Sir R. Meade
Monykong-Wm. 596
The extension of the Praya in front of the Naval Yard Military building, & Sharp's lots is much more to the advantage of the adjoining property then a question of having a beautiful Esplanade, as the Admiralty seem to suppose. It means that if the Scheme is prosecuted the Colony will be cut in two at this point, allowed only one line of communication from East to West, & that line a single roadway of at most 30 feet wide. This road passes behind the Naval Yard, lies between it and a cliff, upon which the Military Barracks are placed. The cliff abuts on the street at one point of the roadway at an angle to avoid this obstruction.
There is no other way of getting from the front of the town to the other side along the sea as the naval and military buildings have stopped the expansion of the business part of the town to the Eastwards, the Chinese have been driven to live in the hilly half to be near their work, & the overcrowding is very serious. The Praya extension will be a great relief.
Lord Ripon. May Jashape like to let Lord Spencer know that the question