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NOTES FROM THE BOTANIC GARDENS.
THE. HONGKONG WEEKLY press and
[August 15, 1903.
confining the voices to the body of the building. | THE NEW TERRITORY IN 1902. On the stage the bridges for prating the scenes have been changed and the old grooves
T
LAND.
New
which beld the scenery in position and the The following report by Hon. F. H. Probably the finest tree the gardens is a
false prosceniums have been removed. In the C.M.G., Colonial Secretary, on N specimen of Michelia Chronaca growing in work of carrying cut these improvements Territory for 1902, is published in the Govern- (4lensaly. This species is found wild in the forests of the temperate Himalayas and, accord-City Hall building, has taken a large share and
Mr. F. B. L. Bowley, Hon. secretary of the ment Gazette:— ing to Kurz, it attains a height of 30 ft. with a
his efforts have been warmly seconded by Mr. circumference of 24 ft. Hooker on the other E. W. Mitchell, whose interest in theatrical haud says it is a tall free. The tree in affairs is well known. Glenealy has a height of about 130 ft. and a circumference of 7 ft. 6 in so that its height is at least four times greater than that given by Kurz The flowers are pale yellow in colour and about 2 inches in diameter and they are so powerfully fragrant that Boon, it is said, seldom alight on them. Among the Hindoo peoples the tre is sacred to Vishu Michelias belong to the same family as the Magnolias.
Libocedrus macrolepis is a conifer which has only recently been introduced int English gardens from China. It was first discovered in Yunnan by the late Dr. And rson and later on in Formosa by Mr. A. Boarue, who describes the timber as the most valuable in that island. The genus has a remarkably wide dis- tribution, as other species have been found in the following parts of the wor--New Zealand. New Guinea Chilo, and California. A plant of the species under notice is dowi g où a bank bove the deer-pen in the new garden and is now abo t 3 or 4f, high. It was raised from seeds pr-seated to the gurdans by Ms3rs. J. H Veilch and Sons, and sown in December. 1899. It resembles Thuya orientulis; somewhat in habit, but it is more graceful, La Yunuan it grows to be a large tree.
The rainfall so far this month has ben 2.36 inches only.
POLLARD
COMEDY COMPANY AT THE THEATE ROYAL.
Than Tom, Dick and Harry, Mr. Pollard could have selected no batter piece with which to everything before it when first produced, nor open. It is a delight'ul comely, that carried has familiarity dulled is edge. The comic troubles that befall the trio are as laughable as ever. There was a very large audience assembled in the Theatre when the curtain was rang up on Wednesday. The opening passages of the comedy did not appear particularly lively, but as the players warmed to ther work they the audience with them. entered into the spirit of the piece and carried In the second act the height of the fun was reached and the curtain rang down amid a roar of applause and laughter; while the third was capi'ally deve loped and formed a fitting climax. In the rôle of the hot-tempered old General Stanhope, Mr. Edward Nable carried off first honours, making every point that the portrayal of the character admits of and keeping the bonse riplig with laughter by reason of his ebullitions of temper ag inst all in general Mr. Wentworth Watson made a fine appearance as Tom Elinbope and Messrs. Harold C re and R. W. Elson contributed their share to the fuu of the piece in the roles of Dick and Harry Winters. Mr. Merry Lynch's Dr. Wagner was a highly creditable bit of character study. In the part of Daisy, Miss Ada Lawrence appeared to advantage, doing excellently what was laid to her charge, while Miss Millie Ascoli, Miss Blanche Clements and Miss Eva Macdonald supported their respective parts satisfactorily. The setting of the piece was lasteful.
HONGKONG PHILHARMONIC
SOCIETY.
An extraodinary general meeting of the local Philharmonic Soolety was held on the 10th inst. in the Musio Room of the City Hall. Sir Wm. Goodman (vice-president) occupied the chair, and there Was a large number of ladies aud gentlemen present.
The CHAIRMAN said that the meeting had been called to endeavour to resuscitate the Society. Out of eight members of com. mittee there now only remained four-Messrs. Ward, Lammert, Mirow, and Schröter. The Chairman
then called on Mr. E. Mirow (acting secretary) to make a statement.
In former years it has been our use here to look upon the advent of the theatrical season in the light of a harbinger of the ideal climatic conditions that make our Hongkong winter period so delightful. But as time goes on we find more and more are the summer months pleasurably encroached apo by our theatrical visitors, who assuredly either must be becoming bolder in their defiance of tropic heat or finding in these lands much kudos to attract them hither. However that may be, we hose present lot is oast in zones near to the equator, are gainers in the matter. In the spring the Lilliputiaus stayed with us longer than we dared have hoped, and now to us falls the pleasure of welcoming to our stores another band of artistes while yet the summer heat is with us. The Pollard Company thn, doubly to be appreciated. They bring with them a repertory of comedies and rousing farces Mr. MIROW said that the Society had a cre and their reputation has had lustre added dit balance at the Hongkong and Shanghai to it by their triumphs in Manila. ThenBank and a splendid library of vocal and instru- the Company is strong numerically as well as mental music. in the matter of the individual talent of its members. Aud, furthermore, the Theatre Royal has just been put through a process of el aning, renovation, and decoration. The scheme of improven ent is hardly completed yet, but as all the substantial part of it has been accomplished, leaving only some of the ornate effects to get a finishing touch, the audience that assembled on the 12th inst. had good opportu- nity to judge of the general result; and on all sides one heard expressions of admiration. It will be remembered perhaps that during Mr Robert Breugh's last visit to Hong kong he was consulted as to the proposed alterations, and bis suggestions have been largely carried out. The entire building has been fitted with electric light, with rows of lamps round the dome and the dress circle. |||An exhaust-fin is to be placed in the top of the dome The floor of the stalls has been raised six inches, so as to afford a better view of the stage, and in the dress picole the old unsightly stal's have been doney with, and the front of the cirole has been
|
Mr. GEO, GRIMBLE real the names of 33 members of an orchestral society recently formed whom it was proposed to elect members of the Philharmorio en bloc.
