This Document is the Property of His Britannic, Majesty's Government.]
CINA. TRADE,
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
228
[August 14.]
SECTION 1.
Consul-General Scott to the Marquess of Lunsdowne.-(Received August 14.)
Canton, July 10, 1905.
(No. 22.) My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to forward berewith copy of a despatch which I have this day addressed to His Majesty's Minister at Peking, inclosing a Memorandum by Captain T. J. Eldridge, Deputy Coast Inspector, on the removal of the barriers in the Canton River.
I have, &c. (Signed)
JAMES SCOTT,
(No. 37-) Sir,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Consul-General Scott to Sir E. Satow,
Canton, July 10, 1905. I HAVE the honour to inclose herewith copy of a Memorandum by Captain T. J. Eldridge, Deputy Coast Inspector, regarding the works recently completed in connection with the widening and deepening of the channels through the Iron, Wooden, Cambridge, and Taishek Barriers in the Canton River. This report, together with the plans, which I am forwarding separately, has been courteously placed at my disposal by Mr. Mayers, Commissioner of Customs at this port, to whose energy and foresight in the employment of the dredger "Canton River" the success of the operations is in great measure due.
Ship-masters agree that the channels now made are sufficient to meet all practical requirements of navigation.
I have, &c. (Signed)
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
JAMES SCOTT.
Memorandum on the Removal of the Barriers in the Cunton River.
IN accordance with Captain W. F. Tyler's Memorandum on the removal of the artificial obstructions in the Canton River, dated Canton, 2nd November, 1904, the work of widening the channel through the barriers was commenced on the 5th October, 1904, at the Iron and Bridge Barriers, in the Blenheim Passage.
Iron Barrier. This barrier, which consists of a double row of triple iron screw pile clusters, connected together by means of chains, and of masses of stones heaped up on the eastern side of the piles, had an opening through it of only 150 feet in width for the passage of ships; 420 feet of the barrier have been removed now from the south side of the old ship passage, and a channel of 570 feet in width is now open to navigation.
The work of widening the channel was undertaken by a local Chinese contractor, who completed the work of drawing the iron screw piles and removing all obstructions to a depth of 16 feet below standard low water on the 13th June last.
The Bridge, or Wooden Barrier, formed of a double row of wooden piles extending across the river, and having a dangerous heap of stones in the centre, has been entirely removed, the same contractor who widened the channel through the iron barrier doing the work, which was also completed on the 13th June.
Taishek Barrier.-Operations at this barrier were commenced on the 18th May last by Messrs. Macdonald and Co., of Hong Kong, who undertook to do the work with the dredger
"Canton River," belonging to the Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Company. The dredger worked most satisfactorily, scooping up the large blocks of stone, many of which weighed nearly half a ton, without any apparent effort.
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