CO129-179 - Governor Hennessy - 1877 [9-12]

## Step 1: Review the given text for OCR errors and formatting issues. The provided text appears to be a collection of historical documents related to Hong Kong, with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) errors and formatting issues. The task requires proofreading and correcting these errors while maintaining the original content and structure. ## Step 2: Identify and correct spelling errors. Upon reviewing the text, numerous spelling errors are evident, such as "transfered" instead of "transferred", "deposite" instead of "depose", "waterma" instead of "watchman", "sheathing" misspelled as "shitting" or "sheating", "loap" instead of "loop", "ting" instead of "tying", "backeges" instead of "packages", "sinialiar" instead of "similar", "propritor" instead of "proprietor", and "Castmopolian" instead of "Cosmopolitan". These errors need to be corrected. ## Step 3: Fix spacing issues and rejoin broken sentences. The text contains extra spaces, missing spaces, and hyphenation or line-break artifacts. For example, "CANDIDATE No. 9." and "CANDIDATE No. 8." are followed by text that needs to be properly formatted. Sentences broken across lines or columns need to be rejoined. ## Step 4: Restore paragraph breaks and indicate missing words. The OCR output has merged or split paragraphs incorrectly. Paragraph breaks need to be restored to improve readability. If a word is clearly missing due to OCR damage, it should be indicated with `...`. ## Step 5: Apply Markdown formatting. The text should be transformed into standard Markdown format. This includes processing headers, sub-headers, bold-type, and tables using Markdown syntax. ## Step 6: Reorder newspaper texts and reconstruct tables. Texts from newspapers may not make sense due to OCR column recognition issues. These need to be reordered. Data clearly in table format should be organized properly to reconstruct the table. ## Step 7: Correct Chinese writing direction if necessary. Some Chinese texts might be written from right to left. If observed, these should be reversed to meet modern reading habits. ## Step 8: Ensure file references are correctly formatted. File references should not have spaces inside parentheses, e.g., `XCR(85)72`. ## Step 9: Preserve page numbering information. If "Page XX" is detected, with the typical six lines (three at the top and three at the bottom), this information should be kept as it was originally used to delineate page metadata. ## Step 10: Output the corrected text in HTML format using

for paragraphs. The final output should be in HTML format, using `

` for paragraphs and `
` only when absolutely necessary. The final answer is:

CANDIDATE No. 9.

This bond of presentation made on the 10th September in the 2nd year of the Emperor Kwong Sui between Yu A Shan with the consent of his wife surnamed Lum residing at Tseung Kwan O of one part and Ip Lai Kum of the other part. Witnesseth as follows:- As the said Yu A Shang as his wife were willing to present their daughter who was born in 29th day of September, and is now seven years of age, to Ip Lai Kum to be a fostered child, he the said Ip Lai Kum being willing to take her, has given to them the sum of Sixty dollars $60 as a compensation for breeding up the child, which sum both Yu A Shang and his wife have received into their own hands without deficiency, and they used the money to meet their family expenditure. So the said daughter was immediately delivered up to Ip Lai Kum, who shall be at liberty to give her another name, and use her as a maid servant. When she has attain her full growth, Lai Kun shall also be at liberty to settle in marriage. In case she is not obedient Lai Kum may as he thinks fit, present her to another family. All the about conditions or circumstances were willingly agreed to between the both parties without any oppression, or wrong sustained by them both. If there is any dispute arising, Yu A Shang shall be held responsible. If any risk or accident should happen to the said child, it will be considered as being by Heaven. In witness whereof I have this day set my hand on this and deliverer.

Monday July 1877. W. B. SPRATT sworn depose.

I am proprietor of the Cosmopolitan Docks, the first defendant is a man in daily employ to nail on copper sheathing. The second defendant is cook to some divers that I have in my employ at about 8 A.M. on the 8th instant my Indian watchman reported to me something about the first defendant and showed me a bag containing about 5 lbs. of composition nails. The bag has a looped string to it, which passes round the neck so that the bag hangs between the thighs. There is a shorter string affixed to the bag for tying it to one thigh from what I further heard from the watchman I went into the divers' place of abode an old boat roofed over. The second defendant was there. I searched the place, and found four packages of similar composition nails altogether about 50 lbs. of the total value of $6 or $7.