Mr. A. G WARD proposed and Mr. E. MIROW seconded that the ladies and gentlemen whoss
names hal been read should be elected,
Carried unanimously.
Five new members were then elected, on the motion of Mr. A. G. WARD, seconded by Mr. E. MIR W.
The committee formally resigning, Mr. F. C. BARLOW pro: osod and Mr. E. MIROW seconded that the following committe beleo ed :- Messrs. F. C. Bar'ow, F. H. Bell, Geo, Grimble, O. Gumprecht, Geo. P. Lammert, E. Mirov, Carl Schröt r. J. Wa-kor, and A. G. Ward.
Carried nem con.
Mess's F. C. Barlow and F. H. Bell were elected hou. s'cretaries of the orchestral and vocal sections respectively.
It was left to the discretion of the committee to appoint conductors,
Daring 1902 the demarcation of the whole of the New Territory, with the exception of (1) the coastwise trips from Tai Lam Chung to Tann Wan, aud (2) Lamma Island, was completed. Branch offices for taking claims were opens 1 at Ping Shau (April 1st to October 18th), and at 8 i Kung (July 7th to October 25th), ou the mainland; and at Mui_Wo, Pai_0, Tung Chang and Tai 0. in Lan Tao Island. Al claims on the mainland have been filed except for the narrow strip from Tai Lam Chung to Tsun Wan. These are now being received at a branch office at Tann Wan, which it is hoped will be closed in May. This will finish claim- taking on the mainland.
The total number of lots demarcated in 1902. was as follows:-
|
Total,
Mainland, 133.631 Lan Tao, 27,994
161,625
The total unmber of lots claimed was:— Mainland, 164,971 Lan Tao, 18,289
Total,
183,260
The Fall Court had 12) sittings during the year; while the President (Mr. Gompertz) held 129 Single Court sittings in the Land Court and heard 19 cases under the Rent Recovery Ordinance, 14 of 902. Rent rolls were made the districts of Tung Chung and Mai Wo in out for survey distriots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and for Lan Tao Island.
The rent roll for the rast of the Territory is being pushed on and wil be complete before the end of 1903.
An ordinance to regulate the tenure of land in the New Territory under the style of the New Territories Titles Ordinance, 1902, was passed at the close of the year, but has not been put into operation yet.
AUVET.
ember, the following being the areas surveyed The traverse survey was completed in Dec-
during the year :-
Districts. Kowloon
Un Long, Lan Tao Island,
Lamma Island, Tsing I Island, Chik Lap Kok
Island,
Sub-districts.
1.
Tsun Wan, and part of
Luk Yenk.
Tại Lam Chung
The whole, with the exception of small portions previously
surveyed near Mui Wo and Tung Chung The whole.
The whole.
The whole.
Ni Ka Chau Island, The whole.
To enable the cultivated areas in New Kow- lbon and several areas near Sha Tau Kok to be de-mapped on which the original survey was plotted having a larger scale—the scale on
been found too small in these cases-fresh traverses had to be made; the cultivated lunds south of the old boundary being also'included.
One Indian sub-surveyor, with 6 Indian and 6 Chinese chain-men, was engaged upon the work, which was connected at four points with the trigonometrical survey, upon which the topographical survey is based.
The areas cadastrally surveyed during the year amounted to 11,715 81 acres, including 219,292 fields. These figures do not compare favourably with those of the preceding years when over 11,000 seres were dealt with by a considerably less stuff, the reason being that the work during 1902 was confined to much more difficult ground, which consisted of the most hilly parts of the whole Territory,
The following were the areas surreyed:
Districts.
Sub-districts
Kowloon,
proved to give all in the chairs a better Of the office of president it was unanimously view A new i on balustrade replaces the old agreed to ask HI E. Sir Henry Blake's acceptance. Wooden one,
one. With the object of improving Sir Wm. Goodman was re-elected vice-presid ut. the hearing, ornamental panelling has been The drawing up and revision of rules having placed between the pillars supporting the been left to the committee, the meeting concluded | Tang Hoi, dome; this it is hoped will have the effect of ' with a vote of thanks to the chairman.
Un Long,
Kan Yeuk, Luk Teak,
Tsun Wan. The whole. Tai Lan Chang
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