Sheet
Remarks on sanitation
10
valleys are the only agriculture. The bare slopes of the hills afford pasture to a few goats and cattle. With these exceptions the island is uncultivated, and judging from the soil, and from the state of the adjacent and similar country on the main land, it does not appear likely to come under cultivation, to any great extent.
18. Most of what may be said as to the sanitation of Victoria, applies equally to the apply equally villages, only in them the task is simpler, for they are less crowded, and the proximity of
cultivation, facilitates the proper disposal of sewage.
to city and
village.
Village popa-
lation largely
maritime.
The Kow-loon peninsula.
Topographical and geological formation of Kow-koon
peninsula.
Streams, wells, and irrigation of
Kow-loon peninsula.
Sanitation of villages
considered
separately.
19. The larger villages owe their existence either to European dock establishments, or to the large fleet of fishing and trading junks which resort to the bays on which they are situated, for shelter, or to refit and victual.
20. The Kow-loon peninsula, however, merits special consideration; the irregular and broken nature of the soil, forbids it to be called a first-rate building site, except com- paratively to the still more rugged slopes of Hong Kong. Nevertheless, in the absence of any large extent of better ground, it affords space for future extensions as a suburb, and room for manufacturing and commercial establishments.
21. The peninsula consists of a mass of low but steep bills, tumbled together in so irregular a manner as to baffle description. Between the hills are narrow flat valley soles, but little above sea level. The geological formation is the decomposed granite which is here seen in the greatest perfection. In some places large masses of sound granite exists, which are quarried, and afford an excellent building stone.
22. No stream of importance enters British territory from the mountains on the main- land.
The rain falling on the peninsula, percolating through the porous soil appears in the form of rivulets in the valleys, in which wells of no great depth, give a good supply of pure water. The valleys are under cultivation with rice and vegetables, and are irrigated from the said streams.
23. To avoid complication the villages will be described, and their sanitary wants discussed, a separate part, after the state of the more important city has been dealt with.
HOUSE No 2. KAIMING
SMOKE HOLE
LANE.
PLATFORM OR COCKLOFT?
COOK
NOUSES
COOK HOUSE.
SHOP
FIG. 1.
SKETCH SHEWING INTERIOR OF HOUSE.
FIG. 2.
LANE
PART I.
SECTION 2.
House sites artificially
prepared on Bocount of siespoess of slopes.
Building material.
Roof covering.
Floors and parement.
Kuropean houses.
CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF DWELLINGS, HOUSE DRAINS, &c.
24. On account of the slope of the ground on which the city of Victoria is built, most of the houses stand on artificially prepared sites, part in bank, part in cutting. Fre quently an underground floor or basement of a house facing one street is entered as a ground floor from the street or alley next below. With this partial exception, basements or cellars under houses are unknown.
25. The usual building material is a blue Canton brick, not unburned, as often stated, but fired in a closed kiln, whereby the blue colour is produced. As ordinarily imported these bricks are soft and very porous, but they can be procured of good quality.
Red bricks can be obtained, but being more expensive, are rarely used. Granite from the local quarries is largely employed for door jambs and lintels over shop fronts. It is also used in the form of ashlar in the fronts of the more pretentious buildings.
Most houses are plastered, a few are faced with selected blue bricks rubbed smooth and neatly pointed according to the Chinese custom.
26. The usual roof is of segmental tiles, with semicircular tiles covering the vertical joints, forming ridges, which often terminate at the eaves in ornamental glazed earthenware finials. In better classes of house an inner layer of segmental tiles is laid, with butt joints on the battens, to form a ceiling; on this is a course of tiles laid with lap joints. The vertical joints of this layer are covered with ridge tiles as before described.
27. For the ground floor unglazed red tiles are used; frequently, however, there is nothing but rammed earth. Cookhouses and alleys are paved with granite blocks. Upper floors are made of China fir planks supported on round rafters, flattened above and below, to receive the planks and ceiling, if there be one.
28. Concerning European dwellings little need be said. They are substantial structures, often standing detached, with arched masonry verandas. The observations to be made on the drains of Chinese houses, but too frequently apply with almost equal force to them also.
• Figs, 9, 10, Sheet II. ¡ Fig. 17, Sheet III. ; Fig. 22, Sheet IV.; Fig. 25, Sheet V.; Fig. 29, Sheet VII.
100000
FRONT ELEVATION.
FIC.3.
HOLE
HOLE
CA INS
+
COOK
HOUSES
CABIN
COOK
HOUSES
KAIMINC
LANE
PLAN OF UPPER FLOOR.
Dangerfield, Lith 22 Barono S' Covent GARBA
45.30
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference:
EPIC.O. 882
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
|ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHICI COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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