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Cheong. These roads and hill paths are well kept up with good bridges, and are from 6 to 9 feet wide. In no place would the destruction of a bridge stop the passage of infantry or that of light field-guns.

The great need of a link on the south side of Mount Cameron to connect Wanchai with Wong-nei-Cheong Gap has partially been met by the cutting of a road trace practicable for infantry, and a good road is shortly to be constructed; the excellent Bowen Road and Aqueduct runs at a height about one-third of the way up the hill from the Happy Valley, Wong-nei-Cheong Road to the main Peak Road, but is of little tactical importance for lateral movement in the event of a landing on the south shore.

Recently a catchment channel to lead the water falling on the southern slopes into Tytan Reservoir has been run round Mount Parker; a path on its banks gives communication between the Tytam Reservoir and the Sai-ki-Wan-Tytam Gap Road. A similar catchment channel has, on the west side of the Tytam Reservoir, been run round the hill mass projecting southward from the Wong-nei-Cheong-Tytam Reservoir Road, leading the water into this reservoir on the east, and on the west into the new reservoir constructed under Wong-nei-Cheong Gap; the path on its bank is convenient for patrols observing Repulse and West Bays.

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(D.)—Modes of Meeting various Attacks.

(i.) Attack from the Sea.

East or West Entrance:-Attacks on the eastern or western entrances will be met by the guns of the forts, and by the submarine mines, supplemented by the sectional infantry, and in the case of an eastern attack by the Brennan torpedo.

Landing on East.-If an attack on the eastern entrance is supplemented by a landing of troops in Sywan Bay or on the Eastern Coast, the sectional troops can be reinforced by the whole of the Victoria and Kowloon Reserves, which might all be brought to the spot in about two hours.

Landing on West.--An attack on the western entrance might be supplemented by an attempted landing of troops in Sandy Bay and Taihowan and Kellet Bays. This would be met in the first instance by the troops of No. II Section present on the spot. These would be quickly reinforced by the infantry companies or the Volunteers from the Peak Section, and the whole Victoria Reserve, as well as, if necessary, by the Kowloon Reserve, which would move either by the main road by Belchers to Sandy Bay, or by Victoria Gap to Pokfulum, or both, as might be required.

Landing on Stonecutters.-An attack on the western entrance might be supple- mented by an attempted landing on Stonecutters' Island. This would be met by the infantry and movable armament of the Section. A reinforcement might be quickly obtained of the whole Kowloon Reserve, and, say, of one company European Infantry from Victoria Reserve.

Landing on the South.-The probable landing-places on the south are at Aberdeen, Deep Water, and Repulse Bays, Stanley, and Tytam Bay.

(a.) From Aberdeen three lines of advance are possible:

1. By the main road to Mount Davis Gap. This would be met, as in the case of a landing at Sandy Bay, by possible attacks on the flank and rear of the enemy by the Pokfulum Valley and Mount Kellet Roads. A modification of this might be the enemy attacking by the Pokfulum Valley, but this Valley is so open to fire from the positions on the Peak that an attack by it is hardly feasible.

2. By Mount Kellet Road to Victoria and Plantation Gaps. This would be met by the garrison of the Peak Section and the mobile armament, reinforced in thirty- five minutes from the Victoria Reserve. It should be noted here that Mount Kellet rises from a spur jutting from the ridge, and its possession by the enemy by no means gives him a footing on the main ridge.

3. By the Wanchai Gap Road. This would be met by the garrison and mobile armament of the Peak Section, supplemented by the fire of the guns on Mount Cameron. Reserves from Victoria can reach this position in forty-five minutes.

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