Importance of Hong Kong as a naval and military base—An object‐lesson of Empire—Its marvellous rise—The constant menace of famine—Cause of Hong Kong’s prosperity—Its geographical position—An archipelago—Approaching Hong Kong by sea—First view of Victoria—A crowded harbour—The mainland—The Kowloon Peninsula—The city of Victoria—Queen’s Road—The Shops, hotels, banks—The City Hall—The palatial club—The Brigade Parade Ground—The base Commissariat Officer, Major Williams, I.S.C.—The Naval Dockyard—Sir Francis Powell, K.C.M.G.—Barracks and Arsenal—The Happy Valley—A _memento mori_—The polo ground—Lyeemoon Pass—The southern side of the Island—The Peak—The cable tramway—View from the Peak—The residential quarter—The floating population of Hong Kong—The sampans—Their dangers in the past—The rising suburb of Kowloon—The Hong Kong regiment—The docks—The Chinese city of Kowloon—Street scenes in Hong Kong—Social amusements of the colony—Society in Hong Kong and Kowloon—The Kowloon Peninsula—Danger to Hong Kong averted by its possession—Character of the peninsula—The frontier—The Chinese territory beyond it—The taking over of the Hinterland in 1898—A small campaign—The chances of a land invasion of Hong Kong—The garrison of Hong Kong—Advisability of mounted infantry _pages_ 169‐201 CHAPTER IX ON COLUMN IN SOUTHERN CHINA A camp on the British frontier—Fears of outbreaks in Canton—The Black Flags—Alarm in Hong Kong—General Gaselee’s troops diverted to Hong Kong and Shanghai—His authority among the Allies weakened in consequence—Wild rumours in Canton—The reform party in the south—The Triads—Rebellion in the Kwang‐tung province—Admiral Ho—Troops despatched from Hong Kong to guard the frontier—The Frontier Field Force—Its composition—The departure of the column—A picturesque voyage—An Imperial Chinese Customs gunboat—The Samchun River—War junks—Our first camp—Admiral Ho’s army—Consternation among the Chinese troops—They march away—No official maps of the Hinterland—A Customs station—Britishers in danger—Chinese‐made modern guns—A false alarm—A phantom battle—Chinese fireworks—A smart trick at the storming of the Peiyang Arsenal—A visit to Samchun—A game of bluff—Taking tea with a mandarin—Round the town—Cockroaches as a luxury—A Yankee Chinaman—A grateful escort—Terrified Chinese soldiers—An official visit to a mandarin—Southern Chinese soldiers—The Imperial troops in the north—A real alarm—A night raid—A disappointment _pages_ 202‐230 CHAPTER X IN THE PORTUGUESE COLONY OF MACAO