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shore and the approaches therefrom; in fact, the mountain glens are concealed from view by the neighbouring ridges, and there are few spots in the island from which the eye can detect at one time movements in two neighbouring glens. This consideration, the smallness of the garrison in proportion to the extent of coast-line, and the numerous possible landing-places, lead to the conclusion that it is better to hold the garrison in as central a position as possible rather than to break it up into small weak parties watching every possible landing-place.

Fogs shroud the higher peaks for more than fifty days in the year, and the eleva- tions about 1,000 feet for about thirty days in the year. The lower one descends the less the frequency of fog; but sometimes a fog so dense exists down to the level of the water that the local pilots run their craft ashore in the daytime. It is not thought, however, that its influence would be wholly against the defence-in fogs as at night, men who know the ground will be less hampered by the dim light than strangers; and in no case can the fog be put forward as a reason for frittering the defence into patches and groups, but rather serves as an argument for keeping companies as intact as possible. If fogs envelop the positions of defence, its formed bodies and outposts must descend below their normal positions.

As for an enemy's ships approaching without being observed from the high ground on account of fog, there is no spot on the island whence an observer commands all the sea approaches; and when the usual points of observation are in the mist, the approach of ships would be telegraphed from D'Aguilar, and made known by scouts thrown out to Wong-nei-Kok from the Stanley Telephone Office. Our scouts on Mount Davis would telephone ships coming from the west.

The power of the garrison to concentrate on the threatened point and to act on interior lines will be greatly increased by the road about to be constructed by the Colony from Wanchai to Wong-nei-Cheong Gaps, on the south side of Mounts Cameron and Nicholson, which interpose their great bulk between these two passes. A road trace has already been made, which is quite passable for infantry troops.

The necessity of guarding the dam at the Tytam Reservoir compels the garrison to throw a strong detachment in advance of the main position.

As for Kowloon, a tangled network of rotten granite hills (200 to 410 feet high), scarped by quarries, and scored by crevasses and gullies, occupies all but the southern point of the Kowloon Peninsula, and affords no position with a clear field of fire to the front.

The harbour entrances are protected by batteries and submarine mines: that on the east by the batteries of Lyemun, submarine mines, and last and not least, by the Brennan torpedo, with the batteries of North Point and Eastern Kowloon in second line. The wider western entrance is protected by the Belcher group of batteries, by those on Stonecutters' Island, and by three mine-fields, and in second line by West Kowloon and Victoria Batteries. These are mentioned in detail hereafter.

At Hong Kong, as elsewhere, the civil population is a factor affecting the defence. The present non-military population amounts to 239,700, mostly Chinese, and former Reports have assumed that half of the population would leave on the outbreak of hostilities. The question of their food is discussed hereafter.

Probable Objects of Attack.

Apart from an attempt to damage the prestige of the Empire, or to capture the place as a base for future operations, by a surprise by one or more cruisers steaming boldly in before the declaration of war, the objects of attack may be held to be the destruction of-

1. The docks and naval and military arsenals.

2. The shipping in harbour.

3. The coal stores.

4. The magazines.

5. The Brennan Torpedo Installation.

6. The water supply.

The telegraphic cables may be omitted, for it would be less risk to an enemy to cut them at sea than on the shore-line. In the daytime, the shore-end of the Eastern

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