PROOF.
8771.
No.
GOVERNOR SIR H. A. BLAKE to MR. CHAMBERLAIN,
(Received April 10, 1899.) .
[Answered by No. 8771.]
215
(No. 53.)
SIR,
Government House, Hong-Kong, March 10, 1899.
HAVING been advised by local experts whom I have consulted in the matter that it is advisable that a complete survey of the new territory should be made with a view of settling land questions that must inevitably arise, I have decided to have a survey made with the least possible delay.
2. I enclose copy of a memorandum on the subject drawn up by the Director of Public Works with the assistance of Colonel Elsdale, R.E., and in accordance with the suggestion therein made I have caused application to be made to the Government of India for the loan of the officers and native assistants required for the work.
3. I enclose for your information a copy of the letter addressed to the Government of India, and I request that, if necessary, the Secretary of State for India may be asked to support the application.
4. I will address you later regarding the manner in which I propose to deal with the land question in the new territory pending the completion of a survey.
I have, &c.,
HENRY A. BLAKE,
Governor.
Enclosure 1. in No.
MEMORANDUM regarding the proposed Survey of the Territory in Kwang Tung Province leased by Great Britain from China.
It has been decided by Government that a complete Trigonometrical and Cadastral Survey should be made of the above territory.
There being no officers available for this service in Hong-Kong, the Colonial Govern- ment desire to obtain from India the necessary trained staff.
The area of land to be surveyed is approximately 286 square miles on the mainland and 90 square miles of islands.
It consists of bold ranges of hills which may be roughly divided into two main ranges trending north-east and south-west, rising to peaks over 3,000 feet high, with numerous points from 1,200 to 2,000 feet in elevation. The south-west facing Hong- Kong, and the east coast is very rugged, bold basaltic cliffs forming the coast line on the east. The hills are covered with grass, bracken, and ferns, and sparsely with young fir trees. There are no forests or jungle. Between the hills and in the bays are patches of cultivated land, rice and sugar-cane, sweet potatoes, yams, indigo, being the commonest crops. The largest and best-cultivated valleys lie on the north and north-west. The area of cultivated land is estimated to be 72,000 acres.
There are numerous streams, and one river navigable for junks and steam launches runs from east to west nearly, through the main valley on the north.
The country generally is an easy one to survey, with numerous prominent points visible for many miles round. The const line is probably fully 180 miles in length, Greatest width, east and west, 35 miles; north and south, 15 miles. There are no roads, but good footpaths.
From May to October the weather is uncertain, often stormy and wet, the temperature at sea level varying from 80° to 90°. From October to April the climate is very good— usually fine, dry, and cold, the temperature falling to 40° even at nights. The average annual rainfall is believed to be about the same as that of Hong-Kong, namely, 90 inches, the great proportion of which falls in the summer.
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