violence and duration, was chiefly accidental, arising from the circumstance of the Roads being at the moment in such anpenfinished and loose state, without any drains, as to expose them peculiarly to the action of the torrents.
It is only in the case of rapid declivities that much injury is experienced from the
rains, and with this view care has been taken to preserve the level as much as possible . This has been effected with great success in the road round the island, where, notwithstanding the abrupt rise of some hills
some hill's more than 1,500 fest above the sea, the highest point of the
road which skirts them does not creeed 500 feet . This will appear from the Ordnance Survey Hap forwarded home . The
of
· average
the whole line of. 18 miles completed is nearly a level, except between Tytom and Hanley, which was traced unskilfully on the first occupation of the island.
Inv.
236
In addition to the above, I have found that by trirfing the edges of the Roods, the surfaces become defended from the action of water by the grass rapidly spreading over them during the
: wet season!
in the
With reference to the further inquiry
same Despatch, whether the Road across the island to Stanley is se exclusively of a military description, as to make it an exception to any general measures which may be adopted in
"
respect to other Roads," I beg to state that, although much used by the Chinese, very few Europeans traverse the route in question, except the Officers and Koops, as Stanley is exclusively a Military Post. By the Colonial Regulations, however, (at Paye 125) it is prescribed that Roads of communication are not to be repaired " and maintained at the expanse of the Ordnand "Department."
I have the satisfaction to state that
Since
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