CO882-(4-5) — Page 506

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TILTC.O. 882

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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6. Tolo Harbour. Like Starling Inlet, too shallow at head of bay for purposes of → mavigation, although there is a boat channel, which, if marked out, will take small junks up to town. Anchorage on 4 fms. line. Suitable for shipping; whichever side of bay road is made it should be brought out on parallel 114° 11′ 45′′ E., in order to allow of vessels lying alongside a pier in 21 feet.

7. Tide Cove. Communication by small junks or light launches at high water to top of bay. Sampans at low. Anchorage in 34 fms. Protected in all winds. Dis- tance from head of bay 3 miles. Important as being the closest by land to Kowloon.

8. Long Harbour. Good anchorage in 7 to 8 fms. More suitable for a military than a mercantile port.

9. Port Shelter. Good anchorage for any size of ships. Chiefly useful as being deep close to shore, and divided from Tseung Kwan O by a small neck of land + mile wide.

10. Rocky Harbour. Unimportant, being out of line of communication.

Appendix No. 2.

REPORT ON THE GEOLOGY OF THE NEW TERRITORY by MR. ORMSBY.

The geological formation of this territory is simple, granitic, trappean, and meta- morphic rocks largely predominating, the only stratified rocks which are found belong- ing to the hypozoic period. There are in places evidences of volcanic action, but of a very remote period, while the granitic and trappean rocks are very prominent every- where. The hills facing Hong Kong are chiefly of granite, of which many varieties occur, from a fine close-grained felspathic white rock and a pink coloured granite like that of Aberdeen, to a very coarse porphyritic granite. Kaolin probably exists, but I did not come on any defined beds of it, though told that it was to be found near the west point of Castle Peak Bay. Syenite is common and of very good quality, a dark, highly crystalline variety, in many cases the large distinct crystals of hornblende being well shown.

The bold and rocky east coast shows some very characteristic cliffs of columnar basalt, and blocks of this, an almost black and highly crystalline rock, are largely used for bridging streams inland.

Further inland other trap rocks appear, while some of the islands in Mirs Bay show very distinctly the terraced and step-like appearance of these formations. The more compact and crystalline varieties seem to predominate, though trap tuffs and claystone porphyries are not absent. Specimens of basalts, greenstones, and felspar porphyries were numerous.

It is extremely difficult in such a country as I have described, where the varieties of trap rocks are so numerous and so mixed up with rocks of the granitic system, to say what other rocks may not exist. One thing is certain, there is everywhere an abun- dance of the best building material, and for road macadamizing nothing could surpass the hard basalts.

In one or two places I came on distinctly stratified rocks, of a hard, crystalline, close-grained variety, dark grey or bluish grey in colour, which I would call syenitic gneiss.

Pure quartz rock is uncommon, though in places distinct out-crops of quartzite were to be seen. I saw no mica schists, and except in the pure granites mica is not to be seen.

Talc also is absent, but hornblende appears everywhere, and I should say chlorite schists, hornblende schists, and actynolite schists are fairly common.

I saw no limestone, all lime used in buildings being obtained from the burning of coral or oyster shells.

The lower hills between the mountain ranges are of laterite, rounded or conical in shape, and well covered with vegetation, combining to form the extremely picturesque scenery usually associated with such formations. The richly cultivated valleys lying between, formed by the denudation of the surrounding mountains, seem in most cases to have a few feet of good soil overlying laterite; some excavations, as in wells, showed this very distinctly. The laterite is what would be called a coarse cabook Ceylon, fit for cutting out in blocks for building purposes. This is extremely like the disintegrated granite of Hong Kong, but contains more silicate of alumina and oxide of iron, the latter showing in large nodules.

Some excellent pottery clay exists on the slopes of Taimò Shán, of which we saw specimens in the village of Un-iu, of a light brown colour and extremely fine texture Brick clay is found in all the valleys, and is used in the form of large sun-dried bricks in many of the village houses and walls.

Possibly beds of primary limestone will be found, but the lime obtained by the

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burning of coral or shells is as a rule better for building purposes, so the absence of rook limestone, if such turns out to be the case, does not matter. A lead mine was worked for some years on the side of Taimò Shán, but the working discontinued for some reason about 6 years ago. Galena was also found near Kowloon, and on the north side of Lantao, and elsewhere. These workings should be examined by a mining expert, and the richness of the ore ascertained. The natives also speak of alluvial tin being found. Silver and lead were worked on the south of the island of Lantao within recent years, but without success financially, possibly due rather to Chinese official interference and bad management than to the absence of a paying richness in the ore. Expensive buildings were erected on the sea-shore, and machinery said to have cost 100,000 dollars im- ported and erected. Even when the speculation collapsed, the plant was valued at $30,000, all of which is said to have been abandoned. Only the foundations and cement floors of some of the buildings remain, and the brick chimney shaft of the smelting works.

I should say that on the Taimò Shán range gneiss syenite and trap rocks predomi- nate. Massive boulders of gneiss of a bluish grey or greenish colour are scattered over the mountain side and in the ravines. On the slopes in which the best pasturage is found there is a stiff yellow clay, with veins of quartz gravel.

Lantao Island is chiefly granite on the south face and trap rocks on the north, the latter being consequently much better covered with vegetation and trees. The smaller islands, such as Ch'eung-chau, P'ing-chau, and Lamma seem to be almost entirely granite.

It will be understood that as only 12 days in all were spent in the exploration of the mainland and islands, no accurate or close geological survey was possible, the pre- dominating rocks were judged as much from the stone used in the paved footpaths, stream crossings, sea walls, and houses, as from the bed rocks on the hill sides, usually difficult of access. This geological description of the country is therefore of a very sketchy and imperfect character, and a closer and more careful examination by a professional geologist, or an expert in mineralogy, will doubtless bring to light much that has escaped my observation.

No.

Appendix No. 3.

4

Un-Long...

Punti

Hakka

Races.

TABLE SHOWING THE DISTRIBUTION OF RACES.

No. of

Division.

Villages.

Population.

Total Population in each Division.

1

Shat'au

Punti

4

5,000

5,000

2

Sham Chun

Punti

20

12,900

Hakku

G

1,180

26

14,080

14,080

3

Shat'au Kok

Hakka

54

8,530

Punti

1

70

55

8,600

8,600

49

20,980

2,040

59 23,020

23,020

60

10,210

122

10,660

182

20,870

20,870

22

5,830

32

9,200

54 15,030

15,030

5

9,150

31

4,460

7

110

43

13,720

13,720

Total

423

100,320

5

Sheung U

Punti

Hakka

+6

Kan Lung (Kowloon) ...

Punti Hakka

wh

Islands

Punti

Hakka Tanka

::

::

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