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Vaims Shan Harbour it trends south-west, with elevations varying from 1,300 to 1,500 feet, until it
Taimoshan
3.
reaches its highest point in the splendid range of Taihio Show, which rises to a height of 3,000 feet. It then decreases in elevation in the direction of Castle Peak, which is 1,80 eet high, but has a lower spur to the north, forming the southern arm of Deep Bay, in which there are two peaks rising to an elevation of 1,200 feet.
Besides these two main ranges, there are cross ranges of lesser altitude, which divide the watershed between Mirs Bay and Deep Bay, with low hills in some of the valleys.
The heights of the mountains are taken from the map, sketched by Lieutenant E. G. Young, R.E., which gives a clear idea of the mountain system of the new territory, (Map. IV.)
WATERSHEDS.
The watersheds of the territory being as a rule close to the east and south coasts, the more extensive valleys and plains lie to the west and north, and drain into Deep Bay. Such are the valleys of which the town of Sham Chun is the centre, and the valleys and plains of Pat Heung and Shap Pat Heung, lying to the north-west of the range of Taipið skálk. A remarkable feature in the Shap Pat Heung plains is the abrupt and clearly-defined line between hill and plain. The plain extends from the shores of Deep Bay for some miles into the interior, never reaching an elevation of more than 10 or 15 feet above high water mark, but from this point the hills rise abruptly at an angle of 15 to 20 degrees.
RIVER SYSTEM.
The river system, like the mountain system, is divided into two sections-a northern and a southern. The chief river of the northern section and the largest in the territory is the Sham Chun river,* which has three branches or tributaries, a northern, an eastern and a southern. The northern branch rises in the mountains on the borders of the
n Kun and Sad districts, flowing in a south-westerly direction, joins the
Tipo Hin
main river to the west of Sham Chun; the eastern branch rises in the low hills west of Starling Inlet, and flows in a westerly direction, joining the main river to the east of Sham Chun; the southern branch has its source in Kau Lung Hang, to the north of Taipehu, and flows in a north-westerly direction, falling into the main river a mile below Sham Chun. All these branches are good-sized mountain streams, and most valuable as irrigators of the cultivated land through which they flow. They are, how- ever, of no value as highways of trade, as they are too shallow to be navigated by even small craft. The Sham Chun river, from the town of Sham Chun to its mouth, is at high tide from 60 to 80 feet wide, has a depth of 7 to 12 feet, and is navigable for junks and launches. The bar at its mouth is about 6 or 7 feet in depth, and is reported at low tide to be only 3 feet in depth.
Tin The Sham Chun river system is separated from the Un-Long and Kam, or southern river system, by the Kai Kung Thu range of mountains. The Un-Long river/"
jaimo Shamrises in the northern slope of the Tai-Me han range, and, flowing in a northerly direc-
Taims Shinos
tion, empties itself into Deep Bay. The Kam river, which has its source at the footn
Tai Mo Shan, flows in a north-westerly direction, joining the Un-Long river at the village of Sher. The Un-Long river is navigable by small junks as far as Un Long, a market town three miles distant from Deep Bay to the north.
The Kam Hü river has a depth of from three to six feet at high tide all the
Tam Firway from its mouth in Bay to the town of Kam Pia distance of about six miles.
1 Fin
The first steamer that ever went up this river was the piquace of H.M.S. Plover, which had no difficulty in conveying the members of the Commission as far as the market town of Kam Pi, with a cutter in tow.
Within the basins of these two river systems are found the most fertile soil and the most populous villages in the area about to be leased.
Bin
WATER SUPPLY.
Fin
The water supply appears to be excellent everywhere. During the month of August, when the inspection of the territory was made, there were streams of water * See Photographs, Album 1, Nos. 32; 36.
5
pouring down the hill sides in every direction, and the villages wells contained ample water, as a rule within six or eight feet of the surface. Sufficient water to raise two crops of rice a year seems always to be available throughout the district.
It is probable that the high mountain ranges attract more rain clouds from the China Sea during the south-west monsoon than is the case at Hong Kong, where the average rain fall is 90 inches. Mr. Ormsby is of opinion that.in many places the con- struction of storage reservoirs, if required, will be a simple matter. He considers that the construction of such a reservoir on the southern or eastern slope of Tai Mo Shan for the supply of Kowloon is very desirable, in order to meet the wants of the rapidly in- creasing towns on that peninsula, by gravitation, and thus set free the large acreage now reserved as a catchment area, and render it possible to dispense with the present expensive pumping establishment.
IRRIGATION.
Irrigation of the paddy fields is effected simply by leading the water along the sides of the hills by means of channels, from which the water is allowed to run on to the terraced fields as required. In addition to the ordinary paddy fields in the valleys, works of reclamation have been carried out, by which a large quantity of land has been reclaimed from the sea. Walls of rough rubble, backed by earth, have been constructed
to keep out the water. Along the top of these embankments there is a foot path, and sluices made of timber planking sliding in grooves cut into the stone side walls enable the villagers to keep out the sea and get rid of their surplus fresh water at low tide. By the improvement and extension of such works of reclamation, many large areas could be brought under cultivation.
GEOLOGY.
An interesting report by Mr. Ormsby on the geology of the district will be found in Appendix II.
I agree with him that a mining expert should be deputed to examine and report on the minerals in the territory. There is no such expert at present resident in Hong Kong, so it will be necessary to secure the services of a suitable person at home.
SOIL.
The soil is formed from the decomposition of volcanic trap rock in the north-east and east, and is alluvial in the broad valleys drained by the Sham Chun and Un Long rivers. It is generally fertile, and yields annually two crops of rice. Even the hillsides are in many places brought under cultivation, and rice was found growing at a height of over 1,200 feet.
By the Chinese the soil is divided into three classes, and is taxed according to its quality. The first class is supposed to pay about 36 cents per acre; the second class about 24 cents, and the third class about 15 cents per acre. In reality, fully double these amounts are levied, though not officially accounted for.
Payment in kind is also made, but this payment is commuted for a money payment at the rate of 4.8 taels, or 6.67 per picul of rice (a picul is equal to 1 bushel 2 pecks 2 quarts).
PRODUCTS.
Rice is the principal article of cultivation,* and the quality of this product is so highly esteemed that a quantity of it is exported to San Francisco for the use of the Chinese residents there. There is also a large area of land devoted to the growing of sugar cane, indigo, hemp, peanuts, potatoes of different varieties, yam, taro, beans, sesamum, pumpkins, and vegetables of all kinds.
Experiments are now being made to ascertain whether the cotton plant will flourish in the newly-leased area, and there seems to be no reason, as far as soil and climate are concerned, why these experiments should not succeed. If they are successful, the cotton mill which is now being erected in Hong Kong would find this a convenient source of supply for at any rate a portion of its raw material.
*See Photographs, Album I., Nos. 10, 11, 14, 15.
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Taimo Shan.