's 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 Chung-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.

The approaches to the western entrance of the harbour from the north-west are by the Cap-Si-Mun Pass or by a narrow and tortuous channel lying to the north of Chung- Hue. The approaches from the south are by two channels lying to the 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 is 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 existing defences appear to have been designed rather to meet an attack at close range by vessels attempting to force an entrance into the harbour than to deter vessels from attempting a bombardment at long range. The whole of the inner waters are covered by guns which, in many cases, do not bear upon the approaches to the harbour.

It has been explained in Colonial Defence Committee Memorandum No. 376 M on the general principles governing the standard of fixed defences, that the provision of fixed defences to meet an attack of this nature is unnecessary. The only form of attack by battleships on coast defences now considered to be reasonably probable is long range bombardment by day; and the defences should therefore be remodelled so as to guard against this form of attack.

As regards attack by night by vessels of small fighting value, at the eastern entrance, owing to the narrow channel of access, and the distance and relative invisi- bility of the target, the chances of such an attack being attempted are remote; and to deter it a limited measure of defence will suffice. At the western entrance, on the other hand, the channels of approach are more easy, and the shipping lying in the western harbour would afford a large and vulnerable target, so that the inducements to under- take an attack by night are considerably greater. The main channel of access to the

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