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There was never any threat of public disturbance, and, after the first hours of despair, the marvellous recuperative power of the Chinese began to appear. The spirit of the boat People, especially, was wonderful; the survivors seemed thankful for their escape, complained but little, and began to set about repairs.
For this, lack of materials, tools, and every form of capital, was an obvious handicap. The boat-building and repairing sheds at Tai Po, Shuen Wan, and Sha T'au Kok had entirely disappeared, with heavy loss of life. Extraordinary help was obviously necessary, so the District Officer let it be generally known that he would register applications for monetary assistance, at the same time hinting that small loans only, intended to help overcome immediate difficulties, would be granted. A great press of applicants of course followed, whose applications were registered in the form in Appendix XI. Great care was taken in this registration. Every application in the Tai Po area was investigated by the District Officer. In the Sha T'au Kok and Sha Tin areas applications were noted by the Officers in Charge of the Police Stations, and forwarded to the District Officer, who checked them as best he could.
On the 8th of September an advance of $1,000 was obtained from Government, and by the 11th $1,300 had been distributed in the form of cash grants amounting to $140, and loans amounting to $1,160, divided among 53 families, comprising 340 persons. The cash grants were small, and were given chiefly to refugees from Tai Po Old Market to enable them to return to their original homes in China. The loans involved repayment by small instalments, over a period of twenty months, starting on the 15th of the third moon this year. Each recipient signed a receipt. In assessing each family's award, stress was laid not so much on the losses suffered as on the number of persons left to support, and the means left to support them. Special encouragement was given to the boat builders at Tai Po and Sha T'au Kok to start all over again.
In the meantime Mr. W. T. Stanton, a resident in this District, had generously started a fund (see Appendix XII) for the relief of the distressed in the Tai Po and Sha T'au Kok areas, and Government had consented to allow the District Officer to administer it. The fund was generously supported, almost exclusively by Europeans, and closed on the 12th of November at $2,004.63.
Registration of applications continued until the 18th of October, when the number of families still to be assisted stood at 253, comprising 1,367 persons, and the further awards recommended at $3,735.50. The balance required was con-