FORTIFICATION OF SINGAPORE AND HONG KONG.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 3019, 28 May 1884, Page 3

FORTIFICATION OF SINGAPORE AND HONG KONG.

Apropos of the conflict m China the Singapore correspondent of the Brisbane Courier has called attontion to the condition of the defences of that port. He writes: — " The great coaling station of the Far East is Singapore. At the Tanjona Pagan wharf over 2000 tons of coals are Btored, and quite the same quantity at the Borneo Company's wharf. Besides this there are numerous other large depots of coal. All French transports, Dutch men-of-war, and passing ships of war of other nations oall m here to coal. The importance of the place to British mon-of-wnr is beyond calculation. Yet Singapore is miserably fortified. One fort — Fort Canning — commands the town ; but most of the guns are dismounted, and war materiel away at other places. There are three or four forts at the entrance of tho harbor, but the artillery people are frightened to fire the guns for fear of the basements giving way, so badly are they constructed. We have torpedoes laid down m favorable positions, but not enough to deter a hostile fleet from orossing the line and getting into position to shell the town. You can imagine how well prepared we are to meet an enemy! The Home Government have, m view of trouble m the East, resolved that Singapore shall bo adequately fortified ; if it is not to be made as strong aa Aden, with guns frowning from every point, it is to be put iv such condition as to resist and ward off attack. So Captain Jeykyl, an authority on fortification, has been sent here to plan new defences. He has already ordered the erection of fortifications on several points that seem to have been neglected by our local engineer. Captain McCallum, and has planned further defensive wor";s, which will necessitate a large expenditure. After finishing at Singapore, he will proceed to that moßt important stronghold m the Far East, Hong Kong, and advise as to additions to its fortifications. Then he will survey the Chusan Islands, m order that fortifications can be placed m them, m case things come to the worst. You know the French, ao it was rumored, had an eye on the Chusan Isles, which their journals said would be seized aB security for war expenses should China not come to terms iv this Tonquin affair. The Chusan Islands, according to the Duke of Wellington, form the key to China ; whoever holds them presents a pistol at the head of the Celestial Court, and they command the whole of northern China. The British once thought of keeping them, and were much blamed for not doing so. They did the next best thing, which was that m 184 C they stipulated through Sir John Davis, Governor of Hong Kong, with the Chinese Commissioner, that Chusan and its islets should be evacuated by Her Brittanic Majesty's forces, and that tho said island should never be ceded to any other Power. The fourth clause m the stipulation is the most important. It runs bis follows: — 'Her Brittanio Majesty consents upon her part, m case of the attack of an invader, to protect Chusan and its dependencies, and to restore it to the possession of Chinaasof old' ; but as thisstipulation proceeds from the friendly allianoe between two nations, no pecuniary Biibsidies are to be due from China on this account. It will, then, be seen, that the occupation of this island by the French would be followed by something very like warlike action on the part of England. In order to prepare for any such contingency as a French occupation, Captain Jeykyl will proceed there, shortly to counsel as to the defence of Chuaan and the isles surrounding it."