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of that
4. Of late years however, there has been a great reduction in the number of Troops quartered in this Colony, and as far as I can learn there is no prospect of their being permanently increased. There is not, therefore, the same necessity now for alienating so much land in Hongkong irrespective of another important feature of this question.
5. I refer to the extensive Military occupation of Kowloong land. The available land in that district either for permanent building, or for encampments spreads over 32½ acres, and its accessibility and healthiness render it wholly improbable that any other Reserve, those on this side of the Harbor, will be again occupied if at all to a small extent only. There can be, I feel sure, no need of dwelling upon the importance to the villages that as much neighbouring ground as possible should be open to their inhabitants to till and cultivate.
6. The amount of level land available for this purpose throughout the Colony is very small, and hence there are but few inducements to the villagers, who are mostly fishermen, to expend their spare time and labour, as is the case elsewhere, in a healthy and profitable occupation as growing vegetables, rice, etc., for their own consumption. Every Governor has naturally had this subject under consideration, and