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3. Theory and a practical experience of the ground both demand as great a concentration of the defence as the extraordinary broken nature of the island will allow. I therefore return to the principle of the earlier schemes of holding the higher ground with the guns on the salients com- manding the approaches and paths leading to the gaps, and reluctantly abandon the two Artillery positions II, and Hs, because, while admitting their general immunity from fog and the strong cross-fire that they reciprocally furnish to their front, I find (1) that they are too advanced from the rest of the position; (2) that they would be exposed to a cruiser's fire covering a landing, and (3) that they could be rendered untenable by the fire of a few rifles from the hill on the Peninsula to the south.

4. But while adopting this principle, I venture to dissent from the criticism that it is only necessary to hold the higher passes over the main ridge by small infantry guards and machine-guns for, steep and rugged and in some places precipitous as the hill sides are, there is no gap that cannot be turned by scaling the intervening ridges, as our manoeuvres on the high ground prove, and the breaking of bridges and destruction of paths would not delay infantry nor long delay the passage of light mountain-guns. Moreover, the distances from Deep Water Bay to Wong-nei-Cheong Gap, from Aberdeen to Wanchai Gap, from Aberdeen to Plunket's Gap, and from Pokfulum to Victoria Gap can be covered on foot in thirty, forty-five, fifty, and thirty minutes respectively; there is therefore not much time if gaps were only occupied by small guards to reinforce them from a central position, i.e., Victoria. I only mention this to remove a misapprehension caused probably by frequent references to the inaccessible nature of some of the peaks.

5. As for Sandy Bay, within 1 miles of the Belcher group of batteries, it invites so tempting a thrust at our vitals that there is no need to argue the necessity of here directly opposing a landing.

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6. In a letter of the 31st July, 1895, No.

1 I urged that emplacements for two 6-inch B.L. or other suitable guns be made on the top of Mount Davis and that the guns should be mounted on Vavasseur or other carriages admitting of great depression, and I now inclose a somewhat similar letter (marked A). Pending an answer, I will mount, should occasion offer, two 8-inch howitzers on the top of Mount Davis; from this commanding position they might make a cruiser more chary of standing close in to cover a landing, and might even disable her by a chance shot. These guns, moreover, although they do not absolutely look into all the bays, generally flank the whole trend of the coast to the south-west point of the island, and the course of boats leading thereto; they enfilade for some distance the Aberdeen Road and its slopes, and cross fire with the guns on Mount Kellet.

7. It is clear that an enemy's occupation of Mount Davis would be as fatal to the defence of Belchers as the occupation of Sywan Hill has been recognized to be to the defence of Lyemun, but I need not argue further on this subject. The broad road from Aberdeen and the hither indented coast is the entrance while Mount Davis is the back-door to Belchers, and must be closed.

8. I have now redistributed the defence into six sections, marked out by nature as separate commands, and have posted the movable armament in very much the same positions as in the 1889 Scheme.

These sections are as follows:-

No. I SECTION.-Stonecutters Island. Head-quarters, Stonecutters Central. No change in Garrison (sec attached Distribution Table). E and F companies Hong Kong Regiment.

No. II SECTION.-Mount Davis, including Belchers and Victoria Batteries and Sandy Bay. Head-quarters, Upper Belchers. D company Rifle Brigade encamped on the col between Mount Davis and the road.

Movable Armament.-On Mount Davis, two 8-inch howitzers.

On high ground commanding Sandy Bay, two 7-pr. R.M.L. guns, three 3-pr. Q.F. guns, two Maxims.

Communications.-Victoria Battery is connected by telephone with Belchers, where the Fire Commander is.

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