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household expense as nursing trouble, and the daughter was transferred to Lai Cum, who has the authority of altering the girl's name and to use her for household work, and to do whatever with her when she grows old, and that Lai Cum has the authority to transfer her to other party should she disobey her instruction. All these are mutually agreed between the party and no force were used to affect this, U A Sung undertake to proves that nothing were received on account of the girl from other party, There shall be no dispute between the party should anything happen to the girl. for these reasons that that this document were given to Lai Cum as a proof.

Signed on the 10th day of the 9th Moon in the 2nd year of Emperor Kwong Sui's reign.

Witness

A Fung.

Monday 9th July 1877. W. B. SPRATT Sworn deposed.

U A Sung

and his wife Lum.

I am proprietor of the Cosmopolitan Docks the 1st defendant is a man in daily employ to nail on copper sheeting the 2nd defendant is a cook to some divers that I have in my employ at about 8 A.M. on the 8th instant my Indian watchman reported to me something about the 1st defendant and showed me a bag containing about 5 lbs. of composition nail the bag has a looped string to it which passes round the neck so that the bag hangs between the thighs there is a shorter string affixed to the bag for tying it to one thigh from what I further heard from the watchman I went into the divers place of abode an old boat roofed over, the 2nd defendant was there I searched the place and found 4 packages of similar composition nail all together about 50 lbs. of the total value of $6 or $7.

CANDIDATE No. 8.

This indenture made by A Shang of Chung Kwan Dock for giving to Ip Lai Kam a girl, witnessed that I U A Shung and my wife whose surname is Lam had been consulted with each other, that owing to the poverty of our family we are willing to give to Ip Lai Kam A-kau, our own daughter,

Monday night 9th July 1877. W. P. SPRATT Sworn and depose.

I am proprietor of the Cosmopolian Docks, the first Defendant is a man in daily employ to nail on Copper sheathing 2nd D is cook to some divers that I had in my employ at about 8 A.M. on the 8th instant my Indian watchman reported to me something about the 1st Defendant and showed me a bag containing about 5lbs. of composition nails. The bag has a loop string to it which passes round the neck so that the bag hangs between the thighs. There is a short string affixed to the bag for tying to one thigh from what I further heard from the watchman I went into the divers place of abode. An old boat roofed over the 2nd Defendant was there I searched the place and found 4 packages of similar composition nails all together about 50 lbs. of the total value of $6 or $7.

CANDIDATE No. 10.

Deed in presenting a daughter.

I, the undersigned, a native of Cheung Kwan O, together with his wife of the surname of Lam by birth, being in poverty, have hereby agree to present our own daughter by name A-Kiu who was born at the time of Yan (nearly daybreak) on the 29th day of the 9th moon, aged 7 years, to Ip Lai Kam who is to bring her up as an adopted daughter; and this agreement was made by our mutual consent. A sum of $65 has duly been paid over to the hands of the undersigned as a recompensation for the troubles they had taken to bring her up till this time, by Lai Kam; and this sum will afford some means for the subsistence of their family. This daughter has been brought to the house of Lai Kam will be at liberty to alter her original name, if he think fit, and their daughter is to serve Lai Kam by day and by night. Should A-Kin arrive at an age, and become disobedient to him, Lai Kam will be at liberty to do anything with her, or to present her again to another family. The present made by the one party is voluntarily and the acceptance by the other is already revealed. At all events, this agreement was made by mutual consent. We have never received any wedding-money from others for this daughter; In case, there is any unlawful possession or any unintelligible matter which she is concerned, the undersigned will have to settle the matter.

W. B. SPRATT, Sworn, deposeth. Monday 9th July 1877.

I am proprietor of the Cosmopolian Dock, the first defendant is a man in daily employ to nail on Copper-sheathing, the second defendant is cook to some divers that I have in my employ. At about 8 a.m. on the 8th instant, my Indian watchman reported to me something about the first defendant, and showed me a bag containing about 5 lbs. of composition nails, the bag has a loopy string to it which passes round the neck, so that the bag hangs between the thighs there is a shorter string affixed to the bag for tying it to one thigh.