§ GENERAL RUSSELL (Cheltenham)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the Government have now in their possession a chart of Wei-hai-Wei Harbour, corrected so lately as June, 1895, August, 1895, and August, 1896; whether this chart is most detailed in its character, not only giving soundings over all the harbour, but also the sites of buildings and forts on the mainland, and the position of the four Chinese men-of-war sunk there during the war between China and Japan in 1895; and whether he has any objection to this detailed chart being placed in the Library for the information of Members?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTYThe chart described by the honourable and gallant Member is the chart which I referred to the other day as the result of a rapid survey made in 1860, the plan of the neighbourhood being equally sketchy. The honourable and gallant Gentleman evidently thinks that this was an unfair description of a good piece of work, but the standard of the hydrographer is higher, as, in his opinion, the chart cannot be considered a detailed plan, according to any professional definition, though it gives a general idea of the bay. The corrections referred to are corrections in small details, which do not affect the general character of the plan. I may add that a ship is now on her way to carry out a detailed survey of the bay.