CAB11-57-9 — Page 28

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CHAPTER II (C)

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Victoria to the Peak runs up the steep hill-side to Victoria Gap, throwing off about one-third of the way up the hill a path with a gentler gradient to Magazine Gap.

Two other hill roads connect the north with the south side of the island: one, starting from the east end of the Happy Valley, runs up to Wong-nei-Cheong Gap; here it bifurcates, one branch falling by an easy gradient joins the circular road a mile west of Deep Water Bay, while the other, passing the side of the New Reservoir, mounts to Stanley Gap, thence falling by generally an easy gradient by Tytam Reservoir to Tytam Tuk; the second road runs up the valley from Quarry Bay about 5 miles east of Victoria to the gap above Tytam Reservoir, there joining the road from Wong-nei- 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.

4. The great need of a link to connect Wanchai Gap with Wong-nei-Cheong Gap is being met by a road which is under construction. A good road trace exists at present on the south side from Wanchai Gap to Middle Gap, and a 12-feet road on an easy gradient is now under construction between these two points on the north side, which considerably shortens the distance and is under cover from fire from the south. Another track exists from Middle Gap to Wong-nei-Cheong Gap on south, and will become eventually the extension of the 12-feet road.

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.

Roads are also under construction from Victoria Gap to the western spur of High West, and from the landing place at foot of the hiil to Devil's Peak Battery, and are approaching completion. A pathway has also been cut from the gap between Victoria Peak and High West to the Victoria Battery. This pathway will be improved and will eventually connect the projected Pine Wood Battery.

A catchment channel to lead the water falling on the southern slopes into Tytam 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.

5. On the mainland there are three broad metalled roads, suitable for the free movement of all arms, one running from Kowloon through Hunghom to Kowloon City, the second, known as the Frontier Road, emanating from the same starting point, runs through Yaumati over the Kowloon Hills to Fut'On, and is to be eventually extended to Tai-po-hu, while the third runs from Yaumati, through the centre of the Kowloon peninsula, and joins the Kowloon-Kowloon City Road close to the latter place. This road throws off lateral branches in the shape of pathways to east and west, of which the most noteworthy is the pathway which joins the Kowloon-Kowloon City Road at Hunghom. There are five passes which cross the Kowloon Hills, named respectively, from east to west, the Customs Pass, the Grass Cutters Pass, the Shatin Pass, the Kowloon Pass, and the Lai-chi-kok Pass. The Frontier Road, on the west, crosses the Lai-chi-kok Pass, and the Kowloon-Kowloon City Road crosses the Customs Pass, that portion of this road beyond Kowloon City being for the most part a narrow paved Chinese road, which runs to Hebe Haven. The remaining passes are crossed by narrow pathways, suitable for the movement of infantry in file and light mountain guns capable of being carried, and are those chiefly used by grass-cutters and villagers journeying to Hong Kong from the villages on the far side of the Kowloon Hills.

Communications with the Kowloon Hills will have now both to be improved and supplemented, and this matter is now under consideration.

(ii.) Communication of Orders and Intelligence.

6. The systems of telephonic communication both for administrative purposes and for fortress command are shown on the diagram attached.

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