convenience, were the actual limits extended as far as the said stream, enclosing the piece of land pointed out by Grey on the plan. We beg therefore to submit respectfully this petition to His Excellency's kind consideration, and confident in the usual benevolence bestowed by Her Majesty's representatives upon French Missions in British Colonies, and especially in the Colony of Hongkong, we hope our present request will meet with approval and be granted.
The following particulars may possibly prove of some value to legitimate our demand.
The said parcel of land is so configurated and steep as to be quite unfit for building purposes. During the rainy season and after profuse showers, the stream, blocked by rocks, soon overflows. The water then permeates the surrounding ground, causing permanent dampness thereon, not to mention the several pools found in the bed of the stream, one of them, near the main road, measuring not less than 60ft by 25ft. A recent landslip, pretty extensive, occurred at the foot of the hill. The underwood too is very dense in a notable portion of the hill, and consequently the surface of the soil is covered with decayed matter. The effluvia arising from these various causes more or less affect the whole neighbourhood.
Our intention, should the land be granted us, is to have the bed of the Stream thoroughly cleared from rocks, to allow the water a free run, the jungle and undergrowth cut down and replaced by fir or camphor trees, drains dug out, and roads or alleys traced where suitable places are.